An avian embryo vascular injection device

Abstract

The application discloses an avian embryo blood vessel injection device, which comprises a rack, a visual illumination module, an injection execution mechanism and an avian embryo egg fixing platform. The fixing platform comprises a supporting table and a plurality of self-adaptive clamping units. The clamping unit comprises a support which is in sliding cooperation with a sliding groove of the supporting table, a first driving mechanism which drives the support to move, a flexible constraint member which is arranged on the support, a second driving mechanism which adjusts the tension degree of the flexible constraint member, and a force sensing unit which detects the clamping pressure. The injection execution mechanism comprises a base, a multi-joint motion mechanism, a driving assembly and an end effector. The fixing platform and the injection execution mechanism are integrated, and the multi-joint motion mechanism is arranged in the injection execution mechanism. The stable support of the avian egg and the space adjustment of the injection path are realized. The angle-adjustable fine puncture of the avian embryo blood vessel can be realized in the fixed state. The positioning stability and the operation repeatability in the injection process are improved. The automation degree and the precision of the blood vessel injection are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to experimental research equipment for avian embryos, and more particularly to a avian embryo vascular injection device. Background Technology

[0002] In the preparation of transgenic poultry, livestock and poultry breed improvement, and developmental biology research, the precise injection of exogenous cells or gene vectors into the circulatory system of early avian embryos is a crucial step in achieving genetic modification and chimera construction. Currently, this operation is primarily performed manually under a microscope using a micro-injection needle. Operators must rely on experience to accurately insert the needle tip into the tiny embryonic blood vessels, resulting in low efficiency, high technical barriers, and a success rate significantly affected by human factors. To improve automation, some devices have incorporated mechanical structures to achieve semi-automatic or automatic injection. However, existing devices often focus on single-function module designs, with limited adaptability to eggs of different sizes. Furthermore, the lack of coordinated design between spatial positioning and injection path control often necessitates repeated adjustments to the platform or changes in the injection angle to achieve alignment, leading to insufficient positioning accuracy and poor repeatability. Simultaneously, adjusting the puncture angle in some structures can shorten the effective working radius or restrict spatial movement, affecting continuous operation efficiency. Due to the lack of an overall composite structural design and coordinated control among multiple motion units, existing equipment is unable to achieve stable and high-precision vascular puncture injection while ensuring embryo safety, thus limiting the large-scale application of related bio-breeding technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Purpose of the invention: The purpose of this invention is to provide a vascular injection device for poultry embryos that features a cohesive and integrated structure, adapts to poultry eggs of different sizes, and enables precise spatial manipulation.

[0004] Technical Solution: The poultry embryo vascular injection device of the present invention includes a frame, a visual illumination module disposed on the frame, an injection execution mechanism disposed on the frame and capable of vertical movement therefrom, and a poultry embryo egg fixing platform disposed on the frame and capable of horizontal movement therefrom. The fixing platform includes a support platform and three or more adaptive clamping units distributed circumferentially along the support platform. Each clamping unit includes a support, the bottom of which slides in a radially arranged groove on the support platform, allowing the support to move linearly in a centripetal or centrifugal direction along the groove. A first drive mechanism is driven to and drives the support to move. A flexible constraint member disposed on the support for lateral contact with the poultry embryo egg is provided. A second drive mechanism is driven to and adjusts the tension of the flexible constraint member. A force sensing unit disposed on the force transmission path of the flexible constraint member is used to detect the clamping pressure of the flexible constraint member on the poultry embryo egg.

[0005] The injection actuator includes: a base, a multi-joint motion mechanism, a drive assembly, and an end effector; one end of the multi-joint motion mechanism is connected to the base, and the end effector is mounted on the other end, and it has at least two rotary joints; the drive assembly is connected to the multi-joint motion mechanism for driving the multi-joint motion mechanism to perform spatial posture adjustment.

[0006] Preferably, the frame includes a base, lateral support columns disposed on the base, and a support end cap disposed on the top of the lateral support columns; the visual lighting module is mounted on the support end cap; the poultry embryo egg fixing platform is mounted on the base of the frame via a two-dimensional horizontal slide, the two-dimensional horizontal slide including a first linear guide rail assembly and a second linear guide rail assembly arranged perpendicularly to each other, driven by corresponding drive motors and screw transmission mechanisms, respectively, for driving the fixing platform to move in two mutually perpendicular directions in the horizontal plane; the injection execution mechanism is mounted on the lateral support columns of the frame via a vertical slide assembly, the vertical slide assembly including a vertical guide rail, a slider, and a screw transmission mechanism connected to the slider, the screw transmission mechanism being driven by a drive motor, for adjusting the height of the injection execution mechanism.

[0007] Preferably, the support is a frame structure with a flexible cable pulley at the top, and the flexible constraint is a flexible cable; one end of the flexible cable is connected to the second drive mechanism and can be wound or released by it, and the other end of the flexible cable extends upward after passing around the flexible cable pulley and downward and is connected to the force sensing unit. The force sensing unit is fixedly installed on the support platform through a tension sensor fixing base, and the flexible cable constitutes a variable length side of the support frame structure.

[0008] Preferably, the bottom of the bracket is provided with a toothed groove extending along its moving direction; the first driving mechanism includes a first motor and a worm gear drivenly connected to the first motor, the worm gear meshing with a turbine fixed on a two-dimensional horizontal slide, the turbine passing through an opening provided at a corresponding position on the support platform and meshing with the toothed groove at the bottom of the bracket, for driving the bracket to move along the slide; the second driving mechanism includes a second motor and a first transmission wheel drivenly connected to the second motor; the bracket is provided with a second transmission wheel drivenly connected to the first transmission wheel, and one end of the flexible cable is fixed and wound around the shaft of the second transmission wheel.

