Sample analyzer and sample analysis method

Abstract

The invention discloses a sample analyzer and a sample analysis method.The sample preparation assembly of the sample analyzer comprises a pipetting needle and a driving part, the sample preparation assembly is used for obtaining a to-be-detected sample through the pipetting needle, and the driving part is used for driving the pipetting needle to move; the reaction assembly and the reagent assembly are arranged on one side of the sample preparation assembly, the reagent assembly is used for storing a detection reagent, and the pipetting needle is used for adding a to-be-detected sample and the detection reagent to the reaction assembly; the sample analyzer can directly add a detection reagent in the reagent assembly into the reaction assembly through the pipetting needle, so that the consumption during maintenance and reagent replacement is reduced. Moreover, after the pipetting needle sucks the detection reagent from the reagent assembly, the needle lifting speed of the pipetting needle below the liquid level of the detection reagent is not equal to the needle lifting speed of the pipetting needle above the liquid level, so that the amount of the detection reagent carried by the outer wall of the pipetting needle during needle lifting is reduced, and the utilization rate of the detection reagent is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a sample analyzer and a sample analysis method. Background Art

[0002] A sample analyzer is an instrument that counts and classifies cells in samples such as serum and plasma. After obtaining the sample to be tested, the analyzer adds a test reagent to the sample to react and prepare a sample solution that meets the test component requirements.

[0003] Existing sample analyzers typically use a metering pump to add test reagents to the reaction assembly. A portion of the tubing between the metering pump and the reaction assembly must be filled with test reagents. When maintenance or reagent replacement is required, the test reagent in the tubing from the metering pump to the reaction assembly must be discarded, resulting in high reagent consumption and low reagent utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a sample analyzer and a sample analysis method.

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present application provides a first technical solution: a sample analyzer is provided, which includes a sample preparation component, a reaction component and a reagent component; the sample preparation component includes a pipette needle and a driving component, the sample preparation component is used to obtain the sample to be tested and the detection reagent through the pipette needle, and the driving component is used to drive the pipette needle to move; the reaction component and the reagent component are arranged on one side of the sample preparation component, the reagent component is used to store the detection reagent, and the pipette needle is used to add the sample to be tested and the detection reagent to the reaction component; wherein, after the pipette needle absorbs the detection reagent from the reagent component, the driving component is used to drive the pipette needle to lift the needle, and the lifting speed of the pipette needle below the liquid surface of the detection reagent is not equal to the lifting speed of the pipette needle above the liquid surface.

[0006] Optionally, the above-mentioned pipette needle is located below the above-mentioned liquid surface, and the above-mentioned driving member is used to drive the above-mentioned pipette needle to lift the needle at a first speed so that the above-mentioned pipette needle leaves the liquid surface of the above-mentioned detection reagent. The above-mentioned driving member is also used to continue to drive the above-mentioned pipette needle to lift the needle at a second speed after leaving the above-mentioned liquid surface, and the above-mentioned first speed is less than the above-mentioned second speed.

[0007] Optionally, the first speed is between 4.88 mm / S and 14.64 mm / S, and the second speed is between 87.84 mm / S and 107.36 mm / S.

[0008] Optionally, the first speed is between 4.88 mm / S and 9.76 mm / S.

[0009] Optionally, the driving member is used to drive the pipetting needle to probe below the liquid surface of the reagent assembly, and the height between the needle tip of the pipetting needle and the liquid surface is between 4 mm and 12 mm.

[0010] Optionally, after the pipette needle absorbs the detection reagent, the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle to move to the reaction component, and the driving member is further used to drive the pipette needle to add the detection reagent to the reaction component in a swinging state.

[0011] Optionally, the detection reagent includes a dye solution, the reagent assembly includes a reagent storage mechanism for storing the dye solution, the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle to probe below the liquid surface of the reagent storage mechanism and absorb the dye solution, and the driving member is also used to drive the pipette needle to lift the needle at the first speed and the second speed respectively.

[0012] Optionally, after the pipetting needle is lifted, the driving member is further used to drive the pipetting needle to move in a horizontal direction, and the reagent storage mechanism and the reaction assembly are arranged along the horizontal direction.

[0013] Optionally, the pipette needle adds the sample to be tested and the detection reagent to the reaction component, and the reaction component is used to incubate under preset conditions so that the sample to be tested and the detection reagent react to obtain the sample solution to be tested; the sample analyzer also includes a detection component, which is connected to the reaction component, and the detection component is used to count and detect the sample solution.

