A detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay instrument

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of single-cell detection technology, specifically disclosing a detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay instrument. The electrophoresis mechanism includes a tank, two sets of filter components, and baffles. The tank has a concave inner cavity containing a chip mounting slot. The two sets of filter components are arranged opposite each other within the tank. Baffles are symmetrically embedded between the filter components and located on both sides of the concave inner cavity. Each baffle has a liquid-containing cavity between its outer side and the inner wall of the tank, and a flow channel communicating with the concave inner cavity is located at the bottom of the baffle. The conductive base in this invention is detachably connected to the tank, allowing for partial replacement of the conductive base, thus extending the service life of the electrophoresis tank and reducing maintenance costs. Each set of filter components has conductive blocks with electrode contacts at their bottom. These contacts scrape against the conductive plates inside the assay instrument, resulting in low contact resistance and low heating current, thereby avoiding problems such as instrument burn-out or temperature instability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of single-cell detection technology, specifically a detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay instrument. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of scientific research in my country, basic laboratory techniques such as gel electrophoresis and fluorescent PCR have become increasingly mature. Gel electrophoresis is commonly used for analytical purposes and can also be used as a preparative technique. Gel electrophoresis is widely used in routine scientific experiments; cell lysis prior to electrophoresis reduces biological samples to a collection of molecules that can be effectively separated throughout the separation medium. Cell lysis, electrophoresis, and subsequent probe analysis are typically performed on a separation platform under the control of numerous users. However, existing electrophoresis instruments have many shortcomings in use. Furthermore, single-cell protein measurement presents an insurmountable obstacle in stem cell, cancer, and immunology research. Excessive force of the electrophoresis solution during measurement can easily dissipate the biological sample on the chip mounting slot, leading to inaccurate detection; poor temperature control can cause degradation of molecules such as DNA and RNA, affecting electrophoresis results; excessive contact resistance can easily cause the electrophoresis instrument to burn out, and the required temperature for electrophoresis cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, there is an urgent need to invent a detachable electrophoresis mechanism for single-cell protein expression assay instruments. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay instrument, which solves the problems mentioned above.

[0004] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay instrument. The electrophoresis mechanism includes a tank, two sets of filter components and baffles. The tank has a concave inner cavity, and a chip mounting slot is provided in the middle of the concave inner cavity. The two sets of filter components are arranged opposite to each other in the tank. The baffles are symmetrically embedded between the filter components and located on both sides of the concave inner cavity. Each baffle has a liquid-containing cavity between it and the inner wall of the tank. The bottom of the baffle has a flow groove communicating with the concave inner cavity.

[0005] The filter component includes a conductive base, a conductive wire, a conductive block, and electrode contacts. The inner cavity of the conductive base forms a filter cavity with the bottom of the tank. One end of the conductive base has a through hole, and the other end has a blind hole. One end of the conductive wire passes through the through hole and is locked by a conductive insert and a conductive post fastener. The other end passes through the blind hole and is locked by the conductive post fastener. The conductive block is disposed outside the conductive insert, and the two are fixed together by the conductive post fastener. The electrode contacts are connected to the bottom of the conductive block.

[0006] Furthermore, both the inner opening of the through hole and the opening of the blind hole are provided with sealing elements.

[0007] Furthermore, the conductive block is embedded on the outside of the groove, and a sealing ring is provided between its inner side and the outer side of the conductive base, the sealing ring being located at the outer ring of the conductive insert.

[0008] Furthermore, several counterweights are fixedly installed at the bottom of the tank by fasteners.

[0009] Furthermore, the conductive base is provided with a liquid outlet groove near the bottom of the inner wall of the concave cavity.

[0010] Furthermore, each of the four corners of the tank is provided with a support column, and the support column is made of a wear-resistant material.

[0011] Furthermore, the electrode contacts are made of a silver-copper composite material.

[0012] Furthermore, the inner wall of the tank is provided with several liquid pouring grooves.

[0013] Furthermore, the bottom plane of the liquid-containing cavity is lower than the bottom plane of the concave inner cavity, and a slope is provided at the junction of the liquid-containing cavity and the concave inner cavity.

[0014] Furthermore, the bottom plane of the filter cavity is lower than the bottom plane of the concave inner cavity, and the slope is provided at the junction of the filter cavity and the concave inner cavity.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The electrophoresis mechanism in the present invention can be integrated with the testing instrument, and it is also convenient to remove or put the electrophoresis mechanism out of the testing instrument, thereby achieving rapid positioning and rapid conduction; the conductive base and the tank are detachably connected, so that the conductive base can be partially replaced, which increases the service life of the electrophoresis tank and reduces maintenance costs.

