An integrated incubation and wash module

Abstract

The application discloses a reaction cup transfer method of an integrated incubation and cleaning module. The cleaning disc in the integrated incubation and cleaning module is arranged on the inner circumferential side of the incubation disc or the cleaning disc is arranged on the outer circumferential side of the incubation disc. The reaction cup transfer method is characterized in that an internal reaction cup transfer mechanism is arranged in the integrated incubation and cleaning module, and the reaction cup is transferred between the cleaning disc and the incubation disc by using the internal reaction cup transfer mechanism. The reaction cup is transferred in the form of internal transfer. On the premise of ensuring normal transfer of the reaction cup, the existing mode of external transfer of the reaction cup is changed, the arrangement of external related components is reduced, the overall volume of the immunoassay device is reduced, the overall structure of the immunoassay device is simplified, and the overall cost of the immunoassay device is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a working method of an integrated incubation and cleaning module, and more particularly to a method for internal transport of reaction cups in an integrated incubation and cleaning module of a fully automated single-molecule immunoassay device, belonging to the field of medical testing technology. Background Technology

[0002] Since the first automated chemical analysis instrument was manufactured, more than half a century has passed, and fully automated immunoassay analyzers have reached a high level of technological maturity. Modern fully automated immunoassay analyzers possess the following characteristics: 1. They employ multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arms to coordinate the movements of various modules; 2. The instruments are highly flexible, meeting diverse analytical needs; 3. They offer fast testing speeds and long continuous operation times without human intervention; 4. They combine multiple technologies in detection and fully automate processing, resulting in more accurate and precise test results. Fully automated immunoassay analyzers can handle steps such as taking reaction cups, adding samples, adding reaction solutions, shaking, promoting the reaction, measuring, calculating and analyzing, and cleaning during experimental testing. Replacing manual operation not only saves labor costs but, more importantly, eliminates human error, ensuring data accuracy. With advantages such as speed, efficiency, high precision, and repeatability, fully automated immunoassay analyzers are widely used in processing, production, testing, and daily life assistance, and are poised to become a trend in the medical testing field.

[0003] In previous technologies, the incubation and cleaning process in immunoassay analyzers involved placing reaction cups containing samples and reagents into a separate incubation module for heating and incubation. A robotic arm then removed the reaction cups and transferred them to a separate cleaning module for magnetic separation and cleaning. Because incubation and cleaning were two completely separate modules, the overall size of the immunoassay analyzer was large, its structure complex, and its cost high. Therefore, the existing technology has been improved by coaxially arranging the incubation tray and the cleaning tray into a single incubation and cleaning module. This reduces the overall size of the immunoassay analyzer compared to the previous method.

[0004] During operation, the reaction cups need to be moved back and forth between the cleaning tray and the incubation tray. In integrated incubation and cleaning modules, existing technologies use an external robotic arm to perform this task. This arm removes the reaction cups from the cleaning tray and places them in the incubation tray, or vice versa. However, because existing technologies rely on external robotic arms for transfer, this contributes to the overall large size of the immunoassay analyzer.

[0005] The relevant patent documents retrieved are as follows:

[0006] I. Chinese utility model patent with authorization announcement number CN207636603U and authorization announcement date of July 20, 2018 discloses an incubation and cleaning device, including an incubation plate, a cleaning plate, a driving component, and a heating component. The incubation plate includes an incubation plate body for incubating samples in a reaction cup; the cleaning plate is coaxial with the incubation plate and arranged in concentric circles, and is used to perform multi-stage cleaning of magnetic particles in the reaction cup; the driving component is a coaxial driving structure, including two driving motors, which drive the incubation plate and the cleaning plate to move independently respectively; the heating component is located below the incubation plate and the cleaning plate and is used to heat the incubation plate and the cleaning plate.

[0007] The aforementioned patent document integrates the cleaning tray and the incubation tray into a coaxial and concentric circle configuration. The document does not disclose how the reaction cups are transferred between the integrated cleaning tray and the incubation tray, but judging from the attached drawings, they should be transferred from the outside using a robotic arm.

[0008] II. Chinese utility model patent with authorization announcement number CN217688992U and authorization announcement date of October 28, 2022 discloses a sample analysis device, comprising: a reaction vessel supply unit for providing a reaction vessel to be used; a dispensing unit for injecting reagents and / or samples into the reaction vessel; an incubation tray unit for incubating the liquid in the reaction vessel; a cleaning tray unit for removing unbound components from the reaction system in the reaction vessel; and a detection unit for detecting analytes in the reaction vessel; wherein the cleaning tray unit is sleeved on the outside of the incubation tray unit. Alternatively, they can be arranged coaxially on the inner side, with the cleaning tray unit and the incubation tray unit operating independently; a reaction vessel transfer mechanism is used to transport the reaction vessel between the reaction vessel supply unit, the incubation tray unit, and the cleaning tray unit; the reaction vessel supply unit has a reaction vessel supply unit cup gripping position, the incubation tray unit has an incubation tray cup gripping position, and the cleaning tray unit has a cleaning tray cup gripping position, all of which are located on the movement trajectory of the reaction vessel transfer unit.

[0009] The patent document also shows the incubation tray unit and the washing tray unit coaxially arranged and integrated together. However, it also uses an external gripper to transfer the reaction cup between the incubation tray unit and the washing tray unit.

[0010] In summary, designing an integrated incubation and cleaning module for transporting reaction cups, ensuring normal transport of the reaction cups while minimizing external transport and reducing the number of external components, thereby reducing the overall size of the immunoassay analyzer, simplifying its structure, and lowering its overall cost, is an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to address the deficiencies in the prior art by providing an internal transfer method for reaction cups in an integrated incubation and cleaning module. This method uses internal transfer to transfer reaction cups, thereby changing the existing method of transferring reaction cups from the outside while ensuring normal transfer of reaction cups. This reduces the number of external components, thereby reducing the overall volume of the immunoassay device, simplifying the overall structure of the immunoassay device, and lowering the overall cost of the immunoassay device.

