Constant volume device and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a constant volume device and a control method thereof, the constant volume device is used for injecting a quantitative reagent into a test tube, and the constant volume device comprises: a frame; the liquid injection device is connected with the rack and is used for injecting a reagent into the test tube; the ultrasonic sensor is connected with the rack and is used for determining the height of the liquid level according to a reflected signal of ultrasonic waves; the visual sensor is connected with the rack and is used for determining the height of the liquid level according to the acquired image data; wherein the visual sensor is further used for obtaining the transparency of the test tube, the constant volume device determines the liquid level height through the ultrasonic sensor in the state that the transparency of the test tube is lower than a transparency threshold value, and the constant volume device obtains and determines the liquid level height through the visual sensor in the state that the transparency is higher than the transparency threshold value. And the constant volume speed and precision can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of solid sample testing, and in particular to a volume constant device and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In the process of testing solid samples, a certain amount of reagents need to be added into the test tube to achieve volume determination and testing of the solid samples. Manual liquid injection and volume determination are slow and have low accuracy, which is difficult to meet the requirements of automated production lines. It is necessary to provide an automated volume determination device. Summary of the invention

[0003] The invention provides a volume setting device and a control method thereof, which are used to solve the technical problem of how to improve the speed and accuracy of volume setting.

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides a volume-fixing device, which includes: a frame; a liquid injection device connected to the frame and used to inject reagent into the test tube; an ultrasonic sensor connected to the frame and used to determine the liquid level through the reflected signal of the ultrasonic wave; a visual sensor connected to the frame and used to determine the liquid level through acquired image data; wherein the visual sensor is also used to obtain the transparency of the test tube, and when the transparency of the test tube is lower than a transparency threshold, the volume-fixing device determines the liquid level through the ultrasonic sensor, and when the transparency is higher than the transparency threshold, the volume-fixing device obtains and determines the liquid level through the visual sensor.

[0005] In some embodiments, the visual sensor can move along the vertical direction between a first working position and a first storage position, and the ultrasonic sensor can move along the vertical direction between a second working position and a second storage position; the visual sensor and / or the ultrasonic sensor can also move along the first direction to an avoidance position, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction and makes the visual sensor and the ultrasonic sensor move away from each other.

[0006] In some embodiments, the injection device includes: an injection piece, connected to the frame, having an injection port for injecting reagent into the test tube; an injection pipeline, connected to the injection piece and communicated with the injection port; a liquid pump, communicated with the injection pipeline, used to drive the reagent to flow toward the injection port; wherein the liquid pump includes: a driving member, used to drive the reagent to flow toward the injection port through rotational motion; and an encoding disk, connected to the driving member, used to obtain the rotation angle and number of rotations of the driving member.

[0007] In some embodiments, the injection device also includes: a moving component, which is movably connected to the frame; a follower component, which is connected to the moving component and to the injection piece, and is used to make the injection piece move in a vertical direction following the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube; wherein the movement accuracy of the follower component is greater than the movement accuracy of the moving component.

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a control method, which is applied to the constant volume device described in the above embodiment, and the control method includes: obtaining the injection accuracy and judging whether the injection accuracy is greater than the accuracy threshold; when the injection accuracy is less than the accuracy threshold, controlling the liquid pump to inject the target amount of reagent into the test tube; when the injection accuracy is greater than the accuracy threshold, controlling the liquid pump to inject the reagent into the test tube, obtaining the liquid level by the ultrasonic sensor or the visual sensor, and controlling the injection device to stop injecting the reagent when the liquid level data reaches the target height; wherein, obtaining the liquid level by the ultrasonic sensor or the visual sensor includes: obtaining the transparency of the test tube and judging whether the transparency is greater than the transparency threshold; when the transparency is less than the transparency threshold, controlling the ultrasonic sensor to obtain the liquid level data of the reagent in the test tube; when the transparency is greater than the transparency threshold, controlling the visual sensor to obtain the liquid level data of the reagent in the test tube.

[0009] In some embodiments, the visual sensor can move between a first working position and a first storage position in a vertical direction, and the ultrasonic sensor can move between a second working position and a second storage position in a vertical direction; the visual sensor and / or the ultrasonic sensor can also move to a avoidance position in a first direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction; controlling the ultrasonic sensor to obtain the liquid level data of the reagent in the test tube includes: controlling the visual sensor and / or the ultrasonic sensor to move to the avoidance position; controlling the visual sensor to move to the first storage position, controlling the ultrasonic sensor to move to the second working position, and obtaining the liquid level data by the ultrasonic sensor; controlling the visual sensor to obtain the liquid level data of the reagent in the test tube includes: controlling the visual sensor and / or the ultrasonic sensor to move to the avoidance position; controlling the visual sensor to move to the first working position, controlling the ultrasonic sensor to move to the second storage position, and obtaining the liquid level data by the visual sensor.

[0010] In some embodiments, acquiring the transparency of the test tube includes: acquiring the transparency of the test tube from test tube parameters input into a system, or acquiring the transparency of the test tube from the visual sensor.

[0011] In some embodiments, the injection device includes: an injection part, an injection pipeline and a liquid pump, the liquid pump includes a driving part and an encoding disk; when the injection accuracy is less than the accuracy threshold, controlling the liquid pump to inject a target amount of reagent into the test tube includes: determining a target total rotation angle according to the target amount, controlling the driving part to rotate and obtaining the total rotation angle of the driving part from the encoding disk, and controlling the driving part to stop moving when the total rotation angle reaches the target rotation angle.

[0012] In some embodiments, the injection device includes an injection piece, a moving component and a follower component; the control method also includes: controlling the moving component to move the injection piece to above the test tube; obtaining the distance between the injection piece and the liquid surface, and controlling the follower component to drive the injection piece to move upward with the rise of the liquid surface, so that the injection piece is located above the liquid surface and the distance between it and the liquid surface is less than a first distance threshold.

