Automatic sampling system, method and related products

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an automatic sampling system, method and related products. The automatic sampling system is provided with fermentation tanks, each of which is provided with a sampling tube inside, and a valve assembly, a peristaltic pump and a syringe outside; a syringe holder for accommodating the syringe corresponding to each fermentation tank; a syringe holder moving assembly for moving the syringe holder in a plane and up and down; a sampling orifice plate; an assembly robot; an electronic balance in the sampling area; a control device, which is connected to each valve assembly, each peristaltic pump, a syringe holder moving assembly, an assembly robot and an electronic balance in the sampling area; and a waste liquid container. By setting up the automatic sampling system and coordinating the sampling process, automatic sampling can be achieved, and the fermentation liquid obtained includes all the particulate matter and other water-insoluble substances, which can be used for various analyses, and the sampling process can also avoid contamination by miscellaneous bacteria, and the mass balance and carbon balance of the automatic sampling system can also be analyzed to reduce the labor cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of biological fermentation liquid sampling, and in particular to an automatic sampling system, method and related products. Background Art

[0002] In order to analyze various indicators of biological fermentation liquid, it is necessary to sample the fermentation liquid in the fermentation tank, and judge the current state of the fermentation liquid in the fermentation tank by analyzing the sampled liquid. Currently, there are two main sampling methods: manual sampling and automatic sampling.

[0003] The manual sampling process requires manual repetitive operations, resulting in high labor intensity and labor costs. In addition, manual operations are prone to errors, especially when the fermentation flux is large (for example, the number of fermenters running per day is >24), which can easily cause sample confusion.

[0004] Although automatic sampling can replace some manual labor and reduce labor costs, in the current automatic sampling system, in order to prevent the introduction of foreign bacteria to contaminate the fermentation tank during the sampling process, most of the supernatant (Note: fermentation broth refers to the liquid in which the bacteria are inoculated with the culture medium for a period of time; the supernatant of the fermentation broth refers to the clarified liquid on the upper layer of the fermentation broth after centrifugation) in the fermentation broth is extracted through a ceramic membrane filter sampler, and cells and insoluble substances are intercepted in the fermentation tank. Because this sampling method only takes the fermentation supernatant, it has the following inconveniences:

[0005] First, frequent sampling will continuously concentrate the cell concentration of the fermentation broth and enrich the cells. Not only will the significance of sample testing be greatly reduced, but in long-term projects, the final endpoint data such as the cell concentration and yield of the fermentation broth obtained by analyzing the sampling liquid will also have certain deviations, making it impossible to accurately evaluate the impact of the sampling volume on the fermentation process.

[0006] Second, since only the supernatant is obtained, the indicators that can be detected for the sampled liquid are relatively limited. Only biochemical analysis can be performed to detect biochemical indicators such as sugar, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the fermentation liquid, and other indicators cannot be detected. For example, the following items cannot be detected: the measurement of biomass by turbidimetric OD, cell dry weight DCW, or cell wet weight WCW, which are very important in biological fermentation, cell viability indicators such as live cell counts, or intracellular substance concentrations such as organic acids, target products, and intermediate metabolites, etc.

[0007] Third, the existing sampling system does not take into account the mass balance problem. In the biological fermentation system, mass balance and carbon balance are very important. Among them:

[0008] Mass balance refers to the accurate measurement and tracking of the mass of all material components in a system. The purpose of mass balance is to ensure a balance between the input and output of materials in the system in order to better understand and control the material flow of the system.

[0009] The application of mass balance in biological fermentation mainly includes the following aspects:

[0010] a) Substrate Utilization: Mass balance helps to track the consumption of substrate during the fermentation process. By measuring the input of substrate and the output of product, the efficiency of substrate utilization can be calculated. This is very important for optimizing the fermentation process and determining the appropriate substrate supply strategy.

[0011] b) Product formation: Mass balance allows the measurement of product formation during fermentation. By quantifying the production of product, scientists can assess the yield and efficiency of the fermentation process. If the mass balance indicates that product production is lower than expected, the fermentation process can be optimized by adjusting conditions such as nutrient supply, pH, temperature or oxygen supply.

[0012] c) Biomass growth: Mass balances also help monitor microbial growth during fermentation. By measuring the increase in biomass, scientists can assess the growth rate and overall health of the microorganisms. If the mass balance indicates insufficient biomass growth, adjustments can be made by optimizing nutrient supply or other growth conditions.

[0013] d) Losses and Efficiency: Mass balances can identify any losses or inefficiencies in the fermentation process. By comparing the input and output masses of components, scientists can determine where losses occur, such as evaporation, product degradation, or incomplete substrate utilization. This information can guide process optimization to reduce losses.

[0014] Carbon balance refers to the accurate measurement and tracking of the input and output of carbon in a system. It is a special form of mass balance that focuses on tracking and measuring the flow of carbon in chemical, biological and environmental processes.

[0015] Carbon balance is similar to mass balance, but it focuses precisely on the carbon element from the total mass. It is also widely used in biological fermentation carbon balance.

[0016] The applicant has found through practice that manual sampling can maintain the mass balance at 100% and the carbon balance at more than 95%. This can provide strong precision support for precision fermentation. At this precision, the stage with low substrate utilization in the fermentation process can be found and precisely regulated, ultimately improving the overall fermentation efficiency and yield. However, using most commercially available automatic sampling equipment, the mass balance drops from 100% to below 95%, and the carbon balance drops from 95% to below 87%. Summary of the invention

[0017] The present disclosure provides an automatic sampling system and method.

[0018] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an automatic sampling system, comprising:

[0019] At least one fermentation tank, wherein each fermentation tank is provided with a sampling tube inside and a valve assembly, a peristaltic pump and a syringe outside, the sampling tube of each fermentation tank is connected to the corresponding valve assembly, peristaltic pump and syringe in sequence through a pipeline, the valve assembly includes a fermentation liquid valve, an air valve and a cleaning liquid valve, one end of the fermentation liquid valve, the air valve and the cleaning liquid valve are connected to the corresponding peristaltic pump, and the other end is connected to the sampling tube, air source and cleaning liquid container of the corresponding fermentation tank respectively;

[0020] A syringe holder, used to accommodate syringes corresponding to each of the fermentation tanks, each of the syringes having a pressing pad on the top and a needle on the bottom, and the needle is placed vertically downward in the accommodation hole of the syringe holder;

[0021] A syringe support moving assembly, used for moving the syringe support in plane and up and down, the syringe support being fixed to the syringe support moving assembly;

[0022] A sampling orifice plate has at least one well position, and the well position is used to contain liquid;

[0023] An assembly robot is used to move above the syringe support and press the pressing pad of the syringe so that the syringe moves downward until the needle is located in the hole of the sampling orifice plate;

[0024] The sampling area electronic balance is set in the sampling area and is used to weigh the mass during the sampling process;

[0025] a control device, in communication with each of the valve assemblies, each of the peristaltic pumps, the syringe support moving assembly, the assembly robot, and the sampling area electronic balance; and

[0026] Waste container, used to hold liquids.

[0027] In some optional embodiments, the assembly robot is a selectively compliant assembly robot arm.

[0028] In some optional embodiments, a corresponding fermentation zone electronic balance is provided below each fermentation tank, and the fermentation zone electronic balance is used to weigh the mass of the fermentation tank above.

[0029] In some optional embodiments, the automatic sampling system further comprises:

[0030] A robotic arm is used to clamp and move the sampling orifice plate; preferably, the robotic arm is also used to clamp and move the waste liquid container.

[0031] In some optional embodiments, the automatic sampling system further comprises:

[0032] The needle cleaning liquid container has an opening on the top. When each of the syringes is placed in the syringe support, the needle can be accommodated in the needle cleaning liquid container through the opening, and is used to clean the needle of each of the syringes with the cleaning liquid accommodated therein.

[0033] In some optional embodiments, the sampling area electronic balance is provided with an object positioning structure matching the bottom of the sampling orifice plate, the object positioning structure is used to detachably fix the sampling orifice plate, the front end of the mechanical arm is provided with a clamping claw along the first direction, and the automatic sampling system further includes:

[0034] A secondary positioning device is arranged in the secondary positioning area, and the secondary positioning device includes a first control valve, a second control valve, a position sensor and a secondary positioning limit assembly. The first control valve and the second control valve are used to move according to the position information detected by the position sensor, so that the adjacent first outer wall and the second outer wall of the sampling orifice plate are respectively detachably abutted against the first inner wall and the second inner wall of the secondary positioning limit assembly, and the intersection between the horizontal projection of the first inner wall and the horizontal projection of the second inner wall of the secondary positioning limit assembly is the reference positioning point, the relative position between the preset sampling positioning point in the horizontal projection of the positioning structure of the object to be measured and the reference positioning point is fixed, and the robotic arm can move from the reference positioning point only along the first direction to reach the preset sampling positioning point.

[0035] In some optional embodiments, the syringe comprises:

[0036] The needle tube includes the needle head and the needle tail;

[0037] A connecting tube, the lower end of which is detachably connected to the needle tail;

[0038] A pipeline connector, which is hollow inside, has a lower end detachably connected to the upper end of the connecting pipe, and an upper end connected to the output pipeline of the peristaltic pump corresponding to the syringe, and an outer wall is provided with a groove;

[0039] The needle tube feeding bracket is open at the lower end, the connecting tube and the pipeline connector are arranged in the needle tube feeding bracket, the needle tube feeding bracket is provided with a clamping structure, the clamping structure matches and is embedded in a groove arranged on the outer wall of the pipeline connector, and the side wall of the needle tube feeding bracket is provided with a pipeline inlet, and the output pipeline of the syringe corresponding to the peristaltic pump can pass through the pipeline inlet from the outside of the needle tube feeding bracket to enter the inside of the needle tube feeding bracket;

[0040] A push rod, fixedly arranged on the upper end of the needle feeding bracket;

[0041] A pressing pad, fixedly arranged on the upper end of the push rod;

[0042] The spring is sleeved on the outside of the push rod, and the upper end and the lower end are respectively in contact with the pressing pad and the needle tube feeding bracket. The spring is used to move the syringe upward as a whole.

[0043] In some optional embodiments, the sampling orifice plate is provided with an identification code, and the automatic sampling system further comprises:

[0044] A first identity recognition device, disposed in the first identity recognition area and communicatively connected with the control device;

[0045] Preferably, the waste liquid container is provided with an identification code, and the automatic sampling system further comprises:

[0046] The second identity recognition device is arranged in the second identity recognition area and is communicatively connected with the control device.

[0047] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an automatic sampling method, which is applied to the automatic sampling system described in any implementation manner of the first aspect, and the method comprises:

[0048] Performing a sampling operation, the sampling operation specifically includes:

[0049] Placing the sampling orifice plate at the sampling position above the electronic balance in the sampling area;

[0050] The syringe support moving assembly is moved so that the syringe support is located above the sampling well plate, and each of the syringes is located above a hole position of the sampling well plate respectively;

[0051] For each fermentation tank to be sampled, the following fermentation tank sampling operation is performed: the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass before sampling of the sampling well plate; the assembly robot presses the pressing pad on the top of the syringe corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled, so that the corresponding syringe moves downward and the needle enters the target hole position corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled in the sampling well plate; the fermentation liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is opened; the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is started to pump the fermentation liquid according to the target sampling mass corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled, and the pumped fermentation liquid The liquid flows into the corresponding target hole through the corresponding syringe; the fermentation liquid valve and the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled are closed; the air valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is opened to blow the fermentation liquid in the pipeline, the peristaltic pump and the syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled into the corresponding target hole; the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the post-sampling mass of the sampling well plate; based on the pre-sampling mass and the post-sampling mass of the target sampling well plate, the fermentation liquid sampling mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled is determined and recorded, and the fermentation tank sampling operation for the fermentation tank to be sampled is completed;

[0052] Take away the sampling orifice plate to complete the sampling.

[0053] In some optional embodiments, before performing the sampling operation, the method further includes performing a waste liquid discharge operation, and the waste liquid discharge operation specifically includes:

[0054] Placing the waste liquid container at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area;

[0055] The syringe support moving assembly is moved so that the syringe support is located above the waste liquid container, and each syringe can inject liquid into the waste liquid container;

[0056] For each fermentation tank to be sampled, the following sampling tube waste liquid discharge operation is performed: the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container before discharge; the fermentation liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is opened; the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is started to pump the fermentation liquid, and the pumped fermentation liquid flows into the waste liquid container through the corresponding syringe; the fermentation liquid valve and the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled are closed; the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container after discharge; based on the mass before discharge and the mass after discharge of the waste liquid container, the waste liquid mass of the sampling tube of the fermentation tank to be sampled is determined and recorded, and the sampling tube waste liquid discharge operation for the fermentation tank to be sampled is completed;

[0057] removing the waste liquid container;

[0058] Preferably, the method further comprises dumping the liquid in the waste liquid container.

[0059] In some optional embodiments, after performing the sampling operation, the method further includes: performing a pipeline cleaning operation, and the pipeline cleaning operation specifically includes:

[0060] Placing the waste liquid container at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area;

[0061] The syringe support moving assembly is moved so that the syringe support is located above the waste liquid container, and each syringe can inject liquid into the waste liquid container;

[0062] For each fermentation tank to be sampled, the following fermentation tank pipeline cleaning operation is performed: the cleaning liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is opened; the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is started to pump the cleaning liquid, and the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled are cleaned, and the cleaning liquid after cleaning flows from the syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled into the waste liquid container; the cleaning liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is closed; the air valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is opened to blow the remaining liquid in the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled into the waste liquid container, and the fermentation tank pipeline cleaning operation for the fermentation tank to be sampled is completed;

[0063] removing the waste liquid container;

[0064] Preferably, the method further comprises dumping the liquid in the waste liquid container;

[0065] Preferably, in the fermentation tank pipeline cleaning operation, before opening the cleaning liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled, the operation further includes: measuring the mass with the electronic balance in the sampling area to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container before pipeline cleaning; and after opening the air valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled to empty the remaining liquid in the pipeline of the fermentation tank to be sampled, the operation further includes: measuring the mass with the electronic balance in the sampling area to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container after pipeline cleaning.

