Method and device for replacing consumables of automatic process and storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a consumable replacement method and device for an automatic process and a storage medium. The method for replacing the consumables of the automatic process comprises the steps that whether the consumables need to be replaced or not is determined according to whether a first instruction from an automatic device used for executing the automatic process is received or not or according to operation steps in the automatic process, and the consumables are gradually consumed in the execution process of the automatic process; and under the condition that the consumables need to be replaced, a second instruction is sent to the control device, so that the control device drives and controls the execution device to replace the consumables. Therefore, automation of consumable replacement is achieved, manual participation is not needed, the operation efficiency is improved, human errors are avoided, and the workload and potential safety hazards of workers are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] With the development of science and technology, the complexity and repeatability of various automated processes are becoming higher and higher. Automated control can improve work efficiency. In the automated process, the replacement of consumables is an important link. For example, in the process of picking clones, if the target well plate is full and the clones identified in the source well plate have not been picked out, the target well plate needs to be replaced, that is, the target well plate is the consumable to be replaced.

[0003] However, in the related technologies, the replacement of consumables requires a lot of manual operations. Specifically, during the process of picking clones, someone needs to be on duty. After picking a board, the old board is manually removed and the new board is replaced. This not only interrupts the work of the staff and takes up their time, but also has low efficiency, is prone to errors, and poses safety hazards. 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, a method for replacing consumables in an automated process is provided, comprising:

[0006] Whether the consumables need to be replaced is determined based on whether a first instruction is received from an automation device for executing an automation process or based on the operating steps in the automation process, wherein the consumables are gradually consumed during the execution of the automation process; if the consumables need to be replaced, a second instruction is sent to the control device so that the control device drives the execution device to replace the consumables.

[0007] Exemplarily, determining whether a consumable needs to be replaced is based on whether a first instruction is received from an automation device for executing an automation process or based on an operation step in the automation process, including: before the next operation step in the automation process is executed, determining whether the consumable needs to be replaced based on operation information of a previous operation step of the next operation step.

[0008] Exemplarily, the consumable is a target well plate and includes multiple well positions; determining whether the consumable needs to be replaced based on the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step includes: determining the starting well position in the target well plate operated by the next operation step based on the operation information of the previous operation step; determining whether the consumable needs to be replaced based on the starting well position.

[0009] Exemplarily, determining the starting well position in the target well plate operated by the next operation step includes: determining the well position occupancy status on the target well plate after the previous operation step is completed; and determining the starting well position according to the well position occupancy status.

[0010] Exemplarily, determining the starting well position in the target well plate operated by the next operation step includes: obtaining the preset number of well positions in the target well plate operated by the previous operation step; obtaining the actual well positions in the target well plate operated by the previous operation step; and determining the starting well position based on the actual well position and the preset number of well positions.

[0011] Exemplarily, the previous operation step is used to move the target objects in some wells in the source well plate to the target well plate.

[0012] Exemplarily, before the next operation step in the automated process is executed, determining whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step includes: in response to receiving a fourth instruction from the control device to execute the next operation step, determining whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step and the operation information of the next operation step.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for replacing consumables in an automated process is also provided, comprising:

[0014] An automation device for executing an automation process is used to send a first instruction to a first drive device according to the operating steps in the automation process, and the first drive device is used to determine whether a consumable needs to be replaced based on whether the first instruction is received, or the first drive device is used to determine whether a consumable needs to be replaced according to the operating steps in the automation process, wherein the consumable is gradually consumed during the execution of the automation process; when the consumable needs to be replaced, the first drive device is used to send a second instruction to the control device; the control device is used to send a third instruction to the execution device according to the second instruction; and the execution device is used to replace the consumable based on the third instruction.

[0015] Exemplarily, the consumable is a target well plate and includes multiple well positions; using an automation device for executing an automation process to send a first instruction to a first drive device according to an operation step in the automation process, including: using the automation device to perform the following operations: determine the current number of well positions in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step in the automation process; obtain the total number of well positions in the current target well plate; send the first instruction to the first drive device according to the current number of well positions in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step and the total number of well positions.

[0016] Exemplarily, using an automation device for executing an automation process to send a first instruction to a first drive device according to an operation step in the automation process, also includes: using the automation device to determine the starting well position in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step; wherein, sending the first instruction to the first drive device according to the current number of well positions and the total number of well positions in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step includes: sending the first instruction to the first drive device according to the current number of well positions and the starting well position, as well as the total number of well positions in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a device for replacing consumables in an automated process, comprising: a determination module and a sending module. The determination module is used to determine whether the consumables need to be replaced according to whether a first instruction is received from an automated device for executing the automated process or according to the operation steps in the automated process, wherein the consumables are gradually consumed during the execution of the automated process; and the sending module is used to send a second instruction to a control device when the consumables need to be replaced, so that the control device drives the execution device to replace the consumables.

