Control method for an analyzer and a cleaning fluid dilution system

Abstract

The application discloses a control method of a cleaning liquid dilution system, the cleaning liquid dilution system is used for an analyzer, and the cleaning liquid dilution system comprises a stopcock pump and a water pump, the stopcock pump is used for conveying concentrated cleaning liquid into a cleaning liquid barrel, and the water pump is used for conveying pure water for dilution into the cleaning liquid barrel; the method comprises the following steps: S10, receiving a trigger instruction; S20, analyzing the trigger instruction to obtain an expected running state of the analyzer; and S30, determining a running mode of the cleaning liquid dilution system according to the expected running state. The application further provides an analyzer, which comprises: a cleaning liquid dilution system used for diluting cleaning liquid; an instruction receiving module used for receiving a trigger instruction; an instruction analyzing module used for analyzing the trigger instruction to obtain an expected running state of the analyzer; and a running control module used for controlling the cleaning liquid dilution system to run in a set running mode according to the expected running state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of medical device technology, specifically a control method for an analyzer and a cleaning solution dilution system. Background Technology

[0002] Cleaning solution dilution is a common function of chemiluminescence analyzers. Its main purpose is to dilute high-concentration concentrated cleaning solutions into low-concentration solutions suitable for instrument use. This significantly reduces the transportation and storage costs of cleaning solution consumables, decreases the frequency of consumable replacements, and effectively improves the user experience.

[0003] There are two main existing cleaning solution dilution technologies: one uses a combination of a pneumatic pump and a diaphragm pump, where the pneumatic pump acts as a metering pump to deliver concentrated cleaning solution, and the diaphragm pump delivers water. The flow rates of both are adjusted to a specified ratio, and the solutions are mixed in a cleaning solution tank to form the ready-to-use cleaning solution. The disadvantage of this approach is that the pneumatic pump has poor precision and consistency, making it difficult to effectively control the instability of the mixed cleaning solution between different tanks, thus affecting the cleaning effect.

[0004] Another approach is to use a high-precision dual-ended rotary stopper pump. This pump employs a dual-ended rotary stopper pump with a constant flow ratio between the large and small ends. The large end delivers water, while the small end delivers the concentrated cleaning solution. The two are mixed in a cleaning solution tank before use. In this approach, both the concentrated cleaning solution and water are delivered in a metered manner, resulting in high dilution accuracy and stability. However, the dual-ended rotary stopper pump itself has a complex structure, high cost, and is prone to crystallization and jamming, leading to a high failure rate and complex maintenance. In addition, the motor speed of the dual-ended rotary stopper pump is limited, resulting in a typically lower flow rate. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a control method for an analyzer and a cleaning fluid dilution system that can meet the accuracy requirements of cleaning fluid dilution and improve operational reliability.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] This invention first proposes a control method for a cleaning solution dilution system. The cleaning solution dilution system is used in an analyzer and includes a stopcock pump and a water pump. The stopcock pump is used to deliver concentrated cleaning solution into the cleaning solution tank, and the water pump is used to deliver dilution pure water into the cleaning solution tank.

[0008] The method includes:

[0009] S10: Receive trigger command;

[0010] S20: Parse the trigger command to obtain the expected operating status of the analyzer;

[0011] S30: Determine the operating mode of the cleaning fluid dilution system based on the expected operating state.

[0012] Furthermore, the expected operating states include power-on, power-off, standby, and operating;

[0013] The operating modes include dilution mode, flushing mode, and standby mode.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes:

[0015] S40: Generate a combined control command according to the operating mode, and control the cleaning fluid dilution system to perform corresponding actions according to the combined control command.

[0016] Furthermore, the analyzer includes a timer, and the water pump is connected to a water injection line for supplying dilution pure water to the cleaning fluid tank and a flushing line for supplying rinsing pure water to the plunger pump. The water injection line is equipped with a pressure regulating valve and a first control valve, and the flushing line is equipped with a second control valve.

[0017] When the operating mode is dilution mode, the combined control commands include: opening the first control valve, closing the second control valve, starting the plunger pump, starting the water pump, receiving pressure feedback from the pressure regulating valve, and timing the timer.

[0018] When the operating mode is flushing mode, the combined control commands include: closing the first control valve, opening the second control valve, closing the plunger pump, opening the water pump, stopping receiving pressure feedback from the pressure regulating valve, and resetting the timer to zero.

