An electronic cigarette oil storage cotton atomization product experimental sample automatic preparation device and preparation method

Abstract

The application provides an electronic cigarette oil storage cotton atomization product experimental sample automatic preparation device and preparation method, which comprises an oil storage cotton atomization product extrusion unit, a multi-joint manipulator, a multifunctional operation part, a weighing unit, a blending unit, an uncapping unit, a shaking table unit and a pipetting filtration unit; the oil storage cotton atomization product extrusion unit comprises an extrusion assembly and a collection assembly and is used for extruding atomization products; the multifunctional operation part is arranged at the action end of the multi-joint manipulator and comprises a pipette gun and a clamping mechanism; the weighing unit is used for quantitatively weighing the oil storage cotton atomization product; the blending unit is used for quantitatively injecting internal standard ethanol; the uncapping unit is used for uncapping and capping the centrifugal tube; the shaking table unit is used for uniformly shaking and oscillating the centrifugal tube; and the pipetting filtration unit is used for filtering and injecting the solution after uniform shaking and oscillation into a chromatographic bottle; the application has the advantages that the extraction, transfer and a series of pretreatment processes of the atomization product in the electronic cigarette oil storage cotton can be automatically completed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tobacco detection technology, and more specifically, to an automated preparation device and method for experimental samples of electronic cigarette oil-filled cotton atomized material. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the research and development, quality testing, and compliance analysis of e-cigarette products, it is frequently necessary to extract, quantitatively transfer, and perform subsequent sample pretreatment of the atomized substances (mainly including propylene glycol, glycerol, nicotine, and various flavorings and fragrances) contained in the oil reservoir. However, at present, these tasks mainly rely on manual operation by laboratory personnel, using independent experimental equipment such as pipettes, centrifuge tubes, shakers, and thermostatic baths to complete the process step by step. The entire process involves multiple pipetting, transfer, waiting, and equipment switching, with discrete and poorly coordinated procedures, requiring significant manpower.

[0003] This manual operation mode, which involves independent equipment, has significant shortcomings: Firstly, the operation steps are cumbersome and highly repetitive, resulting in long processing times per batch and very low overall efficiency, making it difficult to meet the growing demand for batch testing or R&D experiments. Secondly, individual differences introduced by manual operation make it difficult to achieve high consistency in extraction volume, transfer accuracy, and processing conditions, affecting the repeatability and reliability of experimental results. Furthermore, the preparation and transfer process of experimental samples of e-cigarette oil-filled cotton atomized material also needs to be optimized to achieve the experimental objectives.

[0004] With the rapid expansion of atomized substance analysis services within the industry and the deepening development of research towards high throughput and standardization, the requirements for operational efficiency and process controllability have significantly increased, making efficiency improvement a pressing issue. Therefore, there is an urgent need to systematically integrate and transform the entire extraction, transfer, and processing process through automation, developing automated equipment capable of replacing manual labor and achieving continuous and stable operation.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, people have been seeking an ideal technological solution. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing an automated solution that can automatically complete the extraction, transfer, and a series of pretreatment processes of atomized substances in electronic cigarette oil reservoirs.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: an automated preparation device for experimental samples of electronic cigarette oil storage cotton atomized material, including an oil storage cotton atomized material extrusion unit, a multi-joint manipulator, a multi-functional operation unit, a weighing unit, a mixing unit, a cap opening unit, a shaking table unit, and a liquid transfer and filtration unit. The oil-storage cotton atomizing extrusion unit includes an extrusion assembly and a collection assembly. The extrusion assembly includes a vertically moving power extrusion head, a rotary turntable, and several disposable extrusion units. The rotary turntable has several placement holes, and each extrusion unit is placed in a corresponding hole. Below the power extrusion head is an extrusion station. The rotary turntable drives each extrusion unit through the extrusion station one by one, so that the power extrusion head applies vertical extrusion force to the extrusion units. The lower end of each extrusion unit is a liquid outlet. The collection assembly includes a rotary container. The support and collection container are provided. The rotary container support is provided with several container slots arranged in a ring. The collection container is vertically insertable and detachable in the container slots. It is used to drive each collection container to pass under the extrusion station one by one so as to align with the liquid outlet of the corresponding extrusion unit and receive the extruded atomized material. The circle formed by the extrusion units and the circle formed by the collection containers have only one intersection point on the horizontal projection at the extrusion station, so that any extrusion unit located at a non-extrusion station and any collection container located at a non-extrusion station do not interfere with each other in vertical space. The multi-functional operating unit is located at the moving end of the multi-joint manipulator and includes a pipette and a clamping mechanism. The pipette works with the multi-joint manipulator to draw and transfer the extrudate from the collection container, and the clamping mechanism works with the multi-joint manipulator to transfer centrifuge tubes. The weighing unit is equipped with a centrifuge tube inserter, which is used in conjunction with a pipette and a multi-joint robotic arm to complete the quantitative weighing of the oil-storage cotton atomized material. The blending unit, in conjunction with the clamping mechanism and the multi-joint robotic arm, is used to quantitatively inject ethanol containing internal standard into the weighed centrifuge tubes. The capping unit, in conjunction with the clamping mechanism and the multi-joint robotic arm, is used to open and close the centrifuge tubes; The shaker unit is provided with several centrifuge tube placement holes for shaking and oscillating the centrifuge tubes after mixing and capping. The pipetting and filtration unit, in conjunction with the clamping mechanism and the multi-joint robotic arm, is used to filter the shaken and vibrated solution and inject it into the chromatography bottle; The oil storage cotton atomizing extrusion unit, weighing unit, blending unit, capping unit, shaking table unit, and liquid transfer and filtration unit are located at different workstations, and the multi-joint robot moves between these different workstations.