[0016] The through holes and blind holes use seals and sealing rings to seal the conductive wires and conductive post fasteners within the seals. This allows the conductive base to be disassembled while being sealed, thereby reducing costs, increasing service life, and meeting the IP67 protection standard. It also prevents the electrophoretic liquid in the tank from seeping into the through holes, blind holes, and conductive wires, thus solving the problem of easy corrosion of conductive components.

[0017] The filter cavity formed by the inner cavity of the conductive base and the bottom of the tank can block a large number of bubbles generated during electrophoresis, thereby reducing the impact of bubbles on the experimental results.

[0018] The bottom planes of the liquid-containing chamber and the filter chamber are lower than the bottom plane of the concave inner cavity in the middle of the tank. With the addition of baffles and conductive bases in the tank, when electrolyte is added to the tank, the electrophoretic liquid in the liquid-containing chamber gradually spreads to the surrounding area through the flow channel at the bottom of the baffle, effectively protecting the single cells that fall into the chip micropores from being washed away and kept in place.

[0019] Several counterweights are fixed to the bottom of the tank with fasteners. The counterweights prevent the tank from tilting during the single-cell test.

[0020] The tank is equipped with support columns at its four corners, which allows the four corners of the tank to be embedded in the testing instrument, thus enabling good control over the overall orientation of the tank.

[0021] Two sets of filter components are arranged opposite each other in the tank. The bottom of the conductive block in each set of filter components is connected to an electrode contact. The electrode contact is made of silver-copper composite material, which enhances the wear resistance of the electrode contact. After contacting the conductive sheet in the tester, it achieves a scraping motion to achieve rapid conduction. This results in a low contact resistance between the electrode contact and the conductive sheet in the tester, avoiding the risk of the tester overheating and burning out due to high contact resistance, thereby extending the service life of the tester and the electrophoresis mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is an overall structural diagram of the detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay instrument according to the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a top view of the detachable electrophoresis mechanism of the single-cell protein expression assay instrument of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a bottom view of the detachable electrophoresis mechanism of the single-cell protein expression assay instrument of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the conductive base with a sealing ring of the detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay instrument according to the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a bottom view of the conductive base of the detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay instrument according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6This is a cross-sectional view of the conductive base of the detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay instrument according to the present invention;

[0029] In the diagram: 1-Tank body, 2-Filter component, 3-Baffle plate, 4-Concave inner cavity, 5-Liquid chamber, 6-Chip mounting slot, 7-Flow channel, 8-Sealing ring, 9-Counterweight block, 10-Liquid outlet channel, 11-Support column, 12-Pour-out channel, 20-Conductive base, 21-Conductive wire, 22-Conductive block, 23-Electrode contact, 24-Filter chamber, 25-Through hole, 26-Blind hole, 27-Conductive insert, 28-Conductive column fastener. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 1-6 As shown, a detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay is disclosed. The electrophoresis mechanism includes a tank 1, two sets of filter components 2, and a baffle plate 3. The tank 1 has a concave inner cavity 4. The assay instrument contains fixing columns. Fixing holes are located at the four corners of the tank 1, and corresponding support columns 11 are installed within these holes. The fixing holes at the lower sections of the support columns 11 at the four corners of the tank 1 are fitted onto the fixing columns inside the assay instrument, thereby ensuring good control of the overall orientation of the tank 1. The support columns 11 are made of wear-resistant materials, such as high-manganese steel, low-carbon chromium steel, stainless steel, high-carbon low-alloy steel, medium-carbon steel, medium-carbon low-alloy steel, low-carbon alloy steel, chromium-molybdenum-silicon-manganese steel, cavitation-resistant steel, hard alloy, nano-alloy, high-speed steel, and white cast iron. The concave inner cavity 4 is provided with a chip mounting groove 6 in the middle. Two sets of filter components 2 are arranged opposite each other in the tank body 1. The baffle plates 3 are symmetrically embedded between the filter components 2 and located on both sides of the concave inner cavity 4. Each baffle plate 3 is provided with a liquid receiving cavity 5 between itself and the inner wall of the tank body 1. The bottom of the baffle plate 3 is provided with a flow channel 7 communicating with the concave inner cavity 4. The bottom plane of the liquid receiving cavity 5 is lower than the bottom plane of the concave inner cavity 4. A slope is provided at the junction of the liquid receiving cavity 5 and the concave inner cavity 4. The height of the liquid outlet channel 10 is slightly higher than the height of the slope. The bottom plane of the liquid receiving cavity 5 is inclined. The bottom plane of the liquid receiving cavity 5 near the bottom of the baffle plate 3 is lower.