[0013] In some embodiments, the injection piece also has a distance sensor; the obtaining of the distance between the injection piece and the liquid surface, and controlling the follower component to drive the injection piece to move upward as the liquid surface rises, includes: obtaining the distance between the injection piece and the liquid surface by the distance sensor; when the distance is less than a second distance threshold, controlling the follower component to drive the injection piece to move upward, and when the distance is greater than the first distance threshold, controlling the follower component to stop driving the injection piece to move upward, wherein the second distance threshold is less than the first distance threshold.

[0014] The present invention provides a volume setting device, which is used to inject a quantitative reagent into a test tube. The volume setting device comprises: a frame, a liquid injection device connected to the frame and used to inject the reagent into the test tube, an ultrasonic sensor connected to the frame, and a visual sensor connected to the frame. The reagent is injected into the test tube through the liquid injection device, and the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube can be obtained through the ultrasonic sensor or the visual sensor. When the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube reaches a target height, the liquid injection device stops injecting liquid, and automatic volume setting can be achieved. Compared with manual liquid injection and naked eye observation, the automatic volume setting improves the speed of volume setting. Among them, the visual sensor is also used to obtain the transparency of the test tube. When the transparency of the test tube is higher than the transparency threshold, the visual sensor with higher precision is used to obtain the liquid level of the reagent. When the transparency of the test tube is lower than the transparency threshold, the ultrasonic sensor with slightly lower precision than the visual sensor is used to obtain the liquid level of the reagent. That is, the volume determination device can choose to use an ultrasonic sensor or a visual sensor to obtain the liquid level according to the transparency of the test tube, so that the volume determination device can have a higher liquid level measurement accuracy in the volume determination scenarios for test tubes with different transparencies, thereby improving the accuracy of volume determination. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a volume-fixing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the relative position relationship between a visual sensor and an ultrasonic sensor in a volume determination device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a liquid injection device in a volume-fixing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A partial enlarged view of part A; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the assembly of a driving member and a coding disc in a constant volume device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the assembly of a moving component, a follower component and a liquid injection piece in a volume-fixing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the positional relationship of a liquid injection device, a visual sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor in a volume-fixing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 A schematic flow chart of a first control method for a constant volume device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 9 A schematic flow chart of a second method for controlling a constant volume device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.10 A schematic flow chart of a third method for controlling a constant volume device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.11 A schematic flow chart of a fourth method for controlling a constant volume device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Fig.12 A schematic flow chart of a fifth method for controlling a constant volume device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Description of Reference Numerals 10. Constant volume device; 100. Rack; 110. First guide rail; 120. Second guide rail; 130. Avoidance guide rail; 200. Liquid injection device; 210. Liquid injection member; 220. Liquid injection pipeline; 231. Driving member; 232. Encoder disk; 240. Moving assembly; 250. Follow-up assembly; 300. Ultrasonic sensor; 400. Visual sensor; 600. Transfer device; 700. Turntable; 710. Placement cavity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0018] The various specific technical features in the various embodiments described in the specific implementation methods can be combined in various ways without contradiction. For example, different implementation methods can be formed by combining different specific technical features. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the various possible combinations of the specific technical features in the present invention will not be described separately.

[0019] It should also be noted that, in order to avoid obscuring the present invention due to unnecessary details, only structures and / or processing steps closely related to the scheme of the present invention are shown in the drawings, while other details that are not closely related to the present invention are omitted.

[0020] In addition, it should be noted that the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the following description, the terms "first\second\..." involved are merely used to distinguish different objects, and do not indicate that the objects have the same or related points. It should be understood that the directions described by the directions nouns such as "above", "below", "inside" and "outside" involved are all directions in normal use.

[0021] In the following specific embodiments, the volume-fixing device can be used to fix the volume of any reagent. For example, the volume-fixing device can be used in a nucleic acid detection system to add a quantitative lysis solution into a test tube. The volume-fixing device can also be used in a sample digestion device to add a quantitative acid solution into a test tube. For ease of explanation, the following uses the application of the volume-fixing device to add a quantitative acid solution into a test tube as an example to illustrate the structure and function of the volume-fixing device.

[0022] In some embodiments, in combination Figure 1 and Figure 3 The volume fixing device 10 comprises: a frame 100, a liquid injection device 200, an ultrasonic sensor 300 and a visual sensor 400. The frame 100 provides installation space for other parts of the volume fixing device 10.

[0023] The injection device 200 is connected to the frame 100 and is used to add reagents into the test tubes. Optionally, the injection device 200 can move relative to the frame 100, so that the injection part of the injection device 200 moves to the top of different test tubes, thereby being able to inject reagents into multiple test tubes in sequence.

[0024] The ultrasonic sensor 300 is connected to the rack 100, and is used to output an ultrasonic signal to the reagent in the test tube and determine the liquid level of the reagent based on the ultrasonic wave reflected back by the reagent. For example, the ultrasonic sensor 300 outputs an ultrasonic signal to the reagent in the test tube at a first time point, and receives the ultrasonic signal reflected by the reagent at a second time point. The smaller the time interval between the second time point and the first time point, the higher the liquid level in the test tube. When the distance between the liquid level and the ultrasonic sensor 300 reaches the target distance, it is determined that the liquid level reaches the target liquid level, that is, the constant volume of the reagent is achieved.