[0066] In some optional embodiments, before performing the waste liquid discharge operation or before performing the sampling operation, the method further includes performing a needle cleaning operation, and the needle cleaning operation specifically includes:

[0067] The syringe support moving assembly moves so that each syringe needle accommodated by the syringe support is accommodated in the needle cleaning liquid container through the top opening of the needle cleaning liquid container, so that each syringe needle is cleaned by the cleaning liquid accommodated therein;

[0068] The movement of the syringe support moving assembly causes the syringe needles accommodated in the syringe support to leave the needle cleaning fluid container.

[0069] removing the needle cleaning fluid container;

[0070] Preferably, the method further comprises pouring out the liquid in the needle cleaning liquid container;

[0071] Preferably, in the needle cleaning operation, before the syringe holder moving assembly moves so that each syringe needle accommodated by the syringe holder is accommodated in the needle cleaning fluid container through the top opening of the needle cleaning fluid container, it also includes: placing the needle cleaning fluid container at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area.

[0072] In some optional embodiments, after performing the pipeline cleaning operation, the method further includes: performing the needle cleaning operation again.

[0073] In some optional embodiments, the step of starting the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to pump the fermentation liquid according to the target sampling mass corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled comprises:

[0074] Determining a first target sampling mass according to the target sampling mass corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled, wherein the first target sampling mass is less than the target sampling mass;

[0075] Determining the first working time of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled according to the first target sampling mass and the preset pump speed;

[0076] Start the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to pump the fermentation liquid according to the preset pump speed and the first working time;

[0077] Turn off the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled;

[0078] The electronic balance of the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass of the sampling orifice plate after the first sampling;

[0079] Determining the first actual sampling mass based on the mass of the sampling orifice plate before sampling and the mass after the first sampling;

[0080] Determining an actual pump speed according to the first actual sampling mass, the first target sampling mass and the preset pump speed;

[0081] In response to determining that the actual pump speed is less than a preset minimum pump speed, interrupting the fermentation tank sampling operation, and generating and outputting prompt information indicating the risk of pipeline blockage or gas leakage;

[0082] In response to determining that the actual pump speed is not less than a preset minimum pump speed and less than a preset maximum pump speed, determining a secondary sampling working time based on the actual pump speed and a remaining mass to be sampled obtained by subtracting the first actual sampling mass from the target sampling mass, and starting a peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to pump the fermentation liquid according to the preset pump speed and the secondary sampling working time;

[0083] In response to determining that the actual pump speed is greater than a preset maximum pump speed, the pump speed of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is modified, and the secondary sampling working time is determined based on the modified pump speed and the remaining mass to be sampled obtained by subtracting the first actual sampling mass from the target sampling mass, and the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is started to pump the fermentation liquid according to the modified pump speed and the secondary working sampling time.

[0084] In some optional embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0085] Before the first sampling, all pipelines connected to the valve components are connected to the cleaning liquid container, and the valve components and the peristaltic pumps are opened to allow the cleaning liquid to flow through the valve components, the peristaltic pumps, the syringes and the corresponding pipelines in sequence, and then be injected into the waste liquid container for the first pipeline cleaning;

[0086] The pipeline connection structure of each valve assembly is restored to its original state.

[0087] In some optional embodiments, the sampling well plate is provided with an identification code, and the automatic sampling system further comprises a first identification device provided in the first identification area and communicatively connected to the control device; and

[0088] Placing the sampling orifice plate at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area comprises:

[0089] Placing the sampling well plate in a first identity recognition area corresponding to a first identity recognition device for identity recognition;

[0090] In response to the sampling well plate being verified according to the identification information recognition result of the sampling well plate, the sampling well plate is placed at a sampling position on the electronic balance of the sampling area.

[0091] In some optional embodiments, the waste liquid container is provided with an identification code, and the automatic sampling system further comprises a second identification device provided in the second identification area and communicatively connected to the control device; and

[0092] Placing the waste liquid container at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area comprises:

[0093] Placing the waste liquid container in a second identity recognition area corresponding to a second identity recognition device for identity recognition;

[0094] In response to the waste liquid container being authenticated according to the identification information of the waste liquid container, the waste liquid container is placed at a sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area.

[0095] In some optional embodiments, the automatic sampling system further comprises a secondary positioning device disposed in the secondary positioning area, the secondary positioning device comprising a first control valve, a second control valve, a position sensor and a secondary positioning limit assembly, at least two adjacent outer side walls of the sampling orifice plate can match the structural inner wall of the secondary positioning limit assembly, the first control valve and the second control valve are used to move according to the position information detected by the position sensor, so that at least two adjacent outer side walls of the sampling orifice plate are detachably abutted against the structural inner wall of the secondary positioning limit assembly; and

[0096] Placing the sampling orifice plate at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area comprises:

[0097] Placing the sampling orifice plate in a secondary positioning area, and performing secondary positioning on the sampling orifice plate by means of the secondary positioning device;

[0098] The sampling orifice plate is moved from the secondary positioning area to the sampling position on the electronic balance of the sampling area.

[0099] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a control device, comprising: one or more processors; a storage device having one or more programs stored thereon, wherein when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the automatic sampling system described in any implementation manner in the first aspect implements the method described in any implementation manner in the second aspect.

[0100] In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein when the computer program is executed by one or more processors, the automatic sampling system described in any implementation manner in the first aspect implements the method described in any implementation manner in the second aspect.

[0101] In a fifth aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer program product, comprising a computer program / instruction, which, when executed by a processor, enables the automatic sampling system described in any implementation manner in the first aspect to implement the method described in any implementation manner in the second aspect.

[0102] The automatic sampling system and method provided by the present disclosure are as follows: a fermentation tank is arranged in the automatic sampling system for fermentation of biological fermentation liquid; a sampling tube is arranged inside each fermentation tank, and a valve assembly, a peristaltic pump and a syringe are arranged outside each fermentation tank; the sampling tube of each fermentation tank is connected to the corresponding valve assembly, peristaltic pump and syringe in sequence through a pipeline; the valve assembly includes a fermentation liquid valve, an air valve and a cleaning liquid valve; one end of the fermentation liquid valve, the air valve and the cleaning liquid valve are connected to the corresponding peristaltic pump, and the other end is connected to the sampling tube, the air source and the cleaning liquid container of the corresponding fermentation tank; a syringe holder is used to accommodate the syringe corresponding to each fermentation tank; each syringe is provided with a pressing pad on the top and a needle on the bottom, and the needle The syringe holder is placed vertically with its head facing downward in the receiving hole of the syringe holder; a syringe holder moving assembly is used to move the syringe holder in a plane and up and down, and the syringe holder is fixed to the syringe holder moving assembly; a sampling orifice plate has at least one hole position, and the hole position is used to hold liquid; an assembly robot is used to move to the top of the syringe holder and press the pressing pad of the syringe so that the syringe moves downward until the needle tip is located in the hole position of the sampling orifice plate; an electronic balance in the sampling area is set in the sampling area and is used to weigh the mass during the sampling process; a control device is connected to each valve assembly, each peristaltic pump, the syringe holder moving assembly, the assembly robot and the electronic balance in the sampling area; and a waste liquid container is used to hold liquid. That is, through the setting of the above-mentioned automatic sampling system and by coordinating the sampling process, the following technical effects can be achieved, including but not limited to:

[0103] First, the fermentation tanks are isolated from each other and are independently provided with valve assemblies, peristaltic pumps and syringes, which can avoid confusion between different types of fermentation liquids.

[0104] Second, by setting up a sampling tube in the fermentation tank instead of using a sampler with a filtering function, all water-insoluble substances such as particulate matter can be obtained through the sampling tube. Compared with a sampler with a filtering function that can only obtain supernatant and can only be used for supernatant analysis, the fermentation liquid sampled by the sampling tube can also be used for various other analyses. The fermentation liquid automatically sampled by the sampling tube has basically the same quality as that of manual sampling, which can fully cover all uses.

[0105] Third, the reason for using a sampler with a filtering function in the prior art is to prevent external microorganisms from contaminating the fermentation liquid in the fermenter during the automated sampling process. Although the present disclosure does not use a sampler with a filtering function, but uses a sampling tube, a fermentation liquid valve, an air valve and a cleaning liquid valve are provided for each fermenter, and the cleaning liquid valve is connected to the cleaning liquid container, and the cleaning liquid is used to clean and disinfect the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe to prevent the syringe and needle from being contaminated by bacteria. The air valve and the clean air source can also be used to blow dry the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe to avoid bacterial contamination, and the cleaning liquid and waste liquid can also be prevented from remaining in the pipeline. In this way, automatic sampling using a sampling tube can also avoid bacterial contamination.

[0106] Fourth, by setting up an electronic balance in the sampling area, the mass of the sampling orifice plate at each stage of sampling can be weighed in real time, and then the mass balance and carbon balance of the automatic sampling system can be analyzed through the real-time detection of the mass.

[0107] Fifth, automatic sampling is achieved through the overall setting of the automatic sampling system, reducing human labor costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0108] Other features, objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments made with reference to the following drawings:

[0109] Figure 1 is an exemplary structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of an automatic sampling system according to the present disclosure;

[0110] Figure 2 is an exemplary schematic diagram of a pipeline according to an embodiment of an automatic sampling system of the present disclosure;

[0111] Figure 3 is an exemplary structural diagram of an embodiment of a secondary positioning device according to the present disclosure;

[0112] Figure 4A is an exemplary structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a syringe support moving assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0113] Figure 4B is an exemplary structural schematic diagram of a first perspective of an embodiment of a syringe according to the present disclosure;

[0114] Figure 4C yes Figure 4B An exploded view of the syringe at a first angle is shown;

[0115] Figure 4D yes Figure 4B An exploded view of the syringe at a second angle is shown;

[0116] Figure 5Ais a flow chart of an embodiment of an automatic sampling method according to the present disclosure;

[0117] Figure 5B is a decomposed flow chart of one embodiment of step 501 according to the present disclosure;

[0118] Figure 5C is a decomposed flow chart of one embodiment of step 5013 according to the present disclosure;

[0119] Figure 5D is a decomposed flow chart of one embodiment of step 50134 according to the present disclosure;

[0120] Figure 5E is a decomposed flow chart of one embodiment of step 502 according to the present disclosure;

[0121] Fig. 5F is a decomposed flow chart of one embodiment of step 5023 according to the present disclosure;

[0122] Figure 5G is a decomposed flow chart of one embodiment of step 503 according to the present disclosure;

[0123] Figure 5H is a decomposed flow chart of one embodiment of step 5033 according to the present disclosure;

[0124] Fig.5I is a decomposed flow chart of one embodiment of step 504 according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0125] The present disclosure is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the relevant invention, rather than to limit the invention. It is also necessary to explain that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the relevant invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0126] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined with each other. The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0127] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of an automatic sampling system according to the present disclosure, Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the connecting pipelines among the fermentation tank, valve assembly, peristaltic pump and syringe according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0128] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the automatic sampling system 10 may include: fermenters 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, a syringe holder 190, a syringe holder moving assembly 200, a sampling well plate 210, an assembly robot 220, a sampling area electronic balance 230, a control device 240 and a waste liquid container 250.

[0129] like Figure 2 As shown, the fermentation tanks 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 are respectively provided with sampling tubes 111, 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 171, 181. The sampling tubes can connect the inside and outside of the fermentation tank, and the fermentation liquid in the fermentation tank can be sampled through the sampling tubes.

[0130] Optionally, the fermentation tanks 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 may be provided with stirring paddles for stirring the fermentation liquid inside the fermentation tanks so that the concentration of the fermentation liquid inside the fermentation tanks is kept uniform. In this way, the fermentation liquid sampled by the sampling tube is taken out in a fully liquid state in a mixed state.

[0131] like Figure 2 As shown, the fermentation tanks 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 are externally provided with valve assemblies 112, 122, 132, 142, 152, 162, 172, 182, peristaltic pumps 113, 123, 133, 143, 153, 163, 173, 183 and syringes 114, 124, 134, 144, 154, 164, 174, 184, respectively.

[0132] The sampling tube of each fermentation tank is connected to the corresponding valve assembly, peristaltic pump and syringe in sequence through the pipeline. Here, the so-called connection means that the liquid can flow through.

[0133] For example, the sampling tube 111 of the fermentation tank 110 is sequentially connected to the corresponding valve assembly 112, the peristaltic pump 113 and the syringe 114 through a pipeline. The sampling tube 112 of the fermentation tank 120 is sequentially connected to the corresponding valve assembly 122, the peristaltic pump 123 and the syringe 124 through a pipeline. The communication conditions of the other fermentation tanks 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180 with the corresponding valve assemblies, peristaltic pumps and syringes are basically the same, and will not be repeated here.

[0134] Among them, each valve component may include a fermentation liquid valve, an air valve and a cleaning liquid valve. For example, the valve component 112 includes a fermentation liquid valve 1121, an air valve 1122, and a cleaning liquid valve 1123, the valve component 122 includes a fermentation liquid valve 1221, an air valve 1222 and a cleaning liquid valve 1223, and other valve components 132, 142, 152, 162, 172 and 182 also include corresponding fermentation liquid valves, air valves and cleaning liquid valves, which are not repeated here. One end of each fermentation liquid valve, air valve and cleaning liquid valve is connected to the corresponding peristaltic pump, and the other end is respectively connected to the sampling tube, air source and cleaning liquid container of the corresponding fermentation tank. For example, one end of the fermentation liquid valve 1121 is connected to the peristaltic pump 113, and the other end is connected to the sampling tube 111 of the fermentation tank 110, one end of the air valve 1122 is connected to the peristaltic pump 113, and the other end is connected to the clean air source ( Figure 2 One end of the cleaning liquid valve 1123 is connected to the peristaltic pump 113, and the other end is connected to the cleaning liquid container ( Figure 2 The cleaning liquid container contains cleaning liquid, which may be any liquid with sterilization function, such as alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, etc., which is not specifically limited in the present disclosure. The cleaning liquid container may be, for example, a glass container, a stainless steel container, a polypropylene container, etc.

