Sample pretreatment device and sample pretreatment method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of sample treatment, and discloses a sample pretreatment device and method, and the sample pretreatment device comprises a sample loading unit which comprises a dumping type sample loading mechanism and / or a tray type sample loading mechanism and / or a frame type sample loading mechanism; the uncovering unit comprises a fixed clamping jaw and a sample tube cap pulling mechanism, and the sample tube cap pulling mechanism is used for pulling a cap of a sample tube; the cache scheduling unit is used for caching and scheduling sample racks for placing sample tubes; and the gripper unit is used for transferring and scheduling the sample tubes among the sample loading unit, the uncovering unit and the cache scheduling unit. According to the sample pretreatment device, the sample tube can be treated according to the working process, the manual participation degree of the sample pretreatment link is reduced, the sample pretreatment efficiency is improved, the structure is simplified, and the size of the device is further reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of sample processing, and in particular to a sample pre-processing device and a processing method. Background Art

[0002] Currently, many clinical diseases are diagnosed by in vitro testing equipment. In conventional biochemical immunoassay diagnosis, biochemical analyzers can complete the detection and analysis of samples. Sample pretreatment is required before the biochemical analyzer analyzes the samples. Sample pretreatment is the most basic link in the entire inspection work. The existing sample pretreatment cannot meet the growing demand and inspection efficiency, resulting in the efficiency of the immunoassay link being affected.

[0003] Sample pre-processing in the prior art still relies on manual labor. Hospital staff need to manually draw blood and then perform sample pre-processing. However, the processing workload is very large, and usually hundreds or thousands of blood collection tubes need to be processed every day. If operations such as identification, classification, and centrifugation are performed manually, it will consume a huge amount of manpower and time costs, and there will also be a series of operational risks. At the same time, the various devices used for sample pre-processing are not highly integrated, which increases the space occupied by the devices. The transfer of blood collection tubes between various devices by staff will further increase the sample pre-processing time, resulting in low sample pre-processing efficiency. Therefore, those skilled in the art are in urgent need of a new sample pre-processing device that can replace traditional manual sample pre-processing while also increasing the efficiency of sample pre-processing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a sample preprocessing device and processing method to solve the problem that conventional sample preprocessing work needs to be completed manually, which consumes a lot of manpower and time costs, has low processing efficiency, and the various devices used for sample preprocessing are not highly integrated, which increases the space occupied.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a sample pre-processing device, comprising:

[0006] A sample loading unit, including a pouring sample loading mechanism and / or a tray sample loading mechanism and / or a rack sample loading mechanism;

[0007] The cover opening unit includes a fixed clamping claw and a sample tube cap removal mechanism, wherein the sample tube cap removal mechanism is used to remove the cap of the sample tube;

[0008] a cache scheduling unit, used for caching and scheduling the sample racks on which the sample tubes are placed;

[0009] The gripper unit is used to transfer and dispatch sample tubes between the loading unit, the lid opening unit and the cache dispatching unit.

[0010] Beneficial effects: The sample pretreatment device provided by the present invention can be used to connect with the analyzer and be responsible for sample pretreatment. When in use, the staff can place the sample tube to be processed into the sample loading unit and complete the loading through the sample loading unit. The sample loading unit includes a pouring-type sample loading mechanism and / or a tray-type sample loading mechanism and / or a rack-type sample loading mechanism, which can not only perform orderly loading but also disorderly loading. When the sample pretreatment device is working, the gripper unit can transfer and dispatch the sample tubes between the sample loading unit, the lid opening unit and the cache scheduling unit according to the work flow. The above-mentioned units have the functions of loading, uncapping, caching and scheduling the sample tubes.

[0011] The sample pretreatment device provided by the present invention can process sample tubes according to the workflow. The staff only needs to place the sample tubes on the loading unit, which reduces the degree of manual participation in the sample pretreatment link, saves manpower and time costs, improves the sample pretreatment efficiency, and improves safety. In addition, the various units are highly integrated, which can reduce the volume and occupied space. The scheduling and transportation are completed by a single gripper unit, which omits the complicated scheduling track setting, simplifies the structure, reduces the system complexity, and further reduces the volume of the device.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, the method further includes:

[0013] The capping unit is arranged close to the rack-type loading mechanism and is used to load the tube caps of the sample tubes. The gripper unit is used to transfer the sample tube caps of the capping unit to the cache scheduling unit for sample tube capping.

[0014] Beneficial Effect: The capping unit can provide new sample tube caps, allowing the gripper unit to transfer the new sample tube caps to the buffer scheduling unit according to the workflow and perform sample tube capping. This structure can automatically complete the loading of new tube caps and the capping of sample tubes, further improving the degree of integration and thereby enhancing sample pre-processing efficiency.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the method further includes:

[0016] a centrifugal unit, configured to centrifuge the sample in the sample tube; and / or,

[0017] The loading unit and the capping unit are arranged in the front area, the centrifugal unit and the buffer scheduling unit are arranged in the rear area opposite to the front area, and the capping unit is arranged in the middle area between the front area and the rear area; and / or,

[0018] The gripper unit is driven to perform three-dimensional motion along X, Y and Z directions in the front area, the middle area and the rear area to transfer the sample tube.

[0019] Beneficial effects: The loading unit and the capping unit are arranged in the front area, which can facilitate the staff to place the sample tubes in the loading unit and the sample tube caps in the capping unit according to the work flow. The centrifugal unit and the cache scheduling unit are arranged in the rear area opposite to the front area, and the capping unit is arranged in the middle area between the front area and the rear area. This can prevent the staff from coming into contact with the centrifugal unit, cache scheduling unit, quality control unit and capping unit that can be processed automatically. While improving safety, it can also prevent uncontrollable factors from interfering with the automated processing flow. And arranging the quality control unit and the capping unit in the middle area can optimize the scheduling path of the gripper unit between each unit, and realize the transfer scheduling of different processes through a shorter path, saving time.

[0020] In an optional embodiment, the centrifugal unit includes a centrifuge, a centrifuge adapter and a trim pipe placement area, and the trim pipe placement area and a plurality of the centrifuge adapters are arranged around an operating port of the centrifuge.

[0021] Beneficial effects: The centrifuge is used to centrifuge sample tubes, and the centrifuge adapter is used to place sample tubes. The sample tubes need to be placed on the centrifuge adapter before they can enter the centrifuge for centrifugation. Each centrifuge adapter can hold several sample tubes, and the balancing tube placement area can balance the sample tubes to ensure the stability of the centrifuge. Arranging multiple centrifuge adapters and balancing tube placement areas around the centrifuge can optimize the spatial layout, making the structure compact, and can optimize the scheduling path, so that the sample tube scheduling transfer path is the shortest or optimal distance, thereby improving the centrifugal efficiency.

[0022] In an optional embodiment, the method further includes:

[0023] A quality control unit, comprising a quality control refrigerator, a quality control retemperature zone, and a quality control mixing mechanism; and / or,

[0024] The opening unit includes a detection camera corresponding to the fixed clamping claw, and the detection camera is used to detect the quality of the sample tube and / or the sample in the sample tube; the opening unit also includes a sample tube cap removal mechanism, and the sample tube cap removal mechanism is used to remove the cap of the sample tube; and / or,

[0025] The cache scheduling unit includes a cache area and a scheduling device, and the scheduling device is used to transfer the sample rack where the sample tubes are placed between the cache area and the analyzer or the conveying track.

[0026] Beneficial effects: The quality control refrigerator can store and refrigerate quality control samples, the quality control reheating area can reheat the quality control sample tubes from the quality control refrigerator, and the quality control mixing mechanism can mix the reheated quality control sample tubes to ensure that the various components in the quality control sample tubes are evenly distributed. The fixed clamping claws of the opening unit can clamp single or multiple sample tubes and / or quality control sample tubes to facilitate the detection camera to detect the sample quality and / or sample residue. The detection camera can also be used to identify whether the sample tube has a tube cap. If the sample tube has a tube cap, the sample tube cap removal mechanism can remove the cap from the sample tube, and then the gripper unit can transfer the sample tube to the sample rack of the cache scheduling unit. The cache area of ​​the cache scheduling unit can be used to cache sample tubes and to scan and identify sample tubes and / or sample racks. The cache area stores multiple sample racks. The gripper unit transfers the sample tubes that have completed sample pretreatment to the corresponding sample rack. The scheduling device can then transfer the sample rack with the sample tubes to the track docking with the analyzer, and / or transfer the sample rack that has completed analysis and testing by the analyzer to the cache area. The setting of the buffer area can cache the sample tubes that have completed pre-processing, so that the various pre-processing units can continue to process unprocessed sample tubes according to the workflow, thereby improving the processing effect. The scheduling device can efficiently transfer the sample rack between the pre-processing device and the analyzer, further improving the processing efficiency.

[0027] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a sample pre-processing method, which is applied to the above-mentioned sample pre-processing device and specifically comprises the following steps:

[0028] Obtain sample loading and detection methods;

[0029] According to the sample loading method, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the decapping unit;

[0030] According to the detection method, controlling the cover opening unit to detect the sample tube to be tested;

[0031] Controlling the gripper unit to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the sample rack of the buffer scheduling unit;

[0032] According to the detection mode, controlling the cache scheduling unit to schedule the sample tubes to be tested on the sample rack and returning the tested sample tubes;

[0033] According to the detection method, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the tested sample tube to a corresponding placement position.

[0034] Beneficial effects: The above method can complete the sample loading, transportation scheduling, detection, testing and return processing of the sample tube to be tested, reducing the degree of manual participation in the sample pre-processing link, saving manpower and time costs, improving the sample pre-processing efficiency and improving safety.

[0035] In an optional embodiment, before the control gripper unit transfers the sample tube of the loading unit to the decapping unit, the method further comprises:

[0036] Based on the detection method, determining whether the sample tube to be tested needs to be centrifuged;

[0037] If yes, controlling the gripper unit to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the centrifugal unit, controlling the centrifugal unit to centrifuge the sample tube to be tested, and controlling the gripper unit to transfer the centrifuged sample tube to be tested to the lid opening unit;

[0038] If not, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the cover opening unit.

[0039] Beneficial effects: The above method can be used to select whether to centrifuge the sample according to the workflow, flexibly adapt to the requirements of different workflows, and improve the efficiency and accuracy of sample pretreatment.

[0040] In an optional embodiment, controlling the cover opening unit to detect the sample tube to be tested includes:

[0041] According to the detection method, controlling the cover opening unit to detect the serum remaining amount and quality of the sample tube to be tested;

[0042] If the serum residual amount and quality of the sample tube to be tested meet the predetermined conditions, determining whether the sample tube to be tested needs to be uncapped, and if so, controlling the uncapping unit to remove the cap from the sample tube;

[0043] If the serum residual amount and quality of the sample tube to be tested do not meet the predetermined conditions, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the sample tube to be tested to a corresponding placement position.

[0044] Beneficial effects: The above method can be used to determine whether the serum residue and quality of the sample tube to be tested meet the predetermined conditions, so as to distinguish between sample tubes that meet the predetermined conditions and those that do not, and can automatically detect whether the sample tube has a tube cap, so as to remove the tube cap to facilitate subsequent testing processes.

[0045] In an optional embodiment, controlling the cover opening unit to open the cover of the sample tube includes:

[0046] Determining whether to retain the original cap of the sample tube to be tested according to the detection method;

[0047] If yes, control the gripper unit to transfer the original tube cap to the sample tube cap placement area

[0048] If not, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer and discard the original pipe cap.

[0049] Beneficial effect: The above method can be used to choose to retain or discard the original tube cap according to the tube cap processing requirements of the sample tube, so that the original tube cap or the new tube cap can be plugged onto the sample tube after testing according to the workflow, without the need for manual classification, thereby improving processing efficiency.

