System and method for keeping vacuum constant and gene sequencer

Abstract

The system for keeping the vacuum constant comprises a negative pressure adsorption object, an adsorption supporting piece, a fluid power device (4) and a fluid control valve (3), the adsorption supporting piece is used for supporting the negative pressure adsorption object, and the fluid power device (4) is communicated with the adsorption supporting piece through a pipeline and used for vacuumizing the adsorption supporting piece to adsorb the negative pressure adsorption object. The fluid control valve (3) is arranged on a pipeline through which the fluid power device (4) is communicated with the adsorption supporting piece, and is used for switching or increasing the vacuumized fluid power device; at least one fluid control valve (3) is arranged, and at least two fluid power devices (4) are arranged. According to the system for keeping the vacuum constant, the probability of detection task errors caused by failure of the fluid power device is reduced. The invention further provides a method for keeping vacuum constant and a gene sequencer.

Description

System, method and gene sequencer for maintaining constant vacuum Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of gas-liquid control technology, and in particular to a system and method for maintaining a constant vacuum, and a gene sequencer. Background Art

[0002] The gene sequencer uses optical principles, and the optical microscope system images the surface of the slide. The slide has an internal flow pool, and the sample to be tested (such as DNA) is set on the surface of the flow pool. The relative distance between each area of ​​the slide surface and the lens needs to be kept consistent as much as possible to ensure successful focusing. The flatness consistency requirement of the slide is usually at the micron level, while the length and width of the slide surface are at the centimeter level. The scales of the two differ by several orders of magnitude, so it is very difficult to maintain flatness. In addition, the liquid inlet and outlet of the slide need to be kept sealed with the flow channel openings corresponding to other components of the liquid system, otherwise it will affect the function and performance of transporting the reagents from the test kit to the slide.

[0003] In order to improve the flatness of the carrier, vacuum is generally used in the prior art to adsorb the carrier onto the carrier platform. The carrier platform has a flat support surface in contact with the carrier. This method, first of all, has high requirements on the flatness of the carrier and the corresponding support surface itself, and secondly, it is necessary to apply uniform negative pressure to the carrier so that the carrier and the support surface remain firmly in contact during the operation of the instrument. The generation of a vacuum environment or a negative pressure environment is usually achieved through an air path system, for example, a groove is designed on the support surface, and one or more holes are designed on the groove to be fluidically connected to the gas power element. When the carrier and the support surface are initially contacted by human or mechanical force, a closed circuit is formed between the power element and the carrier adsorption surface, and air is pumped out to form a vacuum, so that the carrier and the support surface are further fully fitted.

[0004] Gas-powered components have low reliability and a short lifespan, making them vulnerable to wear. Failure during operation can lead to errors in the entire testing process, resulting in waste of samples and reagents. Furthermore, the sudden drop in negative pressure caused by a failed gas-powered component can cause the slide to bounce off the support surface, disrupting the fluid seal and even causing collisions between the slide and the optical lens.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a system for maintaining a constant vacuum, which reduces the probability of errors in detection tasks caused by failure of a fluid power device and reduces the risk of failure of a vacuum system.

[0007] The invention also provides a method for maintaining constant vacuum.

[0008] The present invention also provides a gene sequencer.

[0009] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0010] A system for maintaining a constant vacuum, comprising:

[0011] Negative pressure adsorption object;

[0012] An adsorption support member, used for supporting the negative pressure adsorption object;

[0013] a fluid power device, connected to the adsorption support member through a pipeline, and used to evacuate the adsorption support member to adsorb the negative pressure adsorption object;

[0014] a fluid control valve, provided on a pipeline connecting the fluid power device and the adsorption support, for switching or increasing the vacuuming of the fluid power device;

[0015] At least one fluid control valve is provided, and at least two fluid power devices are provided.

[0016] Optionally, the negative pressure adsorption object is a slide, and the slide carries a sample to be tested;

[0017] The adsorption support member is a wafer carrier platform adsorption member, and the wafer carrier platform adsorption member is used to support the wafer carrier.