[0019] When the operating mode is standby mode, the combined control commands include: closing the first control valve, closing the second control valve, closing the plunger pump, closing the water pump, stopping receiving pressure feedback from the pressure regulating valve, and stopping the timer.

[0020] Furthermore, it receives pressure feedback from the pressure regulating valve and generates pressure control commands.

[0021] Furthermore, it receives cumulative time feedback from the timer and generates status control commands.

[0022] Furthermore, when the accumulated time of the timer exceeds the set threshold: if the operating mode is dilution mode, the cleaning fluid dilution system will be controlled to perform at least one rinsing mode after the dilution mode is completed; if the operating mode is standby mode, the cleaning fluid dilution system will be directly controlled to perform at least one rinsing mode.

[0023] or,

[0024] After the dilution mode is completed, if the difference between the accumulated time of the timer and the set threshold is less than the set second threshold, the control system for the cleaning fluid dilution system will execute at least one flushing mode.

[0025] Furthermore, if the expected operating state is power-on, then after the analyzer is powered on, the cleaning fluid dilution system is controlled to perform at least one flushing mode.

[0026] Furthermore, if the expected operating state is shutdown, the cleaning fluid dilution system is controlled to perform at least one flushing mode before the analyzer is shut down.

[0027] The present invention also proposes an analyzer for performing the control method described above, comprising:

[0028] Cleaning solution dilution system, used to dilute the cleaning solution;

[0029] The instruction receiving module is used to receive trigger instructions;

[0030] The instruction parsing module is used to parse trigger instructions in order to obtain the expected operating status of the analyzer;

[0031] The operation control module is used to control the cleaning fluid dilution system to operate according to the set operating mode based on the expected operating state.

[0032] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0033] The control method of the cleaning solution dilution system of the present invention employs a rotary valve pump as the delivery pump for the concentrated cleaning solution, ensuring the delivery accuracy and stability of the concentrated cleaning solution. Simultaneously, a water pump assembly is used to quantitatively inject pure water from a water tank into the cleaning solution tank, ensuring the delivery flow rate of pure water. The two are mixed according to a set ratio to obtain the diluted cleaning solution in the cleaning solution tank. In other words, the control method of the cleaning solution dilution system of the present invention can guarantee both the delivery accuracy of the concentrated cleaning solution and the delivery flow rate of water.

[0034] The control method of the cleaning fluid dilution system of the present invention also has the following technical effects:

[0035] By controlling the cleaning fluid dilution system to perform at least one flushing mode after the analyzer is turned on, residual crystals in the rotary valve pump can be flushed out, and pure water can be used to lubricate the rotary valve pump, thereby improving the operational stability and reliability of the rotary valve pump.

[0036] By controlling the cleaning fluid dilution system to perform at least one flushing mode before the analyzer is shut down, the rotary valve pump can be flushed, preventing concentrated cleaning fluid from remaining in the rotary valve pump after the cleaning fluid dilution system is shut down. This avoids crystallization in the rotary valve pump and improves the operational stability and reliability of the rotary valve pump.

[0037] By executing at least one flushing mode after the cumulative time of the dilution mode in the cleaning fluid dilution system reaches a set threshold, the problem of crystallization in the rotary valve pump caused by prolonged operation can be avoided, thereby improving the operational stability and reliability of the rotary valve pump. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this invention clearer, the following figures are provided for illustration:

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a cleaning fluid dilution system suitable for the operating method of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the control method for the cleaning fluid dilution system of the present invention.

[0041] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0042] 10-Original solution tank; 20-Water tank; 30-Cleaning solution tank; 40-Switch pump; 41-Waste liquid pipe; 51-Water pump; 52-Pressure regulating valve; 53-Water injection pipe; 54-Flushing pipe; 55-Control valve; 56-Control valve. Detailed Implementation

[0043] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0044] The analyzer in this embodiment includes a cleaning fluid dilution system, an instruction receiving module, an instruction parsing module, an operation control module, and a timer. Specifically, the cleaning fluid dilution system is used to dilute the cleaning fluid. The instruction receiving module is used to receive trigger instructions. The instruction parsing module is used to parse the trigger instructions to obtain the expected operating state of the analyzer; specifically, the expected operating states of the analyzer include power-on, power-off, standby, and operation. The operation control module is used to control the cleaning fluid dilution system to operate according to a set operating mode based on the expected operating state. Specifically, the operating modes include dilution mode, rinsing mode, and standby mode.