[0012] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: a reaction cup transfer method for an integrated incubation and cleaning module, wherein the cleaning plate in the integrated incubation and cleaning module is disposed on the inner circumference of the incubation plate or on the outer circumference of the incubation plate, and the reaction cup transfer method is to set an internal reaction cup transfer mechanism inside the integrated incubation and cleaning module, and to transfer the reaction cup between the cleaning plate and the incubation plate using the internal reaction cup transfer mechanism.

[0013] Preferably, a plurality of U-shaped grooves I for supporting the reaction cups are provided on the cleaning tray, and the U-shaped grooves I are arranged radially toward the cleaning tray. A plurality of U-shaped grooves II for supporting the reaction cups are provided on the incubation tray, and the U-shaped grooves II are arranged radially toward the incubation tray. When the cleaning tray and the incubation tray are assembled, the openings of the U-shaped grooves I and II are arranged facing each other, and through the rotation of the cleaning tray and the incubation tray, one of the U-shaped grooves I and one of the U-shaped grooves II can be positioned on the same radial line.

[0014] During transfer, the reaction cup is moved radially from U-shaped groove one to U-shaped groove two or vice versa along the cleaning tray and incubation tray using the internal transfer mechanism of the reaction cup, thereby transferring the reaction cup between the cleaning tray and the incubation tray.

[0015] Preferably, the internal transfer mechanism of the reaction vessel includes an X-axis moving device and a Z-axis moving device disposed on the X-axis moving device. A transfer cylinder is disposed on the Z-axis moving device. The X-axis moving device and the Z-axis moving device constitute a two-dimensional moving mechanism. The X-axis is arranged radially along the cleaning tray and the incubation tray, and the Z-axis is perpendicular to the X-axis direction. Through the movement of the two-dimensional moving mechanism, the transfer cylinder is driven to move in the two-dimensional direction, and finally the reaction vessel is transferred back and forth between the cleaning tray and the incubation tray by the transfer cylinder.

[0016] Preferably, when transferring the reaction vessel from the incubation tray to the cleaning tray, first control the rotation of the incubation tray and the cleaning tray so that the opening of one U-shaped groove two on the incubation tray and the opening of one U-shaped groove one on the cleaning tray are aligned radially along the incubation tray and the cleaning tray, and then the specific operation steps are as follows:

[0017] 1) Control the Y-axis moving device to move the transfer cylinder upward, so that the transfer cylinder contacts the reaction cup located in the second U-shaped groove, and as the transfer cylinder continues to move upward, it lifts the reaction cup out of the second U-shaped groove;

[0018] 2) Control the X-axis moving device to move the transfer cylinder radially toward the cleaning plate, causing the reaction cup to move out of the opening of U-shaped trough two and then into the opening of U-shaped trough one until it moves to the position above the bottom of U-shaped trough one.

[0019] 3) Control the Y-axis moving device to move the transfer cylinder downwards and place the reaction cup into the U-shaped groove of the cleaning plate; after the transfer cylinder moves into place, the transfer cylinder and the reaction cup separate.

[0020] Preferably, when transferring the reaction vessel from the cleaning tray to the incubation tray, first control the rotation of the incubation tray and the cleaning tray so that the opening of one U-shaped groove two on the incubation tray and the opening of one U-shaped groove one on the cleaning tray are aligned radially along the incubation tray and the cleaning tray, and then the specific operation steps are as follows:

[0021] S1. Control the Y-axis moving device to move the transfer cylinder upward, so that the transfer cylinder contacts the reaction cup located in the U-shaped groove one, and lift the reaction cup from the U-shaped groove one as the transfer cylinder continues to move upward.

[0022] S2. Control the X-axis moving device to move the transfer cylinder radially toward the incubation tray, causing the reaction cup to move out of the opening of U-shaped trough one and then into the opening of U-shaped trough two until it moves to the position above the bottom of U-shaped trough two.

[0023] S3. Control the Y-axis moving device to move the transfer cylinder downwards and place the reaction cup into the U-shaped groove of the incubation tray; after the transfer cylinder moves into place, the transfer cylinder and the reaction cup separate.

[0024] Preferably, the reaction cup body is a conical cylinder, and correspondingly, the inner cavity of the transfer cylinder is also set to be conical; when the reaction cup is lifted by the transfer cylinder, the conical surface of the inner cavity of the transfer cylinder is in contact with the conical surface of the reaction cup body to lift the reaction cup.

[0025] The part where the conical surface of the inner cavity of the transfer cylinder and the conical surface of the reaction cup body meet is designated as the contact part S. The position of the contact part S can be adjusted up or down by adjusting the taper of the conical surface of the inner cavity of the transfer cylinder and the taper of the conical surface of the reaction cup body.

[0026] Preferably, the transfer cylinder is designed as a reversible two-half structure. Inside the integrated incubation and cleaning module and below the transfer cylinder, an opening and closing guide plate is also provided. By using the X-axis and Z-axis moving devices, the two-half structure of the transfer cylinder is driven to cooperate with the opening and closing guide plate, realizing the transformation of the transfer cylinder into a closed state and a separated state. Thus, the transfer of the reaction cup is completed by using the transfer cylinder in the closed state, and the disposal of the reaction cup is completed by using the transfer cylinder in the separated state.

