Control method and device for pipetting equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a control method and device for pipetting equipment and a storage medium. The control method for the pipetting equipment comprises the steps that layout information and liquid type information are obtained, the layout information represents the layout of a working platform of the pipetting equipment, and the liquid type information represents liquid parameters of pipetting operation executed by the pipetting equipment; script information is obtained, the script information comprises variable information and script command information, and the variable information is associated with parameters in the script command information; analyzing the script information to obtain operation information for executing pipetting operation on a working platform of the pipetting equipment; and controlling the pipetting equipment to execute pipetting operation based on the operation information, the layout information and the liquid type information. By setting the variable information, the pipetting operation with complex logic is realized based on the associated script command information, and the application capability of the pipetting equipment in a complex pipetting operation scene is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of control, and more specifically to a control method for a pipetting device, a control device for a pipetting device, an electronic device, a storage medium, and a computer program product. Background Art

[0002] Liquid handling equipment is a highly automated device used to accurately transfer and measure liquids. Such equipment can replace manual labor to achieve automated liquid handling operations, which can greatly improve work efficiency, reduce human errors, and ensure the consistency and repeatability of liquid handling operations.

[0003] However, in the relevant technical solutions, the pipetting equipment can only simply realize fixed pipetting operations. With the development of biotechnology, chemical analysis, drug research and development and other technologies, facing a large number of samples and complex research systems, more and more complex pipetting tasks need to be completed. Existing pipetting equipment is difficult to meet the complex and diverse pipetting needs in different application scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for a liquid transfer device, comprising:

[0006] Acquire layout information and liquid type information, wherein the layout information represents the layout of the working platform of the pipetting device, and the liquid type information represents the liquid parameters of the pipetting operation performed by the pipetting device; acquire script information, wherein the script information includes variable information and script command information, and the variable information is associated with the parameters in the script command information; parse the script information to obtain operation information for performing the pipetting operation on the working platform of the pipetting device; and control the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation based on the operation information, layout information and liquid type information.

[0007] Exemplarily, the method also includes: providing a first human-computer interaction interface, the first human-computer interaction interface including one or more script information modules, wherein each script information module includes at least one or more script command information, at least one script information module also includes variable information, and each script command information corresponds to a command operation of the pipetting device; obtaining script information includes: obtaining variable information and script command information in response to the user's operation on the script information module.

[0008] Exemplarily, in response to a user's operation on a script information module, variable information and script command information are obtained, including: in response to a user's operation on a script information module, the script command module and the control command module corresponding to the script information module are respectively displayed; in response to the user's operation on the control command module, corresponding control command information is obtained, wherein the control command information includes variable information; in response to the user's operation on the script command module, corresponding script command information is obtained.

[0009] Exemplarily, in response to a user's operation on a control command module, corresponding control command information is obtained, including: in response to a first operation of the user on the control command module, variable values ​​of variables in the variable information are determined; in response to a user's operation on a script command module, corresponding script command information is obtained, including: in response to a second operation of the user on the script command module, expressions of parameters in the script command information are determined, wherein the parameters in the script command information are represented by variables in the variable information.

[0010] Exemplarily, the first human-computer interaction interface also includes a template area, the template area includes a script command template module and / or a control command template module; the method also includes: in response to the user's operation on the script command template module, determining the script command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module; and / or in response to the user's operation on the control command template module, determining the control command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module.

[0011] Exemplarily, in the first human-computer interaction interface, the script information module is displayed according to the layout information corresponding to the script information module, and the script information modules corresponding to the same layout information are displayed together in the same area.

[0012] Exemplarily, the script command information includes a liquid volume parameter, and the liquid volume parameter is represented by a variable in the variable information.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a control device for a pipetting device, comprising a first acquisition module, a second acquisition module, a parsing module and a control module. The first acquisition module is used to acquire layout information and liquid type information, wherein the layout information represents the layout of the working platform of the pipetting device, and the liquid type information represents the liquid parameters of the pipetting operation performed by the pipetting device. The second acquisition module is used to acquire script information, wherein the script information includes variable information and script command information, and the variable information is associated with the parameters in the script command information. The parsing module is used to parse the script information to obtain operation information for performing the pipetting operation on the working platform of the pipetting device. The control module is used to control the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation based on the operation information, layout information and liquid type information.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided an electronic device, comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores computer program instructions, and when the computer program instructions are executed by the processor, they are used to execute the control method for the liquid transfer device as described above.

[0015] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a storage medium is provided, on which program instructions are stored, and the program instructions are used to execute the control method for the liquid transfer device as described above when running.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer program product is provided, comprising computer program instructions, wherein the computer program instructions are used to execute the control method for the liquid transfer device as described above when the computer program instructions are run.

