Transfer device, transfer method and biochemical substance analysis system

Abstract

A transfer device, a transfer method and a biochemical substance analysis system.The transfer device comprises a movement module and a grabbing module, the grabbing module is used for grabbing a to-be-transferred carrier, and the movement module is used for driving the to-be-transferred carrier to move in a first direction, a second direction and a third direction; and the driving device is also used for driving the to-be-transferred carrier to rotate in a rotating plane formed by the first direction and the second direction, so that the to-be-transferred carrier is transferred among different mounting platforms. According to the transfer device, linear movement in multiple directions and rotation in the rotation plane can be achieved, so that the transfer flexibility of the to-be-transferred carrier is improved, the space adaptability is high, and the transfer device is simple in structure, high in transfer precision and low in cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of biochemical substance analysis, and in particular to a transfer device and a transfer method, and a biochemical substance analysis system. Background Art

[0002] In the field of biochemical material analysis, such as gene sequencing, when a carrier to be transferred (such as a sequencing chip) carrying a sample needs to be loaded onto a biochemical reaction platform, and after the reaction is completed, the carrier to be transferred needs to be transferred from the biochemical reaction platform to the detection platform. The above transfer processes all require manual operation. The sequencing chip needs to be manually transferred and the carrier to be transferred needs to be manually placed inside the sequencer, which affects the sequencing speed. In addition, existing sequencers mainly have one biochemical reaction platform corresponding to one detection platform, and cannot achieve simultaneous sequencing of multiple chips or switching of multiple chips, which limits the sequencing throughput. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to solve at least one of the above defects, it is necessary to provide a transfer device and a transfer method, and a biochemical substance analysis system.

[0004] In a first aspect, a transfer device is provided, which includes a motion module and a grabbing module located on the motion module, the grabbing module is used to grab a carrier to be transferred, the motion module is used to drive the grabbing module, and then drive the carrier to be transferred to move along a first direction, a second direction and a third direction, and is also used to drive the carrier to be transferred to rotate within a rotation plane formed by the first direction and the second direction to transfer the carrier to be transferred between different installation platforms, and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0005] In some possible embodiments, the motion module includes a linear motion component and a rotating platform arranged on the linear motion component, the grabbing module is arranged on the rotating platform, the linear motion component is used to drive the carrier to be transferred to move along the first direction, the second direction and the third direction, and the rotating platform is used to drive the carrier to be transferred to rotate within the rotating plane.

[0006] In some possible embodiments, the grabbing module includes a mounting plate disposed on the rotating platform, at least one grabbing component disposed on the mounting plate, and a negative pressure adsorption component connected to the air circuit of each of the grabbing components, the grabbing component is used to grab the carrier to be transferred, and the rotating platform rotates within the rotating plane to rotate the grabbing component to the corresponding mounting platform.

[0007] In some possible embodiments, the grabbing assembly includes an adsorption plate arranged on the mounting plate, a plurality of suction cup seats arranged on the adsorption plate, a suction cup arranged on each of the suction cup seats, and a plug arranged on the mounting plate and connected to the adsorption plate, a vacuum flow channel is arranged inside the adsorption plate, the plug and the suction cup are both connected to the vacuum flow channel, and the plug is also connected to the negative pressure adsorption assembly through an air pipe.

[0008] In some possible embodiments, the negative pressure adsorption component is arranged on the linear motion component and is located on the side of the rotating platform away from the grabbing component. An axial hole is provided through the rotating platform, and the mounting plate is provided with a mounting plate through hole corresponding to the axial hole. The air pipe passes through the mounting plate through hole and the axial hole to communicate with the negative pressure adsorption component.

[0009] In some possible embodiments, the suction cup is a silicone suction cup.

[0010] In some possible embodiments, the grabbing module includes at least two grabbing components, the mounting plate has at least two mounting arms, and each of the grabbing components is disposed on one of the mounting arms.

[0011] In some possible embodiments, the rotating platform is used to drive the mounting plate to rotate within the rotating plane to change the position of the grabbing components located on different mounting arms.

[0012] In some possible embodiments, the negative pressure adsorption component includes: a negative pressure pump, an air circuit solenoid valve and a negative pressure gauge. The air circuit solenoid valve is connected between the negative pressure pump and the grabbing component through an air pipe. The air circuit solenoid valve is also connected to the external environment. The negative pressure gauge is connected between the air circuit solenoid valve and the grabbing component through an air pipe.

[0013] In some possible embodiments, the linear motion assembly includes a first moving mechanism that moves along the first direction, a second moving mechanism that is disposed on the first moving mechanism and moves along the second direction, and a third moving mechanism that is disposed on the second moving mechanism and moves along the third direction, and the grabbing module is disposed on the third moving mechanism.

[0014] In some possible embodiments, the first moving mechanism, the second moving mechanism and the third moving mechanism all include ball screws and are controlled by a servo drive and a servo motor.

[0015] In a second aspect, a biochemical substance analysis system is provided, which comprises: a plurality of mounting platforms, a carrier to be transferred, and a transfer device, wherein the transfer device is used to transfer the carrier to be transferred between the plurality of mounting platforms, and the transfer device is the transfer device as described above.

[0016] In some possible embodiments, a first positioning structure is provided on the mounting platform, and a second positioning structure is provided on the carrier to be transferred. The carrier to be transferred is transferred to the mounting platform, and the first positioning structure is passed through the second positioning structure to position the carrier to be transferred on the mounting platform.

