Sample analyzer and method of discarding a cuvette

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a sample analyzer and a method for moving and discarding a reaction cup of the sample analyzer. The analyzer comprises a reaction disc and a reaction cup moving device; the reaction disc comprises a reaction turntable and a discarding channel, the reaction turntable is provided with N radial grooves extending along the radial direction thereof, and each radial groove is provided with a plurality of reaction cups; the lateral sliding direction of the reaction cup moving device is along the radial direction of the reaction turntable and above one radial groove; the reaction cup moving device comprises a reaction cup pusher assembly and a lateral moving structure, the reaction cup pusher assembly is capable of contacting the plurality of reaction cups along the radial direction of the reaction disc and applying a pushing force along the radial direction of the reaction disc; the lateral moving structure is connected with the reaction cup pusher assembly and is used for driving the reaction cup pusher assembly to move laterally, thereby pushing the reaction cup to move inward along the reaction disc, and realizing the operations of cup loading, cup moving and cup discarding on the plurality of reaction cups (20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of detection equipment technology, specifically relating to a sample analyzer and a method for transferring and discarding sample cups. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of medical devices, reaction cups are becoming increasingly widely used. During the testing phase, reaction cups need to hold various test solutions and need to be transferred between multiple reaction plates. In photochemiluminescence instruments, the main function of the cup transfer and disposal assembly is to transfer reaction cups between reaction plates and to discard reaction cups after the reaction detection is completed.

[0003] During the analysis and detection process of a chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer, a three-dimensional spatial gripper is used to discard reaction cups. While the three-dimensional spatial gripper's discarding mechanism has no specific structural requirements, the associated cup transfer and rotation structure involves a three-dimensional spatial mode, making it quite complex. This places high demands on the stability of the chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer, and a three-dimensional spatial gripper would have very poor reliability.

[0004] In some instruments, the cup loading assembly and the cup transfer and discarding assembly are arranged separately on the reaction plate. This separation into multiple parts increases the cost. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a compact and low-cost reaction cup transfer device, reaction unit, sample analyzer, and method for transferring and discarding reaction cups.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a reaction cup transfer device applied to the reaction disk of a sample analyzer, used to radially push a reaction cup along the reaction disk. The reaction cup transfer device includes a reaction cup pusher assembly and a lateral movement structure. The reaction cup pusher assembly is used to contact the reaction cup and apply a pushing force radially along the reaction disk; the lateral movement structure is connected to the reaction cup pusher assembly and is used to drive the reaction cup pusher assembly to move laterally, thereby pushing the reaction cup to move radially along the reaction disk.

[0007] In one embodiment, the reaction cup pusher assembly includes a discard cup pusher assembly and an upper cup pusher assembly. The discard cup pusher assembly is used to move the reaction cup to the next positioning point or the discard cup channel, and the upper cup pusher assembly is used to move the reaction cup from the upper cup position to a predetermined positioning point on the reaction plate or to the next positioning point.

[0008] In one embodiment, the reaction cup pusher assembly further includes a support, and the discard cup pusher assembly and the upper cup pusher assembly are both disposed on the support and are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction.

[0009] In one embodiment, the cup-discarding pusher assembly includes a first drive motor and a cup-discarding pusher, the first drive motor being fixed to the support, and the cup-discarding pusher being connected to the first drive motor to move in the vertical direction.

[0010] In one embodiment, the cup-discarding pusher includes a first pusher body and a first dial connected to the first pusher body.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first dial extends vertically, and there are two first dials spaced apart horizontally, with one first dial being longer than the other.

[0012] In one embodiment, the cup-lifting pusher assembly includes a second drive motor and a cup-lifting pusher. The second drive motor is fixed to the support and is parallel and adjacent to the first drive motor in the horizontal direction. The cup-lifting pusher is connected to the second drive motor to move in the vertical direction.

[0013] In one embodiment, the upper cup pusher includes a second pusher body and a second dial connected to the second pusher body.

[0014] In one embodiment, the second dial extends vertically, and there are two second dials spaced apart horizontally.

