Cryogenic freezer for storing cryovials

Abstract

The application relates to the field of low-temperature storage technology and discloses a low-temperature refrigerator for storing cryopreservation boxes, which comprises a closed box body, an operation box body and a sample picking operation platform, wherein the closed box body comprises a mechanical arm fixed on a main body, one side of the mechanical arm is provided with a rotatable placing rack, and the placing rack is used for storing cryopreservation boxes; the operation box body is connected with the closed box body in communication through a first window; the sample picking operation platform is arranged on the operation box body, the sample picking operation platform is used for picking cryopreservation tubes stored in the cryopreservation boxes among the cryopreservation boxes, and the mechanical arm is used for transferring the cryopreservation boxes between the closed box body and the operation box body through the first window. When the low-temperature refrigerator disclosed by the application is used, the tube picking is carried out in the operation box body, the influence on the temperature in the closed box body is smaller, the reliability and stability of the tube picking operation are better, the rotatable placing rack can improve the storage density of the cryopreservation boxes, and thus the storage cost of a single cryopreservation box is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of refrigeration technology, for example to a low-temperature refrigerator for storing cryovials. Background Technology

[0002] Low-temperature freezers are widely used in the low-temperature experiments and storage of special materials such as medical supplies, biological products, marine products, electronic components, and chemical materials. Common low-temperature freezers have different temperature ratings, such as -40 degrees Celsius, -80 degrees Celsius, and -110 degrees Celsius. In the field of bioengineering, low-temperature freezers are often used to store biological samples. When storing and retrieving biological samples, the temperature difference between the inside of the freezer and the outside environment is significant. Even if the door is opened for a short time, a large amount of heat is exchanged between the inside and outside of the freezer, which has a significant impact on the internal temperature.

[0003] In the prior art, Chinese patent application CN109097271A discloses a programmed cooling device, comprising: a fixed base, which includes a frame, front and rear panels, and side panels; a refrigerator module, which has two independent spaces, one of which is a programmed cooling zone containing several programmed cooling compartments; the temperature in the programmed cooling zone gradually increases from bottom to top, forming different temperature fields; the other space is a cryopreservation box storage area; the cryopreservation box storage area contains several cryopreservation box storage compartments and an insulation cover corresponding to each cryopreservation box storage compartment; a programmed cooling mechanism, disposed in the programmed cooling zone, which includes at least two lifting mechanisms and lifting trays for holding cryopreservation boxes, respectively disposed corresponding to each programmed cooling compartment; a transfer box conveying mechanism, disposed on the other side of the frame of the fixed base; a transfer window is provided on the front panel of the fixed base; and a three-dimensional moving clamping mechanism, disposed above the refrigerator module, for storing and retrieving cryopreservation boxes and cryopreservation tubes.

[0004] In the process of implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, at least the following problems were found in the related art: The three-dimensional moving clamping mechanism grabs cryopreservation boxes and tubes from above the cryopreservation box storage area. Due to its structure, the cryopreservation box storage area cannot store a large number of cryopreservation boxes, resulting in a high storage cost for a single cryopreservation box. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments, a brief summary is given below. This summary is not intended as a general commentary, nor is it intended to identify key / important components or describe the scope of protection of these embodiments, but rather as a prelude to the detailed description that follows.

[0006] This disclosure provides a low-temperature refrigerator for storing cryovials, in order to address the problem of how to reduce the storage costs of cryovials and cryotubes.

[0007] In some embodiments, the low-temperature freezer for storing cryovials includes a closed housing, an operating housing, and a sampling platform. The closed housing includes a fixed robotic arm with a rotatable shelf on one side for storing cryovials. The operating housing is connected to the closed housing via a first window. The sampling platform is located in the operating housing and is used to select cryovials stored in the cryovials among multiple cryovials. The robotic arm is used to transfer the cryovials between the closed housing and the operating housing via the first window.