[0017] In some possible embodiments, the first positioning structure includes a positioning portion fixed on the mounting platform and a guide portion arranged on the positioning portion, and the second positioning structure is a positioning hole, the guide portion passes through the positioning hole, and the positioning hole is sleeved on the positioning portion to achieve the positioning of the carrier to be transferred on the mounting platform.

[0018] In some possible embodiments, the installation platform is connected to a negative pressure adsorption device to adsorb the carrier to be transferred.

[0019] In some possible embodiments, the installation platform includes a biochemical reaction platform and a detection platform, and the transfer device is used to transfer the carrier to be transferred between the biochemical reaction platform and the detection platform, so that the sample in the carrier to be transferred can complete a biochemical reaction on the biochemical reaction platform and complete signal detection on the detection platform.

[0020] In some possible embodiments, the biochemical substance analysis system includes a plurality of biochemical reaction platforms and at least one detection platform.

[0021] In a third aspect, a method for transferring a carrier to be transferred using the transfer device as described above is provided, comprising:

[0022] Transferring the carrier to be transferred to a biochemical reaction platform so that the sample carried by the carrier to be transferred undergoes a biochemical reaction on the biochemical reaction platform; and

[0023] The carrier to be transferred after the reaction is transferred to a detection platform so that the sample after the reaction performs signal detection on the detection platform to obtain a signal related to the biological characteristics of the sample.

[0024] The above transfer device and the biochemical substance analysis system using the transfer device provided in the embodiment of the present application have the following features:

[0025] Beneficial effects:

[0026] (1) The motion module and the grabbing module can realize the automatic transfer of the carrier to be transferred between different installation platforms, which improves the transfer speed. The motion module can realize multi-directional linear motion and rotation within the rotation plane, and can realize the grabbing and transfer of any point of the carrier to be transferred, thereby improving the transfer flexibility and spatial adaptability. It is especially suitable for the transfer of the carrier to be transferred in a narrow space.

[0027] (2) The number of gripping components can be set to multiple, and the rotation of multiple gripping components in the rotating plane can be realized through the rotating platform, so as to realize the switching of multiple carriers to be transferred between different installation platforms, which can improve the transfer efficiency and the utilization rate of the installation platform, thereby improving the detection efficiency and detection throughput.

[0028] (3) The guiding and positioning design of the first positioning structure can reduce the transfer error of the carrier to be transferred during the transfer process, thereby improving the sealing of the liquid connection between the carrier to be transferred and the installation platform, reducing the risk of leakage, and improving the reliability of the biochemical substance analysis system.

[0029] (4) A silicone suction cup is used in the gripping component. The silicone suction cup grips the carrier to be transferred in an open positioning manner. The flexible deformation of the silicone can effectively release the error accumulated by the carrier to be transferred during the transfer process, thereby reducing the friction between the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure, and further reducing the dimensional change of the second positioning structure on the carrier to be transferred and the workpiece stress caused by friction. In addition, the carrier to be transferred is divided into two stages during the placement process. It is first guided by the guide part of the first positioning structure. The gripping component releases negative pressure, and the guide part allows the carrier to be transferred to fall freely to the positioning part of the first positioning structure. At the same time, the gripping component presses down to place the carrier to be transferred in place. This two-stage placement strategy can effectively reduce the friction between the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure, and can accommodate transfer errors.

[0030] (5) The linear motion assembly adopts a ball screw in conjunction with a servo drive and a servo motor to form an open-loop control system, which has the characteristics of high reliability and low cost. Compared with the high precision, high cost, and complex debugging requirements of the linear motor closed-loop control system, the linear motion assembly provided in the embodiment of the present application can meet the conditions of high design precision and long life, and reduce costs by at least 50%. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present invention 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 these drawings without creative work.

[0032] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a biochemical substance analysis system in one embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a biochemical substance analysis system in one embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the mobile device.

[0035] Figure 4 It is a control system block diagram of a motion module and a negative pressure grabbing component in one embodiment of the present application.

[0036] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the grab module.

[0037] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the rotating platform.

[0038] Figure 7 It is a top view of a double grab assembly in one embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Figure 8 It is a top view of four grabbing components in one embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the connection between the negative pressure grabbing assembly and the grabbing assembly in one embodiment of the present application.

[0041] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of a transfer device transferring a carrier to be transferred to an installation platform in one embodiment of the present application.

[0042] Fig.11 It is a flow chart of a transfer method in one embodiment of the present application.

[0043] Figures 12 to 18 It is a schematic diagram of the process of transferring the carrier to be transferred in one embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Main component symbols

[0045] Biochemical substance analysis system 1000 Suction cup 43 Transfer device 100 plug 44 Sports module 10 trachea 45,54,55 Linear Motion Components 1 Negative pressure adsorption components 5 First transfer institution 11 Negative pressure pump 51 First rail 111 Gas circuit solenoid valve 52 First Slider 112 Negative pressure gauge 53 The first driving mechanism 113 Biochemical reaction module 200 Second transfer institution 12 Biochemical reaction platform 201 Second rail 121 Detection module 300 Second slider 122 Testing platform 301 Second driving mechanism 123 Lens components 302 Third transfer institution 13 Detection components 303 The third rail 131 Carrier to be transferred 400 Third Slider 132 The second positioning structure 401 The third drive mechanism 133 Control Module 500 Rotating platform 2 Installation Platform 600 Mounting Seat 21 The first positioning structure 601 Rotation axis 22 Guide 602 Fourth driving mechanism 23 Positioning Department 603 Axis hole 24 Main architecture platform 800 Grab module 20 Mobile Platforms 801 Mounting Plate 3 Main Platform 802 Mounting plate through holes 31 First Direction X Mounting Arm 32 Second direction Y Grab Components 4 The third direction Z Adsorption board 41 Rotation plane T Suction cup holder 42

[0046] The following specific implementation manner will further illustrate the present invention in conjunction with the above-mentioned drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] 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.