[0050] In an optional embodiment, before controlling the gripper unit to transfer the post-test sample tube to the corresponding placement position, the method further includes:

[0051] According to the detection method, the gripper unit is controlled to cover the original sample tube cap or the new sample tube cap on the tested sample tube.

[0052] Beneficial effect: The above method can be used to cap the original tube cap or the new tube cap on the sample tube after testing according to the tube cap processing requirements of the sample tube to meet the processing requirements of different detection methods, without the need for manual classification, thereby improving processing efficiency.

[0053] In an optional embodiment, controlling the gripper unit to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the capping unit according to the sample loading method further includes:

[0054] Determining whether to test the quality control sample according to the sample loading method;

[0055] If so, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the sample tubes to be tested from the tray-type loading mechanism and / or the rack-type loading mechanism and / or the quality control unit to the decapping unit.

[0056] Beneficial effects: The above method can be used to detect quality control samples, further improving the applicability of the sample pretreatment device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the specific embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0058] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a sample pre-processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the sample loading unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 3Schematic diagram of the structure of a centrifugal unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the quality control unit and the cover opening unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a cache scheduling unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0063] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of the pouring type sample loading mechanism provided by the present invention;

[0064] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of the first angle of the cooperation relationship between the first feeding mechanism and the second feeding mechanism provided by the present invention;

[0065] Figure 8 A second angle structural diagram of the cooperation relationship between the first feeding mechanism and the second feeding mechanism provided by the present invention;

[0066] Figure 9 for Figure 8 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0067] Figure 10 for Figure 8 Enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0068] Figure 11 A third angle structural diagram of the cooperation relationship between the first feeding mechanism and the second feeding mechanism provided by the present invention;

[0069] Figure 12 for Figure 11 Enlarged view of point C in the middle;

[0070] Figure 13 A structural diagram of the cooperation relationship between the second slideway and the silo provided by the present invention;

[0071] Figure 14 for Figure 13 Enlarged view of point D in the middle;

[0072] Figure 15 A structural diagram of the cooperation relationship between the second feeding mechanism and the buffer mechanism provided by the present invention;

[0073] Figure 16 for Figure 15 Enlarged view of point E in the middle;

[0074] Figure 17 A first-perspective perspective diagram of a silo provided by the present invention;

[0075] Figure 18 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the silo provided by the present invention;

[0076] Figure 19 A schematic structural diagram of the first guide bevel and opening provided by the present invention;

[0077] Figure 20 A second perspective perspective diagram of the silo provided by the present invention;

[0078] Figure 21 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the cache mechanism provided by the present invention;

[0079] Figure 22 A schematic cross-sectional view of the cache mechanism provided by the present invention;

[0080] Figure 23 A schematic diagram of a top view of the cache mechanism provided by the present invention;

[0081] Figure 24 for Figure 23 Enlarged view of point F in the middle;

[0082] Figure 25 This is a flow chart of the sample pre-processing method provided by the present invention.

[0083] Description of reference numerals:

[0084] 1. Sample loading unit; 100. Pour-type sample loading mechanism; 101. Tube loading mechanism; 102. Sample loading position; 103. Tray-type sample loading mechanism; 104. Drawer bracket; 105. Sample box; 106. Rack-type sample loading mechanism; 107. Emergency rack; 108. Tube cap discarding position; 109. Fixed sample box; 11. Material bin; 1101. Opening; 1102. Screening slot; 1103. First plate; 1104. Second plate; 1105. Third plate; 1106. Fourth plate; 1107. Collection device; 111. First guide slope; 1111. First slope; 1112. Second slope; 1113. First vertical surface; 112. Second guide slope; 1 121, third inclined surface; 1122, fourth inclined surface; 1123, third vertical surface; 1131, third guide inclined surface; 1132, fourth vertical surface; 1133, feed chute; 1134, first feed port; 114, second vertical surface; 1151, first connecting portion; 1152, second connecting portion; 12, cache mechanism; 1200, base plate; 1201, housing; 1202, sample tray; 1203, first side plate; 1204, second side plate; 1205, cache slide; 1206, connecting block; 1207, first baffle; 1208, second baffle; 1209, first extension; 1210, second extension; 1211, third baffle; 1212 , detection port; 1213, first detection optical coupler; 1214, second detection optical coupler; 1215, transmission shaft; 1216, third drive motor; 1217, third drive wheel; 1218, third driven wheel; 1219, third synchronous belt; 1220, guide cylinder; 1221, first bearing; 1222, second bearing; 1223, connecting part; 1224, sample dividing code disk; 1225, sensor; 1226, connecting plate; 1230, second feeding port; 1231, cache position; 1232, fixed plate; 124, second material stopper; 13, first feeding mechanism; 1301, first support; 1302, first slide rail; 1303, first slider; 1 304, first driving wheel; 1305, first driven wheel; 1306, first synchronous belt; 1307, first driving motor; 14, first slideway; 1401, first slide plate; 1402, second slide plate; 1403, first connecting plate; 15, second feeding mechanism; 1501, second support; 1502, second slide rail; 1503, second slider; 1504, second driving wheel; 1505, second driven wheel; 1506, second synchronous belt; 1507, second driving motor; 16, second slideway; 1601, third slide plate; 1602, fourth slide plate; 1603, first baffle plate; 1604, first side baffle plate; 1605, second side baffle plate;

[0085] 2. Centrifugal unit; 21. Centrifuge; 22. Centrifuge adapter; 23. Trim pipe placement area;

[0086] 3. Quality control unit; 31. Quality control refrigerator; 32. Quality control retemperature area; 33. Quality control mixing mechanism;

[0087] 4. Opening unit; 41. Fixed clamp; 42. Detection camera;

[0088] 5. Cache scheduling unit; 51. Cache area; 511. Cache rack; 52. Scheduling device; 531. Conventional track; 532. Emergency track; 533. Return track;

[0089] 6. Gripper unit;

[0090] 7. Capping unit; 71. Capping mechanism; 72. Capping position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0091] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0092] The following combination Figures 1 to 5 , describing embodiments of the present invention.

[0093] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a sample pre-processing device is provided, comprising: a sample loading unit 1, a lid opening unit 4, a buffer scheduling unit 5, and a gripper unit 6. The sample loading unit 1 includes a pouring-type sample loading mechanism 100 and / or a tray-type sample loading mechanism 103 and / or a rack-type sample loading mechanism 106; the lid opening unit 4 includes a fixed clamp 41 and a sample tube cap removal mechanism, wherein the sample tube cap removal mechanism is used to remove the caps from the sample tubes; the buffer scheduling unit 5 is used to cache and schedule the sample tubes; and the gripper unit 6 is used to transfer and schedule the sample tubes between the sample loading unit 1, the lid opening unit 4, and the buffer scheduling unit 5.

[0094] The sample pre-treatment device can be used to connect with the analyzer and is responsible for sample pre-treatment. When in use, the staff can place the sample tube into the loading unit 1 and complete the loading through the loading unit 1. The loading unit 1 can not only perform orderly loading, but also disorderly loading, that is, the user can realize the pouring loading of the sample tube through the pouring loading mechanism 100, and realize the orderly loading of the sample tube through the tray loading mechanism 103, and also include the calibration sample loading, quality control sample loading and emergency sample loading through the rack loading mechanism 106. When the sample pre-treatment device is working, the gripper unit 6 can transfer and dispatch the sample tube between the loading unit 1, the fixed clamp 41 of the lid opening unit 4 and the cache scheduling unit 5 according to the work flow. The fixed clamp 41 is used to clamp the sample tube. The above-mentioned units have the functions of loading, uncapping, caching and scheduling the sample tube.

[0095] The sample pretreatment device can process the sample tube according to the workflow. The staff only needs to place the sample tube on the loading unit 1, which reduces the degree of manual participation in the sample pretreatment link, saves manpower and time costs, improves the sample pretreatment efficiency, and improves safety. In addition, each unit has a high degree of integration, which can reduce the volume and occupied space. The scheduling and transportation are completed through a single gripper unit 6, which omits the complex scheduling track setting, simplifies the structure, reduces the system complexity, and further reduces the volume of the device.

[0096] In one embodiment, the lid opening unit 4 includes a detection camera 42 corresponding to the fixed clamping jaw 41. The fixed clamping jaw 41 of the lid opening unit 4 can clamp a single or multiple sample tubes and / or quality control sample tubes, so that the detection camera 42 can detect the sample quality and / or sample residual amount. The detection camera 42 can also be used to identify whether the sample tube has a cap. If the sample tube has a cap, the sample tube cap removal mechanism can remove the cap from the sample tube, and then the gripper unit 6 can transfer the sample tube to the sample rack of the cache scheduling unit.

[0097] In a specific embodiment, the fixed clamping jaw 41 may include a plurality of clamping positions, each of which may be used to place a sample tube and / or a quality control sample tube.

[0098] In one embodiment, the sample pre-processing device further includes a capping unit 7. The capping unit 7 is used to load sample tube caps, and the gripper unit 6 is used to transfer the sample tube caps from the capping unit 7 to the decapping unit 4. The capping unit 7 can provide new sample tube caps, and the gripper unit 6 can transfer the new sample tube caps to the buffer scheduling unit 5 according to the workflow and cap the sample tubes.

[0099] In a specific embodiment, the capping unit 7 includes a capping mechanism 71 and a capping position 72. The capping position 72 is used to cache sample tube caps. When a new sample tube cap needs to be capped on the sample tube, the gripping unit 6 can transfer the sample tube cap from the capping position 72 to the sample tube on the sample rack to complete the capping operation. When the number of sample tube caps in the capping position 72 is insufficient, the capping mechanism 71 can transport the sample tube caps to the capping position 72 to complete the sample tube cap replenishment. In an optional embodiment, the capping unit 7 also includes a silo, and the capping mechanism 71 is used to load a large number of disordered sample tube caps in the silo onto the capping position 72 in an orderly manner, so as to facilitate the subsequent capping work. In an optional specific embodiment, the capping mechanism 71 can include a loading push plate assembly, which pushes the sample tube caps to achieve orderly loading.

[0100] In one embodiment, the sample pre-processing device further includes a quality control unit 3. The quality control unit 3 is used to refrigerate, rewarm and mix the quality control samples.

[0101] In a specific embodiment, the quality control unit 3 includes a quality control refrigerator 31, a quality control rewarming area 32, and a quality control mixing mechanism 33. The quality control refrigerator 31 can store and refrigerate sample tubes containing quality control samples, the quality control rewarming area 32 can rewarm the sample tubes from the quality control refrigerator 31, and the quality control mixing mechanism 33 can mix the rewarmed sample tubes to ensure that the various components of the quality control samples are evenly distributed.

[0102] In a specific embodiment, the quality control mixing mechanism 33 can be any one or more of ultrasonic mixing, eccentric rotation and oscillation.

[0103] The above structure can automatically complete the loading of new tube caps, quality control, and cap removal and plugging of sample tubes, further improving the degree of integration and thereby improving the efficiency of sample pre-processing.

[0104] In one embodiment, the sample pre-processing device further includes a cap discarding location 108. Cap discarding location 108 is used to receive discarded caps, and the gripper unit 6 is used to transfer the discarded caps to cap discarding location 108. Cap discarding location 108 can be used to dispose of discarded caps. If the sample tube does not need to retain the original sample cap, the removed sample cap can be considered discarded. The gripper unit 6 can transfer the discarded caps and place them in cap discarding location 108 for subsequent centralized processing.

[0105] In a specific embodiment, the pipe cap discarding station 108 includes a cap inlet and a cap throwing chute. The cap throwing chute is connected to the cap inlet. The gripper unit 6 can place discarded pipe caps into the cap inlet, and the discarded pipe caps are moved from the cap throwing chute to a corresponding collection location. In an optional specific embodiment, the pipe cap discarding station 108 also includes a collection container connected downstream of the cap throwing chute to collect discarded pipe caps for subsequent centralized processing.

