A chip storage scheduling device and a method for using the same to store and schedule chips

Abstract

The present invention provides a chip storage scheduling device and a method for using the same to store and schedule chips. The chip storage scheduling device includes a chip bin, a control unit, a support body, and a traction module. The chip bin is mounted on the upper portion of the support body, the traction module is mounted on the lower portion of the support body, the control unit is electrically connected to the traction module, a plurality of ducts for placing chips are provided in the chip bin, each duct is provided with a push plate, a first magnetic component is provided at the lower end of the push plate, a second magnetic component and a magnetic induction sensor that cooperate with the first magnetic component are provided at the upper end of the bracket of the traction module, and the push plate is moved within the duct by magnetic traction of the bracket. The present invention uses magnetic traction to push the chips to move while using a magnetic induction sensor to record the number of chips, effectively reducing the error in the operation of the fully automatic storage scheduling system and ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of the entire system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of biochips, and in particular relates to a chip storage scheduling device and a method for using the same to store and schedule a chip. Background Art

[0002] Since biochips are microarrays of high-density biomolecules placed in tiny carriers, inconsistencies in detection conditions can have a significant impact on the results when manual operations are used for trace analysis. Therefore, during operation, it is also necessary to strictly prevent external contamination of the biochip and cross-contamination between different biochips. Therefore, it is crucial for fully automatic sample processing systems to gradually replace manual sampling.

[0003] Chinese utility model patent CN212845426U discloses a fully automatic biochip analyzer comprising a host system including a chip loading module. The chip loading module comprises: a chip temporary storage area for storing biochips; a chip loading area for storing biochips and reaction cups; and a loading mechanism for gripping and transferring biochips and / or reaction cups. The loading mechanism comprises: an X-axis moving assembly; a Y-axis moving assembly connected to the X-axis moving assembly via a support, the support being movable along the X-axis moving assembly; a Z-axis moving assembly being movable along the Y-axis moving assembly; and a clamp movable along the Z-axis moving assembly for gripping chips and / or reaction cups. Although the device utilizes fully automatic chip loading, it is unable to count the number of chips loaded or the number of remaining chips, causing inconvenience in use and management. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a chip storage scheduling device and a method for using the same to store and schedule chips, so as to solve the technical problem of automatic storage and scheduling of biochips.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the specific technical solutions of the present invention are as follows:

[0006] A chip storage scheduling device includes a chip bin, a control unit, a support body, and a pulling module, wherein the chip bin is mounted on the upper portion of the support body, the pulling module is mounted on the lower portion of the support body, and the control unit is electrically connected to the pulling module;

[0007] The traction module includes a bracket and a traction component for pulling the bracket to move in a plane, and a chip bin is arranged above the traction module;

[0008] The chip compartment is provided with a plurality of ducts for placing chips, wherein the length direction of the duct is the x-axis, and the length direction perpendicular to the duct is the y-axis;

[0009] A push plate is provided in each duct, a first magnetic component is provided at the lower end of the push plate, a second magnetic component and a magnetic induction sensor that cooperate with the first magnetic component are provided at the upper end of the bracket, the magnetic induction sensor is electrically connected to the signal input end of the control unit, and the traction assembly is electrically connected to the signal output end of the control unit. The push plate is pulled by the bracket through magnetic force to move in the duct;

[0010] A transfer module is provided at the front end of the chip bin, and the transfer module includes an exit channel located at the front end of each duct, and a transfer component for transferring the chips in the exit channel to the next work process, and the transfer component is electrically connected to the signal output end of the control unit.

[0011] Therefore, the present invention can set up multiple chip ducts in the chip bin according to storage needs, and multiple biochips can be placed in each duct, which can effectively improve the chip storage needs; the push plate in the duct pushes the biochip to the transfer module under the magnetic traction of the traction module. The use of magnetic traction can not only reduce the error of the traction module moving to the bottom of the push plate, but also the magnetic induction sensor can inform the user of the number of chips in the chip bin when the biochip enters the next work process, which is convenient for the user to manage the chip storage scheduling.