[0018] 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, the method for replacing consumables in the automated process as described above is executed.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided an automation system, comprising: an automation device, a first drive device, a control device and an execution device. The automation device is used to execute the automation process and send a first instruction to the first drive device according to the operation steps in the automation process; the first drive device is used to determine whether the consumables need to be replaced according to the first instruction or the operation steps in the automation process, and send a second instruction to the control device if the consumables need to be replaced; the control device is used to send a third instruction to the execution device according to the second instruction. The execution device is used to replace the consumables based on the third instruction.

[0020] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a storage medium on which program instructions are stored, and the program instructions are used to execute the method for replacing consumables in the automated process as described above when running.

[0021] 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 method for replacing consumables in the automated process as described above when the computer program instructions are run.

[0022] The above technical solution determines whether the consumables need to be replaced according to the first instruction from the automation device or the operation steps in the automation process. If the consumables need to be replaced, the second instruction is automatically sent to the control device, and the control device drives the execution device to replace the consumables. In this way, the automation of consumable replacement is realized without human intervention, which improves work efficiency, avoids human errors, and reduces the workload and safety hazards of staff.

[0023] 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

[0024] 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.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic flow chart showing a method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart showing a method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of a consumable replacement device for an automated process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0028] Figure 4 A schematic block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0029] Figure 5 A schematic block diagram of an automation system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] 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 below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0031] Automated processes are widely used in various fields. The complexity and repeatability of various automated processes are showing an increasing trend. Therefore, automated control methods have become a key factor in improving work efficiency. Among the many links in the automated process, the importance of consumable replacement cannot be ignored. Consumables are items that are gradually consumed as the automated device runs. Taking the clone picking process as an example, when the target well plate as a consumable has been picked up, and there are still clones that have been identified but not picked up in the source well plate, the target well plate needs to be replaced. However, in related technologies, the consumable replacement link relies heavily on a large number of manual operations. As far as the specific process of clone picking is concerned, personnel are required to be on duty throughout the process. Every time a plate is picked up, the consumed consumables need to be manually removed and new consumables placed. This mode of operation not only interferes with the ongoing work of the staff and takes up their valuable working time, but also leads to low efficiency of the entire operation, prone to human errors, and may even cause safety issues.

[0032] In order to at least partially solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a method for replacing consumables in an automated process. Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of a method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. It can be understood that during the execution of the automated process, some items will gradually be consumed, which can be called consumables. In other words, the operation of the automated device will cause the consumables to be gradually consumed. When the consumables are consumed, new consumables need to be replaced to ensure the continued execution of the automated process. The method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to an embodiment of the present application can automatically replace consumables. Figure 1 As shown, the method includes step S1100 and step S1200.

[0033] In step S1100 , it is determined whether the consumables need to be replaced according to whether a first instruction is received from an automation device for executing an automation process or according to an operation step in the automation process.

[0034] The automated process may include a series of operation steps pre-set according to the target task. The automated device may execute the automated process to complete the target task. The automated device may include any device suitable for executing the automated process, such as a pipetting workstation and a microbial clone picking device. The automated process may be parsed into multiple continuous operation steps. Taking the clone picking process as an example, a large number of clone picking operations are required, which can be to pick the target microbial clone from the source well plate to the target well plate. As the clone picking operation in the automated process proceeds, the wells of a target well plate will be gradually filled with clones from the source well plate. When the wells are filled, a new target well plate needs to be replaced to continue the clone picking operation. As a result, the target well plate is gradually consumed during the execution of the automated process. In this example, the target well plate is a consumable. A large number of clone picking operations corresponding to different source well plates and target well plates can be realized through automated processes. For the pipetting process, a large number of pipetting operations are required to transfer the liquid from the source well plate to the target well plate. The wells of a target well plate will be gradually filled with the liquid from the source well plate. When the wells are filled, a new target well plate needs to be replaced to continue the pipetting operation. Thus, the target well plate is gradually consumed during the execution of the automated process. The target well plate is a consumable. The source well plate and the target well plate may include a microplate, such as a 96-well plate and a 384-well plate. It is understood that in the example of the above-mentioned pipetting process, the consumables may also include consumable devices such as pipette tips. The number of uses of a pipette tip is limited. For example, the number of reuses of a pipette tip may be 5 times, and each time a pipetting operation is performed, the number of times the tip can be used will be consumed once, and the pipette tip is gradually consumed during the execution of the automated process. Moreover, since the automated process is performed by an automated device, in other words, the operation of the automated device causes the consumables to be consumed. It is understood that the devices consumed during the execution of the automated process can all be consumables. The running steps in the automated process can be divided according to the source well plate. Preferably, each source well plate may correspond to an running step in the automated process. Alternatively, an running step in the automated process may correspond to multiple source well plates. It can be understood that when the source well plate corresponding to an operation step in the automation process completes the task, the next operation step can be performed.