[0009] Preferably, the first transmission wheel is a worm, and the second transmission wheel is a worm wheel that meshes with the worm, forming a worm-worm wheel transmission pair; both the flexible cable pulley and the second transmission wheel are fixed to the bracket by pins.

[0010] Preferably, the driving assembly includes a drive motor, the output shaft of which is fixedly connected to the mid-end arm for driving the mid-end arm to rotate about a first axis point on the base; the multi-joint motion mechanism includes: a mid-end arm, one end of which is rotatably connected to the base; a front end arm; a first connecting rod, one end of which is hinged to the mid-end arm and the other end of which is hinged to the first axis point of the front end arm; a second connecting rod, one end of which is hinged to the second axis point of the front end arm; a short connecting rod, one end of which is hinged to the mid-end arm; and a mid-end arm rotating connecting rod, one end of which is rotatably connected to a second fixed axis point on the base and the other end of which is coaxially rotatably connected to the short connecting rod and the second connecting rod; so that the drive motor drives the front end arm to be subject to dual-path constraint linkage through the linkage mechanism.

[0011] Preferably, the drive motor is a dual-axis motor, which is disposed in a mounting slot on the base and fixed by a motor fixing bracket, and the middle arm is mounted on the output shaft of the dual-axis motor.

[0012] Preferably, the end effector includes an injection cylinder detachably mounted to the end of the multi-joint motion mechanism, a piston disposed within the injection cylinder, a puncture needle communicating with the front end of the injection cylinder, and a piston drive unit pulsatingly connected to the piston; the piston drive unit is used to drive the piston to perform reciprocating linear motion within the injection cylinder to complete injection or extraction.

[0013] Preferably, the piston drive unit includes a power source mounted on the base via a power source fixing base, a prime mover piston assembly driven by the power source, and an intermediate transmission piston assembly disposed on the multi-joint motion mechanism.

[0014] The prime mover piston assembly includes a prime mover cylinder and a prime mover piston slidably disposed within the prime mover cylinder, the prime mover piston being drive-connected to the power source; the intermediate transmission piston assembly includes a transmission cylinder and a transmission piston slidably disposed within the transmission cylinder, the transmission cylinder being fixed to the multi-joint motion mechanism;

[0015] The piston tail of the syringe is provided with a connecting part, and the transmission piston is provided with a mating part that matches the connecting part, and the two are detachably connected in transmission.

[0016] The prime mover cylinder and the drive cylinder are connected by a fluid pipeline, which is used to transmit the linear motion of the prime mover piston to the drive piston through an incompressible fluid, thereby driving the piston movement inside the injection cylinder.

[0017] Preferably, the visual illumination module includes a global illumination component located at the top of the frame for providing uniform illumination for visual recognition; and a local illumination component located at the end of the multi-joint motion mechanism for providing auxiliary illumination for the puncture operation; the global illumination component includes a lamp holder support plate fixed to the top of the frame, a shadowless lamp bracket mounted on the lamp holder support plate, a reflector mounted in the shadowless lamp bracket, multiple shadowless lamps fixed on the reflector and arranged in a circular array, and a global visual sensor located in the central area below the reflector; a local visual sensor is also provided on the two-dimensional horizontal slide, which is fixed above the central area of ​​the support platform by a support structure for acquiring images of local areas of poultry embryo eggs and identifying the location of embryonic blood vessels to determine the injection target point of the puncture needle; the local illumination component includes a light fixed to the bottom of the forearm and located below the puncture needle by a lighting fixture bracket.

[0018] Beneficial Effects: Compared with existing technologies, this invention has the following significant advantages: By integrating the fixed platform and the injection actuator into a single structure, and incorporating a multi-joint motion mechanism driven by a drive component within the injection actuator, stable support for the poultry egg and spatial adjustment of the injection path are achieved. This enables precise puncture operations with adjustable angles for poultry embryo blood vessels in a fixed state. This structure improves positioning stability and operational repeatability during injection, while avoiding the difficulties in posture adjustment and positioning deviations caused by manual hand-held operation or single-motion structures, thereby enhancing the automation and precision of poultry embryo vascular injection. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the device of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2-3 This is a schematic diagram of the visual lighting module structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4-6 This is a schematic diagram of the poultry embryo egg fixing platform structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 7-9 This is a schematic diagram of the injection actuator structure of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 10-12 This is a schematic diagram of the multi-joint motion mechanism of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 13-15 This is a schematic diagram of the piston drive unit and end effector structure of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] like Figures 1 to 15 As shown, this embodiment provides a poultry embryo vascular injection device, which generally includes a frame 2, a visual illumination module 1 mounted on the frame 2, an injection execution mechanism 4 mounted on the frame 2 and capable of vertical movement relative to it, and a poultry embryo egg fixing platform 3 mounted on the frame 2 and capable of horizontal movement relative to it. The visual illumination module 1 performs imaging and recognition of the poultry embryo egg, the poultry embryo egg fixing platform 3 achieves adaptive and non-destructive clamping of poultry embryo eggs of different sizes, and the injection execution mechanism 4 automatically completes the precise puncture and injection operation of the embryonic blood vessels under visual guidance.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the frame 2 is the supporting foundation for the entire device. Its structure includes a base 2-3, lateral support columns 2-2 vertically mounted on the base 2-3, and a support end cap 2-1 located on top of the lateral support columns 2-2. The base 2-3 is located at the bottom of the frame 2 and is used to support and install other components; the lateral support columns 2-2 extend vertically to provide a mounting base for the injection actuator 4; the support end cap 2-1 is located at the top of the frame 2 and is used to install the visual lighting module 1.