[0012] Furthermore, the first magnetic component includes a first magnet cooperating with the second magnetic component and a second magnet cooperating with the magnetic induction sensor.

[0013] Furthermore, the transfer assembly includes a support block, a first guide rail, and a first driving assembly, wherein both ends of the first guide rail are connected to the support body, and the first driving assembly drives the support block to move along the y-axis direction on the first guide rail;

[0014] Furthermore, the first drive assembly includes a synchronous pulley arranged on one side of the second guide rail, the synchronous pulley is connected to the second motor below it, and a synchronous idler pulley is provided on the other side of the second guide rail. The synchronous pulley and the synchronous idler pulley are driven by a pulley, and the pulley cooperates with the support block to move.

[0015] Furthermore, the clamping end of the support block is a "C"-shaped groove structure, and the width of the groove is equal to the width of the chip.

[0016] Furthermore, the traction assembly includes a first traction assembly for traction of the bracket to move along the x-axis direction, and a second traction assembly for driving the bracket to move along the y-axis direction;

[0017] The first traction assembly cooperates with a second guide rail and a rack mounted on the lower portion of the support body and arranged along the x-axis;

[0018] The second traction assembly cooperates with a third guide rail mounted above the second guide rail and the rack and arranged along the y-axis;

[0019] The first traction assembly is arranged at the lower end of the third guide rail, and the second traction assembly is arranged on one side of the third guide rail.

[0020] Furthermore, the first traction assembly includes a third motor arranged at the lower end of the third guide rail, a gear is provided on the motor shaft of the third motor, and the third motor drives the gear to move along the x-axis direction on the rack.

[0021] Furthermore, both ends of the third guide rail are mounted on the upper end of the second guide rail through mounting seats, and the lower end of the mounting seat is a slider.

[0022] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a method for performing chip storage scheduling using the above chip storage scheduling device, the method comprising the following steps:

[0023] Step 1: The control unit controls the bracket of the traction module to engage with the push plate; at this time, the magnetic induction sensor sends an engagement signal to the signal input terminal of the control unit;

[0024] Step 2: The bracket drives the push plate to move forward of the duct. When a chip is pushed into the transfer module, the bracket is separated from the push plate. At this time, the magnetic induction sensor sends a separation signal to the signal input terminal of the control unit.

[0025] Step 3: Calculate the overall thickness L1 of the chips stored in the duct using the signal output by the magnetic induction sensor, and thereby calculate the number of chips stored in the duct N=L1 / B, where B is the thickness of a single chip.

[0026] Therefore, through the above-mentioned chip storage and scheduling method, after the user places the chip in the duct of the chip warehouse, the system automatically transfers the chip to the next workflow, and records the number of chips in the chip warehouse, reminding the user to replenish them in time, thereby realizing fully automatic storage and scheduling of biochips, which is convenient for user operation and management.

[0027] Preferably, the overall thickness L1 of the chip stored in the duct can be directly obtained by calculating the distance the bracket continues to move forward to the end of the stroke after the magnetic induction sensor outputs a separation signal;

[0028] Alternatively, the bracket is attracted to the push plate at the rear end of the duct, and the stroke L2 of the bracket when the magnetic induction sensor outputs a disengagement signal is recorded, then L1=L-L2, where L is the duct length.

[0029] The chip storage scheduling device and the method for using the storage scheduling chip of the present invention have the following advantages: the chips are moved by magnetic traction while the number of chips is recorded by a magnetic induction sensor, which effectively reduces the error in the operation of the fully automatic storage scheduling system and ensures the accuracy and effectiveness of the entire system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the chip storage scheduling device of the present invention (read forward and backward);

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of the chip storage scheduling device of the present invention (read from the back to the front);

[0032] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the push plate and bracket combination of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 It is a front view of the transfer module of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the transfer module structure of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of the traction module of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 It is a front view of the traction module of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of a preferred embodiment of the chip storage scheduling device of the present invention (read from the back to the front);

[0038] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the chip bin structure of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 10 This is a top view of the chip bin of the present invention.

