Incubation station system

Abstract

This invention discloses an incubation system, comprising: an incubation base including a reaction chamber, the reaction chamber including a reaction surface; the reaction chamber for placing a glass slide, the reaction surface and the substrate-carrying surface of the glass slide being opposite to and spaced apart; when a glass slide is placed in the reaction chamber, a liquid injection system is used to inject cleaning reagent or reaction reagent into the reaction chamber; and when no glass slide is placed in the reaction chamber, the liquid injection system is used to inject cleaning reagent into the reaction chamber. This invention eliminates the need for additional covers on the glass slides and includes a liquid injection system that can inject cleaning reagent or reaction reagent into the reaction chamber when a glass slide is placed in it, and inject cleaning reagent into the reaction chamber when no glass slide is placed in it, cleaning reagent residues within the reaction chamber. This process eliminates the need for capping, cap washing, and cap replacement, requiring no human intervention, and can operate automatically and continuously without human intervention, improving the efficiency of staining processes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fully automated dyeing technology, and in particular to an incubation seat system. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of precision medicine, the timeliness requirements for staining in immunohistochemistry (IHC) are becoming increasingly stringent in clinical practice. Current automated staining systems for biological samples typically involve mounting the biological sample on a slide, manually attaching a cover to the slide to create a reaction chamber that accommodates the slide and reagents, and then placing the slide, cover, and slide together on an incubation device so that the back of the slide is in direct contact with the reaction surface for subsequent processing and testing. However, this design, which involves attaching the cover before placing the slide, requires manual installation, cleaning, and replacement of the cover after processing. These processes are cumbersome, require manual intervention, cannot be performed unattended, and cannot be continuous, thus impacting the efficiency of the staining process. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problem of cumbersome procedures and reduced work efficiency caused by the need for manual cleaning of the cover in existing incubation devices. This invention provides an incubation base system that eliminates the need for additional covers on the slides and incorporates a liquid injection system. This system can inject cleaning or reaction reagents into the reaction chamber when a slide is placed there. When cleaning reagents are injected, they participate in the cleaning step of the staining process; when reaction reagents are injected, they perform the staining treatment. Furthermore, when no slide is placed in the reaction chamber, cleaning reagents are injected to remove reagent residues. This process eliminates the need for adding, washing, and replacing covers, requiring no human intervention. It can operate automatically and continuously without human supervision, thus improving the efficiency of the staining process.

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of the present invention disclose an incubation system, comprising: an incubation base including a reaction chamber, the reaction chamber including a reaction surface; the reaction chamber being used to place a glass slide, the reaction surface being opposite to and spaced apart from the material-carrying surface of the glass slide; and a liquid injection system, wherein when a glass slide is placed in the reaction chamber, the liquid injection system is used to inject a cleaning reagent or a reaction reagent into the reaction chamber; and when no glass slide is placed in the reaction chamber, the liquid injection system is used to inject a cleaning reagent into the reaction chamber.

[0005] Using the above technical solution, the biological sample is mounted on the supporting surface of a glass slide, which is then placed upside down in the reaction chamber of the incubation base. The biological sample is contained between the reaction surface and the supporting surface of the chamber, with the reaction surface acting as a cover, eliminating the need for an additional cover on the glass slide. The accompanying liquid injection system can inject cleaning or reaction reagents into the reaction chamber when a glass slide is present. When cleaning reagents are injected, they participate in the cleaning step of the staining process; when reaction reagents are injected, they perform the staining treatment. Furthermore, when no glass slide is present in the reaction chamber, cleaning reagents are injected to remove any reagent residue. This process eliminates the need for capping, cap washing, and cap replacement, requiring no human intervention. It can operate automatically and continuously without human intervention, improving the efficiency of the staining process.

[0006] Compared to existing methods that involve manually cleaning the cover, this application eliminates the need for manual cleaning and allows for the injection of cleaning reagents to accommodate both the presence and absence of glass slides in the reaction chamber. In other words, by setting up a liquid injection system, the cleaning steps during the staining process and the cleaning of the reaction chamber after staining are met, thereby improving the efficiency of the staining process.

[0007] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the system further includes a frame on which a first reagent storage area is provided, the first reagent storage area storing the reaction reagent; the liquid injection system further includes a pipetting mechanism, the pipetting mechanism including: a pipette for injecting the reaction reagent into the reaction chamber; a robotic arm connected to the frame; the robotic arm is connected to the pipette and drives the pipette to draw the reaction reagent from the first reagent storage area, and drives the pipette to move above the reaction chamber to inject the reaction reagent into the reaction chamber.

[0008] Using the above technical solution, the robotic arm drives a pipette to extract reaction reagents from the first reagent storage area and moves the pipette above the reaction chamber to inject the reaction reagents into the reaction chamber for staining treatment. This robotic arm-driven pipette configuration allows for efficient liquid extraction and injection, with relatively stable movement speed and rhythm, thus improving work efficiency.

[0009] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, it further includes a frame, on which a second reagent storage area is provided for storing cleaning reagents and / or reaction reagents; the liquid injection system includes a cleaning mechanism, the cleaning mechanism including: a cleaning component including a liquid outlet for injecting the cleaning reagent or the reaction reagent into the reaction chamber; and a pump body, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the liquid outlet and the second reagent storage area.

