Sample processing system

Abstract

The invention discloses a sample processing system. The sample processing system comprises a sample management unit, a transportation unit and a sample processing unit. Wherein the sample management unit is provided with an input area for accommodating samples, the sample management unit comprises a sample transfer mechanism, the sample transfer mechanism can transfer the samples in the input area to the transportation unit, and the transportation unit transports the samples to the sample processing unit for processing. Particularly, in the embodiment, the sample management unit further comprises a uniform mixing mechanism, and the uniform mixing mechanism is used for uniformly mixing the samples in the input area. According to the scheme, the samples stored in the input area can be automatically and uniformly mixed, manual operation of operators is not needed, on one hand, omission caused by manual mixing operation is reduced, and the accuracy of sample test results is improved; and on the other hand, for a specific sample needing to be stood, uniform mixing operation can be conveniently and immediately performed after standing, and the uniform mixing efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of sample processing, and in particular to a sample processing system. Background Art

[0002] When samples in the clinical laboratory are taken out of the refrigerator, they need to be left to rest and rewarmed, and they need to be mixed. Restoring the samples to rest is to allow them to return to room temperature. Some items are greatly affected by temperature, and testing them after returning to room temperature can ensure the activity or characteristics of the samples and make the test results accurate. Mixing the samples is to prevent the internal substances of the samples from precipitating and losing uniformity after long-term storage, thereby affecting the test results. For patient samples that need to be centrifuged, some samples will have fibers and clots after centrifugation. If high-frequency oscillation mixing is performed before centrifugation, it will help reduce the generation of fibers and clots, thereby avoiding needle blockage and inaccurate test conclusions.

[0003] That is, some samples need to be mixed before testing. In the sample processing system in the related technology, the operator mixes the samples offline before loading them. For the above samples currently loaded from the assembly line, manual mixing is also required before loading. The current assembly line system does not provide a mixing function and needs to be done manually. Once the operator forgets or misses it, the test conclusion may be inaccurate. Summary of the invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a sample processing system that can easily mix samples, thereby ensuring the accuracy of sample detection results.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a sample processing system, comprising:

[0006] A sample management unit is provided with an input area for accommodating samples, the sample management unit is provided with a mixing mechanism and a transfer mechanism, the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the samples in the input area, and the mixing mechanism is used to mix the samples in the input area;

[0007] a transport unit, comprising a transport track and a carrying component for carrying a sample container, wherein the sample container is used to contain the sample, the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the sample container containing the sample in the input area to the carrying component on the transport track, and the transport track is used to carry and transport the carrying component; and

[0008] The sample processing unit is used to obtain the sample transmitted from the transmission track to process the sample.

[0009] In some embodiments, the transfer mechanism and the mixing mechanism are the same component.

[0010] In some embodiments, the mixing mechanism includes a driving part and a positioning part, the positioning part is used to position the sample container, and the driving part is used to drive the positioning part to move so as to mix the sample in the sample container.

[0011] In some embodiments, the mixing mechanism includes a driving portion and a positioning portion, the positioning portion is used to position the supporting component, and the driving portion is used to drive the positioning portion to move so as to mix the sample in the sample container carried by the supporting component.

[0012] In some embodiments, the sample management unit further includes an output area, the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the samples on the transport track to the output area, and the mixing mechanism is further used to mix the samples contained in the output area.

[0013] In some embodiments, the sample processing system also includes an identification component and a control processing component, wherein the identification component is used to obtain sample information, the control processing component is used to generate mixing information based on the sample information, and the control processing component is used to control the mixing mechanism to mix the sample based on the mixing information.

[0014] In some embodiments, the sample information includes at least one of label information of a sample container containing the sample, image information of the sample container, position information of the sample container, label information of a carrying component that carries the sample container, image information of the carrying component, and position information of the carrying component.