[0028] like Figures 4-6 As shown, the poultry embryo egg fixing platform 3 can move horizontally relative to the frame 2. The poultry embryo egg fixing platform 3 is mounted on the base 2-3 of the frame 2 via a two-dimensional horizontal slide 2-5. This two-dimensional horizontal slide assembly 2-5 includes a first linear guide rail assembly and a second linear guide rail assembly arranged perpendicularly to each other, driven by corresponding drive motors and lead screw transmission mechanisms, respectively, to drive the fixing platform 3 to move in two mutually perpendicular directions within the horizontal plane. This horizontal movement capability allows the fixing platform 3 to transport the poultry embryo egg directly below the visual illumination module 1 and within the working area of ​​the injection actuator 4, achieving initial alignment of the injection target point.

[0029] The core structure of the poultry embryo fixation platform 3 includes a support platform 3-9 and multiple adaptive clamping units distributed circumferentially along the support platform 3-9, as well as a local vision sensor 3-12 located above the center of the support platform 3-9. In this embodiment, there are eight clamping units, evenly distributed along the circumference of the support platform 3-9, forming an octagonal clamping structure. Each clamping unit has the same structure, including a support 3-2, a first drive mechanism 3-11, a flexible constraint 3-4, a second drive mechanism 3-8, and a force sensing unit 3-6. The local vision sensor 3-12 is fixedly mounted on a two-dimensional horizontal slide 2-5 through a support structure. Its optical axis is vertically downward and aligned with the central area of ​​the support platform 3-9, used to acquire high-resolution images of local areas of the poultry embryo to accurately identify the location of embryonic blood vessels and determine the injection target point. This sensor is electrically connected to the image processing unit of the control system, and the image data it acquires is used to guide the injection actuator 4 to complete precise puncture.

[0030] like Figures 4-5 As shown, the support platform 3-9 has a generally disc-shaped structure, with its central area used to place poultry eggs. Multiple radial guide grooves extending outward from the center are evenly arranged radially on the support platform 3-9. Each radial guide groove runs through its length and has a limiting groove structure in its cross-section. This limiting groove structure includes: an upper transverse limiting cavity; a lower vertical guide groove; and the transverse limiting cavity and the vertical guide groove are connected to form an integral guide cross-section structure. The bracket 3-2 is disposed within the radial guide groove. The bottom of the bracket 3-2 forms a limiting flange structure that matches the transverse limiting cavity, allowing the bracket to be embedded in the transverse limiting cavity and slide radially, while preventing the bracket from detaching from the support platform in the vertical direction. This ensures the stability of the bracket 3-2 during sliding and prevents it from detaching or wobbling. The side portion of the bracket 3-2 forms a guide mating part corresponding to the vertical guide groove, ensuring that the bracket maintains radial stability during sliding. Through the above-mentioned matching structure, the bracket 3-2 is restricted as a whole within the corresponding radial guide groove, and can only slide in a straight line in the radial direction, either centripetal or centrifugal, thereby ensuring structural stability.

[0031] A first drive mechanism 3-11 is provided below the support platform 3-9, and is fixedly mounted on the two-dimensional horizontal slide 2-5. The first drive mechanism 3-11 includes: a first motor, a worm gear driven by the first motor, and a turbine gear meshing with the worm gear. The turbine gear's shaft is arranged horizontally, and its wheel passes through a vertical guide groove provided on the support platform 3-9 at a position corresponding to the radial guide groove, and extends to the lateral limiting cavity area. The bottom of the bracket 3-2 is provided with a radially extending toothed groove structure, which meshes with the turbine gear. When the first motor drives the worm gear to rotate, the worm gear drives the turbine gear to rotate. The turbine gear, through meshing with the toothed groove at the bottom of the bracket, drives the bracket to move in a centripetal or centrifugal direction along the radial guide groove, thereby achieving preliminary radial adaptation of poultry embryos of different sizes.

[0032] This structure essentially forms a two-stage transmission system: worm gear, worm wheel, and rack. The worm and worm wheel constitute a primary reduction unit with a large reduction ratio and reverse self-locking characteristics, enabling smooth ultra-low-speed drive and maintaining the current position even in the event of power failure. The meshing of the worm gear with the bottom tooth groove of the bracket 3-2 converts the rotational motion into linear displacement output along the radial guide groove. Compared to structures using single-stage reduction or direct motor-driven rack, this embodiment achieves higher adjustment accuracy and more stable low-speed operation through a two-stage transmission. This helps avoid damage to the eggshell caused by excessively high drive speeds or vibrations, while ensuring uniform transmission force and smooth operation.