[0014] To solve the above problems, the present application provides a second technical solution: a sample analysis method is provided, which is applied to the above-mentioned sample analyzer, and the sample analysis method includes: adding the sample to be tested to the reaction component through a pipette needle; controlling the above-mentioned pipette needle to probe below the liquid surface of the reagent component and absorb the detection reagent; controlling the above-mentioned pipette needle to lift the needle, wherein the lifting speed of the above-mentioned pipette needle below the liquid surface of the above-mentioned detection reagent is not equal to the lifting speed of the above-mentioned pipette needle above the liquid surface; controlling the above-mentioned pipette needle to add the above-mentioned detection reagent to the above-mentioned reaction component to obtain the sample solution to be tested.

[0015] The present application provides a sample analyzer and a sample analysis method, wherein the sample preparation component of the sample analyzer includes a pipette needle and a driving member, wherein the sample preparation component is used to obtain the sample to be tested through the pipette needle, and the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle to move; the reaction component and the reagent component are arranged on one side of the sample preparation component, the reagent component is used to store the detection reagent, and the pipette needle is used to add the sample to be tested and the detection reagent to the reaction component; so that the sample analyzer can directly add the detection reagent in the reagent component to the reaction component through the pipette needle, so as to reduce the consumption during maintenance and reagent replacement. In addition, after the pipette needle absorbs the detection reagent from the reagent component, the lifting speed of the pipette needle below the liquid level of the detection reagent is not equal to the lifting speed of the pipette needle above the liquid level, so as to reduce the amount of detection reagent carried by the outer wall of the pipette needle when lifting the needle, thereby further improving the utilization rate of the detection reagent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive efforts. Among them:

[0017] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a sample analyzer provided by the present application;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the operation of lifting the pipette needle according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 3 1 is a flow chart of an embodiment of the sample analysis method provided by the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present application involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0022] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present application, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the fact that they can be implemented by ordinary technicians in this field. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0023] When a sample analyzer performs a cell counting test using fluorescent staining or chemical staining, it is usually necessary to add a dye solution to the sample to be tested to stain the cell type to be tested in the sample to be tested, so that the detection component can distinguish the cells through staining and obtain the test results.

[0024] Existing sample analyzers typically use a metering pump to add dye to the reaction system. Each time dye is added, a portion of the tubing between the metering pump and the reaction assembly must be filled with dye. When the sample volume is small, this section of tubing requires frequent cleaning and maintenance, during which the dye in the tubing must be discarded. This results in high dye consumption and low dye utilization.

[0025] In view of this, the embodiment of the present application first provides a sample analyzer, which can be used to test blood samples. For example, the sample analyzer can be used to test at least one of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, cell contents, etc. Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a sample analyzer provided by this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the operation of lifting the pipette needle of the present application. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the sample analyzer includes a sample preparation component 11 , a reaction component 12 and a reagent component 13 .

[0026] The sample preparation assembly 11 includes a pipette needle 110 and a drive member (not shown). The sample preparation assembly 11 is used to obtain the sample to be tested and the detection reagent through the pipette needle 110, and the drive member is used to drive the pipette needle 110 to move. The needle body of the pipette needle 110 is usually provided with a liquid channel. The needle tip of the pipette needle 110 is a certain distance away from the entrance of the liquid channel (i.e., the needle port of the pipette needle 110). The drive member needs to drive the pipette needle 110 to sink into the liquid surface and completely immerse the needle port of the pipette needle 110 in the liquid, so that the pipette needle 110 can absorb the corresponding liquid through the liquid channel and perform liquid transfer.

[0027] The reaction component 12 and the reagent component 13 are arranged on one side of the sample preparation component 11. The reagent component 13 is used to store the detection reagent, and the pipette needle 110 is used to add the sample to be tested and the detection reagent to the reaction component 12. The sample analyzer can also include an injection component, the injection component is used to obtain the test tube to be tested, and the test tube stores the sample to be tested. The sample preparation component 11 can puncture the test tube through the pipette needle 110 and absorb the sample to be tested in the test tube. The drive part is used to drive the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle to obtain the sample to be tested. Among them, the drive part can drive the pipette needle 110 to move up and down in the test tube at the same speed, or the drive part can also drive the pipette needle 110 to move up and down at multiple different speeds, which is not specifically limited here. Among them, the sample to be tested can be a blood sample after blood separation and dilution, or it can be an original blood sample obtained by collection; the detection reagent can be a hemolytic agent, dye solution and other reagents used in different detection methodologies, which is not specifically limited here.

