Control method of sample storage library and sample storage library

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of biological sample storage, particularly provides a control method of a sample storage library and the sample storage library, and aims to solve the problem that the efficiency is low due to the fact that a small amount of tube picking and transferring operation needs to be carried out in the prior art. In order to achieve the purpose, the storage warehouse internally comprises a storage area and an operation area which are independent of each other, cryopreservation tubes and / or cryopreservation boxes can be transferred between the storage area and the operation area, the storage area is used for storing samples, and the operation area is used for picking up the tubes, picking up the boxes and transferring the samples; the control method comprises the steps that a tube picking operation instruction is obtained, the actual number of to-be-transferred cryopreservation tubes in the same cryopreservation box is obtained, and a direct tube picking mode or an auxiliary tube picking mode is selectively executed according to the actual number. According to the method, the corresponding tube picking mode is selected to be executed according to the number of the tubes to be picked, so that the tube picking efficiency can be ensured, and the sample quality can be ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of biological sample storage, and specifically provides a control method for a sample storage library and a sample storage library. Background Art

[0002] In the field of biological sample storage, ultra-low temperature automated equipment is needed to store biological samples. When biological samples are put in and out of the warehouse, they need to be picked up by a tube picking device so that the cryotubes containing the biological samples can be transferred to the target cryobox for storage or output. The existing tube picking operation requires taking out the cryobox first, and then putting it back in place after the tube picking is completed. When the number of tubes to be picked is small and distributed in multiple storage locations, the above operation is inefficient.

[0003] Accordingly, this field requires a new technical solution to solve the above technical problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the above technical problem, that is, to solve the problem of low efficiency of the existing operation of transferring a small number of pipes.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a control method for a sample storage library, wherein the storage library includes a storage area and an operation area that are independent of each other, and the storage area and the operation area can transfer cryogenic tubes and / or cryogenic boxes to each other, the storage area is used to store samples, and the operation area is used to pick tubes, pick boxes, and transfer samples; the control method comprises: obtaining a tube picking operation instruction; obtaining the actual number of cryogenic tubes to be transferred in the same cryogenic box; and selectively executing a direct tube picking mode or an auxiliary tube picking mode according to the size of the actual number.

[0006] In a specific implementation of the control method of the above-mentioned sample storage library, the step of "selectively executing the direct tube picking mode or the auxiliary tube picking mode according to the size of the actual number" specifically includes: when the actual number is less than or equal to the set number, executing the direct tube picking mode.

[0007] In a specific implementation of the control method of the above-mentioned sample storage library, the step of "selectively executing the direct tube picking mode or the auxiliary tube picking mode according to the size of the actual number" further includes: when the actual number is greater than the set number, executing the auxiliary tube picking mode.

[0008] In a specific implementation of the control method of the above-mentioned sample storage library, a gripping device and a transfer cryobox capable of transferring samples are provided in the operation area; the direct tube picking mode is specifically: the gripping device directly picks the tube so that the target cryotube can be transferred between the target cryobox and the transfer cryobox; and / or the auxiliary tube picking mode is specifically: the gripping device first picks the box so that the target cryobox is transferred to the operation area, and then picks the tube so that the target cryotube can be transferred between the target cryobox and the transfer cryobox.

[0009] In a specific implementation of the control method of the above-mentioned sample storage library, the operation area includes a first area and a second area, and the second area and the outside of the storage can transfer cryogenic tubes and / or cryogenic boxes to each other, the grabbing device is arranged in the first area, and the transfer cryogenic box is arranged in the second area, and the storage area includes a plurality of groups of storage channels distributed in a matrix, and a cryogenic rack is slidably arranged in each group of the storage channels so that the cryogenic rack can extend from the storage channel to the first area or the outside of the storage, and each group of the cryogenic racks stores a plurality of groups of the cryogenic boxes along its sliding direction; the tube picking operation instruction includes a tube picking out instruction and a tube picking in instruction; when the tube picking operation instruction is a tube picking out instruction, the step of "executing the direct tube picking mode" specifically includes: first obtaining the target cryogenic tube to be shipped out in the the storage position in the storage area; according to the storage position, the corresponding target freezing rack is controlled to extend to the first area; the grabbing device is controlled to grab the target freezing tube and place it at the corresponding position of the transport freezing box until all the target freezing tubes are picked; and / or when the tube picking operation instruction is a tube picking out instruction, the step of "executing the auxiliary tube picking mode" specifically includes: first obtaining the storage position of the target freezing tube to be shipped out in the storage area; according to the storage position, the corresponding target freezing rack is controlled to extend to the first area; the grabbing device is controlled to grab the target freezing box and transfer it to the second area; the grabbing device is controlled to grab the target freezing tube and place it at the corresponding position of the transport freezing box until all the target freezing tubes are picked.

