Multi-channel temperature control device of patch clamp system

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a multi-channel temperature control device of a patch clamp system, and relates to the technical field of patch clamp equipment, the multi-channel temperature control device comprises a base, a mounting table and an operating table, the mounting table and the operating table are arranged on the base, a test tube, an injection and a material tube are arranged on the mounting table, and a test vessel for bearing living cells is mounted on the operating table; a storage groove vertically penetrating through the operation table is formed in the operation table, the test vessel is located in the storage groove, two heating cylinders are rotationally connected to the base, a heat conduction belt is arranged on the heating cylinders in a surrounding mode, and the heat conduction belt is located under the test vessel. A servo motor for driving the heating cylinder to rotate is fixed to the base, a heating device for heating the heating cylinder is arranged in the base, a plurality of heat conduction wires surrounding the heat conduction belt are arranged on the heat conduction belt, and a plurality of first temperature sensors are arranged on the base. The first temperature sensors are distributed in the movement direction of the heat conduction belt. The device has the advantages that living cells can be conveniently heated, and the situation that the living cells die due to the fact that the temperature change is too large is prevented.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of patch clamp equipment, in particular to a multi-channel temperature control device of a patch clamp system. Background Art

[0002] Patch clamp technology is an important tool for studying the electrophysiological properties of ion channels. It studies the physiological functions of cells by recording changes in the current flowing through ion channels on the cell membrane. In patch clamp experiments, temperature is a key factor affecting ion channel activity and cell membrane stability. Even small temperature fluctuations can significantly affect the experimental results.

[0003] Chinese patent publication number CN215713052U discloses a patch clamp thermostat with excellent temperature control performance. The device comprises a base, an operating table, a test tube, a fixing plate, an injection agent, a material tank, and a temperature control device. The operating table is fixedly connected to the surface of the base, and the temperature control device is disposed on the surface of the base. The temperature control device includes a power motor fixedly connected to the inner wall of the base. The temperature control device includes a power motor fixedly connected to the inner wall of the base, a rotating wheel fixedly connected to the driving end of the power motor, and a rotating belt is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the base. The surface of the rotating wheel is transmission-connected to the rotating belt. The power motor facilitates the rotation of the rotating belt. The surface of the rotating belt is fixedly connected to a support frame, which is slidably connected to the inner wall of the operating table. The surface of the support frame is fixedly connected to a heating pump, and the output end of the heating pump is fixedly connected to a heat pipe. By arranging the heat pipe, it is convenient to adjust the heating of the inner wall of the operating table, so as to facilitate the rapid heating of the operating table, thereby avoiding the existing membrane operation usually using living cells for cultivation. During the long cultivation process, the living cells are easily affected by different temperature differences and die, resulting in test failure, thereby effectively improving the usability of the equipment, improving the temperature control capability of the equipment, and facilitating the normal use of the equipment.

[0004] The inventors believe that the above-mentioned heating process mainly heats the heat pipe through a heat pump and heats the inner wall of the operating table through a heat conducting plate. Although this heating method can achieve rapid heating of the operating table, living cells are relatively sensitive to temperature. The above-mentioned heating method can easily cause the death of living cells due to excessively rapid temperature increases or affect the experimental results due to excessive temperature differences. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to facilitate heating of living cells and prevent excessive temperature changes from causing death of living cells, the present application provides a multi-channel temperature control device for a patch clamp system.

[0006] The multi-channel temperature control device of the patch clamp system provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A multi-channel temperature control device for a patch clamp system includes a base and a mounting table and an operating table arranged on the base, wherein test tubes, injection agents, and material tubes are arranged on the mounting table, and a test vessel for carrying living cells is mounted on the operating table. A storage tank vertically extending through the operating table is provided on the operating table, and the test vessel is located in the storage tank. Two heating cylinders are rotatably connected to the base, and a heat-conducting belt is arranged around the heating cylinders. The heat-conducting belt is located directly below the test vessel. A servo motor for driving the heating cylinders to rotate is fixed to the base. A heating device for heating the heating cylinders is arranged in the base, and a plurality of heat-conducting wires are arranged around the heat-conducting belts. The base is provided with a plurality of first temperature sensors, and the plurality of first temperature sensors are distributed along the movement direction of the heat-conducting belts.