[0010] Using the above technical solution, the cleaning unit injects cleaning reagent into the reaction chamber without a glass slide to clean the reagent residue in the reaction chamber. This allows the reaction surface to be reused multiple times through cleaning, effectively reducing material costs. Similarly, the cleaning unit injects cleaning reagent into the reaction chamber with a glass slide, allowing the cleaning reagent to participate in the cleaning step of the staining process. The cleaning unit can also inject reaction reagent into the reaction chamber with a glass slide, allowing the reaction reagent to perform the staining treatment.

[0011] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the incubation seat includes a plurality of reaction chambers, and the cleaning member is movable relative to the incubation seat to inject the cleaning reagent or reaction reagent into any one of the plurality of reaction chambers.

[0012] Using the above technical solution, the cleaning component moves relative to the incubation seat to approach the reaction chamber that needs liquid injection and inject cleaning or reaction reagents into it. This means multiple reaction chambers share a single cleaning component, simplifying the structure and avoiding the need for each reaction chamber to have a separate cleaning mechanism and associated liquid circuit system, thus reducing costs.

[0013] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of reaction chambers are arranged in a row along a second direction, and the liquid outlet of the cleaning member is used to move along the second direction to above any one of the plurality of reaction chambers.

[0014] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning mechanism further includes a driving assembly, the driving assembly comprising: a motor; a first transmission wheel connected to the motor, the motor being used to drive the first transmission wheel to rotate; a second transmission wheel, the second transmission wheel being spaced apart from the first transmission wheel in the second direction; a belt drivingly connecting the first transmission wheel and the second transmission wheel; and the cleaning component being fixedly connected to the belt.

[0015] Using the above technical solution, the motor rotates to drive the first transmission wheel to rotate. The power of the motor is transmitted to the belt through the first transmission wheel, and then to the second transmission wheel through the belt, thereby driving the cleaning component connected to the belt to move in the second direction, so that the cleaning component moves to the reaction chamber where it needs to be injected with liquid and injects liquid into it.

[0016] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning mechanism further includes: a first sliding portion disposed on one side of the incubation seat in a first direction; the cleaning component includes a second sliding portion, the second sliding portion being slidably connected to the first sliding portion in a second direction; the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the first sliding part provides a precise guiding function for the second sliding part of the cleaning component, so that it can only slide along the second direction, ensuring that the cleaning component moves along the predetermined trajectory, thereby accurately reaching the preset reaction chamber and avoiding deviation or shaking during the movement.

[0018] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the incubation seat system includes two incubation seats spaced apart along the second direction, each incubation seat including five reaction chambers arranged in a row along the second direction; the cleaning member is used to move along the second direction to inject the cleaning reagent or the reaction reagent into any one of the reaction chambers.

[0019] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the reaction chamber includes a drain port, and the liquid injection system further includes a liquid outlet assembly, the liquid outlet assembly including: a first liquid outlet pipe, one end of the first liquid outlet pipe being in fluid communication with the drain port of the reaction chamber; a second liquid outlet pipe, one end of the second liquid outlet pipe being connected to the other end of the first liquid outlet pipe; a third liquid outlet pipe, one end of the third liquid outlet pipe being connected to the other end of the second liquid outlet pipe, the other end of the third liquid outlet pipe being used to connect to a waste liquid collection device; a first control valve, disposed at the connection between the first liquid outlet pipe and the second liquid outlet pipe, for controlling the conduction of the first liquid outlet pipe and the second liquid outlet pipe; and a second control valve, disposed at the connection between the second liquid outlet pipe and the third liquid outlet pipe, for controlling the conduction of the second liquid outlet pipe and the third liquid outlet pipe.

[0020] Using the above technical solution, the first outlet pipe, the second outlet pipe, and the third outlet pipe connect the drain outlet and the waste liquid collection device. The first control valve controls the conduction of the first outlet pipe and the second outlet pipe, and the second control valve controls the conduction of the second outlet pipe and the third outlet pipe, so that the waste liquid of the reaction reagent or cleaning reagent in the reaction chamber can be discharged from the drain outlet into the waste liquid collection device as needed.

[0021] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the liquid outlet assembly includes a plurality of first liquid outlet pipes, each of which is connected to a second liquid outlet pipe; the first control valve is a multi-way valve, which is used to control the connection between the plurality of first liquid outlet pipes and the second liquid outlet pipe.

[0022] Using the above technical solution, the multi-way valve is used to control the connection of multiple first liquid outlet pipes and second liquid outlet pipes, that is, multiple first liquid outlet pipes can be connected to the second liquid outlet pipes as needed, thereby simplifying the pipeline setup.

[0023] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the waste liquid collection device includes a toxic waste liquid tank and a non-toxic waste liquid tank, and the second control valve is a three-way valve, which is used to control the connection between the second outlet pipe and the toxic waste liquid tank or the non-toxic waste liquid tank.

[0024] Using the above technical solution, the three-way valve controls the connection between the second liquid outlet pipe and the toxic waste liquid tank or the non-toxic waste liquid tank, that is, according to the type of waste liquid in the reaction chamber, it is discharged into the toxic waste liquid tank or the non-toxic waste liquid tank.

