Microdroplet preparation instrument and detection system

Abstract

The invention discloses a micro-droplet preparation instrument and a detection system. The micro-droplet preparation instrument comprises a processor, a memory connected with the processor, a shell, a scheduling mechanism and a micro-droplet preparation mechanism, the processor is configured to determine a first placement position of a consumable to be subjected to micro-droplet preparation and / or determine a second placement position of the consumable subjected to micro-droplet preparation according to an instruction of a user, control the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumable to be subjected to micro-droplet preparation from the first placement position, and transfer the consumable to the micro-droplet preparation mechanism for micro-droplet preparation; and then transferring the consumable material after the micro-droplet preparation to a second placing position. Through selection of different first placement positions and second placement positions, the micro-droplet preparation instrument not only can complete single-machine preparation of micro-droplets, but also can realize cascade connection with other equipment under the cooperation of the transfer window and the transfer mechanism, so that the use scene of the micro-droplet preparation instrument is expanded, and the use flexibility of the micro-droplet preparation instrument is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of PCR detection technology, and in particular to a droplet preparation instrument and a detection system. Background Art

[0002] Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) works by dividing a DNA or cDNA sample into many separate, parallel PCR reactions, some of which contain target molecules (positive) and others do not (negative). A single molecule can be amplified a million times or more. During amplification, chemical reagents and dye-labeled probes can be used to detect targets of specific sequences. When no target sequence is present, no signal accumulates. After PCR analysis, negative reaction fragments are used to generate absolute counts of target molecules in the sample without the need for standards or internal standards.

[0003] By preparing droplets, the sample can be distributed to tens of thousands of independent reaction partitions, and the amplification reaction can be carried out simultaneously. Finally, the accurate starting concentration can be calculated through Poisson distribution and the proportion of negative droplets. However, with the increase in detection scenarios, traditional droplet preparation instruments have long been unable to meet the growing detection needs. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a droplet preparation instrument and a detection system, which aim to solve the problem that the traditional droplet preparation instrument has poor ductility and is difficult to meet the detection needs of multiple scenarios.

[0005] To achieve the purpose of the present application, in a first aspect, the present application provides a droplet preparation instrument, the droplet preparation instrument comprising a processor, a memory connected to the processor, a shell, a scheduling mechanism and a droplet preparation mechanism; the shell comprises an installation cavity and at least one transfer window, the installation cavity having a consumable loading position for loading consumables and a consumable removal position for a user to remove consumables; the transfer window is used to cooperate with the transfer mechanism to transfer consumables into the installation cavity and / or transfer consumables out of the installation cavity, the transfer mechanism having a forward transfer position for transferring consumables into the installation cavity and / or a backward transfer position for transferring consumables out of the installation cavity; the droplet preparation mechanism and the scheduling mechanism are arranged in the installation cavity, and are both controlled by the processor;

[0006] The memory is used to store at least two working modes for the processor to call respectively;

[0007] The processor is configured to determine, according to a user's instruction, a working mode corresponding to the instruction, determine, according to the corresponding working mode, a first placement position of a consumable to be subjected to droplet preparation, and / or determine a second placement position of a consumable that has completed droplet preparation, and further control the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumable to be subjected to droplet preparation from the first placement position, transfer the consumable to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumable that has completed droplet preparation to the second placement position;

[0008] Among them, the first placement position includes the consumables loading position or the forward transfer position; the second placement position includes the consumables removal position or the backward transfer position.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the working mode includes a stand-alone mode;

[0010] In the stand-alone mode, the first placement position is a consumable loading position, and the second placement position is a consumable removal position;

[0011] The processor is configured to control the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet preparation from the consumable loading position, transfer them to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumables that have completed droplet preparation to the consumable removal position.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the working mode includes a first online mode; a transport mechanism is provided in the installation cavity, the transport mechanism is used to connect with a front droplet preparation instrument or a system construction instrument, and the transport mechanism is controlled by the processor, or controlled by a processor of the front droplet preparation instrument or the system construction instrument;

[0013] In the first online mode, the first placement position is a forward transfer position, and the second placement position is a consumables removal position;

[0014] The processor is configured to control the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet preparation in the forward transfer position, transfer them to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumables that have completed droplet preparation to the consumable removal position.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the working mode includes a second online mode; a transport mechanism is provided in the installation cavity, the transport mechanism is used to connect with the amplification analyzer or the post-droplet preparation instrument, and the transport mechanism is controlled by the processor or controlled by the processor of the amplification analyzer or the post-droplet preparation instrument;

[0016] In the second online mode, the first placement position is a consumable loading position, and the second placement position is a backward transfer position;

[0017] The processor is configured to control the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet in the consumable loading position, transfer them to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumables for which droplet preparation has been completed to the backward transfer position.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the working mode includes a third online mode; the transfer window includes a forward transfer window and a backward transfer window; a transfer mechanism is arranged in the installation cavity, the transfer mechanism includes a forward transfer mechanism and a backward transfer mechanism, the forward transfer mechanism extends into the installation cavity through the forward transfer window, and the forward transfer position is arranged in the forward transfer mechanism; the backward transfer mechanism extends out of the installation cavity through the backward transfer window; the backward transfer position is arranged in the backward transfer mechanism; the forward transfer mechanism is used to be connected with a front droplet preparation instrument or a system construction instrument, and the forward transfer mechanism is controlled by the processor or by the processor of the front droplet preparation instrument or the system construction instrument; the backward transfer mechanism is used to be connected with the amplification analyzer or the rear droplet preparation instrument, and the transfer mechanism is controlled by the processor or by the processor of the amplification analyzer or the rear droplet preparation instrument;

[0019] In the third online mode, the first placement position is a forward transfer position, and the second placement position is a backward transfer position;

[0020] The processor is configured to control the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet in the forward transfer position, transfer them to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumables for which droplet preparation has been completed to the backward transfer position.

[0021] In a possible implementation, the droplet preparation instrument further includes a consumables cache location, and the consumables cache location is used to store the consumables to be used for droplet preparation transported by the transport mechanism;

[0022] The processor is configured to control the scheduling mechanism to transfer the consumables to be prepared for droplets at the forward transfer position to the consumables cache position when the droplet preparation mechanism is in a non-idle state, and then control the scheduling mechanism to transfer the consumables to be prepared for droplets at the consumables cache position to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation when the droplet preparation mechanism is in an idle state.

[0023] In a possible implementation, the consumable buffer position and the consumable loading position are multiplexed positions.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the forward transport mechanism is used to connect to a front droplet preparation instrument; the processor is further configured to control the scheduling mechanism to directly transport the consumables on the forward transport position to the backward transport position.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the microdroplet preparation apparatus further includes a film sealing mechanism;

[0026] The processor is further configured to control the scheduling mechanism to transfer the consumables that have completed droplet preparation at the droplet preparation mechanism to the film sealing mechanism for film sealing, and then transport the consumables that have completed film sealing to the second placement position.

[0027] In a second aspect, the present application further proposes a detection system, the detection system comprising a cascade device and a droplet preparation instrument; at least one of the cascade device and the droplet preparation instrument is provided with the transfer mechanism; the transfer mechanism is connected between the droplet preparation instrument and the cascade device and passes through the transfer window; the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the consumables in the droplet preparation instrument and the cascade device, and the droplet preparation instrument comprises: a processor, a memory connected to the processor, a shell, a scheduling mechanism and a droplet preparation mechanism; the shell comprises an installation cavity and at least one transfer window, the installation cavity having a consumable loading position for loading consumables and a consumable removal position for users to remove consumables; the transfer window is used to cooperate with the transfer mechanism to transfer consumables into the installation cavity and / or transfer consumables out of the installation cavity, the transfer mechanism has a forward transfer position for transferring consumables into the installation cavity and / or a backward transfer position for transferring consumables out of the installation cavity; the droplet preparation mechanism and the scheduling mechanism are arranged in the installation cavity, and are both controlled by the processor;

[0028] The memory is used to store at least two working modes for the processor to call respectively;

[0029] The processor is configured to determine, according to a user's instruction, a working mode corresponding to the instruction, determine, according to the corresponding working mode, a first placement position of a consumable to be subjected to droplet preparation, and / or determine a second placement position of a consumable that has completed droplet preparation, and further control the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumable to be subjected to droplet preparation from the first placement position, transfer the consumable to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumable that has completed droplet preparation to the second placement position;

[0030] Among them, the first placement position includes the consumables loading position or the forward transfer position; the second placement position includes the consumables removal position or the backward transfer position.