[0008] In this embodiment, the sealed enclosure serves as a low-temperature storage space. The temperature within the enclosure can be set to -80°C or -110°C, depending on the storage requirements of the cryopreservation boxes and cryovials. A rotatable rack is provided within the enclosure. The axis of rotation around which the rack rotates is vertically oriented, meaning the curve generated by rotating a point on the rack is parallel to the plane of the enclosure's base. The rack has multiple storage units, each capable of holding one or more cryopreservation boxes. Each cryopreservation box stores multiple cryovials containing biological samples requiring low-temperature storage. A fixed robotic arm is also provided within the enclosure. As the rack rotates to different angles, different storage units face the robotic arm, facilitating the removal of cryopreservation boxes from or placement into the rack's storage units. Specifically, when it is necessary to remove the target cryovial from the target cryovial box, the placement rack rotates, aligning the storage unit containing the target cryovial box with the robotic arm. The robotic arm removes the cryovial box from the storage unit of the placement rack and transfers it through the first window to the picking platform in the operating chamber. The operating chamber is equipped with a picking platform that can hold multiple cryovial boxes. The picking platform picks the cryovial from among the multiple cryovial boxes, removing the target cryovial from the target cryovial box. After the picking operation is completed, the robotic arm transfers the target cryovial box from the operating chamber to a closed chamber and places it into the target storage unit of the placement rack. This is an illustrative description of the operation of removing the cryovial from the placement rack; the process of storing the cryovial in the closed chamber and the process of changing the cryovial box containing the target cryovial are similar to the above process. The operating chamber can be equipped with a refrigeration device to control its temperature at a certain level, such as -40°C. Alternatively, it can rely solely on heat transfer between the enclosed chamber and the operating chamber via the first window to create a low-temperature environment within the operating chamber; no specific limitation is made here. The operating chamber significantly buffers the heat exchange between the enclosed chamber and its surrounding environment, effectively improving temperature stability within the enclosed chamber. Pipe-picking operations are performed within the higher-temperature operating chamber, ensuring the stability of the equipment used for this operation at higher temperatures. Rotatable shelving and stackable cryogenic storage boxes can significantly increase the number of cryogenic boxes that can be stored within the enclosed chamber, thereby reducing the storage cost per cryogenic box.

[0009] In some embodiments, the placement rack includes a placement rack tray, a placement rack top plate, multiple longitudinal partitions, multiple transverse partitions, and a placement rack drive device. The placement rack tray is rotatably connected to the bottom plate of the enclosed housing. The placement rack top plate is disposed opposite to the placement rack tray. Multiple longitudinal partitions extend upward from the placement rack tray to the placement rack top plate, forming a columnar storage space between the placement rack tray and the placement rack top plate. The multiple longitudinal partitions divide the columnar storage space into multiple columns of longitudinal storage space. The multiple transverse partitions divide the multiple columns of longitudinal storage space into multiple storage units. The placement rack drive device is used to drive the placement rack tray to rotate horizontally relative to the bottom plate of the enclosed housing.

[0010] In some embodiments, the low-temperature refrigerator further includes a turntable and a rotating wheel. The turntable is fixed to the bottom of the placement rack tray and has a horizontally extending retaining edge. The rotating wheel is rotatably connected to the bottom plate of the enclosed box through a vertically arranged axle pin. The rotating wheel has a horizontally opened retaining groove, and the retaining edge of the turntable is engaged in the retaining groove. There are multiple rotating wheels, which are arranged circumferentially around the turntable to limit the turntable and allow the turntable to rotate relative to the bottom plate of the enclosed box.

[0011] In some embodiments, the placement rack tray is circular, and the projections of the plurality of longitudinal partitions on the placement rack tray radiate outward from the center of the placement rack tray.

[0012] In some embodiments, the included angle formed between each pair of adjacent longitudinal diaphragms is the same.

[0013] In some embodiments, the robotic arm includes a lifting track, a lifting plate, a swing plate, a translation track, and a support plate. The lifting track is vertically arranged along the main body; the lifting plate is horizontally arranged and slidably connected to the lifting track, and the lifting plate moves up and down along the lifting track under the drive of a lifting drive device; the swing plate is rotatably connected to the lifting plate, and the swing plate can rotate horizontally relative to the lifting plate under the drive of a swing drive device; the translation track is arranged on the swing plate; the support plate is slidably connected to the translation track, and the support plate moves laterally relative to the swing plate along the translation track under the drive of a translation drive device.