[0048] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "mounted on" another component, it may be directly on the other component or there may be a central component. When a component is considered to be "set on" another component, it may be directly set on the other component or there may be a central component at the same time. The term "and / or" as used herein includes all and any combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0049] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the embodiment of the present application provides a biochemical substance analysis system 1000, which includes a plurality of installation platforms 600 and a transfer device 100. The installation platforms 600 are arranged at different positions according to actual requirements to provide a fixed placement position for the carrier 400 to be transferred, so as to achieve different purposes, such as biochemical reaction or information extraction. The transfer device 100 is used to receive the carrier 400 to be transferred and transfer the carrier 400 to be transferred between different installation platforms 600. Specifically, the biochemical substance analysis system 1000 includes at least one biochemical reaction module 200 and at least one detection module 300. The carrier 400 to be transferred can be a biochip, in which a biological sample can be loaded. The biochemical reaction module 200 includes at least one biochemical reaction platform 201, and the detection module 300 includes at least one detection platform 301. The biochemical reaction platform 201 and the detection platform 301 constitute the installation platform 600 of the carrier 400 to be detected. That is, the transfer device 100 can transfer the carrier 400 to be transferred between the biochemical reaction platform 201 and the detection platform 301, so that the sample in the carrier 400 to be transferred completes the biochemical reaction on the biochemical reaction platform 201 and completes the signal detection on the detection platform 301. Specifically, the biochemical reaction module 200 is used to inject the reaction material into the carrier 400 to be transferred after the carrier 400 to be transferred is loaded onto the biochemical reaction platform 201 therein so that the carried sample reacts. The detection module 300 is used to perform signal detection on the sample carried by the carrier to be transferred after the carrier 400 to be transferred is loaded onto the detection platform 301 therein to obtain the signal of the biological characteristics of the sample after the reaction. In one embodiment, taking gene sequencing as an example, the biochemical material analysis system 1000 can be a gene sequencer, and the carrier 400 to be transferred can be a sequencing chip carrying DNA or RNA samples.

[0050] In some embodiments, the biochemical substance analysis system 1000 further includes a control module 500 , and the control module 500 is used to control the biochemical reaction module 200 , the detection module 300 and the transfer device 100 to work in coordination.

[0051] Please refer again Figure 2 The biochemical substance analysis system 1000 includes a main structure platform 800 , wherein the main structure platform 800 is used to arrange the transfer device 100 , the biochemical reaction module 200 and the detection module 300 .

[0052] In some embodiments, the main architecture platform 800 includes a mobile platform 801 and a main platform 802 disposed on the side of the mobile platform 801, wherein the mobile device 100 is disposed on the mobile platform 801, and the biochemical reaction module 200 and the detection module 300 are disposed on the main platform 802. In order to reasonably utilize the space, the main platform 802 can be split into multiple platforms, which are respectively disposed on the side of the mobile platform 801, wherein some main platforms 802 are used to configure the biochemical reaction modules 200, and other main platforms 802 are used to configure the detection modules 300. The biochemical reaction modules 200 may include multiple ones, and the detection module 300 may be provided with one. The biochemical reactions of different biochemical reaction modules 200 are staggered in time sequence, so that the detection modules 300 can be fully utilized, thereby improving the detection efficiency and detection flux, and also improving the utilization rate of the detection modules 300. Multiple biochemical reaction modules 200 and one detection module 300 can be arranged according to the preset path of the mobile device 100, so that the mobile device 100 can move according to the preset path to transfer the carrier 400 to be transferred between the biochemical reaction module 200 and the detection module 300. It can be understood that multiple biochemical reaction modules 200 and detection modules 300 can be arranged to improve detection efficiency and throughput. It can also be understood that the main architecture platform 800 can also be a platform, and the mobile device 100, the biochemical reaction module 200 and the detection module 300 are all arranged on the main architecture platform 800.

[0053] See also Figure 3 , and refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The transfer device 100 includes a motion module 10 and a grabbing module 20 located on the motion module 10. The grabbing module 20 is used to grab the carrier 400 to be transferred. The motion module 10 is used to drive the carrier 400 to be transferred to move along the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z, and is also used to drive the carrier 400 to be transferred to rotate in the rotation plane T formed by the first direction X and the second direction Y, so as to transfer the carrier 400 to be transferred between different installation platforms. The first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z are perpendicular to each other and can form a three-dimensional coordinate system.

[0054] The motion module 10 includes a linear motion component 1 and a rotating platform 2 disposed on the linear motion component 1, and the grabbing module 20 is disposed on the rotating platform 2. The linear motion component 1 is used to drive the carrier 400 to be transferred to move linearly along the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z, and the rotating platform 2 is used to drive the carrier 400 to be transferred to rotate in the rotating plane T.

[0055] In some embodiments, the linear motion assembly 1 includes a first moving mechanism 11 that moves along the first direction X, a second moving mechanism 12 that is disposed on the first moving mechanism 11 and moves along the second direction Y, and a third moving mechanism 13 that is disposed on the second moving mechanism 12 and moves along the third direction Z, and the grabbing module 20 is disposed on the third moving mechanism 13.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first moving mechanism 11 includes a first guide rail 111 provided on the moving platform 801 and extending along the first direction X, a first slider 112 slidably provided on the first guide rail 111, and a first driving mechanism 113, the first driving mechanism 113 can drive the first slider 112 to move along the first guide rail 111. In some embodiments, the second moving mechanism 12 includes a second guide rail 121 provided on the first slider 112 and extending along the second direction Y, a second slider 122 slidably provided on the second guide rail 121, and a second driving mechanism 123, the second driving mechanism 123 can drive the second slider 122 to move along the second guide rail 121. In some embodiments, the third moving mechanism 13 includes a third guide rail 131 provided on the second slider 122 and extending along the third direction Z, a third slider 132 slidably provided on the third guide rail 131, and a third driving mechanism 133, the third driving mechanism 133 can drive the third slider 132 to move along the third guide rail 131.

