Cascade reagent mixing sample injection reagent tube assembly
By using a membrane sealing strip separator within the reagent tube, the problem of excessively long hollow needles caused by the height of the intermediate rubber stopper is solved, enabling compact storage and easy operation of reagents, and improving the hollow needle's resistance to bending and reagent capacity.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202311638285.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-03
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-03
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-12-03
AI Technical Summary
In existing reagent storage devices, the height of the middle rubber stopper is too large, resulting in an excessively long hollow needle that is easy to bend. Furthermore, the space is not fully utilized, making it impossible to achieve efficient and compact storage of solid and liquid reagents, as well as easy reconstitution, mixing, and release.
The reagent tube is divided into multiple accommodating cavities along the axial direction by using a membrane sealing strip as a separator component. The membrane sealing strip is thinner than traditional rubber stoppers, and a short and strong hollow needle is designed to achieve cascaded storage and injection of reagents through axial force. The reagents are cascaded along the axial direction of the reagent tube, simplifying the operation.
It improves the bending resistance of hollow needles, increases reagent capacity, reduces the space occupied by detection instruments, realizes compact storage and simple operation of reagents, and meets the reagent storage and release requirements of complex biochemical reactions.
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Figure CN117696139B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of biological detection device design technology, specifically relating to a cascaded reagent mixing and injection reagent tube assembly. Background Technology
[0002] With the transformation of medical models and the continuous development of personalized testing, the medical testing field urgently needs rapid and accurate detection methods. Molecular detection has demonstrated unique advantages, leading to a proliferation of miniaturized and integrated products, among which microfluidic chip technology plays a crucial role. Microfluidic chips, also known as lab-on-a-chip, integrate basic operational units involved in sample preparation, reaction, separation, and detection from fields such as biology, chemistry, and medicine onto a chip with micron-scale microchannels, automating reactions and analyses. This process involves a complex and diverse range of reagents, requiring precise dosage. This means that to highlight the technological advantages of point-of-care diagnosis and on-site analysis, it is essential to meet the storage requirements of separating and retrieving various materials for immediate use.
[0003] Based on this, existing reagent storage methods are divided into solid-state and liquid-state storage. Solid-state storage mainly uses lyophilized powder, which involves freezing reagents into a solid state under sterile conditions. It emphasizes storage under dry conditions, and requires reconstitution and thorough mixing before use to achieve its function. Liquid-state storage prioritizes quantitative release and long-term sealed storage to avoid spillage risks and ensure no liquid residue. Currently, most reagent storage devices use single solid or liquid storage units, which are then combined for use, resulting in cumbersome operation and hindering integration. For example, in a detection chip disclosed in Chinese invention patent CN112371195B, the storage container is located in a designated cavity, with multiple independent containers arranged in an array for sequential puncture and sample injection, severely limiting space. Furthermore, the mixing chamber in this design is independently designed, with the reconstitution operation performed on the lower part of the chip, making high integration impossible. Taking a reagent controlled-release module, bioreactor, and biological detection device disclosed in Chinese invention patent application publication number CN115074230A as an example, this solution integrates a solvent storage unit for receiving added solvent and multiple reagent storage and release units for storing dried reagents and releasing them sequentially onto a chip, using centrifugal force to drive mixing and reconstitution. The drawback is that it cannot be standardized and remains spatially limited, hindering further application expansion. Therefore, how to achieve directional and quantitative reconstitution, mixing, and release of solid and liquid reagents after separate storage, while maintaining high spatial integration and scalability, is a technical problem that those skilled in the art currently need to solve.