[0014] In some embodiments, each of the plurality of partitions has a notch formed from the outside in, the shape of the notch corresponding to the shape of the tray, and the tray can move from bottom to top through the notch to disengage the cryopreservation box from contact with the partition.

[0015] In some embodiments, the lifting track is a slide bar, which is fixed in a fixed seat; the lifting drive device includes a lead screw and a lifting drive motor, wherein the lead screw is parallel to the slide bar and can rotate in the fixed seat, and a first gear is radially arranged on the lead screw; the lifting drive motor is connected to a second gear, which meshes with the first gear; the lifting plate has a first through hole and a second through hole, the slide bar passes through the first through hole, the lead screw passes through the second through hole, and an internal thread matching the lead screw is provided in the second through hole.

[0016] In some embodiments, the low-temperature refrigerator further includes an insulated door and a door drive device, wherein the insulated door is disposed at the first window; the door drive device is used to drive the insulated door to open or close.

[0017] In some embodiments, the low-temperature refrigerator includes a plurality of enclosed boxes, which are separately disposed from the operating box, and the operating box is movable to a position that connects with any one of the plurality of enclosed boxes.

[0018] The low-temperature refrigerator for storing cryovials provided in this disclosure can achieve at least the following technical effects: 1. Setting up an operating enclosure can effectively reduce heat exchange between the enclosed enclosure and its surrounding environment, thereby improving the temperature stability inside the enclosed enclosure. 2. The tube picking operation is completed in the operating box, where the temperature is higher than that in the closed box, which improves the reliability of the sample picking operation platform. 3. Rotatable shelves can store more cryopreservation tubes in a smaller volume. At the same time, their rotation feature can simplify the structure of the robotic arm that works with them, thereby reducing the space occupied by the robotic arm, maximizing the use of the storage space in the enclosed box, improving the storage capacity of the enclosed box, and reducing the storage cost of a single cryopreservation box.

[0019] The above general description and the description below are exemplary and illustrative only and are not intended to limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0020] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations and drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are shown as similar elements. The drawings are not to be scaled. And wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a low-temperature refrigerator for storing cryovials, provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a low-temperature refrigerator for storing cryovials provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure after removing part of the outer shell; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another low-temperature refrigerator for storing cryovials provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure after removing part of the outer shell; Figure 4 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of a robotic arm for storing cryogenic boxes in a low-temperature refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 5 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of a robotic arm for storing cryovials in a low-temperature refrigerator, as provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 6 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of a placement rack for storing cryovials in a low-temperature refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a placement rack for a low-temperature refrigerator used to store cryovials, provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure label: 100: Enclosed enclosure; 110: First window; 200: Robotic arm; 210: Lifting track; 220: Lifting plate; 230: Lifting drive device; 231: Lead screw; 232: First gear; 233: Lifting drive motor; 234: Second gear; 240: Swing plate; 250: Swing drive device; 260: Translation track; 270: Pallet; 300: Operating cabinet; 310: Sample picking platform; 400: Placement rack; 410: Placement rack tray; 420: Placement rack top plate; 430: Longitudinal partition; 440: Transverse partition; 450: Placement rack drive unit; 460: Turntable; 470: Rotary wheel. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To provide a more detailed understanding of the features and technical content of the embodiments of this disclosure, the implementation of the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. In the following technical description, for ease of explanation, several details are used to provide a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments may still be implemented without these details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices may be simplified in their depiction to simplify the drawings.

[0023] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this disclosure described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0024] In this disclosure, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "middle," "outer," "front," and "rear," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for better description of the embodiments of this disclosure and their implementations, and are not intended to limit the indicated devices, elements, or components to having a specific orientation, or to require them to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Furthermore, some of the aforementioned terms may be used to indicate other meanings besides orientation or positional relationship; for example, the term "upper" may in some cases indicate a dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] Furthermore, the terms "set up," "connect," and "fix" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0026] Unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" means two or more.

[0027] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the character " / " indicates that the objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B.

[0028] The term "and / or" describes an association between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or A and B.