[0015] In some embodiments, the mixing information includes first information and second information, the first information indicates that the sample is mixed, and the second information indicates that the sample is not mixed.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first information includes a mixing path, a mixing speed, a mixing time, and a mixing number for mixing the sample.

[0017] In some embodiments, the identification component includes a barcode reader, which is used to read label information of the sample container.

[0018] In some embodiments, the identification component includes a code reader, and the code reader is used to read label information of the carrier component.

[0019] In some embodiments, the identification component includes a photographing device, and the photographing device is used to obtain image information of the sample container, and the image information includes an image of the sample container or an environmental image of an area where the sample container is located.

[0020] In some embodiments, the identification component includes a photographing device, and the photographing device is used to obtain image information of the supporting component, and the image information includes an image of the supporting component or an environmental image of an area where the supporting component is located.

[0021] In some embodiments, the mixing mechanism includes a driving part and a positioning part, the positioning part is used to position the sample container, and the driving part is used to drive the positioning part to move so as to mix the sample in the sample container;

[0022] The identification component is connected to the mixing mechanism, and the identification component obtains the sample information of the sample during the process of the positioning part positioning the sample container; or, the identification component is arranged in the transportation unit, and the positioning part is configured to transfer the sample that has not obtained the sample information to the transportation unit, so that the identification component located in the transportation unit can mix the sample after obtaining the sample information of the sample.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] In the technical solution of the present invention, the sample processing system includes a sample management unit, a transport unit and a sample processing unit. The sample management unit is provided with an input area for accommodating samples, and the sample management unit includes a sample transfer mechanism, which can transfer the samples in the input area to the transport unit, and the transport unit transports the samples to the sample processing unit for processing. In particular, in this embodiment, the sample management unit also includes a mixing mechanism, which is used to mix the samples in the input area. In this solution, the samples stored in the input area can be mixed automatically without manual operation by the operator. On the one hand, the occurrence of omissions due to manual mixing operations is reduced, and the accuracy of the sample test results is improved; on the other hand, the mixing device is arranged in the sample management unit, so that the mixing operation can be performed before the sample enters the assembly line, and for specific samples that need to be left standing, the mixing operation can also be conveniently performed immediately after standing, thereby improving the mixing efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0026] Figure 1It is a structural schematic diagram of a combination of a sample management unit and a transport unit in one embodiment of the present invention; wherein the transfer mechanism and the mixing mechanism are the same component;

[0027] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the combination of a sample management unit and a transport unit in another embodiment of the present invention; wherein the transfer mechanism and the mixing mechanism are different components.

[0028] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0029] 10- Sample management unit;

[0030] 100-transfer agency;

[0031] 200-mixing mechanism; 210-driving unit; 220-positioning unit;

[0032] 300-input area; 310-first sample drawer;

[0033] 400 - output area; 410 - second sample drawer;

[0034] 500- bracket; 510- first side; 520- second side;

[0035] 600-Identify component;

[0036] 20-transport unit;

[0037] 21-transmission track;

[0038] 30- load-bearing component;

[0039] 40-Sample container.

[0040] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] In the existing sample processing system, the sample management unit is not equipped with a mixing mechanism. When the samples in the sample management unit need to be mixed, the samples need to be mixed manually, that is, the samples are taken out manually for manual mixing or placed in a mixing device for mixing. This solution is inefficient on the one hand, and it is also very easy to miss, resulting in samples that need to be mixed being tested directly without being mixed, which ultimately makes the test results inaccurate.

[0043] In view of this, see Figure 1-Figure 2 This embodiment provides a sample processing system. Specifically, the sample processing system includes a sample management unit 10, a transportation unit 20 and a sample processing unit.