[0010] In a specific implementation of the control method of the above-mentioned sample storage library, when the tube picking operation instruction is a tube picking and storage instruction, the step of "executing the direct tube picking mode" specifically includes: first obtaining the storage position of each target cryopreservation tube to be stored in the transfer cryopreservation box in the storage area; controlling the corresponding target cryopreservation rack to extend to the first area according to the storage position; controlling the grabbing device to grab the target cryopreservation tube and place it at the corresponding position of the target cryopreservation box until all the target cryopreservation tubes are picked; and / or when the tube picking operation instruction is a tube picking and storage instruction, the step of "executing the auxiliary tube picking mode" specifically includes: first obtaining the storage position of each target cryopreservation tube to be stored in the transfer cryopreservation box in the storage area; controlling the corresponding target cryopreservation rack to extend to the first area according to the storage position; controlling the grabbing device to grab the target cryopreservation box and transfer it to the second area; controlling the grabbing device to grab the target cryopreservation tube and place it at the corresponding position of the target cryopreservation box until all the target cryopreservation tubes are picked.

[0011] In a specific implementation of the control method of the above-mentioned sample storage library, the control method also includes: when the target cryopreservation tube to be transferred corresponds to multiple target cryopreservation boxes and there is a need to execute the direct tube picking mode and the auxiliary tube picking mode at the same time, the auxiliary tube picking mode is executed first, and then the direct tube picking mode is executed.

[0012] In a specific implementation of the control method of the above-mentioned sample storage library, the control method also includes: when an abnormal situation occurs in the storage library, an abnormal reminder is sent and a corresponding operation is performed; the execution of the corresponding operation is specifically: directly opening the back door of the storage library, and controlling the freezing rack to extend from the back door to the outside of the storage library to transfer the freezing box.

[0013] In a specific implementation of the control method of the above-mentioned sample storage library, the control method also includes: obtaining a whole box outbound instruction; first obtaining the storage position of the frozen box to be outbound in the storage area; controlling the target freezing rack corresponding to the frozen box to be outbound to extend to the first area according to the storage position; controlling the grasping device to grasp the frozen box to be outbound to transfer it from the target freezing rack to the second area; and / or obtaining a whole box inbound instruction; first obtaining the storage position of the frozen box to be inbound in the storage area; controlling the target freezing rack corresponding to the frozen box to be inbound to extend to the first area according to the storage position; controlling the grasping device to grasp the frozen box to be inbound to transfer it from the second area to the target freezing rack.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides a sample storage repository, comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to execute the control method of the sample storage repository as described above.

[0015] In the case of adopting the above technical solution, the control method of the present invention obtains the tube picking operation instruction, obtains the actual number of cryopreserved tubes to be transferred in the same cryopreservation box, and selectively executes the direct tube picking mode or the auxiliary tube picking mode according to the actual number. The present invention can ensure both the tube picking efficiency and the sample quality by selecting and executing the corresponding tube picking mode according to the number of tubes to be picked. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the storage library of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the storage library of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 It is another schematic diagram of the internal structure of the storage library of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the back door of the storage library of the present invention being opened;

[0021] Figure 5 It is a flow chart of the main steps of the control method of the sample storage library of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 is a possible complete step flow chart of the control method of the sample storage library of the present invention;

[0023] Among them: 1. Storage area; 2. Operation area; 21. First area; 22. Second area; 221. Temporary storage station; 222. Transfer station; 223. Information collection station; 3. First electric door; 4. Second electric door; 5. Third electric door; 6. Cryogenic rack; 7. Cryogenic box; 8. Grabbing equipment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only used to explain the technical principles of the present invention and are not used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments to them as needed to adapt to specific application scenarios.

[0025] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, the terms "inside", "outside" and the like indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, which are only for the convenience of description, and do not indicate or imply that the relevant devices or elements must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, ordinal numbers "first", "second" and the like are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0026] In addition, it should be noted that in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0027] In addition, it should be noted that in the description of the present invention, although the various steps of the control method of the present invention are described in this application in a specific order, these orders are not restrictive. Without departing from the basic principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can perform the steps in a different order.

[0028] First refer to 1- Figure 4 , which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the storage library of the present invention. Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, the storage library includes a storage area 1 and an operation area 2 which are independent of each other. A first electric door 3 is provided between the storage area 1 and the operation area 2 to selectively connect the storage area 1 with the operation area 2. A second electric door 4 is provided at the front end of the storage library to selectively connect the operation area 2 with the outside of the storage library. A third electric door 5 is provided at the rear end of the storage library to selectively connect the storage area 1 with the outside of the storage library. The storage area 1 is an ultra-low temperature environment (about -80°C) for storing samples, and the operation area 2 is a low temperature environment (about -30°C) for picking tubes, picking boxes and transferring samples.