[0027] Preferably, the opening and closing guide plate is configured in a conical shape;

[0028] The transfer cylinder includes an outer frame and a cylinder body disposed inside the outer frame. The cylinder body includes a left half and a right half. Support rod 1 and support rod 2 are respectively disposed on both sides of the left half, and support rod 3 and support rod 4 are respectively disposed on both sides of the right half. A spring 1 is disposed between support rod 1 and support rod 3, and a spring 2 is disposed between support rod 2 and support rod 4. Guide rod 1 and guide rod 2 are also respectively disposed on both sides of the left half, and guide rod 3 and guide rod 4 are respectively disposed on both sides of the right half. A guide wheel is connected to each guide rod. Guide groove 1 and guide groove 2 are respectively opened on both sides. When the closed cylinder is placed into the outer frame, the cylinder is connected to the outer frame by the guide wheels on guide rod 1 and guide rod 3 engaging with guide groove 1 and by the guide wheels on guide rod 2 and guide rod 4 engaging with guide groove 2. Frame waist hole 1 and frame waist hole 2 are also opened on the opposite sides of the outer frame. One end of support rod 1 and support rod 3 extends out of frame waist hole 1, and one end of support rod 2 and support rod 4 extends out of frame waist hole 2. Rollers are provided on one end of support rod 1 and support rod 3.

[0029] During testing, the left and right halves of the transfer cylinder are joined together to form a cylinder, and the inner cavity of the transfer cylinder is used to move the reaction cup. After the test is completed, the left and right halves of the transfer cylinder are separated by the cooperation of the transfer cylinder and the conical opening and closing guide plate, so that the reaction cup falls out from the left and right halves of the cylinder.

[0030] Preferably, when the reaction cup needs to be discarded, first control the transfer tube to move it to the position between the washing tray and the incubation tray, and then the specific operation steps are as follows:

[0031] A1: Control the Y-axis moving device to move the transfer cylinder downward. During the downward movement, the rollers on the support rod 1 on the left half of the cylinder and the rollers on the support rod 3 on the right half of the cylinder contact and roll with the two conical surfaces of the conical opening and closing guide plate, thereby moving the left and right half of the cylinder away from each other and separating them. At this time, spring 1 and spring 2 are both in a stretched state. After separation, the reaction cup in the transfer cylinder falls out.

[0032] A2: Control the Y-axis moving device to move the transfer cylinder upward. During the upward movement, the rollers on the support rod one on the left half of the cylinder and the rollers on the support rod three on the right half of the cylinder separate from the conical opening and closing guide plate. At this time, under the restoring force of spring one and spring two, the left half of the cylinder and the right half of the cylinder move closer to each other, and then close the left half of the cylinder and the right half of the cylinder together again.

[0033] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention enables the transfer of reaction cups within an integrated incubation and cleaning module without the need for an external robotic arm. While ensuring normal transfer of the reaction cups, it changes the existing method of transferring reaction cups externally, reducing the number of external components, thereby reducing the overall volume of the immunoassay analyzer, simplifying its overall structure, and lowering its overall cost. Through design, it achieves automatic disposal of reaction cups after detection within the integrated incubation and cleaning module, eliminating the need for an external robotic arm to remove and discard the cups. This further reduces the number of external components, thereby further reducing the overall volume of the immunoassay analyzer, simplifying its overall structure, and lowering its overall cost. Through the overall design of this invention, once the reaction cups enter the integrated incubation and cleaning module, they do not need to repeatedly enter and exit the module during the entire detection process. The entire operation, including the disposal process, is completed within the integrated incubation and cleaning module, thus realizing a completely new internal operation mode. This greatly optimizes the overall structure and operating procedures of the immunoassay analyzer and avoids the problem of reaction cups being contaminated by the external environment. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the integrated incubation and cleaning module in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 This is an axial cross-sectional three-dimensional structural diagram of the integrated incubation and cleaning module in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the cleaning disc in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A partial three-dimensional structural diagram of a location in the U-shaped groove;

[0038] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the incubation tray in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the integrated incubation and cleaning module after removing the cleaning tray in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A partial three-dimensional structural diagram of the part located at point two of the U-shaped groove;

[0041] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the internal transfer mechanism of the reaction vessel in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 9 This is a partial top view of the U-shaped groove one in the cleaning tray and the U-shaped groove two in the incubation tray in the integrated incubation and cleaning module of this invention.

[0043] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle and structure of the internal transport method of the reaction vessel in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 1 ;

[0044] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle and structure of the internal transport method of the reaction vessel in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 ;

[0045] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle and structure of the internal transport method of the reaction vessel in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 3 ;

[0046] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle and structure of the internal transport method of the reaction vessel in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 4 ;

[0047] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle and structure of the internal transport method of the reaction vessel in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 5 ;

[0048] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the transfer cylinder lifting the reaction cup in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the transfer cylinder in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0050] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the transfer cylinder in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0051] Figure 18 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the inner cylinder of the transfer cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 19 for Figure 2 Enlarged structural diagram of section A in the middle;

[0053] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle structure when discarding the reaction cup in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0054] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle structure when discarding the reaction cup in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0055] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle structure when discarding the reaction cup in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 .

[0056] In the diagram: 1. Outer shell, 2. Support leg, 3. Cleaning tray, 311. Upper tray, 312. Lower tray, 313. U-shaped groove one, 3131. Step one, 4. Incubation tray, 411. Upper ring, 4111. External tooth, 412. Lower ring, 413. U-shaped groove two, 4131. Step two, 414. Ring through hole, 5. Drive mechanism one, 6. Drive mechanism two, 611. Transmission gear, 7. Reaction cup, 711. Reaction cup body, 712. Flange, 8. Support column, 9. Horizontal guide wheel, 911. Guide groove, 10. Internal transfer mechanism of reaction cup, 101. Connecting seat, 11. Transfer cylinder, 111. Transfer 112. Inner cavity of the cylinder, 113. Outer frame, 114. Cylinder body, 115. Left half of the cylinder, 116. Right half of the cylinder, 117. Stepper motor 1, 118. Lead screw 1, 119. Nut seat 1, 12. Stepper motor 2, 13. Lead screw 2, 14. Nut seat 2, 15. Support rod 1, 16. Support rod 2, 17. Support rod 3, 28. Support rod 4, 29. Spring 1, 20. Spring 2, 21. Guide rod 1, 22. Guide rod 2, 23. Guide rod 3, 24. Guide rod 4, 25. Guide rod 2, 26. Guide rod 3, 27. Guide rod 4, 28. Guide wheel, 29. Guide groove 1, 30. Guide groove 2, 31. Frame waist hole 1, 32. Frame waist hole 2, 33. Opening and closing guide plate, 34. Roller, 35. Cup dropping guide groove. Detailed Implementation