[0029] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0030] Combination Figure 1-7 As shown, this embodiment of the present disclosure provides a low-temperature refrigerator for storing cryovials, including a closed box 100, an operating box 300, and a sampling platform 310. The closed box 100 includes a robotic arm 200 with a fixed main body, and a rotatable placement rack 400 is provided on one side of the robotic arm 200 for storing cryovials. The operating box 300 is connected to the closed box 100 through a first window 110. The sampling platform 310 is disposed in the operating box 300 and is used to select cryovials stored in multiple cryovials. The robotic arm 200 is used to transfer cryovials between the closed box 100 and the operating box 300 through the first window 110.

[0031] In this embodiment, the enclosed enclosure 100 serves as a low-temperature storage space. The temperature within the enclosed enclosure 100 can be set to -80°C or -110°C, depending on the storage requirements of the cryopreservation boxes and cryovials. A rotatable rack 400 is provided within the enclosed enclosure 100. The rotation axis around which the rack 400 rotates is vertically oriented, meaning the curve generated by rotating a point on the rack 400 is parallel to the plane of the bottom plate of the enclosed enclosure. The rack 400 has multiple storage units, each capable of holding one or more cryopreservation boxes. Each cryopreservation box stores multiple cryovials containing biological samples requiring low-temperature storage. A fixed robotic arm 200 is also provided within the enclosed enclosure 100. When the rack 400 rotates to different angles, different storage units face the robotic arm 200, facilitating the robotic arm's removal of cryopreservation boxes from or placement into the storage units of the rack 400. Specifically, when it is necessary to remove the target cryovial from the target cryovial box, the placement rack 400 rotates, aligning the storage unit containing the target cryovial box with the robotic arm 200. The robotic arm 200 removes the cryovial box from the storage unit of the placement rack 400 and transfers it through the first window 110 to the picking platform 310 in the operating housing 300. The operating housing 300 is equipped with the picking platform 310, which can hold multiple cryovial boxes. The picking platform 310 picks out the target cryovial from among the multiple cryovial boxes. After the picking operation is completed, the robotic arm transfers the target cryovial box from the operating housing 300 to the closed housing 100 and places it into the target storage unit of the placement rack 400. This section exemplarily describes the operation of retrieving cryovials from the rack 400. The process of storing the cryovials in the enclosed box 100 and changing the cryovial container containing the target cryovial is similar to the above process. The operating box 300 can be equipped with a refrigeration device to control its temperature at a certain temperature, such as -40°C. Alternatively, it can rely solely on heat transfer between the enclosed box 100 and the operating box 300 via the first window 110 to create a low-temperature environment within the operating box 300; no specific limitation is made here. The operating box 300 significantly buffers the heat exchange between the enclosed box 100 and its surrounding environment, effectively improving the temperature stability within the enclosed box 100. The cryovial picking operation is performed in the higher-temperature operating box 300, ensuring the operational stability of the equipment used for this operation at higher temperatures. The rotatable shelf-style stacking cryovial container can significantly increase the number of cryovial containers stored in the enclosed box 100, thereby reducing the storage cost per cryovial container.

[0032] Optionally, the storage rack 400 includes a storage rack tray 410, a storage rack top plate 420, multiple longitudinal partitions 430, multiple transverse partitions 440, and a storage rack drive device 450. The storage rack tray 410 is rotatably connected to the bottom plate of the enclosed box. The storage rack top plate 420 is disposed opposite to the storage rack tray 410. The multiple longitudinal partitions 430 extend upward from the storage rack tray 410 to the storage rack top plate 420, forming a columnar storage space between the storage rack tray 410 and the storage rack top plate 420. The multiple longitudinal partitions 430 divide the columnar storage space into multiple rows of longitudinal storage spaces. The multiple transverse partitions 440 divide the multiple rows of longitudinal storage spaces into multiple storage units. The storage rack drive device 450 is used to drive the storage rack tray 410 to rotate horizontally relative to the bottom plate of the enclosed box. The placement rack tray 410 forms a cylindrical space between itself and the top plate 420. Multiple longitudinal partitions 430 and multiple transverse partitions 440 divide this cylindrical space into multiple honeycomb-shaped compartments, each compartment being a storage unit. Each storage unit can hold one or more cryopreservation boxes. This arrangement allows the placement rack 400 to store a large number of cryopreservation boxes. The rotation of the placement rack 400 orally directs the target cryopreservation box toward the robotic arm 200, while the main body of the robotic arm 200 remains fixed. This reduces the number of moving parts in the robotic arm 200, simplifies its structure, reduces the required movement space, and increases the storage capacity of the enclosed container 100.