[0028] Specifically, after the pipette needle 110 draws the detection reagent from the reagent assembly 13, the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle. The lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 below the liquid surface of the detection reagent is not equal to the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 above the liquid surface. Exemplarily, the driving member drives the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle. When the needle tip of the pipette needle 110 is below the liquid surface of the detection reagent, that is, at least a portion of the needle body of the pipette needle 110 is immersed in the detection reagent, the pipette needle 110 is lifted at a first speed; when the needle tip of the pipette needle 110 is above the liquid surface of the detection reagent, that is, after all the needle body of the pipette needle 110 leaves the liquid surface of the detection reagent, the pipette needle 110 is lifted at a second speed. The first speed and the second speed are not equal.

[0029] Furthermore, the inventors of the present application discovered that the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 is inversely proportional to the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110. When the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 decreases, the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 decreases, thereby reducing the waste of detection reagents and further improving the utilization rate of detection reagents. When the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 increases, the movement speed of the pipette needle 110 is accelerated, which helps to improve the sample preparation efficiency of the sample preparation component 11, and thus improves the analysis efficiency of the sample analyzer. In this embodiment, by setting the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 below the liquid surface of the detection reagent to be unequal to the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 above the liquid surface, the sample analyzer can adjust the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 at different lifting stages according to the user's focus on the utilization rate of the detection reagent and the sample preparation efficiency, so as to optimize the lifting time while reducing the amount of detection reagent carried by the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 when lifting the needle. For example, in one embodiment, the first speed may be greater than the second speed; in another embodiment, the first speed is less than the second speed, and the process of the pipette needle 110 being lifted to the liquid surface after aspirating the liquid can be divided into multiple sections of increasing first speed intervals, and / or the process of the pipette needle 110 being lifted from the liquid surface to a preset height can be divided into multiple sections of increasing second speed intervals, so as to reduce the amount of liquid hanging on the pipette needle 110 when lifting the needle while reducing the time used to lift the needle.

[0030] In an embodiment of the present application, the sample preparation component 11 of the sample analyzer includes a pipette needle 110 and a drive member. The sample preparation component 11 is used to obtain the sample to be tested through the pipette needle 110, and the drive member is used to drive the pipette needle 110 to move. The reaction component 12 and the reagent component 13 are arranged on one side of the sample preparation component 11. The reagent component 13 is used to store the detection reagent, and the pipette needle 110 is used to add the sample to be tested and the detection reagent to the reaction component 12. This allows the sample analyzer to directly add the detection reagent in the reagent component 13 to the reaction component 12 through the pipette needle 110, thereby reducing the consumption during maintenance and reagent replacement. In addition, after the pipette needle 110 absorbs the detection reagent from the reagent component 13, the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 below the liquid level of the detection reagent is not equal to the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 above the liquid level, thereby reducing the amount of detection reagent carried by the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 when lifting the needle while optimizing the lifting time, further improving the utilization rate of the detection reagent and improving the efficiency of sample analysis.

[0031] In one embodiment, the pipette needle 110 is located below the liquid surface, and the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle at a first speed so that the pipette needle 110 leaves the liquid surface of the detection reagent. The driving member is also used to continue driving the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle at a second speed after leaving the liquid surface, and the first speed is less than the second speed.

[0032] Specifically, the driving member drives the pipette needle 110 to lift. When the tip of the pipette needle 110 is below the liquid level of the detection reagent, at least a portion of the pipette needle 110 is immersed in the detection reagent, and the pipette needle 110 is lifted at a low speed to reduce the amount of detection reagent carried by the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 during the lifting. When the tip of the pipette needle 110 is above the liquid level of the detection reagent, that is, the entire needle body of the pipette needle 110 is out of the liquid level of the detection reagent, the pipette needle 110 is lifted at a high speed to reduce the time required for lifting the needle and improve the efficiency of sample analysis.

[0033] Optionally, the first speed is between 4.88 mm / S and 14.64 mm / S, and the second speed is between 87.84 mm / S and 107.36 mm / S.

[0034] Specifically, the first speed can be 4.88mm / S, 5.49mm / S, 6.1mm / S, 6.71mm / S, 7.32mm / S, 7.93mm / S, 8.54mm / S, 9.15mm / S, 9.76mm / S, 10.98mm / S, 12.2mm / S, 13.42mm / S or 14.64mm / S, or the process of the pipette needle 110 being lifted to the liquid surface after aspirating the liquid can be divided into multiple increasing first speed intervals, and the first speed interval is composed of the above-mentioned multiple first speeds. The second speed can be 87.84mm / S, 89.06mm / S, 90.28mm / S, 91.5mm / S, 92.72mm / S, 93.94mm / S, 95.16mm / S, 96.38mm / S, 97.6mm / S, 100.04mm / S, 102.48mm / S, 104.92mm / S or 107.36mm / S, or the process of lifting the pipette needle 110 from the liquid surface to the preset height can be divided into multiple increasing second speed intervals, and the second speed interval is composed of the above-mentioned multiple second speeds.

