Chip clamping device and gene sequencing equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to a chip clamping device and gene sequencing equipment. The chip clamping device comprises a chip bearing table, a chip clamping mechanism and a chip clamping mechanism, the pressing mechanism is movably arranged on the chip bearing table, and the pressing mechanism has a pressing state for pressing the biochip onto the chip bearing position and also has an unlocking state for unlocking the biochip in the moving stroke; the positioning pushing mechanism is movably arranged on the chip bearing table, and the positioning pushing mechanism is used for pushing the biochip to translate along the bearing surface of the chip bearing table and abut against the positioning piece so as to position the biochip; and the mechanical linkage mechanism is used for enabling the pressing mechanism to be in linkage with the positioning and pushing mechanism, and the mechanical linkage mechanism enables the positioning action of the positioning and pushing mechanism to be completed before the pressing mechanism moves to the pressing state. The invention mainly solves the problems that the existing gene sequencing equipment adopts manual operation to position and clamp a biological chip, the efficiency is low, and the clamping quality is not easy to guarantee.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a gene sequencing device, and in particular to chip clamping of a gene sequencing device. Background Art

[0002] When using gene sequencing equipment, the biochip used to carry samples needs to be accurately positioned relative to the chip carrier and reliably fixed to the chip carrier so that the biochip can be close to the temperature regulation component below and well docked with the corresponding liquid path interface.

[0003] At present, the chip clamping devices of some gene sequencing equipment on the market adopt a flip-top clamping structure, which requires manual alignment and clamping. This not only affects the clamping efficiency of the biochip, but also makes it difficult to ensure the clamping quality of the biochip. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main technical problem solved by the present invention is that the existing gene sequencing equipment uses manual operation to position and clamp biochips, which is inefficient and difficult to ensure the clamping quality.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a chip clamping device.

[0006] A chip clamping device, comprising:

[0007] A chip carrier platform, wherein the chip carrier platform is provided with a chip carrier position for carrying a biochip;

[0008] a pressing mechanism, movably disposed on the chip carrier, wherein the pressing mechanism has a pressing state for pressing the biochip onto the chip carrier position and an unlocking state for unlocking the biochip during its movable travel;

[0009] a positioning pushing mechanism, movably disposed on the chip carrier, for pushing the biochip to translate along the carrier surface of the chip carrier and abut against a positioning member to position the biochip;

[0010] And a mechanical linkage mechanism is connected between the clamping mechanism and the positioning pushing mechanism, the mechanical linkage mechanism is used to link the clamping mechanism with the positioning pushing mechanism, and the mechanical linkage mechanism enables the positioning action of the positioning pushing mechanism to be completed before the clamping mechanism moves to the clamping state.

[0011] In one embodiment, a first elastic member is included, which is used to input a force to the clamping mechanism to move toward the clamping state, and the mechanical linkage mechanism is used to overcome the elastic force of the first elastic member and drive the clamping mechanism to move to the unlocked state.

[0012] In one embodiment, a second elastic member is included, and the second elastic member is used to input a driving force to the positioning and pushing mechanism to position the biochip. The mechanical linkage mechanism is used to overcome the elastic force of the second elastic member and drive the positioning and pushing mechanism to reset.

[0013] In one embodiment, the chip carrier is provided with a clamping mechanism on two opposite sides of the chip carrier position, and the chip clamping device also includes a synchronous clamping device, which is used to drive the two clamping mechanisms to synchronously clamp and unlock.

[0014] In one embodiment, the clamping mechanism includes a rotating shaft, on which an input crank arm is provided; the synchronous clamping device includes a linear driving member, which is arranged between the input crank arms of the two clamping mechanisms, and the driving member is used to push the input crank arm to swing during linear motion, and the input crank arm is used to drive the rotating shaft to swing during swinging.

[0015] In one embodiment, the driving member is a push plate, and both ends of the push plate are parallel to the bearing surface formed by the chip carrier. The two ends of the push plate are respectively used to drive one of the clamping mechanisms to move. A roller is provided on the input crank arm in the clamping mechanism, and the roller is used to support the push plate.

[0016] In one embodiment, a pressing head is fixed on the rotating shaft, and the pressing head is arranged corresponding to the side of the chip supporting position. The pressing head can press the corresponding side of the biochip when the rotating shaft rotates.

[0017] In one embodiment, the rotation axis is lower than the plane where the top surface of the chip carrier is located.

[0018] In one embodiment, a shaft through-hole is provided on the chip carrier, and the shaft through-hole is for the shaft to pass through. An avoidance groove is provided on the chip carrier, and the avoidance groove is used to avoid the swing of the pressure head.