[0035] In some embodiments, when the consumables are consumed, but the source well plate corresponding to an operation step in the automation process has not been executed, the automation device can send a first instruction. Taking the cloning scene as an example, the first instruction can indicate that the wells that meet the requirements in the target well plate have been picked up and the consumables need to be replaced. When the first instruction sent by the automation device is received, it can be determined that the consumables need to be replaced. For example, the source well plate corresponding to the operation step may include a 384-microwell plate, and the consumables may include a 96-microwell plate. In this operation step, each well position in the source well plate needs to be picked and cloned into the consumables. When the source well plate picks and clones 96 microwells to the consumables, all the well positions of the consumables have been used, and there are still 288 well positions in the source well plate that have not been picked and cloned. At this time, the automation device can send the first instruction. The automation device can determine how many well positions in the source well plate need to be picked and cloned by visual methods, and record the number of pick and clone to determine that the consumables are consumed and need to be replaced. When the first instruction sent by the automation device is received, it can be determined that the consumables need to be replaced.

[0036] In other embodiments, when an operation step in the automation process is executed, that is, when the corresponding source well plate is executed, the next operation step in the automation process can be performed, that is, the automation process needs to be performed on the new source well plate. It can be judged whether the consumables need to be replaced according to the operation step. Optionally, it can be determined whether the consumables need to be replaced according to the parameters of the next operation step. For example, the next operation step of the executed operation step is provided with the need to replace the consumables, and it can be determined that the consumables need to be replaced. Optionally, it can be determined whether the consumables need to be replaced according to the consumable usage of the executed operation step. For example, if in the executed operation step, the source well plate corresponds to a 96 micro-well plate, and its consumables include a 96 micro-well plate. When the operation step is executed for the source well plate, the consumables are also used up, so it can be determined that the consumables need to be replaced. If in the executed operation step, the source well plate corresponds to a 96 micro-well plate, and its consumables include a 384 micro-well plate. When the operation step is executed for the source well plate, the consumables are not used up, it is determined that the consumables do not need to be replaced.

[0037] In step S1200, when the consumables need to be replaced, a second instruction is sent to the control device so that the control device drives the execution device to replace the consumables.

[0038] Exemplarily, when it is determined that the consumables of the automation device need to be replaced, a second instruction can be sent to the control device. The second instruction can indicate that the consumables of the automation device need to be replaced. The control device can be a personal computer, a workstation, a server or other device, and a project management system can be run on the control device, which can simultaneously control and schedule multiple automation devices and execution devices and other equipment. The execution device may include a robotic arm, a gripper, etc. When the control device receives the second instruction, the execution device can be driven to replace the consumables of the automation device. In some embodiments, multiple automation devices can use one execution device, and the execution device can be moved to the vicinity of one of the automation devices to replace the consumables. For example, when the control device receives the second instruction, it can determine which automation device needs to replace the consumables according to the second instruction, and then drive the execution device to replace the consumables of the automation device.

[0039] Optionally, a Gantt chart can be generated based on the running steps in the automation process. When the consumables are replaced, the Gantt chart can be updated to show the steps of the consumable replacement. This facilitates the user to check and supervise the automation process.

[0040] The above technical solution determines whether the consumables need to be replaced according to the first instruction from the automation device or the operation steps in the automation process. If the consumables need to be replaced, the second instruction is automatically sent to the control device, and the control device drives the execution device to replace the consumables. In this way, the automation of consumable replacement is realized without human intervention, which improves work efficiency, avoids human errors, and reduces the workload and safety hazards of staff.

[0041] Exemplarily, step S1100 determines whether the consumable needs to be replaced according to whether a first instruction is received from an automation device for executing an automation process or according to an operation step in the automation process, including step S1110.

[0042] In step S1110, before the next operation step in the automation process is executed, it is determined whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step.

[0043] The previous running step of the next running step is the running step that has just been executed. After an running step is executed in the automation process and before the next running step, it is determined whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the operation information of the running step. Taking the picking and cloning scenario as an example, in some embodiments where the consumable is a microplate, it can be determined whether the microplate needs to be replaced based on the number of picking and cloning operations performed in the running steps that have been executed and the number of holes in the microplate. For example, the consumable is a 96-well plate, and the running steps that have been completed have executed 95 picking and cloning operations, which is less than the number of holes in the consumable, and it is determined that the consumable does not need to be replaced. The automation device can record the number of picking and cloning operations when executing the running steps, which can be used as the operation information of the running steps that have been executed, and then determine whether the consumables need to be replaced based on it. In other embodiments where the consumables are microplates, it can be determined whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the number of holes in the source well plate and the number of holes in the target well plate of the running steps that have been executed. For example, the source well plate can be a 96-well plate, and the target well plate can also be a 96-well plate. Thus, when the operation step is completed, the wells of the target well plate are consumed, so it can be determined that the consumables need to be replaced.

[0044] The above technical solution determines whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the operation information of the previous operation step before the next operation step is executed. The previous operation step has been actually executed, so its operation information is accurate and can be used to automatically and accurately determine whether the consumables need to be replaced, and then the consumables can be replaced in time, ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the operation steps of the automated process without human intervention.

[0045] Exemplarily, the above-mentioned step S1110 determines whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step before the next operation step in the automation process is executed, including: in response to receiving a fourth instruction from the control device to execute the next operation step, determining whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step and the operation information of the next operation step.

[0046] When an operation step in the automation process is completed, the control device can send a fourth instruction to the automation device to drive the automation device to execute the next operation step. Before the next operation step is executed, the next operation step can be parsed according to the fourth instruction to obtain the operation information of the next operation step.