[0018] Optionally, a detection device is provided on the pipeline connecting the fluid power device and the wafer carrier platform adsorption component.

[0019] Optionally, a detection device is provided on the pipeline connecting the fluid control valve and the wafer carrier platform adsorption component.

[0020] Optionally, the wafer carrier platform adsorbent includes an adsorbent body, and an adsorption groove is provided on the surface of the adsorbent body for supporting the wafer, and the adsorption groove is connected to the fluid control valve through an internal flow channel on the adsorbent body.

[0021] Optionally, the adsorption groove is an annular groove, and the annular groove is arranged around the surface of the adsorption component body for supporting the carrier.

[0022] Optionally, the fluid power device is a reciprocating vacuum pump, a rotary vacuum pump, a jet vacuum pump or an air compressor.

[0023] Optionally, the fluid control valve is a solenoid valve, a check valve, a slide valve, a pinch valve, a rotary valve or a piezoelectric valve, and each of the fluid control valves is connected to one or more of the fluid power devices.

[0024] Optionally, the detection device is a pressure sensor or a flow sensor.

[0025] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the system for maintaining a constant vacuum provided by the present invention provides at least two fluid power devices in the system. When one of the fluid power devices cannot meet the vacuum requirement, the fluid control valve switches the fluid power device connected to the system, or an additional fluid power device is connected to the system to meet the vacuum requirement of the adsorption position of the adsorption support. Therefore, when one of the fluid power devices fails to work properly, the other fluid power devices can still meet the vacuum requirement, reducing the probability of detection task errors caused by the failure of the fluid power device and improving the vacuum reliability of the vacuum pumping system. At the same time, because the fluid power device can provide reliable negative pressure, it avoids the collision between the slide and the optical lens caused by a sudden drop in vacuum.

[0026] The present invention also provides a method for maintaining a constant vacuum, comprising:

[0027] Step a, vacuuming the adsorption support member by a fluid power device, so that the negative pressure adsorption object is adsorbed on the adsorption support member under the action of negative pressure;

[0028] Step b: When the fluid power device cannot meet the working requirements, switch or add a fluid power device for vacuuming operation through the fluid control valve.

[0029] Optionally, the negative pressure adsorption object is a slide, and the slide carries a sample to be detected; the adsorption support is a slide platform adsorption member, and the slide platform adsorption member is used to support the slide.

[0030] Optionally, the working requirement in step b includes: determining whether the vacuum degree of the fluid power device is within a set range.

[0031] Optionally, the working requirements in step b also include: determining whether the fluid power device is within its service life.

[0032] Optionally, a detection device is used to detect whether the vacuum degree of the fluid power device is within a set range.

[0033] The method for maintaining a constant vacuum of the present invention is applied to the above-mentioned system for maintaining a constant vacuum, and thus has the advantages of the above-mentioned system, which will not be described in detail here.

[0034] The present invention also provides a gene sequencer, which includes the above-mentioned system for maintaining constant vacuum.

[0035] The present invention also provides a gene sequencer, which operates by adopting the above-mentioned method of maintaining constant vacuum. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. 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 these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0037] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an air path system of a system for maintaining a constant vacuum provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of an angle of a wafer carrier platform adsorption member provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer carrier platform adsorption member according to an embodiment of the present invention from another angle;

[0040] FIG4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the structure at AA in FIG3 ;

[0041] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a system for maintaining a constant vacuum according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of the pressure curve changes of the system in FIG5 when implementing dual pump switching;

[0043] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a system for maintaining a constant vacuum according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a system for maintaining a constant vacuum according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of a system for maintaining a constant vacuum provided by a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] in:

[0047] 1. Slide

[0048] 2. Slide platform adsorption parts,

[0049] 201, adsorption groove, 202, connecting branch groove, 203, barb joint, 204, internal flow channel,