[0008] This invention addresses the pretreatment process required for experiments involving e-cigarette oil-absorbing cotton atomized materials. It designs a complete automated device capable of performing all tasks, including batch extraction by extrusion, pipetting, centrifuge tube opening, sampling, quantitative weighing, quantitative injection and mixing, capping, shaking, filtration, and collection into chromatographic vials. The core of the device is a robotic arm with a multi-functional operating unit. A dedicated device for batch extraction of oil-absorbing cotton atomized materials is also designed, and each component is modified to meet automation requirements for centrifuge tube processing, ultimately achieving fully automated operation.

[0009] Based on the above, the pipette is equipped with a pipette tip storage holder for replacing pipette tips. Tips can be replaced periodically or each time.

[0010] Based on the above, the extrusion unit is a disposable syringe. The diameter of the placement hole of the rotary disc is larger than the diameter of the empty cylinder of the disposable syringe. A support surface is formed around the placement hole to support the flange of the empty cylinder of the disposable syringe. A support positioning step that matches the shape of the flange of the empty cylinder of the disposable syringe is provided around the placement hole. The extrusion power head includes a cylinder or an electric cylinder. The moving end of the cylinder or electric cylinder is provided with an extrusion head, and the extrusion end face of the extrusion head is flat. This design ensures the ease of use of the disposable syringe as an extrusion unit. Furthermore, using a disposable syringe to collect atomized material eliminates the need for subsequent cleaning work, allowing for immediate disposal and reducing labor pressure.

[0011] Based on the above, the cylinder or electric cylinder is mounted on the base via a cantilever. The drive end of the rotary turntable and the rotary container support are both mounted on the base. Both the rotary turntable and the rotary container support are servo motors with matched operating parameters to ensure that the extrusion unit and the collection container stop at the extrusion station simultaneously. The collection container is a test tube-like container with an open top. The cylinder or electric cylinder is mounted at the outermost end of the cantilever. The rotation axis of the rotary turntable is close to the upright end of the cantilever, while the rotation axis of the rotary container support is away from the upright end of the cantilever, so that the extrusion station is located at the outermost end of the cantilever. The two turntable structures are matched in a partially overlapping manner, which does not interfere with their independent operation and also provides space for downstream robotic arm liquid handling, allowing the entire process to be completed synchronously and continuously without waiting.

[0012] Based on the above, the pipetting and filtration unit includes a syringe rotary holder, a needle filter membrane holder, a needle filter membrane mounting mechanism, and a chromatography bottle rotary holder; The syringe rotary support is provided with several syringe support holes along the circumference. Based on the rotation path of the syringe rotary support, three workstations are set up, namely the oscillation liquid extraction workstation, the needle filter membrane installation workstation, and the chromatographic bottle injection workstation. The main structure of the syringe rotary support is provided with electric / pneumatic pull-press rod mechanisms corresponding to the oscillation liquid extraction workstation and the chromatographic bottle injection workstation, respectively. The multi-joint manipulator, through the clamping mechanism, cooperates with the electric / pneumatic pull-press rod mechanism of the oscillation liquid extraction workstation to complete the extraction of oscillation liquid by the syringe at the current position. The needle filter membrane holder has several needle filter membrane placement positions arranged along the circumference. The needle filter membrane placement positions pass through the needle filter membrane installation station one by one. The needle filter membrane installation mechanism is set in the non-rotating part of the needle filter membrane holder and is used to install the needle filter membrane into the mouth of the syringe after the oscillating liquid is drawn. The chromatographic vial retraction bracket has several circumferentially arranged vial placement positions. These positions sequentially pass through the injection vial station. An electric / pneumatic pull-compression mechanism located at the injection vial station compresses the syringe with the needle filter membrane installed at that position, filtering the shaking solution and injecting it into the chromatographic vial. The pipetting and filtration unit, through a combination of multiple rotary mechanisms, works in conjunction with the needle filter membrane installation mechanism to complete the relatively complex actions of shaking solution extraction and filtration.

[0013] Based on the above, the needle filter membrane mounting mechanism includes a vertical slide, an electric gripper, two L-shaped cantilever arms, four rollers, and a micro drive motor. The vertical slide is mounted on the non-rotating part of the needle filter membrane holder. The electric gripper is mounted on the slider of the vertical slide. The two L-shaped cantilever arms are mounted on the moving ends of the electric gripper. The four rollers are mounted in pairs on the two L-shaped cantilever arms. The micro drive motor is mounted on one of the L-shaped cantilever arms and drives one of the rollers to rotate. The four rollers combine to form a dynamic clamping part, used to clamp, lift, and drive the needle filter membrane to rotate. Because an automated filtration method is used, selecting a needle filter membrane with a screw thread ensures a secure installation between the needle filter membrane and the syringe, eliminating the need for additional force to maintain the installation stability of the needle filter membrane. Therefore, the installation and fixation of the needle filter membrane can be completed through an automated knob structure, thereby improving experimental safety.

[0014] Based on the above, the oil-storage cotton atomizing extrusion unit, weighing unit, blending unit, capping unit, shaking unit, and pipetting and filtering unit are arranged in a straight line or around the position of the multi-joint manipulator. This fully utilizes the spatial flexibility of the multi-joint manipulator.

[0015] Based on the above, the opening unit includes a stand, a lifting slide, and an electric rotating gripper. The electric rotating gripper is mounted on the stand via the lifting slide, and a silicone pad is provided on the inner side of the gripping part of the electric rotating gripper. It is used to cooperate with a multi-joint robotic arm to complete the screwing action on the centrifuge tube cap, thereby completing the opening and closing actions of the centrifuge tube.