[0017] The above technical solution obtains the layout information of the working platform of the pipetting device and the type of liquid to be moved, and also obtains the script information, in which the variable information is associated with the parameters in the script command information, and parses the script information to control the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation. By setting the variable information, the pipetting operation with complex logic is realized based on the associated script command information, which significantly improves the application capability of the pipetting device in complex pipetting operation scenarios.

[0018] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present invention, it can be implemented according to the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present invention are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the embodiments of the present invention in more detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present invention, they are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic flow chart showing a control method for a liquid transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 A partial schematic diagram of a human-computer interaction interface for setting layout information according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a first human-computer interaction interface according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing a first human-computer interaction interface according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 A schematic block diagram of a control device for a liquid transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more obvious, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0027] In order to at least solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a control method for a liquid transfer device. The control method can be used to automatically control various liquid transfer devices. The liquid transfer device may include a liquid transfer workstation, an automated liquid transfer system, a pipette, etc. By associating variable information in the script information with script command information, a liquid transfer operation with complex logic is realized.

[0028] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic flow chart of a control method for a liquid transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, it includes step S1100, step S1200, step S1300 and step S1400.

[0029] In step S1100, layout information and liquid type information are obtained, wherein the layout information indicates the layout of the working platform of the pipetting device, and the liquid type information indicates the liquid parameters of the pipetting operation performed by the pipetting device.

[0030] The layout information indicates the layout of the working platform of the pipetting device, and may include the position and arrangement of the carrier, device, clamp and other components in the working platform. The liquid type information indicates the liquid parameters of the pipetting device for performing the pipetting operation, and may include the aspiration speed, leading air seal, tail air seal, spray speed, etc. The layout information and liquid type information may be set by the user according to the pipetting requirements.

[0031] In some embodiments, the user can set layout information, such as position information of carriers, devices, clamps, etc., through the human-machine interaction interface. The positions of carriers, devices, clamps, etc. in the human-machine interaction interface correspond to their actual positions in the working platform of the pipetting device. The user can set layout information in the human-machine interaction interface according to the pipetting requirements. Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a partial schematic diagram of a human-computer interaction interface for setting layout information according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, in the human-machine interaction interface, the first area 210 provides components supported by the pipetting device. Figure 2Only the carrier, the garbage chute, the microplate, and the deep well plate are shown as examples, and other components are not shown. Moreover, the components shown may include multiple models. The user can set the components that meet the pipetting requirements to the second area 220, and the position of each component in the second area 220 corresponds to its actual position on the working platform of the pipetting device. Figure 2 As shown, the user sets three racks arranged in sequence in the second area 220 according to the pipetting requirements. The first rack is provided with a garbage chute, the second rack is provided with four microplates, and the third rack is provided with two deep well plates. The well plates can be of different models, for example, 24-well plates, 48-well plates, 96-well plates, etc.

[0032] Similarly, a human-computer interaction interface for setting liquid type information can be provided to the user, so that the user can set the liquid type information using the human-computer interaction interface. Specifically, it can include settings for the liquid aspiration speed, leading air seal, tail air seal, spray speed, etc. It can be understood that different liquid type information can be set for different liquids and different pipetting requirements. For example, for a certain type of liquid, relevant liquid type information can be provided to the user for that type of liquid. Furthermore, for the same liquid, such as water, different liquid type information can also be set according to demand, such as volume, number of sprays, amount of leading air seal, amount of tail air seal, etc., so that in subsequent operations, it is more convenient to pipette different waters.

[0033] Alternatively, the layout information and the liquid type information may be automatically generated according to the pipetting requirements. For example, for a certain pipetting device, fixed layout information and liquid type information may be set by default.

[0034] The layout information and the liquid type information may be acquired in any order, that is, the layout information may be acquired first, or the liquid type information may be acquired first, or the layout information and the liquid type information may be acquired at the same time.

[0035] In step S1200, script information is obtained, wherein the script information includes variable information and script command information, and the variable information is associated with parameters in the script command information.

[0036] The script information may include relevant information for controlling the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation. The script information may include variable information and script command information. The script command information may include single script commands or mixed script commands such as taking a gun tip, aspirating liquid, spraying liquid, dropping a gun tip, cyclic operation, and judgment operation. The script command information may involve parameters such as aspiration volume, number of pipetting times, etc. The parameters in the script command information may be set or operated through variable information, and various script commands in the script command information, such as loop, selection, judgment, etc., may be used to further implement the change of parameters in the script command information to control complex pipetting operations.