[0050] 3. Fluid control valve,

[0051] 301, first check valve, 302, second check valve, 303, three-way solenoid valve, 304, third check valve, 305, fourth check valve, 306, fifth check valve, 307, first solenoid valve, 308, second solenoid valve,

[0052] 4. Fluid power device,

[0053] 401, first vacuum pump, 402, second vacuum pump, 403, third vacuum pump, 404, fourth vacuum pump, 405, fifth vacuum pump,

[0054] 5. The first pipeline,

[0055] 6. Second pipeline,

[0056] 7. Second three-way connector,

[0057] 8. The first three-way connector,

[0058] 9. Detection device,

[0059] 10. The first muffler,

[0060] 11. Second muffler,

[0061] 12. The third tee joint,

[0062] 13. The fourth three-way connector,

[0063] 14. Fifth three-way connector,

[0064] 15. The sixth three-way connector,

[0065] 16. The third muffler,

[0066] 17. Fourth muffler,

[0067] 18. Fifth muffler,

[0068] 19. Gas storage tank. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0069] The present invention discloses a system for maintaining a constant vacuum, which reduces the probability of errors in detection tasks caused by failure of a fluid power device and reduces the risk of failure of a vacuum system.

[0070] The invention also provides a method for maintaining constant vacuum.

[0071] The present invention also provides a gene sequencer.

[0072] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 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 making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0073] 1 , the system for maintaining a constant vacuum of the present invention includes a negative pressure adsorption object, an adsorption support, a fluid power device 4 and a fluid control valve 3 .

[0074] Specifically, the negative pressure adsorption object is a slide 1, and the adsorption support is a slide platform adsorption part 2. A sample to be tested is set in the slide 1. The slide platform adsorption part 2 is used to support and adsorb the slide 1. The fluid power device 4 is connected to the slide platform adsorption part 2 through a pipeline, and is used to vacuum the slide platform adsorption part 2 to adsorb the slide 1. The fluid control valve 3 is provided on the pipeline connecting the fluid power device 4 and the slide platform adsorption part 2, and is used to switch or increase the vacuum fluid power device 4. At least one fluid control valve 3 is provided, and at least two fluid power devices 4 are provided.

[0075] Among them, the slide 1 is a structure in the prior art. The slide 1 is either closed or open. The closed slide 1 is provided with a flow pool, and the sample is loaded in the flow channel. The open slide 1 does not have a flow pool, and the sample is directly carried on the surface of the slide 1, which will not be described here. The fluid power device 4 is a vacuum device. The slide platform adsorption part 2 is used to support the surface of the slide 1 and is provided with an adsorption groove or adsorption hole. The adsorption groove or adsorption hole is connected to the fluid power device 4 through a pipeline to achieve negative pressure adsorption positioning of the slide 1. The slide platform adsorption part 2 is connected to the fluid control valve 3 through a first pipeline 5, and the fluid control valve 3 is connected to the fluid power device 4 through a second pipeline 6.

[0076] The system for maintaining a constant vacuum of the present invention is provided with at least two fluid power devices 4 in the system. When one of the fluid power devices 4 cannot meet the vacuum requirement, the fluid control valve 3 is used to switch the fluid power device 4 connected to the system, or an additional fluid power device 4 is connected to the system to meet the vacuum requirement of the adsorption position of the slide platform adsorption member 2. Thus, when one of the fluid power devices 4 cannot work properly, the other fluid power devices 4 can still meet the vacuum requirement of the work, thereby reducing the probability of error in the detection task caused by the failure of the fluid power device 4 and reducing the risk of failure of the vacuum pumping system. At the same time, because the fluid power device 4 can provide reliable negative pressure, the reduction in the surface flatness of the slide 1 caused by a sudden drop in vacuum is avoided, and the slide 1 is further prevented from bouncing up and colliding with the optical lens, thereby avoiding damage to the optical lens.