[0135] The syringe holder 190 is used to accommodate the syringes corresponding to each fermentation tank. Figure 1 As shown, the syringe support 190 is used to accommodate syringes 114, 124, 134, 144, 154, 164, 174, 184. The syringe support 190 may be provided with corresponding accommodating holes, and each syringe may be accommodated in a different accommodating hole. The accommodating holes of the syringe support 190 are isolated from each other. Optionally, the accommodating holes of the syringe support 190 may be arranged in a regular pattern, for example, in an array arrangement in two vertical directions, or in an array arrangement in alternate rows in two vertical directions.

[0136] The top of each syringe may be provided with a pressing pad, and the bottom may be provided with a needle. Each syringe may be vertically placed in the receiving hole of the syringe support 190 with the needle facing downward.

[0137] The syringe support moving assembly 200 is used to move the syringe support 190 in a plane and up and down. The syringe support 190 is fixed to the syringe support moving assembly 200. For details, please refer to Figure 4A , Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a syringe support moving assembly 200 according to the present disclosure. Figure 4AAs shown, the syringe support moving assembly 200 may include a first stepper motor 201, a first slider 202 fixedly connected to the first stepper motor 201, and a first track 203 matching the first slider 202, a second stepper motor 204, a second slider 205 fixedly connected to the second stepper motor 204, and a second track 206 matching the second slider 205.

[0138] in:

[0139] Under the control of the pulse signal, the first stepper motor 201 can drive the first slider 202 to move along the first track 203. Under the control of the pulse signal, the second stepper motor 204 can drive the second slider 205 to move along the second track 206.

[0140] The extension direction of the first track 203 is parallel to the horizontal plane, while the extension direction of the second track 206 may be perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

[0141] The syringe holder 190 can be fixed to the second slider 205, so that under the control of the pulse signal, the second stepper motor 204 can drive the second slider 205 and the syringe holder 190 to move along the extension direction of the second track 206, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so that the syringe holder 190 can be moved up and down.

[0142] The bottom of the second rail 206 is fixed to the first slider 202. In this way, under the control of the pulse signal, the first stepper motor 201 can drive the first slider 202, the second rail 206, the second slider 205 and the syringe bracket 190 along the extension direction of the first rail 203, that is, movement in the horizontal plane (for example, movement in the front and back direction), that is, the horizontal plane movement of the syringe bracket 190 (for example, movement in the front and back direction) can be realized.

[0143] By combining the above-mentioned stepping motors, sliders and rails, the syringe support 190 can be moved up and down and forward and backward.

[0144] The sampling orifice plate 210 has at least one hole, and the hole is used to contain liquid, and different holes are isolated from each other. Optionally, the holes of the sampling orifice plate 210 can be arranged in a regular pattern, for example, in an array in two vertical directions, or in a circular or arc arrangement around a center point.

[0145] In order to ensure that the fermentation liquid obtained by the sampling well plate 210 is not contaminated by external bacteria, a sealed well cover, such as a silica gel cover, may be provided above the wells of the sampling well plate 210 .

[0146] It should be noted that the sampling orifice plate 210 can be set at the sampling position above the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area during sampling, and can be set in other areas before or after sampling, such as in a refrigeration device or in an orifice plate bin. When necessary, it can be moved to the sampling position above the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area by manual or mechanical arms.

[0147] The assembly robot 220 is used to move above the syringe support 190 and press the pressing pad of the syringe, so that the syringe moves downward until the needle pierces the hole cover of the sampling hole plate 210 and enters the hole. It should be noted that the assembly robot 220 can be any robot with the function of moving in the horizontal direction and assembling in the vertical direction.

[0148] In some optional embodiments, the assembly robot 220 may be a selective compliance assembly robot arm (SCARA) for plane positioning and vertical assembly.

[0149] The sampling area electronic balance 230 is used to weigh the mass during the sampling process. The area where the sampling area electronic balance 230 is located can be called the sampling area. The sampling area electronic balance 230 can send the weighed mass data to the control device 240. A sampling position can be set above the sampling area electronic balance 230, and the sampling position is the position where the sampling orifice plate 210 is located during sampling.

[0150] The control device 240 is in communication with each valve assembly, each peristaltic pump, the syringe support moving assembly 200, the assembly robot 220 and the sampling area electronic balance 230. The control device 240 is used to execute locally stored or remotely from a host computer ( Figure 1 and Figure 2The control device 240 can send instructions to the specific designated fermentation liquid valve, air valve or cleaning liquid valve to control the corresponding fermentation liquid valve, air valve or cleaning liquid valve to open or close. It can also send instructions to the specific designated peristaltic pump to control the corresponding peristaltic pump to open and work at what pump speed and how long to work, or stop working. It can also send instructions to the syringe support moving assembly 200 to control the displacement of the syringe support moving assembly 200 in the horizontal direction and the displacement of the movement in the vertical direction. It can also send instructions to the assembly robot 220 to control the displacement of the assembly robot 220 in the horizontal direction and the assembly operation in the vertical direction. It can also send instructions to the sampling area electronic balance 230 to control the sampling area electronic balance 230 to weigh and obtain the weighed mass from the sampling area electronic balance 230.

[0151] The control device 240 may be any electronic device with logic operation, data storage and data communication functions. For example, the control device 240 may be a separately set controller, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC), a single-chip microcomputer, an industrial control machine, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a server, etc.; or it may be a device composed of other electronic devices with input / output ports and operation control functions. For example, the control device 240 may include but is not limited to the following devices: FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), central processing unit (CPU), etc.

[0152] The waste liquid container 250 is used to hold the sampled waste liquid in the sampling process, that is, the sampled waste liquid also comes from the fermentation liquid in the fermenter, but it is not taken into the sampling orifice plate, such as the fermentation liquid remaining in the sampling tube, pipeline, peristaltic pump or syringe. The above-mentioned remaining fermentation liquid can be considered as the sampled waste liquid. Since the above-mentioned sampled waste liquid does not come from the real-time fermentation liquid in the fermenter, it cannot represent the real-time status of the fermenter, so it needs to be discharged, and the container containing the above-mentioned sampled waste liquid is the waste liquid container. However, in order to achieve mass balance and carbon balance, it is necessary to record the mass of the sampled waste liquid. Therefore, the sampling area electronic balance 230 is also required to weigh the mass of the waste liquid container 250 before and after the waste liquid is discharged, and then determine the mass of the sampled waste liquid based on the mass difference, and record the mass of the sampled waste liquid.

[0153] The waste liquid container 250 may be a container having an internal accommodation space.

[0154] Optionally, the waste liquid container 250 may also have a plurality of internal accommodation spaces, and different accommodation spaces are isolated from each other. For example, the waste liquid container 250 may be similar to a sampling orifice plate, having a plurality of regularly arranged accommodation holes. Optionally, a sealed sealing cover may also be provided above each accommodation space of the waste liquid container 250, such as a silicone cover. Or preferably, the waste liquid container 250 may also have the same structure as the sampling orifice plate 210. Optionally, the number of accommodation spaces of the waste liquid container 250 is greater than or equal to the number of fermentation tanks in the automatic sampling system 10, so that the waste liquid discharged from different fermentation tanks can be weighed and accommodated separately.

[0155] Optionally, the sampling tube can be an internal hollow pipe without filtering function, for example, it can be a stainless steel tube. In this way, the fermentation liquid (hereinafter referred to as the sampling liquid) sampled from the fermenter can be unfiltered, retaining all the substances in the fermentation liquid, that is, the sampling liquid is basically the same as the fermentation liquid in the fermenter, and the analysis result of the sampling liquid can accurately evaluate the fermentation process of the fermentation liquid in the fermenter corresponding to the sampling liquid. In addition, since all the substances are obtained, other indicators other than biochemical analysis can also be detected for the sampling liquid. For example, it is very important to measure biomass using methods such as turbidimetry OD, cell dry weight DCW or cell wet weight WCW in biological fermentation, cell viability indicators such as viable cell counts, or intracellular substance concentrations such as organic acids, target products, and intermediate metabolites. In some optional embodiments, a corresponding fermentation area electronic balance ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 The electronic balance in the fermentation area is used to weigh the mass of the fermentation tank above. The control device 240 can be connected to the electronic balance in each fermentation area for controlling the electronic balance in the fermentation area to weigh and obtain the mass of the fermentation tank weighed by the electronic balance in the fermentation area.

[0156] In some optional embodiments, the automatic sampling system 10 may further include a mechanical arm 260. The mechanical arm 260 is used to clamp and move the sampling orifice plate 210. Optionally, the mechanical arm 260 may also be used to clamp and move the waste liquid container 250. It should be noted that the mechanical arm 260 may be controlled by the control device 240, so that the mechanical arm 260 is connected to the control device 240 by communication. The mechanical arm 260 may also be controlled by a host computer connected to the control device 240 by a network, and the present disclosure does not specifically limit this. Accordingly, the mechanical arm 260 is connected to the host computer by communication.

[0157] In some optional embodiments, the automatic sampling system 10 may further include a needle cleaning liquid container 270. The needle cleaning liquid container 270 has an opening on the top. When each syringe is placed in the syringe support 190, if the needle cleaning liquid container 270 is placed in a suitable position below the syringe support 190, the needle of each syringe can be accommodated in the needle cleaning liquid container 270 through the opening provided on the top of the needle cleaning liquid container 270, so that the cleaning liquid contained in the needle cleaning liquid container 270 can be used to clean, sterilize, and disinfect the needle of each syringe.

[0158] In some optional embodiments, the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area may be provided with an object positioning structure 2301 that matches the bottom of the sampling well plate 210, that is, the position where the sampling well plate 210 is located during sampling, i.e., the sampling position. Here, the object positioning structure 2301 is used to detachably fix the sampling well plate 210. For example, when a recess may be provided at the top of the object positioning structure 2301, the bottom of the sampling well plate 210 may detachably match the recess at the top of the object positioning structure 2301. In order to use the robotic arm 260 to grab the sampling well plate 210, a clamp may be provided at the front end of the robotic arm 260 along a first direction. Here, the first direction may be understood as: when the robotic arm 260 is parallel to the horizontal plane, the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the robotic arm 260 (i.e., the front-to-back direction) (i.e., the left-to-right direction). The automatic sampling system 10 may further include: a secondary positioning device 280 disposed in the secondary positioning area. Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of a secondary positioning device 280 disclosed in the disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, the secondary positioning device 280 may include a first control valve 281, a second control valve 282, a position sensor 283 and a secondary positioning limit assembly 284. The first control valve 281 and the second control valve 282 are used to move according to the position information detected by the position sensor 283, so that the adjacent first outer wall 210a and the second outer wall 210b of the sampling orifice plate 210 are respectively detachably abutted against the first inner wall 284a and the second inner wall 284b of the secondary positioning limit assembly 284, and the intersection between the horizontal projection of the first inner wall 284a and the horizontal projection of the second inner wall 284b of the secondary positioning limit assembly 284 is the reference positioning point P1, and the preset sampling positioning point P2 in the horizontal projection of the positioning structure 2301 of the measured object (please refer to Figure 1) is fixed in relative position with the reference positioning point, and the robot 260 can move from the reference positioning point P1 only along the first direction to reach the preset sampling positioning point P2. This is because since the robot 260 is provided with a clamp in the first direction, the robot 260 can accurately position in the first direction, while in other directions, the robot 260 may have positioning deviations after several pauses. Therefore, before the robot 260 places the sampling orifice plate 210, the waste liquid container 250 or the needle cleaning liquid container 270 on the sampling area electronic balance 230, it can be placed in the secondary positioning area first, and the secondary positioning device 280 is used to perform secondary positioning to the reference positioning point P1, and then the robot 260 can move from the reference positioning point P1 to the sampling positioning point P2 only by moving along the first direction, and no positioning deviations corresponding to movements in other directions will be generated, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the robot 260 in placing objects on the sampling area electronic balance 230.

[0159] Here, the first control valve 281 and the second control valve 282 may be various control valves, for example, electric valves, pneumatic valves, etc.

[0160] In some optional implementations, please refer to Figure 4B , Figure 4C and Figure 4D , Figure 4B A schematic diagram of a first perspective view of an embodiment 114 of a syringe according to the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4C yes Figure 4B The first angle of the syringe is shown in the exploded view, Figure 4D yes Figure 4B The exploded view of the syringe from the second angle is shown. Figure 4B , Figure 4C and Figure 4D As shown, the syringe 114 may include: a needle tube 1141, a connecting tube 1142, a pipeline connector 1143, a needle tube feeding bracket 1144, a push rod 1145, a pressing pad 1146, a spring 1147 and a spring protection cover 1149. Among them:

[0161] The needle tube 1141 includes a needle head 1141A and a needle tail 1141B.

[0162] The lower end of the connecting tube 1142 is detachably connected to the needle tail 1141B.

[0163] The pipeline connector 1143 is hollow inside, and its lower end is detachably connected to the upper end of the connecting tube 1142, and its upper end is connected to the output pipeline of the peristaltic pump corresponding to the syringe 114, and a groove 1143A is opened on the outer wall.

[0164] The lower end of the needle tube feeding bracket 1144 is open, and the connecting tube 1142 and the pipeline connector 1143 are arranged in the needle tube feeding bracket 1144. The needle tube feeding bracket 1144 is also provided with a clamping structure 11441, which matches and is embedded in a groove 1143A arranged on the outer wall of the pipeline connector 1143. The side wall of the needle tube feeding bracket 1144 is provided with a pipeline inlet 11442, and the output pipeline of the syringe 114 corresponding to the peristaltic pump can enter the inside of the needle tube feeding bracket 1144 from the outside of the needle tube feeding bracket 1144 through the pipeline inlet 11442.

