incubator

Abstract

This invention discloses an incubator, comprising a housing with a power mounting area and a reaction tube incubation chamber inside. A drive motor is installed in the power mounting area, and a magnetic block is eccentrically mounted on the motor shaft of each drive motor. The reaction tube incubation chamber has mounting holes for placing reaction tubes, and a receiving space is formed inside the reaction tubes to hold rotors. The advantages of this invention are: the eccentric arrangement of the drive motor and magnetic block allows the drive motor to rotate the magnetic block, which in turn drives the rotor to rotate and stir. During stirring, the rotor provides tangential forces along the circle of rotation and forces in all directions of normal, subjecting the liquid inside the reaction tube to forces from multiple directions, creating turbulence. This results in more uniform and stable stirring of the liquid inside the reaction tube, improving the accuracy of the detection results.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of biological detection equipment technology, and in particular relates to an incubator. Background Technology

[0002] Incubators, as core equipment for biological sample processing, are widely used in fields such as immunoassay and molecular diagnostics. During incubation, the thorough mixing of the liquid within the reaction tube by magnetic beads is a key factor in ensuring the accuracy of test results. Existing magnetic beads are generally magnetic metal bodies, and their shapes are typically irregular, such as not being standard circles or squares, but rather custom-designed into various specific shapes to improve and ensure the accuracy of test results. This generally results in a higher price for magnetic beads. Furthermore, the assembly of magnetic beads with reaction tubes at the factory level is difficult, affecting factory production efficiency. Therefore, designing a new incubator is an important technical problem that those skilled in the art need to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art and to provide a new incubator.

[0004] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: An incubator includes a housing, within which is a power mounting area for mounting a drive motor and a reaction tube incubation chamber located above the power mounting area. At least one drive motor is disposed in the power mounting area, and a magnetic block is eccentrically disposed on the motor shaft of each drive motor. At least one mounting hole for placing a reaction tube is formed in the reaction tube incubation chamber, and a receiving space is formed within the reaction tube, in which a rotor is placed. The drive motor drives the magnetic block to rotate, and the magnetic block drives the rotor within the reaction tube to rotate, thereby achieving stirring and mixing of the substances within the reaction tube.

[0005] Preferably, the mounting hole is coaxial or non-coaxial with the drive motor; the eccentricity ratio between the mounting hole and the magnetic block is in the range of 10% to 50%; the magnetic block is circular or square, and at any given time, the projection of the magnetic block on the horizontal plane overlaps with the projection of the reaction tube on the horizontal plane, and the overlapping part exceeds the center of the reaction tube; the partial projection of the reaction tube is not covered by the projection of the magnetic block, and the partial projection of the magnetic block does not cover the projection of the reaction tube; moreover, the uncovered partial projection of the reaction tube and the uncovered partial projection of the magnetic block are located on both sides of the center of the reaction tube.

[0006] Preferably, a set of drive motors is provided in the power installation area, and a set of mounting holes is formed in the reaction tube incubation chamber; the drive motors correspond one-to-one with the mounting holes, and each drive motor can work independently.

[0007] Preferably, it further includes a heating cover for covering the reaction tube incubation chamber. The heating cover is pivotally mounted to one end of the housing. A guide notch is formed on the side wall of the housing that abuts against the heating cover to facilitate opening the heating cover. A magnetic attraction structure is formed between the heating cover and the side wall of the housing. The heating cover is provided with a heating plate. The upper surface of the heating plate is provided with a heating block, a temperature sensor, and a temperature control circuit. After the housing is powered on, the heating block is activated to heat up the heating plate, and the temperature sensor detects the current temperature in real time for the temperature control circuit to control the on / off state.

[0008] Preferably, the central region of the heating plate is recessed inward to form a single accommodating space for covering and accommodating the tops of all the reaction tubes, and has a gap with the tops of the reaction tubes.

[0009] Preferably, the reaction tube incubation chamber is provided with a heating module, which covers each of the mounting holes and heats the reaction tubes placed in the mounting holes.