[0019] In one embodiment, the positioning member includes at least three positioning columns arranged in a triangle, and the positioning pushing mechanism includes a positioning swing arm, which is arranged corresponding to one of the side edges of the chip carrier position, and the positioning swing arm is used to push the lateral inclined surface at the side edge of the biochip in a swinging form to position the biochip.

[0020] In one embodiment, the positioning swing arm includes a driving arm and a positioning arm, and a hinge structure is provided at the connection between the driving arm and the positioning arm, and the hinge structure is used to rotate the positioning swing arm and assemble it to the chip carrier; the mechanical linkage mechanism is connected to the driving arm of the positioning swing arm to drive the positioning swing arm to swing.

[0021] In one embodiment, one side of the driving arm on both sides of the swing direction is connected to the mechanical linkage mechanism, and the other side is provided with an elastic reset member, which is used to input driving force to the positioning pushing mechanism to position the biochip.

[0022] In one embodiment, the mechanical linkage mechanism includes a driving cam, the power input component of one of the clamping mechanism and the positioning pushing mechanism is a rotating member, and the power input component of the other is a translation member, the driving cam is fixed on the rotating member, and the translation member abuts against the driving cam to generate translation when the driving cam swings.

[0023] In one embodiment, a guide groove is provided on the chip carrier, and the power input component in the form of a translation member is guided and assembled in the guide groove.

[0024] In one embodiment, a vacuum adsorption channel is provided on the chip carrier, and the vacuum adsorption channel is used to adsorb and fix the biochip.

[0025] In one embodiment, an elastic floating block is provided on the chip supporting position, and a spring is provided between the elastic floating block and the main body of the chip supporting platform, and the spring is used to apply a force to the elastic floating block in a clamping direction opposite to the clamping mechanism; a liquid path interface is provided on the elastic floating block, and the liquid path interface is used to elastically press to the bottom of the biochip to connect with the circulation pool on the biochip.

[0026] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a gene sequencing device.

[0027] A gene sequencing device, comprising:

[0028] A chip clamping device, wherein the chip clamping device is the chip clamping device described in any of the above embodiments;

[0029] An optical detection system, wherein the optical detection system is used to detect optical signals on the biochip;

[0030] A fluid system is used to transport samples and / or reagents to be tested to the biochip.

[0031] According to the chip clamping device of the above embodiment, a clamping mechanism, a positioning pushing mechanism and a mechanical linkage mechanism are arranged on the chip carrier. The mechanical linkage mechanism can realize the linkage between the clamping mechanism and the positioning pushing mechanism, and the mechanical linkage mechanism can complete the positioning action of the positioning pushing mechanism before the clamping mechanism moves to the clamping state. Therefore, it can create conditions for automated operation. The biochip is first positioned using the positioning pushing mechanism, and then the biochip is clamped and fixed using the clamping mechanism. This can improve the positioning and clamping efficiency of the biochip and can improve the clamping quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a clamping claw connecting rod mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention in use;

[0033] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A stereogram from another perspective;

[0034] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Front view of the middle jaw linkage mechanism;

[0035] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A top view of

[0036] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional image with the chip carrier hidden in the middle;

[0037] Figure 6 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional image with the chip carrier hidden in the middle;

[0038] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional image of a biochip hidden in the image;

[0039] Figure 8 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional image of a biochip hidden in the image;

[0040] Figure 9 for Figure 7 A three-dimensional diagram showing the chip carrier and biochip hidden in the image;

[0041] Figure 10 for Figure 6 A three-dimensional diagram of the middle clamping jaw linkage mechanism in the unlocked state;

[0042] Figure 11 for Figure 9 A three-dimensional diagram of the middle clamping jaw linkage mechanism in the unlocked state;

[0043] Figure 12A schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a gene sequencing device.

[0044] List of feature names corresponding to the reference numerals in the figure:

[0045] 100, chip carrier; 110, chip receiving slot; 120, middle support seat; 121, vacuum slot; 122, vacuum hole; 123, vacuum joint; 130, elastic floating block; 131, fluid path interface; 141, horizontal positioning column; 142, vertical positioning column; 150, shaft through hole; 160, guide groove;

[0046] 200, clamping mechanism; 210, rotating shaft; 220, pressing head; 230, first elastic member; 240, input crank arm; 241, roller; 250, synchronous clamping device; 251, electric cylinder; 252, driving member; 253, guide column; 254, connecting beam;

[0047] 300, positioning push mechanism; 310, positioning swing arm; 311, driving arm; 312, positioning arm; 320, driving rod; 330, second elastic member;

[0048] 410, driving cam;

[0049] 500, biochip; 510, edge frame; 520, chip body; 531, transverse positioning hole; 532, longitudinal positioning hole; 540, positioning notch; 541, lateral bevel;

[0050] 610. Equipment frame; 620. Optical detection system; 630. Refrigeration device; 640. Fluid system; 650. Display module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The present invention will be further described in detail below by means of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Similar elements in different embodiments are numbered with associated similar elements. In the following embodiments, many detailed descriptions are provided to enable the present application to be better understood. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that some of the features may be omitted in different circumstances, or may be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification. This is to avoid the core portion of the present application being overwhelmed by excessive descriptions, and for those skilled in the art, it is not necessary to describe these related operations in detail. They will fully understand the related operations based on the description in the specification and the general technical knowledge in the art.

