A method of controlling a retraction head and an electric pipette

Abstract

The application discloses a tip withdrawing control method and an electric pipettor, and relates to the field of electric pipettors. When it is determined that a tip exists based on feature information sent by a detection module at a current moment, a first control instruction for the motor to work at a minimum torque is sent, so that the motor shaft acts to drive the tip withdrawing structure to move linearly in a first direction to attempt to push out the tip. When it is determined that the tip is not successfully withdrawn by the detection module, the motor is controlled to rotate so that the tip withdrawing structure moves linearly in a second direction, the sum of the minimum torque and a preset torque adjustment step is determined as an adjustment torque, the thrust increases as the torque increases, and a second control instruction is sent to the motor to attempt to push out the tip again. The application can adaptively adjust the torque to gradually increase the thrust, avoid unnecessary energy waste, and reduce noise and vibration. The specific situation of the tip withdrawing can be monitored by the detection module, various tips can be efficiently pushed out, the compatibility is high, and the universality and practicality of the electric pipettor are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electric pipette technology, and more specifically, to a method for controlling the withdrawal of a pipette tip and an electric pipette. Background Technology

[0002] Electric pipettes, as devices for the precise transfer and dispensing of liquids, are widely used in biological, chemical, and medical settings. An electric pipette consists of a piston structure, a motor, and a tip ejection structure. The motor shaft is connected to the piston and tip ejection structures. The rotation of the motor shaft drives the piston and tip ejection structures to move. The tip used to aspirate liquid connects to the head of the piston structure. Automatic tip ejection is one of the key functions of this pipette and an important step to ensure that the tip can be changed quickly and accurately. Therefore, a direct-drive motor method is usually used in conjunction with the tip ejection structure in the electric pipette to eject the tip.

[0003] However, existing technologies typically control the tip ejection structure based on a constant preset torque and a preset tip ejection distance. Tips of the same specification manufactured by different companies may have slight dimensional differences. Therefore, the method of controlling the ejection of tips using a constant preset torque and preset tip ejection distance may not be suitable for all tips. This method lacks adaptability to actual operating conditions, may cause unnecessary energy consumption, and affect the efficiency and success rate of tip ejection. Furthermore, a constant preset torque generates significant noise and vibration during operation, affecting the accuracy of experimental procedures.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide a more effective suction head retraction control scheme is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The problem solved by this invention is to provide a pipette tip ejection control method and an electric pipette that can adaptively adjust torque, gradually increase thrust, avoid unnecessary energy waste, reduce noise and vibration during pipette tip ejection, and ensure that various pipette tips can be ejected efficiently with strong compatibility.

[0006] To address the above problems, this invention provides a tip ejection control method applied to a control module in an electric pipette. The electric pipette further includes a detection module, a motor, a tip ejection structure, and a piston structure. One end of the motor shaft is connected to the detection module, and the other end of the motor shaft is connected to both the tip ejection structure and the piston structure. Both the detection module and the motor are also connected to the control module. The tip ejection control method includes:

[0007] Based on the feature information sent by the detection module at the current moment, it is determined whether there is a suction head at the head of the piston structure;

[0008] If the suction head is determined to be present, a first control command is sent to the motor to operate with minimum torque, so that the motor controls the motor shaft to move based on the first control command, thereby driving the suction head retraction structure to move linearly in the first direction to attempt to push out the suction head;

[0009] Based on the feature information sent by the detection module according to a preset monitoring cycle, it is determined whether the suction head has been successfully removed.

[0010] If it is determined that the suction head has not been successfully removed, the motor is controlled to rotate so that the suction head removal structure moves linearly in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction.