[0016] Based on the above, the shaker unit includes a shaker and a silicone frame mounted on the shaker, with corresponding holes for the centrifuge tubes on the silicone frame. This is a modification of the traditional shaker, replacing the original support system with a silicone frame to facilitate the insertion and fixation of the centrifuge tubes.

[0017] An automated method for preparing electronic cigarette oil reservoir atomized material, performed using any of the automated sample preparation devices for electronic cigarette oil reservoir atomized material described above, includes the following steps: Step 1) Manually place the e-cigarette oil-filled cotton into the extrusion unit one by one, then place the extrusion unit into the placement holes of the rotary turntable, and at the same time place the collection containers into the container slots of the rotary container support one by one. Then drive the power extrusion head, the rotary turntable and the rotary container support to move in coordination to squeeze the oil-filled cotton atomized material in each extrusion unit into each collection container. Step 2) is executed synchronously with Step 1). The multi-joint robot uses a gripping mechanism to remove one centrifuge tube from the shaker unit and moves it to the capping unit to open the cap. After the capping unit opens the cap, it saves the cap. The multi-joint robot uses a gripping mechanism to put the opened centrifuge tube into the centrifuge tube insertion seat of the weighing unit. Then it is removed from the centrifuge tube, and the weighing unit obtains the weight of the empty bottle for tare operation. Step 3) The multi-joint robotic arm uses a pipette to extract the atomized material collected in the collection container and transfer it to a centrifuge tube located at the weighing unit. The weight of the pipette is controlled according to the weighing value of the weighing unit. Step 4) The multi-joint robot uses a clamping mechanism to remove the centrifuge tube containing a quantitative amount of atomized material and transfer it to the blending unit. The blending unit injects a quantitative amount of internal standard ethanol into the centrifuge tube. Then, the multi-joint robot uses a clamping mechanism to transfer the centrifuge tube to the capping unit. The capping unit re-closes the cap on the centrifuge tube. The multi-joint robot then transfers the capped centrifuge tube to the shaker unit. Step 5) After all the centrifuge tubes in the shaking unit have completed the collection, weighing and mixing of the atomized material, start the shaking unit to shake and oscillate. Step 6) The multi-joint robotic arm uses the clamping mechanism to transfer the shaken centrifuge tubes one by one to the capping unit for opening and then placing them into the pipetting and filtering unit. Then, with the help of the pipetting and filtering unit, the clamping mechanism and the multi-joint robotic arm, the solution in each centrifuge tube is filtered and injected into the chromatographic bottle to complete the entire preparation process.

[0018] This invention has outstanding substantive features and significant progress compared to the prior art. Specifically, based on the pretreatment requirements of oil-storage cotton atomized materials, this invention designs a complete processing device that integrates an oil-storage cotton atomized material extrusion unit, a weighing unit, a blending unit, a capping unit, a shaking table unit, and a pipetting and filtering unit. A multi-joint robotic arm completes the transfer tasks between different units. At the same time, each unit is redesigned or modified based on existing equipment to meet the functional needs of different units, so that it can meet the requirements of fully automated operation, greatly reduce the need for manpower, and improve the efficiency of operation. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is an overall diagram of the automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil storage cotton atomized material in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a top view of the automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil storage cotton atomized material in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the oil storage cotton atomizing extrusion unit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-joint manipulator and multi-functional operating unit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the weighing unit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the opening unit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the shaking table unit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the pipetting and filtering unit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the needle-type filter membrane installation mechanism in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0028] In the diagram: 100. Oil-absorbing cotton atomizing extrusion unit; 101. Power extrusion head; 102. Rotary turntable; 103. Extrusion unit; 104. Placement hole; 105. Base; 106. Cantilever; 107. Rotary container support; 108. Collection container; 109. Container tank; 200. Multi-joint manipulator; 300. Multifunctional operating unit; 301. Pipette; 302. Clamping mechanism; 400. Weighing unit; 401. Centrifuge tube insert; 500. Blending unit; 600. Capping unit; 700. Shaking unit; 701. Shaker; 702. Silica gel holder; 800. Centrifuge tube; 900. Pipette filter unit; 901. Syringe rotary holder; 902. Needle filter membrane rotary holder; 903. Needle filter membrane mounting mechanism; 904. Chromatography vial rotary holder; 905. Syringe; 906. Electric / starting pull-press rod mechanism; 907. Needle filter membrane; 908. Chromatography vial; 9031. Lifting slide; 9032. Electric gripper; 9033. L-shaped cantilever; 9034. Rubbing wheel; 9035. Miniature drive motor; 9061. Bayonet. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments. Example 1

[0030] like Figures 1-9 As shown, an automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil storage cotton atomized material includes an oil storage cotton atomized material extrusion unit 100, a multi-joint robotic arm 200, a multi-functional operation unit 300, a weighing unit 400, a mixing unit 500, a cap opening unit 600, a shaking table unit 700, and a liquid transfer and filtration unit 900.

[0031] The oil-storage cotton atomizing extrusion unit 100 includes an extrusion assembly and a collection assembly. The extrusion assembly includes a vertically moving power extrusion head 101, a rotary turntable 102, and several disposable extrusion units 103. In this embodiment, a disposable syringe is used. Several placement holes 104 are provided on the rotary turntable 102, and each extrusion unit 103 is placed in a corresponding placement hole 104. The area below the power extrusion head 101 is the extrusion station. The rotary turntable 102 drives each extrusion unit 103 to pass through the extrusion station one by one, so that the power extrusion head 101 applies vertical extrusion force to the extrusion unit 103. The lower end of the extrusion unit 103 is the liquid outlet.