[0025] The visual sensor 400 is connected to the rack 100, and is used to determine the liquid level through the acquired image data. Specifically, the visual sensor 400 can be any device that can acquire image data. Exemplarily, the visual sensor 400 can be a camera or a camera. The acquired image data includes the liquid level position in the test tube and a mark line of the target liquid level height. When the liquid level position reaches the mark line, it is determined that the reagent in the test tube reaches the target height, that is, the constant volume of the reagent is achieved; wherein, the mark line can be embodied in any form. Exemplarily, the mark line can be a virtual mark line covered by the system control system in the acquired image data according to the target liquid level height. The visual sensor 400 can also have its own scale ruler, and the mark line can be a physical mark line on the scale ruler. The test tube can also have a scale line, and the mark line is a physical mark line on the test tube.

[0026] The visual sensor 400 is also used to obtain the transparency of the test tube. For example, the transparency of the test tube can be obtained by irradiating a light source. For example, a light source is set on the opposite side of the visual sensor 400, and the light emitted by the light source passes through the test tube and is emitted to the visual sensor 400, so that the image obtained by the visual sensor 400 includes a light spot or a light spot formed by the irradiation of the light source. The smaller the difference between the brightness of the light spot or the light spot and the brightness of the light output by the light source, the higher the transparency of the test tube; for example, it can be determined by the clarity of the liquid level line. For example, after the liquid injection device injects the reagent into the test tube, due to the difference between the refractive index of the reagent and the refractive index of the air, a dividing line will be formed between the reagent and the air. The dividing line is the liquid level line. Taking the image obtained by the visual sensor 400 as an example, the greater the grayscale difference between the grayscale of the liquid level line in the image obtained by the visual sensor 400 and the grayscale of the air part in the test tube in the image, the clearer the liquid level line is, indicating that the transparency of the test tube is higher. Optionally, the transparency of the test tube can also be directly determined by the test tube transparency parameter pre-input in the control system.

[0027] After obtaining the transparency of the test tube, when the transparency is lower than the transparency threshold, the liquid level in the test tube is obtained by the ultrasonic sensor 300, and when the transparency is higher than the transparency threshold, the liquid level in the test tube is obtained by the visual sensor 400. It can be understood that when the transparency of the test tube is low, the clarity of the liquid level line in the image data obtained by the visual sensor 400 is low, and it is difficult to determine the liquid level through the image data. In this state, the ultrasonic sensor 300 is used to obtain the liquid level. When the transparency of the test tube is high, the clarity of the liquid level line in the image data obtained by the visual sensor 400 is high, which is convenient for comparing the liquid level line with the target liquid level mark, so that the liquid level can be more accurately located by the visual sensor 400. It can be understood that the ultrasonic sensor 300 indirectly obtains the liquid level through the distance between the liquid surface and itself, and the visual sensor 400 can directly determine the liquid level through the relative position relationship between the liquid surface and the target liquid level mark, so that when the transparency of the test tube is high, the accuracy of the liquid level obtained by the visual sensor 400 is higher than that of the ultrasonic sensor 300. By simultaneously setting an ultrasonic sensor 300 and a visual sensor 400, and selecting the ultrasonic sensor 300 or the visual sensor 400 to measure the liquid level based on the transparency of the test tube, when the transparency of the test tube meets the transparency requirement, the visual sensor 400 with higher accuracy can be used to obtain the liquid level; when the transparency of the test tube does not meet the transparency requirement, the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube can still be obtained by the ultrasonic sensor 300, and the obtained liquid level can still have a higher accuracy. Moreover, compared with manual liquid injection and visual observation, automatic volume determination can be faster.

[0028] The present invention provides a volume setting device, which is used to inject a quantitative reagent into a test tube. The volume setting device comprises: a frame, a liquid injection device connected to the frame and used to inject the reagent into the test tube, an ultrasonic sensor connected to the frame, and a visual sensor connected to the frame. The reagent is injected into the test tube through the liquid injection device, and the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube can be obtained through the ultrasonic sensor or the visual sensor. When the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube reaches a target height, the liquid injection device stops injecting liquid, and automatic volume setting can be achieved. Compared with manual liquid injection and naked eye observation, the automatic volume setting improves the speed of volume setting. Among them, the visual sensor is also used to obtain the transparency of the test tube. When the transparency of the test tube is higher than the transparency threshold, the visual sensor with higher precision is used to obtain the liquid level of the reagent. When the transparency of the test tube is lower than the transparency threshold, the ultrasonic sensor with slightly lower precision than the visual sensor is used to obtain the liquid level of the reagent. That is, the volume determination device can choose to use an ultrasonic sensor or a visual sensor to obtain the liquid level according to the transparency of the test tube, so that the volume determination device can have a higher liquid level measurement accuracy in the volume determination scenarios for test tubes with different transparencies, thereby improving the accuracy of volume determination.

[0029] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the visual sensor 400 and the ultrasonic sensor 300 are located on different sides of the test tube, so that the visual sensor 400 and the ultrasonic sensor 300 can both obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube without interference between the visual sensor 400 and the ultrasonic sensor 300; for example, Figure 1 As shown, the visual sensor 400 is located below the test tube, and the ultrasonic sensor 300 is located on the side of the test tube.

[0030] In some embodiments, the constant volume device also includes a robotic arm for grabbing the test tube, and the test tube is moved to the working position of the visual sensor or the ultrasonic sensor by the robotic arm, so that the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube is obtained by the ultrasonic sensor or the visual sensor.