[0015] In one embodiment, the lateral movement structure includes a lateral sliding component and a lateral driving component, the reaction cup pusher component is slidably mounted on the lateral sliding component, and the lateral driving component is used to drive the reaction cup pusher component to slide laterally on the lateral sliding component.

[0016] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a reaction unit, including a reaction disk and the aforementioned reaction cup transfer device. The reaction disk includes a reaction turntable and a cup discarding channel. The reaction turntable has N radially extending grooves for setting reaction cups. The lateral sliding direction of the reaction cup transfer device is along the radial direction of the reaction turntable and is located above one of the radial grooves. The reaction cup pusher assembly moves inward along the reaction disk to realize the transfer and discarding of the reaction cups, where N is a natural number greater than 1.

[0017] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a reaction unit including the reaction unit described above.

[0018] On the other hand, this application provides a method for transferring and discarding reaction cups, including the following steps: moving the reaction cup transfer device to the working position, so that the reaction cup pusher assembly contacts multiple reaction cups that are radially adjacent to the reaction plate; the lateral moving structure pushes inward along the radial direction of the reaction plate, so that some reaction cups are moved to the next positioning point in the radial direction of the reaction plate, and the reaction cups to be discarded are pushed to the discarding channel inside the reaction plate for discarding.

[0019] The reaction cup transfer device in this embodiment uses a lateral movement mechanism to move the reaction cup pusher assembly radially along the reaction disk. This allows the reaction cup pusher assembly to pass through the cup loading position, cup moving position, and cup discarding position during its sliding stroke. Thus, the reaction cup transfer device can simultaneously perform cup loading, cup moving, and cup discarding operations, eliminating the need for three separate components, resulting in a simpler structure and lower cost. Furthermore, compared to a three-dimensional spatial gripper, it eliminates the need for complex drive structures and algorithms, increasing reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the reaction cup transfer device according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the reaction vessel transfer device from another perspective; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the reaction cup pusher assembly of the reaction cup transfer device; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the reaction cup pusher assembly from another perspective; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the reaction unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 In order to be in Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the interaction between the reaction cup pusher assembly and the reaction cup in the reaction unit.

[0022] Figure label: Detailed Implementation To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0023] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first embodiment of the present invention provides a reaction cup transfer device 200, applied to the reaction disk of a sample analyzer, for pushing the reaction cup radially along the reaction disk. The reaction cup transfer device 200 includes a reaction cup pusher assembly 100 and a lateral movement structure 30. The reaction cup pusher assembly 100 is used to contact the reaction cup and apply a pushing force radially along the reaction disk; the lateral movement structure 30 is connected to the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 and can drive the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 to move laterally, such as in the X-axis direction of this embodiment, in a linear motion, thereby pushing the reaction cup radially along the reaction disk.

[0024] Please refer to further information. Figure 3 and Figure 4 This application provides a reaction cup pusher assembly 100, which includes a support 10, a cup discarding pusher assembly 12, and an upper cup pusher assembly 14. The cup discarding pusher assembly 12 and the upper cup pusher assembly 14 are disposed on the support 10 and located on the same side of the support 10, and are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction. The cup discarding pusher assembly 12 and the upper cup pusher assembly 14 are movable in the vertical direction on the support 10. Figure 5 As shown, the cup discarding pusher assembly 12 is used to move the reaction cup 20 to the cup discarding channel 404 (e.g., Figure 5 (as shown) or the next positioning point; the upper cup pusher assembly 14 is used to move the reaction cup 20 from the upper cup position to the predetermined positioning point of the reaction plate 40 or to move the reaction cup (20) to the next positioning point.

[0025] In this embodiment, the support 10 is a support plate that extends vertically and is used to fix and support the cup-discarding pusher assembly 12 and the upper cup pusher assembly 14. This allows the cup-discarding pusher assembly 12 and the upper cup pusher assembly 14 to be configured as a combined component that can be driven synchronously by the support 10. Thus, the same driving component can be used to drive the two components simultaneously, thereby simplifying the structure and saving costs.