[0106] In one embodiment, the loading unit 1, the capping unit 7 and the tube cap discarding position 108 are arranged in the front area, the centrifugal unit 2 and the cache scheduling unit 5 are arranged in the rear area opposite to the front area, and the quality control unit 3 and the capping unit 4 are arranged in the middle area between the front area and the rear area.

[0107] The front area, rear area and middle area are defined based on the distance between each unit and the manual operation position. The position close to the manual operation is defined as the front area, the position away from the manual operation is defined as the rear area, and the area between the two is defined as the middle area. Figure 1 The two-way arrows in the figure schematically show the front and rear sides. The loading unit 1, the capping unit 7 and the tube cap discarding position 108 are arranged in the front area, which can facilitate the staff to place the sample tubes in the loading unit 1, place the tube caps of the sample tubes in the capping unit 7, and remove the discarded tube caps from the tube cap discarding position 108 according to the work flow. The centrifugal unit 2 and the cache scheduling unit 5 are arranged in the rear area opposite to the front area, and the quality control unit 3 and the lid opening unit 4 are arranged in the middle area between the front area and the rear area. This can avoid the staff from contacting the centrifugal unit 2, the cache scheduling unit 5, the quality control unit 3 and the lid opening unit 4 that can be automatically processed. While improving safety, it can also avoid uncontrollable factors interfering with the automated processing process. In addition, the quality control unit 3 and the lid opening unit 4 can optimize the scheduling path of the gripper unit 6 between each unit, and realize the transportation scheduling of different processes through a shorter path, saving time.

[0108] In one embodiment, the gripper unit 6 is driven to perform three-dimensional movement in the front area, the middle area and the rear area along the X direction, the Y direction and the Z direction to transfer the sample tube and / or the quality control sample tube, and to open and close the cover of the sample tube and / or the quality control sample tube.

[0109] In a specific embodiment, the gripper unit 6 is disposed on a moving mechanism, and the moving mechanism can drive the gripper unit 6 to perform three-dimensional motion along the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction.

[0110] In a specific embodiment, the gripper unit 6 is used to clamp the sample tube, and is used to clamp the cap of the sample tube and unscrew it or add a cap.

[0111] In one embodiment, the pouring sample loading mechanism 100, the tray sample loading mechanism 103 and the rack sample loading mechanism 106 are sequentially arranged in the front area. The sequential arrangement of the three sample loading mechanisms can facilitate the staff to select the corresponding sample loading method.

[0112] In a specific embodiment, the pouring-type sample loading mechanism 100 includes a tube loading mechanism 101 and a sample loading position 102. The sample loading position 102 is used to cache the sample tubes. After the gripper unit 6 removes the sample tubes from the sample loading position 102, the tube loading mechanism 101 can transport the sample tubes to the sample loading position 102 to facilitate the next grabbing of the sample tubes. In an alternative specific embodiment, the pouring-type sample loading mechanism 100 can include a sample tube hopper. The tube loading mechanism 101 is connected between the sample loading position 102 and the sample tube hopper. The staff can pour the sample tubes into the sample tube hopper. The tube loading mechanism 101 transports the sample tubes in the sample tube hopper to the sample loading position 102 according to the workflow.

[0113] See Figure 6 、 Figure 7 、 Figure 8 and Figure 11 In a specific embodiment, the pouring type loading mechanism 100 includes:

[0114] The silo 11 has an opening 1101 at the bottom;

[0115] The buffer mechanism 12 includes a sample loading position 102;

[0116] The first loading mechanism 13 includes a first lifting structure and a first slide 14, wherein the first lifting structure is used to drive the first slide 14 to pass through the opening 1101 and move in the height direction;

[0117] The second loading mechanism 15 includes a second lifting structure and a second slide 16. The second lifting structure is used to drive the second slide 16 to move in the height direction between the cache mechanism 12 and the first slide 14, so that the second slide 16 is in a material receiving state or a material loading state; in the material receiving state, the second slide 16 is docked with the first slide 14; in the material loading state, the second slide 16 is docked with the cache mechanism 12; wherein, the length of the second slide 16 is greater than the diameter of the sample tube and smaller than the length of the sample tube.

[0118] In the present invention, the first loading mechanism 13 and the second loading mechanism 15 can cooperate with each other to transfer multiple sample tubes that are randomly fed into the silo 11 to the cache mechanism 12 in a correct posture. Specifically, when the first slide 14 is driven by the first lifting structure and is located at the opening 1101 of the silo 11, the first slide 14 can receive the sample tubes in the silo 11. Multiple sample tubes enter the first slide 14 and are arranged in order along the length direction of the first slide 14. When loading is required, the first slide 14 can be driven by the first lifting structure to move to dock with the second slide 16. In the material receiving state, the multiple sample tubes on the first slide 14 can slide to the second slide 16 in sequence. Since the length of the second slide 16 is greater than the diameter of the sample tube and smaller than the length of the sample tube, the sample tube in a vertical posture can stay in the second slide 16, and the sample tube in a "lying horizontally" posture partially extends out of the second slide 16. Under the action of gravity, the sample tube in the "lying horizontally" posture will tilt and fall into the hopper 11, thereby screening out the sample tubes in the misplaced posture to ensure that in the loading state, the sample tubes in the second slide 16 all slide into the cache mechanism 12 in a vertical posture.

[0119] Compared to traditional loading structures, the coordinated cooperation of the first loading mechanism 13 and the second loading mechanism 15 can ensure that the sample tube is in a vertical position, facilitating subsequent grasping. The provision of the buffer mechanism 12 facilitates docking with the gripper used to grasp the sample tube in the in vitro diagnostic automation equipment, making it adaptable to a variety of different in vitro diagnostic automation equipment, improving the applicability of the pouring-type loading mechanism 100. Moreover, with the coordinated cooperation of the first loading mechanism 13 and the second loading mechanism 15, the loading of the buffer mechanism 12 and the sample tube receiving hopper 11 can be carried out simultaneously, effectively shortening the loading cycle compared to the loading method with a single push plate structure.

[0120] Therefore, through the coordinated cooperation of the hopper 11, the first loading mechanism 13, the second loading mechanism 15 and the cache mechanism 12, the sample tubes can be continuously loaded in an orderly and correct posture, thereby improving the loading efficiency.

[0121] It is understood that after the second slide 16 is docked with the first slide 14, during the process of the second slide 16 rising to dock with the buffer mechanism 12, if the number of sample tubes on the first slide 14 meets the preset requirement, the first slide 14 can remain in its original position, waiting for the next docking with the second slide 16. If there are no sample tubes on the first slide 14 or the number of sample tubes does not meet the preset requirement, the first slide 14 can descend to the opening 1101 at the bottom of the silo 11 to receive the sample tubes. In other words, the loading operation of the second slide 16 and the receiving operation of the first slide 14 can be performed independently. The preset requirement can be that the number of sample tubes on the first slide 14 is equal to or greater than the number of sample tubes that can be accommodated on the second slide 16.

[0122] In a preferred embodiment, the first slide 14 has a first low position and a second high position under the drive of the first lifting mechanism. In the first low position, the top surface of the first slide 14 is flush with the opening 1101 at the bottom of the silo 11; the second slide 16 has a second low position and a second high position under the drive of the second lifting mechanism, and the first high position is higher than the second low position.

[0123] In the material receiving state, the second slide 16 is located at the second low position, and the first slide 14 is located at the first high position; in the material loading state, the second slide 16 is located at the second high position.

[0124] When the first slide 14 is in the first low position, its top surface is flush with the opening 1101 at the bottom of the silo 11, allowing all sample tubes in the silo 11 to be screened, preventing tube leakage and missed inspections. In the material receiving state, the first high position is higher than the second low position, allowing sample tubes in the first slide 14 to slide smoothly into the second slide 16.

[0125] Such an arrangement can facilitate the sample tubes in the silo 11 to pass through the silo 11, the first slide 14 and the second slide 16 in sequence until they enter the cache mechanism 12, until all the sample tubes are screened.

[0126] See Figure 9 , Figure 9 for Figure 8 In a preferred embodiment, the top surfaces of the first slide 14 and the second slide 16 are both inclined. This configuration facilitates the sample tube to slide along the top surfaces of the first slide 14 and the second slide 16 using its own weight as a power source.

[0127] See Figure 11 and Figure 12 , Figure 12 for Figure 11 Enlarged view of point C in the middle. In a preferred embodiment, the first slideway 14 is composed of identical first and second slides 1401, 1402, with a gap between them that is larger than the diameter of the sample tube. The top surfaces of the first and second slides 1401, 1402 are inclined, allowing the sample tube to slide over the lugs or tube caps provided on the sidewalls.

[0128] Second slideway 16 comprises an identical third slide 1601 and fourth slide 1602. A gap is defined between the third and fourth slides 1601, 1602, which is larger than the diameter of the sample tube. The top surfaces of third and fourth slides 1601, 1602 are inclined, allowing the sample tube to slide over the lugs or caps provided on the sidewalls.

[0129] In a preferred embodiment, the length of the first slide 1401 and the second slide 1402 is greater than the length of the second slide 1402 and the second slide 1402, so that the number of sample tubes that can be accommodated by the first slide 14 is sufficient for the second slide 16 to complete at least two loading operations. When the second slide 16 is configured to accommodate at least three sample tubes, the first slide 14 can be configured to accommodate at least six sample tubes.

[0130] See Figure 7 、 Figure 13 and Figure 15 , Figure 13 It is a structural diagram of the cooperation relationship between the second slide 16 and the silo 11. Figure 15 Schematic diagram of the coordination between the second loading mechanism 15 and the buffer mechanism 12. In a preferred embodiment, a first baffle 1603 extending in the height direction is provided at the bottom of the second slideway 16, and the gap between the opening 1101 of the first slideway 14 facing the second slideway 16 and the first baffle 1603 is smaller than the diameter of the sample tube.

[0131] The cache mechanism 12 is provided with a second baffle plate 124 extending in the height direction. The gap between the opening 1101 of the second slideway 16 facing the cache mechanism 12 and the second baffle plate 124 is smaller than the diameter of the sample tube.

[0132] Before the second slide 16 docks with the first slide 14, the first baffle 1603 blocks the sample tubes on the first slide 14, preventing them from rushing out of the opening 1101 of the first slide 14. Before the second slide 16 docks with the buffer mechanism 12, the second baffle 124 blocks the sample tubes on the second slide 16, preventing them from rushing out of the opening 1101 of the second slide 16.

[0133] See Figure 13 and Figure 14 , Figure 14 for Figure 13In the enlarged view at point D, in a preferred embodiment, one of the inner walls of the silo 11 is a vertical wall, the opening 1101 is arranged close to the vertical wall, and a docking port is provided on the vertical wall that is aligned with the opening 1101 in the height direction. In the material receiving state, the second slide 16 extends into the docking port, and the second slide 16 is flush with the vertical wall toward the opening 1101 of the first slide 14.

[0134] Before the first slide 14 is in the first low position or moves to the docking port, the vertical wall of the hopper 11 blocks the sample tubes in the first slide 14, preventing them from rushing out of the opening 1101 of the first slide 14. Before the first slide 14 rises to the docking port and docks with the second slide 16, the first baffle 1603 takes over the role of blocking the sample tubes on the first slide 14. The second slide 16 extends into the docking port and is flush with the vertical wall facing the opening 1101 of the first slide 14. This not only facilitates docking with the first slide 14, but also helps sample tubes in the wrong position fall into the hopper 11.