[0031] In some embodiments, Figure 2As shown, the visual sensor 400 can move between the first working position and the first storage position in the vertical direction, and the ultrasonic sensor 300 can move between the second working position and the second storage position in the vertical direction, wherein, in the first working position, the visual sensor 400 can obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube, and in the second working position, the ultrasonic sensor 300 can obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube. It can be understood that by making the ultrasonic sensor 300 and the visual sensor 400 both movably connected to the rack 100 and making the visual sensor 400 and the ultrasonic sensor 300 move in the vertical direction, the ultrasonic sensor 300 and the visual sensor 400 can be moved close to or away from the test tube. In the scenario where the ultrasonic sensor 300 is required to obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube, the ultrasonic sensor 300 is controlled to move to the second working position, and the visual sensor 400 is controlled to move to the first storage position, so that the ultrasonic sensor 300 obtains the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube and the visual sensor 400 does not block the ultrasonic sensor 300; in the state where the visual sensor 400 is required to obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube, the visual sensor 400 is controlled to move to the first working position and the ultrasonic sensor 400 is controlled to move to the second storage position, so that the visual sensor 300 can obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube and the ultrasonic sensor 400 does not block the visual sensor. By enabling the ultrasonic sensor 300 and the visual sensor 400 to move closer to or away from the test tube, the working positions of the ultrasonic sensor 300 and the visual sensor 400 can be brought closer, so that the structure of the constant volume device 10 is more compact, thereby reducing the size of the constant volume device 10.

[0032] At the same time, the visual sensor 400 and / or the ultrasonic sensor 300 can also move to an avoidance position along a first direction, where the first direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction, and in the first direction, the visual sensor 400 and the ultrasonic sensor 300 are away from each other. It can be understood that since the working positions of the visual sensor 400 and the ultrasonic sensor 300 are set close, motion interference may occur during the lifting and lowering movement of the ultrasonic sensor 300 and the visual sensor 400. By setting the avoidance position, one of the sensors is moved to the avoidance position during the lifting and lowering movement of the two sensors, so that the two sensors have a larger distance between them, thereby reducing the possibility of motion interference between the two sensors, and then the distance between the ultrasonic sensor 300 and the visual sensor 400 can be set closer, thereby further making the structure of the constant volume device 10 more compact and further reducing the size of the constant volume device 10.

[0033] The movement of the ultrasonic sensor 300 and the visual sensor 400 relative to the rack 100 can be achieved through different structures, for example, Figure 2As shown, a first guide rail 110 and a second guide rail 120 are arranged on the rack 100, and the first guide rail and the second guide rail both extend in the vertical direction, and an avoidance guide rail 130 is arranged on the first guide rail, and the avoidance guide rail 130 extends in the horizontal direction and extends in a direction away from the second guide rail 120. The visual sensor 400 is connected to the rack 100 through the first guide rail 110, and a first working position and a first storage position are formed at both ends of the first guide rail 110, and a avoidance position is formed at the end of the avoidance guide rail 130 away from the first guide rail 110. The ultrasonic sensor 300 is connected to the rack 100 through the second guide rail 120, and a first working position and a first storage position are formed at the end of the avoidance guide rail 130 away from the first guide rail 110. The two ends of the rail 120 form a second working position and a second storage position. Optionally, a transition structure is provided between the second guide rail 120 and the avoidance guide rail 130 so that the ultrasonic sensor 300 can move between the second guide rail 120 and the avoidance guide rail 130; exemplarily, the frame 100 is provided with a first manipulator and a second manipulator, the first manipulator is connected to the visual sensor 400, so that the visual sensor 400 moves between the first working position, the first storage position and the avoidance position, and the second manipulator is connected to the ultrasonic sensor 300, so that the ultrasonic sensor 300 moves between the second working position and the second storage position.

[0034] In some embodiments, in combination Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 1 The liquid injection device 200 includes: a liquid injection piece 210, a liquid injection pipeline 220 and a liquid pump. The liquid injection piece 210 is connected to the frame 100, and has a liquid injection port for injecting reagents into the test tube. The liquid injection pipeline 220 is connected to the liquid injection piece 210 and communicated with the liquid injection port, so as to introduce the reagent from the liquid storage structure into the liquid injection piece 210 and inject the reagent into the test tube from the liquid injection port. The liquid pump is communicated with the liquid injection pipeline 220, and is used to drive the reagent to flow along the liquid injection pipeline 220 and make the reagent flow to the liquid injection port.

[0035] Optional, combined Figure 3 and Figure 4 The injection piece 210 is fixedly connected to the frame 100. The constant volume device 10 also includes a transfer device 600, which is used to move the test tube from a placement position to a liquid injection position. The liquid injection position is located directly below the liquid injection port. At the liquid injection position, the injection piece 210 can inject reagents into the test tube.

[0036] Among them, Figure 5As shown, the liquid pump includes a driving member 231 and a coding disk 232, the driving member 231 is used to drive the reagent to flow to the injection port through rotational motion, exemplarily, the liquid pump is a peristaltic pump, the driving member 231 is the rotor of the peristaltic pump, and a plurality of pressure blocks are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotor. Through the rotation of the rotor, each pressure block is pressed against the hose in turn, thereby generating a pressure difference in different parts of the hose and then driving the reagent to flow to the injection port under the action of the pressure difference. At the same time, the coding disk 232 is connected to the driving member 231 and rotates with the driving member 231. The coding disk 232 is provided with a hollow or a notch and a sensor is provided on one side of the axial direction of the coding disk 232. As the coding disk 232 rotates with the driving member 231, the hollow or the notch passes through the position of the sensor in turn, so that a plurality of spaced pulse signals are generated in the signal acquired by the sensor, and the rotation angle and the number of rotations of the coding disk 232 can be calculated through the central angle between the hollows and the number of pulse signals, and then the total rotation angle and the total number of rotations of the driving member 231 can be obtained.