[0165] The push rod 1145 is fixedly disposed on the upper end of the needle feeding bracket 1144 .

[0166] The pressing pad 1146 is fixedly disposed on the upper end of the push rod 1145 .

[0167] The spring 1147 is sleeved on the outside of the push rod 1145, and the upper end and the lower end of the spring 1147 are respectively in contact with the pressing pad 1146 and the needle tube feeding bracket 1144. The spring 1147 is used to move the syringe 114 upward as a whole. A spring protection cover 1149 is also sleeved on the outside of the spring 1147.

[0168] When sampling is required from the fermentation tank 110, the fermentation liquid valve 1121 is opened, and the peristaltic pump 113 is started to pump the fermentation liquid from the fermentation tank 110. The pumped fermentation liquid can flow from the output end of the peristaltic pump 113 through the pipeline into the pipeline connector 1143 in the syringe 114, and then flow into the connecting tube 1142 and the needle tube 1141 in sequence, and flow out from the needle 1141A. In order to allow the fermentation liquid flowing out of the needle 1141A to accurately enter the sampling orifice plate 210, a sealed hole cover is provided above the hole position of the sampling orifice plate 210, such as a silicone cover, so that the liquid cannot enter the hole position. Therefore, before the fermentation liquid is injected into the hole position of the sampling orifice plate 210, the hole cover needs to be pierced first, that is, the needle 1141A of the syringe 114 needs to be used to pierce the hole cover. In order to achieve this purpose, the assembly robot 220 needs to press the pressing pad 1146 set at the top of the syringe 114, and then the upper end of the spring 1147 sleeved on the outside of the push rod 1145 is squeezed downward under the downward force of the pressing pad 1146, and the bottom end of the spring 1147 is limited by the top of the syringe support 190 and cannot pass through the top of the syringe support 190. The lower end of the spring 1147 is fixed, so the spring 1147 is compressed as a whole. The syringe 114 as a whole will also move downward under the above-mentioned pressing force, and then the needle 1141A also moves downward and pierces the hole cover, and the liquid can flow from the needle tube 1141 into the hole of the pierced hole cover of the sampling orifice 210. However, after the hole cover is punctured and the liquid is injected, the assembly robot 220 no longer needs to apply downward force. In order to ensure that the syringe 114 can return to its original position smoothly, the pressure of the spring 1147 mounted on the outside of the push rod 1145 is released to form an upward force. Driven by the above force, the syringe 114 moves upward as a whole and returns to its original position.

[0169] In some optional embodiments, a limiting structure 1148 may also be provided at the lower portion of the needle feed bracket 1144, and the outer diameter of the limiting structure 1148 is larger than the aperture of the accommodating hole in the syringe bracket 190. Thus, during the upward movement of the syringe 114, when the limiting structure 1148 reaches the accommodating hole of the syringe bracket 190, the limiting structure 1148 prevents the syringe 114 from continuing to move upward, thereby preventing the syringe 114 from moving upward excessively.

[0170] In some optional embodiments, the sampling well plate 210 may be provided with an identity identification code. For example, an identity identification code may be pasted on the side wall of the sampling well plate 210. The identity identification code may be, for example, a barcode or a QR code. Accordingly, the automatic sampling system 10 may further include a first identity identification device 290. The area in which the first identity identification device 290 is provided is a first identity identification area. The first identity identification device 290 is in communication connection with the control device 240. The control device 240 may send an instruction to the first identity identification device 290 so that the first identity identification device 290 performs an identity information collection operation (e.g., scanning a code or taking a photo, etc.), and feeds back the collected identity information (e.g., a scanning result or a photo, etc.) to the control device 240. As an example, the first identity identification device 290 may be a barcode scanning gun, a camera, etc. Then, the control device 240 may identify the identity information of the sampling well plate according to the identity information fed back by the first identity identification device 290.

[0171] In some optional embodiments, the waste liquid container 250 may also be provided with an identity identification code, and accordingly the automatic sampling system 10 may further include a second identity identification device 300. The area in which the second identity identification device 300 is provided is the second identity identification area. The second identity identification device 300 is in communication connection with the control device 240. The control device 240 may send an instruction to the second identity identification device 300 so that the second identity identification device 300 performs an identity information collection operation (e.g., scanning a code or taking a photo, etc.), and feeds back the collected identity information (e.g., a scanning result or a photo, etc.) to the control device 240. As an example, the second identity identification device 300 may be a barcode scanning gun, a camera, etc. Then, the control device 240 may identify the identity information of the waste liquid container according to the identity information fed back by the second identity identification device 300.

[0172] Reference below Figure 5A . Figure 5A A flow chart 600 of an automatic sampling method according to the present disclosure is shown, and the method can be applied to Figure 1 The automatic sampling system shown.

[0173] like Figure 5A As shown, the process 500 of the automatic sampling method includes step 501:

[0174] Step 501, performing a sampling operation.

[0175] It should be noted that each step of the process 500 corresponds to the control device 240 executing a locally stored or remotely received data from a host computer ( Figure 1 and Figure 2The automatic sampling instruction received by the control device 240 (not shown) is decomposed to obtain corresponding instructions executed by different devices in the automatic sampling system, and the decomposed instructions are respectively sent to each valve assembly, each peristaltic pump, syringe support moving assembly 200, assembly robot 220 and sampling area electronic balance 230 in the automatic sampling system that needs to execute the corresponding instructions for execution. That is, each valve assembly, each peristaltic pump, syringe support moving assembly 200, assembly robot 220 and sampling area electronic balance 230 involved in each step of the process 500 is under the control of the control device 240, and performs corresponding operations according to the execution order in the process 500.

[0176] In this embodiment, since there are multiple holes in the sampling orifice plate, in order to improve the sampling efficiency, samples can be taken from at least one fermentation tank each time and injected into different holes in the sampling orifice plate. Accordingly, the automatic sampling instruction can be used to indicate which fermentation tanks of the automatic sampling system need to be sampled for this sampling, and the sampled fermentation tank is the fermentation tank to be sampled. It is also used to indicate the quality of the fermentation liquid sampled from each fermentation tank to be sampled, and it is also used to indicate which specific hole position in the sampling orifice plate the fermentation liquid sampled from each fermentation tank to be sampled needs to be injected. Therefore, the automatic sampling instruction may include N sampling instructions, and each sampling instruction includes: the fermentation tank to be sampled identifier, the target sampling mass, and the target hole position identifier. N is a natural number. Among them, the target hole position identifier is used to indicate the specific hole position into which the fermentation liquid needs to be transferred, that is, the target hole position.

[0177] In this embodiment, the sampling operation may specifically include: Figure 5B Steps 5011 to 5014 shown:

[0178] Step 5011, place the sampling hole plate at the sampling position above the electronic balance in the sampling area.

[0179] In this embodiment, the sampling plate 210 may be placed manually. Alternatively, when the automatic sampling system 10 includes a robotic arm 260, the sampling plate 210 may be placed by the robotic arm 260. It should be noted that the sampling plate 210 may be placed manually from a refrigeration device ( Figure 1 Not shown) or orifice bin ( Figure 1 Take the sampling hole plate 210 from the sample (not shown) and place it at the sampling position above the electronic balance in the sampling area.

[0180] Optionally, the sampling position may be, for example, a measurement object positioning structure 2301 above the sampling area electronic balance 230 .

[0181] In the process of taking and placing the sampling well plate 210, in order to prevent the sampling well plate 210 from being taken and placed (for example, the waste liquid container 250 or the needle cleaning liquid container 270, etc.), in some optional embodiments, the sampling well plate 210 may be provided with an identity identification code, and the automatic sampling system 10 may further include a first identity identification device 290 provided in the first identity identification area and communicatively connected to the control device 240. Accordingly, step 5011, placing the sampling well plate 210 at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area, may be performed as follows:

[0182] First, the sampling well plate 210 is placed in the first identity recognition area corresponding to the first identity recognition device 290 for identity recognition.

[0183] For example, the first identification device 290 may be a barcode scanner or a camera. Accordingly, the identification of the sampling well plate 210 may be performed by using the barcode scanning result of the barcode scanner as the identification information result, or by performing image recognition on the image taken by the camera to obtain the identification information result.

[0184] The control device 240 may send a command to the first identity recognition device 290, so that the first identity recognition device 290 performs an identity information collection operation (e.g., scanning a code or taking a photo, etc.), and feeds back the collected identity information (e.g., a code scanning result or a photo, etc.) to the control device 240. Then, the control device 240 may perform identification based on the identity information fed back by the first identity recognition device 290 to obtain an identity information identification result of the sampling well plate.

[0185] Then, the sampling well plate 210 may be verified according to the identification information recognition result of the sampling well plate 210 .

[0186] If the verification is passed, the sampling hole plate 210 is placed at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area.

[0187] It should be noted that a preset verification method can be used here to verify the sampling well plate 210 according to the identification information recognition result of the sampling well plate 210. For example, the identification information recognition result can be a string text, and whether the character at a specified position (for example, the first 5 characters) in the identification information recognition result is a specified character used to characterize the sampling well plate 210 can be determined to determine whether the sampling well plate has been verified.

[0188] Optionally, if the verification fails, the sampling well plate 210 may be placed in a waiting area (a specific area in the automatic sampling system 10, Figure 1 ), and generates and outputs a prompt message indicating that the object grasped by the robot arm 260 is not the sampling orifice plate 210, so that the staff can perform troubleshooting.

[0189] Through the above-mentioned pre-verification process of the sampling hole plate 210, it is possible to avoid placing other objects that are not the sampling hole plate into the sampling position for sampling, thereby achieving a fool-proof effect in the sampling process.

[0190] In practice, in the process of placing the sampling orifice plate 210 at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area by using the mechanical arm 260, the clamping claw provided at the front end of the mechanical arm 260 can clamp the sampling orifice plate 210 for movement. For example, the sampling orifice plate 210 is taken from the refrigeration equipment or the orifice plate bin and placed at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area after being moved. However, since the clamping claw at the front end of the mechanical arm 260 only fixes the sampling orifice plate on the left and right sides, there are no fixing parts in the up and down directions and the front and back directions. Here, when the mechanical arm 260 is parallel to the horizontal plane, the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the mechanical arm 260 (i.e., the front and back direction) (i.e., the left and right direction). Therefore, there may be inaccurate problems in the positioning of the mechanical arm 260 up and down and front and back. In particular, the mechanical arm 260 has paused halfway, and there may be deviations in the positioning of the up and down directions and the front and back directions. The sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area needs to be precisely matched with the bottom of the sampling orifice plate 210, otherwise the sampling orifice plate 210 may shift, which will cause the subsequent positioning of the syringe needle into the hole position of the sampling orifice plate 210 to be biased, resulting in the needle being pierced off-center, and the entire system may be stuck, resulting in sampling failure, or the sampled fermentation liquid entering the wrong hole position. In order to improve the positioning accuracy of the robotic arm 260 when placing the sampling orifice plate, the sampling orifice plate 210 can be placed in the secondary positioning area before being placed on the electronic balance in the sampling area. The relative position between the secondary positioning area and the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area is fixed, and the robotic arm 260 only needs to move the robotic arm 260 in the left and right directions to move the sampling orifice plate 210 from the secondary positioning area to the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area, and does not need to move in other directions. Since the positioning of the robot arm 260 in the left and right directions is accurate, it is difficult to produce deviations during the movement from the secondary positioning area to the sampling position, and finally the robot arm 260 can accurately place the sampling well plate 210 at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area.

[0191] Specifically, in some optional embodiments, when the automatic sampling system 10 includes a secondary positioning device (for details, please refer to the relevant records about the secondary positioning device above, which will not be repeated here), accordingly, in step 5011, placing the sampling orifice plate 210 at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area can be performed according to the following steps:

[0192] First, the sampling orifice plate 210 is placed in the secondary positioning area, and the first outer wall 210a and the second outer wall 210b of the sampling orifice plate 210 are detachably connected to the first inner wall 284a and the second inner wall 284b of the secondary positioning and limiting assembly 284 through the secondary positioning and limiting assembly 284.

[0193] Then, the sampling orifice plate 210 is moved from the secondary positioning area to the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area.

[0194] By adopting the optional implementation method of the secondary positioning, the positioning accuracy of the robot arm 260 placing the sampling hole plate 210 on the sampling position of the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area can be improved.

[0195] Step 5012: The syringe holder moving assembly is moved so that the syringe holder is located above the sampling well plate, and each syringe is located above a corresponding hole position of the sampling well plate.

[0196] In this embodiment, the movement of the syringe support moving assembly 200 can be controlled by the control device 240, and the movement of the syringe support moving assembly 200 makes the syringe support 190 located above the sampling orifice plate 210, and each syringe is located above a corresponding hole position of the sampling orifice plate 210.

[0197] Step 5013: For each fermentation tank to be sampled, perform a fermentation tank sampling operation.

[0198] It should be noted that the automatic sampling instruction may specify the sampling order between different fermentation tanks to be sampled, or may not specify it. If the sampling order is specified, in step 5013, the fermentation tank sampling operation may be performed according to the specified sampling order between different fermentation tanks to be sampled; conversely, if the sampling order is not specified, the sampling order between different fermentation tanks to be sampled may not be fixed.

[0199] Here, fermenter sampling operations may include, for example, Figure 5C Steps 50131 to 50138 shown:

[0200] Step 50131, the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass of the sampling orifice plate before sampling.

[0201] Here, the sampling area electronic balance 230 needs to measure the mass of each fermentation tank to be sampled before sampling to obtain the pre-sampling mass of the sampling orifice plate 210 .