[0044] See also Figure 1-Figure 2 , the sample management unit 10 is provided with an input area 300 for accommodating samples. In some embodiments, the sample management unit 10 may include a support 500 and a first sample drawer 310, the first sample drawer 310 is movably connected to the support 500, and the first sample drawer 310 defines the aforementioned input area 300. The first sample drawer 310 can be switched between a storage state and an open state. Specifically, the first sample drawer 310 can slide horizontally relative to the support 500 to an open state, so that the input area 300 of the first sample drawer 310 is exposed to the first side 510 of the support 500, and the operator can place the sample from the first side 510 of the support 500 into the first sample drawer 310. When the sample is placed in the first sample drawer 310, the first sample drawer 310 can slide horizontally into the support 500 (at this time, the first sample drawer 310 is in the storage state), so that the sample in the first sample drawer 310 can be exported from the second side 520 of the support 500 to the transport unit 20. In some embodiments, the sample management unit 10 may also have an output area 400. Correspondingly, the sample management unit 10 may also include a second sample drawer 410. The second sample drawer 410 defines the output area 400. The second sample drawer 410 is movably connected to the bracket 500. The second sample drawer 410 can also switch between a storage state and an open state. The second sample drawer 410 is in the storage state when it is in the bracket 500. After the processed samples are transported to the second side 520 of the bracket 500 by the transport unit 20, they can be introduced into the second sample drawer 410 from the second side 520 of the bracket 500. The second sample drawer 410 can slide horizontally relative to the bracket 500 to the first side 510 exposed to the sample (at this time, the second sample drawer 410 is in an open state), so that the samples contained in the second sample drawer 410 can be exported. In some embodiments, the first sample drawer 310 and the second sample drawer 410 can be the same, that is, one drawer defines both the input area 300 and the output area 400.

[0045] The sample management unit 10 also includes a transfer mechanism 100, which can transfer the sample in the input area 300 to the transport unit 20. Specifically, the transfer mechanism 100 may include a manipulator, which can transfer the sample container 40 (the sample container 40 contains a liquid sample, and the sample container 40 can be carried on the carrying component 30, and the carrying component 30 can specifically accommodate a single sample container 40 or multiple sample containers 40) contained in the input area 300 to the transport unit 20, and can also transfer the carrying component 30 carrying one or more sample containers 40 to the transport unit 20. In some embodiments, the manipulator of the transfer mechanism 100 may include a first slide rail, a second slide rail, a lifting component, and a clamping component, the first slide rail and the second slide rail intersect each other (not parallel) and are arranged laterally, respectively, the second slide rail is connected to the first slide rail and can slide along the length direction of the first slide rail. One end of the lifting component is connected to the second slide rail and the other end is connected to the clamping component, and the lifting component can drive the clamping component to move up and down. After the clamping component clamps the sample container 40 or the carrying component 30, the sample container 40 or the carrying component 30 can be transferred through the cooperation of the first slide rail, the second slide rail and the lifting assembly. The transfer mechanism 100 can transfer the sample in the input area 300 to the transport unit 20, or transfer the sample in the transport unit 20 to the output area 400.

[0046] The transport unit 20 may include a transfer track 21 and a carrying component 30 for carrying a sample container 40. Specifically, the transfer track 21 may include an input track, an output track, and a processing track. In some embodiments, the transfer mechanism 100 transfers the sample in the input area 300 to the input track, and the input track transfers the sample to a position close to the sample processing unit and dispatches it to the processing track. The sample is blocked by a blocking mechanism at the processing track position at the processing position of the processing track, and is clamped by a sample clamping mechanism at the processing track position, so that the sample processing unit can process the sample (specifically, the sample can be analyzed, the sample tube can be removed, or the sample can be centrifuged, etc.). The processed sample is dispatched to the output track, and then transferred to the side of the output area 400, and the transfer mechanism 100 transfers the sample on the output track to the output area 400.

[0047] The sample processing unit is used to obtain the sample transferred from the transfer track 21 to process the sample. Specifically, the sample processing unit can obtain the sample in the sample container 40 carried on the carrying component 30 to process the sample.