[0011] The sum of the minimum torque and the preset torque adjustment step size is determined as the adjustment torque;

[0012] A second control command is sent to the motor to operate at the adjusted torque, so that the motor shaft moves according to the second control command, thereby driving the suction head structure to move linearly in the first direction to push out the suction head.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This application can adaptively and gradually adjust the torque, and the increase of torque corresponds to the increase of thrust, thereby realizing the gradual increase of thrust, avoiding unnecessary energy waste, reducing overall power consumption, reducing noise and vibration during pipette tip withdrawal, providing a quieter and more stable experimental operating environment, and monitoring the specific situation of pipette tip withdrawal through the detection module instead of relying solely on the preset pipette tip withdrawal distance, ensuring that various pipette tips can be withdrawn efficiently, with strong compatibility. Users can expect consistent pipette tip withdrawal performance regardless of the manufacturer, improving the versatility and practicality of electric pipettes, and making them more suitable for practical applications.

[0014] Furthermore, after sending a first control command to the motor to operate at minimum torque, the method further includes:

[0015] The record adjustment count is 1;

[0016] After sending the second control command to the motor to operate at the adjusted torque, the method further includes:

[0017] Increment the current adjustment count by 1;

[0018] Based on the feature information sent by the detection module according to the preset monitoring cycle, the system will re-determine whether the suction head has been successfully removed.

[0019] If it is determined that the suction head has not been successfully removed, determine whether the current number of adjustments has reached the maximum adjustment threshold.

[0020] If the maximum adjustment threshold is not reached, proceed to the step of controlling the motor to rotate so that the suction head structure moves linearly in the second direction.

[0021] In this solution, the above settings allow for multiple attempts to push the suction head out, maximizing the probability of a successful suction head removal.

[0022] Furthermore, when determining that the current number of adjustments has reached the maximum adjustment threshold, the following steps are taken:

[0023] Output a prompt signal indicating that the suction head has failed to retract.

[0024] In this solution, the above settings add an effective feedback mechanism for when the pipette tip is not retracted, which can promptly notify the user to take corresponding manual actions, improve the continuity and efficiency of experimental operations, and reduce the risk of operation interruption.

[0025] Furthermore, an output signal indicating that the suction head removal has failed includes:

[0026] The electric pipette's display module is controlled to display visual information indicating the tip removal failure, and / or the electric pipette's voice broadcast module is controlled to output sound information indicating the tip removal failure, and / or the electric pipette's vibration module is controlled to vibrate.

[0027] Furthermore, the detection module includes a grating and a photoelectric sensor. The grating is connected to one end of the motor shaft and moves synchronously with the motor shaft in a straight line. The photoelectric sensor is located at a preset position on a parallel path and is connected to the control module. The parallel path is a path parallel to the movement path generated when the grating moves synchronously with the motor shaft in a straight line.

[0028] Based on the feature information sent by the detection module at the current moment, it is determined that the head of the piston structure has a suction head, including:

[0029] The photoelectric sensor receives an electrical signal, which represents the light intensity perceived by the photosensitive end of the photoelectric sensor when the grating moves synchronously with the motor shaft.

[0030] Determine whether the electrical signal has undergone a level flip relative to the electrical signal sent by the photoelectric sensor at the previous moment;

[0031] If a level flip is detected, increment the flip count by 1;

[0032] If it is determined that no level flip has occurred, it is then determined whether both the first and second conditions are met. The first condition is that the currently accumulated number of flips is less than the preset total number of flips. The second condition is that the time difference between the current time and the first target time is greater than the preset time allowable threshold. The first target time is the time corresponding to the most recent level flip relative to the electrical signal received at the current time.

[0033] If both the first and second conditions are met, the suction head is determined to exist.

[0034] In this solution, the above settings can reliably determine whether the suction head is present, which is conducive to the accurate execution of subsequent actions and allows for real-time monitoring of the suction head retraction status.

[0035] Furthermore, after receiving the electrical signal sent by the photoelectric sensor, the method further includes:

[0036] The electrical signal is filtered and noise-reduced to obtain the processed electrical signal.

[0037] In this scheme, the above settings facilitate more accurate and reliable subsequent analysis and processing of electrical signals.