[0032] The entire extrusion assembly is mounted on a base 105 and a cantilever 106. The power extrusion head 101 is mounted on the cantilever end of the cantilever 106. The power part of the power extrusion head 101 is a cylinder or electric cylinder 1011, which is vertically mounted on the cantilever end. An extrusion head 1012 is set at its movable end. The extrusion end face of the extrusion head 1012 is flat, and the extrusion action is achieved by pressing down.

[0033] The advantage of using disposable syringes is that they have extremely low procurement costs, a variety of specifications to choose from, and the ability to compress them for use in the compression of e-cigarette oil storage cotton cores. Furthermore, the diameter of the placement hole 104 of the rotary turntable 102 is larger than the diameter of the empty cylinder of the disposable syringe. The outer periphery of the placement hole 104 forms a support surface for the flange portion 1031 of the empty cylinder of the disposable syringe, which is used to support the stability of the compression unit 103 under pressure.

[0034] The collection assembly includes a rotary container support 107 and a collection container 108. The rotary container support 107 is provided with a plurality of container slots 109 arranged in a ring. The collection container 108 is vertically insertable and detachable in the container slots 109, which drives each collection container 108 to pass under the extrusion station one by one so as to align with the liquid outlet of the corresponding extrusion unit 103 and receive the extruded atomized material. Through this cooperation, the automation of atomized material extrusion and collection becomes relatively easier.

[0035] The circle formed by the extrusion unit 103 and the circle formed by the collection container 108 intersect at only one point on the horizontal plane at the extrusion station. This ensures that any extrusion unit 103 located at a non-extrusion station and any collection container 108 located at a non-extrusion station do not interfere with each other in vertical space. The core purpose is to ensure that the operation of inserting oil storage cotton into the extrusion unit 103 and the operation of the collection container 108 cooperating with the multi-joint robot 200 to transfer the extrudate can be carried out synchronously and continuously, thereby meeting the automation requirements.

[0036] The drive end of the rotary turntable 102 and the rotary container support 107 are both mounted on the base 105. Both the drive ends of the rotary turntable 102 and the rotary container support 107 are servo motors with matched operating parameters to ensure that the extrusion unit 103 and the collection container 108 stop at the extrusion station simultaneously. The collection container 108 is a test tube-like container with an open top. The cylinder or electric cylinder is mounted at the outermost end of the cantilever 106. The rotation axis of the rotary turntable 102 is close to the upright end of the cantilever 106, while the rotation axis of the rotary container support 107 is away from the upright end of the cantilever 106, so that the extrusion station is located at the outermost end of the cantilever 106. The two turntable structures are matched in a partially overlapping manner, which does not interfere with their independent operation and also provides space for downstream robotic arm liquid handling, allowing the entire process to be completed synchronously and continuously without waiting.

[0037] The multi-functional operating unit 300 is located at the moving end of the multi-joint robot 200 and includes a pipette 301 and a clamping mechanism 302. The pipette 301 works with the multi-joint robot 200 to suck up and transfer the extrudate in the collection container 108, and the clamping mechanism 302 works with the multi-joint robot 200 to transfer the centrifuge tube 800.

[0038] Specifically, the clamping mechanism 302 is modularly installed at the end of the multi-joint robot 200. The electric gripper performs horizontal clamping action to clamp and fix the centrifuge tube 800. A flexible pad, such as a silicone pad, can be provided on the inner side of the gripper to avoid damage to the centrifuge tube 800. The pipette 301 is modularly installed at the end of the multi-joint robot and located on one side of the clamping mechanism 302. The pipette tip of the pipette 301 is located below. In this embodiment, a replaceable pipette tip is used, and a pipette tip storage bracket is provided on the base plate 105 for replacing the pipette tip. The replacement can be done periodically or every time.

[0039] The weighing unit 400 is equipped with a centrifuge tube insertion seat 401, which is used in conjunction with the pipette 301 and the multi-joint manipulator 200 to complete the quantitative weighing of the atomized material from the oil storage cotton. The process is as follows: first, the clamping mechanism 302, in conjunction with the multi-joint manipulator 200, clamps and transfers the centrifuge tube 800 into the centrifuge tube insertion seat 401 of the weighing unit 400. Then, the multi-joint manipulator 200, in conjunction with the pipette 301, extracts a certain amount of atomized material from the collection container 108 and transfers it into the centrifuge tube 800. The weighing unit 400 is used to record the weight of the pipette, thereby achieving the purpose of quantitative collection.

[0040] The blending unit 500, in conjunction with the clamping mechanism 302 and the multi-joint robot 200, is used to quantitatively inject ethanol containing internal standard into the weighed centrifuge tube 800. The blending unit 500 is a readily available and directly usable piece of equipment, belonging to the category of syringe pumps. It has internally stored ethanol, and the injection volume is highly precise and controllable. When working with the multi-joint robot 200, it is only necessary to transfer the centrifuge tube 800 to the outlet of the syringe pump, so that the inlet of the centrifuge tube 800 is directly opposite the outlet of the syringe pump, and then start the syringe pump to inject quantitatively to complete the blending process. No additional modification is required. Only the installation height and position of the syringe pump need to be considered to ensure that it can be matched with the multi-joint robot 200.