[0004] The applicant previously proposed a reagent kit capable of reconstituted reagents (application number CN202211544980), in which two different reagents (one solid and one liquid) are stored separately by means of an intermediate rubber stopper. When reconstitution is required, axial force is applied to the rubber stopper to change the relative position of the intermediate rubber stopper and the flow channel on the reagent tube, thereby achieving the mixing and reconstitution of the two reagents. However, in order to ensure that the intermediate rubber stopper slides smoothly downwards without tipping over, it needs to have a large height. When multiple reagents are stored in the reagent tube at the same time, a large number of intermediate rubber stoppers are required. Especially when the reagent to be directly injected (i.e., without reconstitution) is located at the top of the reagent tube, a hollow needle for injection needs to pierce a large number of intermediate rubber stoppers. This results in a large requirement for the length of the hollow needle, which is very easy to bend (it should be noted that increasing the diameter of the hollow needle can significantly improve its bending resistance, but it increases the difficulty of piercing the rubber stopper). Summary of the Invention
[0005] This invention provides a cascaded reagent mixing and injection reagent tube assembly, which can solve the technical problem in the prior art where reagents are stored by separating them with intermediate rubber stoppers. Due to the large height of the intermediate rubber stoppers, the length of the corresponding hollow needles is also large, and the hollow needles are prone to bending during the injection process.
[0006] To address the above problems, the present invention provides a cascaded reagent mixing and injection reagent tube assembly, comprising:
[0007] A reagent tube body, wherein a first rubber stopper is embedded in the first end of the reagent tube body and a second rubber stopper is embedded in the second end of the reagent tube body, and at least one dividing component is also embedded in the reagent tube body between the first rubber stopper and the second rubber stopper. The at least one dividing component divides the internal space of the reagent tube body into at least two accommodating cavities, each of the accommodating cavities storing a reagent, and the dividing component has a thin film sealing sheet.
[0008] The puncture injection assembly includes a hollow needle, which is positioned corresponding to the second rubber stopper. It is capable of sequentially puncturing the second rubber stopper, each thin film sealing sheet, and the first rubber stopper as the first rubber stopper and each separator component slide close to the second rubber stopper under pressure. Furthermore, at least two of the accommodating cavities can mix the reagents during the sliding process.
[0009] In some embodiments, the separating assembly further includes an upper ring and a lower ring, the upper ring and the lower ring being coaxially fitted together, the thin film sealing sheet being sandwiched between the upper ring and the lower ring, the axis of the separating assembly coinciding with the axis of the reagent tube; and / or, the thin film sealing sheet is aluminum foil.
[0010] In some embodiments, the upper ring body includes an upper ring cylinder with an inner convex ring extending radially inward from the top opening of the upper ring cylinder, and the lower ring body includes a lower ring cylinder inserted into the upper ring cylinder, wherein the outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm sealing sheet is clamped between the inner convex ring and the upper end face of the lower ring cylinder.
[0011] In some embodiments, the separating assembly further includes a sealing ring sleeve fitted onto the outer peripheral wall of the upper ring body to seal the annular gap between the upper ring body and the inner wall of the reagent tube body.
[0012] In some embodiments, the upper ring, lower ring, and thin film sealing sheet within the same separating assembly form a core assembly. When an axial force is applied to the core assembly in the direction from the first rubber stopper to the second rubber stopper, the core assembly closer to the first rubber stopper can disengage from the corresponding sealing ring cylinder and be nested within the core assembly on the side of the core assembly furthest from the first rubber stopper.
[0013] In some embodiments, along the direction from the first rubber stopper to the second rubber stopper, the wall diameter of the sealing ring cylinder of each of the separating components gradually decreases, and the inner ring diameter of the inner convex ring gradually increases; and / or, the sealing ring cylinder is a rubber ring cylinder.
[0014] In some embodiments, the first rubber stopper has a boss extending toward one side of the separator assembly, the diameter of the boss being equal to the inner ring diameter of the inner convex ring of the adjacent separator assembly, and the protrusion height of the boss being not less than the height of the core components nested in each of the separator assemblies.
[0015] In some embodiments, at least one of the accommodating cavities has two through holes formed on its cavity wall, which are spaced apart along the axial direction of the reagent tube and communicate with the cavity. The two through holes are connected by a mixing channel, and the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity having the mixing channel is also provided with an air outlet.
[0016] In some embodiments, the through hole extends through the inner and outer walls of the reagent tube, the mixing channel is an open groove constructed on the outer wall of the reagent tube, and sealing tape is attached to the outer wall of the reagent tube to seal the opening of the open groove.