[0038] Furthermore, after sending a first control command to the motor to operate at minimum torque, the method further includes:

[0039] The remaining number of flips is determined by subtracting the currently accumulated number of flips from the preset total number of flips.

[0040] Based on the feature information sent by the detection module according to a preset monitoring cycle, it is determined that the suction head has not been successfully removed, including:

[0041] Determine whether both the third and fourth conditions are met. The third condition is that the known number of flips is less than the remaining number of flips to be performed. The known number of flips is the total number of times the electrical signal has flipped level since the first control command was sent. The fourth condition is that the time difference between the current time and the second target time is greater than the preset time allowable threshold. The second target time is the time corresponding to the most recent level flip relative to the electrical signal received at the current time.

[0042] If both the third and fourth conditions are met, it is determined that the suction head was not successfully removed.

[0043] In this solution, the above settings can reliably determine whether the suction head has been successfully removed, facilitating the accurate execution of subsequent actions and enabling effective monitoring of the specific circumstances of the suction head removal process.

[0044] The present invention also provides an electric pipette, including a control module, a detection module, a motor, a pipette tip retraction structure, and a piston structure;

[0045] One end of the motor shaft of the motor is connected to the detection module, and the other end of the motor shaft is connected to the suction head structure and the piston structure respectively. The detection module and the motor are also connected to the control module. The head of the piston structure is used to connect the suction head.

[0046] The control module is used to implement the steps of the suction head retraction control method described above when executing a computer program.

[0047] Furthermore, the detection module includes a grating, a light signal generation module, and a photoelectric sensor;

[0048] The grating is connected to one end of the motor shaft and moves synchronously linearly with the motor shaft;

[0049] The photoelectric sensor is located at a preset position on the parallel path and is connected to the control module. The parallel path is a path parallel to the motion path generated when the grating moves synchronously in a straight line following the motor shaft.

[0050] The optical signal generating module is connected to the control module and is symmetrically arranged with the photoelectric sensor about the grating, and is used to output an optical signal according to the third control signal issued by the control module.

[0051] In this solution, an optical signal is output by an optical signal generation module. During the synchronous linear motion of the grating following the motor shaft, the optical signal is either transmitted through the through holes in the grating or blocked by the grid in the grating. The photoelectric sensor will then collect this change in brightness and generate a corresponding, continuously rotating electrical signal, which will facilitate the subsequent determination of whether the suction head exists and whether the suction head retraction was successful through the detection module. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 A flowchart of a suction head retraction control method provided by the present invention;

[0053] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electric pipette provided by the present invention;

[0054] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another type of electric pipette provided by the present invention;

[0055] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a grating structure provided by the present invention;

[0056] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0057] 1-Grate, 11-Through hole, 12-Barrier, 13-Fixing structure, 14-Initial position of the photosensitive end of the photoelectric sensor on the grating, 2-Photoelectric sensor, 3-Light signal generation module, 4-Control module, 5-Motor, 51-Motor shaft, 6-Unsucking head structure, 61-End of unsucking head structure, 7-Piston structure, 71-Head of piston structure, 8-Suction head. Detailed Implementation

[0058] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0059] This invention provides an embodiment of a pipette tip retraction control method applied to a control module 4 in an electric pipette. The electric pipette further includes a detection module, a motor 5, a pipette tip retraction structure 6, and a piston structure 7. One end of the motor shaft 51 of the motor 5 is connected to the detection module, and the other end of the motor shaft 51 is connected to both the pipette tip retraction structure 6 and the piston structure 7. Both the detection module and the motor 5 are also connected to the control module 4. This pipette tip retraction control method includes:

[0060] S11: Determine whether the head of the piston structure 7 has a suction head 8 based on the feature information sent by the detection module at the current moment; if the suction head 8 is determined to exist, proceed to S12;