[0035] Understandably, the inventors of the present application have discovered that when the first speed is between 4.88 mm / s and 14.64 mm / s, the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 is much lower than the amount of liquid between the metering pump and the pipeline of the reaction component 12. For example, when the first speed is 4.88 mm / s, the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 is 0.56 μl, while the pipeline between the metering pump and the reaction component 12 is typically filled with 2.3 ml of detection reagent. The sample analyzer of the embodiment of the present application adds the detection reagent from the reagent assembly 13 to the reaction component 12 via the pipette needle 110, which can greatly reduce the amount of detection reagent consumed due to cleaning, maintenance, and reagent replacement, thereby reducing the cost of sample analysis. When the second speed is between 87.84 mm / s and 107.36 mm / s, the time spent by the pipette needle 110 to transfer the liquid of the detection reagent can be reduced, thereby improving the efficiency of sample analysis.

[0036] Furthermore, the first speed can be between 4.88mm / S and 9.76mm / S. For further example, when the first speed is 4.88mm / S and the depth of the pipette needle 110 entering the liquid surface of the detection reagent is 8.5mm, the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 is 0.56μl, and when the first speed is 9.76mm / S and the depth of the pipette needle 110 entering the liquid surface of the detection reagent is 8.5mm, the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 is 0.83μl. It can be understood that when the first speed is low, the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 when transferring the detection reagent is also less. Different from the existing solution when lifting the needle at a single speed, the sample analyzer of this embodiment can effectively reduce the cost of using the detection reagent, reduce the time used to lift the needle, and improve the utilization rate of the detection reagent.

[0037] Optionally, the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle 110 to descend below the liquid level of the reagent assembly 13, and the height between the tip of the pipette needle 110 and the liquid level is between 4 mm and 12 mm. For example, the height between the tip of the pipette needle 110 and the liquid level can be 4 mm, 5 mm, 6.5 mm, 7 mm, 8.5 mm, 9 mm, 10.5 mm, 11 mm, or 12 mm.

[0038] Specifically, the mouth of the pipette needle 110 is at a certain distance from the needle tip. When the pipette needle 110 of this embodiment is used to transfer the detection reagent, in order to prevent the pipette needle 110 from aspirating the detection reagent and other accidents such as empty aspiration during the process of aspirating the detection reagent and to ensure the accurate amount of the detection reagent, the mouth of the pipette needle 110 needs to be completely below the liquid surface of the reagent. For example, when the distance between the mouth of the pipette needle 110 and the needle tip is 1.2 mm, the height between the needle tip of the pipette needle 110 and the liquid surface, that is, the depth of the pipette needle 110 entering the liquid surface of the detection reagent is between 4 mm and 12 mm, ensuring that the pipette needle 110 can also accurately absorb a sufficient amount of detection reagent when the placement position of the instrument or reagent assembly 13 is skewed, thereby improving the reliability of the sample preparation assembly 11. In addition, it can be understood that the depth of the pipette needle 110 entering the liquid surface of the detection reagent should not be too high. Too high will increase the immersion height of the outer wall of the pipette needle, resulting in an increase in the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle.

[0039] In a possible embodiment, the first speed is between 4.88 mm / S and 9.76 mm / S, and the height between the tip of the pipette needle 110 and the liquid surface is between 4 mm and 12 mm, so that the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 is between 0.25 μl and 1.05 μl.

[0040] Specifically, the deeper the pipette needle 110 enters the liquid surface of the detection reagent, the more liquid is carried by the outer wall of the pipette needle 110, and the more liquid is carried by the outer wall of the pipette needle 110. When the driving member drives the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle at a first speed and leave the liquid surface of the detection reagent, the greater the first speed, the more liquid is carried, which is not conducive to improving the utilization rate of the detection reagent. The inventors of this application found that when the first speed is 4.88mm / s and the depth of the pipette needle 110 entering the liquid surface of the detection reagent is 4mm, the amount of liquid carried by the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 is approximately 0.25μl; when the first speed is 9.76mm / s and the depth of the pipette needle 110 entering the liquid surface of the detection reagent is 12mm, the amount of liquid carried by the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 is approximately 1.05μl.