[0047] It can be determined whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step and the operation information of the next operation step. For example, the operation information of the next operation step may include that the operation step needs to be performed based on new consumables, thereby determining that the consumables need to be replaced. For another example, according to the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step, the consumables of the previous operation step can be a 96-well plate, 90 of which have been consumed. The operation information of the next operation step may include that the starting hole position of the operation step needs to be spaced 10 holes from the hole position of the previous operation step. Based on the operation information of the previous operation step, if the consumables are not replaced, it is impossible to perform the next operation step with an interval of 10 holes, thereby determining that the consumables need to be replaced.

[0048] The above technical solution can determine whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the operation information of the previous operation step and the next operation step in response to the fourth instruction. Therefore, whether the consumables need to be replaced is determined in response to the fourth instruction from the control device, ensuring the timeliness of replacing the consumables. In addition, determining whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the operation information of the previous and next steps can meet the actual use requirements of the consumables in the more complex next operation step, automatically determine whether the consumables need to be replaced, without manual intervention, and ensure the continuous and stable operation of the operation steps of the automated process.

[0049] Exemplarily, the consumable may be a target well plate and include a plurality of well positions. The automated process may include a large number of operations. Taking the clone picking scenario as an example, the target microorganism clone in the source well plate is moved to the target well plate. The target well plate may be a microplate with a plurality of well positions. In other words, the consumable may include a 96-well plate, a 384-well plate, etc. Step S1110 determines whether the consumable needs to be replaced based on the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step, including steps S1111 and S1112.

[0050] In step S1111, the starting well position in the target well plate to be operated in the next operation step is determined according to the operation information of the previous operation step.

[0051] The operation information of the previous operation step may include the use of consumables. The operation information of the previous operation step can be determined by the number of picking and cloning operations recorded by the automation device. In some embodiments, the starting well position in the target well plate operated by the next operation step can be determined according to the interval parameter between the next operation step and the well position of the operation step that has been executed. In other words, the starting well position can be the number of picking and cloning of the executed operation step plus the interval parameter. For example, the target well plate may include a 96-well plate, and the target well plate has been subjected to 94 picking and cloning operations. If the interval parameter is 2, that is, two well positions need to be vacant before the next operation step is executed, the starting well position should be 97; if the interval parameter is 1, that is, one well position needs to be vacant before the next operation step is executed, the starting well position can be 96. In other embodiments, there is no interval parameter, and the next operation step can be executed without an interval. The target well plate has been subjected to 94 picking and cloning operations, and the starting well position can be 95.

[0052] In step S1112, it is determined whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the starting hole position.

[0053] Still taking the above-mentioned target well plate including 96 micro-well plates as an example, if the starting well position is 97, which is greater than the total number of well positions of the target well plate, it can be determined that the consumables need to be replaced. If the starting well position is 96, which is equal to the total number of well positions of the target well plate, it can be determined that the consumables do not need to be replaced. If the starting well position is 95, which is less than the total number of well positions of the target well plate, it can be determined that the consumables do not need to be replaced.

[0054] The above technical solution not only determines whether the consumables need to be replaced, but also determines the starting hole position of the next operation step according to the operation information of the previous operation step. Therefore, the automation degree of the automation device is higher.

[0055] Exemplarily, the above step S1111 determines the starting well position in the target well plate operated by the next operation step, including: first, determining the well position occupancy status on the target well plate after the previous operation step is completed; then, determining the starting well position according to the well position occupancy status.

[0056] In some embodiments, the occupancy of the wells on the target well plate can be determined based on the number of times the automated device performs the picking and cloning operation. For example, the target well plate can be a 96-well plate, and the automated device performs 90 picking and cloning operations on the target well plate, thereby determining that 90 wells on the target well plate are occupied, and the remaining 6 wells are not occupied. In other embodiments, the automated device can determine the occupancy of the wells on the target well plate based on vision, for example, using a visual recognition method to determine how many wells on the target well plate have liquid, and the number of wells with liquid can be the occupied wells, and the wells without liquid can be the unoccupied wells.

[0057] The starting well position can be determined based on the well position occupancy after the previous operation step is completed. For example, if 90 well positions on the target well plate have been occupied, the starting well position can be 91. Alternatively, the starting well position can be determined based on the well position interval between the next operation step and the completed operation step. For example, the well position interval can be 5, and if 90 well positions on the target well plate have been occupied, the starting well position can be 96.

[0058] The above technical solution determines the starting hole position by the hole position occupancy on the target hole plate after the previous operation step is completed. Because the previous operation step has been completed, the hole position occupancy on the target hole plate determined here is the actual hole position occupancy. In this way, the problem of the hole position occupancy determined according to the automated process not being consistent with the actual hole position occupancy can be avoided, thereby automatically and accurately determining the starting hole position, thereby ensuring timely replacement of consumables.

[0059] Exemplarily, the above-mentioned step S1111 determines the starting well position in the target well plate operated by the next operation step, including: first, obtaining the preset number of well positions in the target well plate operated by the previous operation step; then, obtaining the actual well position in the target well plate operated by the previous operation step; and then, determining the starting well position according to the actual well position and the preset number of well positions.