[0025] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the liquid outlet assembly further includes a pump body, which is disposed on the second liquid outlet pipe.

[0026] Using the above technical solution, the pump body is started, and the pump body draws the liquid in the reaction chamber, which enters the first outlet pipe, the second outlet pipe and the third outlet pipe through the drain port, and finally enters the waste liquid collection device.

[0027] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, a support base is further connected below the incubation base, and the support base is inclined.

[0028] By adopting the above technical solution, the support base is tilted to reduce its space occupation and at the same time improve the spreading speed of the reagent.

[0029] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, a heating element is further included, which is used to heat the reaction surface.

[0030] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the heating element is a heating film, which is located between the support base and the bottom wall of the incubation base.

[0031] By adopting the above technical solution, the heating element heats the reaction surface, and during the heat treatment process, the dye or other treatment fluid comes into direct contact with the reaction surface, which can improve the temperature control effect. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This diagram shows an overall perspective view of the incubation system and frame according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 A perspective view of the incubation seat system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0034] Figure 3 A perspective view of the incubation area according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0035] Figure 4 A partial three-dimensional representation of the incubation system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 ;

[0036] Figure 5A perspective view of a single incubation seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0037] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of a single incubation seat according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0038] Figure 7 A partial three-dimensional representation of the incubation system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 ;

[0039] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the rectangular arrangement of four incubation seats according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided.

[0040] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the liquid outlet assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention is presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of the invention are limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the invention in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of the present invention. To provide a deep understanding of the invention, many specific details will be included in the following description. The invention may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of the invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0042] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0043] In the description of this embodiment, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "bottom", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship that the product of the invention is usually placed in during use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0044] The terms “first”, “second”, etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0045] In the description of this embodiment, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this embodiment based on the specific circumstances.

[0046] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] With the development of precision medicine, automated staining systems for biological sample processing typically employ a design where a covered slide is placed in the reaction chamber of the incubation device. Specifically, the biological sample is first mounted on the substrate surface of the slide. Then, the cover is manually applied to cover the biological sample on the substrate surface of the slide. The covered slide is then placed directly into the reaction chamber, ensuring direct contact between the reaction surface of the chamber and the back of the slide. Finally, subsequent processing and testing are performed.

[0048] However, the design of adding the cover first and then placing the slide has several drawbacks. First, it requires manual installation of the cover for each slide. Second, the used covers need to be manually cleaned during subsequent processing and testing, which affects the efficiency of the staining process.

[0049] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides an incubation base system. A biological sample is mounted on the substrate surface of a glass slide, and the substrate surface is supported by a support portion and an edge portion protruding from the reaction surface. The slide is placed upside down on the incubation base, creating a direct reaction gap between the reaction surface and the substrate surface to accommodate the biological sample. The reaction surface acts as a cover, eliminating the need for an additional cover on the slide, thus improving staining efficiency and reducing material costs. Furthermore, a liquid injection system is provided. This system can inject cleaning reagents or reaction reagents into the reaction chamber when a glass slide is present. When cleaning reagents are injected, they participate in the cleaning step of the staining process; when reaction reagents are injected, they perform the staining treatment. Even when no glass slide is present in the reaction chamber, cleaning reagents are injected to remove reagent residues. This process eliminates the need for capping, cap washing, and cap replacement, requiring no human intervention. It enables automated continuous operation without human intervention, further improving the efficiency of the staining process.

[0050] It is understood that the incubation seat system of this application embodiment can be applied to the processing and testing of biological samples. However, this application embodiment does not specifically limit the applicable field of the provided incubation seat system. For ease of explanation, the following description uses the application of the incubation seat system of this application embodiment in immunohistochemistry (IHC) as an example.

[0051] Specifically, refer to Figure 1 In this embodiment of the application, the incubation system 6 is mounted on a frame 60, which also includes a first reagent storage area 601, a second reagent storage area 602, and a waste liquid collection device 603. The first reagent storage area 601 is used to store reaction reagents, and the second reagent storage area 602 is used to store either a cleaning reagent or a reaction reagent, or both.

[0052] The reaction reagents in the first reagent storage area 601 include, but are not limited to: antibodies, samples, nucleic acids, dyes, ligands, ligand receptors, enzymes or enzyme substrates, conjugates (e.g., biotin, avidin, streptavidin, etc.), metals (such as silver or gold particles) and metal enhancers, signaling molecules or any other molecules suitable for the desired application, as well as various other auxiliary reagents.

[0053] The reaction reagents in the second reagent storage area 602 include, but are not limited to: reagents required for sample processing and staining. The cleaning reagents in the second reagent storage area 602 include, but are not limited to, distilled water, cleaning solution, buffer solution, repair solution, dewaxing solution, alcohol, etc.

[0054] It is understandable that the reaction reagents in the first reagent storage area 601 and the second reagent storage area 602 can be the same or different.

