Sample tube adapter, sample tube loading seat and sample analyzer

Abstract

The invention relates to a sample tube adapter, a sample tube loading seat and a sample analyzer, and relates to the technical field of blood detection. The sample tube adapter comprises an adapter body, wherein the adapter body is provided with a first end and a second end which are oppositely arranged; the inner cavity structure of the adapter body is divided by the positioning structure into a first cavity and a second cavity which are arranged in the axial direction, an opening of the first cavity is formed in the first end, an opening of the second cavity is formed in the second end, and the inner diameter of the first cavity is different from that of the second cavity; the positioning structure is provided with a first supporting face and a second supporting face, the distance between the first supporting face and the second end is X, the distance between the second supporting face and the first end is Y, and X-Y is smaller than or equal to 5 mm. And sample tubes with different specifications can be adapted by changing the mounting direction of the sample tube adapter. And the adaptive sample tube can be approximately kept at the same horizontal height, so that the sampling needle can be conveniently fed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of blood detection, and particularly to a sample tube adapter, a sample tube loading seat, and a sample analyzer. Background Art

[0002] Currently, in the field of IVD blood detection, there are a variety of sample carrier device specifications emerging in an endless stream. According to the major categories of samples carried, there are mainly two categories: constant volume blood sample tubes and microvolume blood sample tubes. Among them, the size specifications, volume specifications, etc. of constant volume blood sample tubes are relatively unified in the industry, and they can basically be freely switched between different instruments.

[0003] However, in the case of microvolume blood sample tubes, the various sizes show great differences. According to the usage method, microvolume blood sample tubes can be divided into two categories: one is the microvolume blood sample tube that can be automatically mixed, and the other is the microvolume blood sample tube that needs to be manually mixed. The size specifications, volume specifications, etc. of the automatically mixed microvolume blood sample tubes are also relatively unified, and they can basically be freely switched within the instrument. However, for the manually mixed microvolume blood sample tubes, their specifications vary greatly, not only in terms of size and volume specifications, but also in terms of structure.

[0004] Based on this background, it is proposed to design an adapter for adapting most of the specifications of microvolume blood sample tubes on the market, restricting them to form a position state and transmitting it to the analyzer, enabling the analyzer to complete sampling of different sample tube specifications with the same parameters, and at the same time simplifying the operation of the user during the whole operation process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a sample tube adapter, a sample tube loading seat, and a sample analyzer for adapting sample tubes of different specifications.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a sample tube adapter, which includes: an adapter body having a first end and a second end oppositely arranged along a first direction, the first direction being the axial direction of the adapter body; and a positioning structure connected inside the adapter body, dividing the internal chamber structure of the adapter body into a first chamber and a second chamber arranged along the first direction, the opening of the first chamber being provided at the first end, and the opening of the second chamber being provided at the second end, wherein the inner diameter of the first chamber is different from the inner diameter of the second chamber to adapt sample tubes of different outer diameters;

[0007] The positioning structure has a first support surface and a second support surface, the first support surface being used to support the bottom of the sample tube inserted into the first chamber, and the second support surface being used to support the bottom of the sample tube inserted into the second chamber;

[0008] Wherein, the distance between the first support surface and the second end is X, the distance between the second support surface and the first end is Y, and X and Y satisfy the following relationship: |X - Y| ≤ 5 mm.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first cavity includes an avoidance groove away from its open end. The avoidance groove surrounds the axis of the first cavity in the circumferential direction of the first cavity, and the avoidance groove is located on the side of the first support surface away from the first end. The avoidance groove is configured to accommodate the skirt of the sample tube, and the skirt is a tubular structure provided at the bottom of the sample tube and surrounding the outside of the tube bottom.

[0010] In one embodiment, the positioning structure has a convex portion protruding toward the first end. The end face of the convex portion facing the first end is the first support surface, and the outer peripheral surface of the convex portion and the inner wall of the adapter body enclose the avoidance groove.

[0011] In one embodiment, the second support surface is parallel to the first support surface, and the distance between the second support surface and the first support surface is less than the depth of the avoidance groove.

[0012] In one embodiment, the depth of the avoidance groove is h, where 0 mm ≤ h ≤ 15 mm.

[0013] In one embodiment, the second cavity includes a frustum-shaped hole away from its open end. The frustum-shaped hole is formed at one end of the positioning structure facing the second end. The large-diameter end of the frustum-shaped hole is connected to the inner wall of the adapter body, and the bottom of the small-diameter end of the frustum-shaped hole is provided with the second support surface.

[0014] In one embodiment, the thickness of the thinnest part of the positioning structure is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm.

[0015] In one embodiment, X = Y.

[0016] In one embodiment, 50 mm ≥ X ≥ 25 mm.

[0017] In one embodiment, 30 mm ≥ X ≥ 25 mm.

[0018] In one embodiment, the outer side surface of the adapter body is a cylindrical surface.

[0019] In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the first cavity is greater than the inner diameter of the second cavity.