[0029] like Figure 3As shown, the storage area 1 includes a plurality of groups of storage channels distributed in a matrix, and a freezing rack 6 is slidably arranged in each group of storage channels, so that the freezing rack 6 can extend forward from the storage channel to the operation area 2 or can extend backward from the storage channel to the outside of the warehouse. A plurality of groups of freezing boxes 7 are stored on each group of freezing racks 6 along the sliding direction thereof, and a plurality of freezing tubes (not shown in the figure) are stored in the freezing boxes 7, and samples are placed in the freezing tubes. The operation area 2 includes a first area 21 and a second area 22, and a gripping device 8 is arranged in the first area 21. The gripping device 8 is easy to maintain in the operation area 2, so as to solve the problem of difficult maintenance after a failure occurs in an ultra-low temperature environment. The gripping device 8 is arranged to be capable of gripping the freezing boxes 7 and the freezing tubes, so as to realize the tube picking and box picking operations. In the second area 22, a temporary storage station 221, a transfer station 222 and an information collection station 223 are arranged side by side. An empty cryopreservation box 7 is placed in the temporary storage station 221. The transfer station 222 is slidably arranged in the second area 22 and corresponds to the position of the second electric door 4, so that the transfer station 222 can extend out of the warehouse to realize the storage and in-and-out operation of the cryopreservation tube and / or the cryopreservation box 7, that is, the sample transfer operation; a camera is arranged on the information collection station 223, which can take pictures of the cryopreservation tube and / or the cryopreservation box 7 to collect images, and the information of the cryopreservation tube and / or the cryopreservation box 7 can be identified according to the images. Among them, the transfer of the cryopreservation box 7 between the temporary storage station 221, the transfer station 222 and the information collection station 223 is realized by the gripping device 8. When the tubes are selected for storage, the empty cryopreservation boxes in the temporary storage station 221 are used as transfer cryopreservation boxes. After the tube selection is completed, the transfer cryopreservation boxes are transferred to the transfer station 222 for storage; when the tubes are selected for storage, the transfer cryopreservation boxes are input from the outside, and the cryopreservation tubes to be stored are stored therein. After the tube selection is completed, they can be directly transferred to the transfer station 222 for output, or directly placed on the temporary storage station 221 for use. The structure of the gripping device 8 of the present invention can be a conventional structure in the art, and its specific structure will not be repeated here.

[0030] In some embodiments, the storage area 1 is an ultra-low temperature environment. Since the freezing rack 6 is arranged in the storage area 1, the freezing rack 6 will be slightly deformed when placed in the ultra-low temperature environment for a long time, which will cause a collision between the grabbing device 8 and the freezing rack 6, affecting the normal operation of taking and placing the freezing boxes 7. For this reason, the freezing rack 6 is set as a plate rack structure with no shielding on all sides. When taking and placing the freezing boxes, the grabbing device 8 is used to operate from above. This method does not require high precision in the taking and placing operation, and solves the problem of collision caused by deformation of the freezing rack 6 in the ultra-low temperature environment.

[0031] Then see Figure 5 , which is a flow chart of the main steps of the control method of the sample storage library of the present invention. Figure 5 As shown, the control method of the present invention includes:

[0032] S1, obtain the pipe picking operation instruction.

[0033] In some embodiments, the pipe picking operation instructions include pipe picking out of the warehouse instructions and pipe picking into the warehouse instructions.

[0034] S2, obtaining the actual number of cryopreservation tubes to be transferred in the same cryopreservation box 7.

[0035] In some embodiments, the cryotubes to be transferred refer to: cryotubes to be stored and cryotubes to be shipped out.

[0036] S3, selectively executing the direct pipe picking mode or the auxiliary pipe picking mode according to the actual quantity.

[0037] In step S3, the step of "selectively executing the direct pipe picking mode or the auxiliary pipe picking mode according to the actual quantity" specifically includes:

[0038] S31, when the actual quantity is less than or equal to the set quantity, the direct tube selection mode is executed;

[0039] S32, when the actual number is greater than the set number, the auxiliary pipe picking mode is executed.

[0040] In some embodiments, the set number is set in advance by a person skilled in the art according to the type of the cryopreservation box 7. Specifically, the cryopreservation box 7 includes two types, 96 holes and 48 holes, and the set number for different types of cryopreservation boxes 7 is also different. For example, when the cryopreservation box 7 has 96 holes, the set number is 32, and when the cryopreservation box 7 has 48 holes, the set number is 18. Of course, the above set number is only exemplary, and those skilled in the art can also set it according to actual needs.