[0077] To facilitate monitoring of the vacuum level at the suction position of the slide platform adsorbent 2, a detection device 9 is provided on the pipeline connecting the fluid power device 4 to the slide platform adsorbent 2. Furthermore, to prevent the fluid control valve 3 from affecting the detection value of the detection device 9 and to improve detection accuracy, a detection device 9 is provided on the pipeline connecting the fluid control valve 3 to the slide platform adsorbent 2.

[0078] Specifically, referring to Figures 2 to 4, the wafer platform adsorbent 2 includes an adsorbent body, and an adsorption groove 201 is provided on the surface of the adsorbent body for supporting the wafer 1. The adsorption groove 201 is connected to the fluid control valve 3 through the internal flow channel 204 on the adsorbent body. The adsorption groove 201 is connected to the inlet of the internal flow channel 204 through the connecting branch groove 202, and the outlet of the internal flow channel 204 is connected to the fluid control valve 3. The connecting branch groove 202 is provided on the surface of the adsorbent body for supporting the wafer 1. At least one connecting branch groove 202 is provided. In order to improve the reliability of the connection between the pipeline and the outlet of the internal flow channel 204, a barb joint 203 is provided at the outlet of the internal flow channel 204.

[0079] Furthermore, the adsorption groove 201 is an annular groove, which is arranged around the surface of the adsorption component body for supporting the carrier 1.

[0080] The fluid power device 4 is a reciprocating vacuum pump, a rotary vacuum pump, a jet vacuum pump, or an air compressor. The fluid control valve 3 is a solenoid valve, a check valve, a slide valve, a pinch valve, a rotary valve, or a piezoelectric valve. Each fluid control valve 3 is connected to one or more fluid power devices 4. The detection device 9 is a pressure sensor or a flow sensor.

[0081] In order to improve the placement reliability of the slide 1, the slide 1 can be pressed by a pressing structure in the prior art. The pressing structure can constrain by mechanical force or magnetic force to prevent the slide 1 from bouncing and hitting the optical lens when the vacuum pressure drops suddenly.

[0082] The specific structure of the system for maintaining a constant vacuum is described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0083] Example 1

[0084] As shown in Figure 5, the system for maintaining a constant vacuum includes a slide 1, a slide platform adsorbent 2, a first vacuum pump 401, and a second vacuum pump 402. A first three-way connector 8 is provided on the pipeline connecting the first vacuum pump 401, the second vacuum pump 402, and the slide platform adsorbent 2. The first port of the first three-way connector 8 is connected to the barb connector 203 of the slide platform adsorbent 2 via a pipeline, the second port is connected to the first vacuum pump 401 via a pipeline, and the third port is connected to the second vacuum pump 402 via a pipeline. A second three-way connector 7 is provided on the pipeline connecting the first three-way connector 8 to the first vacuum pump 401. The first port of the second three-way connector 7 is connected to the first three-way connector 8 via a pipeline, the second port is connected to the first vacuum pump 401 via a pipeline, and the third port is connected to the detection device 9 via a pipeline. A first check valve 301 is provided on the pipeline connecting the second three-way connector 7 to the first vacuum pump 401. A second check valve 302 is provided on the pipeline connecting the first three-way connector 8 to the second vacuum pump 402. The first check valve 301 and the second check valve 302 ensure the one-way flow of gas. The one-way flow here refers to the flow from the end of the wafer platform adsorption component 2 to the end of the vacuum pump, avoiding the reverse flow of gas, thereby ensuring the sealing of the pipeline when the first vacuum pump 401 and the second vacuum pump 402 are not working.

[0085] In this embodiment, the detection device 9 is a first pressure gauge. Because the pipeline connected to the first vacuum pump 401 is connected to the pipeline connected to the second vacuum pump 402 via the first three-way connector 8, the first pressure gauge can simultaneously monitor the pressure values ​​within the pipelines connected to the first vacuum pump 401 and the second vacuum pump 402. The first pressure gauge is used to measure the air pressure value within the pipeline relative to atmospheric pressure. The first vacuum pump 401 and the second vacuum pump 402 can operate independently or together to generate adsorption negative pressure.