[0031] The droplet preparation instrument of the present application can select different working modes according to different scene requirements, and determine the corresponding first placement position and second placement position according to different working modes. The scheduling mechanism extracts the consumables to be prepared for droplet preparation in the first placement position and transfers them to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation, and then transfers the consumables that have completed droplet preparation to the second placement position, thereby completing the droplet preparation of the consumables. And through the selection of different first placement positions and second placement positions, the droplet preparation instrument can not only complete the stand-alone preparation of droplets, but also can be cascaded with other equipment with the cooperation of the transfer window and the transfer mechanism, expand the use scenario of the droplet preparation instrument, and improve the flexibility of the use of the droplet preparation instrument. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the implementation methods of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the implementation methods will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some implementation methods of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a detection system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a microdroplet preparation apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of the microdroplet preparation apparatus and the cascade device of the embodiment of the present application when they are spliced ​​together;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the scheduling mechanism grabbing the chip hole plate in the embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the dispatching mechanism of the embodiment of the present application grabbing the PCR tube plate;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the process of preparing droplets by the droplet preparation mechanism of an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the operating environment of the microdroplet preparation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the microdroplet preparation apparatus and the front cascade device spliced ​​together in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the microdroplet preparation apparatus and the subsequent cascade equipment spliced ​​together in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Fig.10 It is a schematic structural diagram of the microdroplet preparation apparatus of the embodiment of the present application connected with the front cascade device and the rear cascade device;

[0043] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the microdroplet preparation apparatus of the embodiment of the present application when operating alone;

[0044] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure of the transfer mechanism of an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of the structure of a mobile platform of a transfer mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Fig.14 A cross-sectional view of a mobile platform of a transfer mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Fig.15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotating seat of the transfer mechanism of an embodiment of the present application before the reversal begins;

[0048] Fig.16 It is a schematic structural diagram of the rotating seat of the transfer mechanism of the embodiment of the present application during the reversing process;

[0049] Fig.17 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotating seat of the transfer mechanism of the embodiment of the present application after the reversal is completed;

[0050] Fig.18 A schematic diagram of the control flow of the microdroplet preparation apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Fig.19 for Fig.18 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of the middle controller selecting the first placement position and the second placement position according to a user instruction;

[0052] Fig. 20 This is a schematic diagram of the control flow of an embodiment of the amplification analyzer provided in the embodiment of the present application in the third online mode.

[0053] Description of reference numerals:

[0054] 1000-Microdroplet preparation instrument;

[0055] 1-housing, 11-installation cavity, 111a-consumable loading position, 111b-consumable removal position, 111c-consumable buffer position, 12-transfer window, 12a-forward transfer window, 12b-rearward transfer window, 13-loading window;

[0056] 2-dispatching mechanism, 2a-mechanical gripper;

[0057] 3-droplet preparation mechanism, 31-chip placement platform, 32-PCR tube placement platform, 33-loading platform drive component, 34-droplet preparation component;

[0058] 4-transfer mechanism, 41a-forward transfer position, 41b-backward transfer position, 4a-forward transfer mechanism, 4b-backward transfer mechanism, 42-guide rail, 43-moving platform, 44-driving assembly, 431-loading seat, 432-rotating seat, 433-reversing assembly, 4331-pushing member, 4332-elastic member, 4333-limiting member;

[0059] 5-Film sealing mechanism;

[0060] 2000- cascade device, 2000a- front cascade device, 2000b- rear cascade device;

[0061] 3000-consumables, 3100-chip well plate, 3200-PCR tube well plate, 3300-gap;

[0062] 1001 - processor, 1002 - communication bus, 1003 - user interface, 1004 - network interface, 1005 - memory;

[0063] 10000-Detection System. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0065] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there can be a central component. When a component is said to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there can be a central component at the same time.

[0066] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in this application and in the specification are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0067] In conjunction with the accompanying drawings, some embodiments of the present application are described in detail below. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0068] Please refer to Figure 1 This application proposes a detection system 10000, which is used for digital PCR nucleic acid detection. Unlike traditional integrated digital PCR detectors, the detection system 10000 provided in this application introduces a modular concept, splitting the original digital PCR detector's consumables pre-processing, droplet preparation, amplification analysis and other functional components into independent modular units, thereby reducing the possibility of cross-contamination of consumables or products between processes and improving the accuracy of digital PCR nucleic acid detection results. On the other hand, users can also customize or expand the functions and detection throughput of the detection system 10000 by splicing modules to improve the flexibility of nucleic acid detection.

[0069] Specifically, the detection system 10000 includes a droplet preparation instrument 1000 and a cascade device 2000. The droplet preparation instrument 1000 is used to prepare droplets for consumables, and the cascade device 2000 is used to be spliced ​​with the droplet preparation instrument 1000 to assist the droplet preparation instrument 1000 in completing the detection process required for other digital PCR nucleic acid detection. The cascade device 2000 can be an amplification analyzer that amplifies and analyzes consumables after droplet preparation, can be a system construction instrument that pre-treats nucleic acids before droplet preparation, or can be the droplet preparation instrument 1000 itself, and this application does not limit this.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The droplet preparation instrument 1000 includes a housing 1, a droplet preparation mechanism 3, a processor, a memory, and a scheduling mechanism 2. The housing 1 covers the support frame and various parts assembly of the droplet preparation instrument 1000, and the internal support frame supports and connects various parts assembly of the droplet preparation instrument 1000.

[0071] The housing 1 is formed with an installation cavity 11, and the droplet preparation mechanism 3, the scheduling mechanism 2, the processor, and the memory connected to the processor are installed in the installation cavity 11. In one possible implementation of the present application, the installation cavity 11 is a closed chamber, and the air pressure in the installation cavity 11 is lower than the air pressure outside the installation cavity 11; in this way, it is ensured that the air in the installation cavity 11 can only flow from the installation cavity 11 to the outside of the installation cavity 11, thereby reducing the possibility of external pollutants of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 entering the installation cavity 11 and contaminating the consumables 3000. In order to further reduce the possibility of contamination of the consumables to be detected by droplets in the installation cavity 11, in another possible implementation of the present application, a high-efficiency air particle filter (not shown in the figure) is also installed in the installation cavity 11, and the installation cavity 11 and the atmosphere outside the device exchange gas through the high-efficiency air particle filter, thereby reducing the number of pollutants entering the installation cavity 11 from the external atmosphere and reducing the risk of cross contamination.

[0072] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the dispatching mechanism 2 can be a mechanical gripper 2a, a conveyor belt, or a vacuum suction cup, and the present application does not limit this. In some embodiments, the dispatching mechanism 2 adopts a mechanical gripper 2a. Correspondingly, a notch 3300 is provided on the side of the chip well plate and the PCR tube well plate to facilitate the dispatching mechanism 2 to grab them. In some implementations, in order to improve the ease of operation of the system, the chip well plate 3100 and the PCR tube well plate 3200 have at least one direction of side length set to be the same, so that the dispatching mechanism 2 can use the same specification of mechanical grippers 2a to grab the chip well plate 3100 and the PCR tube well plate, and during the grabbing process, there is no need to adjust the grabbing parameters, thereby simplifying the design and use of the dispatching mechanism 2, reducing the adjustment time, and improving the efficiency and reliability of the transportation process.

