Cartridge pneumatic tube assembly and pipetting system

Abstract

The application provides a cartridge air pressure tube assembly and a pipetting system, which are used for cooperating with liquid suction or injection operation in a cartridge, wherein the cartridge comprises a cartridge shell, the cartridge air pressure tube assembly comprises an air pressure tube and a pump body, the air pressure tube and the pump body are provided in a split mode, the air pressure tube is assembled on the cartridge shell, and the pump body is used for being assembled in the air pressure tube when needed, so as to form a sealed injection pump with the air pressure tube.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of biomedicine, and more particularly to a cartridge pneumatic tubing assembly and a pipetting system. Background Technology

[0002] Pneumatic tubes and pumps are used to move liquid from one location to another by utilizing different air pressure volumes, thereby completing the liquid transfer process.

[0003] In the existing technology, in commonly used cartridges, the pump is often built into a closed cartridge and integrated with the air pressure pipe and the cartridge shell; this not only makes molding difficult but also occupies a lot of space.

[0004] Furthermore, within the enclosed cartridge, the pump plunger, which is integrated with the air pressure pipe, is difficult to fix, and a spring is required to assist the plunger in its back-and-forth movement. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a cartridge pneumatic tube assembly and a liquid transfer system, which solves the problems of molding difficulties and large space occupation caused by making the pump, cartridge housing and pneumatic tube into one piece.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a cartridge pneumatic tube assembly is provided for use in performing aspiration or injection operations on liquid within a cartridge, wherein the cartridge includes a cartridge housing, the cartridge pneumatic tube assembly includes a pneumatic tube and a pump body, the pneumatic tube and the pump body being separately configured; the pneumatic tube is mounted on the cartridge housing, and the pump body is used to be mounted inside the pneumatic tube when needed, forming a sealed injection pump with the pneumatic tube.

[0007] Optionally, the pneumatic tube includes an inlet, a body, a sealing part, and a filter element. The inlet is connected to the first end of the body, the sealing part is located on the inner circumferential surface of the body, and the filter element is located inside the body.

[0008] Optionally, the pump body is a first plunger, the first plunger includes a first moving part and a second moving part connected to the first moving part, wherein the outer diameter of the first moving part is smaller than the outer diameter of the second moving part; the first moving part is used to be assembled into the nozzle when needed and move along the inner wall of the nozzle.

[0009] Optionally, the pump body includes a second plunger and a pump housing, the pump housing including a pump housing head and a pump housing body, the second plunger being partially or entirely disposed within the pump housing body and moving along the inner wall of the pump housing body; the pump housing head is used to be disposed within the pipe opening when needed.

[0010] Optionally, the pneumatic tube further includes a buckle, which is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tube opening for assembling the pneumatic tube onto the cartridge housing.

[0011] Optionally, the pneumatic pipe further includes a first connecting portion, which is connected to the second end of the pipe body.

[0012] A pipetting system according to a second aspect of the present invention includes the cartridge pneumatic tube assembly and the cartridge described above.

[0013] Optionally, the card holder housing includes a groove, and the air pressure pipe also includes a buckle, which is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the pipe opening and is used to assemble the air pressure pipe onto the card holder housing; the shape of the groove matches the buckle.

[0014] Optionally, the pipetting system further includes a second connecting portion, and the pneumatic tube further includes a first connecting portion, the first connecting portion being connected to the second end of the tube body portion; the first end of the second connecting portion is sleeved on the first connecting portion.

[0015] Optionally, the pipetting system further includes a pipette connected to the second end of the second connector.

[0016] Optionally, the pipetting system further includes an operating unit, wherein the pump body is a first plunger; the operating unit is connected to the first plunger and is used to control the movement of the first plunger.

[0017] Optionally, when the operating unit is used to control the movement of the first plunger:

[0018] The operating part is used to generate a pulling force or a pushing force on the first plunger to form a first air pressure; the pulling force is characterized by the direction of the force away from the nozzle, and the pushing force is characterized by the direction of the force close to the nozzle.

[0019] The first air pressure is used to cooperate with the pipette to complete the pipetting operation.

[0020] Optionally, the pipetting system further includes an operating unit, and the pump body includes a second plunger and a pump housing; the operating unit is connected to the second plunger and is used to control the movement of the second plunger.

[0021] Optionally, when the operating unit is used to control the movement of the second plunger:

[0022] The operating part is used to generate a pulling or pushing force on the second plunger to form a second air pressure;

[0023] The second air pressure is used to cooperate with the pipette to complete the pipetting operation.

[0024] Optionally, the pipetting system further includes a transmission unit connected to the operating unit to control the operation of the operating unit.