[0060] In some embodiments, when the operation step in the automation process is executed, the target object in the source well plate is moved to the target well plate, and the source well plate may include a microplate. The preset number of wells refers to the number of wells in the target well plate operated according to the previous operation step of the automation process. The actual number of wells refers to the number of wells in the target well plate actually operated after the previous operation step is completed. During the execution of the automation process, the actual number of wells is affected by the number of wells in the source well plate that actually have the target object. If the number of wells in the source well plate that actually have the target object is less than the preset number of wells, only the target object that can be moved in the source well plate can be moved. In other words, after the previous operation step is completed, the wells of the preset number of wells in the target well plate are not fully occupied, and the actual number of occupied wells in the target well plate is less than the preset number of wells. If the number of target objects that can actually be moved in the source well plate is greater than or equal to the preset number of wells of the target well plate, only the target objects of the preset number of wells in the source well plate can be moved. In other words, the preset number of well positions in the target well plate is fully occupied, and the actual number of well positions in the target well plate is equal to the preset number of well positions.

[0061] For example, the number of preset well positions in the target well plate operated in the previous operation step is 10, and the number of target objects that can be moved in the source well plate operated in the previous operation step is 6. Therefore, the actual number of well positions in the target well plate operated in the previous operation step is 6. The starting well position is determined according to the actual number of well positions and the preset number of well positions.

[0062] In the first embodiment, the hole positions in the target well plate can be occupied continuously. According to the above example, in the previous operation step, the actual hole positions of the target well plate can be occupied by hole positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, so the starting hole position in the target well plate operated by the next operation step can be 7.

[0063] In the second embodiment, the source orifice plate can be divided into a plurality of regions, and operations can be performed on the hole positions in each region. Each region of the source orifice plate can correspond to an region in the target orifice plate. For example, the first region on the source orifice plate includes hole positions 1 to 5, and the second region includes hole positions 6 to 10. Also according to the above example, the preset number of hole positions is 10, and the actual hole position is 6. The actual hole positions of the target orifice plate operated in the previous operation step can be No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 6, No. 7, No. 8, and No. 4, No. 5, No. 9, and No. 10 are not occupied. Therefore, the starting hole position of the next operation step can be No. 9.

[0064] In some embodiments, it may be required that there be an interval between the wells in the target well plate for each operation. In the above embodiments, the absence of such an interval is used as an example. Alternatively, if the interval needs to be reserved, the starting well position can be determined based on the preset number of wells, the actual well position, and the interval. For example, assuming that the interval is 5, in the aforementioned first embodiment, the starting well position in the target well plate can be 7+5=12; in the aforementioned second embodiment, the starting well position in the target well plate can be 9+5=14.

[0065] The above technical solution determines the starting hole position by the preset hole number and the actual hole position in the target well plate. The starting hole position can be determined according to the actual execution of the operation steps in the automation process, and then automatically determines whether the consumables need to be replaced, thereby automatically replacing the consumables in complex situations.

[0066] Exemplarily, the previous operation step is used to move the target objects in some wells in the source well plate to the target well plate.

[0067] In some embodiments, when the operation step in the automated process is executed, the target object in the source well plate is moved to the target well plate, the source well plate may include a microwell plate, and the target object may be a liquid in the microwell plate. As described above, the source well plate can be divided into multiple areas, and the target objects in a fixed number of wells are selected from all the wells in each area and moved to the target well plate. For example, the target objects in each area can be different. The fixed number of wells in all areas is the preset number of wells in the target well plate. For example, the source well plate is divided into 2 areas, and each area needs to move the target objects in 5 wells to the target well plate, that is, the preset number of wells is 5*2=10. The number of target objects that can be moved in each area may be less than the preset number of wells corresponding to the area. For example, in an area in the source well plate, only 3 wells of the target objects can be moved, and the preset number of wells corresponding to the area can be 6. Thus, the actual wells in the target well plate operated by the previous operation step can be 3.

[0068] In some embodiments, it may be required that there be a gap between the wells in the target well plate corresponding to different regions of the source well plate. If the gap needs to be reserved, the starting well position can be determined based on the preset well number, the actual well position and the gap.

[0069] The above technical solution can move the target object in the hole position of a certain area in the source well plate to the target well plate, and can realize complex automation process, thereby realizing automatic replacement of consumables in the complex automation process.

[0070] For example, Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a schematic flow chart of a method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the method for replacing consumables in the automated process includes step S2100, step S2200, step S2300 and step S2400.

[0071] In step S2100, an automation device for executing an automation process sends a first instruction to a first driving device according to an operation step in the automation process, and the first driving device determines whether the consumable needs to be replaced based on whether the first instruction is received. Alternatively, the first driving device determines whether the consumable needs to be replaced according to the operation step in the automation process. The consumable is gradually consumed during the execution of the automation process.