[0041] In the sample analyzer of this embodiment, by controlling the depth of the pipette needle 110 entering the liquid surface and the needle lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 below the liquid surface, the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 can be between 0.25μl and 1.05μl, which can greatly reduce the amount of detection reagent consumed due to cleaning, maintenance, and reagent replacement, reduce the cost of sample analysis, and improve the utilization rate of detection reagents.

[0042] It can be understood that the above-mentioned needle lifting speed, the depth of the pipette needle 110 entering the liquid surface and the amount of hanging liquid are all result data obtained under specific experiments; for example, the above-mentioned needle lifting speed, entry depth and hanging liquid amount are result data obtained when the pipette needle 110 is used to absorb the dye solution; in addition to the above-mentioned variables, the result data will also be related to the type of reagent, the specifications and dimensions of the pipette needle 110, etc., which will not be repeated later.

[0043] In another embodiment, the first speed may also be greater than the second speed. Specifically, the driving member drives the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle. When the needle tip of the pipette needle 110 is below the liquid surface of the detection reagent, at least part of the needle body of the pipette needle 110 is immersed in the detection reagent, and the pipette needle 110 performs high-speed needle lifting to reduce the time used to lift the needle below the liquid surface and improve the efficiency of sample analysis; when the needle tip of the pipette needle 110 is above the liquid surface of the detection reagent, that is, all the needle bodies of the pipette needle 110 leave the liquid surface of the detection reagent, the pipette needle 110 performs low-speed needle lifting to allow the detection reagent carried on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 to have enough time to drip back into the reagent assembly 13, so as to reduce the amount of liquid of the detection reagent carried on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 when the needle is lifted. No further details will be given here.

[0044] Optionally, after the pipette needle 110 absorbs the detection reagent, the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle 110 to move to the reaction component 12. The driving member is also used to drive the pipette needle 110 to add the detection reagent to the reaction component 12 in a swinging state.

[0045] Specifically, after the pipette needle 110 absorbs the detection reagent, the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle and move it to a first preset height; the driving member drives the pipette needle 110 to move in a certain horizontal direction to move the pipette needle 110 above the reaction component 12; the driving member drives the pipette needle 110 to lower the needle and move it to a second preset height. The driving member is also used to drive the pipette needle 110 to swing along the circumferential direction to discharge the detection reagent in the swinging state until the detection reagent is completely added to the reaction component 12.

[0046] In an embodiment of the present application, the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle 110 to add the detection reagent to the reaction component 12 in a swinging state, so that the pipette needle 110 discharges the detection reagent during the swinging process. Under the action of the swinging force, the detection reagent falls to different positions of the reaction component 12 to improve the mixing effect of the detection reagent and the sample to be tested in the reaction component 12, thereby improving the reaction efficiency of the sample to be tested and the detection reagent.

[0047] Optionally, when the detection reagent includes a dye solution, the reagent assembly 13 includes a reagent storage mechanism (not shown), the reagent storage mechanism is used to store the dye solution, the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle to probe below the liquid surface of the reagent storage mechanism and absorb the dye solution, and the driving member is also used to drive the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle at a first speed and a second speed respectively.

[0048] Specifically, when the sample analyzer performs a cell counting test using a fluorescent staining method or a chemical staining method, the driving member is used to probe below the liquid level of the reagent storage mechanism and absorb the dye solution. The driving member is also used to drive the pipette needle 110 to rise to the dye solution level of the reagent storage mechanism at a first speed, and drive the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle from the dye solution level to a preset height at a second speed. After the needle is lifted, the driving member moves the pipette member to the top of the reaction component 12, and the pipette needle 110 discharges the absorbed dye solution into the reaction component 12, so that the dye solution in the reaction component 12 reacts with the sample to be tested. The dye solution is used to stain some cells or components to be tested in the sample to be tested, so as to obtain a sample solution to be tested.

[0049] Understandably, since the reagent cost of the dye solution is generally high, when a metering pump is used to add the dye solution to the reaction component 12, the amount of dye solution in the pipeline of the reaction component 12 is relatively large, resulting in a large amount of dye solution discarded when the user performs pipeline maintenance or reagent replacement. However, the sample analyzer of this embodiment adds the dye solution to the reaction component 12 through the pipette needle 110, thereby reducing the dye solution consumption during maintenance and reagent replacement, and improving the utilization rate of the dye solution.