[0025] The present invention provides a cartridge pneumatic tube assembly and a pipetting system, which avoids the manufacturing difficulties caused by making the pneumatic tube and the pump body into one piece by setting the pneumatic tube and the pump body separately.

[0026] In addition, the separate design of the air pressure pipe and the pump body allows the air pressure pipe to be placed inside the card box, while the pump body is placed inside the card box, avoiding the problem of large space occupation caused by placing both the air pressure pipe and the pump body inside the card box.

[0027] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention is provided with a sealing part, which can seal the gap between the air pressure pipe and the pump body, thereby increasing the air tightness of the pump.

[0028] In addition, the cartridge pneumatic tube assembly and pipetting system provided by the present invention utilize the buckle on the pneumatic tube to tightly connect the pneumatic tube to the cartridge, thereby fixing the pneumatic tube to the cartridge housing. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, 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.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cartridge pneumatic tube assembly and the pipetting system in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic tube in the structure of the cartridge pneumatic tube assembly and the pipetting system in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the pneumatic tube in the structure of the cartridge pneumatic tube assembly and the pipetting system in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cartridge pneumatic tube assembly and the pipetting system in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cartridge pneumatic tube assembly and the pipetting system in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 ;

[0035] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cartridge pneumatic tube assembly and the pipetting system in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 .

[0036] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0037] 1-Air pressure hose;

[0038] 101 - Nozzle section;

[0039] 102-tube body;

[0040] 103 - Sealing part;

[0041] 104 filter element;

[0042] 105 - First connecting part;

[0043] 106 - Deduction;

[0044] 2-Pump body;

[0045] 201 - First plunger;

[0046] 2011 - First Mobile Division;

[0047] 2012 - Second Moving Section;

[0048] 202 - Second plunger;

[0049] 203 - Pump casing;

[0050] 2031 - Pump casing body;

[0051] 2032 - Pump casing head;

[0052] 3-Card housing;

[0053] 4-Second connecting part. Detailed Implementation

[0054] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0055] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention 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 so that embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0056] The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments.

[0057] Please refer to Figure 1 This invention provides a cartridge pneumatic tube assembly for use in drawing or injecting liquid into a cartridge. The cartridge includes a cartridge housing 3. The pneumatic tube assembly includes a pneumatic tube 1 and a pump body 2, which are separate components. The pneumatic tube 1 is mounted on the cartridge housing 3, and the pump body 2 is used to be mounted inside the pneumatic tube 1 when needed, forming a sealed injection pump with the pneumatic tube 1.

[0058] The pump body 2 can be characterized as an assembly that can be connected to the air pressure pipe 1 to form a sealed pump.

[0059] For details, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The air pressure pipe 1 includes a pipe opening 101, a pipe body 102, a sealing part 103, and a filter element 104. The pipe opening 101 is connected to the first end of the pipe body 102. The sealing part 103 is disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the pipe body 102. The filter element 104 is disposed inside the pipe body 102.

[0060] The sealing part 103 can be characterized as a component that can seal the gap between the air pressure pipe and the pump body.

[0061] The filter element 104 can be characterized as a component capable of filtering impurities in the air inside the pump body.

[0062] In one example, the sealing part 103 may be made of rubber.

[0063] Of course, the present invention is not limited thereto, and other forms of materials for the sealing part 103 are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0064] The cartridge air pressure tube assembly provided by the present invention avoids the difficulty in manufacturing caused by making the air pressure tube 1 and the pump body 2 into one piece by setting the air pressure tube 1 and the pump body 2 separately.

[0065] Furthermore, the separate design of the air pressure pipe 1 and the pump body 2 allows the air pressure pipe 1 to be placed inside the card holder housing 3, while the pump body 2 is placed outside the card holder housing 3, thus avoiding the problem of large space occupation caused by placing both the air pressure pipe 1 and the pump body 2 inside the card holder housing 3.

[0066] The present invention also includes a sealing part 103, which can seal the gap between the air pressure pipe 1 and the pump body 2, thereby increasing the air tightness of the pump.

[0067] For information about air pressure hose 1, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The air pressure pipe 1 also includes a buckle 106, which is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the pipe opening 101 and is used to assemble the air pressure pipe 1 onto the card box housing 3.

[0068] The inverted buckle 106 is characterized as a component capable of fixing the air pressure pipe 1.

[0069] Specifically, the air pressure pipe 1 also includes a first connecting part 105, which is connected to the second end of the pipe body 102.

[0070] In one example, the buckle 106 and the air pressure pipe 1 are integrally formed, and the air pressure pipe 1 is made of PP material.