[0072] The first drive device may be a processor running a driver, which may be used to drive the automation device to execute the operation steps in the automation process. Each automation device may have a corresponding driver. In some embodiments, when the operation steps being executed by the automation device are not completed and the consumables have been consumed, it may send a first instruction to the first drive device. If the first drive device receives the first instruction, it may be determined that the consumables need to be replaced. If the first drive device does not receive the first instruction, it may be determined that the consumables do not need to be replaced. In other embodiments, the first drive device may have relevant parameters for the operation steps in the automation process, and may determine whether the consumables need to be replaced based on the operation steps in the automation process. This is similar to the above-mentioned step S1100 and will not be repeated here.

[0073] In step S2200, when the consumables need to be replaced, the first driving device is used to send the second instruction to the control device.

[0074] If the first driving device determines that the consumables need to be replaced, the second instruction can be sent to the control device. The second instruction can be used to indicate that the automation device needs to replace the consumables, and its content can include the type of consumables that need to be replaced, parameters and other instruction information. The control device can be a personal computer, workstation, server and other devices, and a project management system can be run on the control device, which can simultaneously control and schedule multiple automation devices and execution devices and other equipment.

[0075] In step S2300, the control device sends a third instruction to the execution device according to the second instruction. After receiving the second instruction, the control device can parse the second instruction, and can determine the automation device that needs to replace the consumables, as well as the type and parameters of the consumables that need to be replaced. Thus, the third instruction can be generated and sent to the execution device. The execution device may include a mechanical arm, a gripper, etc. The third instruction may include relevant parameters indicating that the execution device performs the operation of replacing the consumables.

[0076] In step S2400, the consumables are replaced by the execution device based on the third instruction.

[0077] After receiving the third instruction, the execution device obtains relevant parameters for executing the replacement of consumables, so as to replace the consumables of the automatic device that needs to replace the consumables.

[0078] Optionally, after the execution device completes the replacement of the consumable, it can notify the control device that the consumable has been replaced, and then the control device can notify the first drive device of the automation device to drive the automation device to continue to execute the automation process.

[0079] In the above technical solution, the first driving device determines whether the consumables need to be replaced according to the first instruction from the automation device or the operation steps in the automation process. When the consumables need to be replaced, the first driving device automatically sends the second instruction to the control device, and the control device sends the third instruction to the execution device to replace the consumables. In this way, the automation of the replacement of consumables of the automation device is realized without human intervention, which improves the working efficiency, avoids human errors, and reduces the workload and safety hazards of the staff.

[0080] Exemplarily, the consumable is a target well plate and includes a plurality of well positions. The automated process may include a large number of operations. Taking the clone picking scenario as an example, the target microorganism clone in the source well plate is moved to the target well plate. The target well plate may be a microplate including a plurality of well positions. In other words, the consumable may include a 96-well plate, a 384-well plate, etc.

[0081] Step S2100 uses an automation device for executing an automation process to send a first instruction to a first driving device according to the operation steps in the automation process, including using the automation device to execute the following steps: step S2110, step S2120 and step S2130.

[0082] In step S2110, the current number of well positions in the current target well plate operated by the current running step in the automation process is determined.

[0083] In some embodiments, the current number of wells in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step can be determined by the number of operations. For example, the automation device can record the number of operations, and each operation will occupy a well in the current target well plate, thereby determining the number of wells in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step, which can be the number of occupied wells in the target well plate. In other embodiments, the automation device can determine the current number of wells in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step by visual methods. For example, the automation device determines the number of wells with liquid in the target well plate by visual recognition as the current number of wells.

[0084] In step S2120, the total number of well positions in the current target well plate is obtained. The total number of well positions in the current target well plate can be determined by the type, parameters, and other information of the current target well plate. For example, if the current target well plate is a 96-well plate, the total number of well positions can be 96; if the current target well plate is a 384-well plate, the total number of well positions can be 384.

[0085] In step S2130, a first instruction is sent to the first drive device according to the current number of well positions and the total number of well positions in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step. In some embodiments, when the current number of well positions in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step is equal to the total number of well positions, all well positions of the target well plate are occupied, and a first instruction can be sent to the first drive device to determine whether the consumables need to be replaced. For example, the number of well positions can be 96, and the total number of well positions can also be 96, then all the well positions of the target well plate are occupied. In other words, the target well plate is consumed as a consumable and needs to be replaced.

[0086] In the above technical solution, the automation device sends a first instruction to the first driving device according to the current number of wells and the total number of wells in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step. The automation device can automatically determine that consumables need to be replaced without human intervention, thereby improving work efficiency, avoiding human errors, reducing the workload and safety hazards of staff, and ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the automation process.

[0087] Exemplarily, step S2100, using an automation device for executing an automation process to send a first instruction to a first driving device according to an operation step in the automation process, also includes: using the automation device to determine the starting well position in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step.

[0088] In some embodiments, the automation device can determine the hole position occupied in the target well plate when the current operation step is first executed, and the hole position can be the starting hole position. For example, the target well plate has 96 holes, and 10 holes have been occupied in the previous operation step, so the starting hole position of the current operation step can be the 11th hole position.