[0073] The droplet preparation mechanism 3 is used to prepare droplets on the consumable material 3000. Please refer to Figure 2 The droplet preparation mechanism 3 includes a chip placement stage 31, a PCR tube placement stage 32, a loading stage driving component 33, and a droplet preparation component 34. The chip placement stage 31 is used to support and position the chip well plate for droplet preparation, and the PCR tube placement stage 32 is used to support and position the PCR tube well plate to collect the generated droplets. The chip placement stage 31 and the PCR tube placement stage are movably arranged in the installation cavity 11, and can move along the Y-axis and Z-axis directions of the installation cavity 11 under the drive of the loading stage driving component 33.

[0074] The droplet preparation component 34 is used to manage the droplet preparation process, specifically including the generation and collection of droplets. The droplet preparation component 34 includes a pressurizing component, a refueling component, and a pressure control component. The refueling component is used to deliver the detection reagent to the microfluidic channel of the chip. The pressurizing component is used to seal the chip to ensure that the required pressure conditions can be maintained inside the chip in order to control the droplet preparation process. The pressure control component is used to drive the detection reagent to flow in the microfluidic channel of the chip to form droplets.

[0075] Please refer to Figure 6 In practical applications, the microdroplet preparation mechanism 3 performs the following steps to prepare microdroplets:

[0076] S101, check whether the chip well plate is placed on the chip placement platform, and check whether the PCR tube well plate is placed on the PCR tube placement platform.

[0077] S102. When the chip well plate is placed on the chip placement platform and the PCR tube well plate is placed on the PCR tube placement platform, the PCR tube placement platform is controlled to move to the bottom of the chip placement platform; after the PCR tube placement platform moves to a preset position under the chip placement platform, the chip placement platform is controlled to move downward, and the chip well plate on the chip placement platform is at least partially inserted into the PCR tube well plate on the PCR tube placement platform, so that the PCR tube well plate can collect the droplets generated by the chip well plate.

[0078] S103, controlling the refueling component to deliver the detection reagent to the microfluidic channel of the chip.

[0079] S104, controlling the pressurizing component to seal the chip.

[0080] S105, controlling the gas circuit assembly to drive the detection reagent to move in the microfluidic channel and generate droplets. The generated droplets will enter the PCR tube plate through the outlet of the chip.

[0081] S106, controlling the chip placement platform to separate from the PCR tube placement platform, and waiting for the dispatching mechanism to transfer the PCR tube well plate and the chip well plate to other locations.

[0082] Please refer to Figure 7 The processor 1001 is used to call computer instructions to control the operation of the scheduling mechanism 2 and the droplet preparation mechanism 3. The memory 1005 is connected to the processor 1001, and the memory 1005 is used to store computer instructions for the processor 1001 to call.

[0083] In some embodiments, the droplet preparation instrument 1000 also includes a communication bus 1002, a user interface 1003, and a network interface 1004, and the communication bus 1002 is used to realize the connection communication between these components. The user interface 1003 is mainly used for data interaction by the user, and the user interface 1003 may include a display screen (Disp l ay), an input unit such as a keyboard (Keyboard), and the optional user interface 1003 may also include a standard wired interface and a wireless interface. The network interface 1004 is mainly used for data communication by a network server, and the network interface 1004 may optionally include a standard wired interface and a wireless interface (such as a wireless fidelity (Wi re less-Fidelity, Wi-Fi) interface).

[0084] Please refer to Figure 3 In some embodiments, the housing 1 is provided with a transfer window 12 connected to the installation cavity 11, a transfer mechanism 4 is provided in the installation cavity 11, and the memory 1005 stores at least two working modes. The processor 1001 can determine the working mode corresponding to the instruction according to the user's instruction, and determine the first placement position of the consumables to be prepared for droplet preparation according to the corresponding working mode and the specific working mode, and / or determine the second placement position of the consumables that have completed droplet preparation. Finally, the processor 1001 controls the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet preparation in the first placement position, and transfer them to the droplet preparation mechanism 3 for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumables that have completed droplet preparation to the second placement position, thereby completing droplet preparation.

[0085] The droplet preparation instrument 1000 of the embodiment of the present application can select different working modes according to different scene requirements, and determine the corresponding first placement position and second placement position according to different working modes. The scheduling mechanism 2 extracts the consumables 3000 to be prepared for droplet preparation in the first placement position and transfers them to the droplet preparation mechanism 3 for droplet preparation, and then transfers the consumables 3000 that have completed droplet preparation to the second placement position, thereby completing the droplet preparation of the consumables 3000. By selecting different first placement positions and second placement positions, the droplet preparation instrument 1000 can not only complete the stand-alone preparation of droplets, but also can be cascaded with other devices with the cooperation of the transfer window and the transfer mechanism, thereby expanding the use scenario of the droplet preparation instrument 1000.

[0086] In some embodiments, there are many ways to set the transfer mechanism 4 and the transfer window 12. Figure 8The transfer window 12 is a forward transfer window 12a, the transfer mechanism 4 is a forward transfer mechanism 4a, the droplet preparation instrument 1000 is connected to the front cascade device 2000a through the forward transfer window 12a, one end of the forward transfer mechanism 4a is set or extended in the installation cavity 11, and the other end passes through the forward transfer window 12a and is set or extended in the front cascade device 2000a. The forward transfer mechanism 4a is used to transfer the consumables 3000 in the front cascade device 2000a to the droplet preparation instrument 1000.

[0087] It should be noted that the forward transfer mechanism 4a is disposed in the installation cavity 11, which means that the forward transfer mechanism 4a is fixedly installed in the installation cavity, and the forward transfer mechanism 4a extends into the installation cavity 11, which means that the forward transfer mechanism 4a only extends into the installation cavity 11 but is not fixed in the installation cavity 11.

[0088] In order to cooperate with the forward transfer mechanism 4a to complete the transfer, a forward transfer position 41a for receiving consumables and a consumable removal position 111b for users to remove consumables are provided in the installation cavity 11. The forward transfer position 41a and the forward transfer mechanism 4a overlap at least partially in the installation cavity 11, and the forward transfer mechanism 4a transfers the consumables 3000 in the front cascade device 2000a to the forward transfer position 41a.

[0089] In some embodiments, the processor 1001 of the droplet preparation apparatus 1000 calls the first online mode stored in the memory 1005. In the first online mode, the processor 1001 sets the forward transfer position 41a to the first placement position and the consumables removal position 111b to the second placement position. After the forward transfer mechanism 4a transfers the consumables 3000 in the front cascade device 2000a to the forward transfer position 41a, the processor 1001 controls the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables 3000 to be prepared for droplet preparation in the forward transfer position 41a, and transfers them to the droplet preparation mechanism 3 for droplet preparation, and then transfers the consumables 3000 that have completed droplet preparation to the consumables removal position 111b, and waits for the user to take them out.