[0052] In addition, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification may be combined in any appropriate manner to form various embodiments. Furthermore, the steps or actions in the method description may be reordered or adjusted in a manner readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and drawings are provided solely for the purpose of clearly describing a particular embodiment and are not intended to be mandatory, unless otherwise specified.

[0053] The serial numbers assigned to components herein, such as "first," "second," etc., are used solely to distinguish the objects being described and do not convey any sequential or technical meaning. References to "connection" and "coupling" herein, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (couplings).

[0054] This embodiment provides a chip clamping device.

[0055] Please refer to Figure 1-9 The chip clamping device includes a chip carrier 100, a clamping mechanism 200, a positioning and pushing mechanism 300, and a mechanical linkage mechanism. The positioning and pushing mechanism 300 positions the biochip 500 placed on the chip carrier 100 against the positioning member. The clamping mechanism 200 clamps and secures the biochip 500, which has been placed and positioned on the chip carrier 100. The mechanical linkage mechanism links the clamping mechanism 200 with the positioning and pushing mechanism 300 to sequentially complete the positioning and clamping actions.

[0056] The chip carrier 100 is provided with a chip carrier position, and the chip carrier position can carry the biochip 500 loaded thereon. Specifically, in one embodiment, the chip carrier 100 is roughly rectangular, and its top surface is flat. A chip receiving groove 110 is provided on the top surface of the chip carrier 100, and a middle support seat 120 is provided in the chip receiving groove 110. The chip receiving groove 110 and the middle support seat 120 are used to form a chip carrier position. The length and width of the chip receiving groove 110 correspond to the length and width of the edge frame 510 of the biochip 500, and can achieve the approximate positioning of the biochip 500. The middle support seat 120 can support the chip body 520 on the biochip 500 located in the edge frame 510, and ensure the flatness of the chip body 520 so that the optical detection module can detect the biochip 500 along the upper surface of the chip body 520. A chamfer is provided between the top of the side wall of the chip receiving groove 110 and the top surface of the chip carrier 100. The chamfer forms a guiding slope, which can guide the biochip 500 to enter the chip receiving groove 110 more easily, thereby achieving a rough positioning of the biochip 500, thereby facilitating subsequent accurate positioning and pressing.

[0057] It should be noted that the chip carrier position refers to the area on the chip carrier 100 that overlaps with the biochip 500 along the pressing direction of the biochip 500 after the biochip 500 is loaded onto the chip carrier 100. This area may not have a clear structural difference from other areas on the chip carrier 100. For example, the biochip 500 may also be supported on the top surface of the chip carrier 100, and the chip receiving groove 110 on the chip carrier 100 is not a necessary structure. For example, when a protruding middle support seat 120 is provided on the top surface of the chip carrier 100, the middle support seat 120 can support the chip body 520 of the biochip 500, and the position on the top surface of the chip carrier 100 located around the middle support seat 120 in the horizontal direction can support the edge frame 510 of the biochip 500.

[0058] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in some embodiments, after the biochip 500 is loaded into place, a gap may exist between the edge frame 510 of the biochip 500 and the chip carrier 100, with the chip carrier 100 supporting only the chip body 520 of the biochip 500. Alternatively, a gap may exist between the chip body 520 of the biochip 500 and the chip carrier 100, with the chip carrier 100 supporting only the edge frame 510 of the biochip 500. Furthermore, the aforementioned edge frame 510 and chip body 520 are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the biochip 500 to having both the edge frame 510 and the chip body 520.