[0017] In some embodiments, at least two accommodating cavities do not have the mixing channel on their walls, and at least two accommodating cavities are spaced apart by a accommodating cavity on its wall with the mixing channel.
[0018] The cascaded reagent mixing and injection reagent tube assembly provided by this invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0019] A separator assembly with a thin-film sealing strip is used to form multiple accommodating cavities along the axial direction inside the reagent tube. The thickness of the thin-film sealing strip is much smaller than that of the rubber stopper in existing technologies, allowing for a relatively shorter hollow needle length and improved bending resistance. Simultaneously, because the thinner film sealing strip occupies less internal space in the reagent tube, the accommodating cavities for storing reagents can be designed to be larger for the same tube length, meeting the storage requirements of larger reagent volumes. This also significantly reduces the space occupied by the corresponding detection instrument and decreases the axial displacement stroke of the axial force application components, resulting in a more compact instrument structure. Furthermore, it should be noted that each required liquid reagent is stored separately in an axially isolated and independent compartment within the reagent tube. Within each cavity, different reagents can be sequentially injected through the relative relationship between the hollow needle, the separator components, and the rubber stoppers. The reagents cascade along the axial direction of the reagent tube, achieving cascaded reagent storage. Compared with the planar array storage technology in the prior art, it occupies less space and has a more compact structure. The entire injection process can be achieved by applying axial force only, making it simple to operate. Each reagent is sealed within the reagent tube by the first and second rubber stoppers at both ends, completely isolating it from the outside world. The separator components in the middle completely separate the reagents within each cavity, and injection is achieved by puncturing with a hollow needle, forming a fully sealed system. Different types of reagents can be freely combined and cascaded by matching the length of the reagent tube, the number of separator components, and the length of the hollow needle, meeting the reagent storage and release needs in complex biochemical reactions. Attached Figure Description
[0020] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.
[0021] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in this specification are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed herein, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.
[0022] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a cascaded reagent mixing and injection reagent tube assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. The diagram shows the state in which the upper and lower accommodating cavities are connected to achieve mixing of two reagents.
[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the cascaded reagent mixing and injection reagent tube assembly in the image.
[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a cascaded reagent mixing and injection reagent tube assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, each accommodating cavity is in an independent reagent storage state.
[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a cascaded reagent mixing and injection reagent tube assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, each accommodating cavity is in an independent reagent storage state.
[0026] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the structure of the separator component in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0027] The reference numerals in the attached figures are as follows:
[0028] 1. Reagent tube body; 11. First rubber stopper; 111. Boss; 12. Second rubber stopper; 13. Separator assembly; 131. Thin film sealing sheet; 132. Upper ring body; 1321. Upper ring cylinder; 1322. Inner convex ring; 133. Lower ring body; 1331. Lower ring cylinder; 134. Sealing ring cylinder; 14. Sealing tape; 21. Hollow needle; 41. Through hole; 42. Mixing channel; 43. Vent. Detailed Implementation
[0029] 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. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. 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.
[0030] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.
[0031] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.
[0032] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.
[0033] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.
[0034] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.
[0035] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.
[0036] See Figures 1 to 5 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a cascaded reagent mixing and injection reagent tube assembly is provided, comprising:
[0037] The reagent tube 1 has a first rubber stopper 11 embedded in its first end and a second rubber stopper 12 embedded in its second end. At least one partition component 13 is also embedded in the reagent tube 1 between the first rubber stopper 11 and the second rubber stopper 12. The partition component 13 divides the internal space of the reagent tube 1 into at least two accommodating cavities (not labeled in the figure). Each accommodating cavity stores a reagent. The partition component 13 has a thin film sealing sheet 131. The aforementioned thin film sealing sheet 131 can be made of aluminum foil, which is commonly used in the industry. It is easy to puncture and leaves less reagent residue after puncture. The thickness of the thin film sealing sheet 131 can generally be 0.2-0.5 mm (specifically, 0.2 mm aluminum foil can be used). The aforementioned reagent is generally a liquid reagent. If reconstitution is required, it can be a liquid reagent and a solid reagent. Generally speaking, the solid reagent to be reconstituted should be in the accommodating cavity below the liquid reagent used for reconstitution.