[0037] For example, the script command information may include the liquid suction operation command information, and the liquid suction operation command information may include the loop operation command information. The loop operation command information may involve the number of cycles. The variable information may include the variable i, and the liquid suction command information may include the liquid suction capacity each time. The variable i may be associated with the liquid suction capacity each time, and the initial value may be set to 11 for the variable i, and the variable i may increase the preset fixed value 1 each time the loop is executed. Thus, each time the liquid suction operation is performed, the liquid suction capacity of this liquid suction operation may be determined according to the value of the variable i. It can be understood that the initial value 11 of the variable i may be set in the loop, and the initial value 11 may be set for the variable i each time the loop is performed, and then the preset fixed value 1 is increased, that is, the liquid suction capacity of each liquid suction operation is 12. The initial value 11 of the variable i may be set outside the loop, that is, the variable i may increase the preset fixed value 1 each time the loop is performed, that is, the liquid suction capacity of the first liquid suction operation is 12, and the liquid suction capacity of the second liquid suction operation is 13... When the number of cycles is reached, the loop ends and the liquid suction operation is completed.

[0038] In some embodiments, the user can set the script command information and variable information based on the liquid type information and the layout information to obtain the script information. For example, when setting the liquid aspiration, the components related to the liquid aspiration in the layout information can be selected, and the corresponding liquid type information can be selected according to the liquid to be aspirated.

[0039] The script information may be a combination of script command information and variable information written in the form of a script. Alternatively, it may be script information automatically generated by the system according to the pipetting requirements. The script information may be code written in any programming language, such as Python, JavaScript, Bash, Perl, etc.

[0040] In step S1300, the script information is parsed to obtain operation information for performing a pipetting operation on a working platform of the pipetting device.

[0041] As described above, the script information may include relevant information for controlling the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation. Specifically, the script information may include operation information for performing the pipetting operation on the working platform of the pipetting device. For example, the pipetting device is controlled to perform multiple pipettings, and the amount of each pipetting is 1 ml more than the amount of the last pipetting. The script information may be written in the form of a script. The script information may be parsed to obtain the operation information. The script information may be parsed by a virtual machine, a script interpreter, etc. Specifically, the script information may be analyzed and interpreted to obtain the operation information of the pipetting device performing the pipetting operation on the working platform. The operation information may include various parameter information involved in the pipetting operation of the pipetting device, the corresponding relationship between the pipetting channel of the pipetting device and the hole position on the plate on its working platform, etc. Through the parsing of the script information, the correctness and maintainability of the code of the script information can be guaranteed, thereby ensuring that the pipetting device smoothly performs its pipetting operation based on the operation information obtained by parsing the script information.

[0042] In step S1400, the pipetting device is controlled to perform a pipetting operation based on the operation information, the layout information, and the liquid type information.

[0043] The layout information represents the layout of the working platform of the pipetting device, and the liquid type information represents the liquid parameters of the pipetting device for performing the pipetting operation. The operation information is information for controlling the pipetting operation on the working platform of the pipetting device. The pipetting operation of moving the liquid from the source plate to the target plate can be realized based on the above three types of information. The specific positions of the source plate and the target plate on the working platform, as well as the specific positions of the required consumables and devices can be determined based on the layout information. When performing the pipetting operation, the corresponding operation can be performed on the relevant liquid according to the operation information based on the relevant parameters in the liquid type information. Therefore, controlling the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation can be realized based on the operation information, the layout information and the liquid type information. In some embodiments, when controlling the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation based on the operation information, the layout information and the liquid type information, a human-computer interaction interface can be provided. The script information and the layout information can be displayed in the human-computer interaction interface, and a start control, a stop control and an initialization control are provided. The user can realize the start, stop and initialization of the control pipetting operation by operating the control.

[0044] The above technical solution obtains the layout information of the working platform of the pipetting device and the type of liquid to be moved, and also obtains the script information, in which the variable information is associated with the parameters in the script command information, and parses the script information to control the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation. By setting the variable information, the pipetting operation with complex logic is realized based on the associated script command information, which significantly improves the application capability of the pipetting device in complex pipetting operation scenarios.

[0045] Exemplarily, the control method further includes: providing a first human-computer interaction interface. The first human-computer interaction interface may include one or more script information modules.

[0046] In some embodiments, a first human-computer interaction interface may be provided to the user. The first human-computer interaction interface may include multiple functional areas. For example, it may include a script list area and a script editing area. The user may select or create one or more script information modules in the script list area. Different script information modules may correspond to different pipetting operations to meet different pipetting requirements. The currently selected script information module may be displayed and edited in the script editing area.