[0041] The capping unit 600, in conjunction with the clamping mechanism 302 and the multi-joint robot 200, is used to open and close the centrifuge tubes 800. In this embodiment, the capping unit 600 is a newly designed solution, whose structure includes a stand 601, a lifting slide 602, and an electric rotating gripper 603. The electric rotating gripper 603 is mounted on the stand 601 via the lifting slide 602. A silicone pad is provided on the inner side of the gripping part of the electric rotating gripper 603. The multi-joint robot 200, in conjunction with the clamping mechanism 302, transfers the centrifuge tubes 800 to the capping unit 600. The centrifuge tube 800 is positioned vertically at the work station 0. The lifting slide 602 is then driven to descend, and the electric rotating gripper 603 opens and clamps the cap. The rotating motor is then started to complete a certain number of rotations, thereby completing the screwing action on the cap of the centrifuge tube 800 and opening the centrifuge tube. Of course, since there is nowhere to store the cap, the device also needs to perform the function of clamping and storing the cap. After the mixing process is completed, the centrifuge tube 800 needs to be closed again. At this time, the multi-joint robot 200, together with the clamping mechanism 302, transfers the centrifuge tube 800 to the cap opening unit 600 and performs the cap closing action through reverse operation.

[0042] The shaker unit 700 is provided with several centrifuge tube placement holes for shaking and oscillating the centrifuge tubes after mixing and capping. Specifically, in this embodiment, the shaker unit 700 includes a shaker 701 and a silicone frame 702 disposed on the shaker 701. The silicone frame 702 has tube holes corresponding to the centrifuge tubes. This is a modification of the traditional shaker 701, replacing the original support system with a silicone frame. The original support system required manual operation to open and maintain stability. This solution takes into account the supporting automation requirements and replaces the support with a silicone frame. The silicone frame has good support and also meets a certain degree of fault tolerance, especially allowing small errors when inserting or removing centrifuge tubes 800, making it less likely to damage the centrifuge tubes 800. This can meet safety requirements and also meet the functionality required for shaking and oscillating.

[0043] The pipetting and filtration unit, in conjunction with the clamping mechanism and the multi-joint robotic arm, is used to filter the shaken and vibrated solution and inject it into the chromatographic bottle. In the traditional method, this process is carried out manually by attaching a filter head to the syringe tip and injecting the shaken and vibrated solution into the chromatographic bottle for subsequent detection. In order to automate this process, the present invention replaces this action with a mechanized and automated one, enabling it to complete the filtration and transfer automatically.

[0044] Specifically, in this embodiment, the pipetting and filtration unit 900 includes a syringe rotary support 901, a needle filter membrane support 902, a needle filter membrane mounting mechanism 903, and a chromatography bottle rotary support 904. The syringe rotary bracket 901 has several syringe support holes arranged circumferentially for inserting and fixing syringes 905. To maintain the stability of syringes 905, the inner diameter of the syringe support hole needs to be approximately equal to the outer diameter of syringes 905 to provide a certain frictional resistance. Alternatively, a rubber ring can be provided around the inner ring of the syringe support hole, with its diameter appropriately reduced. After syringes 905 are inserted, the ring expands and deforms outward to provide a certain compressive force, ensuring the structural stability of syringes 905. This is based on the syringe rotation... The rotating path of the syringe holder 901 has three stations: a oscillation fluid extraction station, a syringe filter installation station, and a chromatographic vial injection station. The main structure (i.e., the non-rotating area) of the syringe rotating holder 901 is equipped with electric / pneumatic pull-press rod mechanisms 906 corresponding to the oscillation fluid extraction station and the chromatographic vial injection station, respectively. The multi-joint manipulator 200, through the clamping mechanism 302, cooperates with the electric / pneumatic pull-press rod mechanism 906 of the oscillation fluid extraction station to complete the extraction of oscillation fluid by the syringe 905 at the current position.

[0045] After the centrifuge tube 800 completes oscillation, it is first transferred by the multi-joint robot 200 in conjunction with the clamping mechanism 302 to the capping unit 600 to complete the capping. Then, the multi-joint robot 200 in conjunction with the clamping mechanism 302 transfers the capped centrifuge tube 800 to the oscillation liquid extraction station. The height of the centrifuge tube 800 is controlled so that the syringe 905 can draw the oscillation liquid. Then, the electric / starting pull rod mechanism 906 at this position pulls the piston end of the syringe upward to draw away the oscillation liquid in the centrifuge tube 800.

[0046] The power mechanism of the electric / pneumatic tension rod mechanism 906 is a set of electric or pneumatic cylinders that provide lifting action. The actuator is a bayonet 9061 with a horizontal slot. By default, its height is the same as the tail plate of the piston rod at the tail end of the syringe 905. When the syringe rotary support 901 rotates under its own motor drive, each syringe can pass smoothly through the horizontal slot without causing interference. The bayonet structure with the horizontal slot provides vertical constraint for the syringe 905, and can only drive the piston end of the syringe 905 to move when moving vertically.

[0047] The needle filter membrane holder 902 has several needle filter membrane placement positions along its circumference, which can be some insertion holes. The needle filter membrane placement positions pass through the needle filter membrane installation station one by one. The needle filter membrane installation mechanism 903 is set on the non-rotating part of the needle filter membrane holder 902 and is used to install the needle filter membrane 907 into the mouth of the syringe 905 after the oscillating liquid is drawn.

[0048] Specifically, in this embodiment, the selected needle filter membrane 907 is a needle filter membrane with a screw thread, and the selected syringe is also a matching syringe with a screw thread, such as the disposable needle filter provided by Bikman Bio. This design is because when the syringe is pushed outward for filtration, the needle filter membrane 907 needs to withstand a certain pressure. During manual operation, the needle filter membrane 907 can be held by hand to avoid excessive pressure and detachment. Considering the need for structural simplicity in the automation solution, the selection of the needle filter membrane 907 with a screw thread structure and the syringe 905 can eliminate the need to hold the needle filter membrane 907, thus achieving structural optimization.