[0008] Furthermore, a sliding groove is provided on the inner wall of the storage groove, an arc-shaped sliding block is slidably arranged in the sliding groove, a sliding spring is fixed in the sliding groove to push the sliding block to move out of the sliding groove, and the test vessel includes a cylinder and a support ring fixed on the outer edge of the upper end of the cylinder, and the support ring abuts against the sliding block.

[0009] Furthermore, a bracket is fixed on the base, a cover plate for closing the upper opening of the test vessel is slidably provided on the bracket, a driving screw and a driving motor for rotating the driving screw are rotatably connected to the bracket, and a driving block threadedly connected to the driving screw is fixed on the cover plate.

[0010] Furthermore, a driving groove is provided on the upper surface of the operating table along the sliding direction of the cover plate, and the driving groove passes through the storage slot horizontally. A driving plate is fixed to the lower surface of the cover plate, and the driving plate extends along the length direction of the driving screw. The lower surface of the driving plate is inclined, and a downwardly inclined guide slope is provided on the upper surface of the sliding block. When the driving plate slides in the same direction in the driving groove, the driving block pushes the test vessel to move downward, which is used to adjust the distance between the test vessel and the thermal wire.

[0011] Furthermore, a discharge port is provided at the bottom of the operating table along the moving direction of the heat-conducting belt, and when the cover plate continues to move forward, the test vessel is pushed to fall onto the heat-conducting belt.

[0012] Furthermore, the heating device includes a liquid inlet pipe connected to the heating cylinder, and the liquid inlet pipe is externally connected to a heating pump and a water tank.

[0013] Furthermore, the bracket, cover plate and driving block are all made of heat-conducting materials, the bracket is rotatably connected to the heating cylinder, and a heat-conducting rod connected to the operating table is fixed to the bottom of the bracket.

[0014] Furthermore, a groove is provided on the inner wall of the operating table near the bottom wall of the test vessel, and a second temperature sensor is fixed in the groove.

[0015] Furthermore, an elastic rubber pad is fixed to the bottom of the cover plate, and a plurality of rubber bumps for vibrating the test vessel are detachably mounted on the heat-conducting belt.

[0016] In summary, the present application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: the heating tube is heated by a heating device, the heating tube transfers heat to the thermal wire, the thermal wire moves to the bottom of the test vessel and heats the test vessel, avoiding direct heating of the operating table and affecting the activity of cells due to sudden temperature changes. The temperature can be adjusted by adjusting the heating pump, or the position of the sliding cover can be adjusted to adjust the positional relationship between the test vessel and the thermal belt to adjust the temperature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the operating table, cover plate, and test vessel of this application.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of the sliding block on the operating table.

[0020] Explanation of the accompanying reference numerals: 1. base; 2. mounting table; 3. operating table; 4. storage tank; 5. test vessel; 6. thermal belt; 7. thermal wire; 8. sliding groove; 9. sliding block; 10. sliding spring; 11. bracket; 12. cover plate; 13. driving screw; 14. driving groove; 15. driving plate; 16. second temperature sensor; 17. thermal rod; 18. guide slope. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The terms used in the following embodiments are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. As used in the specification of this application and the appended claims, the singular expressions "a", "an", "said", "above", "the" and "this" are intended to also include expressions such as "one or more", unless there is a clear contrary indication in the context. It should also be understood that in the following embodiments of the present application, "at least one", "one or more" refer to one, two or more. The term "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist; for example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and subsequent associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0022] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, phrases such as "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," and "in yet other embodiments" appearing in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more but not all embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0023] The following is combined with Figure 1-3 This application is described in further detail.