[0071] Of course, the present invention is not limited thereto, and other forms of materials for the inverted buckle 106 and the air pressure pipe 1 are also within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0072] For information on the structure of pump body 2, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 5 In one embodiment, the pump body 2 is a first plunger 201, which includes a first moving part 2011 and a second moving part 2012 connected to the first moving part 2011. The outer diameter of the first moving part 2011 is smaller than the outer diameter of the second moving part 2012. The first moving part 2011 is used to be assembled into the port 101 when needed and to move along the inner wall of the port 101.

[0073] The first moving part 2011 can be characterized as the portion of the first plunger connected to the port 101.

[0074] The second moving part 2012 can be characterized as a portion of the first plunger 201 connected to the first moving part 2011.

[0075] In other embodiments, the pump body 2 includes a second plunger 202 and a pump housing 203. The pump housing 203 includes a pump housing head 2032 and a pump housing body 2031. The second plunger 202 is partially or entirely disposed within the pump housing body 2031 and moves along the inner wall of the pump housing body 2031. The pump housing head 2032 is used to be disposed within the port portion 101 when needed.

[0076] The pump housing 203 can be characterized as a cavity for accommodating the second plunger 202.

[0077] The present invention also provides a pipetting system, including the cartridge pneumatic tube assembly and the cartridge described above.

[0078] For information on the structure of the pipetting system, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The card holder includes a card holder housing 3, the card holder housing 3 includes a groove, and the air pressure pipe 1 also includes a buckle 106, the buckle 106 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the pipe opening 101, and is used to assemble the air pressure pipe 1 onto the card holder housing 3; the shape of the groove matches the buckle 106.

[0079] In one embodiment, the pipetting system further includes a second connecting part 4, and the pneumatic tube 1 further includes a first connecting part 105, the first connecting part 105 being connected to the second end of the tube body 102; the first end of the second connecting part 4 is sleeved on the first connecting part 105.

[0080] In other examples not shown, the pipetting system further includes a pipette connected to the second end of the second connection portion 4.

[0081] The pipette is used to receive the air pressure transmitted by the second connection part 4 to transfer small or trace amounts of liquid.

[0082] As one implementation method, please refer to the following for information on the structure of the pipetting system. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The pipetting system further includes an operating unit, and the pump body 2 is a first plunger 201; the operating unit is connected to the first plunger 201 and is used to control the movement of the first plunger 201.

[0083] Specifically, the working process of the pipetting system is as follows: when the operating unit is used to control the movement of the first plunger 201:

[0084] First, the operating part generates a pulling force or a pushing force on the first plunger 201 to form a first air pressure; the pulling force is characterized by the direction of the force away from the nozzle 101, and the pushing force is characterized by the direction of the force towards the nozzle 101.

[0085] Next, the pipette completes the pipetting operation with the assistance of the first air pressure.

[0086] In a specific embodiment, the first plunger 201 and the air pressure tube 1 together form a sealed injection pump. The first plunger 201 moves back and forth in the air pressure tube 1 to form a sealed space of different volumes (i.e., the first air pressure). The first air pressure is transmitted to the tip of the pipette through the hose (i.e., the second connecting part 4) to complete the pipetting action.

[0087] As another implementation method, please refer to the following for information on the structure of the pipetting system. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The pipetting system further includes an operating unit, and the pump body 2 includes a second plunger 202 and a pump housing 203; the operating unit is connected to the second plunger 202 and is used to control the movement of the second plunger 202.

[0088] For information on the working process of a pipetting system, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 5 and Figure 6 When the operating unit is used to control the movement of the second plunger 202:

[0089] First, the operating part is used to generate a pulling or pushing force on the second plunger 202 to form a second air pressure;

[0090] Next, the pipette completes the pipetting operation with the help of the second air pressure.

[0091] In a specific embodiment, when the volume of the sealed space formed by the first plunger 201 and the air pressure tube 1 (i.e., the first air pressure) is insufficient to complete the liquid transfer, using an external pump body (i.e., the second plunger 202) is equivalent to increasing the volume of the sealed space of the pump (i.e., the second air pressure), so that the air pressure range is larger to meet the liquid transfer of different volumes.

[0092] When the second plunger 202 and the air pressure tube 1 form the pump body 2, it is equivalent to inserting an additional large pump, which increases the overall pump volume and can generate a larger range of air pressure to meet the needs of a larger range of liquid transfer.

[0093] In other embodiments of the pipetting system, the pipetting system further includes a transmission unit connected to the operating unit to control the operation of the operating unit.

[0094] In a specific embodiment, the transmission unit is controllable. When the pipetting system is in the pipetting state, the transmission unit is controlled to start operating. When the pipetting system is in the stopped pipetting state, the transmission unit stops controlling the operation of the operating unit.