[0049] To accomplish this action, in this embodiment, the needle-type filter membrane mounting mechanism 903 includes a vertical slide 9031, an electric gripper 9032, two L-shaped cantilever arms 9033, four rubbing rollers 9034, and a micro drive motor 9035. The vertical slide 9031 is mounted on the non-rotating part of the needle-type filter membrane holder 902. The electric gripper 9032 is mounted on the slider of the vertical slide 9031. The two L-shaped cantilever arms 9033 are mounted on the moving end of the electric gripper 9032. The four rubbing rollers 9034 are mounted in pairs on the two L-shaped cantilever arms 9033. The micro drive motor 9035 is mounted on one of the L-shaped cantilever arms and drives one of the rubbing rollers 9034 to rotate. The four rubbing rollers 9033 combine to form a dynamic clamping part, that is, the middle position enclosed by the four rubbing rollers 9033 is the clamping part. They rely on the opening and closing of the two L-shaped cantilever arms 9033 to complete clamping and releasing.

[0050] Specifically, when the needle filter membrane 907 needs to be installed, the vertical slide 9031 descends, the two L-shaped cantilever arms 9033 move away from each other, and the needle filter membrane 907 is positioned between the four rollers 9033. Then, the electric gripper 9033 is driven to move, the two L-shaped cantilever arms 9033 move closer, and the four rollers 9033 clamp around the needle filter membrane 907, completing the fixation of the needle filter membrane 907. Then, the vertical slide 9031 moves upward, lifting the needle filter membrane close to the outlet end of the syringe 905. After the two make contact, the micro drive motor 9035 starts, driving one of the rollers 9033 to rotate, driving the needle filter membrane 907 to rotate, and the other three rollers follow suit. At the same time, the vertical slide continues to move slightly upward, thus realizing the rotational installation and fixation of the needle filter membrane 907 with the screw hole at the syringe mouth.

[0051] The chromatographic vial retraction bracket 904 has several chromatographic vial placement positions arranged circumferentially. These positions pass one by one through the chromatographic vial injection station. The electric / pneumatic pull-press rod mechanism 906 located at the chromatographic vial injection station is used to squeeze the syringe 905, which is equipped with a needle filter membrane 907, at the current position, so that the shaker liquid is filtered and injected into the chromatographic vial 908. The pipetting and filtration unit is designed with multiple rotary mechanisms in combination with the needle filter membrane installation mechanism to complete the most complex shaker liquid extraction and filtration operations.

[0052] Based on the above, the oil storage cotton atomizing extrusion unit 100, weighing unit 400, blending unit 500, cap opening unit 600, shaking table unit 700 and liquid transfer and filtration unit are set at different work stations, and the multi-joint robot 200 moves between the different work stations.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, in terms of space optimization, considering the range of motion of the multi-joint manipulator and the basic requirement of flexibility, the oil storage cotton atomizing extrusion unit, weighing unit, blending unit, capping unit, shaking table unit, and pipetting and filtering unit are arranged in a straight line or around the position of the multi-joint manipulator to make full use of the spatial flexibility of the multi-joint manipulator. Example 2

[0054] An automated method for preparing e-cigarette oil reservoir atomized material, based on the automated sample preparation device for e-cigarette oil reservoir atomized material described in Example 1, includes the following steps: Step 1) The e-cigarette oil-filled cotton is manually placed one by one into the extrusion unit 103, and then the extrusion unit 103 is placed into the placement holes 104 of the rotary turntable 102. At the same time, the collection containers 108 are placed one by one into the container slots 109 on the rotary container support 107. Then, the power extrusion head 101, the rotary turntable 102 and the rotary container support 107 are driven to move in coordination to squeeze the oil-filled cotton atomized material in each extrusion unit 103 into each collection container 108. The extrusion action and the manual placement of the oil-filled cotton can be performed simultaneously without affecting the execution of the action.

[0055] Step 2) is executed synchronously with Step 1). The multi-joint robot 200 uses the clamping mechanism 302 to remove one centrifuge tube 800 placed on the shaker unit 700 and moves it to the capping unit 600 to open the cap. After the capping unit 600 opens the cap, it saves the cap. The multi-joint robot 200 uses the clamping mechanism 302 to put the opened centrifuge tube 800 into the centrifuge tube insertion seat 401 of the weighing unit 400. Then, it is removed from the centrifuge tube 800, and the weighing unit 400 obtains the weight of the empty bottle for tare operation.

[0056] Step 3) The multi-joint robotic arm 200 uses a pipette 301 to extract the atomized material collected in the collection container 108 and transfer it to the centrifuge tube 800 located at the weighing unit 400. The weight of the pipette is controlled according to the weighing value of the weighing unit 400. In this embodiment, the value is set to 0.5g.

[0057] Step 4) The multi-joint robot 200 removes the centrifuge tube 800 containing a quantitative atomized material through the clamping mechanism 302 and transfers it to the blending unit 500. The blending unit 500 injects a quantitative amount of internal standard ethanol into the centrifuge tube. Then, the multi-joint robot 200 transfers the centrifuge tube 800 to the capping unit 600 through the clamping mechanism 302. The capping unit 600 re-closes the cap on the centrifuge tube 800. The multi-joint robot 200 then transfers the capped centrifuge tube 800 to the shaker unit 700.