[0020] In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the first cavity is D1, where 11 mm ≤ D1 ≤ 13.5 mm.

[0021] In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the second cavity is D2, where 8 mm ≤ D2 ≤ 10 mm.

[0022] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides a sample tube loading seat,

[0023] The sample tube loading seat is provided with a sample tube placement hole, which can directly accommodate a constant volume blood sample tube or accommodate a micro volume blood sample tube through the above-mentioned sample tube adapter;

[0024] The sample tube placement hole is configured such that when the sample tube adapter is installed in the sample tube placement hole, the first end and the second end of the adapter body are alternatively installed in the sample tube placement hole and abutted against the positioning plane of the sample tube placement hole.

[0025] In a third aspect, the present invention further provides a sample analyzer, which includes:

[0026] The above-mentioned sample tube loading seat;

[0027] A sampling module, the sampling module includes a sampling needle and a displacement component, and the displacement component is used to drive the sampling needle to aspirate a sample from the sample tube in the sample tube loading seat;

[0028] A control module, which is used to control the displacement component to drive the sampling needle to aspirate a sample from the micro volume blood sample tube in the sample tube loading seat at a first needle insertion height, and is used to control the displacement component to drive the sampling needle to aspirate a sample from the constant volume blood sample tube in the sample tube loading seat at a second needle insertion height different from the first needle insertion height.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are that adjusting the adapter body and the positioning structure forms a first cavity and a second cavity with different inner diameters. The opening of the first cavity is provided at the first end, while the opening of the second cavity is provided at the second end. When in use, the first end of the adjusting adapter body can be set upwards so that the first cavity can receive the sample tube, or the second end of the adapter body can be set upwards to facilitate the second cavity to receive the sample tube. Since the inner diameters of the first cavity and the second cavity are different, different sample tubes can be matched.

[0030] Meanwhile, since the positioning structure that divides the adapter body into two cavities has a first support surface and a second support surface, when using the first cavity to carry the sample tube, the bottom of the sample tube can be positioned and supported by the first support surface at a distance of X from the second end, so that the sample tube in the first cavity meets the needle insertion height of the analyzer. Similarly, when using the second cavity to carry the sample tube, the bottom of the sample tube can be positioned and supported by the second support surface at a distance of Y from the first end, so that the sample tube in the second cavity meets the needle insertion height of the analyzer. And because |X - Y| ≤ 5mm, it can be ensured that the difference in the needle insertion height of the sample tube when using the first cavity to position the sample tube and the second cavity to position the sample tube is within the range of 5mm, and is generally maintained at the same horizontal height, which facilitates the needle insertion of the sampling needle and reduces the number of adjustments for the needle insertion distance of the sampling needle.

[0031] That is to say, the sample tube adapter provided by the present application can not only adapt to different specifications of sample tubes, but also enable the adapted sample tubes to have substantially the same needle insertion height. While reducing costs, it also facilitates the needle insertion and sampling of the sampling needle during sample analysis. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail based on embodiments and with reference to the drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 is the front view structural schematic diagram of the sample tube adapter in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 is Figure 1 the cross-sectional structural schematic diagram at the A-A section;

[0035] Figure 3 is the cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the sample tube adapter when the second end is facing upward in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 is the structural schematic diagram of the sample tube adapter adapting to the b-type sample tube in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5 is the structural schematic diagram of the sample tube adapter adapting to the a-type sample tube in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 is the structural schematic diagram of the sample tube adapter adapting to the b-type sample tube in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7 is the structural schematic diagram of the sample tube adapter adapting to the c-type sample tube in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 8It is a schematic structural diagram of the sample tube adapter adapting to a type D sample tube in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 9 It is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of the sample tube adapter in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 10 It is a schematic height comparison diagram of the sample tube adapter adapting to four types of sample tubes, namely type A, type B, type C, and type D, in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 11 It is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of an automatic mixing micro blood sample tube in the related art;

[0044] Figure 12 It is a schematic structural diagram of the sample tube loading seat adapting to a constant blood sample tube in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 13 It is a schematic structural diagram of the sample tube adapter adapting to a type D sample tube in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0046] Reference numerals:

[0047] 100. Sample tube adapter;

[0048] 110. Adapter body; 111. First end; 112. Second end;

[0049] 120. Positioning structure; 121. First support surface; 122. Second support surface;

[0050] 130. First cavity; 131. Avoidance groove;

[0051] 140. Second cavity; 141. Tapered hole;

[0052] 200. Sample tube loading seat; 210. Sample tube placement hole; 211. Positioning plane;

[0053] 310. Type A sample tube; 320. Type B sample tube; 330. Type C sample tube; 340. Type D sample tube; 350. Automatic mixing micro blood sample tube; 360. Constant blood sample tube;

[0054] 301. Tube bottom; 302. Skirt. Detailed implementation manners

[0055] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0056] See Figures 1 - 3As shown, a sample tube adapter 100 provided by the present invention includes an adapter body 110 and a positioning structure 120. The positioning structure 120 divides the inner chamber of the adapter body 110 into a first cavity 130 and a second cavity 140 arranged along a first direction. The first direction is the axial direction of the adapter body 110. The inner diameters of the first cavity 130 and the second cavity 140 are different to adapt to sample tubes with different outer diameters.