[0202] It should be noted that in step 5011, the sampling well plate 210 has been placed at the sampling position above the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area. When step 50131 is first executed in step 5013, no fermentation liquid has been injected into the sampling well plate 210. The mass weighed at this time is the pre-sampling mass of the sampling well plate 210 for the first fermentation tank to be sampled. Each subsequent execution of step 50131, the mass measured by the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area is the pre-sampling mass of the sampling well plate 210 for the corresponding fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0203] It is understandable that after the sampling area electronic balance 230 measures the mass to obtain the pre-sampling mass of the sampling orifice plate 210, the pre-sampling mass of the sampling orifice plate 210 can be sent to the control device 240 for storage. Optionally, the control device 240 can store the pre-sampling mass of the sampling orifice plate 210 in correspondence with the fermentation tank identification of the fermentation tank to be sampled and the operation identification of this automatic sampling operation (for example, it can include the sampling start time) to achieve statistical analysis of the mass balance and carbon balance of the automatic sampling system 10.

[0204] Step 50132: the assembly robot presses the pressing pad on the top of the syringe corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled, so that the corresponding syringe moves downward and the needle enters the target hole position corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled in the sampling well plate.

[0205] Here, for example, the fermentation tank to be sampled is the fermentation tank 110, and the corresponding syringe is 114. The fermentation tank to be sampled is the fermentation tank 120, and the corresponding syringe is 124.

[0206] When the holes in the sampling well plate 210 are covered with sealed well covers, after the syringe moves downward and the needle tube enters the target hole corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled in the sampling well plate 210, the needle at the front end of the needle tube will pierce the well cover of the target hole, so that the liquid can flow from the needle tube into the target hole.

[0207] Step 50133, open the fermentation liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0208] Step 50134, start the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to pump the fermentation liquid according to the target sampling mass corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled, and the pumped fermentation liquid flows into the corresponding target hole through the corresponding syringe.

[0209] Since the fermentation liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled has been opened, the needle tube of the syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled has also entered the target hole position, when the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is started, the fermentation liquid of the fermentation tank to be sampled can enter the target hole position through the sampling tube, fermentation liquid valve, peristaltic pump and syringe in sequence.

[0210] It should be noted that in practice, the target sampling volume can be determined by the control device 240 according to the target sampling mass and the density of the fermentation liquid in the fermentation tank to be sampled. Then, the pump speed and working time of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled are set to achieve the purpose of pumping the fermentation liquid of the target sampling volume, and finally achieve the goal of pumping the fermentation liquid of the target sampling mass.

[0211] In practice, the sampling tube and the peristaltic pump of the fermenter, as well as the peristaltic pump and the syringe are connected by pipelines (e.g., silicone tubes). Due to the complexity of the pipeline connection, although the valve assembly of the fermenter generally does not leak, in practice, the applicant has found that as the number of times the fermentation liquid is sampled increases, the particles in the fermentation liquid may be blocked in the pipeline, causing the pipeline to be blocked. In addition, as the number of sampling increases and the use time becomes longer, the pipeline connection may be loose and leaky. Although pipeline blockage, loose connection or leakage will not pollute the fermentation liquid in the fermenter, it will affect the accuracy of sampling. For example, if the pipeline is blocked, the sampled fermentation liquid cannot be pumped into the sampling orifice plate, and it is found that the pipeline is blocked after inspection, and the pipeline needs to be replaced. In practice, the method of using a disposable pump to extract the fermentation liquid requires replacing the pipeline about once a week, which results in high purchase costs for the pipeline and labor costs required to replace the pipeline.

[0212] In addition, although the pump speed of the peristaltic pump can be set, the actual pumping speed of the peristaltic pump may be different from the set pump speed. The difference between the actual pump speed and the set pump speed will also lead to a decrease in sampling accuracy. In practice, the applicant hopes that the peristaltic pump can achieve a pumping accuracy of 0.1 ml, but the peristaltic pumps currently available on the market often fail to meet this accuracy requirement.

[0213] Finally, the volume of each hole in the sampling well plate 210 is limited. For example, for a 48-hole sampling well plate, the volume of each hole is about 4 milliliters. If the set pump speed and working time are followed, the peristaltic pump should pump 4 milliliters of fermentation liquid at a time. However, if the actual pump speed of the peristaltic pump is a little faster, the fermentation liquid actually pumped may exceed the volume of the holes in the sampling well plate, and the fermentation liquid may overflow from the holes, thereby contaminating other holes, causing the sampling of the entire sampling well plate to be unreliable. On the contrary, if the actual pump speed of the peristaltic pump is a little lower, the fermentation liquid actually pumped into the hole may not be enough for the subsequent analysis operation.

[0214] In order to ensure the accuracy of the sampled fermentation liquid mass and avoid the problems that may be caused by the actual pump speed being too high or too low, in some optional embodiments, the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is started to pump the fermentation liquid according to the target sampling mass corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled, and the following ideas can be followed:

[0215] By sampling part of the fermentation liquid first, instead of sampling the target sampling mass at once, and then determining the actual pumping speed based on the mass difference between the fermentation liquid actually sampled for the first time and the fermentation liquid mass of the target sampling for the first time, the secondary sampling process is determined based on the actual pumping speed.

[0216] Specifically, step 50134 may include: Figure 5D The following steps 501341 to 501349' are shown:

[0217] Step 501341, determining the first target sampling mass according to the target sampling mass corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0218] Here, the first target sampling mass is less than the target sampling mass.

[0219] Assume that the target sampling mass corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled is m t , the first target sampling mass is m1, specifically, it can be based on m t Determine m1.

[0220] In some optional embodiments, the target sampling mass m corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled can be t Multiply by the preset first sampling mass ratio p m1 The obtained mass is determined as the first target sampling mass m1. The first sampling mass ratio is greater than 0 and less than 1. For example, the first sampling mass ratio can be 0.5. It can be expressed as follows:

[0221] m1=m t ×p1

[0222] In some optional embodiments, the volume V of a single sampling hole in the sampling hole plate 210 may also be kw Multiply by the preset first sampling volume ratio p v1 The volume after the first sampling is determined as the first sampling volume v1. Here, the first sampling volume ratio p is preset v1 Greater than 0 and less than 1, for example, the first sampling volume ratio p v1 It can be 0.5. That is to say, if the first sampling volume p v1 After sampling and injecting into the wells of the sampling well plate 210, there will still be a certain amount of space left in the wells where no liquid is injected, and the liquid in the wells will not overflow out of the wells. Then, the density ρ of the fermentation liquid in the fermentation tank to be sampled is multiplied by the first sampling volume p v1 The obtained mass is determined as the first target sampling mass. It can be expressed as follows:

[0223] v1=v kw ×p v1

[0224] m1=ρ×v1

[0225] In some optional embodiments, the target sampling mass m corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled may also be t Multiply by the preset first sampling mass ratio p m1 The obtained mass is determined as the first sampling mass m 1,1 ; Set the volume v of each sampling hole in the sampling plate kw Multiply by the preset first sampling volume ratio p v1 The volume after the sampling is determined as the first sampling volume v1, and then the density ρ of the fermentation liquid in the fermentation tank to be sampled is multiplied by the first sampling volume v1 to obtain the mass to be determined as the second sampling mass m 1,2 Finally, the first sampling mass m 1,1 and the second sampling mass m 1,2 The minimum mass in is determined as the first target sampling mass m1. It can be expressed as follows:

[0226] m 1,1 =m t ×p1

[0227] v1=v kw ×p v1

[0228] m 1,2 =ρ×v1

[0229] m1=min(m 1,1 ,m 1,2 )

[0230] Step 501342, determining the first working time of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled according to the first target sampling mass and the preset pump speed.

[0231] Here, the volume obtained by dividing the first target sampling mass m1 by the fermentation liquid density ρ of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be determined as the first target sampling volume v t1 . It can be expressed by the formula as follows:

[0232] v t1 =m1÷ρ

[0233] Then, the time obtained by dividing the first target sampling volume by the preset pump speed is determined as the first working time of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0234] The preset pump speed may be a pump speed manually set by a professional technician according to the pump speed working range of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled, or may be a pump speed set by a preset pump speed setting rule within the pump speed working range of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled. The present disclosure does not make specific limitations on this.

[0235] Step 501343, start the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to pump the fermentation liquid according to the preset pump speed and the first working time.

[0236] Step 501344, turn off the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0237] Step 501345, the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass of the sampling orifice plate after the first sampling.

[0238] Step 501346, based on the mass of the sampling orifice plate before sampling and the mass after the first sampling, determine the actual first sampling mass.

[0239] It should be noted that, ideally, the first actual sampling mass should be equal to the first target sampling mass. However, the actual pumping speed of the peristaltic pump may be different from the preset pumping speed, so the first actual sampling mass may not be equal to the first target sampling mass.

[0240] Step 501347, determine the actual pump speed based on the first actual sampling mass, the first target sampling mass and the preset pump speed.

[0241] Specifically, the actual pump speed can be calculated as follows:

[0242] First, the actual sampling mass m 1,act Divide by the first target sampling mass m t The ratio of is determined as the actual sampling mass ratio p m,act , which can be expressed by the formula as follows:

[0243] p m,act =m 1,act ÷m t

[0244] Then, set the preset pump speed V b,pre Multiply by the actual sampling mass ratio p m,act The actual pump speed V is determined by multiplying b,act , which can be expressed by the formula as follows:

[0245] V b,act =V b,pre ×p m,act

[0246] Step 501348, in response to determining that the actual pump speed is less than the preset minimum pump speed, interrupting the fermentation tank sampling operation, generating and outputting a prompt message indicating the risk of pipeline blockage or leakage.

[0247] If the actual pump speed V is determined b,act Less than the preset minimum pump speed V b,min , that is, V b,act <V b,min, indicating that there is a risk of blockage or leakage in the pipeline, and an error needs to be reported for troubleshooting. Therefore, the fermentation tank sampling operation can be interrupted, and a prompt message indicating the risk of blockage or leakage in the pipeline can be generated and output, and then the staff can perform troubleshooting. After the troubleshooting is completed, the fermentation tank sampling operation can be continued.

[0248] Step 501349, in response to determining that the actual pump speed is not less than the preset minimum pump speed and less than the preset maximum pump speed, based on the actual pump speed and the remaining mass to be sampled obtained by subtracting the first actual sampling mass from the target sampling mass, determine the secondary sampling working time, and start the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to pump the fermentation liquid according to the preset pump speed and the secondary sampling working time.

[0249] If the actual pump speed V is determined b,act Not less than the preset minimum pump speed V b,min And less than the preset maximum pump speed V b,max , that is, V b,min ≤V b,act <V b,max , indicating that the peristaltic pump is basically working normally, but there is a deviation between the actual pump speed and the preset pump speed, and the deviation is within an acceptable range. Therefore, the secondary sampling working time can be determined as follows:

[0250] First, the target sampling mass m t Subtract the actual first sampling mass m 1,act The obtained mass is determined as the remaining mass to be sampled m rest .

[0251] Then, the remaining mass to be sampled m rest The volume obtained by dividing the density ρ of the fermentation liquid in the fermentation tank to be sampled is determined as the remaining volume to be sampled v rest , which can be expressed by the formula as follows:

[0252] v rest =m rest ÷ρ

[0253] Finally, the remaining volume to be sampled v rest Divide by the actual pump speed V b,act The obtained duration is determined as the secondary sampling working duration t2, which can be specifically expressed by the following formula:

[0254] t2=v rest ÷V b,act

[0255] After determining the secondary sampling working time, the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be started to pump the fermentation liquid according to the preset pump speed and the secondary sampling working time. Here, although the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is started according to the preset pump speed, the actual working pump speed of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is still the actual pump speed calculated above. Therefore, since the secondary sampling working time is calculated according to the actual pump speed, starting the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled in the above manner can obtain the remaining fermentation liquid to be sampled by the secondary pump, and then the fermentation liquid of the target sampling quality can be obtained by the total pump.

[0256] Step 501349', in response to determining that the actual pump speed is greater than the preset maximum pump speed, modifying the pump speed of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled, determining the secondary sampling working time based on the modified pump speed and the remaining mass to be sampled obtained by subtracting the first actual sampling mass from the target sampling mass, and starting the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to pump the fermentation liquid according to the modified pump speed and the secondary working sampling time.

[0257] If it is determined that the actual pump speed is greater than the preset maximum pump speed, that is, V b,act >V b,max , indicating that the actual pump speed is too high. According to this pump speed, the liquid in the hole may overflow and pollute other holes. Therefore, the pump speed of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be modified in various ways. The modified pump speed is less than the preset pump speed of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled. Then, the similar calculation method in step 501349 can be used to determine the secondary sampling working time based on the modified pump speed and the target sampling mass minus the first actual sampling mass. Finally, the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is started to pump the fermentation liquid according to the modified pump speed and the secondary working sampling time.

[0258] As an example, the preset pump speed V b,pre Multiply by the preset pump speed ratio p V,bump The obtained pump speed is determined as the modified pump speed V of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled. b,mod Here, the preset pump speed ratio p V,bump Greater than 0 and less than 1, for example, the preset pump speed ratio may be 0.5. The specific formula may be as follows:

[0259] V b,mod =V b,pre ×p V,bump

[0260] As an example, the preset pump speed V b,pre Subtract the preset minimum pump speed V b,min The obtained pump speed difference is determined as the modified pump speed V of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled. b,modThe specific formula can be expressed as follows:

[0261] V b,mod =V b,pre -V b,min

[0262] In some optional embodiments, the preset pump speed may be a basic pump speed of a peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled. Accordingly, the modified pump speed of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled may be determined as follows:

[0263] First, the first target sampling mass m t Divide by the actual first sampling mass m 1,act The obtained ratio is determined as the adjusted pump speed ratio p b,adj , which can be expressed by the formula as follows:

[0264] pb ,a d j =m t ÷m 1,act

[0265] Since the actual pump speed V b,act Greater than the preset maximum pump speed V b,max , accordingly, the first target sampling mass m t Less than the actual sampling mass m for the first time 1,act , so adjust the pump speed ratio p b,adj It will also be greater than 0 and less than 1.