[0048] In particular, in this embodiment, the sample management unit 10 further includes a mixing mechanism 200, which can at least mix the sample in the input area 300. The mixing operation of the sample is conducive to reducing the fiber filaments and clots in the sample, and is conducive to mixing the sediment in the sample, increasing the uniformity of the sample, and improving the accuracy of the sample processing results. Since the sample stored in the input area 300 can be automatically mixed without manual operation by the operator, on the one hand, the occurrence of omissions due to manual mixing operations is reduced, and the accuracy of the sample test results is improved; on the other hand, the mixing device is provided in the sample management unit 10, so that the sample can be mixed before entering the assembly line, and for specific samples that need to be left standing, the mixing operation can be conveniently performed immediately after being left standing, thereby improving the mixing efficiency.

[0049] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the transfer mechanism 100 and the mixing mechanism 200 are two independent components. In this case, the transfer mechanism 100 is only used to transfer the sample, and the mixing mechanism 200 is only used to mix the sample. In some embodiments, the transfer mechanism 100 and the mixing mechanism 200 are two independent components. In this case, the transfer mechanism 100 can at least transfer the sample (the transfer mechanism 100 can also mix the sample). The mixing mechanism 200 can at least mix the sample (and can also transfer the sample). Figure 1 In some embodiments, the transfer mechanism 100 and the mixing mechanism 200 are the same component, that is, the transfer mechanism 100 is the mixing mechanism 200, and the mixing mechanism 200 is the transfer mechanism 100. The mixing mechanism 200 can both mix and transfer the sample. In this solution, the existing structure of the sample management unit 10 is fully utilized, and there is no need to add a separate mixing device, which reduces the material cost.

[0050] When the transfer mechanism 100 and the mixing mechanism 200 are the same component, in some embodiments, the mixing function of the transfer mechanism 100 can be realized by improving the control program of the existing transfer mechanism 100 (this method does not improve the structure of the existing transfer mechanism 100). The existing transfer mechanism 100 can at least realize two-axis movement. When the transfer mechanism 100 clamps the sample container 40, it can at least realize the up and down movement and lateral movement of the sample. On the basis of the existing transfer mechanism 100, by controlling the moving path, moving speed and moving time during the process of the transfer mechanism 100 transferring the sample container 40, the purpose of mixing can be achieved by operating the sample tube to shake in a specific way. In some embodiments, both the structure and the control program can be improved on the basis of the existing transfer mechanism 100. For example, the degree of freedom of the transfer mechanism 100 can be increased on the basis of the existing transfer mechanism 100, so that the mixing method for mixing the sample can be enriched. In some embodiments, the existing transfer mechanism 100 can be removed, and a mechanical arm dedicated to mixing can be added, and the mechanical part can be used not only for mixing but also for transferring the sample through program control.

[0051] For the convenience of description, in the following embodiments, the transfer mechanism 100 and the mixing mechanism 200 are taken as two independent components for illustration.

[0052] The specific mixing method of the mixing mechanism 200 depends on actual needs. The applicant has considered that in order to achieve precise mixing, it is sometimes necessary to formulate different mixing parameters for each different sample. In view of this, in some embodiments, the mixing mechanism 200 includes a driving unit 210 and a positioning unit 220, the positioning unit 220 is used to position the sample container 40, and the driving unit 210 is used to drive the positioning unit 220 to move, so as to mix the sample in the sample container 40. In this scheme, after the positioning unit 220 positions the sample container 40, the driving unit 210 can drive the positioning unit 220 to translate (vertically translate and / or laterally translate) and / or rotate (rotate with the central axis of the sample container 40 as the rotation axis, or rotate with an axis parallel to the central axis as the rotation axis, or rotate with an axis intersecting the central axis as the rotation axis) to move, thereby driving the sample in the sample container 40 to move and achieve mixing. By driving the sample container 40 to move and mix, it is possible to achieve relatively accurate mixing of the sample in a single sample container 40, and conveniently and accurately formulate corresponding mixing parameters for a single sample. Specifically, in a further embodiment, the driving unit 210 may include a mechanical arm, the positioning unit 220 may be connected to the movable end of the mechanical arm, and the positioning unit 220 includes a clamping assembly, the clamping assembly can clamp the test tube, and the mechanical arm drives the clamping assembly to move at a predetermined path, predetermined speed, and predetermined time through multi-axis linkage.