[0057] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0058] Example: Figure 1and Figure 2 As shown, an integrated incubation and cleaning module includes a circular outer shell 1. To facilitate support of the entire module, multiple support legs 2 are provided at the bottom of the outer shell 1. A cleaning tray 3 and an incubation tray 4 are rotatably disposed inside the outer shell 1. The incubation tray 4 is ring-shaped, and the cleaning tray 3 is located inside the ring-shaped incubation tray 4. The cleaning tray 3 and the incubation tray 4 are coaxial. The inner and outer positions of the cleaning tray 3 and the incubation tray 4 can be interchanged; that is, the cleaning tray is ring-shaped and located on the outside, and the incubation tray is located inside the cleaning tray. A first drive mechanism 5 and a second drive mechanism 6 are also included. The first drive mechanism 5 is a cleaning tray drive motor, which is disposed on the inner bottom surface of the outer shell 1. Its output shaft is connected to the cleaning tray 3 to drive the rotation of the cleaning tray. The second drive mechanism 6 is an incubation tray drive motor, which is disposed on the outer shell 1. Its output shaft is provided with a transmission gear 611, which is connected to the incubation tray 4 via gear transmission to drive the rotation of the incubation tray 4. The specific gear transmission structure will be described later.

[0059] The structure of cleaning disc 3 is described below: Figure 3 As shown, the cleaning disc 3 includes an upper disc body 311 and a lower disc body 312. The upper disc body 311 is connected to the lower disc body 312 as a single unit via screws or other connecting components. The output shaft of the cleaning disc drive motor is connected to the center of the lower disc body 312, thereby enabling the cleaning disc 3 to rotate under the drive of the motor. Along the circumference of the cleaning disc, multiple U-shaped grooves 313 for supporting reaction cups are provided on the lower disc body 312, with the U-shaped grooves 313 arranged radially towards the lower disc body 312. Figure 4 As shown, the reaction cup 7 includes a reaction cup body 711 and a flange 712 disposed on the reaction cup body 711, with the flange 712 located near the opening of the reaction cup body 711. When the reaction cup 7 is placed in the U-shaped groove 313, it is supported by the flange 712 resting on the bottom of the U-shaped groove 313. In this embodiment, the bottom of the U-shaped groove 313 is an arc-shaped groove bottom. A step portion 3131 is provided on the lower plate 312 at the bottom of the U-shaped groove 313, the curvature of which matches the curvature of the flange 712 of the reaction cup 7. When the reaction cup 7 is placed in the U-shaped groove 313, the flange 712 rests on the step portion 3131 at the bottom of the U-shaped groove 313, thereby supporting the reaction cup. The flange 712 of the reaction cup 7 can be limited by the step portion 3131, thereby positioning the reaction cup 7 on the cleaning plate.

[0060] The structure of incubation tray 4 is described below: Figures 5 to 7As shown, the incubation tray 4 includes an upper ring 411 and a lower ring 412. The upper ring 411 is connected to the lower ring 412 as a whole by screws or other connecting parts. Multiple support columns 8 are provided on the inner bottom of the outer shell 1. A horizontal guide wheel 9 is provided on the top of each support column 8. A guide groove 911 is formed on the circumference of the horizontal guide wheel 9, and the guide groove 911 is arranged in a complete circle around the circumference of the horizontal guide wheel 9. By engaging the inner circumference of the upper ring 411 into the guide groove 911 of the horizontal guide wheel 9 and engaging with the guide groove 911 for transmission, the incubation tray 4 is rotatably positioned inside the outer shell 1.

[0061] External teeth 4111 are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the upper ring 411, and the external teeth 4111 are arranged in a full circle along the circumference of the upper ring 411. The transmission gear 611 on the output shaft of the second drive mechanism 6 meshes with the external teeth 4111 of the upper ring 411 for transmission, thereby driving the incubation tray 4 to rotate through the second drive mechanism.

[0062] The structure of the reaction vessel supported by the incubation tray is the same as that of the reaction vessel supported by the washing tray, such as... Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, along the circumference of the incubation tray, multiple U-shaped grooves 413 for supporting reaction cups are provided on the lower ring 412 of the incubation tray. The U-shaped grooves 413 are arranged radially towards the lower ring 412. When the incubation tray and the cleaning tray are assembled, the openings of the U-shaped grooves 413 and U-shaped grooves 313 are arranged opposite each other, that is, the opening direction of the U-shaped grooves 413 is facing the opening direction of the U-shaped grooves 313. Through the rotation of the incubation tray and the cleaning tray, one of the U-shaped grooves 413 and one of the U-shaped grooves 313 can be positioned on the same radial line.

[0063] When the reaction cup 7 is placed in the second U-shaped groove 413, it is supported by the flange 712 of the reaction cup 7 resting on the bottom of the second U-shaped groove 413. In this embodiment, the bottom of the second U-shaped groove 413 is arc-shaped. A step portion 4131 is provided on the lower ring body 412 at the bottom of the second U-shaped groove 413, the curvature of which matches the curvature of the flange 712 of the reaction cup 7. When the reaction cup 7 is placed in the second U-shaped groove 413, the flange 712 of the reaction cup 7 rests on the step portion 4131 at the bottom of the second U-shaped groove 413, thereby supporting the reaction cup. By setting the step portion 4131, the flange 712 of the reaction cup 7 can be limited, thereby positioning the reaction cup 7 on the incubation tray.