[0024] A multi-channel temperature control device for a patch clamp system includes a base 1, a mounting platform 2, and an operating platform 3 disposed on the base 1. Test tubes, injection agents, and material tubes are disposed on the mounting platform 2. The operating platform 3 is provided with a storage tank 4 that vertically penetrates the operating platform 3. A test vessel 5 for carrying living cells is installed in the storage tank 4. Two mutually parallel heating cylinders are rotatably connected to the base 1. The heating cylinders are provided with a heat-conducting belt 6 that surrounds the two heating cylinders. The heat-conducting belt 6 is located directly below the test vessel 5. The heat-conducting belt 6 is provided with a plurality of heat-conducting wires 7 that surround the heat-conducting belt 6. The heat-conducting wires 7 have a wavy structure to ensure that different areas of the test vessel 5 are heated during movement. A servo motor is fixed in the base 1. The output shaft of the servo motor is fixed to the rotating shaft of one of the heating cylinders and drives the heating cylinder to rotate.

[0025] Reference Figure 1 The base 1 is equipped with a heating device for heating the heating cylinder. The heating device includes a liquid inlet pipe connected to the heating cylinder, which is externally connected to a heat pump and a water tank. The heat pump heats water, which enters the heating cylinder and heats the heat conductive wire 7 through heat transfer. As the heat conductive wire 7 moves, it heats the test vessel 5 at the bottom. Several first temperature sensors are mounted on the base 1. These sensors are distributed along the direction of movement of the heat conductive belt 6 and are used to detect the temperature of the heat conductive wire 7 in different areas, thereby facilitating temperature control of the heat conductive wire 7 at the bottom of the test vessel 5.

[0026] Heating the test vessel 5 and the operating table 3 by the heat conducting wire 7 has the following beneficial effects on the protection and cultivation of living cells:

[0027] 1. Maintaining a suitable temperature environment for cell survival. Living cells are extremely sensitive to temperature. The heat conducting belt filament 7 uniformly heats the test bench, avoiding local temperature fluctuations (such as hot or cold spots that can result from direct heating), thus preventing cell death or metabolic abnormalities caused by sudden temperature changes. The heat conducting belt 6 can also directly slide in contact with the test vessel 5. This sliding contact heating method dynamically adjusts heat transfer and, in conjunction with the temperature control system, accurately maintains a constant temperature, simulating the temperature environment of cells in the body.

[0028] 2. Reduces thermal shock damage to cells. Direct heating of the built-in heating element in the lab bench can cause sudden temperature fluctuations during startup and shutdown, resulting in "thermal shock" that can damage cell membranes or affect enzyme activity. The belt heat conductor 7, however, slowly transfers heat through the continuous contact between the heat-conducting belt 6 and the test vessel 5, resulting in more gradual temperature changes and less stress damage to cells.

[0029] 3. Avoid physical / chemical interference of the heating device on cells. If a heating element (such as a heating wire) is placed directly inside the operating table 3, it may require insulating materials or chemical coatings. If these materials release harmful substances, they may contaminate the cell culture environment. However, the heat conductive wire 7 is placed on the belt surface, completely isolated from the cell system inside the operating table 3, reducing the risk of chemical leakage or physical interference.

[0030] 4. To facilitate aseptic operation and cleaning of the operating table 3, in the structure in which the base 1 is slidably connected to the thermal belt 6, the operating table 3 (including the cell culture area) can be independently designed as a sterile sealed space, and the heating system (thermal belt 6, thermal wire 7) is located outside to prevent dust accumulation or microbial growth in the heating device itself, facilitate disinfection and cleaning of the surface of the operating table 3, and maintain a sterile environment for cell culture.