[0089] Step S2130 sends a first instruction to the first drive device according to the current number of hole positions and the total number of hole positions in the current target well plate operated by the current running step, including: Step S2131 sends a first instruction to the first drive device according to the current number of hole positions and the starting hole position in the current target well plate operated by the current running step, as well as the total number of hole positions.

[0090] The current number of wells in the current target well plate may be the number of wells actually occupied by the target well plate through the current operation step. Starting from the starting well, the current number of wells and the total number of wells can be used to determine whether all wells of the target well plate are occupied to determine whether the consumables need to be replaced. If the current number of wells plus the number of wells before the starting well equals the total number of wells, a first instruction can be sent to the first drive device to determine that the consumables need to be replaced. For example, the target well plate may be a 96-well plate with a total number of wells of 96, the current number of wells may be 86, and the starting well may be the 11th well. It can be determined that there are 10 wells before the starting well, which add up to 96 wells with the current number of wells, which equals the total number of wells. At this time, a first instruction can be sent to the first drive device shown to determine that the consumables need to be replaced.

[0091] The above technical solution uses an automated device to send a first instruction to a first drive device according to the current number of wells and the starting well in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step, as well as the total number of wells, so as to determine whether the consumables need to be replaced. Thus, it can automatically and accurately determine whether the consumables need to be replaced, avoiding manual intervention, and is applicable to complex situations, thereby improving the robustness of the method.

[0092] Illustratively, according to another aspect of the present invention, a device for replacing consumables in an automated process is also provided. Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a consumable replacement device 300 for an automated process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the consumable replacement device 300 of the automated process includes a determination module 310 and a sending module 320 .

[0093] The determination module 310 is used to determine whether the consumable needs to be replaced according to whether a first instruction is received from an automation device for executing the automation process or according to the operation steps in the automation process, wherein the consumable is gradually consumed during the execution of the automation process. The sending module 320 is used to send a second instruction to the control device when the consumable needs to be replaced, so that the control device drives the execution device to replace the consumable.

[0094] Exemplarily, the determination module 310 includes a first determination submodule. The first determination submodule is used to determine whether the consumable needs to be replaced according to the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step before the next operation step in the automation process is executed.

[0095] Exemplarily, the consumable is a target well plate and includes a plurality of well positions. The first determination submodule includes a first determination unit and a second determination unit. The first determination unit is used to determine the starting well position in the target well plate operated by the next operation step according to the operation information of the previous operation step. The second determination unit is used to determine whether the consumable needs to be replaced according to the starting well position.

[0096] Exemplarily, the first determination unit includes a first determination subunit and a second determination subunit. The first determination subunit is used to determine the well position occupancy status on the target well plate after the previous operation step is completed. The second determination subunit is used to determine the starting well position according to the well position occupancy status.

[0097] Exemplarily, the first determination unit includes a first acquisition subunit, a second acquisition subunit, and a third determination subunit. The first acquisition subunit is used to acquire the number of preset well positions in the target well plate operated by the previous operation step. The second acquisition subunit is used to acquire the actual well position in the target well plate operated by the previous operation step. The third determination subunit is used to determine the starting well position according to the actual well position and the preset well position number.

[0098] Exemplarily, the previous operation step is used to move the target objects in some wells in the source well plate to the target well plate.

[0099] Exemplarily, the first determination submodule includes a third determination unit. The third determination unit is used to determine whether the consumable needs to be replaced according to the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step and the operation information of the next operation step in response to receiving a fourth instruction to execute the next operation step from the control device.

[0100] Illustratively, according to yet another aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is also provided. Figure 4 FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of an electronic device 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, the electronic device 400 includes a processor 410 and a memory 420. The memory 420 stores computer program instructions, which are used to execute the above-mentioned method for replacing consumables in the automated process when the processor 410 is running.

[0101] Exemplarily, according to yet another aspect of the present invention, an automation system is also provided. Figure 5 FIG. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of an automation system 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 As shown, the automation system 500 includes an automation device 510 , a first drive device 520 , a control device 530 , and an actuator device 540 .

[0102] The automation device 510 is used to execute the automation process and send a first instruction to the first drive device according to the operation steps in the automation process. The automation device 510 may include any device suitable for executing the automation process, such as a pipetting workstation and a microbial clone picking device. The first drive device 520 is used to determine whether the consumables need to be replaced according to the first instruction or the operation steps in the automation process, and send a second instruction to the control device when the consumables need to be replaced. The first drive device 520 may include a processor with a driver program, etc. The control device 530 is used to send a third instruction to the execution device according to the second instruction. The control device 530 may include a personal computer, a workstation, a server, etc. with a project management system. The execution device 540 is used to replace the consumables based on the third instruction. The execution device may include a robotic arm, a gripper, etc.

[0103] 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 method for replacing consumables of the automation process 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.

[0104] 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 method for replacing consumables in the automated process as described above when the computer program instructions are run.

[0105] A person skilled in the art can understand the specific implementation scheme and beneficial effects of the consumable replacement device, electronic device, automation system, storage medium and computer program product for the above-mentioned automated process by reading the above-mentioned description of the method for replacing consumables for the automated process. For the sake of brevity, they will not be elaborated here.