[0041] In step S31, the direct tube picking mode specifically includes: the grabbing device 8 directly picks the tube to transfer the target cryopreservation tube between the target cryopreservation box and the transport cryopreservation box.

[0042] When the pipe picking operation instruction is a pipe picking out of the warehouse instruction, the steps of "executing the direct pipe picking mode" specifically include:

[0043] S311, first obtain the storage location of the target cryopreservation tube to be shipped out in storage area 1;

[0044] S312, controlling the corresponding target freezing rack to extend to the first area 21 according to the storage position;

[0045] S313, control the grabbing device 8 to grab the target cryopreservation tube and place it at the corresponding position of the transfer cryopreservation box until all the target cryopreservation tubes are picked.

[0046] Specifically, when selecting tubes for delivery, first control the grabbing device 8 to transfer the empty cryopreservation box in the temporary storage station 221 to the information collection station 223. At this time, the transferred empty cryopreservation box is used as a transfer cryopreservation box; the first electric door 3 is opened, and the target cryopreservation rack corresponding to the target cryopreservation tube to be selected is extended, and then the grabbing device 8 is controlled to directly take out the target cryopreservation tube from the target cryopreservation box, and place it in the corresponding position of the transfer cryopreservation box, and repeat this process until all the target cryopreservation tubes are selected. At the same time, after each tube selection operation is completed, the information collection station 223 will take a photo of the currently placed target cryopreservation tube to confirm that the placement is correct. After the tube selection is completed, the grabbing device 8 is controlled to transfer the transfer cryopreservation box to the transfer station 222, the second electric door 4 is opened, and the transfer station 222 drives the transfer cryopreservation box to extend out of the warehouse, thereby completing the delivery.

[0047] When the pipe picking operation instruction is a pipe picking and storage instruction, the steps of "executing the direct pipe picking mode" specifically include:

[0048] S314, first obtain the storage position of each target cryopreservation tube to be stored in the transfer cryopreservation box in storage area 1;

[0049] S315, controlling the corresponding target freezing rack to extend to the first area 21 according to the storage position;

[0050] S316, controlling the grabbing device 8 to grab the target cryopreservation tube and place it at the corresponding position of the target cryopreservation box until all the target cryopreservation tubes are picked.

[0051] Specifically, when picking tubes for storage, first place the transfer cryopreservation box containing the target cryopreservation tubes to be stored on the transfer station 222, the second electric door 4 is opened, and the transfer station 222 drives the transfer cryopreservation box to extend into the warehouse. Control the grabbing device 8 to transfer the transfer cryopreservation box to the information collection station 223, and take photos to identify all the target cryopreservation tubes to be stored in the transfer cryopreservation box. The first electric door 3 is opened, and the target cryopreservation rack 6 corresponding to the target cryopreservation tubes to be stored is extended. Then control the grabbing device 8 to directly take out the target cryopreservation tube from the transfer cryopreservation box and place it in the corresponding position of the target cryopreservation box, and repeat this process until all the target cryopreservation tubes are picked. After the tubes are picked, control the grabbing device 8 to transfer the transfer cryopreservation box to the transfer station 222, transfer it to the outside of the warehouse, or directly place it in the temporary storage station 221 for the next tube picking.

[0052] In step S32, the auxiliary tube picking mode is specifically as follows: the gripping device 8 first picks the box to transfer the target cryobox to the operation area 2, and then picks the tube to transfer the target cryotube between the target cryobox and the transfer cryobox.

[0053] When the pipe picking operation instruction is a pipe picking out instruction, the steps of "executing the auxiliary pipe picking mode" specifically include:

[0054] S321, first obtain the storage location of the target cryopreservation tube to be shipped out in storage area 1;

[0055] S322, controlling the corresponding target freezing rack to extend to the first area 21 according to the storage position;

[0056] S323, controlling the grabbing device 8 to grab the target freezing box and transfer it to the second area 22;

[0057] S324, control the grabbing device 8 to grab the target cryopreservation tube and place it at the corresponding position of the transfer cryopreservation box until all the target cryopreservation tubes are picked.