[0064] Additionally, it should be noted that before incubation and cleaning, in order to place the reaction cup into the integrated incubation and cleaning module, an annular through hole 414 is opened on the upper annular body 411 at each corresponding U-shaped groove 413. Before incubation and cleaning, the reaction cup is placed into the U-shaped groove 413 through the annular through hole 414, thereby placing the reaction cup into the incubation tray, so that the reaction cup enters the integrated incubation and cleaning module.

[0065] like Figure 6 As shown, the integrated incubation and cleaning module in this embodiment also includes a reaction cup internal transfer mechanism 10 disposed at the bottom of the outer shell 1, which transfers the reaction cup back and forth between the cleaning tray 3 and the incubation tray 4. Figure 8 As shown, the internal transfer mechanism 10 of the reaction cup includes a connecting seat 101 connected to the bottom of the outer shell 1, an X-axis moving device disposed on the connecting seat 101, and a Z-axis moving device disposed on the X-axis moving device. A transfer cylinder 11 is disposed on the Z-axis moving device. The X-axis moving device and the Z-axis moving device constitute a two-dimensional moving mechanism. The X-axis is arranged radially along the cleaning plate 3 and the incubation plate 4, and the Z-axis is perpendicular to the X-axis direction. Through the action of the two-dimensional moving mechanism, the transfer cylinder 11 is driven to move in the two-dimensional direction, and finally the reaction cup is transferred back and forth between the cleaning plate 3 and the incubation plate 4 by the transfer cylinder 11. In this embodiment, the X-axis moving device includes a stepper motor 12 mounted on the connecting seat 101 and a lead screw 13 rotatably connected to the connecting seat 101 via bearings. The output shaft of the stepper motor 12 is connected to the lead screw 13 for transmission. A nut seat 14 is also slidably connected to the connecting seat 101. The nut seat 14 and the lead screw 13 are connected to form a lead screw and nut mechanism, so that the nut seat 14 can be driven to move back and forth along the X-axis direction when the stepper motor 12 is in motion. The Y-axis moving device includes a stepper motor 15 mounted on the nut seat 14 and a lead screw 16 rotatably connected to the nut seat 14 via bearings. The output shaft of the stepper motor 15 is connected to the lead screw 16 for transmission. A nut seat 17 is also slidably connected to the nut seat 14, and the nut seat 17 and the lead screw 16 are connected to form a lead screw-nut mechanism. Thus, under the action of the stepper motor 15, the nut seat 17 can move up and down along the Y-axis. The transfer cylinder 11 is connected to the nut seat 17. It should be noted that the X-axis and Y-axis moving devices can also adopt other structures, as long as they can achieve two-dimensional movement in the X and Y axes.

[0066] like Figure 9As shown, the transfer method used in this embodiment utilizes the transfer cylinder 11 of the transfer mechanism 10 inside the reaction cup to drive the reaction cup 7 along the radial direction (i.e., the X-axis direction) of the cleaning plate 3 and the incubation plate 4, moving it from the U-shaped groove 313 on the cleaning plate 3 to the U-shaped groove 413 on the incubation plate 4, or from the U-shaped groove 413 on the incubation plate 4 to the U-shaped groove 313 on the cleaning plate 3, thereby realizing the transfer of the reaction cup between the cleaning plate 3 and the incubation plate 4.

[0067] like Figure 9 As shown, when the reaction vessel is transferred from the incubation tray 4 to the cleaning tray 3, the incubation tray 4 and the cleaning tray 3 are first rotated so that the opening of one U-shaped groove 413 on the incubation tray 4 and the opening of one U-shaped groove 313 on the cleaning tray 3 are aligned radially along the incubation tray 4 and the cleaning tray 3. Then the specific operation steps are as follows:

[0068] 1) such as Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the Y-axis moving device is controlled to move, causing the transfer cylinder 11 to move upward, so that the transfer cylinder 11 contacts the reaction cup 7 located in the U-shaped groove 413. During the continued upward movement of the transfer cylinder 11, the reaction cup 7 is lifted out of the U-shaped groove 413, so that the flange 712 of the reaction cup and the groove opening plane of the U-shaped groove 413 are left with a vertical distance H1, so as to avoid the reaction cup being obstructed when moving radially.

[0069] 2) For example Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the X-axis moving device is controlled to move the transfer cylinder 11 radially toward the cleaning plate 3, which drives the reaction cup 7 to move out of the slot of the second U-shaped groove 413 and then into the slot of the first U-shaped groove 313 until it moves to the position above the bottom of the first U-shaped groove 313. At this time, the flange 712 of the reaction cup and the slot plane of the first U-shaped groove 313 have a vertical distance H2.

[0070] 3) For example Figure 14 As shown, the Y-axis moving device is controlled to move the transfer cylinder 11 downward, so that the flange 712 of the reaction cup is placed in the U-shaped groove 313, thereby placing the reaction cup 7 into the cleaning tray 3; after the transfer cylinder 11 moves to the position, the transfer cylinder 11 and the reaction cup 7 are separated, which ensures that the rotation of the tray will not be hindered during the subsequent detection process.

[0071] Conversely, when transferring the reaction vessel from the washing tray 3 to the incubation tray 4, the specific operating steps are exactly the reverse of those described above, namely:

[0072] First, control the rotation of the incubation tray 4 and the cleaning tray 3 so that the opening of a U-shaped groove 413 on the incubation tray 4 and the opening of a U-shaped groove 313 on the cleaning tray 3 are aligned radially along the incubation tray 4 and the cleaning tray 3. Then, the specific operation steps are as follows:

[0073] S1. Control the Y-axis moving device to move the transfer cylinder 11 upward, so that the transfer cylinder 11 contacts the reaction cup 7 located in the U-shaped groove 313. During the continued upward movement of the transfer cylinder 11, the reaction cup 7 is lifted out of the U-shaped groove 313, so that the flange 712 of the reaction cup and the groove opening plane of the U-shaped groove 313 are left with a vertical distance H2 to avoid the reaction cup being obstructed when moving radially.