[0010] Preferably, the rotor is a non-magnetic metal ball.

[0011] Preferably, the chamber is equipped with a power supply chip and a connection port, a button, and a display screen electrically connected to the power supply chip; the power cord is connected to the power supply chip through the connection port to supply power to the chamber; the incubator is started by pressing the button, and the preset temperature and the current temperature are displayed on the display screen.

[0012] Preferably, the box body is further provided with a test strip incubation area, which is provided with a heating plate and at least one test strip incubation cavity; the test strip incubation cavity is used to place a test strip box containing test strips, wrap the test strip box in it, and heat the test strips in the test strip box.

[0013] Preferably, the number of test strip incubation chambers is the same as the number of mounting holes in the reaction tube incubation chamber, and there is no communication between two adjacent test strip incubation chambers; the heating plate spans all of the test strip incubation chambers.

[0014] The advantages of the technical solution of this invention are mainly reflected in: This invention employs an eccentric arrangement of a drive motor and a magnetic block. The drive motor drives the magnetic block to rotate, and the magnetic block drives the rotor to rotate and stir. During the stirring process, the rotor provides a force in the tangential direction of the rotation circle as well as a force in the normal direction of the spherical arc surface. This causes the liquid in the reaction tube to be subjected to forces in multiple directions, making it more prone to turbulence. Consequently, the liquid in the reaction tube is stirred more evenly and stably, improving the accuracy of the detection results.

[0015] The rotor can be magnetic or non-magnetic, with non-magnetic being preferred due to its lower cost and ease of assembly. It can be a regularly shaped spherical steel ball or other irregularly shaped metal spheres. The rotor can be an all-metal, seamless, and cavity-free structure, facilitating the use of dense anti-corrosion coatings or high-corrosion-resistant alloys. This provides both chemical resistance and corrosion resistance, improving the safety factor and accuracy of the test results, while reducing production and assembly difficulties and increasing work efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 : A perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 : Exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 : A first cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This invention Figure 3 Enlarged view of section A; Figure 5 : Second cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The objectives, advantages, and features of this invention will be illustrated and explained through the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments. These embodiments are merely typical examples of applying the technical solutions of this invention, and all technical solutions formed by equivalent substitutions or equivalent transformations fall within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0018] In the description of the solution, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience and simplification of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Also, in the description of the solution, with the operator as a reference, the direction closer to the operator is the proximal end, and the direction farther from the operator is the distal end.

[0019] This invention discloses an incubator, comprising, as Figure 1 The box 100 is shown. (As shown in the image) Figures 1 to 2 As shown, the housing 100 contains a power supply chip 1001, a connection port 1002 electrically connected to the power supply chip 1001, a button 1003, and a display screen 1004. A power cord supplies power to the housing 100 through the connection port 1002. Furthermore, turning on the power switch on the housing 100 supplies power to the power supply chip 1001 inside the housing 100 via the power cord. The incubator is started using the button 1003; specifically, this starts the drive motor and heating plate, presets the desired temperature, etc., and the display screen 1004 shows the preset temperature and the current temperature, allowing for timely monitoring of the incubation status within the reaction tube.

[0020] like Figure 2 As shown, the incubation stirring device includes a power installation area 101 disposed within the housing 100, a reaction tube incubation chamber 102 located above the power installation area 101, and a heating cover 103 for covering the reaction tube incubation chamber 102.

[0021] Specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, the housing 100 is provided with at least a power mounting area 101 for mounting the drive motor 11. Figures 3 to 4 At least one drive motor 11 is provided within the power mounting area 101 shown, and a magnetic block 13 is eccentrically mounted on the motor shaft of each drive motor 11. Furthermore, a mounting block 12 is provided on the motor shaft of each drive motor 11. The motor shaft and the mounting block 12 can be reliably connected via a known structure such as a spline or snap-fit. The magnetic block 13 is eccentrically mounted on the mounting block 12, such that the axis of the magnetic block 13 is offset relative to the axis of the drive motor 11. Therefore, during the rotation of the drive motor 11, the axis of the magnetic block 13 never passes through the axis of the drive motor 11 and is never aligned with the axis of the drive motor 11.