[0058] Specifically, when the tubes are picked out of the warehouse, the grabbing device 8 is first controlled to transfer the empty cryopreservation box in the temporary storage station 221 to the information collection station 223. At this time, the transferred empty cryopreservation box is used as the transfer cryopreservation box; the first electric door 3 is opened, the target cryopreservation rack 6 where the target cryopreservation tube to be picked is located is extended, and the grabbing device 8 is controlled to transfer the target cryopreservation box corresponding to the target cryopreservation tube to be shipped out to the information collection station 223. At this time, the target cryopreservation rack is retracted and the first electric door 3 is closed. The information collection station 223 takes pictures and locates the transfer cryopreservation box and the target cryopreservation box respectively, obtains the position of each target cryopreservation tube to be shipped out again, and controls the grabbing device 8 to transfer the target cryopreservation tube from the target cryopreservation box to the corresponding position of the transfer cryopreservation box, and repeats this process until all the target cryopreservation tubes are picked out. At the same time, after each tube picking operation is completed, the information collection station 223 will take pictures of the currently placed target cryopreservation tube to confirm that the placement is correct. After the tube picking is completed, the first electric door 3 opens again, the target freezing rack extends out, the grasping device 8 is controlled to put the target freezing box back to its original position and retract and close the first electric door 3, the grasping device 8 is controlled to transfer the transport freezing box to the transfer station 222, the second electric door 4 opens, and the transfer station 222 drives the transport freezing box to extend out of the warehouse, thereby completing the delivery.

[0059] When the pipe picking operation instruction is a pipe picking and storage instruction, the steps of "executing the auxiliary pipe picking mode" specifically include:

[0060] S325, first obtain the storage position of each target cryopreservation tube to be stored in the transfer cryopreservation box in storage area 1;

[0061] S326, controlling the corresponding target freezing rack to extend to the first area 21 according to the storage position;

[0062] S327, controlling the grabbing device 8 to grab the target freezing box and transfer it to the second area 22;

[0063] S328, control the grabbing device 8 to grab the target cryopreservation tube and place it at the corresponding position of the target cryopreservation box until all the target cryopreservation tubes are picked.

[0064] Specifically, when picking tubes for storage, the transfer cryopreservation box containing the target cryopreservation tubes to be stored is first placed on the transfer station 222, the second electric door 4 is opened, and the transfer station 222 drives the transfer cryopreservation box to extend into the storage. The gripping device is controlled to transfer the transfer cryopreservation box to the information collection station 223, and all the target cryopreservation tubes to be stored in the transfer cryopreservation box are photographed and identified. The first electric door 3 is opened, and the target cryopreservation rack corresponding to the target cryopreservation tubes to be selected is extended, and the gripping device 8 is controlled to transfer the target cryopreservation box corresponding to the target cryopreservation tubes to be selected to the information collection station 223. At this time, the target cryopreservation rack is retracted and the first electric door 3 is closed. The information collection station 223 takes photos and locates the transfer cryopreservation box and the target cryopreservation box respectively, obtains the position of each target cryopreservation tube to be stored again, and controls the gripping device 8 to transfer the target cryopreservation tube from the transfer cryopreservation box to the corresponding position of the target cryopreservation box, and repeats this process until all the target cryopreservation tubes are selected. After the tube picking is completed, the first electric door 3 opens again, the target freezing rack extends out, the grasping device 8 is controlled to put the target freezing box back to its original position and retract to close the first electric door 3, and the grasping device 8 is controlled to transfer the freezing box to the transmission station 222 to transfer it outside the warehouse or directly place it in the temporary storage station 221 for the next tube picking.

[0065] In some embodiments, the controller obtains a tube picking operation instruction or a whole box operation instruction, including: the controller obtains a tube picking operation instruction or a whole box operation instruction input by a user through an interactive terminal. Specifically, the interactive terminal includes: one or more of a computer, a tablet and a mobile phone. Those skilled in the art store information containing cryopreservation tubes, cryopreservation boxes 7 and cryopreservation racks 6 in a cloud database of a server, including but not limited to: the numbering and location of the cryopreservation tubes, cryopreservation boxes 7 and cryopreservation racks 6 and the corresponding relationship between the three.

[0066] In an embodiment in which a controller obtains a tube-picking and outgoing instruction, in step S311 and step S321, the controller obtains the corresponding cryogenic tube information according to the tube-picking and outgoing instruction, and obtains the storage position of the target cryogenic tube to be outgoing in storage area 1 according to the cryogenic tube information. For example, the tube-picking and outgoing instruction obtained by the controller is "No. 1 cryogenic tube outgoing", at which time, the controller sends the outgoing instruction to the server, and the server matches the information of the cryogenic tube according to the outgoing instruction to obtain the storage position of No. 1 cryogenic tube in storage area 1.

[0067] In an embodiment in which a controller obtains a tube picking and storage instruction, in step S314 and step S325, the controller obtains the corresponding cryogenic tube information according to the tube picking and storage instruction, and obtains the storage position of the target cryogenic tube to be stored in storage area 1 according to the cryogenic tube information. For example, the tube picking and storage instruction obtained by the controller is "No. 1 cryogenic tube storage", at this time, the controller sends the storage instruction to the database, and the database matches the information of the cryogenic box according to the storage instruction to obtain the storage position of No. 1 cryogenic tube in storage area 1.