[0033] Optionally, the low-temperature refrigerator also includes a turntable and a rotating wheel. The turntable is fixed to the bottom of the placement rack tray 410 and has a horizontally extending retaining edge. The rotating wheel is rotatably connected to the bottom plate of the closed cabinet through a vertically arranged shaft pin. The rotating wheel has a horizontally opened retaining groove, and the retaining edge of the turntable is engaged in the retaining groove. There are multiple rotating wheels, which are arranged around the turntable to limit the turntable and allow the turntable to rotate relative to the bottom plate of the closed cabinet. This configuration has several advantages. First, multiple rotating wheels support the placement rack 400, ensuring even force distribution and improving its stability. Second, the locking edge engages with the locking slot, which limits the vertical position of the rotating wheels. If the placement rack 400 tends to tip over, one side of the turntable fixed to it will tend to move upwards, while the other side will tend to move downwards. The locking slot of the rotating wheel limits the vertical position of the turntable. Therefore, under the constraint of the rotating wheels, even if the placement rack 400 tends to tip over, it can maintain its vertical position thanks to the restraint of the multiple rotating wheels.

[0034] Optionally, the slot on the rotating wheel has an opening wider than its bottom, and the shape of the rim corresponds to the shape of the slot. This allows for a better fit between the slot and the rim, preventing the rack 400 from wobbling during rotation and improving the stability of the low-temperature refrigerator.

[0035] Optionally, the slot is a V-shaped groove, and the shape of the locking edge corresponds to it. This makes the engagement between the turntable and the multiple wheels more secure.

[0036] Optionally, the low-temperature refrigerator further includes an annular track and multiple sets of rotating wheels. The annular track is fixed to the bottom of the placement rack tray 410 and has a first retaining edge extending horizontally outward and a second retaining edge extending horizontally inward. The multiple sets of rotating wheels are arranged circumferentially along the annular track. Each set of rotating wheels includes a first rotating wheel and a second rotating wheel. The first rotating wheel is rotatably connected to the bottom plate of the closed box through a vertically arranged axle pin and has a horizontally opened retaining groove. The first retaining edge is engaged in the retaining groove of the first rotating wheel. The second rotating wheel is rotatably connected to the bottom plate of the closed box through a vertically arranged axle pin and has a horizontally opened retaining groove. The second retaining edge is engaged in the retaining groove of the second rotating wheel. The first rotating wheel and the second rotating wheel are arranged opposite each other to limit the annular track internally and externally and to provide vertical support for the annular track.

[0037] Optionally, the low-temperature refrigerator also includes a circular track and multiple rollers. The circular track is located at the bottom of the shelf tray 410, and the multiple rollers are located on the bottom plate of the enclosed cabinet and can roll along the circular track. The shelf tray 410 is rotatably connected to the bottom plate of the enclosed cabinet via the circular track. The shelf 400 holds a large number of cryovials, which are quite heavy. If the cryovials are unevenly distributed on the shelf 400, the weight distribution of the entire shelf 400 will also be uneven. If a vertical axis of rotation is set at the rotation center of the shelf, the radial force exerted by the shelf 400 on the axis of rotation will be too large, resulting in structural instability. Therefore, a circular track is used, and multiple rollers simultaneously support the shelf 400 and allow relative rotation between the shelf 400 and the bottom plate of the enclosed cabinet. This arrangement makes the rotation of the shelf 400 more stable and the structure of the low-temperature refrigerator more stable.

[0038] Optionally, the low-temperature refrigerator also includes a circular track and multiple rollers. The circular track is located on the bottom plate of the enclosed cabinet; the multiple rollers are located on the bottom of the shelf tray and can roll along the circular track. The shelf tray is rotatably connected to the bottom plate of the enclosed cabinet via the multiple rollers. This allows the multiple rollers to support the shelf 400 while simultaneously enabling relative rotation between the shelf 400 and the bottom plate of the enclosed cabinet, resulting in smoother rotation of the shelf 400 and further enhancing the structural stability of the low-temperature refrigerator.