[0106] 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.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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.

[0111] 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.

[0112] 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.

[0113] The various component embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware, or in software modules running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. 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 replacement device of the consumables of the automation process according to the embodiment of the present application. The application can also be implemented as a device program (for example, a computer program and a computer program product) for executing a part or all of the methods described herein. Such a program implementing 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.

[0114] 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.

[0115] 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 method for replacing consumables in an automated process, characterized in that: include: determining whether the consumable needs to be replaced according to whether a first instruction from an automation device for executing the automation process is received or according to an operation step in the automation process, wherein the consumable is gradually consumed during the execution of the automation process; When the consumables need to be replaced, a second instruction is sent to the control device so that the control device drives the execution device to replace the consumables.

2. The method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The determining whether the consumable needs to be replaced according to whether a first instruction is received from an automation device for executing the automation process or according to an operation step in the automation process includes: Before the next operation step in the automation process is executed, it is determined whether the consumable needs to be replaced based on the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step.

3. The method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to claim 2, characterized in that: The consumable is a target well plate and includes a plurality of well positions; The step of determining whether the consumable needs to be replaced according to the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step includes: Determining, according to the operation information of the previous operation step, a starting well position in the target well plate operated by the next operation step; Whether the consumable needs to be replaced is determined according to the starting hole position.

4. The method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to claim 3, characterized in that: The step of determining the starting well position in the target well plate operated by the next operation step includes: Determine the well position occupancy status on the target well plate after the previous operation step is completed; The starting hole position is determined according to the hole position occupancy status.

5. The method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to claim 3, characterized in that: The step of determining the starting well position in the target well plate operated by the next operation step includes: Obtaining the number of preset well positions in the target well plate operated in the previous operation step; Acquiring the actual well position in the target well plate operated in the previous operation step; The starting hole position is determined according to the actual hole position and the preset number of hole positions.

6. The method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to claim 5, characterized in that: The previous operation step is used to move the target objects in some well positions in the source well plate to the target well plate.

7. The method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to claim 2, characterized in that: Before the next operation step in the automation process is executed, determining whether the consumable needs to be replaced according to the operation information of the previous operation step of the next operation step includes: In response to receiving a fourth instruction from the control device to execute the next operation step, it is determined whether the consumable needs to be replaced based on operation information of an operation step before the next operation step and operation information of the next operation step.

8. A method for replacing consumables in an automated process, characterized in that: include: Using an automation device for executing the automation process to send a first instruction to a first driving device according to an operation step in the automation process, and using the first driving device to determine whether the consumable needs to be replaced based on whether the first instruction is received, or using the first driving device to determine whether the consumable needs to be replaced according to the operation steps in the automation process, wherein the consumable is gradually consumed during the execution of the automation process; When the consumable material needs to be replaced, using the first driving device to send a second instruction to the control device; Using the control device to send a third instruction to the execution device according to the second instruction; The consumables are replaced by the execution device based on the third instruction.

9. The method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to claim 8, characterized in that: The consumable is a target well plate and includes a plurality of well positions; The step of sending a first instruction to a first driving device according to the operation steps in the automation process using an automation device for executing the automation process includes: using the automation device to perform the following operations: Determining the current number of well positions in the current target well plate operated by the current running step in the automation process; Obtaining the total number of well positions in the current target well plate; The first instruction is sent to the first driving device according to the current number of well positions in the current target well plate operated by the current running step and the total number of well positions.

10. The method for replacing consumables in an automated process according to claim 9, characterized in that: The step of sending a first instruction to a first driving device according to an operation step in the automation process using an automation device for executing the automation process further includes: determining a starting well position in the current target well plate operated by the current operation step using the automation device; Wherein, sending the first instruction to the first driving device according to the current number of well positions in the current target well plate and the total number of well positions operated by the current running step includes: The first instruction is sent to the first driving device according to the current number of well positions in the current target well plate operated by the current running step, the starting well position, and the total number of well positions.

11. A device for replacing consumables in an automated process, characterized in that: include: a determination module, configured to determine whether the consumable needs to be replaced according to whether a first instruction is received from an automation device for executing the automation process or according to an operation step in the automation process, wherein the consumable is gradually consumed during the execution of the automation process; The sending module is used to send a second instruction to the control device when the consumable needs to be replaced, so that the control device drives the execution device to replace the consumable.

12. 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 method for replacing consumables in an automated process as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 when the processor is running the computer program instructions.

13. An automated system comprising: An automation device, configured to execute an automation process and send a first instruction to a first drive device according to an operation step in the automation process; A first driving device, configured to determine whether a consumable needs to be replaced according to the first instruction or the operation steps in the automation process, and send a second instruction to the control device if the consumable needs to be replaced; A control device, configured to send a third instruction to an execution device according to the second instruction; An execution device is used to replace the consumable material based on the third instruction.

14. A storage medium having program instructions stored thereon, characterized in that: The program instructions are used to execute the method for replacing consumables in an automated process as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 when running.

15. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions, characterized in that The computer program instructions are used to execute the method for replacing consumables in an automated process as described in any one of claims 1 to 10 when running.

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