[0026] The cup-discarding pusher assembly 12 includes a first drive motor 121 and a cup-discarding pusher 122. The first drive motor 121 drives the cup-discarding pusher 122 to move along the Z-axis direction, so that the cup-discarding pusher 122 reciprocates between the origin and the working position, wherein the Z-axis direction is vertical. The reaction cup pusher assembly 100 also includes a motor mounting member 11, which is fixedly connected to the mounting surface 102 of the support 10. In this embodiment, the motor mounting member 11 is a mounting plate and is horizontally arranged. The first drive motor 121 is mounted on the motor mounting member 11. The motor mounting member 11 is located near the upper end of the support 10. The first drive motor 121 has a first output shaft 1211, which extends along the Z-axis direction and is connected to the cup-discarding pusher 122. When the first drive motor 121 is working, it can push the cup-discarding pusher 122 to reciprocate along the Z-axis direction. In this embodiment, the first output shaft 1211 drives the cup-discarding pusher 122 to move in the Z-axis direction via a screw drive. Specifically, the first output shaft 1211 is a screw, and the cup-discarding pusher 122 is connected to a screw flange 1222 that mates with the first output shaft 1211. Under the drive of the first drive motor 121, the first output shaft 121 rotates relative to the screw flange 1222, thereby driving the cup-discarding pusher 122 to move along the Z-axis direction. In other optional embodiments, the first output shaft 1211 can be a telescopic rod, driving the cup-discarding pusher 122 by pushing and pulling.

[0027] The support 10 is further provided with a first linear guide rail 103 extending along the Z-axis. The cup-discarding pusher 122 is connected to a first slider (shown in the figure). The first slider is slidably connected to the first linear guide rail 103. Through the cooperation between the first slider and the first linear guide rail 103, the cup-discarding pusher 122 can move smoothly along the Z-axis. In this embodiment, a cup-discarding pusher fixing seat 1221 is further provided on the first slider. The cup-discarding pusher 122 is fixed on the cup-discarding pusher fixing seat 1221, thereby more securely fixing the cup-discarding pusher 122 to the first slider.

[0028] Along the Z-axis, a cup-discarding origin sensor 104 and a cup-discarding position sensor 105 are sequentially arranged on the support 10. The cup-discarding pusher assembly 12 further includes a first sensing structure 123 that cooperates with the cup-discarding origin sensor 104 and the cup-discarding position sensor 105. The first sensing structure 123 moves synchronously with the cup-discarding pusher 122 in the Z-axis direction. When the cup-discarding pusher 122 moves to the uppermost position in the Z-axis direction, the first sensing structure 123 moves to the sensing position of the cup-discarding origin sensor 104. At this time, the cup-discarding origin sensor 104 senses that the cup-discarding pusher 122 is located at the uppermost position in the Z-axis direction, i.e., the origin. When the cup-discarding pusher 122 moves downward along the Z-axis direction to the working position, the first sensing structure 123 moves to the sensing position of the cup-discarding position sensor 105. At this time, the cup-discarding position sensor 105 senses that the cup-discarding pusher 122 is located in the working position.

[0029] In this embodiment, the cup-discarding origin sensor 104 and the cup-discarding position sensor 105 are fixed to the support 10 via the first sensor bracket 106 and the second sensor bracket 107, respectively. The cup-discarding origin sensor 104 and the cup-discarding position sensor 105 are photoelectric sensors, and the first sensing structure 123 is a baffle connected to the cup-discarding pusher fixing seat 1221. When the first sensing structure 123 moves to the cup-discarding origin sensor 104 and the cup-discarding position sensor 105, it blocks the light path of the photoelectric sensor and is thus sensed.

[0030] The cup-discarding pusher 122 includes a first pusher body 1223 and a first detonator 1224 connected to the first pusher body 1223. In this embodiment, the first detonator 1224 extends vertically, and there are two first detonators 1224, one of which is longer than the other. Please refer to further details. Figure 5 Discard pusher 122 is used to push reaction cup 20 to discard channel 404; see below. Figure 6 The reaction cup 20 includes a cup body 201 and a shoulder 202 formed on the upper edge of the cup body 201 and protruding radially outward along the cup body 201. Generally, the shoulder 202 is a protruding structure surrounding the cup body 201. During the cup discarding operation, the shoulder 202 is positioned between two first pushers 1224. The first pushers 1224 abut against the shoulder 202 to apply force to the reaction cup 20, thereby pushing the reaction cup 20 to the cup discarding channel 404. When discarding the reaction cup 20, the longer first pusher 1224, in addition to abutting against the shoulder, can also abut against the cup body 20 when the reaction cup 20 is about to tip over, to prevent the reaction cup 20 from tipping over. After the reaction cup 20 is pushed to the discard cup channel 404, if the reaction cup 20 blocks the channel in the discard cup channel 404, the longer first dial 1224 can also be used to extend into the discard cup channel 404 and push the reaction cup 20 in the discard cup channel 404 downward.