[0090] It should be noted that the forward transfer mechanism 4a can be set in the droplet preparation instrument 1000 during the production process; it can also be set in the pre-cascade device 2000a during the production process; it can also be an independent component independent of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the pre-cascade device 2000a, and it is assembled when the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the pre-cascade device 2000a are spliced; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0091] In some embodiments, the forward transport mechanism 4a is controlled by a processor of the droplet preparation instrument 1000. The processor controls the operation of the forward transport mechanism 4a and obtains the state of the forward transport mechanism 4a. For example, under the control of the processor of the droplet preparation instrument 1000, the forward transport mechanism 4a first transports the consumables 3000 in the front cascade device 2000a to the forward transport position 41a in the installation cavity 11 through the forward transport window 12a, and then controls the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables 3000 in the forward transport position 41a. In some embodiments, the forward transport mechanism 4a is controlled by a processor of the front cascade device 2000a. The processor controls the operation of the forward transport mechanism 4a and obtains the state of the forward transport mechanism 4a. For example, under the control of the processor of the pre-cascade device 2000a, the forward transport mechanism 4a first transports the consumables 3000 in the pre-cascade device 2000a to the forward transport position 41a of the installation chamber 11 through the forward transport window 12a, and then sends the state information of the forward transport mechanism 4a to the processor of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 through the direct or indirect (through the host computer of both) information interaction mechanism between the processor of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the processor of the pre-cascade device 2000a, so that the processor of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 controls the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables 3000 in the forward transport position 41a after determining that the consumables 3000 have been transported to the forward transport position 41a. In some embodiments, the forward transport mechanism 4a is controlled by the processors of the host computers of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the pre-cascade device 2000a. The processor of the host computer directly or indirectly controls the operation of the forward transfer mechanism 4a, obtains the state of the forward transfer mechanism 4a, and based on the state, directly or indirectly controls the processor of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 to retrieve the consumables 3000 on the forward transfer position 41a.

[0092] In some embodiments, the pre-cascade device 2000a is a pre-droplet preparation instrument. The splicing of the pre-droplet preparation instrument and the present droplet preparation instrument 1000 can improve the flux expansion of droplet preparation and improve the droplet preparation efficiency. Specifically, the pre-droplet preparation instrument can transport the consumables 3000 (such as chip consumables and / or PCR tube consumables) to be prepared by droplets to the forward transport position 41a of the installation cavity 11 through the forward transport mechanism 4a and the forward transport window 12a, so that the droplet preparation instrument 1000 can complete the droplet preparation of the consumables 3000 to be prepared by droplets together with the pre-droplet preparation instrument, increase the number of droplets that can be prepared per unit time by the detection system, and improve the efficiency of droplet preparation of the detection system. In some embodiments, the pre-droplet preparation instrument can also only complete the loading of the consumables 3000 without performing droplet preparation, and the droplet preparation is completed by the current droplet preparation instrument 1000, so that the loading efficiency of the consumables 3000 can be expanded.

[0093] In some embodiments, the pre-cascade device 2000a is a system builder. Specifically, the system builder will first perform pre-processing on the sample to form a consumable 3000 (such as a chip consumable) carrying the sample, and the system builder will transfer the pre-processed consumable 3000 to the forward transfer position 41a of the installation chamber 11 through the forward transfer mechanism 4a and the forward transfer window 12a, so that the droplet preparation instrument can perform droplet preparation.

[0094] In some embodiments, in order to improve the loading efficiency of consumables, the droplet preparation instrument 1000 also includes a consumable cache position 111c, and the processor 1001 is configured to control the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables 3000 to be prepared for droplet from the forward transfer position 41a to the consumable cache position 111c for caching when the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in a non-idle state; when the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in an idle state, the scheduling mechanism 2 is controlled to extract the consumables 3000 to be prepared for droplet to the droplet preparation mechanism 3 for droplet preparation.

[0095] Specifically, when the processor 1001 controls the scheduling mechanism 2 to transfer the consumables 3000, it will confirm the operating status of the droplet preparation mechanism 3. When the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in an idle state, the processor 1001 will set the forward transfer position 41a as the first placement position and the consumable removal position 111b as the second placement position. The processor 1001 will control the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables 3000 from the forward transfer position 41a and transfer them to the droplet preparation mechanism 3 for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumables 3000 that have completed droplet preparation to the consumable removal position 111b, and wait for the user to take them out.

[0096] When the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in a non-idle state, the processor 1001 will first control the scheduling mechanism 2 to transfer the consumable 3000 in the forward transfer position 41a to the consumable cache position 111c. After the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is idle, the processor 1001 will set the consumable cache position 111c as the first placement position and the consumable retrieval position 111b as the second placement position. Thereafter, the processor 1001 will control the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumable 3000 from the consumable cache position 111c and transfer it to the droplet preparation mechanism 3 for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumable 3000 that has completed droplet preparation to the consumable retrieval position 111b and wait for the user to take it out.

[0097] It should be noted that there are multiple standards for the processor 1001 to determine whether the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in an idle state. For example, the processor 1001 can determine whether the number of consumables 3000 on the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is less than the total number that can be accommodated. If so, it is determined that the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in an idle state, and the scheduling mechanism 2 is controlled to transfer the consumables 3000 on the forward transfer position 41a to the scheduling mechanism 2. In some embodiments, the processor 1001 can also determine that the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in an idle state only when the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in an empty state, that is, when the number of consumables 3000 on the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is zero, and this application does not limit this.

[0098] Therefore, by setting the consumable cache position 111c, more consumables can be loaded or produced through the front cascade device 2000a. When the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in a non-idle state for droplet preparation, the forward transport mechanism 4a can still continuously transport the consumables and cache them in the cache position, which is beneficial to improving the consumable loading efficiency of the droplet preparation instrument 1000.

[0099] In some embodiments, a consumable cache position 111c and / or a backward transfer position 41b are also provided in the installation cavity 11. The processor 1001 of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 calls the third online mode stored in the memory 1005. In the third online mode, the processor controls the scheduling mechanism 2 to transfer the consumables for which droplet preparation has been completed from the droplet preparation mechanism 3 to the consumable cache position 111c or the backward transfer position 41b.

[0100] In some embodiments, please refer to Fig. 9 The transfer window 12 is a backward transfer window 12b, the transfer mechanism 4 is a backward transfer mechanism 4b, the droplet preparation instrument 1000 is connected to the rear cascade device 2000b through the backward transfer window 12b, one end of the backward transfer mechanism 4b is arranged or extended in the installation cavity 11, and the other end passes through the backward transfer window 12b and is arranged or extended in the rear cascade device 2000b. The backward transfer mechanism 4b is used to transfer the consumables in the droplet preparation instrument 1000 to the rear cascade device 2000b.

[0101] It should be noted that the backward transfer mechanism 4b is arranged in the installation cavity 11, which means that the backward transfer mechanism 4b is fixedly installed in the installation cavity, and the backward transfer mechanism 4b extends into the installation cavity 11, which means that the backward transfer mechanism 4b only extends into the installation cavity 11 but is not fixed in the installation cavity 11.

[0102] Correspondingly, a backward transfer position 41b for transferring the consumables 3000 to the subsequent cascade device 2000b is provided in the installation cavity 11, and the backward transfer position 41b and the backward transfer mechanism 4b overlap at least partially with the consumable loading position 111a for placing the loading consumables in the installation cavity 11, and the backward transfer mechanism 4b can transfer the consumables on the backward transfer position 41b to the subsequent cascade device 2000b.

[0103] In some embodiments, the processor 1001 of the droplet preparation apparatus 1000 calls the second online mode stored in the memory 1005. In the second online mode, the processor 1001 sets the consumable loading position 111a as the first placement position and sets the backward transfer position 41b as the second placement position. The processor 1001 controls the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumable 3000 to be prepared for droplet from the consumable loading position 111a, and transfer it to the droplet preparation mechanism 3 for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumable 3000 that has completed droplet preparation to the backward transfer position 41b. Afterwards, the forward transfer mechanism 4a will transfer the consumables on the backward transfer position 41b to the rear cascade device 2000b.

[0104] In some embodiments, a forward transfer position 41a and / or a consumable cache position 111c are further provided in the installation cavity 11. The processor 1001 of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 calls the third online mode stored in the memory 1005. In the third online mode, the processor controls the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplets from one of the forward transfer position 41a and the consumable cache position 111c to the droplet preparation mechanism 3 for droplet preparation, or to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplets from one of the forward transfer position 41a and the consumable cache position 111c to the backward transfer position 41b.