[0074] S2. Control the X-axis moving device to move the transfer cylinder 11 radially toward the incubation tray 4, causing the reaction cup 7 to move out of the slot of U-shaped groove 1 313 and then into the slot of U-shaped groove 2 413 until it moves to the position above the bottom of U-shaped groove 2 413. At this time, the flange 712 of the reaction cup and the slot plane of U-shaped groove 2 413 have a vertical distance H1.

[0075] S3. Control the Y-axis moving device to move the transfer cylinder 11 downward, so that the flange 712 of the reaction cup is placed in the U-shaped groove 413, thereby placing the reaction cup 7 into the incubation tray 4; after the transfer cylinder 11 is moved into place, the transfer cylinder 11 and the reaction cup 7 are separated, which can ensure that the rotation of the tray will not be hindered during the subsequent detection process.

[0076] Through the specific operational steps described above, the transfer of reaction cups within the integrated incubation and cleaning module is achieved without the need for an external robotic arm. This changes the existing method of transferring reaction cups from the outside while ensuring normal transfer of the reaction cups, reduces the number of external components, thereby reducing the overall volume of the immunoassay analyzer, simplifying its overall structure, and lowering its overall cost.

[0077] like Figure 4 and Figure 15 As shown, the reaction vessel 711 is a conical cylinder, with its larger end located at the top (i.e., near the flange 712) and its smaller end located at the bottom (i.e., away from the flange 712). Correspondingly, the inner cavity 111 of the transfer cylinder 11 is also designed as a cone shape, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. Figure 11As shown, when the reaction vessel is lifted using the transfer cylinder 11, the conical surface of the inner cavity 111 of the transfer cylinder mates with the conical surface of the reaction vessel body 711, thereby lifting the reaction vessel. When the taper of the conical surface of the inner cavity 111 of the transfer cylinder is designed to be different from the taper of the conical surface of the reaction vessel body 711, the part where the conical surface of the inner cavity 111 of the transfer cylinder 111 mates with the conical surface of the reaction vessel body 711 is designated as the contact part S. The position of the contact part S can be adjusted up or down by adjusting the taper of the conical surface of the inner cavity 111 of the transfer cylinder 111 and the conical surface of the reaction vessel body 711. Thus, different positions of the contact part S will result in different parameters such as the stroke of the transfer cylinder, thereby adapting to various working conditions.

[0078] After the test is completed, the reaction cups need to be discarded. Existing technology also uses an external robotic arm to remove and discard the reaction cups. This reliance on an external robotic arm results in an excessive number of external components, increasing the overall size of the immunoassay analyzer. Therefore, the applicant has made further improvements to the internal transport mechanism and related locations of the reaction cups, as described below:

[0079] like Figures 16 to 18As shown, the transfer cylinder 11 includes an outer frame 112 and a cylinder 113 disposed inside the outer frame 112. The cylinder 113 has a two-half structure, including a left half cylinder 1131 and a right half cylinder 1132. Support rod 18 and support rod 29 are respectively disposed on both sides of the left half cylinder 1131, and support rod 30 and support rod 41 are respectively disposed on both sides of the right half cylinder 1132. A spring 22 is disposed between support rod 18 and support rod 320. A spring 23 is provided between the second support rod 19 and the fourth support rod 21. Both the first spring 22 and the second spring 23 are tension springs. The left half-cylinder 1131 and the right half-cylinder 1132 are joined together by the first spring 22 and the second spring 23 to form the cylinder 113. Guide rods 1 24 and 25 are respectively provided on both sides of the left half-cylinder 1131, and guide rods 3 26 and 4 27 are respectively provided on both sides of the right half-cylinder 1132. A guide wheel 28 is connected to each guide rod. Guide grooves 29 and 30 are respectively formed on opposite sides of the outer frame 112. When the closed cylinder 113 is placed into the outer frame 112, the guide wheels on guide rods 24 and 26 engage with guide groove 29, and the guide wheels on guide rods 25 and 27 engage with guide groove 30, thereby connecting the cylinder 113 to the outer frame 112. Thus, when the cylinder 113 separates or closes, the guide wheels on the left half of the cylinder 1131 move along guide grooves 29 and 30, and the guide wheels on the right half of the cylinder 1132 move along guide grooves 29 and 30, ensuring stability during the separation or closure process. In addition, frame waist holes 1 31 and 2 32 are respectively opened on the opposite two sides of the outer frame 112. One end of the support rod 1 18 and the support rod 3 20 extends out of the frame waist hole 1 31, and one end of the support rod 2 19 and the support rod 4 21 extends out of the frame waist hole 2 32. This can avoid the support rods and reduce the overall volume of the transfer cylinder.

[0080] like Figure 19 As shown, a conical opening and closing guide plate 33 is also provided on the inner bottom surface of the outer shell 1 located at the internal transfer mechanism 10 of the reaction cup. The opening and closing guide plate 33 is located below the transfer cylinder 11. Rollers 34 are provided on one end of the support rod 18 and the support rod 20. By cooperating with the rollers 34 of the transfer cylinder 11, the left half cylinder 1131 and the right half cylinder 1132 of the transfer cylinder can be separated.