[0055] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the incubation system 6 includes an incubation base 1 and a liquid injection system 600. A first reagent storage area 601 is used to supply the required reaction reagents to the incubation base 1, and a second reagent storage area 602 is used to supply the required reaction reagents or cleaning reagents to the incubation base 1. A waste liquid collection device 603 is used to collect waste liquid after processing and testing of the incubation base 1. More specifically, it can also be described as waste liquid from cleaning reagents and reaction reagents.

[0056] Specifically, such as Figures 2 to 4As shown, in this embodiment, there are 2 incubation seats 1 along the second direction Y and 6 incubation seats 1 along the first direction X. The first direction X is perpendicular to the second direction Y, that is, two of the 12 incubation seats 1 are arranged in a row and six are arranged in a column to form an incubation area. Each incubation seat 1 includes 5 reaction chambers 10 arranged in a row along the second direction Y, that is, there are 10 reaction chambers 10 arranged in a row along the second direction Y.

[0057] However, those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, the multiple incubation seats 1 in the incubation area can also be distributed in other forms according to actual needs. For example, three incubation seats 1 can be provided along the second direction Y, and five incubation seats 1 can be provided along the first direction X, that is, three of the 15 incubation seats 1 are arranged in a row and five are arranged in a column. Furthermore, the number of reaction chambers 10 in each incubation seat 1 can also be set according to actual needs, for example, it can be three, four, six, etc.

[0058] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, each incubation chamber 1 includes a reaction chamber 10, and the reaction chamber 10 includes a reaction surface 11. The reaction chamber 10 is used to place a glass slide 2. The reaction surface 11 is opposite to and spaced apart from the loading surface 201 of the glass slide 2 to form a reaction gap 12 between the reaction surface 11 and the loading surface 201 of the glass slide 2.

[0059] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, a glass slide 2 is placed upside down in a reaction chamber 10. The reaction chamber 10 has an edge portion 22 and a support portion 21. The edge portion 22 is along the thickness direction of the reaction chamber 10 (e.g., ...). Figure 5 The support portion 21 protrudes from the reaction surface 11 in the Z direction (as shown in the middle Z direction) and extends along the edge of the reaction surface 11. The support portion 21 protrudes from the reaction surface 11 in the thickness direction Z (or height direction). The support portion 21 and the edge portion 22 are on the same plane and together support the loading surface 201 of the glass slide 2.

[0060] Thus, the slide 2 is supported by the support portion 21 and the edge portion 22 provided on the reaction surface 11, so that a reaction gap 12 is formed between the reaction surface 11 and the material-carrying surface 201 of the slide 2, allowing the biological sample mounted on the material-carrying surface 201 of the slide 2 to be accommodated within the reaction gap 12. Furthermore, during the immunohistochemical (IHC) staining process, staining agents or other processing fluids can flow into the reaction gap 12 and be applied to the biological sample.

[0061] Compared with the existing incubation devices that require a cover to be installed on the glass slide, the incubation seat system 6 provided in this application does not require a cover to be installed on the glass slide 2, which can simplify the operation, improve the operator's work efficiency, and reduce the material cost of the cover.

[0062] For example, the incubation system 6 also includes a heating element (not shown) for heating the reaction surface 11. During the heat treatment, the dye or other processing fluid comes into direct contact with the reaction surface 11, which can improve the temperature control effect.

[0063] Specifically, in this embodiment, the heating element is located on the support base 65 at the bottom of the incubation base 1. Figure 4 The heating element is positioned between the incubation base 1 and the support base 65. Optionally, an insulation layer (not shown) is provided on the support base 65 to prevent the temperature of the heating element from being transferred to the support base 65.

[0064] Those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, the heating element may also be disposed in other locations, such as inside or on the side of the reaction surface 11, for heating the reaction surface 11.

[0065] For example, the heating element may specifically be a heating film, heating wire, etc.

[0066] In this embodiment, the upper surface of the support 65 faces the incubation base 1, and the plane containing the upper surface of the support 65 is parallel to the horizontal plane. However, in another embodiment, the support 65 is inclined, that is, one end of its upper surface in the first direction X is higher and the other end is lower, thereby saving the space occupied by the support 65 in the first direction X. On the other hand, it can also improve the spreading speed of the reagent.

[0067] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 6 The aforementioned injection system 600 includes a pipetting mechanism 721 and a cleaning mechanism 62. The pipetting mechanism 721 is used to extract the reaction reagent from the first reagent storage area 601 and inject it into the reaction gap 12. The cleaning mechanism 62 is used to inject the cleaning reagent from the second reagent storage area 602 into the reaction gap 12 when a glass slide 2 is present, and into the reaction chamber 10 when a glass slide 2 is absent, as needed. The cleaning mechanism 62 can also inject the reaction reagent from the second reagent storage area 602 into the reaction gap 12 for staining treatment.

[0068] Specifically, the pipetting mechanism 721 includes a pipette 722 and a robotic arm 723, with the robotic arm 723 connected to the frame 60. A reagent transfer area 604 is provided on one side of the incubation area in the first direction X. The reagent transfer area 604 is located between the first reagent storage area 601 and the incubation area, and the reaction reagents in the first reagent storage area 601 can be transferred to the reagent transfer area 604 for temporary storage.