[0105] In some embodiments, when the droplet preparation instrument 1000 meets the transfer conditions, the processor 1001 can also control the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplets in the consumable loading position 111a, and transfer them to the backward transfer position 41b, so as to transport them to the rear droplet preparation through the backward transfer mechanism 4b, so that the rear droplet preparation instrument can prepare droplets for the consumables to be prepared for droplets together with the droplet preparation instrument 1000, thereby increasing the number of consumables that can be prepared for droplets per unit time in the detection system and improving the droplet preparation efficiency of the detection system.

[0106] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3The shell 1 also includes a loading window 13. The loading drawer can place the consumables to be prepared into the droplet on the consumable loading position 111a by inserting the loading window 13. The forward transfer window 12a or the rearward transfer window 12b and the loading window 13 are arranged on the adjacent side of the shell 1. In this way, the droplet preparation instrument 1000 is prevented from being spliced ​​with the subsequent cascade equipment to affect the loading of the droplet preparation instrument 1000, thereby reducing the volume of the droplet preparation instrument.

[0107] It should be noted that the backward transfer mechanism 4b can be set in the droplet preparation instrument 1000 during the production process; it can also be set in the post-cascade device 2000b during the production process; it can also be an independent component independent of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the post-cascade device 2000b, and it is assembled when the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the post-cascade device 2000b are spliced; this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0108] In some embodiments, the backward transport mechanism 4b is controlled by a processor of the droplet preparation instrument 1000. The processor controls the work of the backward transport mechanism 4b and obtains the state of the backward transport mechanism 4b. For example, under the control of the processor of the droplet preparation instrument 1000, the scheduling mechanism 2 first transfers the consumables to the backward transport position 41b, and then controls the backward transport mechanism 4b to transfer the consumables to the rear cascade device through the backward transport window 12b. In some embodiments, the backward transport mechanism 4b is controlled by a processor of the rear cascade device 2000b. The processor controls the work of the backward transport mechanism 4b and obtains the state of the backward transport mechanism 4b. For example, under the control of the processor of the droplet preparation instrument 1000, the scheduling mechanism 2 will transfer the consumables to the rear transfer position 41b, and then the processor of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 will send the status information of the scheduling mechanism 2 to the processor of the rear cascade device 2000b through the information interaction mechanism between the processor of the rear cascade device 2000b directly or indirectly (through the host computer of both), and finally, the processor of the rear cascade device 2000b will control the rear transfer mechanism 4b to transfer the consumables to the rear cascade device through the rear transfer window 12b. In some embodiments, the rear transfer mechanism 4b is controlled by the processor of the host computer of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the rear cascade device 2000b. The processor of the host computer directly or indirectly controls the work of the rear transfer mechanism 4b, obtains the state of the rear transfer mechanism 4b, and directly or indirectly controls the rear transfer mechanism 4b to transfer the consumables 3000 on the rear transfer position 41b according to the state.

[0109] In some embodiments, the post-cascade device 2000b includes a post-droplet preparation instrument. The splicing of the post-droplet preparation instrument and the present droplet preparation instrument 1000 can improve the throughput expansion of droplet preparation and improve the efficiency of droplet preparation. Specifically, the droplet preparation instrument 1000 can transport the consumables 3000 (such as chip consumables and / or PCR tube consumables) to be prepared for droplets to the post-droplet preparation instrument through the backward transport mechanism 4b and the backward transport window 12b. Thereby, the droplet preparation instrument 1000 can complete the droplet preparation of the consumables 3000 to be prepared for droplets together with the post-droplet preparation instrument, increase the number of droplets that can be prepared by the detection system per unit time, and improve the efficiency of droplet preparation of the detection system.

[0110] In some embodiments, the post-cascade device 2000b includes an amplification analyzer, which can realize the cascade of detection equipment and broaden the use scenario. Specifically, the droplet preparation instrument 1000 can transport the consumables 3000 that have completed droplet preparation on the droplet preparation mechanism 3 to the amplification analyzer through the backward transfer window 12b and the backward transfer mechanism 4b for amplification analysis. Specifically, when the consumables 3000 (such as PCR consumables tubes) enter the amplification analyzer, the consumables 3000 will be transferred from the backward transfer mechanism 4b to the amplification mechanism for amplification under the scheduling of the scheduling mechanism of the amplification analyzer. After the amplification is completed, the scheduling mechanism will transfer the consumables 3000 to the signal analysis mechanism for analysis and reading. After the analysis and reading are completed, the scheduling mechanism transfers the consumables 3000 to the waste bin in the amplification analyzer for disposal.

[0111] In some embodiments, please refer to Fig.10 The transfer window 12 includes a forward transfer window 12a and a backward transfer window 12b. The droplet preparation apparatus 1000 is connected to the front cascade device 2000a. One end of the forward transfer mechanism 4a is arranged or extended in the installation cavity 11, and the other end passes through the forward transfer window 12a and is arranged or extended in the front cascade device 2000a. The droplet preparation apparatus 1000 is connected to the rear cascade device 2000b through the backward transfer window 12b. One end of the backward transfer mechanism 4b is arranged or extended in the installation cavity 11, and the other end passes through the backward transfer window 12b and is arranged or extended in the rear cascade device 2000b. The installation cavity 11 is provided with a forward transfer position 41a and a backward transfer position 41b.

[0112] At this time, the processor 1001 of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 calls the third online mode stored in the memory 1005, and the droplet preparation instrument 1000 works in the third online mode. In the third online mode, the processor 1001 sets the forward transfer position 41a to the first placement position and the backward transfer position 41b to the second placement position. After the consumables 3000 enter the installation cavity 11, the processor 1001 will control the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables 3000 to be prepared for droplets in the forward transfer position 41a, and transfer them to the droplet preparation mechanism 3 for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumables 3000 that have completed droplet preparation to the backward transfer position 41b. Afterwards, the backward transfer mechanism 4b will transfer the consumables on the backward transfer position 41b to the rear cascade device 2000b.

[0113] In some embodiments, when the droplet preparation instrument 1000 meets the transfer conditions, the processor 1001 can also control the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplets in the forward transfer position 41a, and transfer them to the backward transfer position 41b, so as to transport them to the rear droplet preparation through the backward transfer mechanism 4b, so that the rear droplet preparation instrument can prepare the droplets to be prepared together with the droplet preparation instrument 1000 for the droplets to be prepared transferred from the front cascade device 2000a, thereby increasing the number of consumables that can be used for droplet preparation in the detection system per unit time and improving the droplet preparation efficiency of the detection system.

[0114] In some embodiments, in order to improve the loading efficiency of consumables, when the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in a non-idle state, the processor 1001 will control the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables 3000 to be prepared for droplet from the forward transfer position 41a to the consumable cache position 111c for caching. Thereafter, when the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in an idle state, the processor 1001 will first set the consumable cache position 111c to the first placement position and the consumable removal position 111b to the second placement position. The processor 1001 will control the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables 3000 from the forward transfer position 41a and transfer them to the droplet preparation mechanism 3 for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumables 3000 that have completed droplet preparation to the consumable removal position 111b, and wait for the user to take them out. Alternatively, in some embodiments, when the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in an idle state, the processor 1001 may also set the consumable cache position 111c as the first placement position and the backward transfer position 41b as the second placement position. Thereafter, the processor 1001 controls the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumable 3000 from the forward transfer position 41a and transfer it to the droplet preparation mechanism 3 for droplet preparation, and then transfers the consumable 3000 that has completed droplet preparation to the backward transfer position 41b, so that the backward transfer mechanism 4b will transfer the consumables on the backward transfer position 41b to the rear cascade device 2000b.

[0115] In some embodiments, when the droplet preparation instrument 1000 meets the transfer conditions, the processor 1001 can also control the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplets from the consumable cache position 111c, and transfer them to the backward transfer position 41b, so as to transport them to the subsequent droplet preparation through the backward transfer mechanism 4b, so that the subsequent droplet preparation instrument can prepare droplets for the consumables to be prepared for droplets together with the droplet preparation instrument 1000, thereby increasing the number of consumables that can be used for droplet preparation per unit time in the detection system and improving the droplet preparation efficiency of the detection system.