[0081] During testing, the left half 1131 and right half 1132 of the transfer cylinder close together to form cylinder 113, thereby using the inner cavity 111 of the transfer cylinder to move the reaction cup 7. After testing is completed, the left half 1131 and right half 1132 of the transfer cylinder are separated by the cooperation of the transfer cylinder and the conical opening and closing guide plate, so that the reaction cup falls out from the left half 1131 and right half 1132. That is, when the reaction cup needs to be discarded, first control the transfer cylinder 11 to move to the position between the cleaning tray 3 and the incubation tray 4, and then the specific operation steps are as follows:

[0082] A1: As Figures 20 to 22 As shown, the Y-axis moving device is controlled to move the transfer cylinder 11 downward. During the downward movement, the rollers 34 on the support rod 18 on the left half cylinder 1131 and the rollers 34 on the support rod 20 on the right half cylinder 1132 respectively come into contact with the two conical surfaces of the conical opening and closing guide plate 33 and roll together. This causes the left half cylinder 1131 and the right half cylinder 1132 to move away from each other and separate the left half cylinder 1131 and the right half cylinder 1132. At this time, the springs 22 and 23 are both in a stretched state. After separation, the reaction cup 7 located in the transfer cylinder falls out.

[0083] A2: Control the Y-axis moving device to move the transfer cylinder 11 upward. During the upward movement, the rollers 34 on the support rod 18 on the left half cylinder 1131 and the rollers 34 on the support rod 20 on the right half cylinder 1132 separate from the conical opening and closing guide plate 33. At this time, under the restoring force of the spring 22 and the spring 23, the left half cylinder 1131 and the right half cylinder 1132 move closer to each other, and the left half cylinder 1131 and the right half cylinder 1132 are brought back together.

[0084] Through the above steps, this embodiment can automatically discard the reaction cups after detection inside the integrated incubation and cleaning module, without the need for an external robotic arm to remove and discard the reaction cups. This further reduces the number of external components, thereby reducing the overall size of the immunoassay device, simplifying its overall structure, and lowering its overall cost.

[0085] In addition, it should be noted that through the overall design of this embodiment, once the reaction cup enters the integrated incubation and cleaning module, it does not need to repeatedly enter and exit the integrated incubation and cleaning module during the entire detection process. The entire operation process, including the disposal process, is completed inside the integrated incubation and cleaning module, thereby realizing a brand-new internal operation mode, greatly optimizing the overall structure and operation procedure of the immunoassay device, and avoiding the problem of reaction cup contamination due to the external environment.

[0086] like Figure 19 As shown, a cup-dropping guide slot 35 is also provided on the outer casing 1 located at the opening and closing guide plate 33, and the cup-dropping guide slot 35 is also located below the transfer cylinder 11. When the reaction cup 7 falls from the transfer cylinder 11, the reaction cup 7 falls into the cup-dropping guide slot 35, and is thus discharged to the outside of the integrated incubation and cleaning module through the cup-dropping guide slot 35. This facilitates the discharge of discarded reaction cups.

[0087] In summary, this invention enables the transfer of reaction cups within an integrated incubation and cleaning module without the need for an external robotic arm. While ensuring proper transfer of the reaction cups, it changes the existing method of external transfer, reducing the number of external components and thus decreasing the overall size and structure of the immunoassay analyzer, thereby lowering its overall cost. The design allows for the automatic disposal of completed reaction cups within the integrated incubation and cleaning module, eliminating the need for an external robotic arm to remove and discard them. This further reduces the number of external components, further decreasing the overall size and structure of the immunoassay analyzer and lowering its overall cost. Through the overall design of this invention, once the reaction cups enter the integrated incubation and cleaning module, they do not need to be repeatedly moved in and out of the module during the entire detection process. The entire operation, including the disposal process, is completed within the integrated incubation and cleaning module, thus achieving a completely new internal operation mode. This significantly optimizes the overall structure and operating procedures of the immunoassay analyzer and avoids contamination of the reaction cups due to the external environment.

[0088] In this embodiment, "multiple" refers to "two or more". The above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions should also fall within the protection scope of this invention, which is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A reaction cup transfer method of an integrated incubation and washing module, wherein a washing tray is arranged on an inner circumferential side of an incubation tray or a washing tray is arranged on an outer circumferential side of an incubation tray, characterized in that: The reaction cup transfer method is characterized in that an internal reaction cup transfer mechanism is arranged inside the integrated incubation and cleaning module, and the internal reaction cup transfer mechanism is used to transfer the reaction cup between the cleaning disc and the incubation disc; A plurality of U-shaped grooves I for supporting the reaction cup are arranged on the cleaning disc, and the U-shaped grooves I are arranged along the radial direction of the cleaning disc; a plurality of U-shaped grooves II for supporting the reaction cup are arranged on the incubation disc, and the U-shaped grooves II are arranged along the radial direction of the incubation disc; when the cleaning disc and the incubation disc are assembled, the grooves of the U-shaped grooves I and the grooves of the U-shaped grooves II are arranged opposite to each other, and through the rotation of the cleaning disc and the incubation disc, one of the U-shaped grooves I and one of the U-shaped grooves II can be arranged on the same radial line; During the transfer, the internal reaction cup transfer mechanism is used to move the reaction cup along the radial direction of the cleaning disc and the incubation disc from the U-shaped grooves I to the U-shaped grooves II or from the U-shaped grooves II to the U-shaped grooves I, so as to transfer the reaction cup between the cleaning disc and the incubation disc; The internal reaction cup transfer mechanism comprises an X-axis moving device and a Z-axis moving device arranged on the X-axis moving device, and a transfer cylinder is arranged on the Z-axis moving device; the X-axis moving device and the Z-axis moving device constitute a two-dimensional moving mechanism; the X-axis is arranged along the radial direction of the cleaning disc and the incubation disc; the Z-axis is perpendicular to the direction of the X-axis; through the action of the two-dimensional moving mechanism, the transfer cylinder moves in the two-dimensional direction; finally, the reaction cup is transferred between the cleaning disc and the incubation disc through the transfer cylinder.