[0061] S12: Send a first control command to the motor 5 to operate with minimum torque, so that the motor 5 controls the motor shaft 51 to move based on the first control command, thereby driving the suction head retraction structure 6 to move linearly in the first direction to attempt to push out the suction head 8;

[0062] S13: Determine whether the suction head 8 has been successfully removed based on the feature information sent by the detection module according to the preset monitoring cycle; if it is determined that the suction head 8 has not been successfully removed, proceed to S14;

[0063] S14: Control the motor 5 to rotate so that the suction head structure 6 moves linearly in the second direction, which is opposite to the first direction;

[0064] S15: Determine the sum of the minimum torque and the preset torque adjustment step size as the adjustment torque;

[0065] S16: Send a second control command to the motor 5 to adjust the torque, so that the motor 5 controls the motor shaft 51 to move based on the second control command, thereby driving the suction head retraction structure 6 to move linearly in the first direction to push out the suction head 8.

[0066] In this embodiment, a detection module is set up to sense the retraction progress of the suction head 8 in real time. Specifically, the movable structure in the detection module (i.e., the grating 1 in the following embodiment) moves in a straight line synchronously with the motor shaft 51. The fixed structure in the detection module (i.e., the photoelectric sensor 2 in the following embodiment) is connected to the control module 4 and is used to sense the changes in brightness generated when the grating 1 moves, thereby generating feature information (i.e., the electrical signal that keeps flipping with the above movement) for the control module 4 to determine whether the suction head 8 exists and whether the suction head retraction is successful. See the following embodiment for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0067] The minimum torque corresponds to the minimum thrust. A first control command is sent to motor 5 to operate at the minimum torque. Then, motor 5 will control motor shaft 51 to move based on the first control command. The movement of motor shaft 51 will drive the tip ejection structure 6 to move. The tip ejection structure 6 will move linearly in the first direction to try to eject the tip 8 currently connected to the head 71 of piston structure 7. The first direction is the direction that moves the tip 8 away from the electric pipette.

[0068] However, considering that the thrust corresponding to the minimum torque may be too small to retract the suction head 8, the detection module is set to continuously send feature information according to a preset monitoring cycle, so as to determine whether the suction head 8 has been successfully retracted based on the feature information, thus achieving reliable monitoring of the suction head 8 retraction process; if it is determined that the retraction was unsuccessful, the motor 5 is controlled to rotate so that the suction head retraction structure 6 moves linearly in the second direction. Since the second direction is opposite to the first direction, the suction head retraction structure 6 will be brought back. Please refer to... Figure 2 , Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the positions of the various structures in the electric pipette when the tip retraction structure 6 is retracted and the tip 8 is still in place. Preferably, the tip retraction structure 6 can be represented as follows: Figure 2 The device can be brought back to the initial limit position (correspondingly, at this time the photosensitive end of the photoelectric sensor 2 in the detection module corresponds to the first position, which is the initial position 14 on the grating 1 for the photosensitive end of the photoelectric sensor 2 to sense). Alternatively, the suction head structure 6 can be retracted only to the position where its end 61 no longer contacts the suction head 8.

[0069] The sum of the minimum torque and the preset torque adjustment step size is determined as the adjustment torque. The increase of torque corresponds to the increase of thrust. Then, a second control command is sent to the motor 5 to operate with the adjusted torque, so that the motor 5 controls the motor shaft 51 to move based on the second control command, thereby driving the suction head retraction structure 6 to move linearly in the first direction again to try to push out the suction head 8 again.

[0070] Understandably, if it is determined that the suction head 8 has been successfully removed, a third control command representing the restoration of motor torque can be sent to the motor 5 to control the suction head removal structure 6 to return, so as to wait for the next suction head installation to perform the corresponding experimental operation.