[0059] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 7 refer to Figure 9 , a vacuum adsorption channel is provided on the chip carrier, and the vacuum adsorption channel is used to adsorb and fix the biochip 500. Specifically, a vacuum groove 121 is provided on the top surface of the middle support seat 120, and a vacuum hole 122 is provided at the bottom of the vacuum groove 121, and the vacuum hole 122 is used to connect to a negative pressure source; the above-mentioned vacuum hole 122 can be set at a position close to the edge of the vacuum groove 121 at the bottom of the groove, or it can be set at other positions, such as on the side wall of the vacuum groove 121; in addition, the number of vacuum holes 122 can be at least two. In order to realize the connection between the vacuum hole 122 and the external negative pressure source, please refer to Figure 9In one specific embodiment, vacuum connectors 123 are provided on the underside of the four corners of the central support base 120 of the chip carrier 100. The vacuum connectors 123 can be connected to a negative pressure source via vacuum tubes. Internal channels are provided within the central support base 120, connecting the vacuum connectors 123 and the vacuum holes 122. These internal channels can be provided at the four corners of the central support base 120 and further connected to the vacuum holes 122 within the vacuum grooves 121. When the number of vacuum holes 122 is two or more, each vacuum hole 122 can be connected in parallel to the internal channels. The vacuum grooves 121 and vacuum holes 122 form a vacuum adsorption channel, which enables the biochip 500 to be tightly attached to the central support base 120. In other embodiments, if the chip carrier is not provided with a central support base 120, such as when the chip carrier is provided with a flat support surface, the vacuum adsorption channel can also be provided on the flat support surface at the top of the chip carrier 100. In addition, the vacuum holes 122 can also be directly arranged in an array form on the top surface of the middle support seat 120, and the vacuum adsorption channels are directly formed by relying on the vacuum holes 122.

[0060] The aforementioned vacuum adsorption channel not only ensures the flatness of the biochip 500, facilitating clear imaging by the optical detection module, but also allows the biochip 500 to be more firmly fixed to the chip carrier 100, thereby improving reliability. Furthermore, since the biochip 500 requires a specific temperature for reaction, a temperature control module is provided on the central support base 120 of the chip carrier 100. For example, a heating element and a cooling element can be provided simultaneously to timely adjust the temperature of the central support base 120. The vacuum adsorption channel allows the biochip 500 to be closely attached to the central support base 120, enabling faster heat conduction.

[0061] The vacuum adsorption channel can serve as an auxiliary fixation method, and adsorption is performed after the compression mechanism 200 compresses the biochip 500 to prevent air leakage. Furthermore, when performing genetic testing, the gene sequencing device needs to sequentially introduce various liquids into the flow cell within the biochip 500. Therefore, the flow cell's liquid inlet and outlet must be connected to corresponding liquid supply lines. The vacuum adsorption channel helps the flow cell's liquid inlet and outlet to adhere closely to the liquid path interface 131 on the chip carrier 100 along the compression direction of the biochip 500.

[0062] In one embodiment, an elastic floating block 130 is provided on the chip supporting position, and a spring is provided between the elastic floating block 130 and the main body of the chip supporting platform 100, and the spring is used to apply a force to the elastic floating block 130 in a clamping direction opposite to the clamping mechanism 200; the elastic floating block 130 is provided with the above-mentioned liquid path interface 131, and the liquid path interface 131 is used to connect to the circulation pool on the biochip 500.

[0063] In a specific embodiment, please refer to Figures 7 to 9Elastic floating blocks 130 are respectively provided on opposite sides of the central support base 120. Each elastic floating block 130 is provided with four fluidic interfaces 131, which can respectively communicate with the four flow cells on the biochip 500. Pipeline interfaces are provided on the sides of the elastic floating blocks 130. These interfaces can connect to pipelines in the fluid system 640 and communicate with the fluidic interfaces 131 through flow channels within the elastic floating blocks 130. Of course, in other embodiments, the number of fluidic interfaces 131 on the biochip 500 can be increased or decreased depending on the number of flow cells on the biochip 500.

[0064] In order to ensure that the biochip 500 is aligned with the liquid path interface 131 on the chip carrier 100, and to facilitate the lens of the optical detection system 620 to efficiently image along the length direction of the circulation pool, a positioning piece needs to be set on the chip carrier 100 to position the biochip 500.

[0065] In a specific embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 9 The biochip 500 has a transverse positioning hole 531 at each end of one of its long sides, and a longitudinal positioning hole 532 in the middle of one of its short sides. Correspondingly, the chip carrier 100 has three positioning posts: two transverse positioning posts 141 and one longitudinal positioning post 142. The three positioning posts are arranged in a triangular pattern and are designed to be inserted into corresponding positioning holes on the biochip 500 and abut against the walls of the positioning holes to achieve positioning. To facilitate rapid installation of the biochip 500, the positioning holes do not completely align with the positioning posts; instead, the holes are larger than the positioning posts. When the biochip 500 is placed on the chip carrier, it can be roughly positioned by the chip carrier to allow the positioning posts to be inserted into the positioning holes. Then, by moving the biochip 500 parallel to the carrier plane of the chip carrier 100 in a direction oblique to the long and short sides of the biochip 500, the biochip 500 can be positioned laterally by the transverse positioning holes 531 and vertically by the longitudinal positioning holes 532.