2. The reaction cup transport method of claim 1, wherein: When the reaction cup is transferred from the incubation disc to the cleaning disc, the incubation disc and the cleaning disc are first controlled to rotate, so that the groove of one of the U-shaped grooves II on the incubation disc and the groove of one of the U-shaped grooves I on the cleaning disc are aligned along the radial direction of the incubation disc and the cleaning disc; then the specific operation steps are as follows: 1) the Y-axis moving device is controlled to move upward, so that the transfer cylinder contacts the reaction cup in the U-shaped groove II and the reaction cup is lifted from the U-shaped groove II during the continuous upward movement of the transfer cylinder; 2) the X-axis moving device is controlled to move along the radial direction towards the cleaning disc, so that the reaction cup is moved out of the groove of the U-shaped groove II and then moved into the groove of the U-shaped groove I, until the reaction cup is moved to a position above the groove bottom of the U-shaped groove I; 3) the Y-axis moving device is controlled to move downward, so that the reaction cup is placed into the U-shaped groove I of the cleaning disc; when the transfer cylinder is moved to the position, the transfer cylinder is separated from the reaction cup.

3. The reaction cup transport method of claim 1, wherein: When the reaction cup is transferred from the cleaning disc to the incubation disc, the incubation disc and the cleaning disc are first controlled to rotate, so that the groove of one of the U-shaped grooves II on the incubation disc and the groove of one of the U-shaped grooves I on the cleaning disc are aligned along the radial direction of the incubation disc and the cleaning disc; then the specific operation steps are as follows: S1, the Y-axis moving device is controlled to move upward, so that the transfer cylinder contacts the reaction cup in the U-shaped groove I and the reaction cup is lifted from the U-shaped groove I during the continuous upward movement of the transfer cylinder; S2, control the X-axis moving device to move so that the transfer cylinder moves along the radial direction to the incubation disc, drives the reaction cup to move out from the notch of the U-shaped groove one and then moves into the notch of the U-shaped groove two until the reaction cup moves to the position above the bottom of the U-shaped groove two; S3, control the Y-axis moving device to move so that the transfer cylinder moves downward and puts the reaction cup into the U-shaped groove two of the incubation disc; when the transfer cylinder moves to the position, the transfer cylinder is separated from the reaction cup.

4. The reaction cup transport method of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein: The cup body of the reaction cup is a conical cylinder, and the inner cavity of the transfer cylinder is also conical; when the transfer cylinder is used to lift the reaction cup, the conical surface of the inner cavity of the transfer cylinder is matched with the conical surface of the cup body of the reaction cup to lift the reaction cup. The position where the conical surface of the inner cavity of the transfer cylinder is matched with the conical surface of the cup body of the reaction cup is set as a contact part S, and the position of the contact part S is adjusted upward and downward by adjusting the taper of the conical surface of the inner cavity of the transfer cylinder and the taper of the conical surface of the cup body of the reaction cup.

5. The reaction cup transport method of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein: The transfer cylinder is designed as a two-half structure capable of resetting, and an opening and closing guide plate is arranged below the transfer cylinder in the integrated incubation and cleaning module; the X-axis moving device and the Z-axis moving device are used to drive the two-half structure of the transfer cylinder to cooperate with the opening and closing guide plate to change the closed state and the separated state of the transfer cylinder, so that the transfer of the reaction cup is completed by the transfer cylinder in the closed state and the discarding of the reaction cup is completed by the transfer cylinder in the separated state.

6. The reaction cup transport method of claim 5, wherein: The opening and closing guide plate is conical. The transfer cylinder comprises an outer frame and a cylinder arranged in the outer frame, the cylinder comprises a left half cylinder and a right half cylinder, a first supporting rod and a second supporting rod are arranged on the two sides of the left half cylinder respectively, a third supporting rod and a fourth supporting rod are arranged on the two sides of the right half cylinder respectively, a first spring is arranged between the first supporting rod and the third supporting rod, a second spring is arranged between the second supporting rod and the fourth supporting rod, a first guide rod and a second guide rod are arranged on the two sides of the left half cylinder respectively, a third guide rod and a fourth guide rod are arranged on the two sides of the right half cylinder respectively, and a guide wheel is connected to each guide rod; guide grooves are arranged on the opposite sides of the outer frame, the guide wheels on the first guide rod and the third guide rod are matched with the first guide groove, and the guide wheels on the second guide rod and the fourth guide rod are matched with the second guide groove, so that the cylinder is connected to the outer frame when the two half cylinders are closed together; a first frame waist hole and a second frame waist hole are arranged on the opposite sides of the outer frame, one end of the first supporting rod and the third supporting rod extends out of the first frame waist hole, one end of the second supporting rod and the fourth supporting rod extends out of the second frame waist hole, and a roller is arranged on one end of the first supporting rod and the third supporting rod. When detection is performed, the left half cylinder and the right half cylinder of the transfer cylinder are closed to form a cylinder, so that the inner cavity of the transfer cylinder is used to drive the reaction cup to move; after the detection is completed, the left half cylinder and the right half cylinder of the transfer cylinder are separated by cooperating with the conical opening and closing guide plate, so that the reaction cup falls out of the left half cylinder and the right half cylinder.

7. The reaction cup transport method of claim 6, wherein: When the reaction cup needs to be discarded, first control the transfer cylinder to move to the position between the cleaning disc and the incubation disc, and then the specific operation steps are as follows: A1: control the Y-axis moving device to move downward, in the process of moving downward, the roller on the first supporting rod on the left half cylinder and the roller on the third supporting rod on the right half cylinder are respectively in contact with the two side conical surfaces of the conical opening and closing guide plate to roll, so that the left half cylinder and the right half cylinder move away from each other, and the left half cylinder and the right half cylinder are separated, at this time, the spring one and the spring two are in the stretched state, when separated, the reaction cup in the transfer cylinder falls out; A2: control the Y-axis moving device to move upward, in the process of moving upward, the roller on the first supporting rod on the left half cylinder and the roller on the third supporting rod on the right half cylinder are respectively separated from the conical opening and closing guide plate, at this time, under the action of the restoring force of the spring one and the spring two, the left half cylinder and the right half cylinder move close to each other, and the left half cylinder and the right half cylinder are re-folded together.

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