[0071] In summary, this application provides a pipette tip ejection control method that adaptively adjusts torque and gradually increases thrust to avoid unnecessary energy waste, thereby reducing overall power consumption, lessening noise and vibration during tip ejection, and providing a quieter and more stable experimental environment. Furthermore, the detection module monitors the specific status of the ejected tip rather than relying solely on a preset ejection distance, ensuring efficient ejection of various tips. It offers strong compatibility, allowing users to expect consistent tip ejection performance regardless of the manufacturer, thus improving the versatility and practicality of electric pipettes, optimizing the user experience of the electric pipette tip ejection function, and facilitating practical applications.

[0072] As a preferred embodiment, after sending a first control command to the motor 5 to operate at minimum torque, the method further includes:

[0073] The record adjustment count is 1;

[0074] After sending a second control command to motor 5 to adjust torque operation, the following is also included:

[0075] Increment the current adjustment count by 1;

[0076] Based on the feature information sent by the detection module according to the preset monitoring cycle, it is re-determined whether the suction head 8 has been successfully removed;

[0077] If it is determined that suction head 8 has not been successfully removed, check whether the current number of adjustments has reached the maximum adjustment threshold.

[0078] If the maximum adjustment threshold is not reached, the process proceeds to the step of controlling the motor 5 to rotate so that the suction head structure 6 moves linearly in the second direction.

[0079] In this embodiment, the above settings can be used to try to push the suction head 8 out multiple times to increase the probability of successfully removing the suction head as much as possible. The maximum adjustment threshold here is not limited to 3 times, and can be set according to actual needs.

[0080] As a preferred embodiment, when it is determined that the current number of adjustments has reached the maximum adjustment threshold, the following steps are taken:

[0081] Output a prompt signal indicating that the suction head has failed to retract.

[0082] In this embodiment, the above-mentioned settings add an effective feedback mechanism for when the suction tip 8 is not withdrawn, which can promptly notify the user to take corresponding manual actions, improve the continuity and efficiency of experimental operations, and reduce the risk of operation interruption.

[0083] As a preferred embodiment, the output of a prompt signal indicating that the suction tip removal has failed includes:

[0084] The display module in the electric pipette is controlled to display visual information indicating tip removal failure, and / or the voice broadcast module in the electric pipette is controlled to output audible information indicating tip removal failure, and / or the vibration module in the electric pipette is controlled to vibrate.

[0085] Specifically, a notification signal indicating that the suction head removal has failed can also be sent to the user via SMS. There are various notification methods available, which can be flexibly set according to actual needs.

[0086] In a preferred embodiment, the detection module includes a grating 1 and a photoelectric sensor 2. The grating 1 is connected to one end of the motor shaft 51 and moves synchronously with the motor shaft 51 in a straight line. The photoelectric sensor 2 is located at a preset position on a parallel path and is connected to the control module 4. The parallel path is a path parallel to the motion path generated when the grating 1 moves synchronously with the motor shaft 51 in a straight line.

[0087] Based on the feature information sent by the detection module at the current moment, it is determined that the head 71 of the piston structure 7 has a suction head 8, including:

[0088] The photoelectric sensor 2 receives electrical signals sent by the photoelectric sensor 2. The electrical signals characterize the light intensity perceived by the photosensitive end of the photoelectric sensor 2 when the grating 1 moves synchronously in a linear motion with the motor shaft 51.

[0089] Determine whether the electrical signal has undergone a level flip relative to the electrical signal sent by photoelectric sensor 2 at the previous moment;

[0090] If a level flip is detected, increment the flip count by 1;

[0091] If it is determined that no level flip has occurred, it is then determined whether both the first and second conditions are met. The first condition is that the currently accumulated number of flips is less than the preset total number of flips. The second condition is that the time difference between the current time and the first target time is greater than the preset time allowable threshold. The first target time is the time corresponding to the most recent level flip relative to the electrical signal received at the current time.

[0092] If both the first and second conditions are met, then suction head 8 is determined to exist.