[0135] See Figure 9 A first side baffle 1604 and a second side baffle 1605 are respectively provided on two opposite outer sides of the second slide 16. The first side baffle 1604 and the second side baffle 1605 can prevent sample tubes in incorrect positions from rushing out of the sides of the second slide 16, thereby ensuring that the sample tubes in incorrect positions can re-enter the hopper 11.

[0136] See Figure 7 、 Figure 8 and Figure 10 , Figure 10 for Figure 8 In the enlarged view at B, in a preferred embodiment, the first lifting structure includes:

[0137] The first support 1301 is provided at the bottom of the silo 11;

[0138] A first slide rail 1302 is provided on the first support 1301 and extends in a height direction;

[0139] A first slider 1303 is slidably engaged with the first slide rail 1302 , and the first slide rail 14 is mounted on the first slider 1303 ;

[0140] The first driving structure is provided on the first support 1301 and is in transmission connection with the first sliding block 1303 .

[0141] The first support 1301 is used to support the first slide rail 1302, the first slider 1303 and the first driving structure. The first driving structure drives the first slide 14 to rise or fall through the guiding cooperation of the slide rail and the slider, which occupies less space, has lower cost and high reliability.

[0142] In a preferred embodiment, the first drive structure includes a first drive wheel 1304, a first driven wheel 1305, a first synchronous belt 1306, and a first drive motor 1307. The first drive wheel 1304 and the first driven wheel 1305 are arranged along the height direction of the first support 1301. The first synchronous belt 1306 is connected to the first drive wheel 1304 and the first driven wheel 1305. The first slider 1303 is fixedly connected to the first synchronous belt 1306. The first drive motor 1307 is mounted on the first support 1301, and the output shaft of the first drive motor 1307 is coaxially fixedly connected to the first drive wheel 1304. The first drive motor 1307 drives the first slider 1303 to move up and down along the first slide rail 1302 via the first drive wheel 1304, the first synchronous belt 1306, and the first driven wheel 1305.

[0143] See Figure 15 and Figure 16 In a preferred embodiment, the second lifting structure includes:

[0144] A second support 1501 is provided on the cache mechanism 12;

[0145] The second slide rail 1502 is provided on the second support 1501 and extends in the height direction;

[0146] The second slider 1503 is slidably engaged with the second slide rail 1502 , and the second slide rail 16 is provided on the second slider 1503 ;

[0147] The second driving structure is provided on the second support 1501 and is in transmission connection with the second slider 1503 .

[0148] The second support 1501 is used to support the second slide rail 1502, the second slider 1503 and the second driving structure. The second driving structure drives the second slide 16 to rise or fall through the guiding cooperation of the slide rail and the slider, which occupies less space, has lower cost and high reliability.

[0149] In a preferred embodiment, the second drive structure includes a second drive wheel 1504, a second driven wheel 1505, a second synchronous belt 1506, and a second drive motor 1507. The second drive wheel 1504 and the second driven wheel 1505 are arranged along the height direction of the second support 1501. The second synchronous belt 1506 is connected to the second drive wheel 1504 and the second driven wheel 1505. The second slider 1503 is fixedly connected to the second synchronous belt 1506. The second drive motor 1507 is mounted on the second support 1501, and the output shaft of the second drive motor 1507 is coaxially fixedly connected to the second drive wheel 1504. The second drive motor 1507 drives the second slider 1503 to move up and down along the second slide rail 1502 via the second drive wheel 1504, the second synchronous belt 1506, and the second driven wheel 1505.

[0150] See Figure 17 and Figure 18 , Figure 17 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the silo 11 in this embodiment. Figure 18 A schematic cross-sectional view of the silo 11 is shown. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom of the silo 11 has an opening 1101 and a first guide slope 111 connected to one side of the opening 1101. The first guide slope 111 is inclined, and a first slope 1111 and a second slope 1112 are sequentially arranged along the transport path of the sample tube. The inclination angle of the second slope 1112 relative to the horizontal plane is greater than the inclination angle of the first slope 1111 relative to the horizontal plane.

[0151] The screening trough 1102 is connected to the opening 1101. When the first slideway 14 is located at the first low position, the first slideway 14 is in contact with the screening trough 1102, and the top surface of the first slideway 14 is flush with the opening 1101.

[0152] The above structure enables the sample tube to slide along the first guide slope 111 to the opening 1101 after entering the hopper 11 , and then enter the screening tank 1102 , and then fall into the first slide 14 . Specifically, the sample tube moves along the first inclined surface 1111 under the action of its own gravity, then moves to the second inclined surface 1112, and finally enters the screening tank 1102 through the opening 1101. Since the inclination angle of the second inclined surface 1112 is greater than the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 1111, and the second inclined surface 1112 is close to the opening 1101, the movement speed of the sample tube on the first inclined surface 1111 is relatively slow, and the movement speed on the second inclined surface 1112 is relatively fast, so a large number of sample tubes can slide down slowly on the first inclined surface 1111. When the sample tube enters the second inclined surface 1112, it can slide quickly to the opening 1101, avoiding the accumulation of sample tubes on the second inclined surface 1112 and the accumulation of sample tubes at the opening 1101. In this way, the sample tubes can be collected in the opening 1101 more effectively, thereby facilitating the complete screening of the sample tubes.

[0153] Compared with the traditional silo 11, the problem that the sample tubes cannot be screened cleanly is overcome, and compared with adding a power mechanism for auxiliary screening, costs are saved.

[0154] Of course, when the silo 11 is in the state of storing sample tubes, the sample tubes can be allowed to stay on the first slope 1111 and the second slope 1112. After the sample tubes in the screening tank 1102 are transferred, according to the above steps, the sample tubes on the second slope 1112 quickly pass through the opening 1101 and enter the collection tank, and the sample tubes on the first slope 1111 move toward the direction close to the second slope 1112, thereby ensuring the continuity of the screening work.

[0155] See Figure 19 In a preferred embodiment, opening 1101 is rectangular in shape, and the cross-sectional shape of screening slot 1102 matches the shape of opening 1101 and is also rectangular. The length of opening 1101 is greater than the diameter of the sample tube, while the width of opening 1101 is greater than the diameter of the sample tube but less than twice the diameter of the sample tube. This prevents two sample tubes from being arranged along the width of opening 1101. For example, for a commonly used sample tube with a diameter of 13 mm, the width of opening 1101 is greater than 13 mm but less than 26 mm. In specific implementations, the number of sample tubes that can enter screening slot 1102 can be limited by varying the length and width of opening 1101. For example, the number of sample tubes that can enter opening 1101 may be limited, allowing for one sample tube, two sample tubes, three sample tubes, four sample tubes, five sample tubes, or even more sample tubes, depending on the actual situation. It is understood that when two or more sample tubes are allowed to enter opening 1101, the sample tubes are arranged along the length of opening 1101.

[0156] Furthermore, the first guide bevel 111 can be connected to one side of the opening 1101 in the length direction, so that the sample tube can stably and efficiently enter the opening 1101 under the cooperation of the first bevel 1111 and the second bevel 1112. In another optional embodiment, the first guide bevel 111 can also be connected to one side of the opening 1101 in the width direction.

[0157] In a preferred embodiment, the hopper 11 further includes: a second guide bevel 112, the second guide bevel 112 is arranged opposite to the first guide bevel 111, and is connected to the other side of the opening 1101, the second guide bevel 112 is sequentially provided with a third bevel 1121 and a fourth bevel 1122 along the conveying path of the sample tube, and the inclination angle of the fourth bevel 1122 relative to the horizontal plane is greater than the inclination angle of the third bevel 1121 relative to the horizontal plane.

[0158] The second guide bevel 112 has the same function as the first guide bevel 111. The sample tube can slide down slowly on the third bevel 1121 and can slide quickly to the opening 1101 on the fourth bevel 1122. The setting of the second guide bevel 112 increases the storage capacity and transportation capacity of the sample tube and improves the screening efficiency.

[0159] In a preferred embodiment, the first guide bevel 111 is connected to one side of the opening 1101 in the longitudinal direction, and the second guide bevel 112 is connected to the other side of the opening 1101 in the longitudinal direction. That is, the second bevel 1112 is connected to one side of the opening 1101 in the longitudinal direction, and the fourth bevel 1122 is connected to the other side of the opening 1101 in the longitudinal direction. With this arrangement, both the first guide bevel 111 and the second guide bevel 112 can carry sample tubes and guide the movement of the sample tubes, greatly increasing the storage capacity of the silo 11.

[0160] In a preferred embodiment, the inclination angles of the first inclined surface 1111, the second inclined surface 1112, the third inclined surface 1121, and the fourth inclined surface 1122 are greater than or equal to 25°. This configuration ensures that the sample tube can slide along the first inclined surface 1111, the second inclined surface 1112, the third inclined surface 1121, and the fourth inclined surface 1122 entirely by its own weight, preventing the sample tube from becoming stuck on any inclined surface due to insufficient power. It will be appreciated that the angle between the first inclined surface 1111 and the third inclined surface 1121 and the horizontal plane is at least 25°, and the angle between the second inclined surface 1112 and the fourth inclined surface 1122 and the horizontal plane is greater than 25°. This ensures that the sample tube can change its speed and direction of movement when moving along the first guide inclined surface 111 or the second guide inclined surface 112, allowing the sample tube to stably and efficiently pass through the opening 1101 and enter the screening tank 1102.

[0161] See Figure 15 , Figure 15 The schematic diagram of the structure of the first guide slope 111 and the opening 1101 is shown. In a preferred embodiment, the opening 1101 and the screening slot 1102 are arranged at an angle. This arrangement allows the sample tubes to slide down along the inclined direction after entering the opening 1101 and the screening slot 1102, thereby arranging multiple sample tubes in an orderly manner and ensuring that subsequent sample tubes can smoothly enter the remaining portion of the opening 1101.

[0162] In an optional embodiment, the opening 1101 and the screening slot 1102 may also be arranged parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0163] In a preferred embodiment, the silo 11 is formed by a first plate 1103, a second plate 1104, a third plate 1105, and a fourth plate 1106, with the opening 1101 formed at the bottom. The first plate 1103 and the third plate 1105 are continuously bent, and the first guide slope 111 and the second guide slope 112 are respectively formed on the inner wall surfaces of the first plate 1103 and the third plate 1105. The structure is simple and easy to process and manufacture.

[0164] In a preferred embodiment, the bottom of the silo 11 is funnel-shaped, and the bottoms of the first plate 1103 and the third plate 1105 are continuously bent toward each other and form an opening 1101 together with the second plate 1104 and the fourth plate 1106 .

[0165] Furthermore, the fourth plate 1106 is bent, and the inner wall surface of the fourth plate 1106 forms a third guide bevel 1131 connected to the opening 1101, and the inclination angle of the third guide bevel 1131 is greater than or equal to 25°. The third guide bevel 1131 can further increase the conveying capacity of the sample tube and improve the screening efficiency. In this embodiment, the bottoms of the first plate 1103, the third plate 1105 and the fourth plate 1106 are bent in a direction close to each other to form the above-mentioned first guide bevel 111, the second guide bevel 112 and the third guide bevel 1131. The above guide bevels can all be used to store sample tubes and guide the movement of the sample tubes.

[0166] In a preferred embodiment, the first guide bevel 111 and the second guide bevel 112 are connected on both sides of the opening 1101 in the length direction, the third guide bevel 1131 is connected to one side of the opening 1101 in the width direction, and the inner wall surface of the second plate body 1104 is connected to the other side in the width direction of the opening 1101. Therefore, the first guide bevel 111, the second guide bevel 112 and the third guide bevel 1131 can be used to guide the movement of the sample tube so that the sample tube can move efficiently to the screening slot 1102.