[0068] In another embodiment of controlling the acquisition of the instruction for picking and storing a tube, in step S314 and step S325, an identification code is set on each cryopreservation tube, and the identification code can be a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code, and the identification code contains the information of the cryopreservation tube. When the target cryopreservation tube needs to be stored, the target cryopreservation tube to be stored is placed on the transport cryopreservation box, and the identification code of the target cryopreservation tube to be stored is scanned and identified by the information collection station 223 to obtain the information of the target cryopreservation tube to be stored, and the storage position of the target cryopreservation tube to be stored in the storage area 1 is obtained according to the information of the cryopreservation tube.

[0069] In the above steps, when the actual number of cryopreservation tubes to be transferred is less than or equal to the set number, it is considered that the number of cryopreservation tubes to be transferred is a small number, and the direct tube picking mode is adopted to directly pick tubes from the original storage position to improve the tube picking efficiency. When the actual number of cryopreservation tubes to be transferred is greater than the set number, it is considered that the number of cryopreservation tubes to be transferred is a large number, and the auxiliary tube picking mode is adopted to place the cryopreservation box 7 corresponding to the tubes to be picked in the operation area 2, and the tube picking operation is performed in the operation area 2 to improve the tube picking efficiency.

[0070] In addition, the above-described selection of the direct tube picking mode or the auxiliary tube picking mode according to the actual number of cryopreservation tubes to be transferred is performed for the same cryopreservation box 7. In the case where there are multiple cryopreservation tubes to be transferred, there are multiple cryopreservation boxes 7 corresponding thereto. When performing the tube picking operation, it is necessary to first know the actual number of cryopreservation tubes to be transferred corresponding to the same cryopreservation box 7, so as to perform the corresponding operation according to the number of cryopreservation tubes to be transferred in each cryopreservation box 7.

[0071] Furthermore, the control method of the present invention further includes:

[0072] When the target cryopreservation tube to be transferred corresponds to multiple target cryopreservation boxes and both the direct tube picking mode and the auxiliary tube picking mode need to be executed at the same time, the auxiliary tube picking mode is executed first, and then the direct tube picking mode is executed.

[0073] In addition, when the target cryopreservation tubes to be transferred correspond to multiple target cryopreservation boxes and need to simultaneously execute the direct tube picking mode or the auxiliary tube picking mode, the operation is performed in a bottom-to-top and front-to-back order. Of course, the above operation sequence is only exemplary, and technicians in this field can also set it as needed. The present invention does not impose any limitations on this.

[0074] Furthermore, the control method of the present invention further includes:

[0075] When an abnormal situation occurs in the storage warehouse, an abnormal reminder is sent and corresponding operations are performed; the corresponding operations are specifically: directly opening the back door of the storage warehouse, that is, the third electric door 5, and controlling the freezing rack 6 to extend from the back door to the outside of the storage warehouse to transfer the freezing box 7.

[0076] In some embodiments, if an abnormal situation occurs in the storage library, such as an abnormal storage environment in the storage library, the samples will be damaged if they are not transferred immediately. To this end, an abnormal reminder will be sent immediately after the abnormal situation occurs to inform the operator, wherein the abnormal reminder can be an alarm, sending abnormal information to a handheld terminal, etc. After the operator receives the reminder, he will perform manual operation to open the third electric door 5, so that the freezing rack 6 can be directly extended from the third electric door 5 outside the storage and transferred, thereby improving the operating efficiency and avoiding damage to the samples. In addition, the freezing rack 6 adopts a single-column storage method in the storage area 1, which can ensure the rapid transfer of samples in an emergency.

[0077] Furthermore, the control method of the present invention further includes:

[0078] Get the whole box delivery instruction;

[0079] First, obtain the storage location of the frozen storage box to be shipped out in storage area 1;

[0080] Control the target freezing rack corresponding to the frozen storage box to be shipped out to extend to the first area 21 according to the storage position;

[0081] The grabbing device 8 is controlled to grab the frozen storage box to be shipped out of the warehouse and transfer it from the target freezing rack to the second area 22.

[0082] In an embodiment in which a controller obtains a whole box outbound instruction, the controller obtains the information of the corresponding cryobox 7 according to the whole box outbound instruction, and obtains the storage position of the target cryobox to be outbound in the storage area 1 according to the information of the cryobox 7. For example, the whole box outbound instruction obtained by the controller is "cryobox No. 1 outbound", at this time, the controller sends the outbound instruction to the database, and the database matches the information of the cryopreservation tube according to the outbound instruction to obtain the storage position of cryobox No. 1 in the storage area 1. Specifically, when the whole box is outbound, the first electric door 3 is opened, the target cryobox corresponding to the cryobox 7 to be outbound is extended, the grabbing device 8 is controlled to grab the cryobox to be outbound and transfer it to the transfer station 222, the second electric door 4 is opened, and the transfer station 222 drives the cryobox to be transported out of the warehouse, thereby completing the outbound. At the same time, the target cryobox 6 is retracted and the first electric door 3 is closed.