[0050] Furthermore, after the pipetting needle 110 is lifted, the driving member is also used to drive the pipetting needle 110 to move in the horizontal direction, and the reagent storage mechanism and the reaction component 12 are arranged in the horizontal direction.

[0051] Specifically, the reagent storage mechanism is disposed on one side of the reaction assembly 12 in the horizontal direction, and the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle 110 to move up and down in the vertical direction, and the driving member is also used to drive the pipette needle 110 to move left and right in a horizontal direction of the horizontal plane. For example, the test tube containing the test sample, the reaction assembly 12, and the test tube storage mechanism are arranged in the horizontal direction to facilitate the transfer of the test sample and dye solution by the pipette needle 110 to the reaction assembly 12, thereby improving the pipetting efficiency of the pipette needle 110.

[0052] In one embodiment, a pipette needle 110 adds a sample to be tested and a detection reagent to a reaction assembly 12. The reaction assembly 12 is configured to incubate under predetermined conditions to allow the sample to react with the detection reagent and obtain a sample solution to be tested. The sample analyzer also includes a detection assembly (not shown) connected to the reaction assembly 12 for performing counting and detection on the sample solution.

[0053] Specifically, the detection assembly can include an optical detection component and a detection container. The detection container is used to hold the sample solution, and the optical detection component is used to perform optical testing on the sample solution in the detection container and obtain a counting test result. In this embodiment, the sample to be tested and the detection reagent in the reagent assembly 13 are added to the reaction assembly 12 via a pipette needle 110 to reduce consumption during maintenance and reagent replacement.

[0054] In one embodiment, the detection container and the reaction component 12 can be connected by a pipeline; after the reaction between the sample to be tested and the detection reagent is completed and the sample solution to be tested is obtained, the sample solution of the reaction component 12 enters the detection container through the pipeline; in another embodiment, the sample solution of the reaction component 12 can also be transferred to the detection container through a pipette needle 110 or other liquid transfer device, which is not specifically limited here.

[0055] This application also proposes a sample analysis method, see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flow chart of an embodiment of the sample analysis method provided by this application. Figure 3 As shown, the sample analysis method can be applied to the sample analyzer according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the sample analysis method includes the following steps:

[0056] Step S11 : adding the sample to be tested into the reaction component 12 through the pipette needle 110 .

[0057] Specifically, the sample analyzer obtains the test tube through the sampling component, controls the pipette needle 110 to puncture the test tube and aspirate the sample to be tested in the test tube, so as to add the sample to be tested to the reaction component 12 .

[0058] Step S12: Control the pipette needle 110 to probe below the liquid surface of the reagent assembly 13 and absorb the detection reagent.

[0059] The sample analyzer may also include a cleaning assembly, which is connected to the pipetting assembly and reaction assembly 12. After the sample to be tested is added to the reaction assembly 12, the cleaning fluid in the cleaning assembly cleans the liquid channel and outer wall of the pipette needle 110 to reduce cross-contamination between different liquids. After cleaning, the pipette needle 110 is controlled to be lowered below the liquid level of the detection reagent to aspirate a sufficient amount of the detection reagent.

[0060] Step S13: controlling the lifting of the pipette needle 110 , wherein the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 below the liquid surface of the detection reagent is not equal to the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 above the liquid surface.

[0061] Specifically, when controlling the lifting of the pipette needle 110, the lifting process can be divided into two stages. The first stage is to lift the tip of the pipette needle 110 until the tip contacts the liquid surface of the detection reagent. The second stage is to lift the tip of the pipette needle 110 from the liquid surface to a preset height. The lifting speeds of the first stage and the second stage are not equal, so as to optimize the lifting time while reducing the amount of detection reagent carried by the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 when lifting the needle.

[0062] Optionally, in the first stage, the pipette needle 110 is controlled to be lifted at a first speed, and in the second stage, the pipette needle 110 is controlled to be lifted at a second speed. The first speed is less than the second speed, so as to reduce the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 when the pipette needle 110 is lifted below the liquid surface, reduce the consumption of detection reagents, and further improve the utilization rate of detection reagents.

[0063] Step S14: controlling the pipette needle 110 to add the detection reagent to the reaction component 12 to obtain a sample solution to be detected.

[0064] Specifically, after the pipette needle 110 aspirates the detection reagent, it is controlled to move above the reaction assembly 12 and discharge the aspirated detection reagent into the reaction assembly 12, so that the sample to be tested in the reaction assembly 12 reacts with the detection reagent to obtain a sample solution to be tested. The detection assembly is controlled to perform optical detection on the sample solution to obtain a count detection result of the sample to be tested.