[0167] In an optional embodiment, the third guide bevel 1131 can also be provided with two bevels at different angles, that is, referring to the setting of the first guide bevel 111 and the second guide bevel 112, so that the third guide bevel 1131 can also change the conveying speed and direction of the sample tube, thereby enabling the sample tube to efficiently enter the screening slot 1102.

[0168] In a preferred embodiment, the first plate 1103, the second plate 1104, the third plate 1105, and the fourth plate 1106 can be sheet metal parts, and the first plate 1103, the second plate 1104, the third plate 1105, and the fourth plate 1106 are connected together by welding to enclose the silo 11. As an optional embodiment, the silo 11 can also be made of plastic or other molding methods.

[0169] In a preferred embodiment, the roughness of the inner wall surfaces of the first plate 1103 , the second plate 1104 , the third plate 1105 and the fourth plate 1106 is less than or equal to 0.2 μm.

[0170] Such a configuration can reduce the kinetic energy attenuation of the sample tube due to sliding friction, ensuring that the sample tube can slide smoothly along the inner wall surfaces of the first plate 1103, the second plate 1104, the third plate 1105 and the fourth plate 1106 under the action of its own gravity.

[0171] Specifically, the inner wall surface of the silo 11 can be made to meet the roughness requirement through a pasting process, an attachment process, or a polishing process.

[0172] If an adhesive bonding process is used, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) film can be bonded to the surface of the screening structure using a specialized adhesive. For example, the surface of the screening structure must be cleaned and polished before bonding to ensure it is free of oil and impurities. An epoxy resin adhesive is then evenly applied to the film, which is then evenly bonded to the surface. Air bubbles are removed through rolling and heat curing, ensuring a tight bond between the film and the surface. This significantly reduces the friction coefficient of the inner wall of the silo 11 and reduces the sliding resistance of the sample tube.

[0173] A low-roughness coating is deposited on the surface of the screening structure using either physical vapor deposition (PVD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology. The PVD process ionizes a metal or non-metallic target in a vacuum environment, depositing it onto the surface of the structure to form a dense coating, such as titanium nitride (TiN). The CVD process uses gaseous reactants to undergo a chemical reaction at high temperatures, growing a uniform coating on the surface of the structure, such as chemical vapor deposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC). This coating imparts extremely low roughness and excellent wear resistance to the inner wall of the silo 11, effectively preventing scratches between the sample tube and the surface of the structure, and improving screening efficiency.

[0174] Polishing processes can be mechanical, electrolytic, or magnetorheological. Mechanical polishing uses a polishing wheel and abrasive paste to grind the surface, gradually reducing microscopic surface bumps. Electrolytic polishing utilizes electrochemical principles to preferentially dissolve microscopic surface bumps in an electrolyte, thereby achieving a smoothing effect. Magnetorheological polishing utilizes a flexible polishing pad formed by a magnetic fluid under the action of a magnetic field to achieve high-precision polishing of complex curved surfaces. It is particularly suitable for special-shaped screening structures, effectively improving surface finish and making the sample tube slide more smoothly on the surface.

[0175] In a preferred embodiment, the first plate 1103, the second plate 1104, the third plate 1105 and the fourth plate 1106 form a blocking surface at one end away from the opening 1101. The blocking surface can increase the storage capacity of the silo 11 for sample tubes.

[0176] Specifically, the first plate 1103 forms a first vertical surface 1113 connected to the first guide bevel 111, the inner wall of the second plate 1104 is an upright second vertical surface 114, the third plate 1105 forms a third vertical surface 1123 connected to the second guide bevel 112, and the fourth plate 1106 forms a fourth vertical surface 1132 connected to the third guide bevel 1131. The first vertical surface 1113, the second vertical surface 114, the third vertical surface 1123 and the fourth vertical surface 1132 all extend in a height direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane and enclose to form the above-mentioned enclosure surface. In an optional embodiment, the first vertical surface 1113, the second vertical surface 114, the third vertical surface 1123 and the fourth vertical surface 1132 can also have a certain angle with the horizontal plane, which can be set according to actual conditions.

[0177] In a preferred embodiment, one of the second plate 1104 and the fourth plate 1106 is provided with a first feed port 1134, and the other is provided with a docking port. A feeding tube can enter the hopper 11 through the first feed port 1134 and then slide along the inner wall of the corresponding plate. The docking port facilitates the installation of a downstream device for transporting sample tubes.

[0178] like Figure 17 and Figure 20 As shown, Figure 20 A second perspective view of the hopper 11 is shown. In a preferred embodiment, a feed trough 1133 is provided on the fourth plate 1106. The feed trough 1133 has a first feed port 1134, and a docking port is provided on the second plate 1104. The feed trough 1133 facilitates the entry of sample tubes into the hopper 11.

[0179] In a preferred embodiment, the feed trough 1133 has a fifth inclined surface, and the sample tube can be initially guided on the fifth inclined surface and then enter the third guide inclined surface 1131 , the first guide inclined surface 111 or the second guide inclined surface 112 .

[0180] In a preferred embodiment, the plane where the center line of the silo 11 is located is used as the reference plane. Figure 2 The dotted line shown in the figure is the plane where the center line of the hopper 11 is located. The feed groove 1133 and the opening 1101 are located on opposite sides of the reference plane respectively. This ensures that after the sample tube enters the hopper 11, it enters at least one of the first guide bevel 111, the second guide bevel 112 and the third guide bevel 1131, thereby preventing the sample tube from falling directly into the opening 1101 and accumulating.

[0181] Specifically, the surface area of ​​the second guide bevel 112 is greater than that of the first guide bevel 111, and the second guide bevel 112 corresponds to the feed trough 1133 in position. After the sample tubes enter the hopper 11, they can be arranged first on the second guide bevel 112 and then on the first guide bevel 111. As an optional embodiment, the surface area of ​​the first guide bevel 111 is greater than that of the second guide bevel 112, and the first guide bevel 111 corresponds to the feed trough 1133 in position.

[0182] Furthermore, the opening 1101 and the docking port are aligned in the height direction, so as to facilitate the matching of the loading device with the docking port and the opening 1101 .

[0183] As an optional embodiment, the feed groove 1133 and the opening 1101 can be arranged relative to each other on the reference plane, thereby reducing the difficulty of processing.

[0184] In a preferred embodiment, a collection device 1107 is provided on the silo 11 for collecting image information within the silo 11. The image information obtained by the collection device 1107 is used to represent the remaining number of sample tubes within the silo 11, enabling the main control unit to determine and provide real-time feedback on whether the sample tubes have been screened clean. Specifically, the collection device 1107 may be a camera.

[0185] In a preferred embodiment, the collecting device 1107 is disposed on the second plate 1104 , and the collecting direction of the collecting device 1107 faces the opening 1101 .

[0186] In an optional embodiment, the outer wall surface of the silo 11 is provided with a connecting structure, and the silo 11 can be fixed to the frame of the test analyzer through the connecting structure.

[0187] In an optional embodiment, the connection structure may include a first connection portion 1151 and a second connection portion 1152, which are respectively located on the outer walls of the silo 11 on opposite sides. This facilitates the installation and fixation of the silo 11. Specifically, the first connection portion 1151 and the second connection portion 1152 may be fixed plates, which may be fixed to the outer wall of the silo 11 by welding, plastic or other fixing methods. Figure 21 、 Figure 22 、 Figure 23 and Figure 24 , Figure 21 shows a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the cache mechanism 12, Figure 22 shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the cache mechanism 12, Figure 23 1 shows a schematic diagram of a top view of the cache mechanism 12, Figure 24 Shown Figure 21 In a preferred embodiment, the cache mechanism 12 includes:

[0188] The housing 1201 and the sample separation tray 1202 are provided with a receiving cavity, and a second feed port 1230 communicating with the receiving cavity is provided on the side wall. The sample separation tray 1202 is arranged in the receiving cavity through a third driving structure. A plurality of buffer positions 1231 are provided at intervals on the outer edge of the sample separation tray 1202. The buffer positions 1231 are the loading positions 102 of the pouring-type loading mechanism 100. The third driving structure is used to drive the sample separation tray 1202 to rotate to the plurality of buffer positions 1231 so as to align with the second feed port 1230 in sequence.

[0189] The detection element is provided on the housing 1201 and is used to detect the type of the sample tube on the cache position 1231 .

[0190] The above structure can realize the temporary storage of different sample tubes in different cache positions 1231, and the detection of the type of sample tube through the detection element. Specifically, the third driving structure can drive the sample dividing plate 1202 to rotate, so that different cache positions 1231 can be aligned with the second feed port 1230 in turn. After the sample tube enters the cache position 1231 through the second feed port 1230, the third driving structure drives the sample dividing plate 1202 to rotate to the next vacant cache position 1231 and align it with the second feed port 1230. The multiple cache positions 1231 are relatively independent to avoid contact between multiple sample tubes. When the sample tube on the cache position 1231 rotates to align with the detection element, the detection element can obtain the information of the sample tube to facilitate identification of the type of the sample tube.

[0191] Compared to traditional manual identification and sorting methods, machine recognition can improve sample identification accuracy, thereby improving sorting accuracy while also reducing labor costs. Compared to traditional linear sorting or sorting using a buffer slide 1205, the use of multiple independent buffering positions 1231 on the sample tray 1202 prevents adjacent sample tubes from being dragged along when selecting a target sample tube, thereby improving sorting accuracy.

[0192] In a preferred embodiment, the shell 1201 is a cylindrical structure with a top opening 1101, and the sample dividing plate 1202 is a disc structure. The outer edge of the sample dividing plate 1202 has a plurality of grooves arranged at intervals along the circumference, and the grooves extend along the height direction to form a cache position 1231 for accommodating sample tubes.

[0193] Furthermore, multiple cache positions 1231 are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction along the outer edge of the sample separation plate 1202. The number of cache positions 1231 can be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or more. The number of cache positions 1231 can be set as needed and is not specifically limited here.

[0194] In a preferred embodiment, the cache mechanism 12 further includes a feed structure mounted on the outer wall of the housing 1201, comprising a first side panel 1203 and a second side panel 1204. A cache slide 1205 is formed between the first side panel 1203 and the second side panel 1204. The cache slide 1205 is directly opposite the second feed port 1230, and the top surfaces of the first side panel 1203 and the second side panel 1204 are inclined. In the loading state, the second slide 16 docks with the cache slide 1205, and the top surface of the second slide 16 is higher than the top surface of the cache slide 1205.

[0195] Since the sample separation plate 1202 needs to rotate to complete the docking of the cache position 1231 and the second feed port 1230, the setting of the cache slide 1205 can keep at least one sample tube in the position corresponding to the second feed port 1230, and the top surface of the first side plate 1203 and the second side plate 1204 cooperate with the sample tube, so that the sample tube has a tendency to slide toward the second feed port 1230. When the sample separation plate 1202 rotates to the cache position 1231 corresponding to the second feed port 1230, the sample tube can enter the cache position 1231 in time, thereby improving the sorting efficiency.

[0196] In an optional embodiment, the first side plate 1203 and the second side plate 1204 are respectively mounted on the outer wall of the shell 1201 through a connecting plate 1226 to fix the first side plate 1203 and the second side plate 1204 .

[0197] In an optional embodiment, the outer wall where the shell 1201 is connected to the connecting plate 1226 is flat, so as to improve the stability of the connection between the connecting plate 1226 and the outer wall of the shell 1201.

[0198] In an optional embodiment, a connecting block 1206 is provided between the bottoms of the first side panel 1203 and the second side panel 1204. The first side panel 1203 and the second side panel 1204 are respectively fixedly mounted on opposite sides of the connecting block 1206. The connecting block 1206 may have a certain length and width. On the one hand, the connecting block 1206 may limit the distance between the first side panel 1203 and the second side panel 1204. On the other hand, the connecting block 1206 may stabilize the first side panel 1203 and the second side panel 1204.