[0033] The support 3-2 has an overall frame structure, with a flexible cable pulley 3-1 at its top. This pulley is rotatably mounted on the top of the support 3-2 via a pin 3-3. A flexible restraint member 3-4 is provided on the support 3-2 for lateral contact with the poultry embryo. In this embodiment, the flexible restraint member 3-4 is a flexible cable, such as a high-strength fiber rope or metal wire. One end of the flexible cable is connected to the second drive mechanism 3-8 and can be wound or released by it. The second drive mechanism 3-8 includes a second motor and a first drive wheel 3-10 connected to the second motor. The first drive wheel 3-10 is a worm gear. The support 3-2 has a second drive wheel 3-5 connected to the first drive wheel 3-10. The second drive wheel 3-5 is a worm gear that meshes with the worm gear, and the two constitute a worm gear transmission pair. One end of the flexible cable is fixed and wound around the shaft of the second drive wheel 3-5. The other end of the flexible cable extends upwards after passing around the flexible cable pulley 3-1 and then downwards, connecting to the force sensing unit 3-6. Both the flexible cable pulley 3-1 and the second transmission wheel 3-5 are fixed to the bracket 3-2 by the pin 3-3.

[0034] Force sensing unit 3-6 is positioned along the force transmission path of the flexible cable to detect the clamping pressure of the flexible cable on the poultry embryo. In this embodiment, force sensing unit 3-6 employs a tension sensor, with its tension-sensing portion fixed to the end of the flexible cable, and its non-sensing portion fixedly mounted on the support platform 3-9 via a tension sensor mounting base 3-7. In this way, changes in the tension of the flexible cable can be sensed in real time by the tension sensor and converted into an electrical signal output.

[0035] Through the above structure, each clamping unit forms a dual-drive coupled flexible clamping system. The first drive mechanism 3-11 drives the support 3-2 to move radially, achieving initial radial dimension adaptation for poultry embryos of different sizes. The second drive mechanism 3-8 adjusts the tension of the flexible cable independently of the radial position of the support by winding or releasing the flexible cable, thereby finely adjusting the clamping pressure on the poultry embryo. The force sensing unit 3-6 provides real-time feedback of the clamping pressure signal, and the control system performs closed-loop control of the second drive mechanism 3-8 based on this signal to ensure that the clamping force is stable within a preset safety range. The control system compares the real-time force signal output by the force sensing unit 3-6 with a preset safe clamping force threshold. When the detected value exceeds the threshold, the control system outputs a reverse drive signal or a stop signal to the second drive mechanism 3-8, thereby achieving closed-loop adjustment of the clamping force. The flexible cable extends downward after passing around the flexible cable pulley 3-1 and connects to the force sensing unit 3-6, so that the flexible cable and the support 3-2 together form a flexible constraint frame that can deform with the movement of the support. The flexible cable itself constitutes a variable-length side of this frame. This structure ensures both the stability of the clamping mechanism and enables non-destructive adaptive clamping of poultry embryos and eggs.

[0036] The control system in this embodiment includes an industrial control host or embedded controller, an image acquisition interface module electrically connected to it, a motion control module, and a signal acquisition module; the motion control module is electrically connected to each drive motor, electric push rod, and slide driver, and is used to output position control signals; the signal acquisition module is electrically connected to force sensing units 3-6, position sensors, and other detection elements, and is used to collect feedback signals and transmit them to the control host for processing.

[0037] like Figures 7-12 As shown, the injection actuator 4 includes a base 4-3, a multi-joint motion mechanism, a drive assembly, and an end effector. In this embodiment, the end effector is the injection assembly, which includes an injection cylinder 4-25, a piston 4-18 disposed within the injection cylinder 4-25, a puncture needle 4-20 communicating with the front end of the injection cylinder 4-25, and a piston drive unit pulsatingly connected to the piston 4-18. The base 4-3 serves as the mounting base for the injection actuator 4 and is fixedly connected to the slider of the vertical slide assembly 2-4, used to drive the injection actuator 4 to move vertically. One end of the multi-joint motion mechanism is rotatably connected to the base 4-3, and the end effector is mounted on the other end, having at least two rotating joints. The drive assembly is pulsatingly connected to the multi-joint motion mechanism, used to drive the multi-joint motion mechanism to adjust its spatial posture.

[0038] In this embodiment, the driving assembly includes a drive motor 4-9, the output shaft of which is fixedly connected to the middle arm 4-8, driving the middle arm 4-8 to rotate around a first axis point on the base 4-3. The multi-joint motion mechanism includes the middle arm 4-8, the front arm 4-17, a first connecting rod 4-12, a second connecting rod 4-13, a short connecting rod 4-0, and a middle arm rotating connecting rod 4-14. The middle arm 4-8 has an overall L-shaped structure, with its straight end fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 4-9; its angled position forms a first hinge point, coaxially rotatably connected to one end of the first connecting rod 4-12; its angled end forms a second hinge point, rotatably connected to the short connecting rod 4-0. The other end of the first connecting rod 4-12 is coaxially rotatably connected to the first axis point on the front arm 4-17. One end of the second connecting rod 4-13 is coaxially rotatably connected to the second axis point on the front arm 4-17, and the other end is coaxially rotatably connected to the short connecting rod 4-0. The base 4-3 is provided with a second fixed axis point. One end of the middle arm rotating link 4-14 is rotatably connected to the second fixed axis point, and the other end is rotatably connected to the short link 4-0 on the same axis.