[0053] The applicant has also considered that in the mixing process, the mixing parameters of samples of the same batch may be the same. Generally, when the supporting component 30 carries multiple sample containers 40, the mixing parameters of the samples in each sample container 40 on the supporting component 30 may be the same. In view of this, in some embodiments, the mixing mechanism 200 includes a driving part 210 and a positioning part 220, the positioning part 220 is used to position the supporting component 30, and the driving part 210 is used to drive the positioning part 220 to move, so as to mix the samples in the sample container 40 carried by the supporting component 30. In this scheme, the mixing mechanism 200 drives the supporting component 30 to move, so that the samples in each sample container 40 on the supporting component 30 are mixed with the same mixing parameters, which improves the mixing efficiency on the one hand, and can also make the mixing parameters of each sample in the same batch more uniform on the other hand, thereby improving the accuracy of the processing results. Specifically, in a further embodiment, the positioning portion 220 may be a positioning platform on which one or more carrying components 30 can be positioned. When each carrying component 30 is positioned on the positioning platform, the positioning platform is driven to move, thereby achieving the purpose of mixing the sample in the sample container 40 on the carrying component 30. When the transfer mechanism 100 and the mixing mechanism 200 in the sample management unit 10 are two independent devices, the transfer mechanism 100 can also be used to transfer the carrying component 30 to the positioning platform.

[0054] In addition to being able to mix samples in the input area 300, in some embodiments, the sample management unit 10 also includes an output area 400, the transfer mechanism 100 is used to transfer samples on the transport track to the output area 400, and the mixing mechanism 200 is also used to mix samples contained in the output area 400.

[0055] In some embodiments, the mixing mechanism 200 can set the mixing parameters in advance so that all subsequent samples are mixed with the parameters. In this embodiment, when different mixing parameters need to be set for different samples, the mixing parameters can be manually adjusted before each sample is mixed. In other embodiments, in order to improve the mixing efficiency, the mixing parameters can be automatically adjusted by identifying the sample information. Specifically, the sample processing system also includes an identification component 600 and a control processing component, the identification component 600 is used to obtain sample information, the control processing component is used to generate mixing information according to the sample information, and the control processing component is used to control the mixing mechanism 200 to mix the sample according to the mixing information. In this solution, for different sample information, the mixing mechanism 200 mixes the sample according to different mixing information, so as to achieve the purpose that the mixing parameters of each sample can be automatically set accordingly, which improves the mixing efficiency on the one hand, and improves the adaptability to the sample on the other hand.

[0056] In some embodiments, the sample information includes at least one of label information of the sample container 40 containing the sample, image information of the sample container 40, position information of the sample container 40, label information of the carrying component 30 carrying the sample container 40, image information of the carrying component 30, and position information of the carrying component 30. When the sample information includes label information of the sample container 40 containing the sample, the label information can be read by a barcode reader, wherein the label information of the sample container 40 can include at least one of information such as the type of sample in the sample container 40, the volume of the sample, the injection time of the sample, the sample output time, the information of the patient corresponding to the sample, the mixing parameters of the sample, and the size of the sample container 40. When the sample information includes image information of the sample container 40, the sample container 40 can be photographed by a camera to obtain image information of the sample container 40. The image information of the sample container 40 can show information such as the size of the sample container 40, the liquid level of the sample in the sample container 40, the positioning method of the sample container 40 on the carrying component 30, and the environment of the area where the sample container 40 is located. The label information of the carrying component 30 carrying the sample container 40 may include at least one of the number of sample containers 40 that the carrying component 30 can carry, the number of sample containers 40 that the carrying component 30 has carried, the corresponding arrangement positions of the sample containers 40 on the carrying component 30 (when the carrying component 30 can carry multiple sample containers 40), and the mixing parameters of the carrying component 30. After the control processing component obtains the sample information, the mixing information can be obtained according to the sample information.