[0266] Then, the preset pump speed is multiplied by the pump speed after the pump speed ratio is adjusted to determine the modified pump speed of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0267] V b,mod =V b,pre ×p b,adj

[0268] By adjusting the pump speed ratio p b,adj is greater than 0 and less than 1, the modified pump speed V of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled b,mod Less than the original preset pump speed V b,pre , according to the modified pump speed V b,mod Pumping the fermentation liquid can reduce the speed and prevent the fermentation liquid from overflowing the hole.

[0269] According to the applicant's practical findings, after adopting the above-mentioned optional implementation method of secondary sampling, the frequency of pipeline replacement can be increased from weekly to once every six months, and the frequency of pipeline replacement is greatly reduced, thereby reducing the purchase cost of the pipeline and the labor cost required for replacement.

[0270] Step 50135, close the fermentation liquid valve and peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0271] After completing the above-mentioned sampling of the target sampling mass of fermentation liquid, the fermentation liquid valve and the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be closed.

[0272] Step 50136, opening the air valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled, so as to blow the fermentation liquid in the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled into the corresponding target hole.

[0273] After step 50133 to step 50135, part of the fermentation liquid may still remain in the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled. On the one hand, the above-mentioned residual fermentation liquid is also just sampled from the fermentation tank to be sampled, and is the same as the fermentation liquid just injected into the target hole corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled in the sampling well plate. If the above-mentioned residual fermentation liquid is not sampled into the corresponding target hole in the sampling well plate, the above-mentioned residual fermentation liquid is wasted. On the other hand, the fermentation liquid remaining in the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled may interfere with the next sampling of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0274] Therefore, in order not to waste the fermentation liquid sampled in real time and to avoid interference with the next sampling of the fermentation tank to be sampled, the air valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be opened, and the clean air connected to the other end of the air valve can be used to blow the fermentation liquid remaining in the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled into the target hole position corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled in the sampling well plate. Step 50137, the electronic balance of the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the post-sampling mass of the sampling well plate.

[0275] Here, the sampling area electronic balance measures the mass to obtain the post-sampling mass of the sampling well plate for the fermentation tank to be sampled. It is understandable that after the sampling area electronic balance measures the mass to obtain the post-sampling mass of the sampling well plate, the post-sampling mass of the sampling well plate can also be sent to the control device for storage.

[0276] Step 50138, based on the pre-sampling mass and post-sampling mass of the target sampling well plate, determine and record the fermentation liquid sampling mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled, and complete the fermentation tank sampling operation for the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0277] Specifically, the control device can use the post-sampling mass of the sampling orifice plate for the fermentation tank to be sampled to subtract the pre-sampling mass to obtain the fermentation liquid sampling mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled. In this way, data support can be provided for achieving mass balance and carbon balance.

[0278] After step 5013, each fermentation tank to be sampled can be sampled, and the sampled fermentation liquid is injected into the corresponding target well position in the sampling well plate. After executing step 5013, the process can proceed to step 5014 for execution.

[0279] Step 5014, remove the sampling plate to complete the sampling.

[0280] After taking away the sampling orifice plate, the sampling orifice plate can be placed in a refrigerated device or an orifice plate bin, or sent to an inspection and analysis device for subsequent inspection and analysis, which is not specifically limited in the present disclosure.

[0281] By executing the sampling operation of step 501, it is possible to automatically sample the fermentation liquid from each fermentation tank to be sampled in the automatic sampling system according to the automatic sampling instruction, and inject it into the target well position corresponding to each fermentation tank to be sampled through the peristaltic pump and the syringe, and finally the fermentation liquid sample of the fermentation tank to be sampled is stored in the sampling well plate, which can be used for subsequent operations. The above process is all completed fully automatically, which can reduce labor costs, and the mass of the fermentation liquid taken from each fermentation tank to be sampled is also automatically recorded, which can provide a data basis for achieving mass balance and carbon balance.

[0282] In the above step 5013, although after sampling, the air valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is opened in step 50136, and the fermentation liquid in the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled is blown into the corresponding target hole, Figure 2 It can be seen that the air in the process of opening the air valve for drying cannot enter the sampling tube of the fermentation tank to be sampled, so some liquid may remain in the sampling tube of the fermentation tank to be sampled after the sampling operation is performed in step 501. These residual liquids will remain in the sampling tube of the fermentation tank before the next sampling operation. For the fermentation tank at that time, it is no longer the liquid fermented in real time in the fermentation tank. Sampling and analyzing the above residual liquid cannot represent the real-time status of the fermentation tank. Therefore, in some optional implementations, before performing the sampling operation in step 501, the above method flow 500 can also include the following step 502:

[0283] Step 502, performing waste liquid discharge operation.

[0284] Wastewater treatment operations may include: Figure 5E Steps 5021 to 5024 shown:

[0285] Step 5021, place the waste liquid container at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area.

[0286] Here, the waste liquid container 250 may be placed manually. Alternatively, when the automatic sampling system 10 includes a robotic arm 260, the waste liquid container 250 may be placed by the robotic arm 260. It should be noted that a waiting area may be provided in the automatic sampling system 10, and the waste liquid container 250 may be taken from the waiting area and placed at the sampling position above the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area. In this way, the waste liquid container 250 and the mass of the liquid therein may be weighed later.

[0287] Similarly, in the process of taking and placing the waste liquid container 250, in order to prevent the waste liquid container 250 from being taken and placed (for example, the sampling well plate 210 or the needle cleaning liquid container 270, etc.), in some optional embodiments, the waste liquid container 250 can be provided with an identity identification code, and the automatic sampling system 10 can also include a second identity identification device 300 provided in the second identity identification area and communicatively connected to the control device 240. Accordingly, step 5021, placing the waste liquid container at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area, can be performed as follows:

[0288] First, the waste liquid container 250 is placed in the second identity recognition area corresponding to the second identity recognition device 300 for identity recognition.

[0289] For example, the second identification device 300 may be a barcode scanner or a camera. Accordingly, the identification of the waste liquid container 250 may be performed by using the barcode scanning result of the barcode scanner as the identification information result, or by performing image recognition on the image taken by the camera to obtain the identification information result.

[0290] The control device 240 may send a command to the second identity recognition device 300, so that the second identity recognition device 300 performs an identity information collection operation (e.g., scanning a code or taking a photo, etc.), and feeds back the collected identity information (e.g., a code scanning result or a photo, etc.) to the control device 240. Then, the control device 240 may perform identification based on the identity information fed back by the first identity recognition device 290 to obtain an identity information identification result of the sampling well plate.

[0291] Then, the waste liquid container 250 may be authenticated according to the identification information recognition result of the waste liquid container 250 .

[0292] If the verification is passed, the waste liquid container 250 is placed at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area.

[0293] It should be noted that a preset verification method can be used here to verify the waste liquid container 250 according to the identity information recognition result of the second identity recognition device 300. For example, the identity information recognition result can be a string text, and then it can be determined whether the waste liquid container 250 is verified by determining whether the character at a specified position (for example, the first 5 characters) in the identity information recognition result is a category character used to characterize the waste liquid container 250.

[0294] Optionally, if the verification fails, the waste liquid container 250 can be placed in a waiting area (a specific area in the automatic sampling system 10, Figure 1 ), and generates and outputs a prompt message indicating that the object grasped by the robot arm 260 is not the waste liquid container 250, so that the staff can perform troubleshooting.

[0295] Through the above-mentioned pre-verification process of the waste liquid container 250, it is possible to avoid placing other items that are not waste liquid containers at the sampling position for waste liquid discharge, thereby achieving a fool-proof effect in the waste liquid discharge process.

[0296] It should be noted that, here, in the process of the robotic arm placing the waste liquid container 250 at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area, the optional implementation method of secondary positioning in placing the waste liquid container 250 at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area can also be adopted to improve the positioning accuracy of the robotic arm placing the waste liquid container 250 at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area.

[0297] Step 5022: The syringe support moving assembly moves so that the syringe support is located above the waste liquid container, and each syringe can inject liquid into the waste liquid container.

[0298] In this embodiment, the movement of the syringe support moving assembly 200 can be controlled by the control device 240, and the movement of the syringe support moving assembly 200 can make the syringe support 190 be located above the waste liquid container 250, and each syringe can inject liquid into the waste liquid container 250.

[0299] After executing step 5022, you can go to step 5023 to continue executing.

[0300] Step 5023: For each fermentation tank to be sampled, the operation of draining waste liquid from the sampling tube is performed.

[0301] It should be noted that the automatic sampling instruction may specify the order of discharging waste liquid between different fermentation tanks to be sampled, or may not specify it. If the order of discharging waste liquid is specified, in step 5023, the operation of discharging waste liquid from the sampling tube may be performed according to the specified order of discharging waste liquid between different fermentation tanks to be sampled; conversely, if the order of discharging waste liquid is not specified, the order of discharging waste liquid between different fermentation tanks to be sampled may not be fixed.

[0302] Here, the sampling pipe waste liquid discharge operation may include: Fig. 5F Steps 50231 to 50235 shown:

[0303] Step 50231, the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container before discharge.

[0304] Here, the sampling area electronic balance 230 needs to measure the mass of each fermentation tank to be sampled before draining the waste liquid to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container 250 before draining the waste liquid.

[0305] It should be noted that in step 5021, the waste liquid container 250 has been placed at the sampling position above the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area. When step 50231 is first executed in step 5023, no waste liquid has been injected into the waste liquid container 250. The mass weighed at this time is the pre-sampling mass of the waste liquid container 250 for the first fermentation tank to be sampled. Each subsequent execution of step 50231, the mass measured by the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area is the pre-sampling mass of the waste liquid container 250 for the corresponding fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0306] It is understandable that after the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the pre-discharge mass of the waste liquid container 250, the pre-discharge mass of the waste liquid container 250 can be sent to the control device 240 for storage. Optionally, the control device 240 can store the pre-sampling mass of the waste liquid container 250 in correspondence with the fermentation tank identifier of the fermentation tank to be sampled and the operation identifier of this automatic sampling operation (for example, it can include the sampling start time) to achieve statistical analysis of the mass balance and carbon balance of the automatic sampling system 10.

[0307] Optionally, when a sealed sealing cover is also provided above each accommodation space of the waste liquid container 250, after executing step 50231, the following step 50231' may also be executed:

[0308] Step 50231', the assembly robot moves to the top of the syringe support and presses the pressing pad of the syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled, so that the syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled moves downward until the needle is located in the accommodation space of the waste liquid container.

[0309] That is, through step 50231', the syringe needle of the fermentation tank to be sampled pierces the sealing cover on the surface of the waste liquid container, so that the subsequent needle can discharge liquid into the waste liquid container. Then continue to execute step 50232.

[0310] Step 50232, open the fermentation liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0311] Step 50233, start the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to pump the fermentation liquid, and the pumped fermentation liquid flows into the waste liquid container through the corresponding syringe.

[0312] Here, the maximum waste liquid volume can be determined based on the volume of the fermentation tank sampling tube, the pipeline volume, the pipeline volume in the peristaltic pump and the volume of the syringe in practice, and then the control device 240 sets the pump speed and working time of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to achieve the purpose of pumping the maximum waste liquid volume of fermentation liquid, and finally discharge the waste liquid so that the fermentation liquid in the sampling tube, pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe are all fermentation liquid from real-time fermentation in the fermentation tank.

[0313] Step 50234, close the fermentation liquid valve and peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0314] After the waste liquid of the fermentation tank to be sampled is discharged, the fermentation liquid valve and the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be closed.

[0315] Step 50235: The electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container after drainage.

[0316] Here, the sampling area electronic balance 230 measures the mass to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container 250 after the waste liquid is discharged for the fermentation tank to be sampled. It is understandable that after the sampling area electronic balance 230 measures the mass to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container 250 after the waste liquid is discharged, the mass of the waste liquid container 250 after the waste liquid is discharged can also be sent to the control device 240 for storage.

[0317] Step 50236, based on the mass of the waste liquid container before and after drainage, determine and record the waste liquid mass of the sampling tube of the fermentation tank to be sampled, and complete the waste liquid drainage operation of the sampling tube of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0318] Specifically, the control device 240 can use the mass of the waste liquid container 250 after drainage minus the mass before drainage for the fermentation tank to be sampled to obtain the mass of the waste liquid in the sampling tube of the fermentation tank to be sampled. In this way, data support can be provided for achieving mass balance and carbon balance.

[0319] For example, a fermentation zone electronic balance ( Figure 1(not shown), the mass of the fermenter can be measured under the control of the control device 240. Therefore, in order to achieve mass balance and carbon balance, in the process of performing the fermenter sampling operation on each fermenter to be sampled in step 5013, before opening the fermentation liquid valve of the fermenter to be sampled in step 50133, the following steps 50133' can also be performed:

[0320] Step 50133': the electronic balance in the fermentation area of ​​the fermentation tank to be sampled is used to measure the mass to obtain the mass of the fermentation tank before sampling.

[0321] Here, the control device 240 can control the electronic balance in the fermentation area of ​​the fermentation tank to be sampled to measure the mass to obtain the pre-sampling mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled, and the obtained pre-sampling mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be sent to the control device 240 for storage. For example, the pre-sampling mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be stored in correspondence with the identification of the fermentation tank to be sampled and the sampling operation identification.

[0322] Based on the optional implementation of the above step 50133', the following steps 50237 and 50238 are performed after step 52036:

[0323] Step 50237: the electronic balance in the fermentation area of ​​the fermentation tank to be sampled measures the mass to obtain the mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0324] Here, the control device 240 can control the electronic balance in the fermentation area of ​​the fermentation tank to be sampled to measure the mass. The measured mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be sent to the control device 240, and then the process can go to step 50238 for execution.