[0095] The pipetting system provided by the present invention utilizes a transmission unit and an operating unit to control the movement of the pump body, thereby forming a sealed space volume, realizing automated pipetting and avoiding reagent contamination during manual pipetting.

[0096] The transmission mechanism (i.e., transmission part) on the outside of the fixed card box housing 3 provided by the present invention avoids the problem that the plunger inside the pump body 2 is difficult to fix inside the card box.

[0097] Furthermore, since the first plunger 201 or the second plunger 202 in the pump body 2 provided by the present invention is located outside the cartridge housing 3, the first plunger 201 or the second plunger 202 can be connected to the lead screw of the external instrument (i.e., the transmission part and the operation part). Thus, the lead screw of the external instrument (i.e., the transmission part and the operation part) can drive the first plunger 201 or the second plunger 202 to move back and forth, thereby forming different air pressures (i.e., the first air pressure or the second air pressure) in the pump to complete the liquid transfer operation. This avoids the need to use a spring to assist the back and forth movement of the plunger, saves space inside the cartridge housing 3, and solves the problem of large space occupation caused by both the air pressure pipe 1 and the pump body 2 being located inside the cartridge housing 3.

[0098] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cartridge pneumatic hose assembly for use in conjunction with aspiration or injection of liquid within a cartridge, wherein the cartridge includes a cartridge housing, characterized in that, The cartridge pneumatic tube assembly includes a pneumatic tube and a pump body, which are separate components. The pneumatic tube is mounted on the cartridge housing, and the pump body is used to be mounted inside the pneumatic tube when needed, forming a sealed injection pump with the pneumatic tube. The pneumatic tube includes an inlet, a body, a sealing part, and a filter element. The inlet is connected to the first end of the body. The sealing part is located on the inner circumferential surface of the body. The filter element is located inside the body. The sealing part can be characterized as a component that can seal the gap between the pneumatic tube and the pump body, and the filter element can be characterized as a component that can filter impurities in the air inside the pump body. The pneumatic tube also includes a buckle located on the outer circumferential surface of the inlet for mounting the pneumatic tube onto the cartridge housing. The buckle can be characterized as a component that can fix the pneumatic tube. The pneumatic tube also includes a first connecting part connected to the second end of the body.

2. The cartridge pneumatic hose assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pump body is a first plunger, which includes a first moving part and a second moving part connected to the first moving part, wherein the outer diameter of the first moving part is smaller than the outer diameter of the second moving part; the first moving part is used to be assembled into the nozzle when needed and move along the inner wall of the nozzle.

3. The cartridge pneumatic hose assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pump body includes a second plunger and a pump housing. The pump housing includes a pump housing head and a pump housing body. Part or all of the second plunger is disposed within the pump housing body and moves along the inner wall of the pump housing body. The pump housing head is used to be disposed within the pipe opening when needed.

4. A pipetting system, characterized in that, Includes the card holder pneumatic tube assembly and card holder as described in claim 1.

5. The pipetting system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The card holder housing includes a groove, and the air pressure pipe also includes a buckle. The buckle is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the pipe opening and is used to assemble the air pressure pipe onto the card holder housing; the shape of the groove matches the buckle.

6. The pipetting system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The pipetting system further includes a second connecting part, and the pneumatic tube further includes a first connecting part, the first connecting part being connected to the second end of the tube body; the first end of the second connecting part is sleeved on the first connecting part.

7. The pipetting system according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a pipette, which is connected to the second end of the second connector.

8. The pipetting system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The pipetting system further includes an operating unit, and the pump body is a first plunger; the operating unit is connected to the first plunger and is used to control the movement of the first plunger.

9. The pipetting system according to claim 8, characterized in that, When the operating unit is used to control the movement of the first plunger: The operating part is used to generate a pulling force or a pushing force on the first plunger to form a first air pressure; the pulling force is characterized by the direction of the force away from the nozzle, and the pushing force is characterized by the direction of the force close to the nozzle. The first air pressure is used to cooperate with the pipette to complete the pipetting operation.

10. The pipetting system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The pipetting system further includes an operating unit, and the pump body includes a second plunger and a pump housing; the operating unit is connected to the second plunger and is used to control the movement of the second plunger.

11. The pipetting system according to claim 10, characterized in that, When the operating unit is used to control the movement of the second plunger: The operating part is used to generate a pulling or pushing force on the second plunger to form a second air pressure; The second air pressure is used to cooperate with the pipette to complete the pipetting operation.

12. The pipetting system according to any one of claims 8-11, characterized in that, It also includes a transmission unit connected to the operation unit to control the operation of the operation unit.

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