[0086] In this embodiment of the gas circuit system, if the vacuum pump has not exceeded its service life and the reading of the first pressure gauge is within a set range, either the first vacuum pump 401 or the second vacuum pump 402 operates to generate negative pressure, and the first pressure gauge monitors the gas circuit pressure in real time. When the absolute value of the reading detected by the first pressure gauge falls below the set range, the other vacuum pump is switched to operation, or both vacuum pumps operate simultaneously.

[0087] As shown in Figure 6, the first vacuum pump 401 is first turned on to generate negative pressure, the second vacuum pump 402 is turned off, and the first pressure gauge shows that the absolute value of the adsorption pressure is not less than 80kPa. When the absolute value of the reading of the first pressure gauge begins to be lower than 80kPa, it indicates that the negative pressure is insufficient but no measures are taken for the time being. When the absolute value of the reading of the first pressure gauge is lower than another preset value, for example 60kPa, the first vacuum pump 401 is turned off and the second vacuum pump 402 is turned on to complete the switching of the two pumps. At the same time, the life statistics of the first vacuum pump 401 are stopped and the life statistics of the second vacuum pump 402 are turned on. Figure 6 is a measured pressure change curve for dual-pump switching using the air path system shown in Figure 5. The time interval between each two pressure data is 0.5s. -60kPa in Figure 6 refers to 60kPa below the standard atmospheric pressure, and -80kPa refers to 80kPa below the standard atmospheric pressure.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the pressure range within which the vacuum pump switches is a specific value. In other embodiments, the preset switching value may need to be adjusted based on changes in atmospheric pressure. The preset threshold value may be set as a function related to altitude, automatically calculating the corresponding threshold value based on the altitude input by the user.

[0089] In order to reduce the noise when the vacuum pump is working, the first muffler 10 is provided in conjunction with the first vacuum pump 401 , and the second muffler 11 is provided in conjunction with the second vacuum pump 402 .

[0090] Example 2

[0091] The gas circuit system of this embodiment is shown in FIG7 , which differs from the gas circuit system shown in Example 1 in that the fluid control valve 3 does not use a check valve, but instead uses a three-way solenoid valve 303 , and the second three-way connector 7 is removed.

[0092] Specifically, as shown in FIG7 , the system for maintaining a constant vacuum of the present invention includes a slide 1, a slide platform adsorbent 2, a first vacuum pump 401, and a second vacuum pump 402. A first three-way connector 8 is provided on the pipeline connecting the first vacuum pump 401, the second vacuum pump 402, and the slide platform adsorbent 2. The first port of the first three-way connector 8 is connected to the barb connector 203 of the slide platform adsorbent 2, the second port is connected to the inlet of the three-way solenoid valve 303, and the third port is connected to the first pressure gauge. The first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 303 is connected to the first vacuum pump 401 through a pipeline, and the second outlet is connected to the second vacuum pump 402 through a pipeline. The three-way solenoid valve 303 switches between the first position and the second position to realize the switching of the first vacuum pump 401 or the second vacuum pump 402 in the gas circuit system. When the three-way solenoid valve 303 is in the first position, the inlet of the three-way solenoid valve 303 is connected to the first outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 303, and the first vacuum pump 401 works to provide negative pressure for the slide platform adsorbent 2. When the three-way solenoid valve 303 is in the second position, the inlet of the three-way solenoid valve 303 is connected to the second outlet of the three-way solenoid valve 303 , and the second vacuum pump 402 works to provide negative pressure for the wafer platform adsorption component 2 .

[0093] The operating process of this embodiment is similar to that of Embodiment 1, except that the switching between the first vacuum pump 401 and the second vacuum pump 402 requires the switching between the first and second positions of the three-way solenoid valve 303. Specifically, the first vacuum pump 401 is first turned on, and the three-way solenoid valve 303 is in the first position. When the absolute value of the first pressure gauge reading is detected to be lower than a preset threshold absolute value, the second vacuum pump 402 is turned on, the three-way solenoid valve 303 is switched to the second position, and the first vacuum pump 401 is then turned off.