[0066] More specifically, in one embodiment, the side edges of the chip body 520 of the biochip 500 are exposed within the aforementioned transverse positioning holes 531 and longitudinal positioning holes 532. When positioning the biochip 500, the two adjacent side edges of the chip body 520 on the biochip 500 after parallel movement can respectively contact the transverse positioning posts 141 and the longitudinal positioning posts 142. Because the position of the chip body 520 of the biochip 500 determines the desired positioning location, accurate positioning can be achieved through contact between the positioning posts and the chip body 520.

[0067] During the positioning process, an inclined surface can be provided on the biochip 500 that is inclined relative to the short side and the long side, and the biochip 500 can be moved in an oblique and parallel direction by pushing the inclined surface. Figure 4 A positioning notch 540 is provided on the side of the biochip 500 facing away from the two transverse holes. The positioning notch 540 forms a lateral inclined surface 541 for achieving oblique parallel movement of the biochip 500 under the push of the corresponding positioning swing arm 310. The specific structure of the positioning swing arm 310 will be described below.

[0068] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the positioning member may also be a different structure, such as two positioning blocks, each configured to contact two adjacent sidewalls of the biochip 500 to achieve positioning. Alternatively, the positioning member may be a larger number of positioning posts. Furthermore, the positioning member may be pushed in two directions to achieve abutment and positioning. However, relying on the aforementioned lateral inclined surface 541 facilitates the simplification of the positioning and pushing mechanism 300.

[0069] The above describes the use environment and clamping requirements of the biochip 500. The following describes in detail how the chip clamping device of the present invention clamps the biochip 500. The clamping of the biochip 500 is achieved by the pressing mechanism 200, the positioning and pushing mechanism 300, and the mechanical linkage mechanism.

[0070] In one embodiment, the pressing mechanism 200 has a pressing state for pressing the biochip 500 onto the chip carrier during its active stroke, such as Figures 1 to 8 Also has an unlocked state of unlocking the biochip 500, as shown Figure 10 、 Figure 11 As shown. In a specific embodiment, the pressing mechanism 200 includes a rotating shaft 210, to which a pressing head 220 is fixed. The pressing head 220 is arranged corresponding to the side of the chip carrier. The pressing head 220 can press the corresponding side of the biochip 500 when the rotating shaft 210 rotates. To prevent the pressing head 220 from protruding too high from the biochip 500 when pressing the biochip 500, causing the lens of the optical detection system 620 to be raised or lowered to a large height to avoid it, in a preferred embodiment, a pressing groove is provided on the side of the biochip 500 to be pressed, and the pressing head 220 can swing into the pressing groove to press the biochip 500.

[0071] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the shaft 210 is positioned below the plane of the top surface of the chip carrier 100, thereby preventing the shaft 210 from interfering with the lens of the optical detection system 620. In a specific embodiment, the chip carrier 100 is provided with a shaft through-hole 150 for the shaft 210 to pass through, and a clearance groove is provided on the chip carrier 100 to prevent the indenter 220 from swinging. This assembly arrangement of the shaft 210 further minimizes interference with the optical detection system 620, resulting in a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.

[0072] In one embodiment, to facilitate control over the precision of the clamping mechanism 200's movement and prevent damage to the biochip 500 caused by excessive compression of the biochip 500 by the clamping mechanism 200, the clamping mechanism 200 includes a first elastic member 230. The first elastic member 230 is used to apply a force to the clamping mechanism 200 toward a compressed state. A mechanical linkage mechanism is used to overcome the elastic force of the first elastic member 230 and drive the clamping mechanism 200 to an unlocked state. Thus, the force compressing the biochip 500 is provided by the elastic compressive force of the first elastic member 230, and the unlocking position during unlocking does not require precise control, thereby enhancing safety. Furthermore, the compression of the first elastic member 230 can synergize with the suction action of the vacuum suction channel, facilitating the establishment of a vacuum in the vacuum suction channel while also preventing the underpressure of the elastic clamping method, thereby achieving a good clamping effect. To ensure stable compression of the biochip 500, the chip carrier 100 is provided with a clamping mechanism 200 on opposite sides of the chip carrier. The chip clamping device further includes a synchronous pressing device 250 , which is used to drive the two pressing mechanisms 200 to press and unlock synchronously.

[0073] In a specific embodiment, an input crank arm 240 is provided on the rotating shaft 210 of the clamping mechanism 200, and the synchronous clamping device 250 includes a translational driving member 252, which is arranged between the input crank arms 240 of the two clamping mechanisms 200. The driving member 252 is used to push the input crank arm 240 to swing during translation, and the input crank arm 240 is used to drive the rotating shaft 210 to swing during swinging.

[0074] In one embodiment, the driving member 252 is a push plate, the ends of which are parallel to the supporting surface formed by the chip carrier 100. Each end of the push plate is used to drive a clamping mechanism 200. The input crank arm 240 in the clamping mechanism 200 is provided with a roller 241, which is supported on the push plate. Of course, in order to drive the clamping mechanism 200 via the push plate and roller 241, the line connecting the center of the roller 241 and the rotating shaft 210 of the input crank arm 240 must be inclined relative to the extension and retraction direction of the driving member 252. The provision of the roller 241 helps reduce wear, eases maintenance, and ensures smooth operation of the clamping mechanism 200.