[0057] Exemplarily, when the sample information is the label information of the sample container 40, and the label information directly includes the mixing information, the control processing component can drive the mixing mechanism 200 to mix the sample according to the label information of the sample container 40. When the sample information is the label information of the sample container 40, and the label information includes the sample type information, the control processing component can query the database for the mixing information corresponding to the sample type according to the sample type information, and control the mixing mechanism 200 to mix the sample according to the queried mixing information.

[0058] When the sample information is the label information of the sample container 40, and the label information includes the capacity information of the sample in the sample container 40, the preset mixing information (if not corrected or replaced, all samples are mixed with this information, and the mixing information can be modified) can be corrected according to the capacity information of the sample. For example, the mixing amplitude of the sample with a large capacity can be appropriately reduced to prevent the sample from spilling out of the sample container 40. The mixing time of the sample with a small capacity can be appropriately shortened to improve the mixing efficiency. The control processing component controls the mixing mechanism 200 to mix the sample according to the corrected mixing information.

[0059] When the sample information includes image information of the sample container 40, in one embodiment, the size of the sample container 40 can be identified by performing image recognition on the image information of the sample container 40. According to the size of the sample container 40, the preset mixing parameters can be modified. For example, when the diameter of the sample container 40 is large, the swing amplitude or swing frequency of the sample container 40 can be reduced. When the diameter of the sample container 40 is small, the swing amplitude or swing frequency of the sample container 40 during the mixing process can be increased.

[0060] In some embodiments, when the sample information includes the layout position information of the sample container 40, the mixing information can be determined according to the layout position of the sample container 40. In this scheme, a specific area can be marked out in the sample input area 300, and the area is dedicated to accommodating a specific sample, and the control processing component mixes the sample according to the pre-corresponding mixing parameters according to the layout area of ​​the sample. Exemplarily, a centrifugal area can be marked out in the input area 300, and the area is dedicated to accommodating the sample after centrifugation, and the mixing parameters of the centrifugal sample are preset in advance in the system. When the identification component 600 recognizes that the sample is placed in the centrifugal area, it can be directly mixed according to the mixing parameters required for the centrifugal sample. Similarly, when the sample information includes the layout position information of the carrier 30, the mixing information can be determined according to the layout position of the carrier 30. When the identified carrier 30 is located at a specific layout position, the sample is mixed according to the pre-corresponding preset mixing information.

[0061] It should be noted that the identification control component can obtain the mixing information according to the label information of the carrier 30, can obtain the mixing information according to the label information of the sample container 40, and can also obtain the mixing information according to the layout position information of the sample (including the layout position information of the sample container 40 or the layout position information of the carrier 30). Generally, when the above three sample information can be obtained at the same time, the mixing information obtained according to the above three sample information is the same. The applicant has taken into account that in extreme cases, the mixing information obtained according to the above three may be different due to human error or other reasons. Therefore, in this embodiment, the priority of the mixing information obtained according to the label information of the sample container 40 is higher than the mixing information obtained according to the label information of the carrier 30, and the priority of the mixing information obtained according to the label information of the carrier 30 is higher than the mixing information obtained according to the layout position information of the sample. Of course, in other embodiments, the priority of the information obtained later can also be set to be higher than the information obtained earlier, which will not be repeated here.

[0062] In some embodiments, the mixing information includes first information and second information, the first information indicates that the sample is mixed, and the second information indicates that the sample is not mixed. In other words, in this embodiment, after the recognition component 600 recognizes the sample information, it can determine whether to mix the sample according to the sample information, so that the samples that do not need to be mixed are not mixed, and the samples that need to be mixed are mixed, so as to achieve accurate mixing of each sample.