[0094] Example 3

[0095] The gas path system of this embodiment is shown in FIG8 . The difference between this embodiment and embodiments 1 and 2 is that this embodiment needs to support two wafer carrier platform adsorbents 2 , and each wafer carrier platform adsorbent 2 adsorbs one wafer 1 .

[0096] Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the system for maintaining constant vacuum of the present invention includes two wafer carrier platform adsorbents 2, each wafer carrier platform adsorbent 2 adsorbing one wafer carrier 1. The fluid power device 4 includes a third vacuum pump 403, a fourth vacuum pump 404 and a fifth vacuum pump 405. A wafer carrier platform adsorbent 2 (the wafer carrier platform adsorbent 2 on the left side of Figure 8) is connected to the third vacuum pump 403 and the fourth vacuum pump 404 through the third three-way joint 12. The first port of the third three-way joint 12 is connected to the barb joint 203 of this wafer carrier platform adsorbent 2, the second port of the third three-way joint 12 is connected to the third vacuum pump 403, and the third port of the third three-way joint 12 is connected to the fourth vacuum pump 404.

[0097] A third check valve 304 is installed on the pipeline between the third three-way connector 12 and the third vacuum pump 403. To facilitate pressure monitoring on the pipeline, a fourth three-way connector 13 is installed on the pipeline between the third check valve 304 and the third three-way connector 12. A second pressure gauge is connected to the fourth three-way connector 13. A first solenoid valve 307 and a fourth check valve 305 are installed in sequence on the pipeline between the third three-way connector 12 and the fourth vacuum pump 404. The fourth check valve 305 is located near the fourth vacuum pump 404.

[0098] The other wafer carrier adsorbent 2 (the wafer carrier adsorbent 2 on the right side in FIG8 ) is connected to the fourth vacuum pump 404 and the fifth vacuum pump 405 via the fifth three-way connector 14. The first port of the fifth three-way connector 14 is connected to the barb connector 203 of this wafer carrier adsorbent 2, the second port of the fifth three-way connector 14 is connected to the fifth vacuum pump 405, and the third port of the fifth three-way connector 14 is connected to the fourth vacuum pump 404 via the first solenoid valve 307.

[0099] A fifth check valve 306 is provided on the pipeline between the fifth three-way connector 14 and the fifth vacuum pump 405. To facilitate pressure monitoring on the pipeline, a sixth three-way connector 15 is provided on the pipeline between the fifth check valve 306 and the fifth three-way connector 14. A third pressure gauge is connected to the sixth three-way connector 15. The detection device 9 in this embodiment comprises a second pressure gauge and a third pressure gauge.

[0100] The air path system in this embodiment can support two carriers 1 placed on a carrier platform adsorbent 2 respectively to achieve vacuum adsorption positioning. The fourth vacuum pump 404 can provide redundant power for the third vacuum pump 403 or the fifth vacuum pump 405 by switching the first solenoid valve 307 between its first position and second position. Each vacuum pump is paired with a check valve to ensure switching between different vacuum pumps to maintain adsorption pressure. When the first solenoid valve 307 is in the first position, it provides redundant power for the third vacuum pump 403. When the first solenoid valve 307 is in the second position, it provides redundant power for the fifth vacuum pump 405.

[0101] The operating process of this embodiment is similar to that of Example 2, except that the fourth vacuum pump 404 can only provide negative pressure to one of the wafer platform adsorbents 2 at a time. Specifically, when the absolute value of the second pressure gauge reading is detected to be lower than a preset threshold, the first solenoid valve 307 switches to the first position, turning on the fourth vacuum pump 404 and then turning off the third vacuum pump 403. This gas circuit system reduces the number of redundant pumps, but it must be based on the premise that the probability of simultaneous failure of both gas circuits is low.