[0031] The structure of the cup-addressing pusher assembly 14 is similar to that of the cup-discarding pusher assembly 12, and it is arranged side by side with the cup-discarding pusher assembly 12. It includes a second drive motor 141 and a cup-addressing pusher 142. The second drive motor 141 drives the cup-addressing pusher 142 to move along the Z-axis, causing the cup-addressing pusher 142 to reciprocate between its origin and its working position. The second drive motor 141 is also mounted on the motor mounting bracket 11, and is arranged horizontally alongside and adjacent to the first drive motor 121. The second drive motor 141 has a second output shaft 1411, which extends along the Z-axis and is connected to the cup-addressing pusher 142. When the second drive motor 141 is working, it can push the cup-addressing pusher 142 to reciprocate along the Z-axis. In this embodiment, the second output shaft 1411 drives the upper cup pusher 142 to move in the Z-axis direction via a screw drive. Specifically, the second output shaft 1411 is a screw, and the upper cup pusher 142 is connected to a screw flange 1422 that mates with the second output shaft 1411. Under the drive of the second drive motor 141, the second output shaft 1411 rotates relative to the screw flange 1422, thereby driving the upper cup pusher 142 to move along the Z-axis direction. In other optional embodiments, the second output shaft 1411 can be a telescopic rod, driving the cup pusher 142 by pushing and pulling.

[0032] The first drive assembly 121 and the second drive assembly 141 are fixed to the support 10 via the motor mounting bracket 11, which allows the positions of the first drive assembly 121 and the second drive assembly 141 in the Z direction to remain unchanged. This enables more precise control over the movement distance of the cup-discarding pusher 122 and the cup-raising pusher 142 in the Z direction. It should be noted that the first drive assembly 121 and the second drive assembly 141 can also be directly fixed to the support 10, and this embodiment is not the only limitation.

[0033] The support 10 is further provided with a second linear guide rail 108 extending along the Z-axis. The upper cup pusher 142 is connected to a second slider (not shown in the figure). The second slider is slidably connected to the second linear guide rail 108. Through the cooperation between the second slider and the second linear guide rail 108, the cup pusher 142 can move smoothly along the Z-axis. In this embodiment, an upper cup pusher fixing seat 1421 is further provided on the second slider. The upper cup pusher 142 is fixed on the upper cup pusher fixing seat 1421, thereby more securely fixing the upper cup pusher 142 to the second slider.

[0034] Along the Z-axis, the support 10 is sequentially equipped with an upper cup origin sensor 109 and an upper cup position sensor 110. The upper cup pusher assembly 14 further includes a second sensing structure 143 that cooperates with the upper cup origin sensor 109 and the upper cup position sensor 110. The second sensing structure 143 moves synchronously with the upper cup pusher 142 in the Z-axis direction. When the upper cup pusher 142 moves to the uppermost position in the Z-axis direction, the second sensing structure 143 moves to the sensing position of the upper cup origin sensor 109. At this time, the upper cup origin sensor 109 senses that the upper cup pusher 142 is located at the uppermost position in the Z-axis direction, i.e., the origin. When the upper cup pusher 142 moves downward along the Z-axis direction to the working position, the second sensing structure 143 moves to the sensing position of the upper cup position sensor 110. At this time, the upper cup position sensor 110 senses that the upper cup pusher 142 is located in the working position.