[0199] In a preferred embodiment, a first baffle 1207 is disposed on the outer side of the first side plate 1203, extending in height beyond the top surface of the first side plate 1203. A second baffle 1208 is disposed on the outer side of the second side plate 1204, extending in height beyond the top surface of the second side plate 1204. The first baffle 1207 and the second baffle 1208 can prevent sample tubes from rushing out of the buffer slide 1205, thereby preventing the sample tubes from being damaged or broken.

[0200] Furthermore, the top extension height of the first baffle 1207 and the second baffle 1208 is greater than the height of the sample tube extending out of the top surface of the cache slide 1205. Under the support of the first side plate 1203 and the second side plate 1204, the sample tube partially extends out of the slide, and the top height of the first baffle 1207 and the second baffle 1208 is greater than the top height of the sample tube, so as to provide a more reliable resistance effect.

[0201] In a preferred embodiment, the first baffle 1207 has a first extension 1209 extending upward from the housing 1201, and the second baffle 1208 has a second extension 1210 extending upward from the housing 1201. The first extension 1209 and the second extension 1210 prevent the sample tubes from tipping over when sliding down to the buffering position 1231, ensuring that the sample tubes enter the buffering position 1231 in the correct position and preventing stalling or loss of synchronism during the rotation of the sample tray 1202.

[0202] In a preferred embodiment, a third baffle 1211 is provided between the ends of the first extension 1209 and the second extension 1210, with the surface of the third baffle 1211 facing the buffer slide 1205. The third baffle 1211 prevents the sample tubes from tipping over due to inertia after entering the buffer position 1231, further preventing the sample tray 1202 from stalling or losing synchronism during rotation.

[0203] In a preferred embodiment, the third baffle 1211 can be formed by bending the first extension portion 1209 or the second extension portion 1210. As an alternative embodiment, the third baffle 1211 can also be an independent plate body fixed to the end of the first extension portion 1209 or the second extension portion 1210 by welding.

[0204] See Figure 4 In a preferred embodiment, the first side panel 1203 and the second side panel 1204 partially extend into the second feed port 1230, the end of the first side panel 1203 has a first distance from the outer edge of the sample dividing plate 1202, and the end of the second side panel 1204 has a second distance from the outer edge of the sample dividing plate 1202, and the first distance and the second distance are different.

[0205] With such arrangement, the first side plate 1203 and the second side plate 1204 can form a stepped structure toward one end of the sample separation plate 1202, thereby increasing the opening between the ends of the first side plate 1203 and the second side plate 1204, so that the ends of the first side plate 1203 and the second side plate 1204 can coincide with the cache position 1231, thereby facilitating the sample tube to smoothly enter the cache position 1231 under the action of its own weight.

[0206] In a preferred embodiment, the first distance is greater than the second distance, the length of the second side plate 1204 is longer than the length of the first side plate 1203, and the end surfaces of the first side plate 1203 and the second side plate 1204 facing away from the sample dividing tray 1202 are flush, forming the stepped structure at the end proximal to the sample dividing tray 1202. As an alternative embodiment, the second distance is greater than the first distance, which can also form the aforementioned stepped structure.

[0207] Furthermore, the edge of the groove forming the cache position 1231 corresponding to the second feed port 1230 has a bevel, forming a flared shape, thereby further allowing the sample tube to smoothly enter the cache position 1231.

[0208] In a preferred embodiment, the housing 1201 is provided with a detection port 1212, located below the sample tray 1202. A detection element is provided in the detection port 1212. After the sample tubes enter the buffer 1231, they overlap the upper surface of the sample tray 1202, resulting in different bottom heights of different sample tubes. The detection element can detect the bottom height information of the sample tubes and determine the type of sample tube based on this information. This arrangement can make the structure more compact.

[0209] In a preferred embodiment, the detection element includes a first detection optical coupler 1213 and a second detection optical coupler 1214 arranged along the height direction. The first detection optical coupler 1213 and the second detection optical coupler 1214 can correspond to different detection points. When one of the detection optical couplers is triggered, it can be indicated that the current sample tube is of the first type. When both detection optical couplers are triggered, it can be indicated that the current sample tube is of the second type. Therefore, this high-low optical coupler layout can be used to accurately detect the type of sample tube.

[0210] It is understood that the sample tube includes a tube body and a lug located on the side wall of the tube body, and there is a corresponding relationship between the type of sample tube and the length of the sample tube. The sample tube can be overlapped on the upper surface of the sample tray 1202 through the lug, so the bottom heights of different types of sample tubes are different. The first detection optical coupler 1213 can be located above the second detection optical coupler 1214. When the first detection optical coupler 1213 is triggered and the second detection optical coupler 1214 is not triggered, it indicates that the length of the sample tube is shorter, and the sample tube is of the first type. When the first detection optical coupler 1213 is triggered and the second detection optical coupler 1214 is triggered, it indicates that the length of the sample tube is longer, and the sample tube is of the second type. Furthermore, when both the first detection optical coupler 1213 and the second detection optical coupler 1214 are not triggered, it indicates that there is no sample tube in the cache position 1231.

[0211] As an optional embodiment, the detection element also includes a third detection optocoupler. The first detection optocoupler 1213, the second detection optocoupler 1214 and the third detection optocoupler are arranged in sequence along the height direction. When one of them is triggered, it indicates that the type of the sample tube is the first type. When two of them are triggered, it indicates that the type of the sample tube is the second type. When all three are triggered, it indicates that the type of the sample tube is the third type.

[0212] In a preferred embodiment, the third driving structure includes:

[0213] The transmission shaft 1215 is rotatably mounted on the housing 1201 and has a first end extending into the accommodating cavity and a second end located outside the accommodating cavity. The sample separation plate 1202 is coaxially mounted with the transmission shaft 1215 and fixed to the first end.

[0214] A third driving motor 1216, with a third driving wheel 1217 provided at the output end;

[0215] The third driven wheel 1218 is mounted on the second end of the transmission shaft 1215 . The third driven wheel 1218 is connected to the third driving wheel 1217 via a third synchronous belt 1219 . The outer diameter of the third driven wheel 1218 is greater than the outer diameter of the third driving wheel 1217 .

[0216] Specifically, the cache mechanism 12 may include a substrate 1200, a shell 1201 and a third drive motor 1216 are mounted on the substrate 1200, a through hole may be provided at the center of the bottom surface of the shell 1201 and the corresponding position of the substrate 1200, a guide cylinder 1220 may be provided on the bottom surface of the shell 1201 coaxially with the through hole, and a first bearing 1221 and a second bearing 1222 are provided at two opposite ports of the guide cylinder 1220 respectively, and the first end of the transmission shaft 1215 is fixed to the fixed plate 1232 in the middle of the sample disc 1202 by bolts, and the transmission The shaft 1215 is rotatably engaged with the first bearing 1221 and the second bearing 1222, and the second end extends out of the through hole and is coaxially connected to the third driven wheel 1218. The third driven wheel 1218 and the third drive wheel 1217 have gear teeth, and the third synchronous belt 1219 has belt teeth that cooperate with the third driven wheel 1218 and the third drive wheel 1217. The third drive motor 1216 can drive the transmission shaft 1215 to rotate through the third drive wheel 1217, the third synchronous belt 1219 and the third driven wheel 1218, thereby driving the sample distribution plate 1202 to rotate. Because the outer diameter of the third driven wheel 1218 is larger than the outer diameter of the third drive wheel 1217, a reduction ratio can be provided. The use of the above-mentioned two-stage transmission structure can dilute mechanical errors and provide compensation for dynamic errors to ensure that the cache position 1231 can accurately dock with the second feed port 1230, thereby improving the rotational positioning accuracy of the sample distribution plate. As an optional embodiment, the first bearing 1221 and the second bearing 1222 can be deep groove ball bearings.

[0217] In a preferred embodiment, a connecting portion 1223 is provided on the third driven wheel 1218. The connecting portion 1223 is a nut structure and is coaxially arranged with the third driven wheel 1218. The second end of the transmission shaft 1215 has an external thread, and the transmission shaft 1215 can be threadedly connected to the connecting portion 1223.

[0218] In a preferred embodiment, a sample dividing code disk 1224 is provided on the third driven wheel 1218. The sample dividing code disk 1224 is coaxially arranged with the third driven wheel 1218. The diameter of the sample dividing code disk 1224 is larger than the diameter of the third driven wheel 1218. The outer edge of the sample dividing code disk 1224 has multiple tooth structures. The number and position of the tooth structures correspond one-to-one to the cache positions 1231. A sensor 1225 for detecting the tooth structures is provided on the substrate 1200. When the sample dividing disk 1202 is working, the rotation accuracy can be determined by detecting the distance between the tooth structures by the sensor 1225. As an optional embodiment, the sensor 1225 can be a Hall sensor 1225, an inductive sensor 1225, a capacitive sensor 1225, etc.

[0219] In a specific embodiment, the tray-type loading mechanism 103 includes a drawer bracket 104 , and a staff member can load the sample tubes in an orderly manner through the drawer bracket 104 .

[0220] Furthermore, the tray-type sample loading mechanism 103 includes a sample box 105, which can be placed on the drawer bracket 104. The sample box 105 is provided with a plurality of sample positions arranged in a matrix, and the sample positions are used to hold sample tubes. As an alternative embodiment, the plurality of sample positions on the sample box 105 can be arranged in an n*m matrix, where n can be 5 and m can be 10, that is, each sample box 105 can hold 50 sample tubes. This arrangement facilitates the gripper unit 6 to accurately find the corresponding sample tube.

[0221] Furthermore, the tray-type sample loading mechanism 103 can be provided with multiple sample boxes 105, which are arranged sequentially on the tray drawer from the front area to the rear area. Workers can set specific uses for different sample boxes 105 based on work needs. In a specific implementation, the tray drawer can be provided with two sample boxes 105, which are arranged on the tray drawer from the front area to the rear area.

[0222] Furthermore, the tray-type loading mechanism 103 includes a plurality of drawer brackets 104, which are arranged in sequence, and each drawer bracket 104 is provided with a plurality of sample boxes 105. The staff can set the use of the plurality of drawer brackets 104 and / or the plurality of sample boxes 105 according to work needs. Specifically, the loading area, the abnormal sample area and the recovery area can be set. The loading area is used to place the samples to be tested, the abnormal sample area is used to place the abnormal samples, and the recovery area is used to place the recovered samples. More specifically, the loading area can be divided into a centrifuged sample area and a to-be-centrifuged sample area, and can also include an uncentrifuged sample area. Whether to centrifuge the sample can be selected according to work needs. Such a setting facilitates the gripper unit 6 to move to the corresponding sample box 105 and clamp the corresponding sample tube, thereby improving flexibility.

[0223] In a specific implementation, the tray-type loading mechanism 103 can be provided with 5 bracket drawers, each bracket drawer is provided with two sample boxes 105, and the sample box 105 is provided with multiple sample positions according to the above-mentioned matrix arrangement. Among them, the sample box 105 near the central area of ​​the bracket drawer located on one side of the edge can be a fixed sample box 109, and the remaining 9 sample boxes 105 are detachable sample boxes 105. The fixed sample box 109 can be used as a tube cap placement area for quality control samples or a fixed sample tube placement area. The detachable sample box 105 can be easily taken out from the bracket drawer by the staff, and the external sample tubes are placed in the corresponding sample positions in order, and then the detachable sample box 105 is loaded into the bracket drawer. The staff can set the sample boxes 105 on the 5 bracket drawers as the loading area, abnormal sample area and recovery area as needed.