[0102] In order to reduce the noise when the vacuum pump is working, the third muffler 16 is provided in conjunction with the third vacuum pump 403 , the fourth muffler 17 is provided in conjunction with the fourth vacuum pump 404 , and the fifth muffler 18 is provided in conjunction with the fifth vacuum pump 405 .

[0103] Example 4

[0104] The gas circuit system of this embodiment is shown in Figure 9. The difference between it and Example 3 is that the third check valve 304, the fourth check valve 305 and the fifth check valve 306 in this embodiment are all connected to the gas tank 19 at one end close to the wafer platform adsorbent 2. The end of the gas tank 19 close to the wafer platform adsorbent 2 is connected to the first solenoid valve 307. The gas tank 19 is connected to the fourth pressure gauge, and the fourth pressure gauge is used to detect the vacuum negative pressure in the gas tank 19. The fourth three-way connector 13 and the sixth three-way connector 15 are removed. The second pressure gauge is connected to one port of the third three-way connector 12, and the other port of the third three-way connector 12 is connected to a wafer platform adsorbent 2 (the left wafer platform adsorbent 2 in Figure 9). The third port of the third three-way connector 12 is connected to the gas tank 19 through the first solenoid valve 307. A third pressure gauge is connected to one port of the fifth three-way connector 14. The other port of the fifth three-way connector 14 is connected to the other slide stage adsorbent 2 (the right slide stage adsorbent 2 in FIG9 ). The third port of the fifth three-way connector 14 is connected to the gas tank 19 via the first solenoid valve 307. A second solenoid valve 308 is provided on the pipeline connecting the first solenoid valve 307 and the gas tank 19.

[0105] In this embodiment, when the second solenoid valve 308 is closed, any one of the third vacuum pump 403, the fourth vacuum pump 404, and the fifth vacuum pump 405 is turned on to generate a vacuum negative pressure in the gas storage tank 19. The first position of the first solenoid valve 307 communicates with an independent slide platform adsorbing component 2 (the left slide platform adsorbing component 2 in FIG9 ), and the second solenoid valve 308 is opened to provide adsorption pressure for this slide platform adsorbing component 2 (the left slide platform adsorbing component 2 in FIG9 ). The second position of the first solenoid valve 307 communicates with another independent slide platform adsorbing component 2 (the right slide platform adsorbing component 2 in FIG9 ).

[0106] The system of this embodiment operates by monitoring the pressure within the gas storage tank 19 via the fourth pressure gauge. When the absolute value of the reading falls below a predetermined threshold, the redundant pump is activated. In this embodiment, two or three vacuum pumps may be activated, without limitation. Because the pressure in the gas storage tank 19 fluctuates more smoothly, the gas circuit system requires a lower speed for switching pumps, further improving system stability.

[0107] The present invention's system for maintaining a constant vacuum supports the parallel connection of two or more pumps, each of which can operate independently or simultaneously. Each valve in the fluid control valve 3 can establish a one-to-one or one-to-many connection with one or more pumps. Automatic switching between the pumps is achieved via a controller. To achieve automatic control, the controller controls the switching of each of the pumps, valves, and muffler. This control method is known in the art and will not be further described.

[0108] The present invention also provides a method for maintaining a constant vacuum, comprising:

[0109] Step a: vacuuming the slide platform adsorbent 2 by the fluid power device 4, so that the slide 1 is adsorbed on the slide platform adsorbent 2 under the action of negative pressure;

[0110] Step b: When the fluid power device 4 cannot meet the working requirements, switch or add a fluid power device for vacuuming operation through the fluid control valve 3.

[0111] It can be understood that before step a, the slide 1 needs to be placed on the supporting surface of the slide platform adsorbent 2.

[0112] The operating requirements in step b include determining whether the vacuum level of fluid power device 4 is within a set range and whether fluid power device 4 is within its service life. During use, a timer should be activated to record the service life of fluid power device 4 to determine whether fluid power device 4 is within its effective operating range. The vacuum level of fluid power device 4 is detected by measuring the pressure within the working pipeline using detection device 9.