[0325] Step 50238: The control device determines the mass balance information of the fermentation tank to be sampled according to the mass before sampling, the mass of the fermentation liquid sampling, the mass of the waste liquid in the sampling tube, and the mass after sampling of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0326] Here, the control device 240 may first calculate the sum of the fermentation liquid sampling mass, the sampling tube waste liquid mass and the post-sampling mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled as the output mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0327] Then, the difference between the mass before sampling and the output mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be calculated as the lost mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0328] Finally, the mass balance information of the fermentation tank to be sampled is determined according to the difference and / or ratio between the lost mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled and the mass before sampling.

[0329] After step 5023, waste liquid can be discharged from each fermentation tank to be sampled, the discharged waste liquid is injected into the waste liquid container, and the mass of waste liquid in the sampling tube of each fermentation tank to be sampled is also recorded. Then, the process can go to step 5024 for execution.

[0330] Step 5024, remove the waste liquid container.

[0331] For example, the waste container can be removed manually or by a robot arm. The removed waste container can be placed in a waiting area.

[0332] Optionally, the sampling tube waste liquid discharge operation may further include the following step 5025:

[0333] Step 5025, dump the liquid in the waste liquid container.

[0334] For example, the liquid in the waste liquid container 250 can be dumped manually or by the robot arm 260 and then placed in the waiting area.

[0335] By performing the above step 502 before performing step 501, the fermentation liquid sampled last time remaining in the sampling tube of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be drained away and filled with the fresh fermentation liquid of the fermentation tank to be sampled at that time. In this way, in the subsequent process of performing step 501, the fermentation liquid in the sampling tube of the fermentation tank to be sampled will be fresh and have substantially the same substances and components as the fermentation liquid in the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0336] After executing step 501, that is, performing the sampling operation, although the liquid in the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled is blown into the corresponding target hole position by clean air, some liquid may still remain in the pipeline, peristaltic pump or syringe of the fermentation tank, and adhere to the pipe wall to affect the subsequent liquid flow rate, causing pipeline blockage, and the liquid may affect the detection accuracy of the next sampling. Therefore, in some optional implementations, after performing the sampling operation in step 501, the above method flow 500 may also include the following step 503:

[0337] Step 503, performing pipeline cleaning operation.

[0338] Here, the pipeline cleaning operation may include Figure 5G Steps 5031 to 5034 are shown:

[0339] Step 5031, place the waste liquid container at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area.

[0340] Here, after the sampling operation, that is, after executing step 501 , the waste liquid container 250 can be placed at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area manually or by the robot arm 260 .

[0341] It should be noted that, here, in the process of the robot arm 260 placing the waste liquid container 250 at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area, the optional implementation method of secondary positioning in placing the waste liquid container 250 at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area can also be adopted to improve the positioning accuracy of the robot arm 260 placing the waste liquid container 250 at the sampling position on the electronic balance 230 in the sampling area.

[0342] Step 5032: The syringe support moving assembly moves so that the syringe support is located above the waste liquid container, and each syringe can inject liquid into the waste liquid container.

[0343] Here, the specific operation and technical effect of step 5032 are basically the same as the operation and effect of step 5022, and will not be repeated here.

[0344] Step 5033: For each fermentation tank to be sampled, perform a fermentation tank pipeline cleaning operation.

[0345] It should be noted that the automatic sampling instruction may specify the fermentation tank pipeline cleaning sequence between different fermentation tanks to be sampled, or may not specify it. If the fermentation tank pipeline cleaning sequence is specified, in step 5033, the fermentation tank pipeline cleaning operation may be performed according to the specified fermentation tank pipeline cleaning sequence between different fermentation tanks to be sampled; conversely, if the fermentation tank pipeline cleaning sequence is not specified, the fermentation tank pipeline cleaning sequence between different fermentation tanks to be sampled may not be fixed.

[0346] Here, the fermentation tank line cleaning operation may include such as Figure 5H Steps 50331 to 50334 shown:

[0347] Optionally, when a sealed sealing cover is also provided above each accommodation space of the waste liquid container 250, before executing step 50331, the following steps 50331' may be further executed:

[0348] Step 50331', the assembly robot moves to the top of the syringe support and presses the pressing pad of the syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled, so that the syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled moves downward until the needle is located in the accommodation space of the waste liquid container.

[0349] That is, through step 50331', the syringe needle of the fermentation tank to be sampled pierces the sealing cover on the surface of the waste liquid container 250, so that the subsequent needle can discharge liquid into the waste liquid container 250. Then continue to execute step 50331.

[0350] Step 50331, open the cleaning liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0351] Step 50332, start the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to pump the cleaning liquid, clean the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled, and the cleaning liquid after cleaning flows from the syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled into the waste liquid container.

[0352] Since after executing step 501, i.e., in the process of performing the sampling operation, although the liquid in the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled is blown into the corresponding target hole position by clean air, some liquid may still remain in the pipeline, peristaltic pump or syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled, which will adhere to the tube wall and affect the flow rate of the liquid later, causing pipeline blockage, which may affect the detection accuracy of the next sampling. Therefore, the flow of cleaning liquid can be used to take away the liquid remaining in the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled, prevent pipeline blockage, and also prevent the cross influence of fermentation liquid. In addition, the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be disinfected and sterilized by cleaning liquid to prevent the growth of miscellaneous bacteria.

[0353] Here, the maximum flow-through volume of the fermentation liquid sampling process can be determined according to the volume of the fermentation tank pipeline, the volume of the pipeline in the peristaltic pump, and the volume of the syringe in practice. Then, the control device 240 determines the required cleaning liquid volume according to the maximum flow-through volume of the fermentation liquid sampling process. Finally, the pump speed and working time of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled are set according to the required cleaning liquid volume to achieve the purpose of pumping the required cleaning liquid volume of cleaning liquid, and then finally achieve the cleaning and disinfection of the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled. Optionally, the required cleaning liquid volume can be greater than the maximum flow-through volume of the fermentation liquid sampling process. For example, the required cleaning liquid volume can be five times the maximum flow-through volume of the fermentation liquid sampling process to achieve sufficient cleaning and disinfection.

[0354] Step 50333, close the cleaning liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0355] After the pipeline of the fermentation tank to be sampled is cleaned, the cleaning liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled can be closed.

[0356] Step 50334, open the air valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled to blow the remaining liquid in the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled into the waste liquid container, and complete the fermentation tank pipeline cleaning operation for the fermentation tank to be sampled.

[0357] It should be noted that the air valve here is connected to filtered clean air. Specifically, an air filter membrane (for example, a 0.22-micron air filter membrane) can be connected to the rear end of the air valve, and the air filter membrane can remove bacteria in the air.

[0358] After step 5033, the residual liquid in the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of each fermentation tank to be sampled can be cleaned, disinfected and blown dry to prevent pipeline blockage and bacterial growth, and the cleaning liquid will be injected into the waste liquid container, and then the process can be transferred to step 5034 for execution.

[0359] Step 5034, remove the waste liquid container.

[0360] For example, the waste container can be removed manually or by a robot arm. The removed waste container can be placed in a waiting area.

[0361] Optionally, the pipeline cleaning operation may further include the following step 5035:

[0362] Step 5035, dump the liquid in the waste liquid container.

[0363] For example, the liquid in the waste liquid container can be emptied manually or by a robotic arm and then placed in the waiting area.

[0364] In some optional embodiments, the pipeline cleaning operation may further include the following steps 5031' before step 5031:

[0365] Step 5031': the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container before pipeline cleaning.

[0366] And, after step 5033 and before step 5034, the following step 5034' may also be included:

[0367] Step 5034', the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container after pipeline cleaning, and based on the mass of the waste liquid container before and after pipeline cleaning, the pipeline cleaning quality difference of the fermentation tank to be sampled is determined and recorded.

[0368] Here, the poor quality of pipeline cleaning of the fermentation tank to be sampled recorded in steps 5031' and 5034' is not used for the calculation of mass balance or carbon balance, but to verify whether the automatic sampling system operates normally, because the pipeline cleaning operation in step 503 is only to clean off part of the residual fermentation liquid attached to the pipeline to prevent cross contamination and pipeline blockage, and this part of the fermentation liquid remains very little.

[0369] Since the needles of each syringe are exposed to the air, and bacteria may exist in the air, the needles may be contaminated by the bacteria in the air. In order to ensure that the needles do not contaminate the sampling well plate 210 and the fermentation liquid in the sampling well plate 210, in some optional embodiments, before performing the waste liquid discharge operation, that is, before performing step 502, that is, before performing step 502 again, the automatic sampling method process 500 may further include the following steps 504:

[0370] Step 504, performing a needle cleaning operation.

[0371] Here, the needle cleaning operation may include Fig.5I Step 5041 and step 5042 shown:

[0372] Step 5041, through the movement of the syringe support moving assembly, each syringe needle accommodated in the syringe support is accommodated in the needle cleaning liquid container through the top opening of the needle cleaning liquid container, so that each syringe needle is cleaned by the contained cleaning liquid.

[0373] For example, the movement of the syringe support moving assembly 200 can be controlled by the control device 240 to move the syringe support 190 downward, and each syringe needle accommodated in the syringe support 190 can be accommodated in the needle cleaning fluid container 270 through the top opening of the needle cleaning fluid container 270, so that each syringe needle can be cleaned by the cleaning fluid contained therein.

[0374] Step 5042: The syringe needles contained in the syringe holder are moved away from the needle cleaning fluid container by moving the syringe holder moving assembly.

[0375] For example, the syringe support 190 can be moved upward by moving the syringe support moving assembly 200 until there is a certain distance between the needle of each syringe and the top of the needle cleaning fluid container 270, and the above distance allows the needle cleaning fluid container 270 to be removed without contacting the needle of each syringe.

[0376] Step 5043, remove the needle cleaning fluid container.

[0377] For example, the needle cleaning fluid container can be removed manually or by a robotic arm. The removed needle cleaning fluid container can be placed in a waiting area.

[0378] Optionally, step 504 may further include the following steps 5044:

[0379] Step 5044, pour out the liquid in the needle cleaning liquid container.

[0380] For example, the liquid in the waste liquid container can be emptied manually or by a robotic arm and then placed in the waiting area.

[0381] In some optional embodiments, the needle cleaning operation may further include the following steps 5041' before step 5041:

[0382] Step 5041', place the needle cleaning solution container at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area.

[0383] In this way, it is no longer necessary to set up a separate space for the needle cleaning liquid during the needle cleaning process. It only needs to be placed at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area, saving the space required for the automatic sampling system.

[0384] In some optional embodiments, after executing step 503, that is, after executing the pipeline cleaning operation, the method further includes the following step 505:

[0385] Step 505, performing the needle cleaning operation again.

[0386] After executing step 505, that is, during the pipeline cleaning operation, the needles of each syringe are exposed to the air, which may cause the needles to be contaminated by bacteria in the air. Therefore, the needles need to be cleaned and disinfected in time to avoid bacterial contamination.

[0387] In some optional embodiments, before the first sampling, that is, before the first execution of step 501, all the pipelines connecting the valve components (including the fermentation liquid valve, the air valve and the cleaning liquid valve) can be connected to the cleaning liquid container, and then the valve components and the peristaltic pumps can be opened to allow the cleaning liquid to flow through the valve components, the peristaltic pumps, the syringes and the corresponding pipelines in sequence and be injected into the waste liquid container 250 for the first pipeline cleaning. Then, the pipeline connection structure of each valve component is restored to its original state. In this way, the valve components, peristaltic pumps, syringes and pipelines of each fermentation tank can be cleaned and sterilized.

[0388] The automatic sampling method provided by the above-mentioned embodiment of the present disclosure can realize automatic sampling through the mutual cooperation of various components in the automatic sampling system 10, reduce labor costs, and can help achieve mass balance and carbon balance by weighing the mass difference of the sampling hole plate 210 before and after sampling.

[0389] As another aspect, the present disclosure further provides a control device, comprising: one or more processors; a storage device having one or more programs stored thereon, wherein when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, Figure 1 The automatic sampling system described in the illustrated embodiment and its alternative implementations is implemented as follows Figure 5A and the methods described in its optional embodiments.

[0390] As another aspect, the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein when the computer program is executed by one or more processors, Figure 1 The automatic sampling system described in the illustrated embodiment and its alternative implementations is implemented as follows Figure 5A and the methods described in its optional embodiments.

[0391] As another aspect, the present disclosure further provides a computer program product, including a computer program / instruction, which, when executed by a processor, enables Figure 1 The automatic sampling system described in the illustrated embodiment and its alternative implementations is implemented as follows Figure 5A and the methods described in its optional embodiments.

[0392] The flow chart and block diagram in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, function and operation of the system, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each square box in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment or a part of a code, and the module, the program segment or a part of the code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some implementations as replacements, the functions marked in the square box can also occur in a sequence different from that marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two square boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each square box in the block diagram and / or flow chart, and the combination of the square boxes in the block diagram and / or flow chart can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0393] In addition, each functional module in each embodiment of the present disclosure may be integrated into one processing unit, or each module may exist physically separately, or two or more modules may be integrated into one processing unit. The above-mentioned integrated processing unit may be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional module. If the integrated processing unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0394] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and an explanation of the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in the present disclosure is not limited to the technical solution formed by a specific combination of the above technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by any combination of the above technical features or their equivalent features without departing from the above invention concept. For example, the above features are replaced with the technical features with similar functions disclosed in the present disclosure (but not limited to) by each other.