[0039] Optionally, the placement rack tray 410 is circular, and the projections of multiple longitudinal partitions 430 on the placement rack tray 410 radiate outward from the center of the placement rack tray 410. The placement rack tray 410 is circular, while the placement rack 400 is cylindrical. Since the placement rack 400 rotates during use, making it cylindrical effectively prevents interference with other components in the enclosed enclosure 100 during rotation. Furthermore, the cylindrical shape of the placement rack 400 allows for the placement of more cryogenic boxes in a smaller space, thus improving the storage capacity of the low-temperature freezer.

[0040] Optionally, the included angle formed between any two adjacent longitudinal partitions 430 is the same. The width of each storage unit is equal, which facilitates the positioning of the storage unit rotation and the placement and removal of the cryopreservation box.

[0041] Optionally, the robotic arm 200 is positioned opposite the first window 110, and the placement rack 400 is located to avoid the transmission space between the robotic arm 200 and the first window 110. This improves the space utilization within the enclosed enclosure 100, increases the storage density of cryopreservation boxes per unit space, and reduces the storage cost of a single cryopreservation box.

[0042] Optionally, the placement rack 400 has a circular cross-section, and the robotic arm 200 is fixed to the inner ring of the placement rack 400. The placement rack 400 has a second window, the height of which corresponds to the height of the first window 110. When it is necessary to transfer the cryopreservation box from the placement rack 400 to the pipe-picking operation platform, the placement rack 400 rotates to position the target cryopreservation box at the working angle of the robotic arm 200. The robotic arm 200 removes the cryopreservation box from the placement rack 400, and the placement rack 400 rotates so that the second window faces the first window 110. The robotic arm 200 then extends the cryopreservation box through the second window and the first window 110 into the operating box 300. This arrangement effectively utilizes the space in the middle of the placement rack 400, maximizing the space utilization rate within the enclosed box 100, increasing the storage capacity of cryopreservation boxes per unit space, and reducing the storage cost of cryopreservation boxes.

[0043] Optionally, the robotic arm 200 includes a lifting track 210, a lifting plate 220, a swing plate 240, a translation track 260, and a tray 270. The lifting track 210 is vertically arranged along the main body; the lifting plate 220 is horizontally arranged and slidably connected to the lifting track 210, and moves up and down along the lifting track 210 under the drive of the lifting drive device 230; the swing plate 240 is rotatably connected to the lifting plate 220 and located above the lifting plate 220, and can rotate horizontally relative to the lifting plate 220 under the drive of the swing drive device 250; the translation track 260 is disposed on the upper surface of the swing plate 240; and the tray 270 is slidably connected to the translation track 260, and moves laterally relative to the swing plate along the translation track 260 under the drive of the translation drive device. The tray 270 is used to extend under the freezer compartment, lifting the freezer compartment upwards to detach it from contact with the shelf 400. In this embodiment, a bracket can be provided below the cryopreservation box. The bracket has a hollow structure, and a tray 270 can extend into the bracket to lift the cryopreservation box. The tray 270 can be plate-shaped or fork-shaped, as long as it can lift the cryopreservation box upwards; no specific limitation is made here. The tray 270 is slidably connected to a translation rail 260, which is located above the swing plate 240. Therefore, the tray 270 can translate on the translation rail 260 to complete the extension and retraction action. Specifically, the placement rack 400 rotates to face the target cryopreservation box toward the robotic arm 200. The tray 270 extends forward to below the target cryopreservation box by the drive of the translation drive device, thereby lifting the cryopreservation box to detach it from the placement rack 400. Then, it retracts under the drive of the translation drive device, thereby removing the target cryopreservation box from the placement rack 400. Driven by the swing drive device 250, the swing plate 240 can rotate horizontally between a first position facing the placement rack 400 and a second position facing the first window. The swing plate 240 is rotatably connected to the lifting plate 220, so that the swing plate 240 and the tray 270 can move up and down together with the lifting plate 220. The robotic arm 200 can lift, translate, and swing the cryopreservation boxes, thereby transferring the cryopreservation boxes between the operating box 300 and the placement rack 400 of the closed box 100 through the first window 110. The main body of the robotic arm 200 is fixed, and with the rotatable shelf, it occupies little space, has a high storage density of cryopreservation boxes, and effectively reduces the storage cost of a single cryopreservation box.