[0040] Explanation of the markings in the figure: 2. Side panel; 3. Push plate; 4. Electric switch mounting plate; 5. Rear panel; 6. Partition; 7. Stepper motor; 8. Mast support; 9. Left limit plate; 10. Pressure block; 11. Bottom plate; 12. Right limit plate; 13. Standard aluminum profile; 14. Second guide rail; 15. Support foot; 16. Slider; 17. Rack; 19. Second magnetic component; 20. Bracket; 21. Third guide rail; 22. Gear; 23. Third motor; 24. Mounting base ; 25. Magnetic induction sensor; 26. Synchronous pulley; 27. Second motor; 28. Support block; 29. ​​Pulley; 30. Synchronous idler; 32. First guide rail; 38. First magnet; 39. Second magnet; 40. Support body; 41. Traction module; 42. First drive assembly; 43. Traction assembly; 44. First traction assembly; 45. Second traction assembly; 46. Transfer assembly; 47. Transfer module; 50. Support plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In order to better understand the purpose, structure and function of the present invention, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] like Figure 1 and 8 As shown, a chip storage scheduling device of the present invention includes a chip warehouse, a control unit, a support body 40, a traction module 41 and a transfer module 47. The chip warehouse is installed on the upper part of the support body 40, the traction module 41 is installed on the lower part of the support body 40, and the transfer module 47 is arranged at the front end of the chip warehouse. The control unit is electrically connected to the traction module 41 and the transfer module 47.

[0043] like Figure 2 and 8 As shown, the support body 40 includes four standard aluminum profiles 13 enclosing a rectangular base; preferably, the lower part of the base is four adjustable support feet 15, and support plates 50 are installed on both sides of the base.

[0044] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the traction module 41 includes a bracket 20 and a traction component 43 for traction of the bracket 20 to move in a plane, and the traction component 43 is electrically connected to the control unit; Figure 6 As shown, the traction assembly 43 includes a first traction assembly 44 for pulling the bracket 20 to move along the x-axis direction, and a second traction assembly 45 for driving the bracket 20 to move along the y-axis direction; the first traction assembly 44 cooperates with the second guide rail 14 and the rack 17 installed at the lower part of the support body 40 and arranged along the x-axis; the second traction assembly 45 cooperates with the third guide rail 21 installed above the second guide rail 14 and the rack 17 and arranged along the y-axis.

[0045] The first traction assembly 44 is arranged at the lower end of the third guide rail 21, and the second traction assembly 45 is arranged on one side of the third guide rail 21; the first traction assembly 44 includes a third motor 23 arranged at the lower end of the third guide rail 21, and a gear 22 is provided on the motor shaft of the third motor 23. The third motor 23 drives the gear 22 to move along the x-axis on the rack 17. Figure 7 As shown, both ends of the third guide rail 21 are mounted on the upper end of the second guide rail 14 through a mounting seat 24 , and the lower end of the mounting seat is a slider 16 ; a chip bin is provided above the traction module 41 .

[0046] like Figure 8 As shown, the chip compartment is fixedly connected to the upper portion of the support plate 50; Figure 9 As shown, the chip bin is mainly composed of four partitions 6 installed in parallel and at equal intervals on a rectangular bottom plate 11, with the spacing being consistent with the chip width. Two side plates 2 are installed on the two side edges to form five ducts with the same length and width. There is a guide groove in the duct, and a push plate 3 is provided on each guide groove in the duct.