Claims

1. An automatic sampling system, comprising: At least one fermentation tank, wherein each fermentation tank is provided with a sampling tube inside and a valve assembly, a peristaltic pump and a syringe outside, the sampling tube of each fermentation tank is connected to the corresponding valve assembly, peristaltic pump and syringe in sequence through a pipeline, the valve assembly includes a fermentation liquid valve, an air valve and a cleaning liquid valve, one end of the fermentation liquid valve, the air valve and the cleaning liquid valve are connected to the corresponding peristaltic pump, and the other end is connected to the sampling tube, air source and cleaning liquid container of the corresponding fermentation tank respectively; A syringe holder, used to accommodate syringes corresponding to each of the fermentation tanks, each of the syringes having a pressing pad on the top and a needle on the bottom, and the needle is placed vertically downward in the accommodation hole of the syringe holder; A syringe support moving assembly, used for moving the syringe support in plane and up and down, the syringe support being fixed to the syringe support moving assembly; A sampling orifice plate having at least one well position, the well position being used to contain liquid; An assembly robot is used to move above the syringe support and press the pressing pad of the syringe so that the syringe moves downward until the needle is located in the hole of the sampling orifice plate; The electronic balance in the sampling area is arranged in the sampling area and is used to weigh the mass during the sampling process; a control device, in communication with each of the valve assemblies, each of the peristaltic pumps, the syringe support moving assembly, the assembly robot, and the sampling area electronic balance; and a waste liquid container for containing liquid; The automatic sampling system also includes: A secondary positioning device is arranged in the secondary positioning area, the secondary positioning device comprises a first control valve, a second control valve, a position sensor and a secondary positioning limit assembly, the first control valve and the second control valve are used to move according to the position information detected by the position sensor; The sampling orifice plate is provided with an identification code, and the automatic sampling system further comprises: The first identity recognition device is arranged in the first identity recognition area and is communicatively connected with the control device.

2. The automatic sampling system according to claim 1, wherein: The assembly robot is a selectively compliant assembly robot arm.

3. The automatic sampling system according to claim 1, wherein: A corresponding fermentation area electronic balance is arranged under each fermentation tank, and the fermentation area electronic balance is used to weigh the mass of the fermentation tank above.

4. The automatic sampling system according to claim 1, wherein: The automatic sampling system also includes: A robotic arm is used to clamp and move the sampling orifice plate; preferably, the robotic arm is also used to clamp and move the waste liquid container.

5. The automatic sampling system according to claim 1, wherein: The automatic sampling system also includes: The needle cleaning liquid container has an opening on the top. When each of the syringes is placed in the syringe support, the needle can be accommodated in the needle cleaning liquid container through the opening, and is used to clean the needle of each of the syringes with the cleaning liquid accommodated therein.

6. The automatic sampling system according to claim 4, wherein: The electronic balance in the sampling area is provided with a measurement object positioning structure that matches the bottom of the sampling orifice plate, and the measurement object positioning structure is used to detachably fix the sampling orifice plate. A clamping claw is provided at the front end of the robotic arm along the first direction. Through the movement of the first control valve and the second control valve, the adjacent first outer wall and the second outer wall of the sampling orifice plate are respectively detachably abutted against the first inner wall and the second inner wall of the secondary positioning limit assembly, and the intersection between the horizontal projection of the first inner wall and the horizontal projection of the second inner wall of the secondary positioning limit assembly is the reference positioning point. The relative position between the preset sampling positioning point in the horizontal projection of the measurement object positioning structure and the reference positioning point is fixed, and the robotic arm can move from the reference positioning point only along the first direction to reach the preset sampling positioning point.

7. The automatic sampling system according to claim 1, wherein: The syringe comprises: The needle tube includes the needle head and the needle tail; A connecting tube, the lower end of which is detachably connected to the needle tail; A pipeline connector, which is hollow inside, has a lower end detachably connected to the upper end of the connecting pipe, and an upper end connected to the output pipeline of the peristaltic pump corresponding to the syringe, and an outer wall is provided with a groove; The needle tube feeding bracket is open at the lower end, the connecting tube and the pipeline connector are arranged in the needle tube feeding bracket, the needle tube feeding bracket is provided with a clamping structure, the clamping structure matches and is embedded in a groove arranged on the outer wall of the pipeline connector, and the side wall of the needle tube feeding bracket is provided with a pipeline inlet, and the output pipeline of the syringe corresponding to the peristaltic pump can pass through the pipeline inlet from the outside of the needle tube feeding bracket to enter the inside of the needle tube feeding bracket; A push rod, fixedly arranged on the upper end of the needle feeding bracket; A pressing pad, fixedly arranged on the upper end of the push rod; The spring is sleeved on the outside of the push rod, and the upper end and the lower end are respectively in contact with the pressing pad and the needle tube feeding bracket. The spring is used to move the syringe upward as a whole.

8. The automatic sampling system according to claim 1, wherein: The waste liquid container is provided with an identification code, and the automatic sampling system further comprises: The second identity recognition device is arranged in the second identity recognition area and is communicatively connected with the control device.

9. An automatic sampling method, applied to the automatic sampling system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the method comprising: Performing a sampling operation, the sampling operation specifically includes: Placing the sampling orifice plate at the sampling position above the electronic balance in the sampling area; The syringe support moving assembly is moved so that the syringe support is located above the sampling well plate, and each of the syringes is located above a hole position of the sampling well plate respectively; For each fermentation tank to be sampled, the following fermentation tank sampling operation is performed: the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass before sampling of the sampling well plate; the assembly robot presses the pressing pad on the top of the syringe corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled, so that the corresponding syringe moves downward and the needle enters the target hole position corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled in the sampling well plate; the fermentation liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is opened; the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is started to pump the fermentation liquid according to the target sampling mass corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled, and the pumped fermentation liquid The liquid flows into the corresponding target hole through the corresponding syringe; the fermentation liquid valve and the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled are closed; the air valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is opened to blow the fermentation liquid in the pipeline, the peristaltic pump and the syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled into the corresponding target hole; the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the post-sampling mass of the sampling well plate; based on the pre-sampling mass and the post-sampling mass of the target sampling well plate, the fermentation liquid sampling mass of the fermentation tank to be sampled is determined and recorded, and the fermentation tank sampling operation for the fermentation tank to be sampled is completed; Remove the sampling orifice plate to complete the sampling; Wherein, the sampling orifice plate is provided with an identification code, and the automatic sampling system further comprises a first identification device which is provided in the first identification area and is communicatively connected with the control device; The automatic sampling system also includes a secondary positioning device arranged in the secondary positioning area, the secondary positioning device includes a first control valve, a second control valve, a position sensor and a secondary positioning limit assembly, and the first control valve and the second control valve are used to move according to the position information detected by the position sensor.

10. The automatic sampling method according to claim 9, wherein: Before performing the sampling operation, the method further includes performing a waste liquid discharge operation, and the waste liquid discharge operation specifically includes: Placing the waste liquid container at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area; The syringe support moving assembly is moved so that the syringe support is located above the waste liquid container, and each syringe can inject liquid into the waste liquid container; For each fermentation tank to be sampled, the following sampling tube waste liquid discharge operation is performed: the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container before discharge; the fermentation liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is opened; the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is started to pump the fermentation liquid, and the pumped fermentation liquid flows into the waste liquid container through the corresponding syringe; the fermentation liquid valve and the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled are closed; the electronic balance in the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container after discharge; based on the mass before discharge and the mass after discharge of the waste liquid container, the waste liquid mass of the sampling tube of the fermentation tank to be sampled is determined and recorded, and the sampling tube waste liquid discharge operation for the fermentation tank to be sampled is completed; removing the waste liquid container; Preferably, the method further comprises dumping the liquid in the waste liquid container.

11. The automatic sampling method according to claim 10, wherein: After performing the sampling operation, the method further includes: performing a pipeline cleaning operation, and the pipeline cleaning operation specifically includes: Placing the waste liquid container at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area; The syringe support moving assembly is moved so that the syringe support is located above the waste liquid container, and each syringe can inject liquid into the waste liquid container; For each fermentation tank to be sampled, the following fermentation tank pipeline cleaning operation is performed: the cleaning liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is opened; the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is started to pump the cleaning liquid, and the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled are cleaned, and the cleaning liquid after cleaning flows from the syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled into the waste liquid container; the cleaning liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is closed; the air valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled is opened to blow the remaining liquid in the pipeline, peristaltic pump and syringe of the fermentation tank to be sampled into the waste liquid container, and the fermentation tank pipeline cleaning operation for the fermentation tank to be sampled is completed; removing the waste liquid container; Preferably, the method further comprises dumping the liquid in the waste liquid container; Preferably, in the fermentation tank pipeline cleaning operation, before opening the cleaning liquid valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled, the operation further includes: measuring the mass with the electronic balance in the sampling area to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container before pipeline cleaning; and after opening the air valve of the fermentation tank to be sampled to empty the remaining liquid in the pipeline of the fermentation tank to be sampled, the operation further includes: measuring the mass with the electronic balance in the sampling area to obtain the mass of the waste liquid container after pipeline cleaning, and determining and recording the pipeline cleaning quality difference of the fermentation tank to be sampled based on the mass of the waste liquid container before pipeline cleaning and the mass of the waste liquid container after pipeline cleaning.

12. The automatic sampling method according to claim 11, wherein: Before performing the waste liquid discharge operation, the method further includes performing a needle cleaning operation, and the needle cleaning operation specifically includes: The syringe support moving assembly moves so that each syringe needle accommodated by the syringe support is accommodated in the needle cleaning liquid container through the top opening of the needle cleaning liquid container, so that each syringe needle is cleaned by the cleaning liquid accommodated therein; The syringe needles contained in the syringe support are moved away from the needle cleaning fluid container by the movement of the syringe support moving assembly; removing the needle cleaning fluid container; Preferably, the method further comprises pouring out the liquid in the needle cleaning liquid container; Preferably, in the needle cleaning operation, before the syringe holder moving assembly moves so that each syringe needle accommodated by the syringe holder is accommodated in the needle cleaning fluid container through the top opening of the needle cleaning fluid container, it also includes: placing the needle cleaning fluid container at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area.

13. The automatic sampling method according to claim 12, wherein: After performing the pipeline cleaning operation, the method further includes: performing the needle cleaning operation again.

14. The automatic sampling method according to claim 9, wherein: The step of starting the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to pump the fermentation liquid according to the target sampling mass corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled comprises: Determining a first target sampling mass according to the target sampling mass corresponding to the fermentation tank to be sampled, wherein the first target sampling mass is less than the target sampling mass; Determining the first working time of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled according to the first target sampling mass and the preset pump speed; Start the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to pump the fermentation liquid according to the preset pump speed and the first working time; Turn off the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled; The electronic balance of the sampling area measures the mass to obtain the mass of the sampling orifice plate after the first sampling; Determining the first actual sampling mass based on the mass of the sampling orifice plate before sampling and the mass after the first sampling; Determining an actual pump speed according to the first actual sampling mass, the first target sampling mass and the preset pump speed; In response to determining that the actual pump speed is less than a preset minimum pump speed, interrupting the fermentation tank sampling operation, and generating and outputting prompt information indicating the risk of pipeline blockage or gas leakage; In response to determining that the actual pump speed is not less than a preset minimum pump speed and less than a preset maximum pump speed, determining a secondary sampling working time based on the actual pump speed and a remaining mass to be sampled obtained by subtracting the first actual sampling mass from the target sampling mass, and starting a peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled to pump the fermentation liquid according to the preset pump speed and the secondary sampling working time; In response to determining that the actual pump speed is greater than a preset maximum pump speed, the pump speed of the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is modified, and the secondary sampling working time is determined based on the modified pump speed and the remaining mass to be sampled obtained by subtracting the first actual sampling mass from the target sampling mass, and the peristaltic pump of the fermentation tank to be sampled is started to pump the fermentation liquid according to the modified pump speed and the secondary working sampling time.

15. The automatic sampling method according to claim 9, wherein: The method further comprises: Before the first sampling, all pipelines connected to the valve components are connected to the cleaning liquid container, and the valve components and the peristaltic pumps are opened to allow the cleaning liquid to flow through the valve components, the peristaltic pumps, the syringes and the corresponding pipelines in sequence, and then be injected into the waste liquid container for the first pipeline cleaning; The pipeline connection structure of each valve assembly is restored to its original state.

16. The automatic sampling method according to claim 9, wherein: Placing the sampling orifice plate at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area comprises: Placing the sampling well plate in a first identity recognition area corresponding to a first identity recognition device for identity recognition; In response to the sampling well plate being verified according to the identification information recognition result of the sampling well plate, the sampling well plate is placed at a sampling position on the electronic balance of the sampling area.

17. The automatic sampling method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The waste liquid container is provided with an identification code, and the automatic sampling system further comprises a second identification device provided in the second identification area and communicatively connected with the control device; and Placing the waste liquid container at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area comprises: Placing the waste liquid container in a second identity recognition area corresponding to a second identity recognition device for identity recognition; In response to the waste liquid container being authenticated according to the identification information of the waste liquid container, the waste liquid container is placed at a sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area.

18. The automatic sampling method according to claim 9, wherein: At least two adjacent outer side walls of the sampling orifice plate can match the structural inner wall of the secondary positioning and limiting assembly, and by moving the first control valve and the second control valve, at least two adjacent outer side walls of the sampling orifice plate can be detachably abutted against the structural inner wall of the secondary positioning and limiting assembly; and Placing the sampling orifice plate at the sampling position on the electronic balance in the sampling area comprises: Placing the sampling orifice plate in a secondary positioning area, and performing secondary positioning on the sampling orifice plate by means of the secondary positioning device; The sampling orifice plate is moved from the secondary positioning area to the sampling position on the electronic balance of the sampling area.

19. A control device comprising: one or more processors; a storage device having one or more programs stored thereon, When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the automatic sampling system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 implements the method according to any one of claims 9 to 18.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein: When the computer program is executed by one or more processors, the automatic sampling system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 implements the method according to any one of claims 9 to 18.

21. A computer program product, comprising a computer program / instruction, wherein when the computer program / instruction is executed by a processor, the computer program / instruction enables the automatic sampling system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to implement the method according to any one of claims 9 to 18.

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