[0044] Optionally, each of the multiple partitions 440 has a notch formed from the outside in, the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the tray 270. The tray 270 can move upward through the notch to disengage the cryopreservation box from the partition 440. When the height of the storage unit is greater than the height of the cryopreservation box, and the target cryopreservation box needs to be removed from the storage unit, the tray 270 extends below the target cryopreservation box, i.e., into the storage unit below the storage unit containing the target cryopreservation box. The tray 270 moves upward driven by the lifting drive device 230, passes through the notch, and contacts the bottom of the target cryopreservation box. The tray 270 continues to move upward, disengaging the target cryopreservation box from the placement rack 400. The tray 270 retracts under the drive of the translation drive device, removing the target cryopreservation box. The partitions 440 have notches, allowing the tray 270 to remove the cryopreservation box from the placement rack 400 even when the cryopreservation box does not have a support. This configuration allows the robotic arm 200 to access and retrieve target cryogenic containers without requiring any changes to the structure of the containers, saving on the cost of using trays and improving the ease of use of the low-temperature refrigerator.

[0045] Optionally, the upper panel of the tray 270 has a first holding part, and the lower surface of the cryopreservation box has a second holding part corresponding to the first holding part. When the tray 270 moves upward from the bottom of the cryopreservation box, the first holding part and the second holding part engage, thereby limiting the position of the cryopreservation box relative to the tray 270 in the horizontal direction. This can improve the safety and stability of the robotic arm 200 during the transfer of the cryopreservation box.

[0046] Optionally, the lifting track 210 includes a slide rod fixed in a fixed base; the lifting drive device 230 includes a lead screw 231 and a lifting drive motor 233, wherein the lead screw 231 is parallel to the slide rod and can rotate in the fixed base, and a first gear 232 is radially arranged on the lead screw 231; the lifting drive motor 233 is connected to a second gear 234, which meshes with the first gear 232; the lifting plate 220 has a first through hole and a second through hole, the slide rod passes through the first through hole, and the lead screw 231 passes through the second through hole, which has an internal thread matching the lead screw 231. Since the lead screw 231 and the slide rod pass through the second through hole and the first through hole, the lifting plate 220 cannot rotate relative to the lead screw 231 or the slide rod, and the horizontal position of the lifting plate 220 is fixed. This makes the lifting plate 220 more stable during the lifting process. The lifting drive motor 233 drives the second gear 234 to rotate, which in turn drives the first gear 232 to rotate, thereby causing the lead screw 231 to rotate. The lifting plate 220 cannot rotate, and therefore moves up and down under the rotation of the lead screw 231. One rotation of the first gear 232 causes the lifting plate 220 to move one pitch vertically. This configuration allows for more precise control of the vertical displacement of the lifting plate 220 in the cryogenic refrigerator.

[0047] Optionally, the first gear 232 is larger than the second gear 234. In this way, the first gear 232 rotates once for every multiple rotations of the motor. This allows the lifting plate 220 to move a smaller distance when the lifting drive motor 233 rotates a large number of times, thereby improving the accuracy of the control of the lifting plate 220.

[0048] Optionally, the low-temperature refrigerator also includes an insulated door and a door drive device. The insulated door is located at the first window 110; the door drive device is used to open or close the insulated door. To ensure a low-temperature environment inside the sealed enclosure 100, the insulated door at the first window 110 is normally closed. When the cryopreservation box needs to pass through the first window 110, the insulated door opens, allowing the cryopreservation box to pass through. This makes the temperature inside the sealed enclosure 100 more stable, improving the low-temperature preservation effect of the low-temperature refrigerator on the cryopreservation box.