[0063] The first information indicates that the sample is mixed. Specifically, the first information may include a mixing path, a mixing speed (vector), a mixing time, and a mixing number for mixing the sample. The mixing path can indicate the movement position, movement amplitude, and movement mode of the sample during the mixing process. The mixing speed and the mixing time can indicate the mixing frequency of the sample. The mixing path, the mixing speed, and the mixing time in the first information can be preset parameters, or can be parameters corrected or replaced according to the sample information. Among them, after the sample container is taken out, multiple mixing can be performed, and the number of mixing times can be the number of mixing times of a single mixing process (the process of taking out the sample container and putting it back is counted as a mixing process). For example, when the sample needs to be mixed M times during a single mixing process, each mixing time is X1 seconds, and the interval between each two mixing processes is Y1 seconds, the total duration of a single mixing process is 4X1+3Y1 seconds, that is, each mixing X1 is paused for Y1 seconds before the next X1 duration of mixing is performed. In this scheme, a pause of a certain length of time can be performed after each mixing, which can be more conducive to promoting the mixing of the various substances in the sample and preventing the various substances in the sample from rotating. When the pause time is short, the pause can be performed during a single mixing process of the sample. When the pause time is long, in some embodiments, the pause can be performed during multiple mixing processes. For example, when N mixings are required for sample a, each mixing lasts for X2 seconds, and the interval between two mixings is Y2 seconds, sample a can be taken out first and mixed for X2 seconds, and then sample a is put back (the first single mixing process ends), and then sample b is taken out and the corresponding mixing operation is performed on sample b. After Y2 seconds from the last mixing time of sample a, sample a is taken out again and mixed for X2 seconds and put back (the second single mixing process ends), and the above operation is repeated. In this scheme, the sample can be fully still, thereby improving the mixing effect. At the same time, mixing operations of other samples are also performed during the two mixing processes, thereby improving the mixing efficiency. In other embodiments, the sample may also undergo multiple mixing processes, each mixing process is mixed multiple times, and the number of mixing times in each mixing process is different, which will not be described here.

[0064] In some embodiments, the identification component 600 includes a code reader, which is used to read the label information of the sample container 40. In some embodiments, the code reader is also used to read the label information of the carrier 30. In some embodiments, the identification component 600 includes a shooting device, which is used to obtain image information of the sample container 40, and the image information includes an image of the sample container 40 or an environmental image of the area where the sample container 40 is located. By performing image recognition on the image information of the sample container 40, parameter information of the sample container 40 and information about the environment in which the sample container 40 is located can be obtained. In some embodiments, the identification component 600 includes a shooting device, which is used to obtain image information of the carrier 30, and the image information includes an image of the carrier 30 or an environmental image of the area where the carrier 30 is located. By performing image recognition on the image information of the carrier 30, parameter information of the carrier 30 and information about the environment in which the sample container 40 is located can be obtained.

[0065] The arrangement position of the identification component 600 depends on actual needs. In some embodiments, the mixing mechanism 200 includes a driving unit 210 and a positioning unit 220. The positioning unit 220 is used to position the sample container 40, and the driving unit 210 is used to drive the positioning unit 220 to move so as to mix the sample in the sample container 40. The identification component 600 is connected to the mixing mechanism 200, and the identification component 600 obtains the sample information of the sample during the process of the positioning unit 220 positioning the sample container 40. In this solution, the sample information is identified during the process of the positioning unit 220 positioning the sample, which improves the recognition efficiency on the one hand, and can identify the sample at a closer distance on the other hand, thereby improving the recognition accuracy.