[0039] This results in the following connection: the rotation of the mid-arm 4-8 is transmitted to the first axis point of the front arm 4-17 via the first connecting rod 4-12, while simultaneously driving the second axis point of the front arm 4-17 to move via the short connecting rod 4-0 and the second connecting rod 4-13; the position of the short connecting rod 4-0 is constrained by the rotational connection between the mid-arm rotating connecting rod 4-14 and the base 4-3. Therefore, the front arm 4-17 is controlled by two driving paths simultaneously during movement, and its posture is no longer a single free swing state, thus avoiding natural drooping due to gravity and improving the movement accuracy and stability during puncture. Through the above-mentioned double closed connecting rod structure, a single drive motor 4-9 can achieve multi-component linkage under constrained conditions, enabling the puncture needle 4-20 to form a controlled composite motion trajectory in the plane, thereby smoothly inserting the needle at a preset angle, meeting the operational requirements of avian embryo vascular puncture. The puncture needle 4-20 is a micro-glass needle structure, which is fixed to the end of the front arm 4-17 away from the mid-arm 4-8. The length and installation position of each link are designed according to the actual space requirements to ensure that there are no dead points in the movement of the mechanism within the working range; at the same time, mechanical limit structures can be set at the joints to limit the maximum rotation range.

[0040] This embodiment employs a structure where a single drive motor drives multiple joint linkages. The coordinated movement of multiple rotary joints is achieved through geometric constraints between the linkages, thus obtaining a composite motion trajectory for the end effector while maintaining a compact structure. While using multiple motors to drive each joint separately could achieve posture adjustment, it would increase the size and mass of the end effector, thereby increasing motion inertia and hindering the precise puncture of tiny blood vessels within a limited space. Therefore, this embodiment achieves multi-joint motion output through linkage coordination, reducing the end effector load while ensuring motion flexibility, which is beneficial for improving puncture stability. Simultaneously, this structure allows the injection actuator 4 to achieve the required range of motion within a smaller installation space, contributing to a more compact overall design.

[0041] like Figures 13-15 As shown, the injection actuator 4 includes an injection assembly disposed at the end of the multi-joint motion mechanism. This injection assembly includes an injection cylinder 4-25 detachably mounted at the end of the multi-joint motion mechanism, a piston 4-18 disposed within the injection cylinder 4-25, a puncture needle 4-20 communicating with the front end of the injection cylinder 4-25, and a piston drive unit pulsatorically connected to the piston 4-18. The piston drive unit drives the piston 4-18 to perform reciprocating linear motion within the injection cylinder 4-25 to complete injection or extraction.

[0042] To achieve long-distance precision driving and reduce the weight and size of the end effector, the piston drive unit in this embodiment adopts a fluid transmission method. The piston drive unit includes a power source 4-1 mounted on the base 4-3, a prime mover piston assembly driven by the power source 4-1, and an intermediate transmission piston assembly mounted on the multi-joint motion mechanism.

[0043] The power source 4-1 uses a high-precision electric actuator, which is installed inside the power source mounting base 4-2 and secured with screws to prevent it from sliding. The power source mounting base 4-2, with the electric actuator 4-1 installed, is then fixed to the base 4-3 with screws.

[0044] The prime mover piston assembly includes a prime mover cylinder 4-5 and a prime mover piston 4-7 slidably disposed within the prime mover cylinder 4-5. The prime mover cylinder 4-5 is a cylinder structure with a removable end cap at one end, which allows the interior of the prime mover cylinder 4-5 to be opened for fluid replenishment or maintenance. One end of the prime mover piston 4-7 is drivenly connected to a power source 4-1, and the other end extends into the interior of the prime mover cylinder 4-5. The prime mover piston assembly is detachably and fixedly mounted on a base 4-3.

[0045] The intermediate drive piston assembly includes a drive cylinder 4-24 and a drive piston 4-16 slidably disposed within the drive cylinder 4-24. The drive cylinder 4-24 also has a cylinder body structure with a removable end cap at one end, allowing the interior of the drive cylinder 4-24 to be opened for fluid replenishment or maintenance. The drive cylinder 4-24 is fixedly mounted on the front arm 4-17.

[0046] The piston 4-18 inside the syringe 4-25 has a connecting part at its tail, which is a T-shaped head in this embodiment. The drive piston 4-16 has a mating part that matches the connecting part, which is a T-shaped groove in this embodiment. The two are detachably connected, facilitating the disassembly and assembly of the front-end injection assembly and the addition of liquid.

[0047] The prime mover cylinder 4-5 and the drive cylinder 4-24 are connected by a fluid line 4-21. The two ends of the fluid line 4-21 are connected to the interior of the two cylinders respectively, and are used to transmit the linear motion of the prime mover piston 4-7 to the drive piston 4-16 through incompressible fluid, thereby driving the piston 4-18 in the injection cylinder 4-25 to move.

[0048] When it is necessary to add the liquid to be injected into the syringe 4-25, the front injection assembly (including syringe 4-25, piston 4-18, puncture needle 4-20, etc.) can be removed from the front arm 4-17. Pull the piston 4-18 to draw up the liquid to be injected, and then reinstall it onto the front arm 4-17. Insert the T-shaped head at the tail of the piston 4-18 into the T-shaped groove of the transmission piston 4-16 to complete the preparation of the injection system. When it is necessary to add transmission liquid to the prime mover cylinder 4-5 or the transmission cylinder 4-24, the corresponding detachable end caps can be opened for the replenishment operation.

[0049] During operation, the power source 4-1 pushes the prime mover piston 4-7 in a linear motion within the prime mover cylinder 4-5, forcing the incompressible liquid within the prime mover cylinder 4-5 to flow into the transmission cylinder 4-24 through the fluid pipeline 4-21. This, in turn, drives the transmission piston 4-16 to move synchronously in a linear motion within the transmission cylinder 4-24. The movement of the transmission piston 4-16, through the engagement of its T-shaped groove with the T-shaped head at the tail of the piston 4-18, drives the piston 4-18 within the syringe 4-25, ultimately achieving the micro-injection or extraction of the puncture needle 4-20. This fluid transmission method, by placing the power source at the rear, significantly reduces the weight and size of the front-end actuator, making it compatible with precision underactuated robotic arms.