[0057] In some embodiments, the first drive mechanism 113, the second drive mechanism 123 and the third drive mechanism 133 are all servo motors, specifically, they can be ball screw motors. The servo motors are controlled by servo drivers, which are further connected to the control module 500 for communication. The through hole control module 500 uniformly controls the first drive mechanism 113, the second drive mechanism 123 and the third drive mechanism 133. Figure 4As shown, the control module 500 can control the servo driver (specifically including the X driver, the Y driver and the Z driver), and then start and stop the servo motor (specifically including the X motor, the Y motor and the Z motor) to drive the corresponding slider to move, and then drive the rotating platform 20 to move along the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z to adjust the position of the carrier 400 to be transferred. Among them, the first driving mechanism 113 has an X extreme hard limit sensor and an X absolute zero position sensor, the second driving mechanism 123 has a Y extreme hard limit sensor and a Y absolute zero position sensor, and the third driving mechanism 133 has a Z extreme hard limit sensor and a Z absolute zero position sensor. The servo motor uses an absolute encoder, which can achieve power-off position retention. The servo driver is powered by a 220V AC power supply. The servo motor is connected through a power line and an encoder line to achieve motion control signal transmission and encoder position feedback. In addition, the drive shaft of each servo motor is designed with an absolute zero position sensor to perform absolute zero initialization to avoid the loss of encoder feedback position caused by motor replacement and other faults; in addition, the drive shaft in the three directions of XYZ is arranged at the extreme positions at both ends of the stroke, thereby ensuring the safety of operation. The embodiment of the present application uses a ball screw linear motor as a driving source. The ball screw is combined with a servo open-loop control system, which has the characteristics of high reliability and low cost, and has low debugging requirements. It can meet the requirements of high precision and long life, and can greatly reduce costs. Compared with traditional linear closed-loop control systems, the cost is reduced by at least 50%.

[0058] Please refer again Figure 3 and Figure 5 , and refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The rotating platform 2 includes a mounting seat 21 disposed on the third moving mechanism 13, a rotating shaft 22 disposed on the mounting seat 21, and a fourth driving mechanism 23. The grabbing module 20 is disposed on the rotating shaft 22. The fourth driving mechanism 23 is used to drive the rotating shaft 22 to rotate in the rotating plane T, so as to drive the grabbing module 20 to perform a rotating motion. The fourth driving mechanism 23 can also be a servo motor, wherein the servo motor is controlled by a servo driver and further controlled by the control module 500 to realize the rotation in the T plane, such as Figure 4 As shown, the control module 500 controls the T driver and then controls the T motor to rotate, so as to realize the rotation of the rotating shaft 22, thereby driving the grabbing module 20 to rotate.

[0059] See also Figure 6 , and refer to Figures 1 to 3The grabbing module 20 includes a mounting plate 3 disposed on the rotating platform 2, at least one grabbing assembly 4 disposed on the mounting plate 3, and a negative pressure adsorption assembly 5 connected to each grabbing assembly 4 by air path. The grabbing assembly 4 is used to grab the carrier 400 to be transferred. The rotating platform 2 rotates in the rotating plane T to rotate the grabbing assembly 4 to the corresponding mounting platform 600. Among them, the grabbing assembly 4 includes an adsorption plate 41 disposed on the mounting plate 3, a plurality of suction cup seats 42 disposed on the adsorption plate 41, a suction cup 43 disposed on each suction cup seat 42, and a plug 44 disposed on the mounting plate 3 and connected to the adsorption plate 41. A vacuum flow channel is provided inside the adsorption plate 41, and the plug 44 and the suction cup 43 are both connected to the vacuum flow channel. The plug 44 is also connected to the negative pressure adsorption assembly 5 through the air pipe 45. Specifically, the mounting plate 3 is connected to the rotating platform 2 by screws, and the plug 44 can be a quick-connect connector, which can achieve a detachable connection with the adsorption plate 41. By setting the rotating platform 2 on the linear motion component 1, the grasping component 4 can be grasped flexibly in space, and the spatial adaptability is stronger, especially suitable for flexible grasping in a narrow space. The suction cup 43 grasps the carrier 400 to be transferred by negative pressure adsorption, which belongs to open positioning and can well cover the transfer error accumulated during the transfer process.

[0060] In some embodiments, the adsorption plate 41 can be an adsorption manifold with multiple vacuum channels inside, which can be positioned by pins and connected to the mounting plate 3 by screws. The adsorption plate 41 can be made of a transparent material, which can provide a good observation field when debugging points and improve debugging efficiency. The adsorption plate 41 is roughly a rectangular structure, and a suction cup seat 42 and a suction cup 43 can be respectively set at the four corners of the adsorption plate 41 to improve the stability and reliability of adsorption. The thickness of the adsorption plate 41 is relatively thin, and the thickness L is approximately about 10 mm. Fig.10 As shown, it not only provides support for the suction cup 43, but also realizes the penetration of negative pressure of the suction cup 43. The overall structure is simpler and more reliable, and can further improve the adaptability of the space. It can freely extend into a narrow gap to achieve grasping / placing, for example, to meet the transfer function of the sequencing chip in the narrow design space of the optical system.