[0047] Each script information module includes at least one or more script command information. Each script command information corresponds to a command operation of the liquid handling device. The script command information can correspond to command operations of single operations such as taking a gun tip, aspirating liquid, spraying liquid, and discarding a gun tip. It can be understood that a single operation can be combined into a command operation. For example, the operations of taking a gun tip and discarding a gun tip can be combined into one operation, and the command operation of the liquid handling device corresponding to the script command information can complete the two operations of taking a gun tip and discarding a gun tip.

[0048] At least one script information module also includes variable information. The variable information can be used to set up complex pipetting operations. Specifically, the variable information is associated with parameters in the script command information. The numerical values ​​of the parameters in the script command information can be set or changed by setting and calculating the variable information in the script information module. For example, the variable information can be used to set up control structures such as loops, selections, parameter initialization, etc. to implement complex pipetting operations.

[0049] Step S1200, obtaining script information may include step S1210, obtaining variable information and script command information in response to a user operation on a script information module.

[0050] After the user selects or creates a script information module, the first human-computer interaction interface may provide a script editing area corresponding to the script information module. The script editing area may include preset variable information and script command information. The user may edit the preset variable information and script command information according to the pipetting requirements to obtain the variable information and script command information.

[0051] For example, after the user selects the imbibition command information module in the script information module, in addition to being able to set the number of executions of the imbibition command, the type of liquid, source plate parameters and target plate parameters for imbibition through the editing operation of the imbibition command module, the imbibition capacity of the imbibition operation in the script command information can be associated through variable information, and a loop can be set to change the current imbibition total amount of the imbibition operation. In a specific embodiment, a variable a can be first constructed through the script editing area, that is, variable a is set. Here, an initial numerical value can be given to variable a. The variable a is associated in the imbibition command information in the script command information, for example, the variable a can be the capacity of each imbibition. In the imbibition command information, the variable a increases a preset fixed value. Thus, after executing a specific number of imbibition commands, the current imbibition total amount can be automatically determined.

[0052] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first human-computer interaction interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the first human-computer interaction interface may include a script list area 310 and a script editing area 320. The script list area may show the names of one or more script information modules, and the user may select or create a script information module in the script list area 310. The user may edit the currently selected script information module in the script editing area 320 to obtain variable information and script command information.

[0053] The above technical solution provides a first human-computer interaction interface. The user can operate the script information module in the human-computer interaction interface to obtain variable information and script command information. The interaction method is simple, the requirements for users are low, and the operation efficiency is improved.

[0054] Exemplarily, step S1210 acquires variable information and script command information in response to a user's operation on a script information module, and includes step S1211 , step S1212 , and step S1213 .

[0055] In step S1211, in response to a user's operation on a script information module, the script command module and the control command module corresponding to the script information module are displayed respectively.

[0056] In some embodiments, a user may select or create a script information module. For example, a user may operate a script information module through an input device such as a mouse or keyboard. According to the user's operation, a script command module and a control command module corresponding to the script information module are displayed respectively.

[0057] For the control system of a liquid transfer device, multiple script command modules and control command modules may be provided. These script command modules and control command modules correspond to one or more script information modules respectively. In other words, for each script information module, its corresponding script command module and control command module are all or part of the script command module and control command module provided. For the newly created script information module, the script command modules and control command modules provided in the control system of all liquid transfer devices may be displayed, so that the user may select and provide the script command modules according to the specific requirements of the current script information module.

[0058] Figure 4 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a first human-computer interaction interface according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, the first human-computer interaction interface includes a script list area 410, in which the names of one or more script information modules are displayed. The first human-computer interaction interface also includes a script editing area 420, in which the script command module and control command module corresponding to a script information module currently operated by the user are displayed. Figure 4 Shown in the figure are script command module 1, script command module 2, script command module 3 and control command module 1.

[0059] In step S1212, in response to the user's operation on the control command module, corresponding control command information is acquired, wherein the control command information includes variable information.

[0060] The user can operate the control command module displayed in the first human-computer interaction interface. Through the control command module, operations such as looping, selecting, judging, and setting variables can be performed. Each control command module can correspond to different control command information. In response to the user's operation on the control command module, the corresponding control command information can be obtained. The control command information includes variable information. In some embodiments, different control command modules can operate on the same variable.

[0061] In some embodiments, a control command module may be operated first to set a variable information, and then the variable may be operated by other control command modules, such as increasing or decreasing. Thus, complex pipetting operations may be implemented through operations such as looping, selecting, judging, etc. involving the variable in the control command module.