[0050] The fluid line 4-21 is pre-filled with an incompressible liquid medium and is vented during assembly to prevent gas compression from affecting piston synchronization. Under normal operating conditions, the displacement of the prime mover piston 4-7 is transmitted to the drive piston 4-16 through an equal volume of liquid, achieving equal displacement output. Vent valves or vent holes can be installed on the fluid line 4-21 or on the prime mover cylinder 4-5 and drive cylinder 4-24 to discharge residual air during liquid filling.

[0051] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, the visual illumination module 1 includes a global illumination component located at the top of the frame 2 and a local illumination component located at the end of the multi-joint motion mechanism. The global illumination component is used to provide uniform illumination for visual recognition, and the local illumination component is used to provide auxiliary illumination for puncture operations.

[0052] The specific structure of the global illumination assembly is as follows: The lamp holder support plate 1-4 is fixed to the support end cover 2-1 on the top of the frame 2. The shadowless lamp bracket 1-3 is installed on the lamp holder support plate 1-4. The reflector 1-2 is installed in the shadowless lamp bracket 1-3, forming a concave structure. Multiple shadowless lamps 1-1 are fixed to the reflector 1-2, arranged in a ring array to form a ring lamp array. The global vision sensor 1-5 is embedded in the central area below the reflector 1-2, i.e., located at the center of the ring array. This ring lamp array design surrounding the central image acquisition unit ensures high-precision shadowless visual illumination, enabling the acquisition of clear images of the internal blood vessels of poultry embryos and eggs.

[0053] The visual illumination module 1 includes a global illumination component located at the top of the frame 2, local visual sensors 3-12 located on the fixed platform 3, and a local illumination component located at the end of the multi-joint motion mechanism. The global illumination component provides uniform illumination for the global visual sensors 1-5, enabling rapid coarse localization of the poultry embryo. The local visual sensors 3-12 are used for high-resolution imaging of local areas of the poultry embryo to finely identify the vascular network. The local illumination component provides auxiliary illumination to local areas during puncture operations to ensure clear imaging. By setting up a two-level visual guidance structure consisting of the global visual sensors 1-5 and the local visual sensors 3-12, the rapid coarse localization of the poultry embryo and the fine identification of blood vessels are combined, which not only ensures the overall operational efficiency but also significantly improves the localization accuracy of the puncture target point, solving the technical contradiction that a single visual sensor cannot simultaneously achieve a large field of view and high resolution.

[0054] The local lighting assembly includes an LED lamp 4-22 and a lamp mounting bracket 4-23. The LED lamp 4-22 is fixed to the bottom of the forearm 4-17 and located below the puncture needle 4-20 by screws via the lamp mounting bracket 4-23. It is used to provide auxiliary lighting for the local area during puncture operations, improving the visibility of the operation.

[0055] Each drive motor, vision module, and control system is powered by an external power source, and the electrical connections are achieved using conventional wire or cable chain arrangements.

[0056] The working process of this device is as follows: First, the poultry embryo is placed in the central area of ​​the support platform 3-9 of the poultry embryo fixing platform 3. The first drive mechanism 3-11 of each clamping unit drives the bracket 3-2 to move radially, so that the contact points at the ends of the eight flexible cables form an initial encircling circle adapted to the current size of the poultry embryo. Subsequently, the second drive mechanism 3-8 of each clamping unit operates synchronously, gently contacting the eggshell surface by winding the flexible cables. Each force sensing unit 3-6 provides real-time feedback of tension data, and the control system uses a closed-loop control algorithm to dynamically adjust the torque of each second drive mechanism 3-8, ensuring that the clamping force in eight directions quickly reaches and stabilizes at the preset safety value, achieving stable and non-destructive centering and fixing of the embryo. In this embodiment, the closed-loop control algorithm can adopt a proportional or proportional-integral control method, adjusting the output torque of the second drive mechanism 3-8 according to the deviation between the real-time force signal output by the force sensing unit 3-6 and the preset safety threshold.

[0057] Next, the global illumination component of the visual illumination module 1 is activated, providing uniform, shadowless illumination through the concave reflector 1-2. The global vision sensor 1-5 captures a high-resolution top-view image of the fixed poultry embryo egg, covering the entire egg area. Based on this image, the control system initially locates the approximate position of the poultry embryo egg in the coordinate system of the two-dimensional horizontal slide 2-5, and drives the two-dimensional horizontal slide 2-5 to move the entire poultry embryo egg to the center of the image, allowing the poultry embryo egg to enter the working area of ​​the injection actuator 4.

[0058] Subsequently, the local vision sensor 3-12 and the illumination lamp 4-22 of the local illumination component are turned on to perform high-resolution imaging of the local area of ​​the poultry embryo egg. The control system calls a pre-trained deep learning algorithm model to process the local image, automatically identify the poultry embryo egg body, finely segment its vascular network, and calculate the optimal injection target point coordinates on the vascular network. In this embodiment, the global vision sensor 1-5 is used for coarse positioning, and the local vision sensor 3-12 is used for precise positioning. The combination of the two achieves rapid and accurate injection target point identification.