[0061] In some embodiments, the suction cup seat 42 can be a high-precision suction cup seat, which can further improve the reliability of adsorption.

[0062] In some embodiments, the suction cup 43 may be a silicone suction cup. The suction cup 43 made of flexible material can further release the transfer error accumulated during the transfer process, and improve the alignment accuracy between the carrier 400 to be transferred and the mounting platform. In some embodiments, the negative pressure adsorption component 5 is arranged on the linear motion component 1, and is located on the side of the rotating platform 2 away from the grasping component 4. Specifically, the negative pressure adsorption component 5 is arranged on the third moving mechanism 13. An axial hole 24 is provided through the rotating platform 2, and the mounting plate 3 is provided with a mounting plate through hole 31 corresponding to the axial hole 24. The air pipe 45 passes through the mounting plate through hole 31 and the axial hole 24 to communicate with the negative pressure adsorption component 5. By passing the air pipe 45 through the mounting plate through hole 31 and the axial hole 24, the entanglement of the air pipe 45 during the movement of the motion module 10 can be reduced.

[0063] In some embodiments, the grab module 20 may include a single grab assembly 4, or multiple grab assemblies 4 may be provided. When the grab module 20 includes at least two grab assemblies 4, the mounting plate 3 has at least two mounting arms 32, and each grab assembly 4 is provided on one mounting arm 32. Figure 7 As shown, the mounting plate 3 may be an L-shaped mounting plate, including two mounting arms 32 arranged at approximately 90°. The double-claw mode can realize a grabbing and exchanging function, for example, one grabbing assembly 4 is used to grab a carrier 400 to be transferred on the mounting platform 600, and the other grabbing assembly 4 is used to place another adsorbed carrier 400 to be transferred on the mounting platform 600. For example, when a plurality of mounting arms 32 are arranged on the mounting plate 3, the rotating platform 2 is used to drive the mounting plate 3 to rotate within the rotating plane T, so that the grabbing assembly 4 located on the mounting arm 32 can change position.

[0064] In other embodiments, Figure 8 As shown, the mounting plate 3 can also be a cross-shaped mounting plate, including four mounting arms 32 arranged in a cross shape, each mounting arm 32 is provided with a grabbing assembly 4, forming a four-claw mode, wherein two grabbing assemblies 4 realize the grabbing exchange function, and the other two grabbing assemblies 4 can be used as redundant backups. When the negative pressure system of a grabbing assembly 4 fails, the system can still operate normally, which can improve the transfer efficiency. In addition, when the system is expanded from a single detection platform 301 to a dual detection platform 301, the multi-claw mode can realize fast matching and scheduling, with stronger adaptability, which can further improve the detection throughput and detection efficiency.

[0065] It is understandable that when the grabbing module 20 is provided with a plurality of grabbing components 4, a single claw mode can be adopted to realize the back and forth exchange of a single carrier 400 to be transferred (e.g., a sequencing chip) between the current position and the target position, and the target position can be a single target position or multiple target positions. At the same time, a double claw mode can also be adopted to realize the back and forth exchange of two carriers 400 to be transferred (e.g., sequencing chips) between the current position and the target position, and the target position can be a single or multiple.

[0066] See also Fig. 9 , and refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 The negative pressure adsorption component 5 includes: a negative pressure pump 51, an air circuit electromagnetic valve 52 and a negative pressure gauge 53. The air circuit electromagnetic valve 52 is connected between the negative pressure pump 51 and the grabbing component 4 through an air pipe 54. After the negative pressure pump 51 is powered on, a vacuum negative pressure is generated, and the vacuum negative pressure is connected to the grabbing component 4 through the air circuit electromagnetic valve 52. The air circuit electromagnetic valve 52 is also connected to the external environment to release the negative pressure inside the grabbing component 4. The negative pressure gauge 53 is connected between the air circuit electromagnetic valve 52 and the grabbing component 4 through an air pipe 55 to achieve real-time negative pressure monitoring. The grabbing module 20 uses a negative pressure pump 51 as a power source, and each grabbing component 4 uses a separate set of negative pressure adsorption components 5. The end of the air pipe 45 in the grabbing component 4 away from the plug 44 is connected to the common end of the two-position three-way air circuit solenoid valve 52. The negative pressure pump 51 is connected to the normally open pipeline interface of the air circuit solenoid valve 52 through the air pipe 54. The electrical interface on the air circuit solenoid valve 52 can be directly connected to the atmosphere. The negative pressure gauge 51 is connected to the pipeline between the air circuit solenoid valve 52 and the grabbing component 4, which is used to detect the pressure value inside the grabbing component 4 in real time. The negative pressure pump 51 is always in a normally open state. According to the grabbing instruction of the control module 500, when the grabbing component 4 reaches the target position, the control module 500 controls the negative pressure adsorption component 5 to establish negative pressure, and the analog signal of the pressure gauge 51 is fed back to the control module 500 to judge that the action is completed; when the control module 500 issues a placement instruction, the air circuit solenoid valve 52 is powered on, the grabbing component 4 is connected to the atmosphere, and the negative pressure is released. At this time, the analog signal of the pressure gauge 51 changes, and the control module 500 judges that the action is completed based on the size of the analog signal value.