[0057] The adapter body 110 has a first end 111 and a second end 112 arranged oppositely along the first direction. Among them, the opening of the first cavity 130 is arranged at the first end 111, and the opening of the second cavity 140 is arranged at the second end 112. The sample tube can be inserted into the first cavity 130 from the first end 111 or into the second cavity 140 from the second end 112.

[0058] The first end 111 and the second end 112 can be alternatively installed in the sample tube loading seat 200 and abutted against the positioning plane 211 of the sample tube placement hole 210 (visible Figure 4 ) in the sample tube loading seat 200. During use, the first end 111 can be installed in the sample tube loading seat 200 so that the second cavity 140 with the opening at the second end 112 can allow the insertion of the sample tube. The installation direction of the adapter body 110 can also be adjusted to install the second end 112 in the sample tube loading seat 200 so that the first cavity 130 with the opening at the first end 111 can allow the insertion of the sample tube.

[0059] That is to say, by changing the installation direction of the adapter body 110, different specifications of sample tubes can be adapted, achieving the effect that one adapter body 110 can adapt to different sample tubes.

[0060] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the positioning structure 120 has a first support surface 121 facing the first end 111 and a second support surface 122 facing the second end 112.

[0061] See Figures 4 - 6 , the first support surface 121 is used to support the bottom 301 of the sample tube inserted into the first cavity 130, and the second support surface 122 is used to support the bottom of the sample tube inserted into the second cavity 140.

[0062] Among them, the distance between the first support surface 121 and the second end 112 (the distance in the first direction) is X, the distance between the second support surface 122 and the first end 111 (the distance in the first direction) is Y, and X and Y satisfy the following relationship: |X - Y| ≤ 5 mm.

[0063] In the field of blood testing, micro blood sample tubes can be classified into two major categories according to their usage methods: one is a micro blood sample tube that can be automatically mixed by supporting equipment (see the two automatically mixed micro blood sample tubes 350 in Figure 11 ), and the other is a manually mixed micro blood sample tube (see the four micro blood sample tubes adapted by the sample tube adapter in Figure 10 ).

[0064] Among them, the outer diameter of the automatically mixed micro blood sample tube 350 is larger than that of Figure 10 various micro blood sample tubes in, and the installation hole positions of the analyzer mostly match the automatically mixed micro blood sample tube 350. When placing the manually mixed micro blood sample tube into the installation hole position of the sample analyzer, it is often necessary to first install a sample tube adapter at the installation hole position of the sample analyzer, and then place the manually mixed micro blood sample tube to be analyzed into the sample tube adapter to ensure that the manually mixed micro blood sample tube is placed in place.

[0065] However, according to Figure 10 it can be seen that there are great differences in the specifications of currently manually mixed micro blood sample tubes, not only in terms of size, capacity specifications, but also in terms of structure. For example, the bottom of some sample tubes is not provided with a skirt 302 (such as the a-type sample tube 310 and the b-type sample tube 320 in Figure 10 ), while the bottom of another part of the sample tubes is provided with a skirt 302 (such as the c-type sample tube 330 and the d-type sample tube 340 in Figure 10 ).

[0066] Moreover, sample tubes that do not have a skirt 302 may also have different outer diameter specifications. For example, the outer diameter of the a-type sample tube 310 is larger than that of the b-type sample tube 320. Currently, sample tube adapters 100 with different apertures are mainly set to adapt to sample tubes with different pipe diameters, so as to avoid the inclination of the sample tube caused by the mismatch of the pipe diameter.

[0067] Even for the c-type sample tube 330 and the d-type sample tube 340 with the same outer diameter and the same skirt 302, the heights of the skirts 302 of the two are not the same. If the two sample tubes are installed in the same conventional sample tube adapter, the sampling heights of different sample tubes will not be unified due to the skirts 302 with different heights.

[0068] That is to say, in order to adapt to the sampling work of manual mixing micro blood sample tubes of different specifications, a set of sample tube adapters is set for each specification of micro blood sample tubes. This makes the types of sample tube adapters numerous, which not only increases the material cost, but also when the user needs to analyze the blood in different specification sample tubes, the sample tube adapter needs to be replaced with the corresponding one, greatly increasing the operation time and greatly bothering the users.

[0069] In order to reduce costs and avoid replacing the sample tube adapter during sample analysis by the user, the sample tube adapter of the present application is designed.