[0065] In an embodiment of the present application, the sample analysis method controls the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 below the liquid surface of the detection reagent to be unequal to the lifting speed of the pipette needle 110 above the liquid surface, so as to reduce the amount of detection reagent carried by the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 when lifting the needle while optimizing the lifting time, thereby further improving the utilization rate of the detection reagent and improving the efficiency of sample analysis.

[0066] The following is a test conducted by the inventors of this application on the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110. The specific test steps are as follows:

[0067] Step S21: Obtain 10 test tubes filled with dye solution, measure and record the weight of the test tubes.

[0068] Step S22: The test tubes are sequentially placed in the automatic sampling position of the sample analyzer, so that the pipette needle 110 of the sample analyzer enters the test tube at a speed of 29.28 mm / s and uses a pump to suck out the dye solution. The depth of the tip of the pipette needle 110 penetrating the dye solution in the test tube is a preset value. After sucking out the dye solution, the pipette needle 110 is lifted at a third speed.

[0069] Step S23: Set the number of runs of step S22 to 30. After the run is completed, weigh the weight of the test tube. Calculate the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 based on the weight difference before and after the test tube, and calculate the average value of the multiple tests to use as the test result.

[0070] Step S24: Modify the third speed of the pipette needle 110 when lifting the needle. The third speeds include: 4.88mm / S, 9.76mm / S, 19.52mm / S, 39.04mm / S, 68.32mm / S, and 107.36mm / S, and repeat the test steps S21-S23 to take the average value of the hanging liquid amount at different needle lifting speeds as the test result. The specific results are shown in Table 1.

[0071] The sample analyzer drives the pipette needle 110 through a driving member, and the third speed when the needle is lifted is represented by the number of motor steps of the driving member. The distance of each step of the driving member is 0.0488 mm.

[0072] Step S25: Modify the depth of the tip of the pipette needle 110 entering the dye solution, and repeat the test steps S21-S23 to test the amount of hanging liquid when the depth values ​​are 4mm, 6.5mm, 8.5mm, and 12mm respectively. The specific results are shown in Table 1.

[0073] Table 1 - Data table of the amount of liquid hanging on the pipette needle 110 at different depths and / or needle lifting speeds

[0074]

[0075] Furthermore, based on the depth and lift speed of the pipette needle 110, this embodiment can also calculate the time it takes for the pipette needle 110 to be lifted, as shown in Table 2. Specifically, when the tip of the pipette needle 110 enters the dye solution to a depth of 8.5 mm and the third speed is 4.88 mm / s, the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 is 0.56 μl. If the pipette needle 110 is lifted vertically at a constant third speed, the total time it takes to lift the pipette needle 110 is 14.6 seconds. When the tip of the pipette needle 110 enters the dye solution to a depth of 8.5 mm and the third speed is 107.36 mm / s, the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 is 2.7 μl. If the pipette needle 110 is lifted vertically at a constant third speed, the total time it takes to lift the pipette needle 110 is 0.9 seconds. It can be seen from this that when the pipette needle 110 is lifted at a constant speed, the higher the lifting speed, the greater the dye loss and the faster the pipetting time; the slower the lifting speed, the smaller the dye loss and the slower the pipetting time.

[0076] In the sample analyzer of the present embodiment, the pipette needle 110 is lifted at a first speed below the liquid surface of the dye, and is lifted at a second speed above the liquid surface of the dye. For example, the first speed is 4.88 mm / s, the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110 is 0.56 μl, and the time it takes for the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle below the liquid surface is 1.8 s; after leaving the liquid surface, the pipette needle 110 performs a variable speed movement, the second speed is 107.36 mm / s, the time it takes for the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle above the liquid surface is 0.67 s, and the total time it takes for the pipette needle 110 to lift the needle is 2.47 s. Compared to using a constant speed to lift the needle, the sample analyzer of the present embodiment can significantly reduce the amount of liquid hanging on the outer wall of the pipette needle 110, reduce the loss of dye, further optimize the total time used to lift the needle, and improve the efficiency of sample analysis.