[0093] For details, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a grating 1 provided by the present invention. The grating 1 includes through holes 11 (bright bars) and grids 12 (dark bars) arranged at intervals. Please refer to... Figure 2 , Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the retraction of the suction head structure 6 while the suction head 8 remains in the position of the time grid 1. Please refer to [the diagram / reference]. Figure 3 , Figure 3The diagram shows the position of the grating 1 when the suction head retraction structure 6 is in its final moving position and the suction head 8 has been removed. As the grating 1 moves synchronously in a straight line with the motor shaft 51, the suction head retraction structure 6 moves in a straight line in the first direction, and the grating 1 also moves in a straight line in the first direction. Since the grating 1 includes a through hole 11 and a barrier 12, the light intensity sensed by the photosensitive end of the corresponding photoelectric sensor 2 is different, and the specific level of the obtained electrical signal is different, that is, the level will flip (i.e., high and low levels alternate).

[0094] It is determined whether the electrical signal received at the current moment has undergone a level flip compared to the electrical signal received at the previous moment. If a level flip is determined, the flip count is incremented by 1 to achieve accumulation. If no level flip occurs, it is further determined whether both the first and second conditions are met. If both are met, it means that the grating 1 has not moved to its limit position before being forced to stop moving, and the motor 5 is stalled (that is, it has encountered the suction head 8). Therefore, it is determined that the suction head 8 exists.

[0095] It should also be noted that the control module 4 may include a conversion module and a processor for specifically executing the above-mentioned logical steps. The conversion module is used to convert the electrical signal received from the photoelectric sensor 2 into an electrical signal that the processor can process.

[0096] As can be seen, the above settings can reliably determine whether the suction head 8 exists, which is conducive to the accurate execution of subsequent actions and allows for real-time monitoring of the specific situation of the suction head 8 retraction.

[0097] In a preferred embodiment, after receiving the electrical signal sent by the photoelectric sensor 2, the method further includes:

[0098] The electrical signal is filtered and denoised to obtain the processed electrical signal.

[0099] In this embodiment, the above settings facilitate more accurate and reliable subsequent analysis and processing of electrical signals. No particular limitation is made on the specific filtering and noise reduction method used.

[0100] As a preferred embodiment, after sending a first control command to the motor 5 to operate at minimum torque, the method further includes:

[0101] The remaining number of flips is determined by subtracting the currently accumulated number of flips from the preset total number of flips.

[0102] Based on the feature information sent by the detection module according to the preset monitoring cycle, it is determined that the suction head 8 has not been successfully removed, including:

[0103] Determine whether both the third and fourth conditions are met. The third condition is that the known number of flips is less than the remaining number of flips to be performed. The known number of flips is the total number of times the electrical signal level has flipped since the first control command was sent. The fourth condition is that the time difference between the current time and the second target time is greater than a preset time allowable threshold. The second target time is the time corresponding to the most recent level flip relative to the electrical signal received at the current time.

[0104] If both the third and fourth conditions are met, it is determined that suction head 8 has not been successfully removed.

[0105] Specifically, considering that the thrust corresponding to the minimum torque may be small and therefore insufficient to remove the suction head 8, the number of flips is constantly accumulating. Based on the preset total number of flips and the currently accumulated number of flips, the remaining number of flips is determined. If the third and fourth conditions are both met, it means that the grating 1 has not moved to its limit position before being forced to stop moving, the motor 5 stalls (that is, it still encounters the suction head 8), and thus it is determined that the suction head 8 has not been successfully removed.

[0106] Understandably, when a maximum adjustment threshold is set to attempt to push away the suction head 8 multiple times, and it is determined that the suction head 8 has not been successfully retracted, and the motor 5 is controlled to rotate so that the suction head retraction structure 6 moves linearly in the second direction, preferably, the suction head retraction structure 6 can be retracted to a position such that... Figure 2 The initial limit position shown (at this time, the photosensitive end of the photoelectric sensor 2 also corresponds to the initial position 14 that it can sense on the grating 1) will reset the accumulated number of flips to zero, that is, the remaining number of flips is the preset total number of flips; correspondingly, the known number of flips in the third condition is actually the total number of times the electrical signal flips after the second control command is sent.