[0070] See Figure 5 、 Figure 6 and Figure 10 As shown, in the present application, the inner diameter of the first cavity 130 is different from that of the second cavity 140. Among them, the first cavity 130 can be adapted to the a-type sample tube 310, the c-type sample tube 330 and the d-type sample tube 340, and the second cavity 140 can be adapted to the b-type sample tube 320. When it is necessary to use the sample tube adapter 100 to adapt to the a-type sample tube 310, the second end 112 needs to be inserted into the sample tube placement hole 210 of the sample tube loading seat 200 and the second end 112 is in surface contact with the positioning plane 211 of the sample tube placement hole. At this time, the distance between the first support surface 121 and the positioning plane 211 of the sample tube placement hole 210 is equal to the distance X between the first support surface 121 and the second end 112. Then insert the a-type sample tube 310 into the first cavity 130, and use the first support surface 121 of the positioning structure 120 to contact the tube bottom 301 of the a-type sample tube 310 to achieve the support and height positioning of the a-type sample tube 310.

[0071] When it is necessary to use the sample tube adapter 100 to adapt to the b-type sample tube 320, the first end 111 can be inserted into the sample tube placement hole 210 of the sample tube loading seat 200 and the first end 111 is in surface contact with the positioning plane 211 of the sample tube placement hole 210. At this time, the distance between the second support surface 122 and the positioning plane 211 of the sample tube placement hole 210 is equal to the distance Y between the second support surface 122 and the first end 111. Then insert the b-type sample tube 320 into the second cavity 140, and use the second support surface 122 of the positioning structure 120 to contact the tube bottom 301 of the b-type sample tube 320 to achieve the support and height positioning of the b-type sample tube 320.

[0072] In this embodiment, X and Y satisfy |X - Y| ≤ 5 mm, that is to say, the difference between X and Y does not exceed 5 mm. By controlling the difference between X and Y, it can be ensured that the difference in the height of the tube bottom 301 when the a-type sample tube 310 is installed on the sample tube adapter 100 and the height of the tube bottom 301 when the b-type sample tube 320 is installed on the sample tube adapter 100 does not exceed 5 mm.

[0073] The sample tube adapter provided by this application can be adapted to micro blood sample tubes that are manually mixed. Some micro blood sample tubes that are manually mixed not only have a straight tube section, but also have a conical tip structure at the bottom of the straight tube section, that is, the bottom 301 of the sample tube is set as a conical structure bottom 301. Compared with the straight tube section, the inner cross-sectional dimension of the tip structure is smaller, and for the same volume of sample, the liquid level height rising in the tip structure is greater than that rising in the straight tube section. By setting the bottom 301 as a conical tip structure, it is possible to reduce the sampling failure caused by insufficient needle insertion distance of the sampling needle during the sampling process.

[0074] In some other implementation manners, the sample tube adapter 100 provided by this application can also be adapted to a sample tube with a flat bottom 301, or a sample tube with a hemispherical bottom 301.

[0075] In this application, the specific shape of the positioning structure 120 is not limited to the block structure shown in the figure, and can also be set as a plate structure, a spherical structure, a ring structure, etc. As long as a first support surface 121 and a second support surface 122 that can support the sample tube can be formed.

[0076] In addition, the first support surface 121 and the second support surface 122 of this application are preferably flat surfaces. In some implementation manners, the first support surface 121 and the second support surface 122 can also be curved surfaces (such as convex curved surfaces, concave curved surfaces, arc surfaces, etc.), or a support surface jointly formed by the tops of multiple positioning protrusions.

[0077] In this application, the positioning of the bottom 301 of different specifications of sample tubes is realized through the first support surface 121 and the second support surface 122, so that when the sample tube adapter 100 is adapted to different specifications of sample tubes, it can ensure that the height of the bottom of the sample in the sample tube is roughly maintained at the same horizontal height. Thus, when the sampling needle samples the a-type sample tube 310 and the b-type sample tube 320, by using the same needle insertion height, the sample collection of the specified sample volume can be completed.

[0078] In addition, compared with adjusting the needle insertion distance of the sampling needle when adapting to different specifications of sample tubes, since it is not necessary to frequently adjust the needle insertion distance of the sampling needle, the sampling work is greatly simplified. And because the sample tube adapter 100 of this application can make the bottom 301 of the sample tube remain roughly at the same height, the number of adjustments of the needle insertion distance is reduced, thereby reducing the probability of improper adjustment of the needle insertion distance, and reducing the collision of the sampling needle with the sample tube caused by the sampling needle inserting too deep, and can reduce the failure rate of the sampling process.

[0079] See Figure 1 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, in some implementations, the first cavity 130 and the second cavity 140 are used to adapt to sample tubes with different outer diameters, so as to achieve the effect of matching sample tubes of different specifications.

[0080] It can be understood that in another implementation, the first cavity 130 and the second cavity 140 can also be set to adapt to sample tubes with the same outer diameter but different structures. For example, through structural design, the first cavity 130 can adapt to type-a sample tubes 310, while the second cavity 140 can adapt to type-c sample tubes with the same outer diameter, so as to achieve the effect of matching sample tubes of different specifications.