[0062] Reference again Figure 4In the first human-computer interaction interface shown, the script information module may include a script information module 1 for pipetting a specific liquid L1. The user may edit the control command module 1 in the script editing area 420 according to the pipetting requirements for the specific liquid L1 to obtain the control command information corresponding to the control command module 1. The control command information may include variable information, such as the amount of liquid to be pipetted each time for the specific liquid L1. For clarity, the specific operations and parameters in the control command module 1 are described in Figure 4 Not shown in the figure.

[0063] In step S1213, in response to the user's operation on the script command module, corresponding script command information is obtained.

[0064] The user can operate the script command module displayed in the above-mentioned first human-computer interaction interface. Different script command modules can correspond to different command operations, for example, single operations such as taking a gun tip, sucking liquid, spraying liquid, and throwing a gun tip, or a combination of multiple single operations. For example, for taking a gun tip, the user can use the corresponding script command module to set the gun tip type, the gun tip position, etc. for taking the gun tip. For spraying liquid, the user can use the corresponding script command module to set the spray mode, the number of channels, the gun tip spacing, the spray amount, etc. The script command information can be obtained in response to the user's operation on the script command module. As mentioned above, parameters may be involved in the script command information. These parameters can be associated with the variable information obtained in step S1212. For example, in the above-mentioned spray operation, the spray amount can be set using variables, and the spray amount can be changed by changing the value of the variable in the control command module.

[0065] Reference again Figure 4 Referring to the above-mentioned embodiment of pipetting a specific liquid L1, the user can edit the script command module 1, the script command module 2 and the script command module 3 in the script editing area 420 according to the pipetting requirements to obtain the corresponding script command information. For clarity, the specific operations and parameters in the script command module 1, the script command module 2 and the script command module 3 are shown in FIG. Figure 4 Not shown in the figure.

[0066] The above-mentioned step S1212 obtains the corresponding control command information in response to the user's operation on the control command module and step S1213 obtains the corresponding script command information in response to the user's operation on the script command module. There is no fixed execution order, but it depends on the user's operation. Step S1213 may be performed first and then step S1212; or vice versa.

[0067] The above technical solution obtains control command information and script command information by responding to the user's operations on the control command module and the script command module respectively. The modular and visual operation can not only meet the complex and diverse pipetting needs, but also make it easier for users to operate, speed up the editing efficiency of the control process of the pipetting device, and significantly improve the user experience.

[0068] Exemplarily, step S1212 obtains corresponding control command information in response to the user's operation on the control command module, including: step S1212a determines the variable value of the variable in the variable information in response to the user's first operation on the control command module.

[0069] In some embodiments, the first operation of the user on the control command module may include a setting operation for a control command including variable information. Exemplarily, a variable information may be created and initialized using the control command module. The variable in the variable information may be any name. For example, the variable may be represented as a. The variable a may be assigned a value, for example, let the variable a=10. Thus, the variable value of the variable in the variable information may be determined. Alternatively, the control command module may also be used to operate the variable to change its variable value. For example, the control command module may be a module that performs a loop operation. Through the user's setting of the loop operation module, the variable value of a certain variable may be changed in each loop operation. Based on the initial variable value of the variable, the number of executions of the loop operation, and the amount of change in the variable value in each loop operation, the current variable value of the variable may be determined.

[0070] Step S1213 obtains corresponding script command information in response to the user's operation on the script command module, including: Step S121 3a determines the expression of the parameters in the script command information in response to the user's second operation on the script command module, wherein the parameters in the script command information are represented by variables in the variable information.

[0071] In some embodiments, the second operation of the script command module by the user may include a setting operation of the expression of the parameter in the script command module. In a specific example, the script command module includes a liquid suction command module. The expression of the liquid suction parameter can be set in response to the user's operation on the liquid suction command module. In the application scenario of this example, the pipetting device includes four pipetting channels 1, 2, 3, and 4. The liquid suction volumes corresponding to the four pipetting channels form a geometric progression. The liquid suction volumes of the four pipetting channels can be associated with the variables in the variable information. For example, the variable is variable b, and the expressions of the liquid suction volumes of pipetting channels 1, 2, 3, and 4 are b, 2b, 3b, and 4b, respectively. Through step S1212a, it can be determined that the variable value of variable b is 10. Therefore, the liquid suction volumes of channels 1, 2, 3, and 4 are 10, 20, 30, and 40, respectively. When the variable value of variable b changes, the aspirated volumes of channels 1, 2, 3, and 4 will also change accordingly. For example, when the variable value of variable b is 11, the aspirated volumes of channels 1, 2, 3, and 4 are 11, 22, 33, and 4, respectively.

[0072] The above technical solution determines the variable value of the variable in the variable information through the first operation of the control command module, and determines the expression of the parameter in the script command information through the second operation of the script information module, and the parameter is represented by the variable. As a result, the relevant parameters in the pipetting operation can be changed accordingly based on the variable value of the variable, which saves the user the operation of setting the parameter values ​​of many parameters one by one, automatically realizes complex pipetting operations, and improves the application ability of the pipetting device in complex pipetting operation scenarios.