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, the lower end of the push plate 3 is provided with a first magnetic component, and the upper end of the bracket 20 is provided with a second magnetic component 19 and a magnetic induction sensor 25 that cooperate with the first magnetic component. The push plate 3 is pulled by the bracket 20 to move in the duct through magnetic force; the first magnetic component includes a first magnet 38 that cooperates with the second magnetic component 19 and a second magnet 39 that cooperates with the magnetic induction sensor 25. Figure 9 As shown, the rear end of the duct is the rear plate 5, and the front end of the duct is supported by a door frame 8 fixed to the side plate 2 on each side. The switch mounting plate 4 is installed above the front of the duct, and the height from the bottom of the duct is the height of the chip. Five stepper motors 7 are fixed on the switch mounting plate 4; Figure 10 As shown, a pressing block 10 is fixed on the motor shaft, and the motor can push the pressing block 10 to move up and down. From the top of the instrument, the front ends of the two stepping motors 7 on the left are fixed with a left limit plate 9, and the three motors on the right are fixed with a right limit plate 12.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, a transfer module 47 is provided at the front end of the chip bin, and the transfer module 47 includes an exit channel located at the front end of each duct, and a transfer component 46 for transferring the chips in the exit channel to the next work process, and the transfer component 46 is electrically connected to the control unit.

[0049] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the transfer assembly 46 includes a support block 28, a first guide rail 32 and a first drive assembly 42. The two ends of the first guide rail 32 are connected to the supporting body. The first drive assembly 42 drives the support block 28 to move along the y-axis direction on the first guide rail 32; the first drive assembly 42 includes a synchronous pulley 26 arranged on one side of the first guide rail 32, and the synchronous pulley 26 is connected to the second motor 27 below it. A synchronous idler pulley 30 is provided on the other side of the first guide rail 32. The synchronous pulley 26 and the synchronous idler pulley 30 are transmitted through a pulley 29, and the pulley 29 cooperates with the support block 28 to move; the clamping end of the support block 28 is a "C"-shaped groove structure, and the width of the groove is equal to the width of the chip.

[0050] like Figure 1 、 2 As shown in , 3, and 10, the method for performing chip storage scheduling by the chip storage scheduling device provided by the present invention includes the following steps:

[0051] Step 1: The control unit controls the bracket 20 of the traction module 41 to engage with the push plate 3; at this time, the magnetic induction sensor 25 sends an engagement signal to the signal input terminal of the control unit;

[0052] Step 2: The bracket 20 drives the push plate 3 to move forward of the duct. When a chip is pushed into the transfer module 47, the bracket 20 is separated from the push plate 3. At this time, the magnetic induction sensor 25 sends a separation signal to the signal input terminal of the control unit.

[0053] Step 3: Calculate the overall thickness L1 of the chips stored in the duct using the signal output by the magnetic induction sensor 25, and thereby calculate the number of chips stored in the duct N=L1 / B, where B is the thickness of a single chip.

[0054] The overall thickness L1 of the chip stored in the duct can be directly obtained by calculating the distance the bracket 20 continues to move forward to the end of the stroke after the magnetic induction sensor 25 outputs a disengagement signal; as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bracket 20 is attracted to the push plate 3 located at the rear end of the duct, and the stroke L2 of the bracket 20 when the magnetic induction sensor 25 outputs a disengagement signal is recorded, then L1=L-L2, where L is the duct length; returning the used push plate 3 to the rear end of the duct can simplify the bracket 20's search for the used push plate 3 and avoid errors in the positioning of the push plate 3.

[0055] It will be understood that the present invention is described by way of some embodiments, and it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes or equivalent substitutions may be made to these features and embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, under the teachings of the present invention, these features and embodiments may be modified to adapt to specific circumstances and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application are intended to be protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. A chip storage scheduling device, comprising a chip bin, a control unit, a support body (40) and a pulling module (41), wherein the chip bin is mounted on the upper portion of the support body (40), the pulling module (41) is mounted on the lower portion of the support body (40), and the control unit is electrically connected to the pulling module (41); characterized in that: The traction module (41) includes a bracket (20) and a traction component (43) for traction of the bracket (20) to move within a plane, and a chip bin is provided above the traction module (41); The chip compartment is provided with a plurality of ducts for placing chips, wherein the length direction of the duct is the x-axis, and the length direction perpendicular to the duct is the y-axis; A push plate (3) is provided in each duct, a first magnetic component is provided at the lower end of the push plate (3), a second magnetic component (19) and a magnetic induction sensor (25) that cooperate with the first magnetic component are provided at the upper end of the bracket (20), the magnetic induction sensor (25) is electrically connected to the signal input end of the control unit, the traction component (43) is electrically connected to the signal output end of the control unit, and the push plate (3) is pulled by the bracket (20) to move in the duct through magnetic force; A transfer module (47) is provided at the front end of the chip bin, and the transfer module (47) includes an exit channel located at the front end of each duct, and a transfer component (46) for transferring the chips in the exit channel to the next work process, and the transfer component (46) is electrically connected to the signal output end of the control unit.