[0045] like Figure 1As shown, the cleaning solution dilution system of this embodiment includes a concentrate tank 10, a water tank 20, a cleaning solution tank 30, a stopcock pump 40, and a water pump assembly. Specifically, the concentrate tank 10 is used to store concentrated cleaning solution; the water tank 20 is used to store pure water; the cleaning solution tank 30 is used to store diluted cleaning solution; the stopcock pump 40 is used to quantitatively inject concentrated cleaning solution into the cleaning solution tank 30; and the water pump assembly is used to quantitatively inject pure water into the cleaning solution tank 30. In this embodiment, the inlet of the stopcock pump 40 is connected to the concentrate tank 10, and the outlet is connected to the cleaning solution tank 40. In this embodiment, the stopcock pump is a single-head stopcock pump. The inlet of the water pump assembly in this embodiment is connected to the water tank 20, and a water injection pipe 53 is provided between the outlet of the water pump assembly and the cleaning solution tank 40.

[0046] Specifically, in this embodiment, the pump assembly includes a water pump 51 and a pressure regulating valve 52, which is disposed between the water pump 51 and the cleaning fluid tank 30. The water pump 51 can be implemented using various existing pumps, such as diaphragm pumps, impeller pumps, or gear pumps. In this embodiment, a diaphragm pump is used, which will not be elaborated further. Of course, in other embodiments, the pump assembly can also use a brushless diaphragm pump with flow regulation function. A common flow regulation method is to adjust the opening of the water outlet device; however, this method is greatly affected by the accuracy of the opening, making precise adjustment difficult and resulting in large batch-to-batch differences. Therefore, in this embodiment, a pressure regulating valve 52 is provided between the water pump 51 and the cleaning fluid tank 30. The pressure regulating valve 52 is used to regulate the outlet pressure of the diaphragm pump, thereby ensuring the accuracy, stability, and consistency of the diaphragm pump flow rate. When installing and using the analyzer, adjusting the pressure regulating valve 52 ensures that the batch-to-batch differences in the dilution ratio are within the allowable range.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment of this example, a flushing pipe 54 for cleaning the rotary stopper pump 40 is provided between the water pump assembly and the rotary stopper pump 40. One end of the flushing pipe 54 is connected to the outlet of the water pump assembly, and the other end is connected to the cleaning inlet of the rotary stopper pump 40. Specifically, in this embodiment, the cleaning outlet of the rotary stopper pump 40 is connected to a waste liquid pipe 41, and the waste liquid pipe 41 is connected to a waste liquid tank (not shown in the figure). Specifically, in this embodiment, a first control valve 55 and a second control valve 56 are respectively provided on the water injection pipe 53 and the flushing pipe 54. The first control valve 55 is used to control the opening and closing of the water injection pipe 53, and the second control valve 56 is used to control the opening and closing of the flushing pipe 54. During the preparation of the cleaning solution, the first control valve 55 is opened and the second control valve 56 is closed, so that the water injection pipe 53 connects the water pump assembly and the cleaning solution tank 30. During the flushing of the rotary stopper pump 40, the first control valve 55 is closed and the second control valve 56 is opened, so that the flushing pipe 54 connects the water pump assembly and the cleaning inlet of the rotary stopper pump 40. Of course, in some other embodiments, a switching valve may be provided between the water injection line 53 and the flushing line 54, and the switching valve controls the outlet of the water pump assembly to be connected to the water injection line 53 or the flushing line 54.

[0048] The above description of this embodiment mainly introduces the basic physical structure of the present invention. Based on the basic physical structure of the analyzer, the present invention also proposes a control method for a cleaning fluid dilution system, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the control method of the cleaning fluid dilution system in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0049] S10: Receive trigger command. The trigger command can be input by the operator through the analyzer's human-machine interface, and the input trigger command is received by the command receiving module.

[0050] S20: Parse the trigger command to obtain the expected operating state of the analyzer. In this embodiment, the expected operating state includes power-on, power-off, standby, and operating. Power-on means the analyzer is powered on; power-off means the analyzer is powered off; standby means the analyzer is powered on but the cleaning fluid dilution system is neither performing rinsing nor dilution operations; operating means the analyzer is powered on and the cleaning fluid dilution system is providing diluted cleaning fluid.

[0051] S30: Determine the operating mode of the cleaning fluid dilution system based on the expected operating conditions.

[0052] Specifically, in this step, the operating modes of the cleaning fluid dilution system include dilution mode, rinsing mode, and standby mode.