[0049] Optionally, the low-temperature refrigerator includes multiple enclosed compartments 100, which are separately arranged from the operating compartment 300. The operating compartment 300 can be moved to a position connected to any of the multiple enclosed compartments 100. The enclosed compartments 100 are in a static low-temperature storage state most of the time, requiring tube-picking operations only occasionally. The operating compartment 300 is idle when tube-picking operations are not performed. Therefore, the low-temperature refrigerator includes multiple enclosed compartments 100, with the low-temperature compartments and operating compartment 300 separately arranged, and the operating compartment 300 can be moved to a position connected to any of the multiple enclosed compartments 100. This greatly improves the utilization rate of the enclosed compartments 100, reduces tube-picking costs, and also reduces the storage costs of the cryopreservation boxes.

[0050] The foregoing description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may include structural and other changes. The embodiments represent only possible variations. Individual components and functions are optional unless explicitly required, and the order of operation may vary. Parts and features of some embodiments may be included or substituted for parts and features of other embodiments. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes may be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A low-temperature refrigerator for storing cryovials, characterized in that, include: The enclosed box includes a fixed robotic arm and a rotatable shelf for storing cryopreservation boxes; The operating box is connected to the enclosed box through the first window; and, A sampling platform, located within the operating enclosure, is used to select cryovials stored within multiple cryovials. The robotic arm is used to transfer the cryopreservation box between the closed box and the operating box via the first window; the cross-section of the placement rack is annular, the robotic arm is fixed to the inner ring of the placement rack, and the placement rack has a second window, the height of which corresponds to the height of the first window.

2. The low-temperature refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The placement rack includes: A placement rack tray is rotatably connected to the bottom plate of the enclosed box. The top plate of the placement rack is positioned opposite to the tray of the placement rack. Multiple longitudinal partitions extend upward from the placement rack tray to the top plate of the placement rack, forming a columnar storage space between the placement rack tray and the top plate of the placement rack, and the multiple longitudinal partitions divide the columnar storage space into multiple columns of vertical storage space; Multiple transverse partitions divide the multiple columns of vertical storage space into multiple storage units; and, A placement rack drive device is used to drive the placement rack tray to rotate horizontally relative to the bottom plate of the enclosed box.

3. The low-temperature refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: The turntable is fixed to the bottom of the placement rack tray and has a retaining edge extending horizontally outward; The rotating wheel is rotatably connected to the bottom plate of the enclosed box by a vertically set shaft pin. The rotating wheel has a horizontally opened slot, and the retaining edge of the turntable is engaged in the slot. The number of the rotating wheels is multiple, and the multiple rotating wheels are arranged around the turntable to limit the turntable and allow the turntable to rotate relative to the bottom plate of the enclosed box.

4. The low-temperature refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The placement rack tray is round. The projections of the plurality of longitudinal partitions on the placement rack tray radiate outward from the center of the placement rack tray.

5. The low-temperature refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The included angle between any two adjacent longitudinal diaphragms is the same.

6. The low-temperature refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The robotic arm includes: The lifting track is vertically arranged along the main body; A lifting plate is horizontally set and slidably connected to the lifting track. The lifting plate moves up and down along the lifting track under the drive of the lifting drive device. A swing plate is rotatably connected to the lifting plate, and the swing plate can rotate horizontally relative to the lifting plate under the drive of the swing drive device; A translation track is provided on the swing plate; The pallet is slidably connected to the translation track, and the pallet moves laterally relative to the swing plate along the translation track under the drive of the translation drive device.

7. The low-temperature refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that, Each of the plurality of partitions has a notch formed from the outside in, the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the tray, and the tray can move from bottom to top through the notch to detach the cryopreservation box from contact with the partition.

8. The low-temperature refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The lifting track is a slide bar, and the slide bar is fixed in the fixed base; The lifting drive device includes: A lead screw, parallel to the slide bar, is rotatable within the fixed base, and a first gear is radially arranged on the lead screw; A drive motor is provided, connected to a second gear, which meshes with the first gear. The lifting plate has a first through hole and a second through hole. The slide rod passes through the first through hole, and the lead screw passes through the second through hole. The second through hole is provided with an internal thread that matches the lead screw.

9. The low-temperature refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: An insulated door is installed at the first window; A door drive device is used to drive the insulated door to open or close.

10. The low-temperature refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The low-temperature refrigerator includes multiple enclosed compartments. The multiple enclosed boxes are separately arranged from the operating box, and the operating box can be moved to a position that connects with any one of the multiple enclosed boxes.

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