[0037] By setting the encoding disk 232 to record the total rotation angle of the driving member 231, constant volume can also be achieved through a liquid pump. For example, when the accuracy requirement for constant volume is not high, the control system controls the volume of the target reagent and determines the volume of the reagent that can be injected into the test tube when the driving member 231 rotates a unit angle, thereby determining the target total angle of the driving member 231. When the total rotation angle of the driving member 231 recorded by the encoding disk 232 reaches the target total angle, the driving member 231 is controlled to stop rotating, thereby injecting the target volume of reagent into the test tube through the liquid pump. By setting the encoding disk 232, the injection speed can also be controlled according to the injection progress, thereby further improving the accuracy of volume determination. For example, according to the volume of the reagent to be injected into the test tube, the target total angle that the driving member 231 needs to rotate is calculated. When the angle difference between the driving member 231 and the target total angle is less than the preset angle difference, the rotation speed of the driving member 231 is reduced. That is, when the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube is close to the target liquid level, the injection speed of the injection device 200 is reduced, so that the ultrasonic sensor 300 or the visual sensor 400 has a longer time to obtain the liquid level data, thereby further improving the accuracy of volume determination.

[0038] In some embodiments, Figure 6As shown, the injection device 200 also includes a moving component 240 and a follower component 250. The moving component 240 is movably connected to the frame 100, and the follower component 250 is connected to the moving component 240 and to the injection piece 210. The follower component 250 is used to make the injection piece 210 move in the vertical direction following the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube, so that the injection piece 210 is located above the liquid surface and close to the liquid surface. It can be understood that the follower component 250 can obtain the distance between the injection piece 210 and the liquid surface. When the distance between the liquid surface and the injection piece 210 is too small, the injection piece 210 is driven to move upward, and when the distance between the liquid surface and the injection piece 210 is too large, the upward movement is stopped, so that the injection piece 210 is located close to the liquid surface to inject liquid into the test tube, thereby reducing the time for the reagent to fall faster under the action of gravity, thereby reducing the splashing degree of the reagent in the test tube caused by the injection of the reagent, and reducing the liquid surface fluctuation degree in the test tube caused by the injection of the reagent, thereby reducing the influence of the splashing and fluctuation of the reagent on the measurement of the liquid level height, thereby further improving the accuracy of the constant volume.

[0039] Among them, the movement accuracy of the follower component 250 is greater than that of the moving component 240. It can be understood that the injection component 210 is movably connected to the frame 100 through the follower component 250 and the moving component 240 respectively, and the moving component 240 is used to drive the follower component 250 and the injection component 210 to move at a lower speed within a large range, so that the injection component 210 can move to the top of different test tubes, so that reagents can be injected into multiple test tubes in turn. The follower component 250 is used to drive the injection component 210 to rise within a small range with high precision following the rise of the liquid level, thereby taking into account both the movement range and movement accuracy of the injection component 210. It should be noted that the difference between the motion accuracy of the follower component 250 and the motion accuracy of the mobile component 240 can be achieved through control accuracy. For example, the control system controls the position of the mobile component 240 through open-loop control, and the control system controls the position of the follower component 250 through closed-loop feedback control, and the frequency at which the control system sends control instructions to the follower component 250 is higher than the frequency at which the control system sends control instructions to the mobile component 240, so that the motion accuracy of the follower component 250 is higher than the motion accuracy of the mobile component 240; the difference between the motion accuracy of the follower component 250 and the motion accuracy of the mobile component 240 can also be achieved through structure. For example, the mobile component 240 includes a first motion axis, a second motion axis and a third motion axis, and the first motion axis The frame can move relative to the frame along the second direction, the first moving axis extends along the third direction, the second moving axis is connected to the first moving axis and can be connected relative to the first moving axis along the third direction, the second moving axis extends along the fourth direction, the third moving axis is connected to the second moving axis and is connected relative to the second moving axis along the fourth direction, the follower component 250 is connected to the third moving axis, the first moving axis, the second moving axis and the third moving axis are all driven by a linear motor and a drag chain, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction are perpendicular to each other, so that the moving component 240 can drive the follower component 250 and the injection part to move over a large range in three-dimensional space, the follower component 250 is connected to the injection part 210 through a threaded transmission structure, and a small range of high-precision transmission is achieved through the rotation of the screw.

[0040] In some embodiments, Figure 7 As shown, Figure 1The volume fixing device 10 in the embodiment further comprises a turntable 700, which is rotatably connected to the frame 100 and has a plurality of placement cavities 710 for accommodating test tubes, wherein the plurality of placement cavities 710 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the turntable 700. Meanwhile, the visual sensor 400 is fixed below the turntable 700 and has a shooting cavity communicated with the placement cavity 710. When the test tube is located in the placement cavity 710, the bottom of the test tube is accommodated in the shooting cavity, and the visual sensor 400 can obtain an image of the test tube in the shooting cavity; wherein the placement cavity 710 comprises at least One injection position and at least one measuring position. After the transfer device 600 places the test tube at the injection position, the injection device can inject liquid into the test tube at the injection position. After the injection is completed, the test tube is rotated to the measuring position by rotating the turntable 700. At the measuring position, the ultrasonic sensor 300 or the visual sensor 400 can measure the amount of reagent in the test tube. At the same time, the transfer device 600 can place another test tube at the injection position for simultaneous injection. That is, by arranging multiple placement cavities 710 on the turntable, injection and measurement can be performed synchronously, thereby improving the speed of volume determination. Optionally, as Figure 6 As shown, the ultrasonic sensor 300 is fixedly connected to the transfer device 600. After the transfer device 600 places the test tube at the injection position, the injection device 200 injects liquid into the test tube at the injection position. At the same time, the transfer device 600 drives the ultrasonic sensor 300 to move to a measuring position close to the injection position, thereby synchronously measuring the amount of reagent in the test tube at the measurement position.

[0041] The embodiment of the present invention also provides a control method for a constant volume device, the control method being applied to the Figures 1 to 7 In any of the constant volume devices shown in FIG, the execution subject of the control method can be a processing unit of the constant volume device itself, or a processing unit of an external control system. For the sake of convenience, the following steps of the control method are exemplarily described by taking the processing unit of the constant volume device itself as the execution subject of the control method.