[0075] The push plate can be driven by an electric cylinder 251, or by a pneumatic cylinder, electric push rod, or other similar structure. Furthermore, the push plate's direction of motion can be parallel to or perpendicular to the axis of the input crank arm 240. In one specific embodiment, the push plate's direction of motion is perpendicular to the axis of the input crank arm 240. The push plate is movable along the clamping direction of the biochip 500 and is mounted on two guide posts 253. The guide posts 253 guide the push plate's movement and limit its swing. The output shaft of the electric cylinder 251 is connected to the push plate to drive its movement. In other embodiments, when the push plate's direction of motion is parallel to the axis of the input crank arm 240, a wedge can be used to drive the input crank arm 240.

[0076] It should be noted that the synchronous pressing device 250 can also be replaced by other forms, such as a cam mechanism, a screw nut mechanism, etc. In addition, the shape of the input crank arm 240 is not limited, for example Figure 3 、 Figures 5 to 6 、 Figure 9 As shown, the input crank arm 240 can be a rectangular block structure. In some other embodiments, the input crank arm 240 can also be other shapes, such as an L-shaped structure (which can be similar to the positioning swing arm 310 below), one end of which is connected to the first elastic member 230 and the other end is adapted to the driving member 252.

[0077] In order to achieve the installation of the first elastic member 230, in one embodiment, a connecting beam 254 is fixed to the top of the two guide columns 253, and a tension spring is provided between the two ends of the connecting beam 254 and the input crank arm 240 on the corresponding side. The tension spring can serve as the first elastic member 230 to drive the clamping mechanism 200 and apply a force to the clamping mechanism 200 to move toward the clamping state.

[0078] The positioning and pushing mechanism 300 is movably disposed on the chip carrier 100 and is used to push the biochip 500 to translate along the carrier surface of the chip carrier 100 and abut against the positioning member to position the biochip 500. As described above, the biochip 500 can be positioned by horizontal or oblique pushing. The following detailed description uses oblique pushing as an example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0079] In one embodiment, the positioning pushing mechanism 300 includes a positioning swing arm 310, which is arranged corresponding to one of the side edges of the chip carrier position. The positioning swing arm 310 is rotatably assembled on the chip carrier platform 100 and is used to push the lateral inclined surface 541 at the side edge of the biochip 500 in a swinging manner to position the biochip 500.

[0080] Specifically, the positioning swing arm 310 includes a driving arm 311 and a positioning arm 312. A hinge structure is provided at the connection between the driving arm 311 and the positioning arm 312 for being hinged to the chip carrier 100. The hinge structure is used to rotate the positioning swing arm 310 and assemble it onto the chip carrier 100. Furthermore, one side of the driving arm 311 on either side of its swing direction is connected to a mechanical linkage mechanism, and the other side is provided with an elastic return member (which may be a second elastic member 330). The elastic return member is used to input a driving force to the positioning push mechanism 300 to position the biochip 500.

[0081] In a specific embodiment, a driving rod 320 and a second elastic member 330 are provided on both sides of the positioning arm 312 of the positioning swing arm 310. The driving rod 320 extends along the long side direction of the chip carrier 100 and is used to connect to the mechanical linkage mechanism to form a power input component in the form of a translational motion, while the second elastic member 330 is a compression spring. A guide groove 160 is provided on the chip carrier 100, and the driving rod 320 is guided and assembled in the guide groove 160, and the compression spring is also embedded in the guide groove 160 to achieve positioning. The guide groove 160 is provided to assemble the positioning push mechanism 300, and the structure is simple and easy to install. A cover can be provided at the notch of the guide groove 160 to protect and position the internal mechanism. Similar to the clamping mechanism 200, the second elastic member 330 is used to input driving force to the positioning pushing mechanism 300 to position the biochip 500, and the mechanical linkage mechanism is used to overcome the elastic force of the second elastic member 330 and drive the positioning pushing mechanism 300 to reset. This can reduce the requirements for the movement accuracy of the positioning pushing mechanism 300 and avoid excessive pushing force to damage the biochip 500.

[0082] When the driving rod 320 is not acted upon by the mechanical linkage mechanism, the second elastic member 330 elastically drives the positioning swing arm 310 to swing in the direction of abutting against the biochip 500, thereby obliquely pushing the biochip 500 against the positioning member to achieve positioning. When the driving rod 320 is acted upon by the mechanical linkage mechanism, the driving rod 320 can transmit a force to the second elastic member 330 through the positioning swing arm 310, driving the second elastic member 330 to compress, while simultaneously achieving the opposite swing of the positioning swing arm 310, separating the positioning swing arm 310 from the biochip 500, thereby facilitating the removal of the biochip 500 and the insertion of the next biochip 500. Figure 10 、 Figure 11 shown.