[0032] The filter component 2 includes a conductive base 20, a conductive wire 21, a conductive block 22, and an electrode contact 23. The inner cavity of the conductive base 20 forms a filter cavity 24 with the bottom of the tank 1. One end of the conductive base 20 has a through hole 25 on its outer side, and the other end has a blind hole 26 on its outer side. One end of the conductive wire 21 passes through the through hole 25 and is locked by a conductive insert 27 and a conductive post fastener 28. The other end passes through the blind hole 26 and is locked by the conductive post fastener 28. The conductive wire 21 is located in the filter cavity 24. The inner wall of the tank 1 has a threading groove that cooperates with the conductive base 20. The electrode contact 23 contacts the conductive sheet in the tester to energize the conductive wire 21. The other end is connected to the tank 1 through the threading groove. The conductive block 22 is disposed outside the conductive insert 27, and the two are fixed together by the conductive post fastener 28. The electrode contact 23 is connected to the bottom of the conductive block 22.

[0033] The filter component 2 includes a conductive base 20, a conductive wire 21, a conductive block 22, and electrode contacts 23. The inner cavity of the conductive base 20 and the bottom of the tank 1 form a filter cavity 24. The filter cavity 24 can block a large number of bubbles generated during electrophoresis, thereby reducing the impact of bubbles on the experimental results. The bottom plane of the filter cavity 24 is lower than the bottom plane of the concave inner cavity 4. The slope is provided at the junction of the filter cavity 24 and the concave inner cavity 4. The height of the flow channel 7 is slightly higher than the height of the slope. The bottom plane of the filter cavity 24 at the bottom of the conductive base 20 is higher than the bottom plane of the filter cavity 24 at the bottom of the tank 1.

[0034] The conductive base 20 has a through hole 25 on one side and a blind hole 26 on the other side. One end of the conductive wire 21 passes through the through hole 25 and is locked by the conductive insert 27 and the conductive post fastener 28. The other end passes through the blind hole 26 and is locked by the conductive post fastener 28. The conductive block 22 is disposed outside the conductive insert 27 and the two are fixed together by the conductive post fastener 28. The conductive wire 21 is located at the bottom of the inner cavity of the conductive base 20 and above the filter cavity 24. The electrode contact 23 is connected to the bottom of the conductive block 22. The electrode contact 23 is made of silver-copper composite material.

[0035] Both the inner opening of the through hole 25 and the opening of the blind hole 26 are provided with sealing elements.

[0036] The conductive block 22 is embedded on the outside of the groove 1, and a sealing ring 8 is provided between its inner side and the outer side of the conductive base 20. The sealing ring 8 is located at the outer ring of the conductive insert 27.

[0037] The bottom of the tank 1 is fixed with four counterweights 9 by fasteners. The counterweights 9 prevent the tank 1 from tilting during the single-cell test.

[0038] The conductive base 20 is provided with a liquid outlet groove 10 near the bottom of the inner wall of the concave cavity 4.

[0039] The conductive base 20 is detachably connected to the tank 1, allowing for partial replacement of the conductive base 20, thus extending the service life of the electrophoresis tank 1 and reducing maintenance costs. Seals and sealing rings 8 are used in the areas of the through holes 25 and blind holes 26, ensuring that the conductive wires 21 within the seals are sealed to the conductive post fasteners 28, achieving an IP67 protection rating. This prevents the electrophoresis solution in the tank 1 from seeping into the through holes 25, blind holes 26, and conductive wires 21, thus solving the problem of easy corrosion of conductive components. The filter chamber 24 formed by the inner cavity of the conductive base 20 and the bottom of the tank 1 isolates and blocks electrophoresis bubbles within the filter chamber 24, reducing their impact on the detection process. The bottom planes of the liquid-containing chamber 5 and the filter chamber 24 are lower than the bottom plane of the concave inner cavity 4 in the middle of the tank 1. Combined with the baffle plate 3 and the conductive base 20 installed within the tank 1, this ensures that when electrolyte is added to the tank 1, the liquid-containing chamber 5... The electrophoresis solution flows into the filter chamber 24, and then slowly flows from the outlet groove at the bottom of the filter chamber 24 into the concave inner cavity, thereby protecting the single cells to be tested in the micropores on the chip in the chip mounting slot 6 and preventing the single cells that have fallen into the pores from being washed away. Several counterweights 9 are fixed to the bottom of the tank 1 by fasteners, which prevents the tank 1 from tilting during the single cell test. Support columns 11 are provided at the four corners of the tank 1, so that the four corners of the tank 1 are embedded in the tester, thereby making the overall orientation of the tank 1 well controlled. The electrode contacts 23 are made of silver-copper composite material, which enhances the wear resistance of the electrode contacts 23 and achieves a scraping motion after contacting the conductive sheet in the tester. The contact resistance between the electrode contacts 23 and the conductive sheet in the tester is small, avoiding the risk of the tester overheating and burning out due to high contact resistance, thereby increasing the service life of the tester and the electrophoresis mechanism.