[0116] The transfer condition involved in this article may be that the droplet preparation mechanism 3 is in a non-idle state, or that the processor 1001 receives a user instruction, or that other preset scheduling conditions are met, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0117] It should be noted that the forward transport mechanism 4a can be pre-set in the installation cavity 11 of the droplet preparation apparatus 1000, and only when splicing, it extends out of the installation cavity 11 through the forward transport window 12a and extends into the front cascade device 2000a; of course, the forward transport mechanism 4a can also be pre-set in the front cascade device 2000a, and only when splicing, it extends into the installation cavity 11 through the forward transport window 12a. Similarly, the backward transport mechanism 4b can be pre-set in the installation cavity 11 of the droplet preparation apparatus 1000, and only when splicing, it extends out of the installation cavity 11 through the backward transport window 12b and extends into the rear cascade device 2000b; the backward transport mechanism 4b can also be pre-set in the rear cascade device 2000b, and only when splicing, it extends into the installation cavity 11 through the backward transport window 12b, and the present application does not limit this.

[0118] Specifically, taking the case where a part of the rearward transport mechanism 4b is fixedly arranged in the rearward cascade device 2000b as an example, when the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the rearward cascade device 2000b are connected, another part of the rearward transport mechanism 4b passes through the rearward transport window 12b and extends into the installation cavity 11 to achieve the splicing of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the rearward cascade device 2000b. In one example, the rearward transport mechanism 4b includes two detachable parts. When the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the rearward cascade device 2000b are connected, the part of the rearward transport mechanism 4b extending into the droplet preparation instrument 1000 (such as the reversing component 433) is installed, so that the use of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the rearward cascade device 2000b in the stand-alone mode is not affected. Similarly, when the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the front cascade device 2000a are connected, the forward transport mechanism 4a can refer to the design of the backward transport mechanism 4b.

[0119] It should be noted that the consumables buffer position 111c, the consumables removal position 111b, and the consumables loading position 111a referred to above may be independent spaces spaced apart in the installation cavity 11, or may at least partially overlap in the installation cavity. In one possible implementation of the present application, the consumables buffer position 111c, the consumables removal position 111b, and the consumables loading position 111a are multiplexed positions, that is, the consumables buffer position 111c, the consumables removal position 111b, and the consumables loading position 111a overlap in space in the installation cavity 11, so that the space of the consumables loading position 111a is reused, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the installation cavity 11.

[0120] In order to prevent the transport mechanism from being started in an unconnected state and to improve the reliability of the detection system, in some embodiments, before the processor 1001 starts the transport mechanism, the processor 1001 will also detect the online state of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the front cascade device 2000a, or the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the rear cascade device 2000b, or the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the front cascade device 2000a and the rear cascade device 2000b. Including: whether the droplet preparation instrument 1000, the front cascade device 2000a, and the rear cascade device 2000b are mechanically connected to each other; whether the droplet preparation instrument 1000, the front cascade device 2000a, and the rear cascade device 2000b have established an effective connection in communication; whether the forward transfer mechanism 4a and the backward transfer mechanism 4b are smooth between the droplet preparation instrument 1000, the front cascade device 2000a, and the rear cascade device 2000b, etc. When the above connection states are all normal, the transfer mechanism 4 is controlled to exchange information, otherwise, the transfer mechanism is prohibited from working, and the user is reminded that the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the front cascade device 2000a, or the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the rear cascade device 2000b are abnormally connected. In this way, it is possible to avoid the idle rotation or obstruction of the transport mechanism 4 due to the micro-droplet preparation instrument 1000 not being connected to the front cascade device 2000a or the abnormal connection, thereby improving the reliability of the detection system operation.

[0121] Please refer to Fig.11 In some embodiments, the working mode stored in the memory 1005 also includes a stand-alone mode. In the stand-alone mode, the user will first place the consumable 3000 that has completed the pre-processing on the consumable loading position 111a. The processor 1001 will set the consumable loading position 111a to the first placement position and the consumable removal position 111b to the second placement position. After that, the processor will control the scheduling mechanism 2 to extract the consumable 3000 to be prepared for droplet preparation from the consumable loading position 111a and transfer it to the droplet preparation mechanism 3 for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumable 3000 that has completed droplet preparation to the consumable removal position 111b, waiting for the user to take it out.

[0122] The transfer mechanism 4 can be a manipulator, a conveyor belt, or a mechanical mobile platform, and this application does not limit this. Figure 3 and Fig.12 In some embodiments, the transfer mechanism 4 includes a guide rail 42, a mobile platform 43, and a drive assembly 44. The guide rail 42 is disposed in the installation cavity 11, and the mobile platform 43 is slidably disposed on the guide rail 42. The drive assembly 44 is used to drive the mobile platform 43 to slide along the guide rail 42. The drive assembly can be a motor or a cylinder, which is not limited in the present application.

[0123] In practical applications, when the droplet preparation instrument 1000 is spliced ​​with the cascade device 2000, the guide rail 42 is provided between the installation cavity 11 of the droplet preparation instrument 1000 and the cascade device 2000 through the transfer window. The mobile platform 43 can slide along the guide rail 42 under the drive of the driving component 44, so as to transfer the consumables in the installation cavity 11 to the cascade device 2000, or transfer the consumables in the cascade device 2000 to the installation cavity 11.

[0124] In some application scenarios, due to the layout of the equipment itself, the scheduling mechanism in the droplet preparation instrument and the scheduling mechanism in the cascade device will schedule the consumables in different directions. Figure 3 For example, Figure 3 The scheduling mechanism 2 of the medium droplet preparation apparatus 1000 schedules the consumables along the first direction X, while the scheduling mechanism in the cascade device 2000 schedules the consumables along the second direction Y.

[0125] To facilitate the dispatching mechanism of different devices to dispatch the consumables on the mobile platform 43, please refer to Fig.13 In one embodiment, the mobile platform 43 includes a loading seat 431 and a rotating seat 432, the loading seat 431 is slidably disposed on the guide rail 42, and the rotating seat 432 is rotatably disposed on the loading seat 431. The rotating seat 432 has a first position extending along a first direction and a second position extending along a second direction relative to the loading seat 431. When the mobile platform 43 is located in the droplet preparation instrument, the rotating seat 432 is located in the first position, and when the mobile platform 43 is located in the cascade device, the rotating seat 432 is located in the second position. In this way, the scheduling direction between the devices is coordinated, the flexible turning of the consumables is realized, and the scheduling process of the scheduling mechanism for the consumables is simplified.

[0126] The transfer mechanism also includes a reversing component, which is used to drive the rotating seat to switch between the first position and the second position. The reversing component can be a motor, a rotary cylinder, or other rotary drive components, which is not limited in this application. Fig.14 and Fig.15In one embodiment, the reversing assembly 433 includes a push member 4331 and an elastic member 4332. The push member 4331 is disposed on the motion path of the mobile platform 43. The push member 4331 is configured to contact the rotating seat 432 when the rotating seat 432 reaches a preset position (for example, reaches the farthest position of the guide rail), and push the rotating seat 432 to rotate from the second position to the first position. In some examples, the first position at this time can be used as a forward transfer position or a backward transfer position. The elastic member 4332 is disposed between the rotating seat 432 and the loading seat 431. The elastic member 4332 is configured to drive the rotating seat 432 to reset from the first position to the second position when the push member 4331 is separated from the rotating seat 432.