[0073] Exemplarily, the first human-computer interaction interface further includes a template area, and the template area includes a script command template module and / or a control command template module.

[0074] The template area can provide the user with a pre-set script command template module and / or control command template module. It is understandable that the template area can only provide a script command template module, or only provide a control command template module, or can provide both a script command template module and a control command template module. The template area in the first human-computer interaction interface can display a script command template module and a control command template module at the same time. It is also possible to select to display a script command template module or a control command template module by switching options.

[0075] The script command template module may include multiple preset script command modules. Similarly, the control command template module may include multiple preset control command modules. Figure 4The first human-computer interaction interface shown in the figure includes, in addition to the script list area 410 and the script editing area 420, a template area 430. In the template area 430, the names of all script command modules and control command modules in the control system of the pipetting device can be displayed.

[0076] The control method for a liquid transfer device may further include step S1500 and / or step S1600. It is understood that step S1500 may be performed when the template area includes a script command module. Step S1600 may be performed when the template area includes a control command template module.

[0077] In step S1500, in response to the user's operation on the script command template module, the script command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module is determined.

[0078] exist Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the user can select a script information module in the script list area 410. Then, the user can operate the script command template module in the template area 430 according to the pipetting requirements. One or more script command template modules that meet the pipetting requirements can be selected from the multiple script command template modules included in the script command template module to be used for the script command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module. As described in the previous step S1213, the corresponding script command information can be obtained in response to the user's further operation on the script command module in the script editing area 420.

[0079] In step S1600, in response to the user's operation on the control command template module, the control command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module is determined.

[0080] Still Figure 4 Taking the illustrated embodiment as an example, after the user selects a script information module in the script list area, the control command template module in the template area 430 can be operated according to the pipetting requirements. One or more control command template modules that meet the pipetting requirements can be selected from the control command template modules in the template area 430 to be used for the control command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module. As described in the previous step S1212, the corresponding control command information can be obtained in response to the user's further operation on the control command module in the script editing area 420.

[0081] The above technical solution provides a script command template module and / or a control command template module through the template area in the first interactive interface, and determines the script command module and / or the control command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module through the user's operation on the script command template module and / or the control command template module. Determining the script command module and / or the control command module through the template reduces the complexity of the user's operation, facilitates the user to set the control flow of complex pipetting operations, and improves the user experience.

[0082] Alternatively, the first human-computer interaction interface may not include the template area. When the user performs an editing operation on the script information module, the user directly creates and edits the corresponding script command module and control command module.

[0083] Exemplarily, in the first human-computer interaction interface, the script information module is displayed according to the layout information corresponding to the script information module, and the script information modules corresponding to the same layout information are displayed together in the same area.

[0084] The layout information represents the layout of the various components in the working platform of the pipetting device, such as the position and arrangement of the carriers, devices, clamps and other components in the working platform. The script information module includes script command information, and each script command information corresponds to a command operation of the pipetting device, and then corresponds to an operation performed on the working platform of the pipetting device. Therefore, the script information module is related to the layout information. Conversely, the same layout information can correspond to different operations, and therefore can correspond to multiple script information modules. In the first human-computer interaction interface, each script information module can be displayed according to its corresponding layout information. Script information modules corresponding to the same layout information can be displayed together in the same area. Refer again Figure 4 The first user interface is shown. Figure 4 , script information modules 1 to 3 all correspond to the same layout information, and thus, are sequentially displayed at the upper end of the script list area 410. Script information modules 4 (not shown) to n correspond to another layout information. Therefore, these script information modules are sequentially displayed at the lower end of the script list area 410.

[0085] The above technical solution displays script information modules corresponding to the same layout information together in the same area, making it easier for users to manage and operate different script information modules and improving user experience.

[0086] Exemplarily, the script command information includes a liquid volume parameter, and the liquid volume parameter is represented by a variable in the variable information.

[0087] In a specific embodiment, the variable information includes a variable c, and the variable value of the variable c is initialized to c=10 through the control command module. The variable information can be associated with the liquid volume parameter in the script command information, that is, the liquid volume parameter is c. The liquid volume parameter can be calculated based on the script command information to perform a pipetting operation for the desired volume of liquid. For example, the expression c=c+5 in the script command information is used to update the parameter value of the liquid volume parameter. It can be understood that the control command module can also be used to set a loop operation, etc., to automatically change the parameters of the liquid volume parameter. Specifically, the loop operation can nest the above expression. Each time the loop operation is performed, the parameter value of the parameter increases by 5. After executing a loop operation once, the liquid volume parameter is 15. After executing two loop operations, the liquid volume parameter is 20... until the loop operation ends. At this time, the total amount of liquid operated can be determined based on the parameter value of the liquid volume parameter.