[0107] The present invention also provides an electric pipette, including a control module 4, a detection module, a motor 5, a pipette tip retraction structure 6, and a piston structure 7;

[0108] One end of the motor shaft 51 of the motor 5 is connected to the detection module, and the other end of the motor shaft 51 is connected to the suction head structure 6 and the piston structure 7 respectively. The detection module and the motor 5 are also connected to the control module 4. The head of the piston structure 7 is used to connect the suction head 8.

[0109] The control module 4 is used to implement the steps of the suction head retraction control method described above when executing a computer program.

[0110] For a description of the electric pipette provided in this invention, please refer to the embodiments of the above-described tip retraction control method; further details will not be provided here.

[0111] In a preferred embodiment, the detection module includes a grating 1, a light signal generation module 3, and a photoelectric sensor 2;

[0112] The grating 1 is connected to one end of the motor shaft 51 and moves synchronously linearly with the motor shaft 51.

[0113] The photoelectric sensor 2 is set at a preset position on the parallel path and connected to the control module 4. The parallel path is the path parallel to the motion path generated when the grating 1 moves synchronously in a straight line with the motor shaft 51.

[0114] The optical signal generating module 3 is connected to the control module 4 and is symmetrically arranged with the photoelectric sensor 2 about the grating 1. It is used to output an optical signal according to the third control signal issued by the control module 4.

[0115] For details, please refer to Figure 4 The grating 1 may include a through hole 11, a baffle 12, and a fixing structure 13 for connecting and fixing to the motor shaft 51. When the light signal generation module 3 outputs a light signal, during the synchronous linear motion of the grating 1 following the motor shaft 51, the light signal may continue to propagate through the through hole 11 on the grating 1 or be blocked by the baffle 12 of the grating 1. The photoelectric sensor 2 will then collect this change in brightness and generate a corresponding, continuously rotating electrical signal, which will facilitate the subsequent determination of whether the suction head exists and whether the suction head retraction is successful through the detection module.

[0116] While the disclosure is as stated above, its scope of protection is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and all such changes and modifications will fall within the protection scope of this invention.

[0117] It should also be noted that in this specification, relational terms such as first, second, etc., are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the suction head retraction, characterized in that, A control module for use in an electric pipette, the electric pipette further comprising a detection module, a motor, a tip ejection structure, and a piston structure, wherein one end of the motor shaft is connected to the detection module, and the other end of the motor shaft is connected to both the tip ejection structure and the piston structure, the detection module and the motor are also connected to the control module, and the tip ejection control method includes: Based on the feature information sent by the detection module at the current moment, it is determined whether there is a suction head at the head of the piston structure; If the suction head is determined to be present, a first control command is sent to the motor to operate with minimum torque, so that the motor controls the motor shaft to move based on the first control command, thereby driving the suction head retraction structure to move linearly in the first direction to attempt to push out the suction head; Based on the feature information sent by the detection module according to a preset monitoring cycle, it is determined whether the suction head has been successfully removed. If it is determined that the suction head has not been successfully removed, the motor is controlled to rotate so that the suction head removal structure moves linearly in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction. The sum of the minimum torque and the preset torque adjustment step size is determined as the adjustment torque; A second control command is sent to the motor to operate at the adjusted torque, so that the motor shaft moves according to the second control command, thereby driving the suction head structure to move linearly in the first direction to push out the suction head.