[0059] In this embodiment, the deep learning algorithm model can be constructed using a convolutional neural network structure, such as a semantic segmentation network based on the U-Net structure, to perform pixel-level vascular region segmentation on the input image; the model is deployed in the control system after being trained offline using pre-collected poultry embryo egg vascular image samples.

[0060] After processing the acquired image, the image processing unit outputs the pixel coordinates of the target blood vessel location in the image coordinate system. The control system obtains the transformation relationship between the image coordinate system and the two-dimensional slide table motion coordinate system through pre-calibration. The calibration process can be carried out by setting a calibration plate with known physical dimensions on the poultry embryo egg fixing platform 3, acquiring its image and calculating the mapping relationship between the pixel coordinates and the actual physical coordinates, thereby establishing a coordinate transformation matrix, converting the pixel coordinates into the corresponding physical displacement, and generating drive commands to control the two-dimensional slide table to move to the corresponding position.

[0061] Then, the control system drives the two-dimensional horizontal slide 2-5 to move the poultry embryo egg, moving the injection target point to the center of the screen. The local lighting component 4-22 is turned on, and the vertical slide component 2-4 is driven to adjust the overall height of the injection actuator 4 to a safe height above the embryo egg, adjusting the puncture needle 4-20 to a 45° angle with the horizontal plane. The multi-joint motion mechanism is driven by the drive motor 4-9, causing the puncture needle 4-20 at the end of the front arm 4-17 to move to a safe height directly above the injection target point of the poultry embryo egg. The vertical slide component 2-4 is then driven to slowly lower the puncture needle 4-20 until it contacts the surface of the blood vessel above the injection target point of the poultry embryo egg and stops. After completing the planar positioning, the control system determines the puncture depth control amount based on the preset needle tip height parameters and the eggshell opening height, calculates the injection point on the blood vessel surface, and moves the needle tip to the injection preparation point.

[0062] Finally, the control drive motor 4-9 drives the multi-joint motion mechanism at a constant low speed, causing the end effector to move along a preset tilt angle path to the injection point. In this embodiment, the preset tilt angle is preferably about 45°. The end effector then continues along the preset tilt angle path to the injection target point. The preset tilt angle path is predetermined by the geometry of the multi-joint motion mechanism and the length ratio of each link. Stable and repeatable spatial motion trajectory output can be achieved through a single degree of freedom input from the drive motor, without the need for additional attitude compensation control. At this time, the control power source 4-1 pushes the prime mover piston 4-7, which drives the piston 4-18 inside the injection cylinder 4-25 through fluid transmission, pushing a measured amount of liquid to be injected from the tip of the puncture needle 4-20, completing the injection. After the injection is completed, the control system controls the injection actuator 4 to smoothly withdraw along the original path, releasing the clamp of the fixed platform 3, allowing the injected poultry embryo to be removed and the next work cycle to begin.

Claims

1. A poultry embryo vascular injection device, comprising a frame (2), a visual illumination module (1) disposed on the frame (2), an injection execution mechanism (4) disposed on the frame (2) and vertically movable thereon, and a poultry embryo fixing platform (3) disposed on the frame (2) and horizontally movable thereon; characterized in that, The fixed platform (3) includes a support platform (3-9) and three or more adaptive clamping units distributed circumferentially along the support platform (3-9). Each clamping unit includes a support (3-2), the bottom of which slides in a groove arranged radially on the support platform (3-9), allowing the support (3-2) to move linearly in a centripetal or centrifugal direction along the groove; a first drive mechanism (3-11) that is connected to and drives the support (3-2); a flexible constraint member (3-4) disposed on the support (3-2) for laterally contacting the poultry embryo; a second drive mechanism (3-8) that is connected to the flexible constraint member (3-4) for adjusting its tension; and a force sensing unit (3-6) disposed on the force transmission path of the flexible constraint member (3-4) for detecting the clamping pressure of the flexible constraint member (3-4) on the poultry embryo. The injection actuator (4) includes: a base (4-3), a multi-joint motion mechanism, a drive assembly, and an end effector; one end of the multi-joint motion mechanism is connected to the base (4-3), and the end effector is mounted on the other end, and has at least two rotating joints; The drive component is connected to the multi-joint motion mechanism for driving the multi-joint motion mechanism to adjust its spatial posture.

2. The avian embryo vascular injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame (2) includes a base (2-3), a lateral support column (2-2) disposed on the base (2-3), and a support end cap (2-1) disposed on the top of the lateral support column (2-2); the visual lighting module (1) is mounted on the support end cap (2-1); the poultry embryo egg fixing platform (3) is mounted on the base (2-3) of the frame (2) via a two-dimensional horizontal slide (2-5), the two-dimensional horizontal slide (2-5) including a first linear guide rail assembly and a second linear guide rail assembly arranged perpendicularly to each other. The guide rail assembly is driven by a corresponding drive motor and a screw transmission mechanism to drive the fixed platform (3) to move in two mutually perpendicular directions in the horizontal plane; the injection actuator (4) is mounted on the lateral support column (2-2) of the frame (2) through the vertical slide assembly (2-4). The vertical slide assembly (2-4) includes a vertical guide rail, a slider and a screw transmission mechanism connected to the slider. The screw transmission mechanism is driven by a drive motor and is used to adjust the height of the injection actuator (4).