[0083] Furthermore, the control method of the present invention further includes:

[0084] Get the whole box warehousing instruction;

[0085] First, obtain the storage location of the cryopreservation box to be stored in storage area 1;

[0086] Control the target freezing rack corresponding to the cryopreservation box to be stored to extend to the first area 21 according to the storage position;

[0087] The grabbing device 8 is controlled to grab the cryobox to be stored and transfer it from the second area 22 to the target cryorack.

[0088] In an embodiment in which a controller obtains a whole box storage instruction, the controller obtains the information of the corresponding cryopreservation box 7 according to the whole box storage instruction, and obtains the storage position of the target cryopreservation box to be stored in the storage area 1 according to the information of the cryopreservation box 7. For example, the whole box storage instruction obtained by the controller is "No. 1 cryopreservation box storage", at this time, the controller sends the storage instruction to the database, and the database matches the information of the cryopreservation box according to the storage instruction to obtain the storage position of No. 1 cryopreservation box in the storage area 1.

[0089] In another embodiment in which the controller obtains the instruction for storing the whole box, an identification code is provided on each cryopreservation box 7, and the identification code may be a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code, and the identification code contains the information of the cryopreservation box 7. Specifically, when storing the whole box, the cryopreservation box to be stored is first placed on the transfer station 222, the second electric door 4 is opened, and the transfer station 222 drives the cryopreservation box to be stored into the warehouse. The grasping device is controlled to transfer the cryopreservation box to be stored to the information collection station 223, and the identification code on the cryopreservation box to be stored is scanned to identify the information of the cryopreservation box to be stored, the first electric door 3 is opened, and the target cryopreservation rack corresponding to the cryopreservation box to be stored is extended, and the grasping device 8 is controlled to grasp the cryopreservation box to be stored and transfer it to the target cryopreservation rack, the target cryopreservation rack is retracted and the first electric door 3 is closed, and the grasping device 8 runs to a safe area, thereby completing the storage.

[0090] Refer to the following Figure 6 , which is a possible complete step flow chart of the control method of the sample storage library of the present invention. Figure 6 As shown, the control method of the present invention includes:

[0091] S101, obtaining a pipe picking operation instruction;

[0092] S102, obtaining the actual number of cryopreservation tubes to be transferred in the same cryopreservation box 7;

[0093] S103, when the actual quantity is less than or equal to the set quantity, the direct tube selection mode is executed;

[0094] S104, when the actual number is greater than the set number, the auxiliary pipe picking mode is executed.

[0095] In summary, the control method of the present invention obtains the tube picking operation instruction, obtains the actual number of cryopreserved tubes to be transferred in the same cryopreservation box 7, and selectively executes the direct tube picking mode or the auxiliary tube picking mode according to the actual number. The present invention can ensure both the tube picking efficiency and the sample quality by selecting and executing the corresponding tube picking mode according to the number of tubes to be picked.

[0096] Based on the above implementation, the present invention further provides a sample storage library, including a controller, wherein the controller is configured to execute the above control method for the sample storage library.

[0097] So far, the technical solutions of the present invention have been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the protection scope of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principle of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after these changes or substitutions will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for a sample storage library, characterized in that: The storage library includes a storage area and an operation area that are independent of each other, and the storage area and the operation area can transfer cryogenic tubes and / or cryogenic boxes to each other. The storage area is used to store samples, and the operation area is used to select tubes, boxes and transfer samples. The control method comprises: Get pipe picking operation instructions; Obtain the actual number of cryopreserved tubes to be transferred in the same cryopreservation box; According to the actual quantity, the direct pipe picking mode or the auxiliary pipe picking mode is selectively executed.

2. The control method of the sample storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of "selectively executing the direct pipe picking mode or the auxiliary pipe picking mode according to the actual quantity" specifically includes: When the actual quantity is less than or equal to the set quantity, the direct tube picking mode is executed.

3. The control method of the sample storage library according to claim 2, characterized in that: The step of "selectively executing the direct pipe picking mode or the auxiliary pipe picking mode according to the actual quantity" further includes: When the actual number is greater than the set number, the auxiliary tube picking mode is executed.