[0042] In some embodiments, Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 A flow chart of a control method for a first volume-fixing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, the control method comprising: Step S101, obtaining the injection accuracy, and determining whether the injection accuracy is greater than an accuracy threshold.

[0043] Among them, the injection accuracy can be understood as the size of the allowable injection volume error. The larger the allowable injection volume error, the lower the injection accuracy. The smaller the allowable injection volume error, the higher the injection accuracy. The injection accuracy threshold is the requirement for injection accuracy. The reagent volume determination method can be determined based on the injection accuracy requirements.

[0044] When the injection accuracy is less than the accuracy threshold, execute Step S102: Control the liquid pump to inject a target amount of reagent into the test tube.

[0045] It can be understood that when the accuracy requirement of liquid injection is low, the amount of reagent added can be directly controlled by the liquid pump, and there is no need to obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube through other sensors, that is, the constant volume is achieved by pump constant volume, and the pump constant volume can be completed synchronously during liquid injection, and rapid constant volume can be achieved under low liquid injection accuracy requirements. Optionally, the target operating time of the liquid pump is determined based on the volume of reagent that the liquid pump can inject per unit time and the volume of the target amount. The timing starts when the liquid pump starts running and injects the reagent into the test tube. When the running time of the liquid pump reaches the target running time, the liquid pump is controlled to stop running, thereby injecting a fixed amount of reagent into the test tube.

[0046] Execute when the injection accuracy is greater than the accuracy threshold. Step S103, control the liquid pump to inject reagent into the test tube, obtain the liquid level by the ultrasonic sensor or the visual sensor, and control the liquid injection device to stop injecting the reagent when the liquid level reaches the target height.

[0047] It can be understood that when there are higher requirements for injection accuracy, the accuracy of the pump volume setting is difficult to meet the requirements of volume setting accuracy, and it is necessary to obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube through an ultrasonic sensor or a visual sensor, and control the injection device to stop injecting the reagent when the liquid level reaches the target height, that is, to achieve volume setting through the liquid level obtained by the sensor.

[0048] Wherein, step S103 includes: Step S201, controlling the liquid pump to inject reagent into the test tube.

[0049] It can be understood that the liquid pump is used to inject reagents and does not need to realize the constant volume function.

[0050] Step S202: Obtain the transparency of the test tube and determine whether the transparency is greater than a transparency threshold.

[0051] Optionally, the transparency of the test tube is obtained by test tube parameters input into the system; optionally, the transparency of the test tube is obtained by a visual sensor.

[0052] When the transparency is less than the transparency threshold, execute.

[0053] Step S203, controlling the ultrasonic sensor to obtain liquid level data of the reagent in the test tube; When the transparency is greater than the transparency threshold, execute, Step S204: Control the visual sensor to obtain liquid level data of the reagent in the test tube.

[0054] It can be understood that the sensor for measuring the liquid level height is selected according to the transparency of the test tube, that is, when the transparency of the test tube is high enough, the visual sensor can obtain more accurate liquid level height data; when the transparency of the test tube is insufficient, the clarity of the liquid level line in the image obtained by the visual sensor is insufficient, and thus an ultrasonic sensor is used to obtain the liquid level height data, so that more accurate liquid level height data can be obtained even when the transparency of the test tube is insufficient.

[0055] Step S205: When the acquired liquid level height data reaches the target height, the liquid injection device is controlled to stop injecting the reagent.

[0056] That is, when the amount of the injected reagent meets the requirement, the injection is stopped, so that the amount of reagent in the test tube is consistent with the amount of the required reagent. The target height can be calculated based on the size of the test tube and the volume of the required reagent.

[0057] In some embodiments, the visual sensor can move along the vertical direction between a first working position and a first storage position, the ultrasonic sensor can move along the vertical direction between a second working position and a second storage position, and the visual sensor and / or the ultrasonic sensor can also move along the first direction to an avoidance position, the first direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction, and the movement in the first direction can make the visual sensor and the ultrasonic sensor move away from each other.

[0058] like Fig. 9 As shown, Fig. 9 A flow chart of a second control method for a constant volume device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 8 The control method shown is different in that Figure 8 Step S203 in the embodiment includes: Step S301: Control the visual sensor and / or ultrasonic sensor to move to an avoidance position.

[0059] Step S302: Control the visual sensor to move to the first storage position, control the ultrasonic sensor to move to the second working position, and obtain the liquid level height data of the reagent in the test tube by the ultrasonic sensor.

[0060] Figure 8 Step S204 in the embodiment includes: Step S303: Control the visual sensor and / or ultrasonic sensor to move to an avoidance position.

[0061] Step S304, control the visual sensor to move to the first working position, control the ultrasonic sensor to move to the second storage position, and obtain the liquid level height data of the reagent in the test tube by the visual sensor.

[0062] It can be understood that, in the first working position, the visual sensor can obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube, and in the second working position, the ultrasonic sensor can obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube. It can be understood that by making the ultrasonic sensor and the visual sensor both movably connected to the frame and moving the visual sensor and the ultrasonic sensor in the vertical direction, the ultrasonic sensor and the visual sensor can be moved close to or away from the test tube. In the scenario where the ultrasonic sensor is needed to obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube, the ultrasonic sensor is controlled to move to the second working position, and the visual sensor is controlled to move to the first storage position, so that the ultrasonic sensor can obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube and the visual sensor will not block the ultrasonic sensor; in the state where the visual sensor is needed to obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube, the visual sensor is controlled to move to the first working position and the ultrasonic sensor is controlled to move to the second storage position, so that the visual sensor can obtain the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube and the ultrasonic sensor will not block the visual sensor. By enabling the ultrasonic sensor and the visual sensor to move toward or away from the test tube, the working positions of the ultrasonic sensor and the visual sensor can be brought closer together, thereby making the structure of the constant volume device more compact and reducing the size of the constant volume device; moreover, by setting an avoidance position, before the two sensors move relative to each other, at least one of the two sensors is first moved to the storage position, and then the two sensors are controlled to move in sequence in the vertical direction. For example, when it is necessary to obtain liquid level height data in the test tube through the visual sensor, the visual sensor is moved to the avoidance position, the ultrasonic sensor is controlled to move to the second storage position, and then the visual sensor is controlled to move from the avoidance position to the first working position, thereby reducing the possibility of motion interference between the two sensors during the vertical movement, and allowing the two sensors to be set closer together, thereby further making the structure of the constant volume device more compact and further reducing the size of the constant volume device.