[0069] The robotic arm 723 is connected to the pipette 722 and is used to drive the pipette 722 to draw reaction reagents from the reagent transfer area 604, and to move the pipette 722 above the reaction chamber 10 to inject reaction reagents into the reaction gap 12.

[0070] It is understood that in this embodiment, the reaction reagents in the first reagent storage area 601 are temporarily transferred to the reagent transfer area 604 for storage, so that the robotic arm 723 can drive the pipette 722 to extract the reaction reagents. However, those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, the reagent transfer area 604 may not be provided, and the robotic arm 723 may directly drive the pipette 722 to the first reagent storage area 601 to extract the reaction reagents.

[0071] For example, the robotic arm 723 can move the pipette 722 in the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the height direction Z. That is, depending on the position of the reaction chamber 10 where the reaction reagent needs to be injected, the robotic arm 723 moves the pipette 722 in the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the height direction Z, so as to bring the pipette 722 to the position of the reaction chamber 10 where the reaction reagent needs to be injected after drawing the reaction reagent, and adjust its up, down, left, right, front, and back positions to facilitate the injection of the reaction reagent into the reaction gap 12. However, it is understood that this application does not limit the direction of movement and the specific movement path of the robotic arm 723, as long as it can realize the injection of liquid from the reagent transfer area 604 into the reaction gap 12 of the preset reaction chamber 10.

[0072] The robotic arm 723 is designed to drive the pipette 722 to pick up and inject liquid. The robotic arm 723 can complete the liquid picking and injection actions, and its movement speed and rhythm are relatively stable, which improves work efficiency.

[0073] In this embodiment, the incubation area is provided with two pipetting mechanisms 721, which are located on both sides of the incubation area in the second direction Y. Each pipetting mechanism 721 draws from and injects the reaction reagent into the reaction gap 12 from six incubation seats 1 arranged in a row and spaced apart in the first direction X. The two pipetting mechanisms 721 can work simultaneously, thereby further improving work efficiency and achieving high throughput. However, those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, the number of pipetting mechanisms 721 can be set according to actual needs, for example, it can be set to one, three, etc.

[0074] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4The cleaning mechanism 62 described above includes a cleaning component 620 and a pump (not shown in the figure). A second reagent storage area 602 is located on one side of the incubation area in the height direction Z. The cleaning component 620 is connected to the second reagent storage area 602 via the pump. That is, the cleaning reagent or reaction reagent from the second reagent storage area 602 is drawn into the cleaning component 620 by the pump, and then injected into the reaction chamber 10 through the cleaning component 620.

[0075] It should be noted that the cleaning mechanism 62 in this embodiment can not only inject cleaning reagent into the reaction chamber 10 after the slide 2 is removed to clean the reagent residue in the reaction chamber 10, so that the reaction surface 11 can be reused multiple times through cleaning, effectively reducing material costs, but also operate automatically and continuously without human intervention. Alternatively, it can inject the required cleaning reagent or reaction reagent into the reaction gap 12 when the slide 2 is placed in the reaction chamber 10. When cleaning reagent is injected, it participates in the cleaning step of the staining process; when reaction reagent is injected, it performs the staining treatment.

[0076] In this embodiment, the cleaning component 620 includes a liquid outlet (not shown in the figure), which can be directly opposite the reaction chamber 10 in the height direction Z, for example, it can be directly opposite the liquid inlet 13 (see below) of the reaction chamber 10 in the height direction Z, so as to inject cleaning reagent or reaction reagent into the reaction chamber 10.

[0077] However, those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, a nozzle (not shown in the figure) may be installed on the liquid outlet to spray cleaning reagent over a large area of ​​the reaction chamber 10 after the glass slide 2 is removed from the reaction chamber 10, so as to clean the reagent residue in the reaction chamber 10 and realize the multiple reuse of the reaction chamber 10.

[0078] In this embodiment, a cleaning mechanism 62 is provided on one side of the first direction X of every two incubation seats 1 spaced apart along the second direction Y. This allows for the injection of liquid into any one of the ten reaction chambers 10 of the two incubation seats 1 along the second direction Y via a cleaning component 620. Therefore, in this embodiment, a driving assembly 63 drives the cleaning component 620 to move along the second direction Y, positioning it directly opposite the reaction chamber 10 requiring liquid injection along the first direction X, and injecting liquid into the reaction chamber 10. That is, multiple reaction chambers 10 share a single cleaning component 620, thereby simplifying the equipment structure, reducing the liquid path arrangement, and lowering costs.

[0079] Specifically, such as Figure 4 and Figure 7As shown, the drive assembly 63 includes a motor 630, a first drive wheel 631, a second drive wheel 632, and a belt 633. The first drive wheel 631 is connected to the motor 630, which drives it to rotate. The second drive wheel 632 is spaced apart from the first drive wheel 631 in the second direction Y. The belt 633 drives the first drive wheel 631 and the second drive wheel 632. The cleaning component 620 is fixedly connected to the belt 633. That is, the rotation of the motor 630 drives the first drive wheel 631 to rotate, and the power of the motor 630 is transmitted to the belt 633 through the first drive wheel 631, and then from the belt 633 to the second drive wheel 632, thereby moving the cleaning component 620 connected to the belt 633 in the second direction Y, so that the cleaning component 620 moves to the reaction chamber 10 where it needs to be injected with liquid, and the liquid is injected into it.