[0067] See also Fig.10 , a first positioning structure 601 is provided on the installation platform 600, and a second positioning structure 401 is provided on the carrier 400 to be transferred. When the transfer device 100 transfers the carrier 400 to be transferred to the installation platform 600, the first positioning structure 601 cooperates with the second positioning structure 401 to realize the positioning of the carrier 400 to be transferred on the installation platform 600. Specifically, the first positioning structure 601 is provided through the second positioning structure 401 to position the carrier 400 to be transferred.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first positioning structure 601 includes a positioning portion 602 fixed on the mounting platform 600 and a guide portion 603 arranged on the positioning portion 602. The second positioning structure 401 is a positioning hole. The guide portion 602 passes through the positioning hole, and the positioning hole is sleeved on the positioning portion 603 to realize the positioning of the carrier 400 to be transferred on the mounting platform 600.

[0069] In some embodiments, the suction cup 43 is sucked onto the edge of the carrier 400 to be transferred, and the second positioning structure 401 is located at the edge of the suction position of the suction cup 43 .

[0070] Please refer again Figure 1 and Figure 2 The installation platform 600 is connected to a negative pressure adsorption device to adsorb the carrier 400 to be transferred.

[0071] Please refer again Figure 1 and Figure 2 The mounting platform 600 may also be disposed on the moving mechanism 700 , and the position of the mounting platform 600 may be adjusted by the moving mechanism 700 to achieve more precise cooperation with the grabbing assembly 4 .

[0072] Please refer again Figure 1 and Figure 2 The biochemical reaction module 200 can heat the biochemical reaction platform 201, thereby heating the carrier to be transferred 400, so that the sample in the carrier to be transferred 400 reacts.

[0073] Please refer again Figure 1 and Figure 2 The detection module 300 also includes a lens assembly 302 located above the detection platform 301 and a detection assembly 303 connected to the lens assembly 302 by signal. For example, when the carrier 400 to be transferred is a sequencing chip, after the biochemical reaction is completed, the sequencing chip is cooled down and moved to the detection platform 301. The lens assembly 302 can take a picture of the chip after the reaction to obtain a fluorescent image of the sample after the reaction. After the fluorescent image is transmitted to the detection assembly 303, the detection assembly 303 detects and analyzes the fluorescent image.

[0074] It can be understood that the aforementioned transfer device is not limited to use in biochemical substance analysis systems, but can also be used in other scenarios where the transfer carrier needs to be transferred.

[0075] The following focuses on the functions of each of the above devices and the methods for executing them.

[0076] See also Fig.11 , and refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The embodiment of the present application also provides a method for transferring a carrier 400 to be transferred using the aforementioned transfer device 100. The method specifically includes the following steps:

[0077] Step S1 , transferring the carrier 400 to be transferred to the biochemical reaction platform 201 so that the sample carried by the carrier 400 to be transferred undergoes a biochemical reaction on the biochemical reaction platform 201 .

[0078] Step S2, transferring the carrier 400 to be transferred to the detection platform 301 so that the sample after reaction performs signal detection on the detection platform 301 to obtain a signal related to the biological characteristics of the sample.

[0079] Specifically, according to the number of the grabbing components 4 in the transfer device 100 , it can be divided into a single grabbing component mode and a double grabbing component mode.

[0080] The single gripping component mode (single claw mode) specifically includes the following steps:

[0081] Step S11, as Fig.12 As shown, the motion module 10 drives the grabbing module 20 to move along the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z, and rotates in the rotation plane T to move the grabbing module 20 to an installation platform 600 and grab the carrier 400 to be transferred located on the installation platform 600, such as the biochemical reaction platform 201.

[0082] Specifically, see Figure 1 and Figure 6 , the linear motion component 1 drives the grabbing component 4 to make linear motion along the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z, and drives the grabbing component 4 to make rotational motion in the rotation plane T through the rotating platform 2, so that the grabbing component 4 moves to a mounting platform 600, and makes the suction cup 43 of the grabbing component 4 completely contact with the carrier 400 to be transferred on the mounting platform 600, after the negative pressure adsorption component 5 establishes negative pressure for the grabbing component 4, the adsorption force on the mounting platform 600 is released, and the carrier 400 to be transferred is grabbed by the grabbing component 4 and transferred to the next step. Specifically, the mounting platform 600 can be a biochemical reaction platform 201, and at this time, the sample loaded in the carrier 400 to be transferred reacts on the biochemical reaction platform 201.

[0083] Step S12, as Fig.13 As shown, the motion module 10 drives the grabbing module 20 to carry the carrier 400 to be transferred and move along the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z, and rotate within the rotation plane T to move the carrier 400 to be transferred to another installation platform 600, such as the detection platform 301.

[0084] Specifically, see Figure 1 , Figure 6 , Fig.10 and Fig.14 The linear motion component 1 drives the grabbing component 4 to make linear motion along the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z, and drives the grabbing component 4 to make rotational motion in the rotation plane T through the rotating platform 2, so that the grabbing component 4 drives the reacted carrier 400 to be transferred to move above another installation platform 600. During the movement, the grabbing component 4 with a thickness L of approximately 10 mm needs to first move in the third direction Z to the gap height (approximately 16 mm) between the bottom of the height upper limit plate and the installation platform 600. Then, the carrier 400 to be transferred after the reaction is moved to the surface of the installation platform 600 and placed. At this time, the positioning pin of the installation platform 600 passes through the positioning hole of the carrier 400 to be transferred after the reaction, and the gripping component 4 releases the negative pressure, and the carrier 400 to be transferred after the reaction automatically falls and is positioned on the installation platform 600. The negative pressure adsorption device on the installation platform 600 adsorbs the carrier 400 to be transferred. At this time, the gas circuit solenoid valve 52 of the negative pressure adsorption component 5 is powered on, and the gripping component 4 is connected to the atmosphere, completing the release of the carrier 400 to be transferred and completing a single transfer. Specifically, the installation platform 600 can be a detection platform 301. At this time, the sample in the carrier 400 to be transferred has reacted, and detection and analysis can be performed on the detection platform 301.