[0022] The housing 100 also includes a reaction tube incubation chamber 102 located above the power installation area 101. The reaction tube incubation chamber 102 has at least one mounting hole 10 for placing the reaction tube. The mounting hole 10 is coaxially arranged with the drive motor 11, but can also be non-coaxial. For ease of understanding, the following embodiment will first describe the coaxial arrangement. In this embodiment, the magnetic block is circular, and the cross-section of the reaction tube is also circular. The area of ​​the magnetic block 13 is the same as the cross-sectional area of ​​the reaction tube. Of course, the magnetic block can also be square or other shapes, as long as it is comparable to the cross-sectional area of ​​the reaction tube. As mentioned earlier, the axis of the magnetic block 13 is offset relative to the axis of the drive motor 11. During the rotation of the drive motor 11, the axis of the magnetic block 13 never passes through the axis of the drive motor 11 and is never aligned with the axis of the drive motor 11. Meanwhile, the mounting hole 10 is coaxial with the drive motor 11 and is used to place the reaction tube. Therefore, the axis of the magnetic block 13 is offset relative to the axis of the reaction tube. During the rotation of the magnetic block 13 driven by the drive motor 11, the axis of the magnetic block 13 never passes through the axis of the reaction tube and is never aligned with the axis of the reaction tube.

[0023] Furthermore, the preferred eccentricity ratio between the reaction tube and the magnetic block 13 is set within the range of 10% to 50%, that is, the eccentricity ratio between the mounting hole (10) and the magnetic block (13) is within the range of 10% to 50%. This eccentricity ratio is calculated by dividing the eccentric distance between the two by the diameter of the reaction tube. In a specific embodiment: the cross-section of the reaction tube and the magnetic block 13 are both circular with a diameter of 8 mm, and the axis of the magnetic block 13 is offset from the axis of the reaction tube by 2 mm. Based on the above conditions, the eccentricity ratio between the two can be calculated as 2 / 8 = 1 / 4 = 25%. Thus, at any given time, the projection of the magnetic block 13 on the horizontal plane overlaps (i.e., not completely overlaps) with the projection of the reaction tube on the horizontal plane, and the overlapping portion extends beyond the center of the reaction tube. Meanwhile, the partial projection of the reaction tube is not covered by the projection of the magnetic block 13, and the partial projection of the magnetic block 13 does not cover the projection of the reaction tube. Moreover, the covered partial projection of the reaction tube and the uncovered partial projection of the magnetic block 13 are located on both sides of the center of the reaction tube, especially on opposite sides.

[0024] Therefore, even when the mounting hole 10 and the drive motor 11 are not coaxial, it is only necessary to satisfy the above projection relationship.

[0025] Furthermore, a set of drive motors 11 is preferably provided in the power installation area 101; simultaneously, a set of mounting holes 10 are formed in the reaction tube incubation chamber 102, with each drive motor 11 corresponding to one of the mounting holes 10. The specific number of drive motors 11 and mounting holes 10 can be adjusted according to usage requirements and is not specifically limited here. In addition, each drive motor 11 can work simultaneously, partially simultaneously, or independently as needed.

[0026] like Figure 3 As shown, a containment space is formed inside the reaction tube, and a rotor is placed within this space. The rotor may or may not be magnetic; preferably, it is non-magnetic, which is less costly and easier to assemble. It can be a regularly shaped spherical steel ball or other irregularly shaped metal spheres. The rotor can be an all-metal, seamless, and cavity-free structure, facilitating the use of dense anti-corrosion coatings or high-corrosion-resistant alloys, combining chemical resistance and corrosion resistance to improve the safety factor and accuracy of the detection results.