[0081] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some implementations, the first cavity 130 includes an avoidance groove 131 away from its open end. The avoidance groove surrounds the axis of the first cavity once along the circumferential direction of the first cavity, and the avoidance groove 131 is located on the side of the first support surface 121 away from the first end 111. The avoidance groove 131 is configured to accommodate the skirt 302 of the sample tube. The skirt 302 is a tubular structure provided at the bottom of the sample tube and surrounding the bottom 301 of the tube. The length of the skirt 302 can be long or short, as long as the extending length of the skirt 302 extending downward from the bottom 301 of the tube is less than the depth of the avoidance groove 131. As Figure 7 、 Figure 8 and Figure 10 As shown, the sample tube adapter 100 provided in the present application can not only adapt to type-d sample tubes 340 with a skirt 302 extending downward from the bottom 301 of the tube for a long distance, but also adapt to type-c sample tubes 330 with a skirt 302 extending downward from the bottom 301 of the tube for a short distance. Of course, some sample tubes without a skirt 302 or sample tubes with the bottom end of the skirt 302 not exceeding the bottom end of the bottom 301 can also be inserted into the first cavity 130.

[0082] That is to say, by forming the avoidance groove 131, the skirt 302 with an extension beyond the bottom 301 of the tube can be accommodated in the first cavity 130, and it will not affect the contact between the bottom 301 of the sample tube and the first support surface 121.

[0083] The depth h of the avoidance groove 131 is greater than the distance that the skirt 302 extends beyond the bottom 301 of the tube, and the width of the avoidance groove 131 is greater than the wall thickness of the skirt 302, so that the avoidance groove 131 can completely accommodate the skirt 302 of the sample tube.

[0084] In some implementations, only the first cavity 130 is provided with the avoidance groove 131, and the avoidance groove 131 structure is not provided in the second cavity 140. In some ways, the avoidance groove 131 structure can also be provided at the second cavity 140, and the avoidance groove 131 structure of the second cavity 140 is provided on the side of the second support surface 122 away from the second end 112, so that the second cavity 140 can also be adapted to be provided with a sample tube with a skirt 302.

[0085] See Figures 5 - 8 As shown, that is to say, the first cavity 130 provided with the avoidance groove 131 can not only adapt to a sample tube without a skirt 302 by using the first support surface 121, but also adapt to a sample tube with a skirt 302 by using the avoidance groove 131. Compared with setting the bottom of the first cavity 130 as a flat structure, the adaptation range of the first cavity 130 is expanded, and it can be adapted to more types of micro blood sample tubes (such as adapting to type a sample tube 310, type c sample tube 330, and type d sample tube 340).

[0086] See Figure 9 As shown, in some implementations, the positioning structure 120 has a convex portion protruding towards the first end, and the end face of the convex portion towards the first end 111 is the first support surface 121. The outer peripheral surface of the convex portion and the inner wall of the adapter body enclose the avoidance groove 131.

[0087] Figure 9 In this case, the outer peripheral surface of the convex portion is the outer peripheral surface of a frustum of a cone, which is arranged at an angle relative to the inner wall surface of the adapter body, so that the formed avoidance groove 131 has a wide opening and a narrow bottom groove structure. When the skirt 302 is inserted into the avoidance groove 131 from the wider opening of the avoidance groove 131, it is relatively easy. As the skirt 302 further extends into the avoidance groove 131, the inner wall of the skirt 302 will gradually contact the outer peripheral surface of the convex portion, so as to position the skirt 302 by fitting the outer peripheral surface of the convex portion with the inner wall surface of the skirt 302, so that the axis of the skirt 302 coincides with the axis of the positioning structure 120. In some implementations, the axis of the positioning structure 120, the axis of the first cavity 130, and the axis of the adapter body are collinear. By making the axis of the skirt 302 coincide with the axis of the positioning structure 120 through the convex portion, the axis of the skirt 302 can be made to coincide with the axis of the adapter body.

[0088] In some other implementations, the outer peripheral surface of the side of the positioning portion with the convex portion can also be set as a cylindrical surface, so that the outer peripheral surface of the convex portion is coaxially arranged with the inner wall surface of the adapter body, so that the width of the formed avoidance groove 131 is approximately equal at each place along the first direction.

[0089] See Figure 9As shown, the second support surface 122 is parallel to the first support surface 121, and the distance between the second support surface 122 and the first support surface 121 is less than the depth of the avoidance groove 131. That is to say, the avoidance groove 131 of the first cavity 130 will partially overlap with the bottom (near the second support surface 122) of the second cavity 140 in the axial direction of the adapter body 110, which can shorten the length of the adapter body 110 in the axial direction on the premise of ensuring the cavity depth, thereby making the sample tube adapter 100 more compact.