[0085] Step S13, when the carrier 400 to be transferred is detected, the motion module 10 repeats step S11, grabs the carrier 400 to be transferred and transfers it to another installation platform 600, such as the biochemical reaction platform 201, to complete one exchange transfer process. Specifically, the transfer can be repeated according to actual needs.

[0086] The dual gripping component mode (dual claw mode) specifically includes the following steps:

[0087] Step S21, as Fig.15 As shown, please refer to step S11 in the single claw mode, the grabbing module 20 moves to above the first mounting platform 600-1, and the first grabbing component 4-1 first grabs the first carrier 400-1 to be transferred on the first mounting platform 600-1.

[0088] Specifically, the first installation platform 600 - 1 is a biochemical reaction platform 201 , and the first carrier to be transferred 400 - 1 completes the biochemical reaction on the biochemical reaction platform 201 .

[0089] Step S22, as Fig.16 As shown, the grabbing module 20 moves to above the second mounting platform 600 - 2 , and the second grabbing assembly 4 - 2 grabs the second carrier 400 - 2 to be transferred on the second mounting platform 600 - 2 .

[0090] Specifically, the second installation platform 600 - 2 is the detection platform 301 , and the second carrier 400 - 2 to be transferred has completed imaging detection on the detection platform 301 .

[0091] Step S23, as Fig.17 As shown, the rotating platform 2 rotates the first grabbing component 4-1 and the second grabbing component 4-2 by 90 degrees, and places the first carrier 400-1 to be transferred on the first grabbing component 4-1 on the second mounting platform 600-2, and the second carrier 400-2 to be transferred is temporarily adsorbed on the second grabbing component 4-2.

[0092] Step S24, as Fig.18 As shown, the rotating platform 2 rotates the first grabbing component 4-1 and the second grabbing component 4-2 by 180 degrees and moves them above the first mounting platform 600-1. The second grabbing component 4-2 places the second carrier to be transferred 400-2 on the first mounting platform 600-1, completing a position exchange of the first carrier to be transferred 400-1 and the second carrier to be transferred 400-2.

[0093] In summary, the transfer device 100 and the biochemical substance analysis system 1000 using the transfer device 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application have the following beneficial effects:

[0094] (1) The moving module 10 and the grabbing module 20 can realize the automatic transfer of the carrier 400 to be transferred between different installation platforms 600, thereby improving the transfer speed. The moving module 10 can realize multi-directional linear motion and rotation within the rotating plane, and can realize the grabbing and transfer of any point of the carrier 400 to be transferred, thereby improving the transfer flexibility and having strong spatial adaptability, and is particularly suitable for transfer within a narrow space.

[0095] (2) The number of gripping components 4 can be set to multiple, and the rotation of multiple gripping components 4 in the rotating plane can be realized by the rotating platform 2, so as to realize the switching of multiple carriers 400 to be transferred between different installation platforms 600, which can improve the transfer efficiency and the utilization rate of the installation platform 600, thereby improving the detection efficiency and detection throughput.

[0096] (3) The guiding and positioning design of the first positioning structure 601 can reduce the transfer error of the carrier 400 to be transferred during the transfer process, thereby improving the sealing of the liquid connection between the carrier 400 to be transferred and the installation platform 600, reducing the risk of leakage, and improving the reliability of the biochemical substance analysis system.

[0097] (4) The gripping component 4 uses a silicone suction cup. The gripping of the carrier 400 to be transferred by the silicone suction cup belongs to open positioning. The deformation of the flexible silicone can well release the error accumulated in the transfer process of the carrier 400 to be transferred, thereby reducing the friction between the first positioning structure 601 and the second positioning structure 401, and further reducing the size change of the second positioning structure 401 on the carrier 400 to be transferred caused by friction and the stress of the workpiece. In addition, the carrier 400 to be transferred is divided into two stages during the placement process. It is first guided by the guide part 602 of the first positioning structure 601. The gripping component 4 releases negative pressure. The guide part 602 allows the carrier 400 to fall freely to the positioning part 603 of the first positioning structure 601. At the same time, the gripping component 4 presses down to place the carrier 400 to be transferred in place. This two-stage operation placement strategy can well reduce the friction between the first positioning structure 601 and the second positioning structure 401, and can accommodate the transfer error.

[0098] (5) The linear motion component 1 uses a ball screw in conjunction with a servo drive and a servo motor to form an open-loop control system, which has the characteristics of high reliability and low cost. Compared with the high precision, high cost, and complex debugging requirements of the linear motor closed-loop control system, the linear motion component 1 can meet the conditions of high design precision and long life, and reduce costs by at least 50%.

[0099] (6) The driving motor adopts a ball screw motor, which can realize the single-claw multi-point (up to 8 points) grasping function in the area. The high repeatability positioning accuracy of the ball screw is combined with the flexible structure of the suction cup and the precise positioning of the first positioning structure 601 to realize the low-cost and high-reliability grasping and transfer function.

[0100] (7) The structure of the double gripping component 4 can realize the simultaneous grasping function of two points (expandable to 4 gripping components, 4 points). The gripping component 4 of the ultra-thin precision negative pressure suction cup (the thickness L of the gripping component 4 can be about 10 mm) can realize grasping in a small space (the height space is about 15-16 mm); the transparent inner flow channel structure of the adsorption plate 41 realizes visual and convenient point debugging, and the overall structure is simple, beautiful and reliable.