3. The avian embryo vascular injection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bracket (3-2) is a frame structure with a flexible cable pulley (3-1) on its top. The flexible constraint (3-4) is a flexible cable. One end of the flexible cable is connected to the second drive mechanism (3-8) and can be wound or released by it. The other end of the flexible cable extends upward after passing around the flexible cable pulley (3-1) and downward and is connected to the force sensing unit (3-6). The force sensing unit (3-6) is fixedly installed on the support platform (3-9) through the tension sensor fixing base (3-7). The flexible cable forms a variable length side of the frame structure of the bracket (3-2).

4. The avian embryo vascular injection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom of the bracket (3-2) is provided with a toothed groove extending along its moving direction; the first driving mechanism (3-11) includes a first motor and a worm gear that is driven to the first motor. The worm gear meshes with a turbine fixed on a two-dimensional horizontal slide (2-5). The turbine passes through an opening provided at a corresponding position on the support platform (3-9) and meshes with the toothed groove at the bottom of the bracket (3-2) to drive the bracket (3-2) to move along the slide; the second driving mechanism (3-8) includes a second motor and a first transmission wheel (3-10) that is driven to the second motor; the bracket (3-2) is provided with a second transmission wheel (3-5) that is driven to the first transmission wheel (3-10). One end of the flexible cable is fixed and wound around the shaft of the second transmission wheel (3-5).

5. The avian embryo vascular injection device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first transmission wheel (3-10) is a worm, and the second transmission wheel (3-5) is a worm wheel that meshes with the worm. The two constitute a worm-worm wheel transmission pair. The flexible cable pulley (3-1) and the second transmission wheel (3-5) are both fixed to the bracket (3-2) by a pin (3-3).

6. The avian embryo vascular injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving assembly includes a drive motor (4-9), the output shaft of which is fixedly connected to the middle arm (4-8) for driving the middle arm (4-8) to rotate about a first axis point on the base (4-3); the multi-joint motion mechanism includes: a middle arm (4-8), one end of which is rotatably connected to the base (4-3); a front arm (4-17); a first connecting rod (4-12), one end of which is hinged to the middle arm (4-8) and the other end of which is hinged to the first axis point of the front arm (4-17); the... Two connecting rods (4-13), one end of which is hinged to the second axis point of the front arm (4-17); a short connecting rod (4-0), one end of which is hinged to the middle arm (4-8); a middle arm rotating connecting rod (4-14), one end of which is rotatably connected to the second fixed axis point on the base (4-3), and the other end is rotatably connected to the short connecting rod (4-0) and the second connecting rod (4-13) on the same axis; so that the drive motor (4-9) drives the front arm (4-17) to be linked by dual-path constraints through the linkage mechanism.

7. The avian embryo vascular injection device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The drive motor (4-9) is a dual-axis motor. The dual-axis motor is set in the mounting slot on the base (4-3) and fixed by the motor fixing bracket (4-10). The middle arm (4-8) is installed on the output shaft of the dual-axis motor.

8. The avian embryo vascular injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end effector includes an injection cylinder (4-25) detachably mounted at the end of the multi-joint motion mechanism, a piston (4-18) disposed within the injection cylinder (4-25), a puncture needle (4-20) communicating with the front end of the injection cylinder (4-25), and a piston drive unit pulverizedly connected to the piston (4-18); the piston drive unit is used to drive the piston (4-18) to perform reciprocating linear motion within the injection cylinder (4-25) to complete injection or extraction.

9. The avian embryo vascular injection device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The piston drive unit includes a power source (4-1) mounted on the base (4-3) via a power source fixing base (4-2), a prime mover piston assembly driven by the power source (4-1), and an intermediate transmission piston assembly disposed on the multi-joint motion mechanism. The prime mover piston assembly includes a prime mover cylinder (4-5) and a prime mover piston (4-7) slidably disposed within the prime mover cylinder (4-5), the prime mover piston (4-7) being drive-connected to the power source (4-1); the intermediate transmission piston assembly includes a transmission cylinder (4-24) and a transmission piston (4-16) slidably disposed within the transmission cylinder (4-24), the transmission cylinder (4-24) being fixed to the multi-joint motion mechanism; The piston (4-18) inside the syringe (4-25) has a connecting part at its tail, and the transmission piston (4-16) has a mating part that matches the connecting part. The two are detachably connected in transmission. The prime mover cylinder (4-5) and the transmission cylinder (4-24) are connected by a fluid pipeline (4-21) to transmit the linear motion of the prime mover piston (4-7) to the transmission piston (4-16) through an incompressible fluid, thereby driving the piston (4-18) in the injection cylinder (4-25) to move.

10. The avian embryo vascular injection device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The visual lighting module (1) includes a global lighting component located on the top of the frame (2) and a local lighting component located at the end of the multi-joint motion mechanism; the global lighting component includes a lamp holder support plate (1-4) fixed to the top of the frame (2), a shadowless lamp bracket (1-3) mounted on the lamp holder support plate (1-4), a reflector (1-2) mounted in the shadowless lamp bracket (1-3), a plurality of shadowless lamps (1-1) fixed on the reflector (1-2) and arranged in a circular array, and a reflector (1-2) located on the reflector (1-2). The lower central area is equipped with a global vision sensor (1-5); the two-dimensional horizontal slide (2-5) is also equipped with a local vision sensor (3-12), which is fixed above the central area of ​​the support platform (3-9) by a support structure, and is used to collect images of local areas of poultry eggs and identify the location of embryonic blood vessels to determine the injection target point of the puncture needle; the local lighting assembly includes a lighting lamp (4-22) fixed to the bottom of the front arm (4-17) and located below the puncture needle (4-20) by a lighting lamp fixing bracket (4-23).

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