[0077] Table 2 - Corresponding timetable for the pipette needle 110 to be lifted at different depths and / or lifting speeds

[0078] 4mm 6.5mm 8.5mm 12mm Total time 4.88mm / S 976ms 1388ms 1805ms 2516ms 14.6s 9.76mm / S 467ms 724ms 932ms 1285ms 7.4s 19.52mm / S 268ms 397ms 501ms 680ms 3.8s 39.04mm / S 187ms 255ms 311ms 400ms 2s 69.32mm / S 177ms 216ms 242ms 293ms 1.3s 107.36mm / S 175ms 206ms 230ms 268ms 0.9s

[0079] Furthermore, unlike the existing solution of using a quantitative pump to pump the dye solution into the reaction component 12, 20 μl of dye solution needs to be consumed each time the test is performed, and a portion of the pipeline between the quantitative pump and the reaction component 12 needs to be filled with dye solution, and the amount of dye solution in the pipeline is about 2.3 mL. Adding dye solution by means of a quantitative pump will make it impossible to fully utilize the dye solution in the pipeline, and when the dye solution is replaced, maintained, or the pipeline is maintained, this part of the dye solution will be discarded, reducing the utilization rate of the dye solution. The sample analyzer of this embodiment adds dye solution by using a pipetting needle 110, and does not require dye solution to fill the pipeline, and does not consume additional dye solution when cleaning, repairing the pipeline, or replacing the dye solution. In addition, the sample analyzer of this embodiment further improves the utilization rate of the detection reagent by performing variable speed control on the lifting process of the pipetting needle 110 to reduce the amount of liquid of the detection reagent carried by the outer wall of the pipetting needle 110 when lifting the needle.

[0080] The above description is only an implementation method of the present application and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the description and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A sample analyzer, characterized in that: The sample analyzer comprises: A sample preparation component, comprising a pipette needle and a driving member, wherein the sample preparation component is used to obtain a sample to be tested and a detection reagent through the pipette needle, and the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle to move; The reaction component and the reagent component are arranged on one side of the sample preparation component, the reagent component is used to store the detection reagent, and the pipette needle is used to add the sample to be tested and the detection reagent to the reaction component; Wherein, after the pipette needle absorbs the detection reagent from the reagent assembly, the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle to lift the needle, and the lifting speed of the pipette needle below the liquid surface of the detection reagent is not equal to the lifting speed of the pipette needle above the liquid surface.

2. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein: The pipette needle is located below the liquid surface, and the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle to lift the needle at a first speed so that the pipette needle leaves the liquid surface of the detection reagent. The driving member is also used to continue driving the pipette needle to lift the needle at a second speed after leaving the liquid surface, and the first speed is less than the second speed.

3. The sample analyzer according to claim 2, characterized in that The first speed is between 4.88 mm / S and 14.64 mm / S, and the second speed is between 87.84 mm / S and 107.36 mm / S.

4. The sample analyzer according to claim 3, wherein: The first speed is between 4.88 mm / S and 9.76 mm / S.

5. The sample analyzer according to claim 2, wherein: The driving member is used to drive the pipetting needle to probe below the liquid surface of the reagent assembly, and the height between the needle tip of the pipetting needle and the liquid surface is between 4 mm and 12 mm.

6. The sample analyzer according to claim 2, wherein: After the pipette needle absorbs the detection reagent, the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle to move to the reaction component. The driving member is also used to drive the pipette needle to add the detection reagent to the reaction component in a swinging state.

7. The sample analyzer according to claim 2, wherein: The detection reagent includes a dye solution, the reagent assembly includes a reagent storage mechanism for storing the dye solution, the driving member is used to drive the pipette needle to probe below the liquid surface of the reagent storage mechanism and absorb the dye solution, and the driving member is also used to drive the pipette needle to lift the needle at the first speed and the second speed respectively.

8. The sample analyzer according to claim 7, characterized in that: After the pipetting needle is lifted, the driving member is further used to drive the pipetting needle to move in a horizontal direction, and the reagent storage mechanism and the reaction component are arranged along the horizontal direction.

9. The sample analyzer according to claim 1, wherein: The pipette needle adds the sample to be tested and the detection reagent to the reaction component, and the reaction component is used to incubate under preset conditions to allow the sample to be tested and the detection reagent to react and obtain a sample solution to be tested; The sample analyzer further includes a detection component connected to the reaction component, and the detection component is used to perform counting detection on the sample solution.

10. A sample analysis method, characterized in that: The sample analysis method is applied to the sample analyzer according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the sample analysis method includes: Add the sample to be tested to the reaction component through a pipette needle; Controlling the pipette needle to probe below the liquid surface of the reagent assembly and aspirate the detection reagent; Controlling the lifting of the pipette needle, wherein the lifting speed of the pipette needle below the liquid surface of the detection reagent is different from the lifting speed of the pipette needle above the liquid surface; The pipette needle is controlled to add the detection reagent to the reaction component to obtain a sample solution to be detected.

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