[0127] In specific applications, such as Fig.15 As shown, in the initial state, the rotating seat 432 is in the second position. Fig.16 When the mobile platform 43 moves along the guide rail 42, the rotating seat 432 will contact the push member 4331 and rotate from the second position to the first position under the push of the push member 4331. Fig.17 As shown, when the mobile platform 43 reaches the preset position, the rotating seat 432 contacts the limiting member 4333 and is fixed at the first position under the limiting of the limiting member 4333 and the resisting member 4331. When the mobile platform 43 leaves the droplet preparation apparatus 1000, the rotating seat 432 separates from the resisting member 4331, and then the rotating seat 432 returns from the first position to the second position under the action of the elastic member 4332, thereby realizing the reversal.

[0128] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the preset position can be set before the forward transfer position or the backward transfer position, that is, the rotating seat 432 has been rotated to the first position before reaching the forward transfer position 41a or the backward transfer position 41b. In some embodiments, the preset position can also be set just at the forward transfer position or the backward transfer position, that is, when the rotating seat 432 moves to the forward transfer position 41a or the backward transfer position 41b, the rotating seat 432 is fixed to the first position by the push member 4331.

[0129] Please refer to Figure 3In some embodiments, the droplet preparation instrument 1000 further includes a film sealing mechanism 5, which is used to seal the consumables 3000 that have completed the droplet preparation. The processor 1001 is configured to control the scheduling mechanism 2 to transfer the consumables 3000 that have completed the droplet preparation to the film sealing mechanism 5, and then transfer the consumables 3000 that have completed the film sealing to the backward transfer position 41b of the backward transfer mechanism 4b, so that the backward transfer mechanism 4b transfers the consumables 3000 that have completed the droplet preparation and the film sealing to the rear cascade device 2000b through the backward transfer window 12b, thereby reducing the possibility of the consumables 3000 that have completed the droplet preparation being contaminated during the subsequent transfer process. In some embodiments, after the film sealing mechanism 5 completes the film sealing of the consumables, the consumables can also enter the consumable removal position 111b under the scheduling of the scheduling mechanism 2 for the user to take out.

[0130] In some embodiments, the droplet preparation mechanism and the film sealing mechanism 5 are arranged side by side along the first direction X, and the forward transfer mechanism 4a is arranged in the installation cavity 11 through the forward transfer window 12a and extends along the first direction X. The extension direction of the forward transfer mechanism 4a is set to be the same as the arrangement direction of the droplet preparation mechanism and the film sealing mechanism 5, which can effectively reduce the occupation of the installation cavity 11 in the first direction X by the forward transfer mechanism 4a, reduce the length of the installation cavity 11 in the first direction X, reduce the movement stroke of the scheduling mechanism 2 in the first direction X, and improve the scheduling efficiency of the scheduling mechanism 2 for the consumables 3000.

[0131] In some embodiments, a consumables cache position 111c is provided in the installation cavity 11 for caching consumables 3000 to be used for droplet preparation; along the second direction Y, a second loading space is provided between the sealing mechanism 5 and the consumables cache position 111c, and the second loading space is used for the installation of the forward transfer mechanism 4a; wherein the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other.

[0132] By installing the backward transfer mechanism 4b along the first direction X between the consumable sample loading position 111a and the film sealing mechanism 5, or between the consumable buffer position 111c and the film sealing mechanism 5, the distance between the forward transfer mechanism 4a and the film sealing mechanism 5, the consumable sample loading position 111a and the consumable buffer position 111c is reduced, the scheduling distance of the scheduling mechanism 2 between the forward transfer mechanism 4a and the film sealing mechanism 5, the consumable sample loading position 111a and the consumable buffer position 111c is reduced, the scheduling time of the consumable 3000 of the scheduling mechanism 2 between the forward transfer mechanism 4a, the consumable sample loading position 111a and the consumable buffer position 111c is reduced, and the scheduling efficiency of the scheduling mechanism 2 is improved.

[0133] In some embodiments, the droplet preparation mechanism and the film sealing mechanism 5 are arranged side by side along the first direction X, and the backward transfer mechanism 4b extends into the installation cavity 11 through the backward transfer window 12b, and at least part of the backward transfer mechanism 4b is arranged to extend in the installation cavity 11 along the first direction X. By arranging the droplet preparation mechanism and the film sealing mechanism 5 side by side, the arrangement distance between the droplet preparation mechanism and the film sealing mechanism 5 can be reduced, and the time for the scheduling mechanism 2 to schedule the consumables 3000 between the droplet preparation mechanism and the film sealing mechanism 5 can be reduced, thereby improving the scheduling efficiency of the scheduling mechanism 2 for the consumables 3000.

[0134] The extension direction of the backward transfer mechanism 4b is set to be the same as the arrangement direction of the droplet preparation mechanism and the sealing mechanism 5, which can effectively reduce the occupation of the installation cavity 11 by the backward transfer mechanism 4b in the first direction X, reduce the length of the installation cavity 11 in the first direction X, reduce the movement stroke of the scheduling mechanism 2 in the first direction X, and improve the scheduling efficiency of the scheduling mechanism 2 for the consumables 3000.

[0135] In some embodiments, along the second direction Y, a first loading space is provided between the sealing mechanism 5 and the consumable loading position 111a and / or the consumable buffer position 111c, and the first loading space is used for installing the backward transfer mechanism 4b; wherein the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other.

[0136] By installing the backward transfer mechanism 4b along the first direction X between the consumable sample loading position 111a and the film sealing mechanism 5, or between the consumable buffer position 111c and the film sealing mechanism 5, the distance between the backward transfer mechanism 4b and the film sealing mechanism 5, the consumable sample loading position 111a and the consumable buffer position 111c is reduced, the scheduling distance of the scheduling mechanism 2 between the backward transfer mechanism 4b and the film sealing mechanism 5, the consumable sample loading position 111a and the consumable buffer position 111c is reduced, the scheduling time of the consumable 3000 of the scheduling mechanism 2 between the backward transfer mechanism 4b, the consumable sample loading position 111a and the consumable buffer position 111c is reduced, and the scheduling efficiency of the scheduling mechanism 2 is improved.

[0137] Please refer to Fig.18 The present application also proposes a control method for a microdroplet preparation apparatus, which is stored in a memory and can be retrieved by a processor to control the microdroplet preparation apparatus to work. The microdroplet preparation method includes:

[0138] S201, receiving user instructions.

[0139] S202, determining a working mode corresponding to the instruction according to the user instruction, and determining a first placement position of the consumables to be prepared for droplet preparation according to the corresponding working mode; and / or determining a second placement position of the consumables for which droplet preparation has been completed.

[0140] S203, controlling the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet production from the first placement position, and transferring them to the droplet production mechanism for droplet production, and then transferring the consumables for which droplet production has been completed to the second placement position.

[0141] The instructions that the user can send to the processor include: at least two of the stand-alone mode instructions, the first online mode instructions, the second online mode instructions, and the third online mode instructions. The working mode includes: at least two of the stand-alone mode, the first online mode, the second online mode, and the third online mode. The first placement position includes at least one of the consumable loading position, the forward transfer position, or the consumable buffer position; the second placement position includes at least one of the consumable removal position, the backward transfer position, or the consumable buffer position.

[0142] Please refer to Fig.19 , determining a working mode corresponding to the instruction according to the user instruction, and determining a first placement position of the consumables to be prepared for droplet preparation according to the corresponding working mode; and / or determining a second placement position of the consumables that have completed droplet preparation includes the steps of:

[0143] S2021. When receiving a stand-alone mode instruction, switch the working mode to the stand-alone mode, and set the consumable loading position to the first placement position, and set the consumable removal position to the second placement position; and / or

[0144] S2022, when receiving the first online mode instruction, switching the working mode to the first online mode, and setting the forward transfer position as the first placement position, and setting the consumables removal position or the consumables buffer position as the second placement position; and / or

[0145] S2023, when receiving the second online mode instruction, switching the working mode to the second online mode, and setting the consumable loading position or the consumable buffer position as the first placement position, and setting the backward transfer position as the second placement position; and / or

[0146] S2024. When receiving the third online mode instruction, switch the working mode to the third online mode, set the forward transfer position as the first placement position, set the backward transfer position as the second placement position, and the processor controls the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplets from the first placement position to the second placement position.