2. The chip storage scheduling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first magnetic component includes a first magnet (38) cooperating with the second magnetic component (19) and a second magnet (39) cooperating with the magnetic induction sensor (25).

3. The chip storage scheduling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer assembly (46) includes a support block (28), a first guide rail (32) and a first drive assembly (42), wherein both ends of the first guide rail (32) are connected to the support body (40), and the first drive assembly (42) drives the support block (28) to move along the y-axis on the first guide rail (32).

4. The chip storage scheduling device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first driving assembly (42) includes a synchronous pulley (26) arranged on one side of the first guide rail (32), the synchronous pulley (26) being connected to a second motor (27) below the first guide rail (32), and a synchronous idler pulley (30) being provided on the other side of the first guide rail (32). The synchronous pulley (26) and the synchronous idler pulley (30) are driven by a pulley (29), and the pulley (29) cooperates with the support block (28) to move.

5. The chip storage scheduling device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The clamping end of the support block (28) is a "C"-shaped groove structure, and the width of the groove is equal to the width of the chip.

6. The chip storage scheduling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The traction assembly (43) includes a first traction assembly (44) for traction of the bracket (20) to move along the x-axis direction, and a second traction assembly (45) for driving the bracket (20) to move along the y-axis direction; The first traction assembly (44) cooperates with a second guide rail (14) and a rack (17) installed at the lower portion of the support body (40) and arranged along the x-axis; The second traction assembly (45) cooperates with a third guide rail (21) installed above the second guide rail (14) and the rack (17) and arranged along the y-axis; The first traction assembly (44) is arranged at the lower end of the third guide rail (21), and the second traction assembly (45) is arranged on one side of the third guide rail (21).

7. The chip storage scheduling device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first traction assembly (44) includes a third motor (23) arranged at the lower end of the third guide rail (21), a gear (22) being provided on a motor shaft of the third motor (23), and the third motor (23) drives the gear (22) to move along the x-axis on the rack (17).

8. The chip storage scheduling device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: Both ends of the third guide rail (21) are mounted on the upper end of the second guide rail (14) via a mounting seat (24), and the lower end of the mounting seat is a slider (16).

9. A method for performing chip storage scheduling using the chip storage scheduling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The steps include: Step 1: The control unit controls the bracket (20) of the traction module (41) and the push plate (3) to engage; at this time, the magnetic induction sensor (25) sends an engagement signal to the signal input terminal of the control unit; Step 2: The bracket (20) drives the push plate (3) to move toward the front of the duct. When a chip is pushed into the transfer module (47), the bracket (20) is separated from the push plate (3). At this time, the magnetic induction sensor (25) sends a separation signal to the signal input terminal of the control unit. Step 3: Calculate the overall thickness L1 of the chips stored in the duct using the signal output by the magnetic induction sensor (25), and thereby calculate the number of chips stored in the duct N=L1 / B, where B is the thickness of a single chip.

10. The chip storage scheduling method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The overall thickness L1 of the chip stored in the duct can be directly obtained by calculating the distance the bracket (20) continues to move forward to the end of the stroke after the magnetic induction sensor (25) outputs a separation signal; Alternatively, the bracket (20) is attracted to the push plate (3) located at the rear end of the duct, and the stroke L2 of the bracket (20) when the magnetic induction sensor (25) outputs a disengagement signal is recorded, then L1=L-L2, where L is the duct length.

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