[0027] The drive motor 11 drives the magnetic block 13 (which in turn drives the mounting block 12, which in turn drives the magnetic block 13) to rotate. The magnetic block 13 drives the rotor inside the reaction tube to rotate, thereby achieving stirring and mixing of the substances inside the reaction tube. In other words, this application uses a magnetic field to drive the rotor in the reaction tube to rotate. When the rotor rotates, because the rotor is spherical, its contact surface with the liquid inside the reaction tube is a spherical arc surface. Therefore, during stirring, it provides a force in the tangential direction of the circle of rotation, as well as a force in the normal direction of the spherical arc surface. Thus, the liquid inside the reaction tube will be subjected to forces in multiple directions, causing the liquid inside the reaction tube to become more turbulent, thereby making the stirring of the liquid inside the reaction tube more uniform and stable, and improving the accuracy of the detection results.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the housing 100 also includes a heating cover 103 for covering the reaction tube incubation chamber 102. Further, as... Figure 1 As shown, the heating cover 103 is pivotally mounted to one end of the housing 100. A guide notch is formed on the side wall of the housing 100 that abuts against the heating cover 103 to facilitate opening the heating cover 103, and the heating cover 103 and the housing 100 can be connected and fixed by a magnetic structure.

[0029] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 or Figure 3As shown, the heating cover 103 is equipped with a heating plate 14. The upper surface of the heating plate 14 is provided with a heating element, a temperature sensor, and a temperature control circuit. The heating element, temperature sensor, and temperature control circuit can all utilize known existing technologies, and therefore will not be described in detail here. When the housing 100 is powered on, the heating element is activated, causing it to heat up. The temperature sensor detects the current temperature in real time, which is used by the temperature control circuit to control the on / off state, achieving automated and precise temperature control. This effectively avoids overheating or underheating, which could lead to poor reaction results in the reaction tube, thus ensuring the effectiveness of the substances within the reaction tube.

[0030] Furthermore, the central region of the heating plate 14 is recessed inward to form a single accommodating space for covering and accommodating the tops of all the reaction tubes. In order to heat the tops (tube caps) of all the reaction tubes more evenly, there is a gap between the central region of the heating plate 14 and the tops of the reaction tubes. The heating plate 14 heats the air in the single accommodating space to evenly heat all the reaction tubes.

[0031] A heating module is also provided inside the reaction tube incubation chamber 102 to heat the reaction tubes placed in the mounting holes 10. The heating module surrounds each mounting hole 10, simultaneously heating the reaction tubes from all sides to ensure even and stable heating.

[0032] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 3 or Figure 5 As shown, the housing 100 also includes a test strip incubation area 2, which comprises a heating plate 21 and at least one test strip incubation cavity 20. Preferably, the heating plate 21 spans all of the test strip incubation cavities 20. Furthermore, the heating plate 21 and the test strip incubation cavities 20 are connected by a heating element, which can be a silicone plate, and is not limited thereto. The heating element facilitates heat transfer, preventing the heating plate 21 from directly contacting the test strip incubation cavities 20, resulting in more uniform heat distribution within the cavities and preventing damage to the test strip incubation cavities 20.

[0033] In this application, heating elements are provided at the heating cover 103, the reaction tube incubation chamber 102, and the test strip incubation area 2, respectively, to heat the reaction tube and the test strip, so that the reaction tube and the test strip are at the temperature required for biological detection, thereby improving the accuracy of detection.

[0034] The aforementioned test strip incubation area 2 heats multiple test strip incubation chambers 20 simultaneously via a heating plate 21. Alternatively, in other embodiments, multiple heating plates 21 can be designed, each corresponding to one test strip incubation chamber 20. These multiple heating plates 21 can operate simultaneously, partially simultaneously, or independently to heat their respective test strip incubation chambers 20.

[0035] Furthermore, the number of test strip incubation chambers 20 is consistent with the number of mounting holes 10 in the reaction tube incubation chamber 102, and can be adjusted according to the detection requirements. The specific number is not limited here.