[0113] The present invention also provides a gene sequencer comprising the above-mentioned system for maintaining a constant vacuum. The gene sequencer operates by adopting the above-mentioned method for maintaining a constant vacuum.

[0114] In the description of this solution, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "vertical", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as a limitation on this solution.

[0115] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature identified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of this solution, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0116] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0117] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is intended to enable one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown herein but is intended to conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining a constant vacuum, characterized in that: include: Negative pressure adsorption object; An adsorption support member, used for supporting the negative pressure adsorption object; a fluid power device, connected to the adsorption support member through a pipeline, and used to evacuate the adsorption support member to adsorb the negative pressure adsorption object; a fluid control valve, provided on a pipeline connecting the fluid power device and the adsorption support, for switching or increasing the vacuuming of the fluid power device; At least one fluid control valve is provided, and at least two fluid power devices are provided.

2. The system for maintaining constant vacuum according to claim 1, characterized in that: The negative pressure adsorption object is a slide, and the slide carries a sample to be tested; The adsorption support member is a wafer carrier platform adsorption member, and the wafer carrier platform adsorption member is used to support the wafer carrier.

3. The system for maintaining constant vacuum according to claim 2, characterized in that: A detection device is provided on the pipeline connecting the fluid power device and the wafer carrier platform adsorption component.

4. The system for maintaining constant vacuum according to claim 2, characterized in that: A detection device is provided on the pipeline connecting the fluid control valve and the wafer carrier platform adsorption component.

5. The system for maintaining constant vacuum according to claim 2, characterized in that: The wafer carrier platform adsorbent includes an adsorbent body, and an adsorption groove is provided on the surface of the adsorbent body for supporting the wafer. The adsorption groove is connected to the fluid control valve through an internal flow channel on the adsorbent body.

6. The system for maintaining a constant vacuum according to claim 5, characterized in that: The adsorption groove is an annular groove, and the annular groove is arranged around the surface of the adsorption component body for supporting the carrier.

7. The system for maintaining a constant vacuum according to claim 1, wherein: The fluid power device is a reciprocating vacuum pump, a rotary vacuum pump, a jet vacuum pump or an air compressor.

8. The system for maintaining a constant vacuum according to claim 1, wherein: The fluid control valve is a solenoid valve, a check valve, a slide valve, a pinch valve, a rotary valve or a piezoelectric valve, and each of the fluid control valves is connected to one or more of the fluid power devices.

9. The system for maintaining constant vacuum according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The detection device is a pressure sensor or a flow sensor.

10. A method for maintaining a constant vacuum, characterized in that: include: Step a, vacuuming the adsorption support member by a fluid power device, so that the negative pressure adsorption object is adsorbed on the adsorption support member under the action of negative pressure; Step b: When the fluid power device cannot meet the working requirements, switch or add a fluid power device for vacuuming operation through the fluid control valve.

11. The method for maintaining a constant vacuum according to claim 10, characterized in that: The negative pressure adsorption object is a slide, and the slide carries a sample to be detected; the adsorption support is a slide platform adsorption member, and the slide platform adsorption member is used to support the slide.

12. The method for maintaining a constant vacuum according to claim 10, characterized in that: The working requirements in step b include: judging whether the vacuum degree of the fluid power device is within a set range.

13. The method for maintaining a constant vacuum according to claim 10, characterized in that: The working requirements in step b also include: determining whether the fluid power device is within its service life.

14. The method for maintaining a constant vacuum according to claim 12, characterized in that: The detection device is used to detect whether the vacuum degree of the fluid power device is within a set range.

15. A gene sequencer, characterized in that: The gene sequencer comprises the system for maintaining constant vacuum according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

16. A gene sequencer, characterized in that: The gene sequencer operates by adopting the method for maintaining constant vacuum as described in any one of claims 10 to 14.

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