[0038] The puncture injection assembly (not labeled in the figure) includes a hollow needle 21, which is positioned corresponding to the second rubber stopper 12. It is capable of sequentially piercing the second rubber stopper 12, each thin film sealing sheet 131, and the first rubber stopper 11 during the sliding process when the first rubber stopper 11 and each separator component 13 are subjected to force and approach the second rubber stopper 12. The reagents in at least two of the accommodating cavities can be mixed during the sliding process. It is understood that the types of reagents stored in each accommodating cavity are the same as the order of reagent injection in the direction from the second rubber stopper 12 to the first rubber stopper 11. Preferably, the relative position of the second rubber stopper 12 with respect to the reagent tube 1 is fixed, that is, there is no sliding between it and the reagent tube 1 during the puncture injection process.
[0039] In this technical solution, a separator assembly 13 with a thin film sealing sheet 131 is used to form multiple accommodating cavities along the axial direction inside the reagent tube body 1. The thickness of the thin film sealing sheet 131 is much smaller than that of the rubber stopper in the prior art, which allows the length of the hollow needle 21 used for puncture to be designed to be relatively short, thus improving the bending resistance of the hollow needle 21. At the same time, since the thinner thin film sealing sheet 131 occupies less internal space in the reagent tube body 1, the accommodating cavity for storing reagents can be designed to be larger under the premise of the same length of reagent tube body 1, meeting the storage requirements of larger reagent capacity. It can also significantly reduce the space occupation of the corresponding detection instrument and reduce the axial displacement stroke of the axial force application component in the detection instrument, making the structure of the detection instrument more compact. In addition, it should be noted that each required liquid reagent is stored separately in the axially spaced cavities of the reagent tube body 1. Within each independent accommodating cavity, different reagents can be sequentially injected through the relative relationship between the hollow needle 21, the separating components 13, and the rubber stoppers. The reagents are cascaded along the axial direction of the reagent tube 1, achieving cascaded storage of reagents. Compared with the planar array storage in the prior art, it occupies less space and has a more compact structure. The entire injection process can be achieved by applying axial force only, making the operation simple. Each reagent is sealed in the reagent tube 1 by the first rubber stopper 11 and the second rubber stopper 12 at both ends, completely isolated from the outside. The separating components 13 in the middle completely separate the reagents in each accommodating cavity. Injection is achieved by puncturing with the hollow needle 21, forming a fully sealed system. Different types of reagents can be freely combined and cascaded by matching the length of the reagent tube 1, the number of separating components 13, and the length of the hollow needle 21, to meet the reagent storage and release needs in complex biochemical reactions.
[0040] In one specific embodiment, the separating assembly 13 further includes an upper ring 132 and a lower ring 133, which are coaxially fitted together. The thin-film sealing sheet 131 is clamped between the upper ring 132 and the lower ring 133, and the axis of the separating assembly 13 coincides with the axis of the reagent tube body 1. In this technical solution, the upper ring 132 and the lower ring 133 form an upper and lower clamping structure for the thin-film sealing sheet 131, while also ensuring the reliability of the separating assembly 13 sliding axially along the inner wall of the reagent tube body 1. In this case, the longitudinal section of the separating assembly 13 is H-shaped. It is understood that the axial length of the separating assembly 13 should be appropriately selected to prevent tipping or overturning during its sliding process. Specifically, taking the same tube inner diameter of 7mm as an example, the height of the aforementioned separator component 13 (H-type component) of the present invention is 2mm. The height of traditional rubber stoppers usually needs to be consistent with the inner diameter of the reagent tube to avoid tipping over. Therefore, the thickness of traditional rubber stoppers is 7mm, and the height of the H-type component is one-quarter of the height of traditional rubber stoppers.