[0036] Furthermore, the incubation chambers 20 of two adjacent test strips are not connected, ensuring the independence of the reaction of each test strip, effectively avoiding mutual interference, and improving the accuracy of fluorescence data.

[0037] The applicant used the incubator described in this application to perform nucleic acid detection with the same detection reagent to test and verify the actual performance of the incubator described in this application. Of course, the incubator described in this application is not limited to nucleic acid detection. The testing process is as follows: S1.1, Power supply is provided to the power supply chip 1001 and the reaction tube incubation chamber 102 via the power cord; the temperature of the heating module in the reaction tube incubation chamber 102 is set to 40°C and the temperature inside the heating cover 103 is set to 45°C via the button 1003; the heating module preferably provides a 40°C metal bath to the reaction tube incubation chamber 102, and the heating cover 103 preferably provides 45°C air heating; S1.2, Place the prepared reaction tubes into the reaction tube incubation chamber 102. Each incubation stirring device can preferably hold 8 reaction tubes at the same time to complete the incubation. After the reaction tubes are placed in the reaction tube incubation chamber 102, close the heating cover 103 to ensure that the reaction tubes are properly closed, fixed and sealed. S1.3, start the drive motor 11 to drive the mounting block 12 and the magnetic block 13 to rotate synchronously, and use the magnetic field formed between the magnetic block 13 and the rotor to drive the rotor to rotate and stir at high speed; keep the temperature constant for 40 minutes under 40°C metal bath, 45°C air heating and continuous rotor rotation and stirring to ensure that all substances in the reaction tube are fully reacted and amplification products are formed; S1.4, turn off and stop the stirring and heating operation, wait for a certain period of time and after the temperature of the heating cover 103 drops, open it and take out the reaction tube in the reaction tube incubation chamber 102; S1.5, the amplification product in the reaction tube is transferred to the test strip box containing the test strip by puncture, and the test strip box is placed in the test strip incubation chamber 20. After being heated by the heating plate 21 for a specified time, the fluorescence data on the test strip can be effectively read.

[0038] Two incubators disclosed in this application were used to incubate targets at concentrations of 5 × 10⁻⁶. -9 The amplification product was incubated at a concentration of ng / μL, and the test was repeated 5 times. The test results of one incubator are shown in Table 1 below, and the test results of the other incubator are shown in Table 2 below. Wells 1-8 represent the 8 mounting wells in each incubator, and each mounting well contains one reaction tube. Wells 1-8 in the table correspond one-to-one with the 8 reaction tubes, and the data in the corresponding column represents the fluorescence value of the substance in the reaction tube in the corresponding mounting well on the same test strip after incubation. The test strip was also heated and incubated in the test strip incubation chamber 20 of the same incubator.

[0039] Table 1

[0040] Table 2

[0041] According to the data in Tables 1 and 2 above, when using the incubator disclosed in this application for amplification detection, the fluorescence CV values ​​of each test strip were all no higher than 15%, indicating good repeatability among the reaction tubes of this incubator and small differences between the reaction tubes. Furthermore, the CV values ​​of the C-line and T-line of all reaction tubes in one incubator corresponding to Table 1 were 11% and 12%, respectively; the CV values ​​of the C-line and T-line of all reaction tubes in one incubator corresponding to Table 2 were 7% and 12%, respectively, further demonstrating good repeatability of amplification (incubation) among the reaction tubes. The incubator structure disclosed in this application exhibits small inter-unit differences, resulting in accurate detection results.

[0042] Through the above tests and verifications, it can be clearly seen that the incubator of this application adopts an eccentric setting of drive motor and magnetic block. The drive motor drives the magnetic block to rotate, and the magnetic block drives the rotor to rotate and stir. This can achieve good stirring and uniform mixing of the material in the reaction tube by the rotor, forming a good incubation effect, thereby ensuring the accuracy of biological detection. Moreover, the rotor preferably uses non-magnetic metal balls, which has a low cost and is easy to assemble with the reaction tube, which can greatly improve production efficiency.