[0101] (8) The gripping components 4 are independently negative-pressured. Each gripping component 4 operates independently. The air circuit solenoid valve 52 has a normally closed function when the power is off. This can prevent the gripped object from falling off in the event of a sudden power outage, thereby ensuring the reliability of the system under extreme conditions.

[0102] Finally, it should be noted that 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 can be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transfer device, characterized in that: It includes a motion module and a grabbing module located on the motion module, the grabbing module is used to grab the carrier to be transferred, the motion module is used to drive the grabbing module, and then drive the carrier to be transferred to move along the first direction, the second direction and the third direction, and is also used to drive the carrier to be transferred to rotate within the rotation plane formed by the first direction and the second direction to transfer the carrier to be transferred between different installation platforms, and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other.

2. The transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that The motion module includes a linear motion component and a rotating platform arranged on the linear motion component, the grabbing module is arranged on the rotating platform, the linear motion component is used to drive the carrier to be transferred to move along the first direction, the second direction and the third direction, and the rotating platform is used to drive the carrier to be transferred to rotate within the rotating plane.

3. The transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that The grabbing module includes a mounting plate arranged on the rotating platform, at least one grabbing component arranged on the mounting plate, and a negative pressure adsorption component connected to the air circuit of each grabbing component. The grabbing component is used to grab the carrier to be transferred. The rotating platform rotates within the rotating plane to rotate the grabbing component to the corresponding mounting platform.

4. The transfer device according to claim 3, characterized in that The grabbing assembly includes an adsorption plate arranged on the mounting plate, a plurality of suction cup seats arranged on the adsorption plate, a suction cup arranged on each of the suction cup seats, and a plug arranged on the mounting plate and connected to the adsorption plate. A vacuum flow channel is arranged inside the adsorption plate, and the plug and the suction cup are both connected to the vacuum flow channel. The plug is also connected to the negative pressure adsorption assembly through an air pipe.

5. The transfer device according to claim 4, characterized in that The negative pressure adsorption component is arranged on the linear motion component and is located on the side of the rotating platform away from the grabbing component. An axial hole is provided through the rotating platform, and the mounting plate is provided with a mounting plate through hole corresponding to the axial hole. The air pipe passes through the mounting plate through hole and the axial hole to communicate with the negative pressure adsorption component.

6. The transfer device according to claim 4, characterized in that The suction cup is a silicone suction cup.

7. The transfer device according to claim 3, characterized in that The grabbing module comprises at least two grabbing components, the mounting plate has at least two mounting arms, and each of the grabbing components is arranged on one of the mounting arms.

8. The transfer device according to claim 7, characterized in that The rotating platform is used to drive the mounting plate to rotate within the rotating plane so as to change the position of the grabbing components located on different mounting arms.

9. The transfer device according to claim 3, characterized in that The negative pressure adsorption component includes: a negative pressure pump, an air circuit solenoid valve and a negative pressure gauge. The air circuit solenoid valve is connected between the negative pressure pump and the grabbing component through an air pipe. The air circuit solenoid valve is also connected to the external environment. The negative pressure gauge is connected between the air circuit solenoid valve and the grabbing component through an air pipe.

10. The transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that The linear motion assembly includes a first moving mechanism that moves along the first direction, a second moving mechanism that is arranged on the first moving mechanism and moves along the second direction, and a third moving mechanism that is arranged on the second moving mechanism and moves along the third direction. The grabbing module is arranged on the third moving mechanism.

11. The transfer device according to claim 10, characterized in that The first moving mechanism, the second moving mechanism and the third moving mechanism all include ball screws and are controlled by a servo driver and a servo motor.

12. A biochemical substance analysis system, characterized in that: include: A plurality of installation platforms and a transfer device, wherein the transfer device is used to drive the carrier to be transferred to be transferred between different installation platforms, and the transfer device is a transfer device as described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The biochemical substance analysis system according to claim 12, characterized in that: The mounting platform is provided with a first positioning structure, and the carrier to be transferred is provided with a second positioning structure. After the carrier to be transferred is transferred to the mounting platform, the first positioning structure is passed through the second positioning structure to position the carrier to be transferred on the mounting platform.

14. The biochemical substance analysis system according to claim 13, characterized in that: The first positioning structure includes a positioning portion fixed on the mounting platform and a guide portion arranged on the positioning portion, and the second positioning structure is a positioning hole, the guide portion passes through the positioning hole, and the positioning hole is sleeved on the positioning portion to achieve the positioning of the carrier to be transferred on the mounting platform.

15. The biochemical substance analysis system according to claim 12, characterized in that: The installation platform is connected to a negative pressure adsorption device to adsorb the carrier to be transferred.

16. The biochemical substance analysis system according to claim 12, characterized in that: The installation platform includes a biochemical reaction platform and a detection platform, and the transfer device is used to transfer the carrier to be transferred between the biochemical reaction platform and the detection platform, so that the sample in the carrier to be transferred completes the biochemical reaction on the biochemical reaction platform and completes the signal detection on the detection platform.

17. The biochemical substance analysis system according to claim 16, characterized in that: The biochemical substance analysis system includes a plurality of biochemical reaction platforms and at least one detection platform.

18. A method for transferring a carrier to be transferred using the transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: include: Transferring the carrier to be transferred to a biochemical reaction platform so that the sample carried by the carrier to be transferred undergoes a biochemical reaction on the biochemical reaction platform; as well as The carrier to be transferred after the reaction is transferred to a detection platform so that the sample after the reaction performs signal detection on the detection platform to obtain a signal related to the biological characteristics of the sample.

Images