[0041] In one specific embodiment, see Figure 5 As shown, the upper ring body 132 includes an upper ring cylinder 1321, the top opening of which has an inner convex ring 1322 extending radially inward. The lower ring body 133 includes a lower ring cylinder 1331, which is inserted into the upper ring cylinder 1321. The outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm sealing sheet 131 is clamped between the inner convex ring 1322 and the upper end face of the lower ring cylinder 1331. In this technical solution, the upper ring cylinder 1321 and the lower ring cylinder 1331 are preferably fitted together with an interference fit, so that after they are inserted, the interference fit force between them can be used to ensure reliable clamping and positioning of the diaphragm sealing sheet 131. In a preferred embodiment, the inner wall diameter of the lower ring cylinder 1331 is equal to the inner ring diameter of the inner convex ring 1322. That is, when the upper ring cylinder 1321 and the lower ring cylinder 1331 are inserted, the hollow through hole (axial) wall of both is a smooth wall surface without any axial steps.
[0042] The aforementioned upper ring 132 and lower ring 133 clamp the thin film sealing sheet 131 to form a core assembly. The outer circumferential wall of the core assembly can be directly sealed to the inner wall of the reagent tube 1 and slidably connected. In another preferred embodiment, the separating assembly 13 further includes a sealing ring cylinder 134. The sealing ring cylinder 134 is fitted onto the outer circumferential wall of the upper ring 132 to seal the annular gap between the upper ring 132 and the inner wall of the reagent tube 1. In this case, the aforementioned upper ring 132 and lower ring 133 can be made of rigid materials (e.g., plastic) to ensure a reliable connection between them and to reliably clamp the thin film sealing sheet 131 without considering the sealing performance with the inner wall of the reagent tube 1. This sealing performance is ensured by the aforementioned sealing ring cylinder 134. In a preferred embodiment, the aforementioned sealing ring cylinder 134 is a rubber ring cylinder.
[0043] In some embodiments, when an axial force is applied to the core assembly from the first rubber stopper 11 to the second rubber stopper 12, the core assembly closer to the first rubber stopper 11 can disengage from the corresponding sealing ring cylinder 134 and nest within the core assembly on the side furthest from the first rubber stopper 11. In this technical solution, by forming a nested structure under the action of axial force, it is possible to ensure that the reagents in each accommodating cavity can be more thoroughly injected and delivered, reducing reagent residue and improving reagent utilization.
[0044] Specifically, along the direction from the first rubber stopper 11 to the second rubber stopper 12, the wall diameter of the sealing ring cylinder 134 of each of the separating components 13 gradually decreases, while the inner ring diameter of the inner convex ring 1322 gradually increases. This achieves the purpose of sealing the outer side of the corresponding core component with the sealing ring cylinder 134, while also allowing the core components to be nested vertically after separation.
[0045] The first rubber stopper 11 has a boss 111 extending toward the side of the separator assembly 13. The diameter of the boss 111 is equal to the inner ring diameter of the inner convex ring 1322 of the adjacent separator assembly 13, and the protrusion height of the boss 111 is not less than the height of the core components nested in each separator assembly 13. In this way, the reagent in the reagent tube 1 can be delivered to the sample inlet channel more thoroughly through the boss 111, further reducing the residue of reagent in the hollow channel of the aforementioned separator assembly 13.
[0046] See details Figure 1 As shown, at least one of the accommodating cavities has two through holes 41 formed on its wall, spaced apart along the axial direction of the reagent tube 1 and communicating with the interior of the accommodating cavity. The two through holes 41 are connected by a mixing channel 42. The accommodating cavity with the mixing channel 42 also has an vent hole 43 on its wall to allow for the smooth outflow of reagents from the corresponding accommodating cavity. It is understood that when the reagent tube 1 is in the reagent storage state, both of the aforementioned through holes 41 correspond to the same accommodating cavity, that is, between two adjacent separating components 13. However, when the reagent tube 1 is in the mixing and injection state, the two aforementioned through holes 41 are located in two separate accommodating cavities, that is, on opposite sides of a separating component 13. In a preferred embodiment, the through hole 41 extends through the inner and outer walls of the reagent tube body 1. The mixing channel 42 is an open groove constructed on the outer wall of the reagent tube body 1. Sealing tape 14 is adhered to the outer wall of the reagent tube body 1 to seal the opening of the open groove. In the reagent storage state, the aforementioned vent 43 is also sealed with the aforementioned sealing tape 14. However, when mixing and injecting reagents, the sealing tape 14 should be removed from the position corresponding to the vent 43. In this technical solution, constructing the mixing channel 42 as an open groove on the outer wall of the reagent tube body 1 reduces the manufacturing difficulty of the channel. Forming a sealed channel by adhering sealing tape 14 is simple and convenient. The aforementioned vent 43 can also serve as a reagent loading port; when used as a loading port, the sealing tape 14 is adhered after the reagent is loaded.