[0147] Please refer to Fig. 20 In some embodiments, in the third online mode, the processor controls the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet preparation from the first placement position to the second placement position, including:

[0148] S20241. When the microdroplet preparation instrument meets the preset transfer conditions, the processor controls the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for microdroplets from the forward transfer position and directly transfer them to the backward transfer position.

[0149] S20242. When the droplet preparation mechanism is in a non-idle state, the processor controls the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet preparation from the forward transfer position and cache them in the consumable cache position; when the droplet preparation apparatus meets the preset transfer conditions, the processor controls the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet preparation from the consumable cache position and directly transfer them to the backward transfer position.

[0150] The microdroplet preparation instrument of the present application can select different working modes according to different scene requirements, and determine the corresponding first placement position and second placement position according to different working modes. The processor can extract consumables from the first placement position and transfer them to the second placement position. By selecting different first placement positions and second placement positions, the microdroplet preparation instrument can not only be used as an independent device to complete microdroplet preparation, but also can be cascaded with other devices with the cooperation of the transfer window and the transfer mechanism, so as to expand the use scenarios of the microdroplet preparation instrument and improve the flexibility of the use of the microdroplet preparation instrument.

[0151] It should be noted that in the present application, the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc., and the present application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0152] An operating system, a network communication module, a user interface module and a microdroplet preparation instrument control program are stored in the memory, and the memory can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Wherein, the non-volatile memory can be a read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, referred to as ROM), a programmable read-only memory (Programmable ROM, referred to as PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (Erasab le PROM, referred to as EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (Electr ica l ly EPROM, referred to as EEPROM) or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (Random Access Memory, referred to as RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM) and direct RAM bus random access memory (DR RAM).

[0153] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship of terms such as "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside" and "outside" are based on the orientation or positional relationship described in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0154] What is disclosed above is only a preferred embodiment of the present application, and it certainly cannot be used to limit the scope of rights of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand that all or part of the processes of implementing the above embodiment and equivalent changes made according to the claims of the present application are still within the scope covered by the present application.

[0155] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship of terms such as "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside" and "outside" are based on the orientation or positional relationship described in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0156] What is disclosed above is only a preferred embodiment of the present application, and it certainly cannot be used to limit the scope of rights of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand that all or part of the processes of implementing the above embodiment and equivalent changes made according to the claims of the present application are still within the scope covered by the present application.

Claims

1. A microdroplet preparation apparatus, characterized in that: The invention comprises a processor, a memory connected to the processor, a shell, a scheduling mechanism and a droplet preparation mechanism; the shell comprises an installation cavity and at least one transfer window, the installation cavity has a consumable loading position for loading consumables and a consumable removal position for users to remove consumables; the transfer window is used to cooperate with the transfer mechanism to transfer consumables into the installation cavity and / or transfer consumables out of the installation cavity, the transfer mechanism has a forward transfer position for transferring consumables into the installation cavity and / or a backward transfer position for transferring consumables out of the installation cavity; the droplet preparation mechanism and the scheduling mechanism are arranged in the installation cavity, and are both controlled by the processor; The memory is used to store at least two working modes for the processor to call respectively; The processor is configured to determine, according to a user's instruction, a working mode corresponding to the instruction, determine, according to the corresponding working mode, a first placement position of a consumable to be subjected to droplet preparation, and / or determine a second placement position of a consumable that has completed droplet preparation, and further control the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumable to be subjected to droplet preparation from the first placement position, transfer the consumable to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumable that has completed droplet preparation to the second placement position; Among them, the first placement position includes the consumables loading position or the forward transfer position; the second placement position includes the consumables removal position or the backward transfer position.

2. The microdroplet preparation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The working mode includes a stand-alone mode; In the stand-alone mode, the first placement position is a consumable loading position, and the second placement position is a consumable removal position; The processor is configured to control the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet preparation from the consumable loading position, transfer them to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumables that have completed droplet preparation to the consumable removal position.

3. The microdroplet preparation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The working mode includes a first online mode; a transport mechanism is arranged in the installation cavity, the transport mechanism is used to connect with the front droplet preparation instrument or the system construction instrument, and the transport mechanism is controlled by the processor, or controlled by the processor of the front droplet preparation instrument or the system construction instrument; In the first online mode, the first placement position is a forward transfer position, and the second placement position is a consumables removal position; The processor is configured to control the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet preparation in the forward transfer position, transfer them to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumables that have completed droplet preparation to the consumable removal position.

4. The microdroplet preparation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The working mode includes a second online mode; a transport mechanism is arranged in the installation cavity, the transport mechanism is used to connect with the amplification analyzer or the post-droplet preparation instrument, and the transport mechanism is controlled by the processor or the processor of the amplification analyzer or the post-droplet preparation instrument; In the second online mode, the first placement position is a consumable loading position, and the second placement position is a backward transfer position; The processor is configured to control the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet in the consumable loading position, transfer them to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumables for which droplet preparation has been completed to the backward transfer position.

5. The microdroplet preparation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The working mode includes a third online mode; the transfer window includes a forward transfer window and a backward transfer window; a transfer mechanism is arranged in the installation cavity, and the transfer mechanism includes a forward transfer mechanism and a backward transfer mechanism, the forward transfer mechanism extends into the installation cavity through the forward transfer window, and the forward transfer position is arranged in the forward transfer mechanism; the backward transfer mechanism extends out of the installation cavity through the backward transfer window; the backward transfer position is arranged in the backward transfer mechanism; the forward transfer mechanism is used to be connected with a front droplet preparation instrument or a system construction instrument, and the forward transfer mechanism is controlled by the processor or by the processor of the front droplet preparation instrument or the system construction instrument; the backward transfer mechanism is used to be connected with the amplification analyzer or the rear droplet preparation instrument, and the transfer mechanism is controlled by the processor or by the processor of the amplification analyzer or the rear droplet preparation instrument; In the third online mode, the first placement position is a forward transfer position, and the second placement position is a backward transfer position; The processor is configured to control the scheduling mechanism to extract the consumables to be prepared for droplet in the forward transfer position, transfer them to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation, and then transfer the consumables for which droplet preparation has been completed to the backward transfer position.

6. The microdroplet preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: The droplet preparation instrument further includes a consumables cache location, and the consumables cache location is used to store the consumables to be used for droplet preparation transported by the transport mechanism; The processor is configured to control the scheduling mechanism to transfer the consumables to be prepared for droplets at the forward transfer position to the consumables cache position when the droplet preparation mechanism is in a non-idle state, and then control the scheduling mechanism to transfer the consumables to be prepared for droplets at the consumables cache position to the droplet preparation mechanism for droplet preparation when the droplet preparation mechanism is in an idle state.

7. The microdroplet preparation apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The consumables buffer position and the consumables loading position are multiplexed positions.

8. The microdroplet preparation apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The forward transport mechanism is used to connect to the front droplet preparation instrument; the processor is also configured to control the scheduling mechanism to directly transport the consumables on the forward transport position to the backward transport position.

9. The microdroplet preparation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microdroplet preparation instrument also includes a film sealing mechanism; The processor is further configured to control the scheduling mechanism to transfer the consumables that have completed droplet preparation at the droplet preparation mechanism to the film sealing mechanism for film sealing, and then transport the consumables that have completed film sealing to the second placement position.

10. A detection system, characterized in that: It comprises a cascade device and a droplet preparation instrument as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; at least one of the cascade device and the droplet preparation instrument is provided with the transfer mechanism; the transfer mechanism is connected between the droplet preparation instrument and the cascade device and passes through the transfer window; the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the consumables in the droplet preparation instrument and the cascade device.

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