[0224] In a specific embodiment, the rack-type sample loading mechanism 106 includes an emergency rack 107. The emergency rack 107 can be used to place sample tubes for quality control samples and / or sample tubes for emergency samples. As an optional embodiment, two emergency racks 107 can be provided.

[0225] In one embodiment, the capping unit 7 is disposed close to the rack-type sample loading mechanism 106. The capping unit 7 is disposed close to the sample loading mechanism to facilitate staff to add new tube caps and improve the compactness of the structure.

[0226] In one embodiment, the cap discarding position 108 is disposed near the tray-type sample loading mechanism 103. Since the volume of the tray-type sample loading mechanism 103 is smaller than that of the other two sample loading mechanisms, placing the cap discarding position 108 near the tray-type sample loading mechanism 103 can fully utilize the space, making the structure more compact and reducing the volume of the entire device.

[0227] In one embodiment, the centrifugal unit 2 includes a centrifuge 21 , a centrifuge adapter 22 and a trim pipe placement area 23 . The trim pipe placement area 23 and a plurality of the centrifuge adapters 22 are arranged around an operating port of the centrifuge 21 .

[0228] The centrifuge 21 is used to centrifuge the sample tubes, and the centrifuge adapter 22 is used to place the sample tubes. The sample tubes need to be placed on the centrifuge adapter 22 before they can enter the centrifuge 21 for centrifugation. Each centrifuge adapter 22 can hold several sample tubes, and the balancing tube placement area 23 can balance the sample tubes to ensure the stability of the centrifuge 21. Arranging multiple centrifuge adapters 22 and balancing tube placement areas 23 around the centrifuge 21 can optimize the spatial layout, making the structure compact, and optimizing the scheduling path so that the sample tube scheduling transfer path is the shortest or optimal distance, thereby improving the centrifugal efficiency.

[0229] In a specific embodiment, the centrifuge adapter 22 can hold several sample tubes. Specifically, each centrifuge adapter 22 can hold 20 sample tubes.

[0230] In one embodiment, the operating port of the centrifuge 21 is further used to cache at least one centrifuge adapter 22. Since the operating port of the centrifuge 21 can cache at least one centrifuge adapter 22 and retain at least one empty space, during use, the centrifuge adapter 22 loaded with sample tubes on the table can be transferred to the empty space of the centrifuge 21, and the original centrifuge adapter 22 of the centrifuge 21 can be removed and placed on the table as the centrifuge adapter 22 to be placed on the sample tube. This can reduce the number of centrifuge adapters 22 placed on the table of the centrifuge unit 2, reduce the area of ​​the centrifuge unit 2, and further reduce the volume of the entire device.

[0231] Specifically, four centrifuge adapters 22 can be placed in the centrifuge 21. When centrifugation is not required, two centrifuge adapters 22 are cached in the centrifuge 21, leaving two positions vacant. Six centrifuge adapters 22 are arranged around the centrifuge 21. When centrifugation is required, a sample tube can be placed in an external centrifuge adapter 22. After the sample tube is placed, the centrifuge adapter 22 containing the sample tube is placed in one of the vacant positions in the centrifuge 21, and one of the cached centrifuge adapters 22 is removed. This is the operating sequence, and the centrifuge adapters 22 are loaded according to the workflow, and centrifugation is performed. This reduces the number of centrifuge 21 configurators on the countertop, further reducing the volume of the entire device.

[0232] In one embodiment, the cache scheduling unit 5 includes a cache area 51 and a scheduling device 52. The scheduling device 52 is used to transfer sample racks containing sample tubes between the cache area 51 and the analyzer or conveyor track. The cache area 51 of the cache scheduling unit 5 can be used to cache sample tubes and scan and identify sample tubes, quality control sample tubes, and / or sample racks. The cache area 51 includes multiple cache racks 511, which store multiple sample racks. Sample tubes to be tested and post-testing are placed in corresponding sample racks. The gripper unit 6 transfers pre-processed sample tubes to corresponding sample racks. The scheduling device 52 then transfers the sample racks containing sample tubes to the track docking with the analyzer and / or transfers sample racks that have completed analysis and testing by the analyzer to the cache area 51. The cache area 51 allows for the caching of pre-processed sample tubes, allowing the various pre-processing units to continue processing unprocessed sample tubes according to the workflow, thereby improving processing efficiency. The scheduling device 52 allows for efficient transfer of sample tubes between the pre-processing device and the analyzer, further enhancing processing efficiency. In an optional embodiment, a plurality of cache racks 511 are sequentially arranged in the cache area 51 .

[0233] As an optional embodiment, the dispatching device 52 can be a dispatching trolley.

[0234] In a specific embodiment, the buffer scheduling unit 5 is disposed on a side close to the analyzer, so as to facilitate the scheduling device 52 to efficiently transfer the sample tubes between the buffer area 51 and the analyzer.

[0235] In a specific embodiment, the cover opening unit 4 is arranged on a side close to the cache scheduling unit 5 and also on a side close to the analyzer. Since the cover opening unit 4 and the cache scheduling unit 5 are necessary functional units and are used most frequently, such an arrangement is conducive to further accelerating the scheduling efficiency.

[0236] In one embodiment, the cache scheduling unit 5 is provided with a regular track 531 for docking with the analyzer, an emergency track, and a return track 533. The scheduling device 52 can transfer untested sample tubes from the cache 51 to the regular track 531 or the emergency track 532 for analysis by the analyzer. The scheduling device 52 can receive tested sample tubes on the return track 533 and transfer them to the cache 51.

[0237] In one embodiment, the sample pretreatment device includes a human-computer interaction unit, which may include a touch screen display and a face shell indicator light. The staff can set the workflow through the touch screen display or observe the working status of the sample pretreatment device through the face shell indicator light.

[0238] like Figure 25 As shown, the present invention provides a sample pre-processing method, which is applied to the above-mentioned sample pre-processing device. The sample pre-processing method specifically includes the following steps:

[0239] Obtain sample loading and detection methods;

[0240] According to the sample loading method, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the decapping unit;

[0241] According to the detection method, controlling the cover opening unit to detect the sample tube to be tested;

[0242] Controlling the gripper unit to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the sample rack of the buffer scheduling unit;

[0243] According to the detection mode, controlling the cache scheduling unit to schedule the sample tubes to be tested on the sample rack and returning the tested sample tubes;

[0244] According to the detection method, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the tested sample tube to a corresponding placement position.

[0245] Specifically, the sampling mode and the detection mode can be set by the user, and the control unit obtains the sampling mode and the detection mode according to the user's operation instructions. Of course, the sampling mode and the detection mode can also be automatically determined according to the corresponding control program. The sampling mode can include pouring-type loading, tray-type loading, rack-type loading, and can also include quality control unit loading. The detection mode can include routine sample detection, quality control sample detection, calibration sample detection and emergency sample detection, among which routine sample detection can be carried out by pouring-type loading and tray-type loading, quality control sample detection can be carried out by quality control unit loading, tray-type loading and rack-type loading, calibration sample detection can be carried out by tray-type loading and rack-type loading, and emergency sample detection can be carried out by rack-type sample loading.

[0246] The above method can complete the sample loading, transportation scheduling, detection, testing and return processing flow of the sample tube to be tested, reduce the degree of manual participation in the sample pre-processing link, save manpower and time costs, improve the efficiency of sample pre-processing, and improve safety.

[0247] In an optional embodiment, before the control gripper unit transfers the sample tube of the loading unit to the decapping unit, the method further comprises:

[0248] Based on the detection method, determining whether the sample tube to be tested needs to be centrifuged;

[0249] If yes, controlling the gripper unit to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the centrifugal unit, controlling the centrifugal unit to centrifuge the sample tube to be tested, and controlling the gripper unit to transfer the centrifuged sample tube to be tested to the lid opening unit;

[0250] If not, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the cover opening unit.

[0251] Specifically, whether the sample tube needs to be centrifuged is related to the detection method. When the detection method is routine sample detection, the user can choose whether to centrifuge the sample according to the workflow. When the detection method is the above-mentioned quality control sample detection, calibration sample detection or emergency sample detection, the default setting can be no centrifugation. Of course, it can also be selected according to user needs.

[0252] The above method can be used to select whether to centrifuge the sample according to the workflow, flexibly adapt to the requirements of different workflows, and improve the efficiency and accuracy of sample pretreatment.

[0253] In an optional embodiment, controlling the cover opening unit to detect the sample tube to be tested includes:

[0254] According to the detection method, controlling the cover opening unit to detect the serum remaining amount and quality of the sample tube to be tested;

[0255] If the serum residual amount and quality of the sample tube to be tested meet the predetermined conditions, determining whether the sample tube to be tested needs to be uncapped, and if so, controlling the uncapping unit to remove the cap from the sample tube;

[0256] If the serum residual amount and quality of the sample tube to be tested do not meet the predetermined conditions, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the sample tube to be tested to a corresponding placement position.

[0257] Specifically, the preset conditions are user-defined values. When the detected serum volume and mass meet the set values, the sample tube is considered passed. If not, the sample tube is marked as an abnormal sample and the gripper unit is controlled to place the sample tube in the abnormal sample area. Furthermore, after determining that the sample tube has passed, the detection unit can also identify whether the sample tube has a cap. If so, the sample tube cap removal mechanism is controlled to remove the cap from the sample tube and the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the removed sample tube to the buffer scheduling unit. If not, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the sample tube to the buffer scheduling unit.

[0258] The above method can be used to determine whether the serum residue and quality of the sample tube to be tested meet the predetermined conditions, so as to distinguish between sample tubes that meet the predetermined conditions and those that do not. It can also automatically detect whether the sample tube has a tube cap, so as to remove the tube cap to facilitate subsequent testing processes.

[0259] In an optional embodiment, controlling the cover opening unit to open the cover of the sample tube includes:

[0260] Determining whether to retain the original cap of the sample tube to be tested according to the detection method;

[0261] If yes, control the gripper unit to transfer the original tube cap to the sample tube cap placement area

[0262] If not, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer and discard the original pipe cap.

[0263] The above method can be used to choose to retain or discard the original tube cap according to the tube cap processing requirements of the sample tube, so that the original tube cap or the new tube cap can be plugged onto the sample tube after testing according to the workflow, without the need for manual classification, thereby improving processing efficiency.

[0264] In an optional embodiment, before controlling the gripper unit to transfer the post-test sample tube to the corresponding placement position, the method further includes:

[0265] According to the detection method, the gripper unit is controlled to cover the original tube cap or the new tube cap on the sample tube after the test.

[0266] The above method can be used to cap the original tube cap or the new tube cap on the sample tube after testing according to the tube cap processing requirements of the sample tube to meet the processing requirements of different detection methods, without the need for manual classification, thereby improving processing efficiency.

[0267] In an optional embodiment, controlling the gripper unit to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the capping unit according to the sample loading method further includes:

[0268] Determining whether to test the quality control sample according to the sample loading method;

[0269] If so, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the sample tubes to be tested from the tray-type loading mechanism and / or the rack-type loading mechanism and / or the quality control unit to the decapping unit.

[0270] The above method can be used to detect quality control samples, further improving the applicability of the sample pretreatment device.

[0271] In order to clearly illustrate the sample pretreatment method provided by the present invention, the sample pretreatment device will be described in detail below in combination with four workflows:

[0272] The general sample workflow is as follows:

[0273] Controlling the gripper unit 6 to transfer the sample tubes of the pouring-type loading mechanism 100 and / or the tray-type loading mechanism 103 to the centrifugal unit 2;

[0274] controlling the centrifugal unit 2 to centrifuge the sample tube;

[0275] Controlling the gripper unit 6 to transfer the sample tube to the lid opening unit 4;

[0276] Controlling the cover opening unit 4 to detect the quality of the serum in the sample tube;

[0277] If the serum quality of the sample tube meets the requirements, the sample tube capping mechanism is controlled to remove the cap from the sample tube, and the gripper unit 6 is controlled to transfer the discarded tube cap to the tube cap discarding position 108;

[0278] Controlling the gripper unit 6 to transfer the sample tube to the sample rack of the cache scheduling unit 5;

[0279] Controlling the cache scheduling unit 5 to transfer and schedule the sample rack to the analyzer;

[0280] After completing the analysis and testing of the sample tube, controlling the cache scheduling unit 5 to return the sample rack;

[0281] Controlling the gripper unit 6 to transfer the sample tube cap of the capping unit 7 to the sample tube and cap it;

[0282] The gripper unit 6 is controlled to transfer the sample tube to the tray-type sample loading mechanism 103 .