[0047] In one specific embodiment, at least two cavities do not have the mixing channel 42 on their walls, and at least two cavities are spaced apart by a cavity on its wall where the mixing channel 42 is provided. The aforementioned reagent tube body 1 is preferably made of a transparent material, such as PMMA or PP.
[0048] The following describes the loading process and mixing and releasing process of reagent tube 1 to achieve reagent separation (using...). Figure 4 (The illustrated embodiment is an example):
[0049] a) Material loading process:
[0050] The separator assembly 13 is loaded into the reagent tube 1 and placed above the mixing channel 42 and the vent 43. After installing the top and bottom rubber plugs (i.e., the first rubber plug 11 and the second rubber plug 12), the reagent is loaded sequentially from the vent 43. The second step is to attach the tape (i.e., the aforementioned sealing tape 14) along the marked position to seal the external channel (i.e., the opening groove mentioned above) and the vent 43.
[0051] b) Material mixing and release process:
[0052] Before using the reagent bottle, remove the tape from the vent 43. When using the reagent tube 1, the top stopper, under the pressure of the external push rod, causes the separator component 13 to continuously move downwards. As it passes the mixing channel 42, the reagents from the upper and lower stages are mixed until all the reagents from the upper stage flow into the next stage reagent storage unit (i.e., the containment cavity). After the reagents are mixed sequentially, the top stopper continues to be pressed down, and the beveled needle (i.e., the hollow needle 21) punctures the bottom stopper, releasing the reagents from the lowest stage reagent storage unit first. Finally, the separator component 13 is pushed to contact the beveled needle, releasing the mixed liquid. During this process, the core components in each separator component 13, due to their different models, are nested in a "stacked" manner as they are pressed down along the inner wall of the reagent tube 1, so that the beveled needle can penetrate the aluminum foil within the final effective distance and finally pierce the top stopper to achieve a completely sealed system on the microfluidic chip.
[0053] The following is a specific application example:
[0054] Application Requirements: Taking a certain company's RPA isothermal amplification kit as an example, this kit mainly includes four reagents: primer and probe solutions, enzymes and reaction raw materials (lyophilized powder), Buffer A (buffer solution), and Buffer B (magnesium ion exchange solution). The main storage and usage requirements of this kit are twofold: the primers and probes need to be stored protected from light, and Buffer B needs to be added after all other reagents have been mixed to initiate the reaction.
[0055] Application examples: Figure 4 Taking the reagent tubes shown as an example of sequentially mixed and released combinations,
[0056] Reagent A: Buffer A (buffer solution); Reagent B: Primer / probe solution, the tape used on the bottle is black; Reagent C: Enzyme and reaction raw materials (lyophilized powder); Reagent D: Buffer B (magnesium ion solution); When using, Buffer A is mixed with the primer / probe solution and then flows into the storage unit containing the enzyme and reaction raw materials to achieve mixing and reconstitution of the lyophilized powder. Finally, Buffer B (magnesium ion solution) can be released in advance and mixed with other reagents at the terminal, or it can be pre-dryed in the reagent bottle, mixed with other reagents, and then released together.