[0090] In some other implementation manners, the distance between the first support surface 121 and the second support surface 122 can also be set to be relatively large, so that the first cavity 130 and the second cavity 140 are completely staggered in the axial direction, which is convenient for the included angle between the circumferential outer surface of the convex portion and the inner wall of the adapter body 110 to be smaller, so as to form a deeper avoidance groove 131 to adapt to a sample tube with a longer skirt 302.

[0091] See Figure 2 As shown, in some implementation manners, the depth of the avoidance groove 131 is h, where 0mm ≤ h ≤ 15mm. Preferably, 10mm ≤ h ≤ 15mm, and the depth h of the avoidance groove 131 is greater than the length of the skirt 302 of a conventional specification sample tube extending out of the tube bottom 301. This enables the avoidance groove 131 to adapt to most sample tubes on the market.

[0092] See Figure 9 As shown, in some implementation manners, the second cavity includes a frustum-shaped hole away from its open end. The frustum-shaped hole is formed at one end of the positioning structure facing the second end. The large-diameter end of the frustum-shaped hole is connected to the inner wall of the adapter body 110, and the bottom of the small-diameter end of the frustum-shaped hole is provided with a second support surface.

[0093] That is to say, when the sample tube is inserted from the opening of the second cavity 140, the bottom of the sample tube will extend into the frustum-shaped hole 141 formed by the positioning structure from the large-diameter end of the frustum-shaped hole, so that the bottom of the sample tube is supported on the second support surface, and the conical inner wall of the frustum-shaped hole can be used to fit the tube bottom 301 of the sample tube, better positioning and installing the sample tube in the second cavity 140.

[0094] Moreover, since the frustum-shaped hole 141 is formed in the positioning structure 120, the vertical space occupied by the convex portion protruding towards the first end can be used to accommodate the bottom of the sample tube, thereby reducing the height of the sample tube adapter without reducing the storage depth, not only reducing the material cost but also reducing the space occupation.

[0095] In some implementation manners, the thickness of the thinnest part of the positioning structure 120 is greater than or equal to 0.5mm, such as Figure 9As shown, by controlling the thickness of the positioning structure 120 to be greater than or equal to 0.5 mm, the strength of the positioning structure 120 can support the sample tube without deformation, improving the stability of the sample tube placed in the sample tube adapter.

[0096] In the figure, the circumferential outer side of the convex portion is arranged parallel to the circumferential hole wall of the frustum-shaped hole 141. In some other implementation manners, the inclination angle of the circumferential outer side of the convex portion can be controlled to be not equal to the inclination angle of the circumferential hole wall of the frustum-shaped hole 141, so that the circumferential outer side of the convex portion is inclined with respect to the circumferential hole wall of the frustum-shaped hole 141.

[0097] In some implementation manners, an avoidance groove 131 can be provided in the first cavity 130, and the frustum-shaped hole 141 is not provided in the second cavity 140. Or, the avoidance groove 131 is not provided in the first cavity 130, and the frustum-shaped hole 141 is provided in the second cavity 140. Or, neither the avoidance groove 131 is provided in the first cavity 130 nor the frustum-shaped hole 141 is provided in the second cavity 140. That is to say, there is no correlation between whether to provide the avoidance groove 131 and whether to provide the frustum-shaped hole 141. Whether to provide the avoidance groove 131 and the frustum-shaped hole 141 can be selected according to actual requirements.

[0098] See Figure 10 As shown, in some implementation manners, X = Y, which can make the bottom height of the sample tube installed in the first cavity 130 equal to the bottom height of the sample tube installed in the second cavity 140, enabling the bottom heights of the sample tubes installed in the first cavity and the second cavity to be the same, making the needle insertion height of the sampling needle consistent, and simplifying the operation process.

[0099] Currently, the types of sample tubes also include an automatically mixed micro blood sample tube 350 that can be directly installed in the sample tube loading seat 200 without the sample tube adapter 100 (see Figure 11 ). When the automatically mixed micro blood sample tube 350 is installed in the sample tube loading seat 200, the distance between the bottom 301 of the automatically mixed micro blood sample tube 350 and the positioning plane of the sample tube placement hole 210 is relatively far, so as to shorten the needle insertion distance of the sampling needle. As Figure 11 shown, both of the two automatically mixed micro blood sample tubes 350 can be directly inserted into the sample tube loading seat 200. The distance between the bottom 301 of the left automatically mixed micro blood sample tube 350 and its bottom surface is 26 mm, and the distance between the bottom 301 of the right automatically mixed sample tube and its bottom surface is greater than 30 mm and less than 50 mm.

[0100] In some implementation manners, in order to make the needle insertion height of the sampling needle for the manually mixed micro tube and the automatically mixed micro blood sample tube 350 consistent, the value range of X in this application is 50 mm ≥ X ≥ 25 mm.