[0083] The mechanical linkage mechanism is connected between the clamping mechanism 200 and the positioning and pushing mechanism 300. The mechanical linkage mechanism is used to make the clamping mechanism 200 and the positioning and pushing mechanism 300 interlocked. The mechanical linkage mechanism enables the positioning and pushing mechanism 300 to complete the positioning action before the clamping mechanism 200 moves to the clamping state. In a specific embodiment, the mechanical linkage mechanism includes a driving cam 410, which is fixed on the rotating shaft 210 of the clamping mechanism 200, and the driving rod 320 abuts against the cam surface of the driving cam 410 so that when the driving cam 410 swings, it produces translation, thereby realizing the linkage between the clamping mechanism 200 and the positioning and pushing mechanism 300. Those skilled in the art should know that in order to make the positioning and pushing mechanism 300 complete before the clamping mechanism 200 moves to the clamping state, this can be achieved by correspondingly setting the profile of the driving cam 410. The rotating shaft 210 serves as the power input component of the clamping mechanism 200. It is a rotating member arranged in a rotational manner, which is convenient for driving the driving cam 410 to rotate to achieve the corresponding action. It should be noted that the specific types and installation methods of the above-mentioned first elastic member 230 and second elastic member 330 can be selected according to factors such as space requirements and assembly convenience. For example, the first elastic member 230 and the second elastic member 330 can both be replaced by torsion springs, and the first elastic member 230 can also use a compression spring, and the second elastic member 330 can also use a tension spring.

[0084] In addition, the mechanical linkage mechanism described above employs a cam mechanism. In other embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanical linkage mechanism may be replaced with other forms. For example, for a clamping mechanism 200 including a rotating shaft 210, the rotating shaft 210 and the drive rod 320 in the positioning and pushing mechanism 300 may be linked by a slider-crank mechanism, with the crank being fixed to the rotating shaft 210 and the drive rod 320 serving as a slider. For another example, for a positioning and pushing mechanism 300 that positions the biochip 500 by pushing in two perpendicular directions, the first pusher for pushing in the first direction and the second pusher for pushing in the second direction in the positioning and pushing mechanism 300 may be connected to the power input member (e.g., the rotating shaft 210) of the clamping mechanism 200 via corresponding transmission mechanisms. These corresponding transmission mechanisms can be configured by those skilled in the art as needed. For example, a rack-and-pinion mechanism or a cam mechanism may be used to convert the rotation of the rotating shaft 210 into movement of the first pusher in the first direction, which is then driven by a bevel gear to rotate the power input shaft of the positioning and pushing mechanism 300, and then the cam mechanism may be used to drive the second pusher in the second direction. It should also be noted that, in some other embodiments, the power input component of the clamping mechanism 200 may also be a linear member, for example, the ram 220 may be swung by driving the gear to rotate through a linear rack, or the ram 220 may be swung by driving the crank to rotate through a linear slider; and the power input component of the positioning pushing mechanism 300 may also be a rotating member. The specific structural forms of the clamping mechanism 200 and the positioning pushing mechanism 300 can be designed by technical personnel in this field as needed.

[0085] Through the cooperation of the clamping mechanism 200, the positioning and pushing mechanism 300 and the mechanical linkage mechanism, the positioning and clamping of the biochip 500 can be automated, thereby improving the positioning and clamping efficiency of the biochip 500 and enhancing the clamping quality.

[0086] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a gene sequencing device.

[0087] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 12 The gene sequencing device includes a device frame 610, a chip clamping device, an optical detection system 620, a fluid system 640, a refrigeration device 630, a display module 650, a control system, a power supply system, and the like. The chip clamping device is the chip clamping device described in any of the aforementioned embodiments; the optical detection system 620 is used to detect optical signals on the biochip 500; the fluid system 640 is used to deliver samples and / or reagents to be tested to the biochip 500; and the refrigeration device 630 is used to store samples and / or reagents at low temperatures. All other structures of the gene sequencing device, except for the chip clamping device, can adopt existing structures and will not be described in detail here.