[0080] In this embodiment, the movement of the cleaning component 620 is achieved by connecting the first transmission wheel 631 and the second transmission wheel 632 via a belt 633. However, those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, the movement of the cleaning component 620 can also be achieved by other means, such as an electric push rod or a cylinder.

[0081] Furthermore, a support base 65 is provided below the two incubation seats 1 spaced apart in the second direction Y, so as to jointly support the two incubation seats 1 located thereon. A first sliding part 622 is fixedly connected to one side of the support base 65 in the first direction X. The first sliding part 622 extends along the second direction Y, and the cleaning component includes a second sliding part 621. The second sliding part 621 is sleeved on the first sliding part 622 and is slidably connected to the first sliding part 622 in the second direction Y. Exemplarily, the first sliding part 622 is a guide rail and the second sliding part 621 is a slider. Thus, the first sliding part 622 provides a precise guiding effect for the cleaning component 620, so that it can only slide along the second direction Y, ensuring that the cleaning component 620 moves along a predetermined trajectory, thereby accurately reaching the preset reaction chamber 10 and avoiding deviation or shaking during movement.

[0082] In this embodiment, a cleaning mechanism 62 is used to inject liquid into any one of the ten reaction chambers 10 of the two incubation seats 1 in the second direction Y. However, those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, other numbers of cleaning mechanisms 62 can be used to inject liquid into a set number of reaction chambers 10. For example, each incubation seat 1 can be equipped with a cleaning mechanism 62 to inject liquid into the multiple reaction chambers 10 corresponding to that incubation seat 1.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, liquid injection is achieved to any one of the ten reaction chambers 10 of the two incubation seats 1 in the second direction Y using a cleaning mechanism 62. However, those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, when the multiple reaction chambers 10 of the multiple incubation seats 1 are distributed in other forms, for example... Figure 8 The four incubation seats 1 shown are arranged in a rectangular shape, so the cleaning components 620 of the cleaning mechanism 62 can be correspondingly set to move around the outer or inner periphery of the four incubation seats 1 (e.g., Figure 8 (as shown in the M direction or the opposite of the M direction) to inject liquid into the reaction chamber 10 that needs to be injected.

[0084] It should be noted that the injection system 600 in this embodiment includes both a pipetting mechanism 721 and a cleaning mechanism 62. However, those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, only either the pipetting mechanism 721 or the cleaning mechanism 62 may be provided. For example, when only the cleaning mechanism 62 is provided, the cleaning mechanism 62 can not only inject cleaning reagent into the reaction chamber 10, but also inject reaction reagent into the reaction gap 12 as needed. Similarly, when only the pipetting mechanism 721 is provided, the pipetting needle 722 of the pipetting mechanism 721 can also be used to draw cleaning reagent and inject cleaning reagent into the reaction chamber 10. Furthermore, when only the pipetting mechanism 721 is provided, other cleaning mechanisms can also be used to inject cleaning reagent into the reaction chamber 10.

[0085] Furthermore, it is understood that the structure of the cleaning mechanism 62 is not limited to this; it only needs to be able to inject the cleaning reagent or reaction reagent in the second reagent storage area 602 into the preset reaction chamber 10 as needed.

[0086] In addition, such as Figure 4 As shown, the cleaning component 620 is connected to a cable organizer 66. A portion of the tubing connecting the liquid outlet of the cleaning component 620 and the second reagent storage area 602 is located within the cable organizer 66, making the wiring look neater and more aesthetically pleasing. It also provides some protection to the tubing, preventing excessive compression or pulling from external forces. In this embodiment, the cable organizer 66 is a cable chain. However, those skilled in the art will understand that in other embodiments, the cable organizer 66 can also be of other forms, such as a tubular cable organizer.

[0087] refer to Figure 5 Each reaction chamber 10 in this embodiment includes a liquid inlet 13 and a liquid outlet 141. The liquid inlet 13 is used for the above-mentioned pipetting mechanism 721 and cleaning mechanism 62 to inject liquid into the reaction chamber 10, and correspondingly, the liquid outlet 141 is used for the liquid (including reaction reagents and cleaning reagents) in the reaction chamber 10 to be discharged.

[0088] Specifically, the drain port 141 is located on the reaction surface 11 at the end away from the liquid inlet 13 along the first direction X, and it penetrates the reaction surface 11 and communicates with the reaction gap 12, so that the reaction reagent or cleaning reagent in the reaction gap 12 during the dyeing process can flow out of the reaction chamber 10 through the drain port 141 under the action of external force (e.g., a pump), and the waste liquid of the cleaning reagent generated during the cleaning of the reaction chamber 10 after the dyeing process can flow out of the reaction chamber 10 through the drain port 141 under the action of external force (e.g., a pump).

[0089] refer to Figure 7 and Figure 9 ,in Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the liquid path from the drain port 141 to the waste liquid collection device 603 is shown. The aforementioned liquid injection system 600 also includes a liquid outlet assembly 64, which connects the waste liquid collection device 603 and the drain port 141 so that the waste liquid from the drain port 141 is recycled to the waste liquid collection device 603.