[0066] In other embodiments, the mixing mechanism 200 includes a driving unit 210 and a positioning unit 220, the positioning unit 220 is used to position the sample container 40, and the driving unit 210 is used to drive the positioning unit 220 to move, so as to mix the sample in the sample container 40. The identification component 600 is provided in the transport unit 20, and the positioning unit 220 is configured to transfer the sample whose sample information has not been obtained to the transport unit 20, so that the identification component 600 located in the transport unit 20 obtains the sample information of the sample and then mixes the sample. In this scheme, when it is found that the mixing information of the sample has not been obtained before the sample is mixed, the sample can be transferred to the transport unit 20, and the identification component 600 provided in the transport unit 20 can be used to identify the sample, so as to obtain the sample information, and then the mixing information is obtained according to the sample information. After the sample is transferred back to a position close to the sample management unit 10 through the transmission track 21, it is transferred to the sample management unit 10 by the transfer mechanism 100, and the mixing mechanism 200 performs subsequent mixing operations according to the mixing information.

[0067] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0068] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features limited to "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, if "and / or", "and / or" or "and / or" appears in the full text, its meaning includes three parallel schemes. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes scheme A, or scheme B, or a scheme that satisfies both A and B. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0069] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sample processing system, characterized in that: include: A sample management unit is provided with an input area for accommodating samples, the sample management unit is provided with a mixing mechanism and a transfer mechanism, the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the samples in the input area, and the mixing mechanism is used to mix the samples in the input area; A transport unit, comprising a transport track and a carrying component for carrying a sample container, wherein the sample container is used to hold the sample, and the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the sample container containing the sample in the input area to the carrying component on the transport track, wherein the transport track is used to carry and transport the carrying component; as well as The sample processing unit is used to obtain the sample transmitted from the transmission track to process the sample.

2. The sample processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer mechanism and the mixing mechanism are the same component.

3. The sample processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mixing mechanism includes a driving part and a positioning part, wherein the positioning part is used to position the sample container, and the driving part is used to drive the positioning part to move so as to mix the sample in the sample container.

4. The sample processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The mixing mechanism includes a driving part and a positioning part, wherein the positioning part is used to position the carrying component, and the driving part is used to drive the positioning part to move, so as to mix the sample in the sample container carried by the carrying component.

5. The sample processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sample management unit also includes an output area, the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the samples on the transport track to the output area, and the mixing mechanism is also used to mix the samples contained in the output area.

6. The sample processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The sample processing system also includes an identification component and a control processing component, wherein the identification component is used to obtain sample information, the control processing component is used to generate mixing information according to the sample information, and the control processing component is used to control the mixing mechanism to mix the sample according to the mixing information.

7. The sample processing system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The sample information includes at least one of label information of a sample container containing the sample, image information of the sample container, position information of the sample container, label information of a carrying component carrying the sample container, image information of the carrying component, and position information of the carrying component.

8. The sample processing system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The mixing information includes first information and second information, the first information indicates that the sample is mixed, and the second information indicates that the sample is not mixed.

9. The sample processing system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first information includes a mixing path, a mixing speed, a mixing time, and a mixing number for mixing the sample.

10. The sample processing system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The identification component includes a code reader, and the code reader is used to read the label information of the sample container; and / or, The identification component includes a code reader, and the code reader is used to read the label information of the bearing component; and / or, The identification component includes a photographing device, and the photographing device is used to obtain image information of the sample container, and the image information includes an image of the sample container or an environmental image of the area where the sample container is located; and / or, The identification component includes a photographing device, and the photographing device is used to obtain image information of the carrying component, and the image information includes an image of the carrying component or an environmental image of an area where the carrying component is located.

11. The sample processing system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The mixing mechanism includes a driving part and a positioning part, wherein the positioning part is used to position the sample container, and the driving part is used to drive the positioning part to move so as to mix the sample in the sample container; The identification component is connected to the mixing mechanism, and the identification component obtains the sample information of the sample during the process of the positioning part positioning the sample container; Alternatively, the identification component is disposed in the transport unit, and the positioning portion is configured to transfer the sample for which the sample information has not been acquired to the transport unit, so that the identification component located in the transport unit mixes the sample after acquiring the sample information of the sample.

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