[0053] For example, when the expected operating state is shutdown, it is foreseeable that the flow rate of the cleaning fluid in the pipeline will gradually decrease to zero after shutdown, thus greatly increasing the likelihood of crystallization and precipitation at the rotary pump. Therefore, to mitigate this phenomenon, if the expected operating state of the analyzer is shutdown, the cleaning fluid dilution system is controlled to perform at least one flushing mode before the analyzer is shut down. In this embodiment, the cleaning fluid dilution system is controlled to perform one flushing mode before the analyzer is shut down.

[0054] For example, when the expected operating state is power-on, it is foreseeable that although flushing was performed during the last power-off, it cannot be guaranteed that all or most of the crystallized precipitate will be removed. Considering that the rotary valve pump is an extremely precise instrument, to maximize the protection of the rotary valve pump, if the expected operating state of the analyzer is power-on, the cleaning solution dilution system is controlled to perform at least one flushing mode after the analyzer is powered on. In this embodiment, the cleaning solution dilution system is controlled to perform one flushing mode after the analyzer is powered on. More importantly, the applicant has discovered that for a rotary valve pump, the gap between its pump core and housing is very small. Therefore, performing a flush after power-on can form a water film at the gap between the pump core and housing, which can play a lubricating role, and this is very important for protecting the rotary valve pump. Based on the above, after performing one flush after power-on, the analyzer enters the normal operating state.

[0055] For example, when the expected operating state is standby, that is, the analyzer is working normally, but the cleaning fluid dilution system neither performs rinsing nor dilution operations, standby mode can be operated, meaning the analyzer is powered on.

[0056] However, none of them are started, which saves energy and allows for quick switching of operating modes when the operating status changes.

[0057] For example, when the expected operating state is "working," meaning the analyzer is functioning normally and requires a diluted cleaning solution from the cleaning solution dilution system, the cleaning solution dilution system needs to enter dilution mode to provide a sufficient amount of diluted cleaning solution to the cleaning solution tank 30.

[0058] S40: Generates combined control commands based on the operating mode, and controls the cleaning fluid dilution system to perform corresponding actions based on the combined control commands.

[0059] Specifically, in this step, when the operating mode is dilution mode, the combined control commands include: opening the first control valve 55, closing the second control valve 56, opening the plunger pump 40, opening the water pump 51, receiving pressure feedback from the pressure regulating valve 52, and timing the timer.

[0060] When the operating mode is flushing mode, the combined control commands include: closing the first control valve 55, opening the second control valve 56, closing the plunger pump 40, opening the water pump 51, stopping receiving pressure feedback from the pressure regulating valve 52, and resetting the timer to zero.

[0061] When the operating mode is standby mode, the combined control commands include: closing the first control valve 55, closing the second control valve 56, closing the plunger pump 40, closing the water pump 51, stopping the reception of pressure feedback from the pressure regulating valve, and the timer not counting. That is, the accumulated time of the timer remains unchanged and is not reset to zero at this time.

[0062] Specifically, during the dilution mode, the pressure feedback from the pressure regulating valve 52 is received at a preset frequency, and a pressure control command is generated. Specifically, the operation control module receives the pressure feedback value from the pressure regulating valve 52 and compares it with a preset pressure value. When the difference exceeds the preset range, the operation control module needs to issue a control command to adjust the pressure at the pressure regulating valve 52.

[0063] During dilution mode execution, the system receives cumulative time feedback from the timer at a preset frequency and generates status control commands. Specifically, the operation control module receives the cumulative running time of the dilution mode from the timer within a "power-on-power-off" cycle. When the cumulative timer exceeds a set threshold, the operation control module issues a command to control the cleaning fluid dilution system to execute at least one flushing mode. The main purpose of this setting is to prevent the analyzer from remaining in a continuously powered-on state and to prevent crystal precipitation from damaging the rotary pump after multiple dilution mode executions. It is important to note that the time measured by the timer is the cumulative running time of the cleaning fluid dilution system in dilution mode, i.e., the cumulative time of dilution mode execution before the next flushing mode execution. During the cumulative timing process, if the operating mode switches from dilution mode to standby mode, the timer pauses; and after executing the flushing mode, the timer should be reset to zero and restarted for the next dilution mode execution.