[0090] Specifically, the liquid outlet assembly 64 includes a first liquid outlet pipe 640, a second liquid outlet pipe 641, a third liquid outlet pipe 642, a first control valve 643, and a second control valve 644. The second liquid outlet pipe 641 includes a branch pipe 645 and a manifold pipe 646. The first control valve 643 is a five-way valve, and the second control valve 644 is a three-way valve.

[0091] Taking two incubation seats 1 spaced apart in the second direction Y as examples, namely incubation seat 1a and incubation seat 1b, each incubation seat 1a and incubation seat 1b includes five reaction chambers 10. The five drain ports 141 corresponding to the five reaction chambers 10 of incubation seat 1a correspond one-to-one with the five first liquid outlet pipes 640a and are interconnected. The five first liquid outlet pipes 640a are connected to a branch pipe 645a of a second liquid outlet pipe 641 through a five-way valve 643a (i.e., the first control valve). That is, the five-way valve 643a controls the conduction of the five first liquid outlet pipes 640a and the branch pipes 645a. Similarly, the five discharge ports 141 corresponding to the five reaction chambers 10 of another incubator 1b correspond one-to-one with the five first discharge pipes 640b and are interconnected. The five first discharge pipes 640b are connected to the branch pipes 645b of a second discharge pipe 641 through a five-way valve 643b, that is, the five-way valve 643b controls the conduction of the five first discharge pipes 640b and the branch pipes 645b.

[0092] The aforementioned branch pipes 645a and 645b are connected together to the manifold 646. Furthermore, the manifold 646 is connected to a pump body 647 to draw liquid from the reaction chamber 10.

[0093] Furthermore, such as Figure 9As shown, the waste liquid collection device 603 of this embodiment includes a toxic waste liquid tank 603a and a non-toxic waste liquid tank 603b. The toxic waste liquid tank 603a is connected to the collection pipe 646 of the second outlet pipe 641 via a third outlet pipe 642a, and the non-toxic waste liquid tank 603b is connected to the collection pipe 646 of the second outlet pipe 641 via a third outlet pipe 642b. A three-way valve 644 (i.e., a second control valve) is provided at the connection between the collection pipe 646 and the third outlet pipes 642a and 642b to control the flow between the collection pipe 646 and the toxic waste liquid tank 603a or the non-toxic waste liquid tank 603b.

[0094] by Figure 9 Taking the discharge port 141a of the reaction chamber 10 as an example, the five-way valve 643a is operated to connect the first outlet pipe 640a and the branch pipe 645a of the second outlet pipe 641, which are connected to the discharge port 141a. Depending on the type of waste liquid discharged from the discharge port 141a, the three-way valve 644 is operated to connect the collecting pipe 646 to the third outlet pipe 642a or the third outlet pipe 642b, which connects the toxic waste liquid tank 603a or the non-toxic waste liquid tank 603b to the collecting pipe 646. This starts the pump body 647, which draws the liquid in the reaction chamber 10, allowing it to enter the first outlet pipe 640a through the discharge port 141a, and then flow through the branch pipe 645a of the second outlet pipe 641 and the collecting pipe 646 in sequence, finally entering the toxic waste liquid tank 603a or the non-toxic waste liquid tank 603b.

[0095] It is understood that in this embodiment, the five branch pipes 645a of the first liquid outlet pipe 640 and the second liquid outlet pipe 641 are connected by a five-way valve. However, in other embodiments, a one-way valve can also be provided at the connection of the branch pipe 645a of each first liquid outlet pipe 640 and the second liquid outlet pipe 641 to achieve the connection of each branch pipe 645a of the first liquid outlet pipe 640 and the second liquid outlet pipe 641.

[0096] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the liquid from the ten reaction chambers 10 corresponding to the two incubation seats 1 is ultimately discharged to the waste liquid collection device 603 through the same manifold 646. However, it is understood that in other embodiments, each of the ten reaction chambers 10 may be connected to the waste liquid collection device 603 via a separate pipe, or multiple reaction chambers 10 (e.g., five reaction chambers 10 of one incubation seat 1) may be discharged to the waste liquid collection device 603 through the same second outlet pipe 641.

[0097] In addition, to prevent the toxic waste liquid flowing out of the reaction chamber 10 corresponding to one incubator 1 (e.g., incubator 1a) from contaminating the collection pipe 646, which would cause the non-toxic waste liquid discharged from the reaction chamber 10 corresponding to another incubator 1 (e.g., incubator 1b) to become toxic waste liquid in the collection pipe 646, it is necessary to clean the collection pipe 646.

[0098] Based on this, the liquid discharge assembly 64 also includes a cleaning station 670, a connecting pipe 671, and a two-way valve 672. The connecting pipe 671 connects the cleaning station 670 and the aforementioned collecting pipe 646. The two-way valve 672 is located on the connecting pipe 671 and is used to control the flow between the cleaning station 670 and the collecting pipe 646. Thus, for example, when any one or more of the reaction chambers 10 corresponding to an incubation seat 1a are sequentially discharged with toxic waste liquid under the control of the five-way valve 643a, the waste liquid flows through the first discharge pipe 640a, the branch pipe 645a of the second discharge pipe 641, and the collecting pipe 646, reaching the toxic waste liquid tank 603a. When the reaction chamber 10 of the other incubator 1b needs to discharge non-toxic waste liquid, water or other non-toxic cleaning agents can be provided through the cleaning station 670, which will flow through the connecting pipe 671, the collecting pipe 646, and the third outlet pipe 642a into the toxic waste liquid tank 603a, thereby cleaning the collecting pipe 646 and facilitating the discharge of non-toxic waste liquid from the reaction chamber 10 of the other incubator 1b to the non-toxic waste liquid tank 603b.