2. The suction head retraction control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, After sending a first control command to the motor to operate at minimum torque, the method further includes: The record adjustment count is 1; After sending the second control command to the motor to operate at the adjusted torque, the method further includes: Increment the current adjustment count by 1; Based on the feature information sent by the detection module according to the preset monitoring cycle, the system will re-determine whether the suction head has been successfully removed. If it is determined that the suction head has not been successfully removed, determine whether the current number of adjustments has reached the maximum adjustment threshold. If the maximum adjustment threshold is not reached, proceed to the step of controlling the motor to rotate so that the suction head structure moves linearly in the second direction.

3. The suction head retraction control method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, When determining that the current number of adjustments has reached the maximum adjustment threshold, the following is included: Output a prompt signal indicating that the suction head has failed to retract.

4. The suction head retraction control method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Output a prompt signal indicating that the suction head removal has failed, including: The electric pipette's display module is controlled to display visual information indicating the tip removal failure, and / or the electric pipette's voice broadcast module is controlled to output sound information indicating the tip removal failure, and / or the electric pipette's vibration module is controlled to vibrate.

5. The suction head retraction control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The detection module includes a grating and a photoelectric sensor. The grating is connected to one end of the motor shaft and moves synchronously with the motor shaft in a straight line. The photoelectric sensor is set at a preset position on a parallel path and is connected to the control module. The parallel path is a path parallel to the movement path generated when the grating moves synchronously with the motor shaft in a straight line. Based on the feature information sent by the detection module at the current moment, it is determined that the head of the piston structure has a suction head, including: The photoelectric sensor receives an electrical signal, which represents the light intensity perceived by the photosensitive end of the photoelectric sensor when the grating moves synchronously with the motor shaft. Determine whether the electrical signal has undergone a level flip relative to the electrical signal sent by the photoelectric sensor at the previous moment; If a level flip is detected, increment the flip count by 1; If it is determined that no level flip has occurred, it is then determined whether both the first and second conditions are met. The first condition is that the currently accumulated number of flips is less than the preset total number of flips. The second condition is that the time difference between the current time and the first target time is greater than the preset time allowable threshold. The first target time is the time corresponding to the most recent level flip relative to the electrical signal received at the current time. If both the first and second conditions are met, the suction head is determined to exist.

6. The suction head retraction control method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, After receiving the electrical signal sent by the photoelectric sensor, the method further includes: The electrical signal is filtered and noise-reduced to obtain the processed electrical signal.

7. The suction head retraction control method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, After sending a first control command to the motor to operate at minimum torque, the method further includes: The remaining number of flips is determined by subtracting the currently accumulated number of flips from the preset total number of flips. Based on the feature information sent by the detection module according to a preset monitoring cycle, it is determined that the suction head has not been successfully removed, including: Determine whether both the third and fourth conditions are met. The third condition is that the known number of flips is less than the remaining number of flips to be performed. The known number of flips is the total number of times the electrical signal has flipped level since the first control command was sent. The fourth condition is that the time difference between the current time and the second target time is greater than the preset time allowable threshold. The second target time is the time corresponding to the most recent level flip relative to the electrical signal received at the current time. If both the third and fourth conditions are met, it is determined that the suction head has not been successfully removed.

8. An electric pipette, characterized in that, Includes a control module, a detection module, a motor, a suction head structure, and a piston structure; One end of the motor shaft of the motor is connected to the detection module, and the other end of the motor shaft is connected to the suction head structure and the piston structure respectively. The detection module and the motor are also connected to the control module. The head of the piston structure is used to connect the suction head. The control module is used to implement the steps of the suction head retraction control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 when executing a computer program.

9. The electric pipette as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The detection module includes a grating, a light signal generation module, and a photoelectric sensor; The grating is connected to one end of the motor shaft and moves synchronously linearly with the motor shaft; The photoelectric sensor is located at a preset position on the parallel path and is connected to the control module. The parallel path is a path parallel to the motion path generated when the grating moves synchronously in a straight line following the motor shaft. The optical signal generating module is connected to the control module and is symmetrically arranged with the photoelectric sensor about the grating, and is used to output an optical signal according to the third control signal issued by the control module.

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