[0088] The above examples are used to illustrate the present invention, which are only used to help understand the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make several simple deductions, modifications or substitutions based on the concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. A chip clamping device, characterized in that: include: A chip carrier platform, wherein the chip carrier platform is provided with a chip carrier position for carrying a biochip; a pressing mechanism, movably disposed on the chip carrier, wherein the pressing mechanism has a pressing state for pressing the biochip onto the chip carrier position and an unlocking state for unlocking the biochip during its movable travel; a positioning pushing mechanism, movably disposed on the chip carrier, for pushing the biochip to translate along the carrier surface of the chip carrier and abut against a positioning member to position the biochip; And a mechanical linkage mechanism is connected between the clamping mechanism and the positioning pushing mechanism, the mechanical linkage mechanism is used to link the clamping mechanism with the positioning pushing mechanism, and the mechanical linkage mechanism enables the positioning action of the positioning pushing mechanism to be completed before the clamping mechanism moves to the clamping state.

2. The chip clamping device according to claim 1, wherein: It includes a first elastic member, which is used to input a force to the clamping mechanism to move toward the clamping state. The mechanical linkage mechanism is used to overcome the elastic force of the first elastic member and drive the clamping mechanism to move to the unlocking state.

3. The chip clamping device according to claim 1, wherein: It comprises a second elastic member, which is used to input driving force to the positioning and pushing mechanism to position the biochip, and the mechanical linkage mechanism is used to overcome the elastic force of the second elastic member and drive the positioning and pushing mechanism to reset.

4. The chip clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The chip carrier is provided with a clamping mechanism on two opposite sides of the chip carrier position, and the chip clamping device also includes a synchronous clamping device, which is used to drive the two clamping mechanisms to synchronously clamp and unlock.

5. The chip clamping device according to claim 4, wherein: The clamping mechanism includes a rotating shaft, on which an input crank arm is provided; the synchronous clamping device includes a translational driving member, which is arranged between the input crank arms of the two clamping mechanisms, and the driving member is used to push the input crank arm to swing during translation, and the input crank arm is used to drive the rotating shaft to swing during swinging.

6. The chip clamping device according to claim 5, wherein: The driving member is a push plate, and both ends of the push plate are parallel to the bearing surface formed by the chip carrier. The two ends of the push plate are respectively used to drive one of the clamping mechanisms to move. A roller is provided on the input crank arm in the clamping mechanism, and the roller is used to support the push plate.

7. The chip clamping device according to claim 5, wherein: A pressing head is fixed on the rotating shaft. The pressing head is arranged corresponding to the side of the chip carrying position. The pressing head can press the corresponding side of the biochip when the rotating shaft rotates.

8. The chip clamping device according to claim 7, wherein: The rotating shaft is lower than the plane where the top surface of the chip carrying platform is located.

9. The chip clamping device according to claim 8, wherein: The chip carrier is provided with a shaft through-hole for the shaft to pass through, and the chip carrier is provided with an avoidance groove for avoiding the swing of the pressure head.

10. The chip clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The positioning member includes at least three positioning columns, and the at least three positioning columns are arranged in a triangle. The positioning pushing mechanism includes a positioning swing arm, and the positioning swing arm is arranged corresponding to one of the side edges of the chip carrying position. The positioning swing arm is used to push the lateral inclined surface at the side edge of the biochip in a swinging form to position the biochip.

11. The chip clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The positioning swing arm includes a driving arm and a positioning arm. A hinge structure is provided at the connection between the driving arm and the positioning arm. The hinge structure is used to rotate the positioning swing arm and assemble it to the chip carrier. The mechanical linkage mechanism is connected to the driving arm of the positioning swing arm to drive the positioning swing arm to swing.

12. The chip clamping device according to claim 11, wherein: One side of the driving arm on both sides of the swing direction is connected to the mechanical linkage mechanism, and the other side is provided with an elastic reset member, which is used to input driving force to the positioning and pushing mechanism to position the biochip.

13. The chip clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The mechanical linkage mechanism includes a driving cam, the power input component of one of the clamping mechanism and the positioning pushing mechanism is a rotating member, and the power input component of the other is a translation member, the driving cam is fixed on the rotating member, and the translation member abuts against the driving cam to generate translation when the driving cam swings.

14. The chip clamping device according to claim 13, wherein: The chip carrier is provided with a guide groove, and the power input component in the form of a translation member is guided and assembled in the guide groove.

15. The chip clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The chip carrier is provided with a vacuum adsorption channel, and the vacuum adsorption channel is used for adsorbing and fixing the biochip.

16. The chip clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: An elastic floating block is provided on the chip supporting position, and a spring is provided between the elastic floating block and the main body of the chip supporting platform, and the spring is used to apply a force to the elastic floating block in the direction opposite to the clamping direction of the clamping mechanism; a liquid path interface is provided on the elastic floating block, and the liquid path interface is used to elastically press to the bottom of the biochip to connect with the circulation pool on the biochip.

17. A gene sequencing device, characterized in that: include: A chip clamping device, wherein the chip clamping device is the chip clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 16; An optical detection system, wherein the optical detection system is used to detect optical signals on the biochip; A fluid system is used to transport samples and / or reagents to be tested to the biochip.

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