[0040] The workflow of this invention is as follows: The tank 1 in the electrophoresis mechanism is installed into the testing instrument. The electrode contacts 23 at the bottom of the tank 1 scrape against the conductive sheet inside the testing instrument. The fixing holes below the four corner support columns 11 of the tank 1 are fitted onto the fixing columns inside the testing instrument, thus completing the installation of the tank 1. A chip with multiple micropores is installed into the chip mounting slot 6, and electrophoresis liquid is added to the liquid-containing cavities 5 on both sides of the tank 1. The electrophoresis liquid flows from the flow channel 7 at the bottom of the baffle plate 3, through the slope at the junction of the liquid-containing cavity 5 and the concave inner cavity 4, and slowly enters the electrophoresis liquid around the tank 1. At the same time as the electrophoresis liquid enters, the baffle plate 3 blocks the air bubbles on the surface of the electrophoresis liquid on the side wall of the baffle plate 3. The diverted electrophoresis liquid flows from the liquid-containing cavity 5 through the concave inner cavity. 4. Inside the filter chamber 24, the conductive wire 21 inside the filter chamber 24 contacts the conductive sheet inside the tester through the electrode contact 23 to conduct electricity. After conduction, a large number of bubbles appear in the electrophoresis solution inside the filter chamber 24. When the electrophoresis solution is added to the specified requirements, the electrophoresis solution inside the filter chamber 24 will have a backflow phenomenon. The large number of bubbles generated during electrophoresis are blocked by the inner wall of the conductive base 20 in the filter chamber 24, thereby protecting the single cells to be tested from being scattered after falling into the chip micropores. After the blocking is completed, the electrophoresis solution slowly flows from the liquid outlet 10 at the bottom of the filter chamber 24 to the concave inner cavity 4. After the electrophoresis solution is settled, the single cells are lysed and electrophoretically fixed using the tester. After the operation is completed, the uncured electrophoresis solution is poured out from the liquid pouring tank 12.

[0041] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Therefore, any equivalent variations made in accordance with the claims of the present invention are still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay instrument, characterized in that, The electrophoresis mechanism includes a tank (1), two sets of filter components (2) and baffles (3). The tank (1) has a concave inner cavity (4) and a chip mounting slot (6) in the middle of the concave inner cavity (4). The two sets of filter components (2) are arranged opposite to each other in the tank (1). The baffles (3) are symmetrically embedded between the filter components (2) and located on both sides of the concave inner cavity (4). Each baffle (3) has a liquid-containing cavity (5) between it and the inner wall of the tank (1). The bottom plane of the liquid-containing cavity (5) is lower than the bottom plane of the concave inner cavity (4). The bottom of the baffle (3) has a flow channel (7) communicating with the concave inner cavity (4). The filter component (2) includes a conductive base (20), a conductive wire (21), a conductive block (22), and an electrode contact (23). The inner cavity of the conductive base (20) forms a filter cavity (24) with the bottom of the groove (1). The bottom plane of the filter cavity (24) is lower than the bottom plane of the concave inner cavity (4). One end of the conductive base (20) is provided with a through hole (25), and the other end is provided with a blind hole (26). One end of the conductive wire (21) passes through the through hole (25) and is locked by a conductive insert (27) and a conductive post fastener (28). The other end passes through the blind hole (26) and is locked by the conductive post fastener (28). The conductive block (22) is disposed outside the conductive insert (27), and the two are fixed together by the conductive post fastener (28). The electrode contact (23) is connected to the bottom of the conductive block (22).

2. The detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the inner opening of the through hole (25) and the opening of the blind hole (26) are provided with sealing elements.

3. The detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive block (22) is embedded on the outside of the groove (1), and a sealing ring (8) is provided between its inner side and the outer side of the conductive base (20). The sealing ring (8) is located at the outer ring of the conductive insert (27).

4. The detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the trough (1) is fixed with several counterweights (9) by fasteners.

5. The detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the conductive base (20) is provided with a liquid outlet groove (10) that communicates with the concave inner cavity (4).

6. The detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The trough (1) is provided with support columns (11) at all four corners, and the support columns (11) are made of wear-resistant material.

7. The detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrode contact (23) is made of silver-copper composite material.

8. The detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the tank (1) is provided with several liquid pouring tanks (12).

9. The detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay according to claim 1, characterized in that, A ramp is provided at the junction of the liquid-containing cavity (5) and the concave inner cavity (4).

10. A detachable electrophoresis mechanism for a single-cell protein expression assay according to claim 9, characterized in that, A ramp is provided at the junction of the filter cavity (24) and the concave inner cavity (4).

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