4. The control method of the sample storage library according to claim 3, characterized in that: The operation area is provided with a grabbing device and a cryopreservation box capable of transferring samples; The direct tube picking mode specifically includes: the grabbing device directly picks the tube so that the target cryopreservation tube can be transferred between the target cryopreservation box and the transfer cryopreservation box; and / or The auxiliary tube picking mode is specifically as follows: the grabbing device first picks the box to transfer the target cryopreservation box to the operation area, and then picks the tube to transfer the target cryopreservation tube between the target cryopreservation box and the transfer cryopreservation box.

5. The control method of the sample storage library according to claim 4, characterized in that: The operation area includes a first area and a second area, and the second area and the outside of the warehouse can transfer cryogenic tubes and / or cryogenic boxes to each other, the grabbing device is arranged in the first area, and the cryogenic box transfer is arranged in the second area, and the storage area includes a plurality of storage channels distributed in a matrix, and a cryogenic rack is slidably arranged in each group of the storage channels, so that the cryogenic rack can extend from the storage channel to the first area or the outside of the warehouse, and a plurality of groups of the cryogenic boxes are stored on each group of the cryogenic racks along the sliding direction thereof; The pipe picking operation instructions include pipe picking out of the warehouse instructions and pipe picking into the warehouse instructions; When the pipe picking operation instruction is a pipe picking out of the warehouse instruction, the step of "executing the direct pipe picking mode" specifically includes: First, obtain the storage location of the target cryopreservation tube to be shipped out in the storage area; Controlling the corresponding target freezing rack to extend to the first area according to the storage position; Controlling the grabbing device to grab the target cryopreservation tube and place it at a corresponding position of the transfer cryopreservation box until all the target cryopreservation tubes are picked; and / or When the pipe picking operation instruction is a pipe picking out of the warehouse instruction, the step of "executing the auxiliary pipe picking mode" specifically includes: First, obtain the storage location of the target cryopreservation tube to be shipped out in the storage area; Controlling the corresponding target freezing rack to extend to the first area according to the storage position; Controlling the grabbing device to grab the target cryopreservation box and transfer it to the second area; The grabbing device is controlled to grab the target cryopreservation tube and place it at a corresponding position of the transport cryopreservation box until all the target cryopreservation tubes are picked.

6. The control method of the sample storage library according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the pipe picking operation instruction is a pipe picking and storage instruction, the step of "executing the direct pipe picking mode" specifically includes: First, the storage position of each target cryopreservation tube to be stored in the transfer cryopreservation box in the storage area is obtained; Controlling the corresponding target freezing rack to extend to the first area according to the storage position; Controlling the grabbing device to grab the target cryopreservation tube and place it at a corresponding position of the target cryopreservation box until all the target cryopreservation tubes are picked; and / or When the pipe picking operation instruction is a pipe picking and storage instruction, the step of "executing the auxiliary pipe picking mode" specifically includes: First, the storage position of each target cryopreservation tube to be stored in the transfer cryopreservation box in the storage area is obtained; Controlling the corresponding target freezing rack to extend to the first area according to the storage position; Controlling the grabbing device to grab the target cryopreservation box and transfer it to the second area; The grabbing device is controlled to grab the target cryopreservation tube and place it at a corresponding position of the target cryopreservation box until all the target cryopreservation tubes are picked.

7. The control method of the sample storage library according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The control method further comprises: When the target cryopreservation tube to be transferred corresponds to multiple target cryopreservation boxes and both the direct tube picking mode and the auxiliary tube picking mode need to be executed at the same time, the auxiliary tube picking mode is executed first, and then the direct tube picking mode is executed.

8. The control method of the sample storage library according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The control method further comprises: When an abnormal situation occurs in the storage repository, an abnormal reminder is sent and corresponding operations are performed; The specific execution of the corresponding operation is: The rear door of the storage bin is directly opened, and the freezing rack is controlled to extend out of the storage bin from the rear door to transfer the freezing box.

9. The control method of the sample storage library according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control method further comprises: Get the whole box delivery instruction; First, obtain the storage location of the frozen storage box to be shipped out in the storage area; Controlling the target freezing rack corresponding to the frozen storage box to be shipped out to extend to the first area according to the storage position; Controlling the grabbing device to grab the frozen storage box to be shipped out to transfer it from the target freezing rack to the second area; and / or Get the whole box warehousing instruction; First, obtain the storage location of the cryopreservation box to be stored in the storage area; Controlling the target freezing rack corresponding to the to-be-stored freezing box to extend to the first area according to the storage position; The grabbing device is controlled to grab the cryobox to be stored so as to transfer it from the second area to the target cryorack.

10. A sample storage repository, characterized in that: The device comprises a controller, wherein the controller is configured to execute the control method of the sample storage repository according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images