[0101] Preferably, 30mm ≥ X ≥ 25mm, so that the height of the bottom 301 of the manually mixed microtube placed in the sample tube adapter 100 is Figure 11 almost the same as the height of the bottom 301 of the automatically mixed micro blood sample tube on the left side in

[0102] In some implementation manners, the outer side surface of the adapter body 110 is a cylindrical surface. That is to say, the adapter body 110 is generally a straight tube structure with a simple structure, and can be installed in the sample tube loading seat 200 along the first direction (the second end 112 facing downwards), and can also be installed in the sample tube loading seat 200 along the opposite second direction (the second end 112 facing upwards).

[0103] It can be understood that in some other implementation manners, a concave structure or other shaped structures can also be provided on the outer side of the adapter body 110, as long as it is ensured that the maximum outer diameter of the adapter body 110 is equal to the aperture of the sample tube loading seat 200.

[0104] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the aperture of the first cavity 130 is larger than the aperture of the second cavity 140. The first cavity 130 can be used to adapt to a sample tube with a larger outer diameter, while the second cavity 140 can be used to adapt to a relatively thinner sample tube.

[0105] See Figure 3 As shown, in some implementation manners, the inner diameter of the first cavity 130 is D1, where 11mm ≤ D1 ≤ 13.5mm, so that the first cavity 130 can adapt to a manually mixed micro blood sample tube with an outer diameter of 9.5mm - 11mm (such as one of the a-type sample tube 310, c-type sample tube 330, and d-type sample tube 340), and at the same time avoid leaving too large a gap between the side wall of the sample tube and the inner wall of the first cavity 130, resulting in the sample tube tilting, and avoid the sample tube tilting in the cavity and affecting the puncture and sampling of the sample needle..

[0106] See Figure 3As shown, in some implementations, the inner diameter of the second cavity 140 is D2, where 8 mm ≤ D2 ≤ 10 mm, enabling the second cavity 140 to fit a manually mixed micro blood sample tube with an outer diameter of 7 mm - 8 mm (such as in the b-type sample tube 320), while avoiding too large a gap between the side wall of the sample tube and the inner wall of the second cavity 140, which may cause the sample tube to tilt, and preventing the sample tube from tilting in the cavity, thus affecting the sample needle's puncture and sampling.

[0107] By controlling the inner diameters of the first cavity 130 and the second cavity 140, most of the manually mixed micro blood sample tubes on the market can be covered, and the injection of various micro blood sample tubes can be satisfied at a relatively low cost.

[0108] The thickness of the positioning structure 120 along the axial direction of the first cavity 130 is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm, and the thickness of the positioning structure 120 can support the sample tube loaded with the sample.

[0109] In a second aspect, the present invention also provides a sample tube loading seat 200. The sample tube loading seat 200 is provided with a sample tube placement hole 210, and the sample tube placement hole 210 can directly accommodate a constant blood sample tube (as shown Figure 12 ), or accommodate a micro blood sample tube through the above-mentioned sample tube adapter 100. The sample tube placement hole 210 is configured such that when the sample tube adapter 100 is installed in the above-mentioned sample tube placement hole 210, the first end 111 and the second end 112 of the adapter body 110 are alternatively installed in the sample tube placement hole 210 and are in contact with the positioning plane 211 of the sample tube placement hole 210. In the figure, the sample tube placement hole 210 is a blind hole structure, and the bottom surface of the sample tube placement hole 210 can be used as the positioning plane 211 of the sample tube placement hole 210. In some other implementations, a sample tube placement hole 210 with a stepped hole structure can also be used, and the stepped surface of the stepped hole structure can be used as the positioning plane 211. During use, the adapter body 110 is supported by contacting the first end or the second end with the stepped surface.

[0110] Since the sample tube placement hole 210 can fit the sample tube adapter 100, it can thus adapt to different specifications of sample tubes. This enables the sample tubes to be maintained at approximately the same height when fitted in the sample tube adapter 100, reducing the number of adjustments of the needle insertion distance, thereby reducing the probability of improper adjustment of the needle insertion distance, and reducing the collision of the sampling needle with the sample tube caused by the sampling needle inserting too deep, and can reduce the failure rate during the sampling process.

[0111] It should be noted that the sample tube loading seat 200 can not only install a manually mixed micro blood sample tube through the sample tube adapter 100, but can also directly install an automatically mixed micro blood sample tube 350, or directly install a constant blood sample tube 360.

[0112] Among them, the sample tube loading seat 200 can be an emergency sample seat or a sample rack. Additionally, a sample tube placement hole 210 can be opened in the sample tube loading seat 200, or multiple sample tube placement holes 210 can be opened on the sample tube loading seat 200. Preferably, when multiple sample tube placement holes are opened on the sample tube loading seat 200, the positioning planes 211 of the respective sample tube placement holes 210 can be set to the same height.

[0113] In a third aspect, the present invention further provides a sample analyzer, which includes the above-mentioned sample tube loading seat 200, as well as a sampling module and a control module. The sampling module includes a sampling needle and a displacement component, and the displacement component is used to drive the sampling needle to aspirate a sample from the sample tube in the sample tube loading seat 200.