[0043] This invention has many other embodiments, and all technical solutions formed by equivalent transformation or equivalent transformation fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. An incubator characterized by: The device includes a housing (100), which contains a power mounting area (101) for mounting a drive motor (11) and a reaction tube incubation chamber (102) located above the power mounting area (101). At least one drive motor (11) is provided in the power mounting area (101), and a magnetic block (13) is eccentrically provided on the motor shaft of each drive motor (11). At least one mounting hole (10) for placing a reaction tube is formed in the reaction tube, and a receiving space is formed inside the reaction tube, in which a rotor is placed. The drive motor (11) drives the magnetic block (13) to rotate, and the magnetic block (13) drives the rotor inside the reaction tube to rotate, thereby achieving stirring and mixing of the material inside the reaction tube.

2. The incubator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting hole (10) is coaxial or non-coaxial with the drive motor (11); the eccentricity ratio between the mounting hole (10) and the magnetic block (13) is in the range of 10% to 50%; the magnetic block (13) is circular or square, and at any time the projection of the magnetic block (13) on the horizontal plane overlaps with the projection of the reaction tube on the horizontal plane, and the overlapping part exceeds the center of the reaction tube. The local projection of the reaction tube is not covered by the projection of the magnetic block (13), and the local projection of the magnetic block (13) does not cover the projection of the reaction tube. Moreover, the uncovered local projection of the reaction tube and the uncovered local projection of the magnetic block (13) are located on both sides of the center of the reaction tube.

3. The incubator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A set of drive motors (11) is provided in the power installation area (101), and a set of mounting holes (10) is formed in the reaction tube incubation chamber (102); the drive motors (11) correspond one-to-one with the mounting holes (10), and each drive motor (11) can work independently.

4. The incubator according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a heating cover (103) for covering the reaction tube incubation chamber (102). The heating cover (103) is pivotally mounted on one end of the box body (100). A guide notch is formed on the side wall of the box body (100) that abuts against the heating cover (103) to facilitate opening the heating cover (103). A magnetic attraction structure is formed between the heating cover (103) and the side wall of the box body (100). The heating cover (103) is provided with a heating plate (14). The upper surface of the heating plate (14) is provided with a heating block, a temperature sensor and a temperature control circuit. After the box body (100) is powered on, the heating block is activated to heat up the heating plate (14) and the temperature sensor detects the current temperature in real time for the temperature control circuit to control the on and off.

5. The incubator according to claim 4, characterized in that: The central region of the heating plate (14) is recessed inward to form a single accommodating space for covering and accommodating the top of all the reaction tubes, and has a gap with the top of the reaction tubes.

6. The incubator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A heating module is provided inside the reaction tube incubation chamber (102), and the heating module covers each of the mounting holes (10) to heat the reaction tubes placed in the mounting holes (10).

7. The incubator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotor is a non-magnetic metal ball.

8. The incubator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (100) is equipped with a power supply chip (1001), a connector (1002) electrically connected to the power supply chip (1001), a button (1003), and a display screen (1004); the power cord is connected to the power supply chip (1001) through the connector (1002) to supply power to the housing (100); the incubator is started by pressing the button (1003), and the preset temperature and the current temperature are displayed on the display screen (1004).

9. The incubator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box (100) is also provided with a test strip incubation area (2), which is provided with a heating plate (21) and at least one test strip incubation cavity (20); the test strip incubation cavity (20) is used to place a test strip box containing test strips, wrap the test strip box in it, and heat the test strips in the test strip box.

10. The incubator according to claim 9, characterized in that: The number of test strip incubation chambers (20) is the same as the number of mounting holes (10) in the reaction tube incubation chamber (102), and there is no communication between two adjacent test strip incubation chambers (20); the heating plate (21) spans all the test strip incubation chambers (20).

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