[0058] Step 5) After all the centrifuge tubes in the shaking unit 700 have completed the collection, weighing and mixing of the atomized material, start the shaking unit to shake and oscillate. Step 6) The multi-joint robot 200, through the clamping mechanism 302, transfers the shaken centrifuge tubes 800 one by one to the capping unit 500 for opening and placement into the pipetting and filtering unit. Specifically, it first moves to the shaking liquid extraction station, ensuring the syringe tip at that position is below the liquid level inside the centrifuge tube 800. The transfer is completed by the multi-joint robot 200. Then, the electric / starting pull-pressure rod mechanism 906 at this station lifts the syringe piston rod, extracting the shaking liquid. The multi-joint robot 200 then moves away with the centrifuge tube 800 to replace the next centrifuge tube 800. Simultaneously, the syringe rotation bracket 901 rotates by an angle, moving the next empty syringe to the station. As the rotation continues, the syringe filled with oscillation fluid moves to the needle filter installation station. The needle filter installation mechanism clamps, lifts, and rotates the needle filter at the current position to install it at the front end of the syringe. The needle filter installation mechanism 903 returns to its original position, and the syringe rotary support 901 continues to rotate rhythmically. The needle filter rotary support 902 rotates at an angle to rotate the next needle filter to that position to wait. When the syringe 905 with the needle filter 907 installed continues to rotate to the injection chromatographic vial station, the electric / pneumatic pull-press rod mechanism 906 at that position presses down on the piston end of the syringe 905 at the current position, filtering the oscillation fluid through the needle filter 907 and injecting it into the chromatographic vial, completing all operations.

[0059] The removal of the syringe after use, the collection of chromatographic samples, and the replenishment of new syringes, needle filters, and chromatographic samples are all done manually.

[0060] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the specific implementation of the present invention or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the spirit of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be covered within the scope of the technical solutions claimed in the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil-absorbing cotton atomized material, characterized in that, It includes an oil storage cotton atomizing extrusion unit, a multi-joint robotic arm, a multi-functional operating unit, a weighing unit, a blending unit, a cap opening unit, a shaking table unit, and a pipetting and filtering unit; The oil-storage cotton atomizing extrusion unit includes an extrusion assembly and a collection assembly. The extrusion assembly includes a vertically moving power extrusion head, a rotary turntable, and several disposable extrusion units. The rotary turntable has several placement holes, and each extrusion unit is placed in a corresponding hole. Below the power extrusion head is an extrusion station. The rotary turntable drives each extrusion unit through the extrusion station one by one, so that the power extrusion head applies vertical extrusion force to the extrusion units. The lower end of each extrusion unit is a liquid outlet. The collection assembly includes a rotary container. The support and collection container are provided. The rotary container support is provided with several container slots arranged in a ring. The collection container is vertically insertable and detachable in the container slots. It is used to drive each collection container to pass under the extrusion station one by one so as to align with the liquid outlet of the corresponding extrusion unit and receive the extruded atomized material. The circle formed by the extrusion units and the circle formed by the collection containers have only one intersection point on the horizontal projection at the extrusion station, so that any extrusion unit located at a non-extrusion station and any collection container located at a non-extrusion station do not interfere with each other in vertical space. The multi-functional operating unit is located at the moving end of the multi-joint manipulator and includes a pipette and a clamping mechanism. The pipette works with the multi-joint manipulator to draw and transfer the extrudate from the collection container, and the clamping mechanism works with the multi-joint manipulator to transfer centrifuge tubes. The weighing unit is equipped with a centrifuge tube inserter, which is used in conjunction with a pipette and a multi-joint robotic arm to complete the quantitative weighing of the oil-storage cotton atomized material. The blending unit, in conjunction with the clamping mechanism and the multi-joint robotic arm, is used to quantitatively inject ethanol containing internal standard into the weighed centrifuge tubes. The capping unit, in conjunction with the clamping mechanism and the multi-joint robotic arm, is used to open and close the centrifuge tubes; The shaker unit is provided with several centrifuge tube placement holes for shaking and oscillating the centrifuge tubes after mixing and capping. The pipetting and filtration unit, in conjunction with the clamping mechanism and the multi-joint robotic arm, is used to filter the shaken and vibrated solution and inject it into the chromatography bottle; The oil storage cotton atomizing extrusion unit, weighing unit, blending unit, capping unit, shaking table unit, and liquid transfer and filtration unit are located at different workstations, and the multi-joint robot moves between these different workstations.

2. The automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil-absorbing cotton atomized material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pipette is equipped with a pipette tip storage holder for replacing pipette tips.

3. The automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil-absorbing cotton atomized material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The extrusion unit is a disposable syringe. The diameter of the placement hole of the rotary turntable is larger than the diameter of the empty cylinder of the disposable syringe. A support surface is formed around the placement hole to support the flange of the empty cylinder of the disposable syringe. A support positioning step that matches the shape of the flange of the empty cylinder of the disposable syringe is provided around the placement hole. The extrusion power head includes a cylinder or an electric cylinder. The extrusion head is provided at the movable end of the cylinder or electric cylinder. The extrusion end face of the extrusion head is flat.

4. The automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil-absorbing cotton atomized material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cylinder or electric cylinder is mounted on the base via a cantilever. The drive end of the rotary turntable and the rotary container support are both mounted on the base. The drive ends of the rotary turntable and the rotary container support are both servo motors, and their operating parameters are matched to each other so as to control the extrusion unit and the collection container to stop at the extrusion station at the same time. The collection container is a test tube-like container with an open top. The cylinder or electric cylinder is mounted at the outermost end of the cantilever. The rotation axis of the rotary turntable is close to the upright end of the cantilever, and the rotation axis of the rotary container support is away from the upright end of the cantilever, so that the extrusion station is located at the outermost end of the cantilever.