[0064] Specifically, when the accumulated time of the timer exceeds a set threshold: if the operating mode of the cleaning fluid dilution system is dilution mode, then after the dilution mode is completed, the cleaning fluid dilution system is controlled to perform at least one rinsing mode; if the analyzer's operating mode is standby mode, then the cleaning fluid dilution system is directly controlled to perform at least one rinsing mode. In this embodiment, when the accumulated time of the timer exceeds the set threshold, the cleaning fluid dilution system is controlled to perform one rinsing mode. Specifically, the set threshold in this embodiment is 500-800 minutes, preferably 600 minutes; furthermore, if the analyzer is performing dilution mode when the operating time reaches the set threshold, then the operation control module issues a command to perform the rinsing mode after the current dilution mode is completed, and the timer is reset to zero.

[0065] In another control method of this embodiment, after the dilution mode is completed, if the difference between the accumulated time of the timer and the set threshold is less than the set second threshold, the cleaning fluid dilution system is controlled to perform at least one rinsing mode. In this embodiment, one rinsing mode is selected. Specifically, the second threshold can be set to 8-15 minutes, preferably 10 minutes, which is basically the same as the time required to complete one complete dilution mode. Through the above two control methods, the rinsing mode can be set before or after the operation within an acceptable range, ensuring the normal operation of the analyzer to the greatest extent.

[0066] The above-described embodiments are merely preferred embodiments provided to fully illustrate the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the present invention are all within the scope of protection of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for a cleaning fluid dilution system, characterized in that: The cleaning solution dilution system is used in the analyzer, and the cleaning solution dilution system includes a stopcock pump and a water pump. The stopcock pump is used to deliver concentrated cleaning solution into the cleaning solution tank, and the water pump is used to deliver dilution pure water into the cleaning solution tank. The method includes: S10: Receive trigger command; S20: Parse the trigger command to obtain the expected operating state of the analyzer; the expected operating state includes power-on, power-off, standby, and operating; S30: Determine the operating mode of the cleaning fluid dilution system based on the expected operating state; the operating mode includes dilution mode, flushing mode, and standby mode; S40: Generate a combined control command according to the operating mode, and control the cleaning fluid dilution system to perform corresponding actions according to the combined control command; The analyzer includes a timer, and the water pump is connected to a water injection line for supplying dilution pure water to the cleaning fluid tank and a flushing line for supplying rinsing pure water to the plunger pump. The water injection line is equipped with a pressure regulating valve and a first control valve, and the flushing line is equipped with a second control valve. When the operating mode is dilution mode, the combined control commands include: opening the first control valve, closing the second control valve, starting the plunger pump, starting the water pump, receiving pressure feedback from the pressure regulating valve, and timing the timer. When the operating mode is flushing mode, the combined control commands include: closing the first control valve, opening the second control valve, closing the plunger pump, opening the water pump, stopping receiving pressure feedback from the pressure regulating valve, and resetting the timer to zero. When the operating mode is standby mode, the combined control commands include: closing the first control valve, closing the second control valve, closing the plunger pump, closing the water pump, stopping receiving pressure feedback from the pressure regulating valve, and stopping the timer.

2. The control method for the cleaning fluid dilution system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It receives pressure feedback from the pressure regulating valve and generates pressure control commands.

3. The control method for the cleaning fluid dilution system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Receive cumulative time feedback from the timer and generate status control commands.

4. The control method for the cleaning fluid dilution system according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the accumulated time of the timer exceeds the set threshold: if the operating mode is dilution mode, the cleaning fluid dilution system will be controlled to perform at least one flushing mode after the dilution mode is completed; if the operating mode is standby mode, the cleaning fluid dilution system will be directly controlled to perform at least one flushing mode. or, After the dilution mode is completed, if the difference between the cumulative time of the timer and the set threshold is less than the set second threshold, the cleaning fluid dilution system is controlled to perform at least one flushing mode.

5. The control method for the cleaning fluid dilution system according to claim 1, characterized in that: If the expected operating state is power-on, then after the analyzer is powered on, the cleaning fluid dilution system is controlled to perform at least one flushing mode.

6. The control method for the cleaning fluid dilution system according to claim 1, characterized in that: If the expected operating state is shutdown, the cleaning fluid dilution system is controlled to perform at least one flushing mode before the analyzer is shut down.

7. An analyzer for performing the control method as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that: include: Cleaning fluid dilution system, used to dilute the cleaning fluid; The instruction receiving module is used to receive trigger instructions; The instruction parsing module is used to parse trigger instructions in order to obtain the expected operating status of the analyzer; The operation control module is used to control the cleaning fluid dilution system to operate according to the set operating mode based on the expected operating state.

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