[0088] The above technical solution represents the liquid volume parameter by a variable in the variable information. Thus, the liquid volume parameter can be changed by various operations as desired, thereby facilitating the realization of complex pipetting operations.

[0089] Illustratively, according to yet another aspect of the present invention, a control device for a pipetting apparatus is also provided. Figure 5 FIG. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of a control device 500 for a liquid transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 As shown, the control device 500 for the pipetting equipment includes a first acquisition module 510 , a second acquisition module 520 , a parsing module 530 and a control module 540 .

[0090] The first acquisition module 510 is used to acquire layout information and liquid type information, wherein the layout information represents the layout of the working platform of the pipetting device, and the liquid type information represents the liquid parameters of the pipetting operation performed by the pipetting device. The second acquisition module 520 is used to acquire script information, wherein the script information includes variable information and script command information, and the variable information is associated with the parameters in the script command information. The parsing module 530 is used to parse the script information to obtain the operation information for performing the pipetting operation on the working platform of the pipetting device. The control module 540 is used to control the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation based on the operation information, the layout information and the liquid type information.

[0091] Exemplarily, the control device 500 for the pipetting device also includes an interface module. The interface module is used to provide a first human-computer interaction interface, and the first human-computer interaction interface includes one or more script information modules, wherein each script information module at least includes one or more script command information, and at least one script information module also includes variable information, and each script command information corresponds to a command operation of the pipetting device. The second acquisition module includes a first acquisition submodule. The first acquisition submodule is used to obtain the variable information and the script command information in response to the user's operation on the script information module.

[0092] Exemplarily, the first acquisition submodule includes a display unit, a first operation unit, and a second operation unit. The display unit is used to display the script command module and the control command module corresponding to the script information module in response to the user's operation on the script information module. The first operation unit is used to obtain the corresponding control command information in response to the user's operation on the control command module, wherein the control command information includes the variable information. The second operation unit is used to obtain the corresponding script command information in response to the user's operation on the script command module.

[0093] Exemplarily, the first operation unit includes a first operation sub-unit. The second operation unit includes a second operation sub-unit. The first operation sub-unit is used to determine the variable value of the variable in the variable information in response to the first operation of the user on the control command module. The second operation sub-unit is used to determine the expression of the parameter in the script command information in response to the second operation of the user on the script command module, wherein the parameter in the script command information is represented by the variable in the variable information.

[0094] Exemplarily, the first human-computer interaction interface also includes a template area, and the template area includes a script command template module and / or a control command template module. The control device 500 for the pipetting device also includes a first operation module and / or a second operation module. The first operation module is used to determine the script command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module in response to the user's operation on the script command template module. The second operation module is used to determine the control command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module in response to the user's operation on the control command template module.

[0095] Exemplarily, in the interface module, the script information module is displayed according to the layout information corresponding to the script information module, and the script information modules corresponding to the same layout information are displayed together in the same area.

[0096] Illustratively, according to yet another aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is also provided. Figure 6A schematic block diagram of an electronic device 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The electronic device 600 includes a processor 610 and a memory 620. The memory 620 stores computer program instructions, which are used by the processor 610 to execute the control method for a liquid transfer device as described above when the computer program instructions are executed.

[0097] Exemplarily, according to another aspect of the present invention, a storage medium is also provided, on which program instructions are stored, and the program instructions are used to execute the control method for the liquid transfer device as described above when running. The storage medium may include, for example, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a portable read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media. The storage medium may be any combination of one or more computer-readable storage media.

[0098] Illustratively, according to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a computer program product, comprising computer program instructions, which are used to execute the control method for a liquid transfer device as described above when the computer program instructions are run.

[0099] A person skilled in the art can understand the specific implementation scheme and beneficial effects of the control device, electronic device, storage medium and computer program product for the pipetting device by reading the above description of the control method for the pipetting device. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0100] Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above example embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application to this. Those of ordinary skill in the art may make various changes and modifications therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. All these changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application as required by the appended claims.

[0101] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0102] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another device, or some features can be ignored or not executed.

[0103] In the description provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it is understood that the embodiments of the present application can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0104] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present application and help understand one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present application, the various features of the present application are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, the method of the present application should not be interpreted as reflecting the following intention: the claimed application requires more features than the features clearly stated in each claim. More specifically, as reflected in the corresponding claims, the inventive point is that the corresponding technical problem can be solved with features less than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the specific embodiment are hereby explicitly incorporated into the specific embodiment, wherein each claim itself serves as a separate embodiment of the present application.