[0099] While the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the above description is a further detailed explanation of the invention in conjunction with specific embodiments, and should not be construed as limiting the specific implementation of the invention to these descriptions. Various changes in form and detail can be made by those skilled in the art, including several simple deductions or substitutions, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An incubation system, characterized in that, include: An incubation chamber includes a reaction chamber, the reaction chamber including a reaction surface; the reaction chamber is used to place a glass slide, and the reaction surface is opposite to and spaced apart from the loading surface of the glass slide; When a glass slide is placed in the reaction chamber, the liquid injection system is used to inject cleaning reagents or reaction reagents into the reaction chamber. as well as When no glass slide is placed in the reaction chamber, the liquid injection system is used to inject cleaning reagent into the reaction chamber.

2. The incubation system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a frame, on which a first reagent storage area is provided, the first reagent storage area storing the reaction reagent; the liquid dispensing system further includes a pipetting mechanism, the pipetting mechanism comprising: A pipette is used to inject the reaction reagent into the reaction chamber; A robotic arm is connected to the frame; the robotic arm is connected to the pipette and drives the pipette to draw the reaction reagent from the first reagent storage area, and drives the pipette to move above the reaction chamber to inject the reaction reagent into the reaction chamber.

3. The incubation system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It also includes a frame, on which a second reagent storage area is provided for storing cleaning reagents and / or reaction reagents; the liquid injection system includes a cleaning mechanism, which includes: The cleaning component includes a liquid outlet, which is used to inject the cleaning reagent or the reaction reagent into the reaction chamber. The pump body has its two ends connected to the liquid outlet and the second reagent storage area, respectively.

4. The incubation system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The incubation chamber includes multiple reaction chambers, and the cleaning component is movable relative to the incubation chamber to inject the cleaning reagent or reaction reagent into any one of the multiple reaction chambers.

5. The incubation system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The plurality of reaction chambers are arranged in a row along the second direction, and the liquid outlet of the cleaning component is used to move along the second direction to above any one of the plurality of reaction chambers.

6. The incubation system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The cleaning mechanism further includes a drive assembly, the drive assembly comprising: Electric motor; A first transmission wheel is connected to the motor, and the motor is used to drive the first transmission wheel to rotate. The second transmission wheel is spaced apart from the first transmission wheel in the second direction; A belt drives the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel; the cleaning component is fixedly connected to the belt.

7. The incubation system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The cleaning mechanism also includes: A first sliding portion is disposed on one side of the incubation seat in a first direction; the cleaning component includes a second sliding portion, the second sliding portion being slidably connected to the first sliding portion in a second direction; the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

8. The incubation system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The incubation system includes two incubation seats spaced apart along the second direction, each incubation seat including five reaction chambers arranged in a row along the second direction; the cleaning member is used to move along the second direction to inject the cleaning reagent or the reaction reagent into any one of the reaction chambers.

9. The incubation system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The reaction chamber includes a drain port, and the liquid injection system further includes a liquid outlet assembly, which includes: The first liquid outlet pipe, one end of which is in fluid communication with the drain port of the reaction chamber; A second liquid outlet pipe, one end of which is connected to the other end of the first liquid outlet pipe; The third liquid outlet pipe has one end connected to the other end of the second liquid outlet pipe, and the other end of the third liquid outlet pipe is used to connect to the waste liquid collection device. A first control valve is located at the connection between the first liquid outlet pipe and the second liquid outlet pipe, and is used to control the conduction of the first liquid outlet pipe and the second liquid outlet pipe. The second control valve is located at the connection between the second outlet pipe and the third outlet pipe, and is used to control the conduction of the second outlet pipe and the third outlet pipe.

10. The incubation system as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The liquid outlet assembly includes a plurality of first liquid outlet pipes, each of which is connected to a second liquid outlet pipe; the first control valve is a multi-way valve, which is used to control the connection between the plurality of first liquid outlet pipes and the second liquid outlet pipe.

11. The incubation system as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, The waste liquid collection device includes a toxic waste liquid tank and a non-toxic waste liquid tank. The second control valve is a three-way valve, which is used to control the connection between the second outlet pipe and the toxic waste liquid tank or the non-toxic waste liquid tank.

12. The incubation system as claimed in claim 9 or 11, characterized in that, The liquid outlet assembly also includes a pump body, which is disposed on the second liquid outlet pipe.

13. The incubation system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, A support base is also connected below the incubation base, and the support base is inclined.

14. The incubation system as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that, It also includes a heating element for heating the reaction surface.

15. The incubation system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that, The heating element is a heating film, which is located between the support base and the bottom wall of the incubation base.

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