[0063] In some embodiments, the liquid injection device includes a liquid injection member, a liquid injection tube and a liquid pump, the liquid pump includes a driving member and an encoding disk, the driving member can drive the reagent to flow along the liquid injection tube to the liquid injection member by rotation and allow the reagent to be injected into the test tube from the liquid injection port of the liquid injection member, and the encoding disk can record the total number of rotations of the driving member. Fig.10 As shown, Fig.10 A flow chart of a third control method for a constant volume device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, based on Figure 8 ,exist Figure 8 Step S102 in the embodiment includes: Step S401, determine a target total rotation angle according to a target amount, control the driving member to rotate and obtain the total rotation angle of the driving member through an encoder disk, and control the driving member to stop moving when the total rotation angle reaches the target rotation angle.

[0064] Among them, the target total rotation angle is determined according to the amount of reagent driven by the unit rotation angle of the driving part and the target amount, and the actual total rotation angle of the driving part is obtained by the encoding disk to determine the operating state of the liquid pump to achieve constant volume. Moreover, compared with achieving constant volume simply through the running time of the liquid pump, the error of the injection amount caused by the rotation speed fluctuation of the driving part can be reduced, thereby further improving the accuracy of the pump constant volume.

[0065] In some embodiments, the injection device further includes an injection member, a moving component and a follower component, such as Fig.11 As shown, Fig.11 A flow chart of a fourth control method for a constant volume device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, based on Figure 8 , Figure 8 The control method shown in also includes: Step S501, controlling the moving assembly to move the liquid injection piece to the top of the test tube.

[0066] It can be understood that when it is necessary to inject reagent into the test tube, the large-range movement of the injection piece is achieved by moving the assembly, so that the injection piece can be quickly moved to the top of the test tube to prepare to inject the reagent into the test tube.

[0067] Step S502, obtaining the distance between the injection piece and the liquid surface, and controlling the follower assembly to drive the injection piece to move upward with the rise of the liquid surface, so that the injection piece is located above the liquid surface and the distance between the injection piece and the liquid surface is less than a first distance threshold.

[0068] It can be understood that the follower component keeps the injection piece above and close to the liquid surface, thereby injecting the reagent into the test tube at a position close to the liquid surface. It should be noted that the greater the distance between the injection piece and the liquid surface, the longer the acceleration time of the injection piece injecting the reagent into the test tube under the action of its own gravity, and the higher the speed of the reagent falling into the test tube. The reagent flowing in or dripping at a high speed may cause the reagent in the test tube to splash or cause the liquid surface to fluctuate violently. The splashing of the reagent and the fluctuation of the liquid surface will have an adverse effect on the constant volume, especially when the liquid level is obtained by the sensor. The fluctuation of the liquid level will make it difficult for the sensor to accurately obtain the liquid level height, which will either cause the constant volume accuracy to decrease, or it will be necessary to wait for the liquid level to stabilize before obtaining the liquid level, resulting in a reduction in the constant volume speed. By controlling the follower component to include the injection piece in a position above the liquid surface and close to the liquid surface, the speed at which the reagent falls or drips into the test tube can be reduced, thereby reducing the liquid level fluctuation of the reagent in the test tube, and further improving the constant volume speed and the accuracy of the constant volume.

[0069] Among them, step S501 and step S502 are Fig.10The other steps in the process do not have a clear time sequence. Optionally, step S501 and step S502 can be executed in any case where the reagent needs to be injected into the test tube in other steps. Optionally, step S501 can also be executed in parallel with other steps before the reagent needs to be injected into the test tube, so that the injection part is moved in advance to the top of the test tube where the reagent needs to be injected, and step S502 is executed when the reagent needs to be injected.

[0070] In some embodiments, the injection piece also has a distance sensor, such as Fig.12 As shown, Fig.12 A flow chart of a fifth control method for a constant volume device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, based on Fig.11 , Fig.11 Step S502 in the embodiment includes: Step S601: Obtain the distance between the liquid injection piece and the liquid surface by a distance sensor.

[0071] Exemplarily, the distance sensor transmits an ultrasonic signal to the liquid surface in the test tube and receives the ultrasonic signal reflected by the liquid surface, and determines the distance between the liquid injection part and the liquid surface according to the time difference between the transmission time and the reception time of the reflected signal.

[0072] Step S602: When the distance is less than the second distance threshold, the follower assembly is controlled to drive the liquid injection piece to move upward; when the distance is greater than the first threshold, the follower assembly is controlled to stop driving the liquid injection piece to move upward.

[0073] Among them, the second spacing threshold is smaller than the first spacing threshold. It can be understood that the follower component is feedback-controlled by the distance sensor so that the distance between the injection part and the liquid surface is maintained between the first spacing threshold and the second spacing threshold. For example, the first spacing threshold is 0.1 mm, and the second spacing threshold is 0.05 mm, then the distance between the injection part and the liquid surface fluctuates between 0.05 mm and 0.1 mm.