[0057] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A cascaded reagent mixing and injection reagent tube assembly, characterized in that, include: The reagent tube (1) has a first rubber stopper (11) embedded in the first end and a second rubber stopper (12) embedded in the second end. At least one partition component (13) is also embedded in the reagent tube (1) between the first rubber stopper (11) and the second rubber stopper (12). At least one partition component (13) divides the internal space of the reagent tube (1) into at least two accommodating cavities, each of which stores a reagent. The partition component (13) has a thin film sealing sheet (131). The puncture injection assembly includes a hollow needle (21) corresponding to the second rubber stopper (12), and is capable of sequentially piercing the second rubber stopper (12), each thin film sealing sheet (131) and the first rubber stopper (11) during the sliding process when the first rubber stopper (11) and each separator assembly (13) are subjected to force and approach the second rubber stopper (12), and the reagents in at least two of the accommodating cavities can be mixed during the sliding process; The separating assembly (13) further includes an upper ring body (132) and a lower ring body (133), the upper ring body (132) and the lower ring body (133) are coaxially fitted together, the thin film sealing sheet (131) is clamped between the upper ring body (132) and the lower ring body (133), and the axis of the separating assembly (13) coincides with the axis of the reagent tube body (1); The separating assembly (13) also includes a sealing ring cylinder (134), which is fitted onto the outer peripheral wall of the upper ring body (132) to seal the annular gap between the upper ring body (132) and the inner wall of the reagent tube body (1). The upper ring (132), lower ring (133) and thin film sealing sheet (131) within the same partition assembly (13) form a core assembly. When an axial force is applied to the core assembly from the first rubber plug (11) to the second rubber plug (12), the core assembly near the first rubber plug (11) can disengage from the corresponding sealing ring cylinder (134) and be nested in the core assembly on the side away from the first rubber plug (11).
2. The cascade reagent homogenizing sample injection reagent tube assembly of claim 1, wherein, The thin film sealing sheet (131) is aluminum foil.
3. The cascaded reagent mixing and injection reagent tube assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper ring body (132) includes an upper ring cylinder (1321), the top opening of which has an inner convex ring (1322) extending radially inward. The lower ring body (133) includes a lower ring cylinder (1331), which is inserted into the upper ring cylinder (1321). The outer peripheral edge of the thin film sealing sheet (131) is held between the inner convex ring (1322) and the upper end face of the lower ring cylinder (1331).
4. The cascaded reagent mixing and injection reagent tube assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The thickness of the cylinder wall of the sealing ring cylinder (134) of each of the partition assemblies (13) is getting smaller and the inner ring diameter of the inner convex ring (1322) is getting larger in the direction from the first rubber plug (11) to the second rubber plug (12); and / or the sealing ring cylinder (134) is a rubber ring cylinder.
5. The cascade reagent mixing and sampling reagent tube assembly according to claim 4, wherein, The first rubber plug (11) has a boss (111) extending towards one side of the partition assembly (13), the diameter of the boss (111) is equal to the inner ring diameter of the inner convex ring (1322) of the partition assembly (13) adjacent to the boss (111), and the protruding height of the boss (111) is not less than the height of the core assembly after being nested in each of the partition assemblies (13).
6. The cascade reagent mixing and sampling reagent tube assembly according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the cavity walls of the accommodation cavities is provided with two through holes (41) spaced along the axial direction of the reagent tube body (1) and communicating with the accommodation cavities, and the two through holes (41) are communicated by a mixing flow channel (42), and the cavity wall of the accommodation cavity with the mixing flow channel (42) is further provided with an air outlet hole (43).
7. The cascade reagent mixing and sampling reagent tube assembly according to claim 6, wherein, The through holes (41) pass through the inner and outer walls of the reagent tube body (1), the mixing flow channel (42) is an open slot formed on the outer wall of the reagent tube body (1), and a sealing tape (14) is attached to the outer wall of the reagent tube body (1) to close the opening of the open slot.
8. The cascade reagent homogenizing sample injection reagent tube assembly of claim 6, wherein, The mixing flow channels (42) are not provided on the cavity walls of at least two of the accommodation cavities, and the accommodation cavities with the mixing flow channels (42) are spaced apart by one cavity wall.
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