[0114] The control module is used to control the displacement component to drive the sampling needle to aspirate a sample from the micro-sample tube in the sample tube loading seat 200 at a first needle-lowering height, and the control module can also be used to control the displacement component to drive the sampling needle to aspirate a sample from the constant blood sample tube in the sample tube loading seat 200 at a second needle-lowering height different from the first needle-lowering height.

[0115] Since the sample tube loading seat 200 can be adapted to the sample tube adapter 100, the micro-tube can be placed on the sample tube loading seat 200 through the sample tube adapter 100 during use, such that the bottoms of different specifications of micro-tubes are supported on the first support surface 121 or the second support surface 122, and the bottom heights of the respective micro-tubes are approximately the same. Samples in different specifications of micro-tubes can be collected at the same needle-lowering height (the first needle-lowering height).

[0116] The number of adjustments of the needle-lowering distance is reduced, thereby reducing the probability of improper adjustment of the needle-lowering distance, and reducing the collision of the sampling needle with the sample tube caused by the sampling needle lowering too deep, which can reduce the failure rate during the sampling process. Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, various improvements can be made to it and components therein can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any manner. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the text, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A sample tube adapter, characterized in that: It includes: An adapter body having a first end and a second end disposed opposite to each other along a first direction, wherein the first direction is an axial direction of the adapter body; and a positioning structure, wherein the positioning structure is connected to the adapter body and divides the internal chamber structure of the adapter body into a first cavity and a second cavity arranged along a first direction, wherein the opening of the first cavity is arranged at the first end, and the opening of the second cavity is arranged at the second end, wherein the inner diameter of the first cavity is different from the inner diameter of the second cavity to adapt to sample tubes with different outer diameters; The positioning structure has a first supporting surface and a second supporting surface, the first supporting surface is used to support the bottom of the sample tube inserted into the first cavity, and the second supporting surface is used to support the bottom of the sample tube inserted into the second cavity; The distance between the first supporting surface and the second end is X, the distance between the second supporting surface and the first end is Y, and X and Y satisfy the following relationship: |XY|≤5mm.

2. The sample tube adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first cavity includes an avoidance groove away from its open end, the avoidance groove surrounds the axis of the first cavity along the circumference of the first cavity, and the avoidance groove is located on the side of the first support surface away from the first end, the avoidance groove is configured to accommodate a skirt of a sample tube, and the skirt is a tubular structure arranged at the bottom of the sample tube and surrounding the outside of the bottom of the tube.

3. The sample tube adapter according to claim 2, characterized in that: The positioning structure has a protruding portion protruding toward the first end, an end surface of the protruding portion facing the first end is a first supporting surface, and an outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion and an inner wall of the adapter body form the avoidance groove.

4. The sample tube adapter according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second supporting surface is parallel to the first supporting surface, and a distance between the second supporting surface and the first supporting surface is smaller than a depth of the avoidance groove.

5. The sample tube adapter according to claim 2, characterized in that: The depth of the avoidance groove is h, wherein 0mm≤h≤15mm.

6. The sample tube adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second cavity includes a frustum hole away from its open end, the frustum hole is formed at one end of the positioning structure toward the second end, the large-diameter end of the frustum hole is connected to the inner wall of the adapter body, and the second supporting surface is provided at the bottom of the small-diameter end of the frustum hole.

7. The sample tube adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The thickness of the thinnest part of the positioning structure is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm.

8. The sample tube adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: X=Y.

9. The sample tube adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: 50mm≥X≥25mm.

10. The sample tube adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: 30mm≥X≥25mm.

11. The sample tube adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The outer side surface of the adapter body is a cylindrical surface.

12. The sample tube adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the first cavity is greater than the inner diameter of the second cavity.

13. The sample tube adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the first cavity is D1, wherein 11 mm≤D1≤13.5 mm.

14. The sample tube adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the second cavity is D2, wherein 8mm≤D2≤10mm.

15. A sample tube loading seat, characterized in that: The sample tube loading seat is provided with a sample tube placement hole, and the sample tube placement hole can directly accommodate a normal blood sample tube, or accommodate a micro blood sample tube through the sample tube adapter as described in any one of claims 1 to 14; The sample tube placement hole is configured such that when the sample tube adapter is installed in the sample tube placement hole, the first end and the second end of the adapter body are alternatively installed in the sample tube placement hole and conflict with the positioning plane of the sample tube placement hole.

16. A sample analyzer, characterized in that: It includes: The sample tube loading seat as claimed in claim 15; A sampling module, the sampling module comprising a sampling needle and a displacement assembly, the displacement assembly being used to drive the sampling needle to draw a sample from a sample tube in a sample tube loading seat; The control module is used to control the displacement component to drive the sampling needle to absorb samples from the micro blood sample tube in the sample tube loading seat at a first needle lowering height, and is used to control the displacement component to drive the sampling needle to absorb samples from the normal blood sample tube in the sample tube loading seat at a second needle lowering height different from the first needle lowering height.

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