[0283] The cooperation of the above multiple units can complete the routine sample workflow, including sampling, centrifugation, serum quality testing, uncapping, buffer scheduling, output to the analyzer, return to buffer scheduling, capping and post-test placement of the sample tube.

[0284] It should be noted that in the conventional sample workflow, the sample tube is in a state with a sample tube cap before testing by default, and in this workflow, the staff can choose to centrifuge the sample tube or not. When centrifugation is not required, the gripper unit 6 will directly transfer the sample tube to the opening unit 4.

[0285] The workflow for quality control samples is as follows:

[0286] Controlling the gripper unit 6 to transfer the sample tubes from the quality control unit 3, the tray-type loading mechanism 103, and / or the rack-type loading mechanism 106 to the decapping unit 4, wherein, before the gripper unit 6 transfers the sample tubes from the quality control unit 3 to the decapping unit 4, controlling the gripper unit 6 to sequentially transfer the sample tubes to the quality control rewarming zone 32 and the quality control mixing mechanism 33 for rewarming and mixing in sequence;

[0287] Controlling the cover opening unit 4 to detect the liquid residue in the quality control sample tube;

[0288] If the liquid residual amount of the sample tube meets the requirement, the sample tube capping mechanism is controlled to remove the cap of the sample tube, and the gripper unit 6 is controlled to transfer the sample tube to the sample rack of the buffer scheduling unit 5. If the original tube cap of the quality control sample needs to be retained, the gripper unit 6 is controlled to transfer the original tube cap to the corresponding placement position on the tube cap placement area. If the original tube cap does not need to be retained, the gripper unit 6 is controlled to transfer the sample tube cap to the tube cap discarding position 108.

[0289] Controlling the cache scheduling unit 5 to transfer and schedule the sample rack to the analyzer;

[0290] After completing the analysis and testing of the quality control sample, controlling the cache scheduling unit 5 to return the sample rack;

[0291] Controlling the gripper unit 6 to transfer the original tube cap in the tube cap placement area or the sample tube cap from the capping unit 7 to the sample tube and cap it;

[0292] The gripper unit 6 is controlled to transfer the sample tube to the quality control unit 3 and / or the tray-type sample loading mechanism 103 .

[0293] The coordination of the above units completes the quality control sample workflow, including sampling of sample tubes, optional rewarming and mixing, serum residual detection, uncapping, buffer scheduling, output to the analyzer, return to buffer scheduling, capping, and post-test placement.

[0294] It should be noted that, in this workflow, the original tube caps of the quality control samples may be retained as needed, that is, the gripper unit 6 may place the original tube caps of the quality control samples on the fixed sample box 109 .

[0295] The calibration sample workflow is as follows:

[0296] Controlling the gripper unit 6 to transfer the sample tubes from the tray-type loading mechanism 103 to the lid opening unit 4;

[0297] Controlling the cover opening unit 4 to detect the serum remaining amount and quality of the sample tube;

[0298] If the serum remaining amount of the sample tube meets the requirement, the gripper unit 6 is controlled to transfer the sample tube to the sample rack of the buffer scheduling unit 5. If the cover opening unit 4 recognizes that the sample tube has a sample tube cap, the gripper unit 6 is controlled to remove the cap from the sample tube. If the original tube cap needs to be retained, the gripper unit 6 will transfer the sample tube cap to the corresponding placement position. If the original tube cap does not need to be retained, the gripper unit 6 will transfer the sample tube cap to the tube cap discarding position 108.

[0299] Controlling the cache scheduling unit 5 to transfer and schedule the sample rack to the analyzer;

[0300] After completing the analysis and testing of the sample tube, controlling the cache scheduling unit 5 to return the sample rack;

[0301] Controlling the gripper unit 6 to transfer the original tube cap or the sample tube cap of the capping unit 7 to the sample tube and cap it;

[0302] Controlling the gripper unit 6 to transfer the sample tube to the tray-type loading mechanism 103; and / or,

[0303] Controlling the gripper unit 6 to transfer the sample tubes from the rack-type sample loading mechanism 106 to the sample rack of the cache scheduling unit 5;

[0304] Controlling the cache scheduling unit 5 to transfer and schedule the sample tube to the analyzer;

[0305] After completing the analysis and testing of the sample tube, controlling the cache scheduling unit 5 to return the sample rack;

[0306] Controlling the gripper unit 6 to transfer the sample tube cap of the capping unit 7 to the sample tube and cap it;

[0307] The gripper unit 6 is controlled to transfer the sample tube to the tray-type sample loading mechanism 103 .

[0308] The coordination of the above units can complete the calibration sample workflow, including sampling of sample tubes, serum quality testing, optional opening and discarding of caps, buffer scheduling, output to the analyzer, return to buffer scheduling, capping and post-test placement. In addition, for emergency sample pre-processing, sampling, buffer scheduling, output to the analyzer, return to buffer scheduling, capping and post-test placement can be performed.

[0309] The workflow for rack samples is as follows:

[0310] Controlling the gripper unit 6 to transfer the sample tubes of the rack-type loading mechanism 106 to the lid opening unit 4;

[0311] Controlling the cover opening unit 4 to detect the quality of the serum in the sample tube;

[0312] If the serum quality of the sample tube meets the requirements, the gripper unit 6 is controlled to transfer the sample tube to the sample rack of the cache scheduling unit 5;

[0313] Controlling the cache scheduling unit 5 to transfer and schedule the sample tube to the analyzer;

[0314] After completing the analysis and testing of the sample tube, controlling the cache scheduling unit 5 to return the sample rack;

[0315] The gripper unit 6 is controlled to transfer the sample tube to the rack-type sample loading mechanism 106 .

[0316] The coordination of the above units can complete the rack sample workflow, including sampling of sample tubes, serum quality testing, buffer scheduling, output to the analyzer, return to buffer scheduling, capping and post-test placement.

[0317] It should be noted that, in this workflow, the sample tubes on the emergency rack 107 are by default not provided with sample tube caps and can be directly transferred to the buffer area 51 of the buffer scheduling unit 5. After the test is completed, the sample tubes can be capped as required.

[0318] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Such modifications and variations are all within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A sample pre-processing device, characterized in that: include: A sample loading unit (1) includes a pouring sample loading mechanism (100) and / or a tray sample loading mechanism (103) and / or a rack sample loading mechanism (106); A cover opening unit (4) comprises a fixed clamping claw (41) and a sample tube cap removal mechanism, wherein the sample tube cap removal mechanism is used to remove the cap of the sample tube; a cache scheduling unit (5), used for caching and scheduling the sample racks on which the sample tubes are placed; The gripper unit (6) is used for transferring and scheduling sample tubes between the sample loading unit (1), the cover opening unit (4) and the buffer scheduling unit (5).

2. The sample pre-processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The capping unit (7) is arranged near the rack-type sample loading mechanism (106) and is used to load the tube caps of the sample tubes. The gripper unit (6) is used to transfer the sample tube caps of the capping unit (7) to the cache scheduling unit (5) for sample tube plugging.

3. The sample pre-processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Also includes: a centrifugal unit (2), for centrifuging the sample in the sample tube; and / or, The sample loading unit (1) and the capping unit (7) are arranged in the front area, the centrifugal unit (2) and the buffer scheduling unit (5) are arranged in the rear area opposite to the front area, and the capping unit (4) is arranged in the middle area between the front area and the rear area; and / or, The gripper unit (6) is driven to perform three-dimensional movement in the front area, the middle area and the rear area along the X direction, the Y direction and the Z direction to transfer the sample tube.

4. The sample pre-processing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The centrifugal unit (2) comprises a centrifuge (21), a centrifuge adapter (22) and a trim pipe placement area (23), wherein the trim pipe placement area (23) and a plurality of the centrifuge adapters (22) are arranged around an operating port of the centrifuge (21).

5. The sample pre-processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Also includes: A quality control unit (3), the quality control unit (3) comprising a quality control refrigerator (31), a quality control retemperature zone (32) and a quality control mixing mechanism (33); and / or, The cover opening unit (4) comprises a detection camera (42) arranged corresponding to the fixed clamping claw (41), and the detection camera (42) is used to detect the sample tube and / or the quality of the sample in the sample tube; and / or, The cache scheduling unit (5) comprises a cache area (51) and a scheduling device (52), wherein the scheduling device (52) is used to transfer the sample rack on which the sample tubes are placed between the cache area (51) and an analyzer or a conveying track.

6. A sample pre-processing method, characterized in that: The sample pre-processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 comprises the following steps: Obtain the sample loading method and detection method according to the user's operating instructions; According to the sample loading method, controlling the gripper unit to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the lid opening unit, wherein the sample tube to be tested comes from the pouring type sample loading mechanism and / or the tray type sample loading mechanism and / or the rack type sample loading mechanism corresponding to the sample loading method; According to the detection method, controlling the cover opening unit to detect the sample tube to be tested; Controlling the gripper unit to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the sample rack of the buffer scheduling unit; According to the detection mode, controlling the cache scheduling unit to schedule the sample tubes to be tested on the sample rack and returning the tested sample tubes; According to the detection method, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the tested sample tube to a corresponding placement position.

7. The sample pre-processing method according to claim 6, characterized in that: Before the control gripper unit transfers the sample tube of the loading unit to the decapping unit, the method further comprises: Based on the detection method, determining whether the sample tube to be tested needs to be centrifuged; If yes, controlling the gripper unit to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the centrifugal unit, controlling the centrifugal unit to centrifuge the sample tube to be tested, and controlling the gripper unit to transfer the centrifuged sample tube to be tested to the lid opening unit; If not, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the cover opening unit.

8. The sample pre-processing method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The controlling the cover opening unit to detect the sample tube to be tested includes: According to the detection method, controlling the cover opening unit to detect the serum remaining amount and quality of the sample tube to be tested; If the serum residual amount and quality of the sample tube to be tested meet the predetermined conditions, determining whether the sample tube to be tested needs to be uncapped, and if so, controlling the uncapping unit to remove the cap from the sample tube; If the serum residual amount and quality of the sample tube to be tested do not meet the predetermined conditions, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the sample tube to be tested to a corresponding placement position.

9. The sample pre-processing method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The controlling the opening unit to open the cover of the sample tube includes: Determining whether to retain the original cap of the sample tube to be tested according to the detection method; If yes, control the gripper unit to transfer the original tube cap to the sample tube cap placement area; If not, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer and discard the original pipe cap.

10. The sample pre-processing method according to claim 6, characterized in that: Before controlling the gripper unit to transfer the tested sample tube to the corresponding placement position, the method further includes: According to the detection method, the gripper unit is controlled to cover the original sample tube cap or the new sample tube cap on the tested sample tube.

11. The sample pre-processing method according to claim 6, characterized in that: According to the sample loading method, controlling the gripper unit to transfer the sample tube to be tested to the capping unit also includes: Determining whether to test the quality control sample according to the sample loading method; If so, the gripper unit is controlled to transfer the sample tubes to be tested from the tray-type loading mechanism and / or the rack-type loading mechanism and / or the quality control unit to the decapping unit.

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