[0031] 5. Reduce the impact of vibration on cells. Directly built-in heating elements may cause vibration due to fans and heat dissipation structures, affecting cell adhesion growth or the stability of tissue and organ models. However, when the thermal wire 7 heats, the sliding contact between the thermal belt 6 and the operating table 3 is relatively stable, resulting in less vibration and better conducive to maintaining normal cell morphology and function.

[0032] 6. Flexible adaptation to different cell culture scenarios. When it is necessary to replace different types of cell culture dishes, microfluidic chips and other experimental devices, it is only necessary to adjust the contact position between the operating table 3 and the thermal belt 6 without changing the heating system. It can quickly adapt to various cell culture needs (such as single cell culture, tissue engineering, etc.) to ensure the consistency of temperature control.

[0033] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3A sliding groove 8 is provided on the inner wall of the storage groove 4, and an arc-shaped sliding block 9 is slidingly provided in the sliding groove 8. A sliding spring 10 is fixed in the sliding groove 8. One end of the sliding spring 10 is fixed to the inner wall of the sliding groove 8, and the other end is fixed to the sliding block 9 and pushes the sliding block 9 to move out of the sliding groove 8. The test vessel 5 includes a cylinder and a support ring coaxially fixed to the outer edge of the upper end of the cylinder, and the support ring abuts against the sliding block 9.

[0034] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 A bracket 11 is fixed on the base 1, and a cover 12 is slidably provided on the bracket 11 for closing the upper opening of the test vessel 5. A driving screw 13 is rotatably connected to the bracket 11 and is parallel to the movement direction of the heat-conducting belt 6. A driving motor for driving the screw 13 is fixed to the end of the bracket 11. A driving block is fixed on the cover 12, and the driving block is slidably provided on the bracket 11. The driving screw 13 passes through the driving block and is threadedly connected to the driving block. The driving motor drives the driving block to move, thereby driving the cover 12 to move, which is used to close the upper opening of the test vessel 5.

[0035] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 A drive slot 14 is defined on the upper surface of the operating table 3 along the sliding direction of the cover 12. The drive slot 14 extends transversely through the storage slot 4. A drive plate 15 is fixed to the lower surface of the cover 12. The drive plate 15 extends along the length of the drive screw 13 and has an inclined lower surface. A downwardly inclined guide slope 18 is defined on the upper surface of the sliding block 9. When the cover 12 moves toward the test vessel 5, the drive plate 15 slides in the same direction within the drive slot 14. The lower portion of the drive plate 15 is inclined. During this movement, the test vessel 5 is pushed downward along the guide slope 18 to adjust the distance between the test vessel 5 and the thermal wire 7. A discharge port is defined at the bottom of the operating table 3 along the direction of movement of the thermal belt 6. When the cover 12 continues to move forward, the test vessel 5 is pushed onto the thermal belt 6.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The bracket 11, cover plate 12 and driving block are all made of heat-conducting material. The bracket 11 is rotatably connected to the heating tube to facilitate heat transfer to the bracket 11. A heat-conducting rod 17 connected to the operating table 3 is fixed at the bottom of the bracket 11. A groove is opened on the inner wall of the operating table 3 near the bottom wall of the test vessel 5, and a second temperature sensor 16 is fixed in the groove.

[0037] The setting of the cover 12 plays a dust-proof role, a heat-insulating and heating role, a driving and regulating role for adjusting the distance between the test vessel 5 and the thermal belt 6, and a material unloading role. When the test is completed, the cover 12 continues to move, and the test vessel 5 breaks away from the sliding block 9 and falls onto the thermal belt 6 below.

[0038] The heat-conducting belt 6 plays a role of heating on the one hand, and conveying the test vessel 5 on the other hand.

[0039] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , an elastic rubber pad is fixed to the bottom of the cover plate 12, and a plurality of rubber bumps for vibrating the test vessel 5 can be detachably mounted on the heat-conducting belt 6. Whether to set the rubber bumps depends on the needs of the experiment.