[0074] In some other embodiments, the distance between the injection piece and the liquid surface is obtained by obtaining the liquid level height interval through a visual sensor or an ultrasonic sensor. Exemplarily, the position of the injection piece can be obtained by the motion state of the moving component and the follower component, and the position of the liquid level height can be obtained through the visual sensor, so that the relative position of the injection piece and the liquid surface can be calculated, and the relative position includes the distance between the injection piece and the liquid surface.

[0075] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solution of the present invention may be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A constant volume device, characterized in that: The volume setting device is used to inject a quantitative reagent into the test tube, and the volume setting device includes: frame; A liquid injection device, connected to the frame, for injecting reagents into the test tube; An ultrasonic sensor connected to the frame and used to determine the liquid level through ultrasonic reflection signals; A visual sensor connected to the frame, used to determine the liquid level through acquired image data; In which, the visual sensor is also used to obtain the transparency of the test tube, and when the transparency of the test tube is lower than the transparency threshold, the constant volume device determines the liquid level through the ultrasonic sensor, and when the transparency is higher than the transparency threshold, the constant volume device obtains and determines the liquid level through the visual sensor.

2. The constant volume device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The visual sensor can move between a first working position and a first storage position along a vertical direction, and the ultrasonic sensor can move between a second working position and a second storage position along a vertical direction; The visual sensor and / or the ultrasonic sensor can also move to an avoidance position along a first direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction and enables the visual sensor and the ultrasonic sensor to move away from each other.

3. The constant volume device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The liquid injection device comprises: A liquid injection piece, connected to the frame, having a liquid injection port for injecting reagent into the test tube; A liquid injection pipeline connected to the liquid injection piece and communicated with the liquid injection port; A liquid pump, connected to the liquid injection pipeline, for driving the reagent to flow toward the liquid injection port; Wherein, the liquid pump comprises: A driving member, used for driving the reagent to flow toward the injection port through a rotational motion; The encoder disk is connected to the driving member and is used to obtain the rotation angle and number of rotations of the driving member.

4. The constant volume device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The liquid injection device also includes: A moving assembly, movably connected to the frame; A follower assembly connected to the moving assembly and to the liquid injection member, and used to make the liquid injection member move in a vertical direction following the liquid level of the reagent in the test tube; Wherein, the movement accuracy of the follower component is greater than the movement accuracy of the moving component.

5. A control method for a constant volume device, characterized in that: The control method is applied to a constant volume device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the constant volume device further comprises a liquid pump, and the control method comprises: Obtaining the injection accuracy, and determining whether the injection accuracy is greater than an accuracy threshold; When the liquid injection accuracy is less than the accuracy threshold, controlling the liquid pump to inject a target amount of reagent into the test tube; When the injection accuracy is greater than the accuracy threshold, the liquid pump is controlled to inject the reagent into the test tube, the liquid level is acquired by the ultrasonic sensor or the visual sensor, and when the liquid level data reaches a target height, the injection device is controlled to stop injecting the reagent; Wherein, obtaining the liquid level height by the ultrasonic sensor or the visual sensor includes: Obtaining the transparency of the test tube, and determining whether the transparency is greater than a transparency threshold; When the transparency is less than the transparency threshold, the ultrasonic sensor is controlled to obtain the liquid level data of the reagent in the test tube; when the transparency is greater than the transparency threshold, the visual sensor is controlled to obtain the liquid level data of the reagent in the test tube.

6. The control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The visual sensor can move between a first working position and a first storage position along a vertical direction, and the ultrasonic sensor can move between a second working position and a second storage position along a vertical direction; the visual sensor and / or the ultrasonic sensor can also move to a avoidance position along a first direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction; The controlling the ultrasonic sensor to obtain liquid level data of the reagent in the test tube comprises: Controlling the visual sensor and / or the ultrasonic sensor to move to the avoidance position; Controlling the visual sensor to move to the first storage position, controlling the ultrasonic sensor to move to the second working position, and obtaining the liquid level data by the ultrasonic sensor; The controlling the visual sensor to obtain liquid level data of the reagent in the test tube comprises: Controlling the visual sensor and / or the ultrasonic sensor to move to the avoidance position; The visual sensor is controlled to move to the first working position, the ultrasonic sensor is controlled to move to the second storage position, and the visual sensor acquires the liquid level data.

7. The control method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The obtaining of the transparency of the test tube comprises: The transparency of the test tube is obtained from the test tube parameters input into the system, or, The transparency of the test tube is acquired by the visual sensor.

8. The control method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The liquid injection device comprises: A liquid injection part, a liquid injection pipeline and a liquid pump, wherein the liquid pump includes a driving part and an encoding disk; When the injection accuracy is less than the accuracy threshold, controlling the liquid pump to inject a target amount of reagent into the test tube comprises: The target total rotation angle is determined according to the target amount, the driving member is controlled to rotate and the total rotation angle of the driving member is obtained by the encoder disk, and when the total rotation angle reaches the target rotation angle, the driving member is controlled to stop moving.

9. The control method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The liquid injection device comprises a liquid injection part, a moving component and a follower component; The control method further comprises: Controlling the moving assembly to move the liquid injection piece to the top of the test tube; The distance between the injection piece and the liquid surface is obtained, and the follower assembly is controlled to drive the injection piece to move upward with the rise of the liquid surface, so that the injection piece is located above the liquid surface and the distance between the injection piece and the liquid surface is less than a first distance threshold.

10. The control method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The liquid injection part also has a distance sensor; The obtaining of the distance between the liquid injection piece and the liquid surface, and controlling the follower assembly to drive the liquid injection piece to move upward along with the rise of the liquid surface comprises: The distance sensor obtains the distance between the liquid injection part and the liquid surface; When the distance is smaller than a second distance threshold, the follower component is controlled to drive the injection piece to move upward, and when the distance is larger than the first distance threshold, the follower component is controlled to stop driving the injection piece to move upward, wherein the second distance threshold is smaller than the first distance threshold.

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