5. The automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil-absorbing cotton atomized material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pipetting and filtration unit includes a syringe rotary holder, a needle filter membrane holder, a needle filter membrane mounting mechanism, and a chromatography bottle rotary holder. The syringe rotary support is provided with several syringe support holes along the circumference. Based on the rotation path of the syringe rotary support, three workstations are set up, namely the oscillation liquid extraction workstation, the needle filter membrane installation workstation, and the chromatographic bottle injection workstation. The main structure of the syringe rotary support is provided with electric / pneumatic pull-press rod mechanisms corresponding to the oscillation liquid extraction workstation and the chromatographic bottle injection workstation, respectively. The multi-joint manipulator, through the clamping mechanism, cooperates with the electric / pneumatic pull-press rod mechanism of the oscillation liquid extraction workstation to complete the extraction of oscillation liquid by the syringe at the current position. The needle filter membrane holder has several needle filter membrane placement positions arranged along the circumference. The needle filter membrane placement positions pass through the needle filter membrane installation station one by one. The needle filter membrane installation mechanism is set in the non-rotating part of the needle filter membrane holder and is used to install the needle filter membrane into the mouth of the syringe after the oscillating liquid is drawn. The chromatographic vial retraction bracket has several chromatographic vial placement positions arranged circumferentially. The chromatographic vial placement positions pass one by one through the chromatographic vial injection station. The electric / pneumatic tension rod mechanism located at the chromatographic vial injection station is used to squeeze the syringe with the needle filter membrane installed at the current position, so that the oscillating liquid is filtered and injected into the chromatographic vial.

6. The automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil-absorbing cotton atomized material according to claim 5, characterized in that, The needle filter membrane mounting mechanism includes a vertical slide, an electric gripper, two L-shaped cantilever arms, four rubbing rollers, and a micro drive motor. The vertical slide is mounted on the non-rotating part of the needle filter membrane holder. The electric gripper is mounted on the slider of the vertical slide. The two L-shaped cantilever arms are mounted on the moving end of the electric gripper. The four rubbing rollers are mounted in pairs on the two L-shaped cantilever arms. The micro drive motor is mounted on one of the L-shaped cantilever arms and drives one of the rubbing rollers to rotate. The four rubbing rollers combine to form a dynamic clamping part, which is used to clamp, lift, and drive the needle filter membrane to rotate.

7. The automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil-absorbing cotton atomized material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The oil storage cotton atomizing extrusion unit, weighing unit, blending unit, cap opening unit, shaking table unit, and liquid transfer and filtration unit are arranged in a straight line or around the position of the multi-joint manipulator.

8. The automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil-absorbing cotton atomized material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening unit includes a stand, a lifting slide, and an electric rotating gripper. The electric rotating gripper is mounted on the stand via the lifting slide, and a silicone pad is provided on the inner side of the gripping part of the electric rotating gripper.

9. The automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil-absorbing cotton atomized material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shaking unit includes a shaking oscillator and a silicone frame disposed on the shaking oscillator, and the silicone frame has tube holes corresponding to the centrifuge tubes.

10. An automated method for preparing electronic cigarette oil-absorbing cotton atomized material, characterized in that: The automated sample preparation device for electronic cigarette oil-absorbing cotton atomized material, as described in any one of claims 1-9, includes the following steps: Step 1) Manually place the e-cigarette oil-filled cotton into the extrusion unit one by one, then place the extrusion unit into the placement holes of the rotary turntable, and at the same time place the collection containers into the container slots of the rotary container support one by one. Then drive the power extrusion head, the rotary turntable and the rotary container support to move in coordination to squeeze the oil-filled cotton atomized material in each extrusion unit into each collection container. Step 2) is executed synchronously with Step 1). The multi-joint robot uses a gripping mechanism to remove one centrifuge tube from the shaker unit and moves it to the capping unit to open the cap. After the capping unit opens the cap, it saves the cap. The multi-joint robot uses a gripping mechanism to put the opened centrifuge tube into the centrifuge tube insertion seat of the weighing unit. Then it is removed from the centrifuge tube, and the weighing unit obtains the weight of the empty bottle for tare operation. Step 3) The multi-joint robotic arm uses a pipette to extract the atomized material collected in the collection container and transfer it to a centrifuge tube located at the weighing unit. The weight of the pipette is controlled according to the weighing value of the weighing unit. Step 4) The multi-joint robot uses a clamping mechanism to remove the centrifuge tube containing a quantitative amount of atomized material and transfer it to the blending unit. The blending unit injects a quantitative amount of internal standard ethanol into the centrifuge tube. Then, the multi-joint robot uses a clamping mechanism to transfer the centrifuge tube to the capping unit. The capping unit re-closes the cap on the centrifuge tube. The multi-joint robot then transfers the capped centrifuge tube to the shaker unit. Step 5) After all the centrifuge tubes in the shaking unit have completed the collection, weighing and mixing of the atomized material, start the shaking unit to shake and oscillate. Step 6) The multi-joint robotic arm uses the clamping mechanism to transfer the shaken centrifuge tubes one by one to the capping unit for opening and then placing them into the pipetting and filtering unit. Then, with the help of the pipetting and filtering unit, the clamping mechanism and the multi-joint robotic arm, the solution in each centrifuge tube is filtered and injected into the chromatographic bottle to complete the entire preparation process.

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