[0105] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, except for mutually exclusive features, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or device disclosed in this specification may be combined in any combination. Unless otherwise expressly stated, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature that provides the same, equivalent or similar purpose.

[0106] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that, although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, the combination of features of different embodiments is meant to be within the scope of the present application and form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any one of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0107] The various component embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware, or implemented in software modules running on one or more processors, or implemented in their combination. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) can be used in practice to implement some or all functions of some modules in the control device for liquid transfer equipment according to the embodiment of the present application. The application can also be implemented as a device program (for example, computer program and computer program product) for executing a part or all of the method described herein. Such a program realizing the present application can be stored on a computer-readable medium, or can have the form of one or more signals. Such a signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0108] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate the present application rather than limit the present application, and that those skilled in the art may design alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference symbol between brackets should not be constructed as a limitation to the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "one" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of multiple such elements. The present application may be implemented by means of hardware including several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim that lists several devices, several of these devices may be embodied by the same hardware item. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc. does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

[0109] The above is only a specific implementation or description of a specific implementation of the present application, and the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. The protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for a liquid transfer device, characterized in that: Acquire layout information and liquid type information, wherein the layout information represents the layout of the working platform of the pipetting device, and the liquid type information represents the liquid parameters of the pipetting operation performed by the pipetting device; Acquire script information, wherein the script information includes variable information and script command information, and the variable information is associated with parameters in the script command information; Parsing the script information to obtain operation information for performing the pipetting operation on the working platform of the pipetting device; The pipetting device is controlled to perform the pipetting operation based on the operation information, the layout information, and the liquid type information.

2. The control method for a liquid transfer device according to claim 1, wherein: The method further comprises: Providing a first human-computer interaction interface, wherein the first human-computer interaction interface includes one or more script information modules, wherein each script information module includes at least one or more script command information, at least one script information module also includes variable information, and each script command information corresponds to a command operation of the pipetting device; The obtaining of script information includes: In response to a user's operation on the script information module, the variable information and the script command information are acquired.

3. The control method for a liquid transfer device according to claim 2, wherein: The step of obtaining the variable information and the script command information in response to the user's operation on the script information module includes: In response to a user's operation on a script information module, the script command module and the control command module corresponding to the script information module are displayed respectively; In response to a user's operation on the control command module, obtaining corresponding control command information, wherein the control command information includes the variable information; In response to the user's operation on the script command module, corresponding script command information is obtained.

4. The control method for a liquid transfer device according to claim 3, wherein: The acquiring corresponding control command information in response to the user's operation on the control command module includes: In response to a first operation of the user on the control command module, determining a variable value of a variable in the variable information; The step of obtaining corresponding script command information in response to the user's operation on the script command module includes: In response to a second operation of the user on the script command module, an expression of a parameter in the script command information is determined, wherein the parameter in the script command information is represented by a variable in the variable information.

5. The control method for a liquid transfer device according to claim 3, wherein: The first human-computer interaction interface further includes a template area, and the template area includes a script command template module and / or a control command template module; The method further comprises: In response to a user's operation on the script command template module, determining a script command module corresponding to a currently selected script information module; and / or In response to the user's operation on the control command template module, the control command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module is determined.

6. The control method for a liquid transfer device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein: In the first human-computer interaction interface, the script information module is displayed according to the layout information corresponding to the script information module, and the script information modules corresponding to the same layout information are displayed together in the same area.

7. The control method for a liquid transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The script command information includes a liquid volume parameter, and the liquid volume parameter is represented by a variable in the variable information.

8. A control device for a liquid transfer device, characterized in that: include: A first acquisition module, used to acquire layout information and liquid type information, wherein the layout information represents the layout of the working platform of the pipetting device, and the liquid type information represents the liquid parameters of the pipetting operation performed by the pipetting device; A second acquisition module is used to acquire script information, wherein the script information includes variable information and script command information, and the variable information is associated with parameters in the script command information; A parsing module, used for parsing the script information to obtain operation information for performing the pipetting operation on the working platform of the pipetting device; A control module is used to control the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation based on the operation information, the layout information and the liquid type information.

9. An electronic device, comprising: A processor and a memory, characterized in that The memory stores computer program instructions, which are used by the processor to execute the control method for a liquid transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 when the processor is running the computer program instructions.

10. A storage medium having program instructions stored thereon, characterized in that: The program instructions are used to execute the control method for a liquid transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 when running.

11. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions, characterized in that The computer program instructions are used to execute the control method for a pipetting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 when running.

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