[0040] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Any equivalent modifications or changes made by ordinary technicians in this field based on the contents disclosed in the present invention should be included in the protection scope recorded in the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-channel temperature control device for a patch clamp system, comprising a base (1), a mounting platform (2) and an operating platform (3) arranged on the base (1), wherein test tubes, injection tubes and material tubes are arranged on the mounting platform (2), and a test vessel (5) for carrying living cells is installed on the operating platform (3), characterized in that: The operating table (3) is provided with a storage tank (4) which vertically passes through the operating table (3); the test vessel (5) is located in the storage tank (4); two heating cylinders are rotatably connected to the base (1); a heat-conducting belt (6) is arranged around the heating cylinder; the heat-conducting belt (6) is located directly below the test vessel (5); a servo motor for driving the heating cylinder to rotate is fixed on the base (1); a heating device for heating the heating cylinder is arranged in the base (1); a plurality of heat-conducting wires (7) which are arranged around the heat-conducting belt (6); and a plurality of first temperature sensors are arranged on the base (1); the plurality of first temperature sensors are distributed along the movement direction of the heat-conducting belt (6).

2. The multi-channel temperature control device for a patch clamp system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage tank (4) has an inner wall provided with a sliding groove (8), an arc-shaped sliding block (9) slidingly arranged in the sliding groove (8), a sliding spring (10) fixed in the sliding groove (8) for pushing the sliding block (9) to move out of the sliding groove (8), and the test vessel (5) comprises a cylinder and a support ring fixed on the outer edge of the upper end of the cylinder, and the support ring abuts against the sliding block (9).

3. The multi-channel temperature control device for a patch clamp system according to claim 2, characterized in that: A bracket (11) is fixed on the base (1), a cover plate (12) for closing the upper opening of the test vessel (5) is slidably provided on the bracket (11), a driving screw (13) and a driving motor for rotating the driving screw (13) are rotatably connected to the bracket (11), and a driving block threadedly connected to the driving screw (13) is fixed on the cover plate (12).

4. The multi-channel temperature control device for a patch clamp system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper surface of the operating table (3) is provided with a driving groove (14) along the sliding direction of the cover plate (12), and the driving groove (14) horizontally penetrates the storage groove (4). The lower surface of the cover plate (12) is fixed with a driving plate (15), and the driving plate (15) extends along the length direction of the driving screw (13). The lower surface of the driving plate (15) is inclined. The upper surface of the sliding block (9) is provided with a downwardly inclined guide inclined surface (18). When the driving plate (15) slides in the same direction in the driving groove (14), the driving block pushes the test vessel (5) to move downward, so as to adjust the distance between the test vessel (5) and the heat conducting wire (7).

5. The multi-channel temperature control device for a patch clamp system according to claim 4, characterized in that: A discharge port is provided at the bottom of the operating table (3) along the moving direction of the heat-conducting belt (6), and when the cover plate (12) continues to move forward, it pushes the test vessel (5) to fall onto the heat-conducting belt (6).

6. The multi-channel temperature control device for a patch clamp system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating device comprises a liquid inlet pipe connected to the heating cylinder, and the liquid inlet pipe is externally connected to a heating pump and a water tank.

7. The multi-channel temperature control device for a patch clamp system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The bracket (11), the cover plate (12) and the driving block are all made of heat-conducting materials. The bracket (11) is rotatably connected to the heating cylinder. A heat-conducting rod (17) connected to the operating table (3) is fixed at the bottom of the bracket (11).

8. The multi-channel temperature control device for a patch clamp system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A groove is provided on the inner wall of the operating table (3) near the bottom wall of the test vessel (5), and a second temperature sensor (16) is fixed in the groove.

9. The multi-channel temperature control device for a patch clamp system according to claim 3, characterized in that: An elastic rubber pad is fixed to the bottom of the cover plate (12), and a plurality of rubber bumps for vibrating the test vessel (5) are detachably mounted on the heat-conducting belt (6).

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