[0035] In this embodiment, the upper cup origin sensor 109 and the upper cup position sensor 110 are fixed to the support 10 by the third sensor bracket 111 and the fourth sensor bracket 112, respectively; the upper cup origin sensor 104 and the upper cup position sensor 110 are photoelectric sensors, and the second sensing structure 143 is a baffle connected to the upper cup pusher fixing seat 1421. When the second sensing structure 143 moves to the upper cup origin sensor 109 and the upper cup position sensor 110, it blocks the light path of the photoelectric sensor and is sensed.

[0036] The upper cup pusher 142 includes a second pusher body 1423 and a second dial 1424 connected to the second pusher body 1423. In this embodiment, the second dial 1424 extends vertically, and there are two second dials 1424 spaced apart horizontally. Please refer to further details. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The upper cup pusher 122 is used to push the reaction cup 20 in the upper cup position into the reaction plate 40. When the upper cup operation is performed, the shoulder 202 of the reaction cup 20 is set between the two second pushers 1424. The first pusher 1224 abuts against the shoulder 202 to apply force to the reaction cup 20, thereby pushing the reaction cup 20 into the reaction plate 40.

[0037] like Figure 3 , 4 As shown in Figure 6, when both the cup discarding pusher 122 and the upper cup pusher 142 are in the working position, there is a clamping space between the first dial 1224 adjacent to the upper cup pusher 142 and the second dial 1424 adjacent to the cup discarding pusher 122. When pushing the reaction cup 20, a reaction cup 20 can also be clamped between the adjacent first dial 1224 and the second dial 1424, and can be pushed by the second dial 1424 or the first dial 1224. Thus, when both the cup discarding pusher 122 and the upper cup pusher 142 are in the working position, three reaction cups 20 can be pushed to move simultaneously.

[0038] In this embodiment, the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 has the cup discarding pusher assembly 12 and the cup loading pusher assembly 14 jointly mounted on the support 10. When performing two different functions, cup loading and cup discarding, the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 can be driven by the same drive device to complete the task. This eliminates the need for multiple disassembled parts, resulting in a simpler structure, significantly reduced costs, and saved implementation space. Compared to a three-dimensional spatial gripper, it eliminates the need for complex drive structures and algorithms, thus increasing reliability.

[0039] The lateral movement structure 30 includes a mounting base 301, a lateral sliding assembly 302 fixed to the mounting base 301, and a lateral drive assembly 303 mounted on the lateral sliding assembly 302. The lateral sliding assembly 302 extends along the X-axis direction, and the lateral drive assembly 303 is used to drive the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 to move laterally along the X-axis direction as in this embodiment on the lateral sliding assembly 302.

[0040] In this embodiment, the mounting base 301 is a vertically arranged mounting plate, and the horizontal sliding component 302 includes a long strip mounting plate 3021 extending along the X direction. The mounting plate 3021 includes a first end 3022 and a second end 3023 opposite to each other. The first end 3022 is connected and fixed to the mounting base 301. The fixing method includes, but is not limited to, screw fixing, snap-fit ​​or riveting. In this embodiment, the lateral drive assembly 303 includes a rotary motor 3031, a drive wheel 3032, a driven wheel 3033, a timing belt 3034, and a guide rail 3034. The rotary motor 3031 is fixedly installed at the first end 3022. The output shaft of the rotary motor 301 is connected to the drive wheel 3032. The driven wheel 3033 is connected to the second end 3023. The timing belt 3034 is tightly fitted on the drive wheel 3032 and the driven wheel 3033. The rotary motor 301 drives the drive wheel 3032 to rotate. Under the drive of the drive wheel 3032, the timing belt 3034 rotates and moves around the drive wheel 3032 and the driven wheel 3033.

[0041] The reaction cup pusher assembly 100 is connected to the timing belt 3034, thereby sliding back and forth between the first end 3022 and the second end 3023 along the transverse sliding assembly 302 under the drive of the timing belt 3034. Specifically, the mounting plate 3021 is provided with a slide rail 3024 extending in the X direction and a slider (not shown) mounted on the slide rail 3024 and slidable along the slide rail. The reaction cup pusher assembly 100 is fixedly connected to the slider, thereby allowing the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 to slide along the slide rail 3024. The reaction cup pusher assembly 100 is connected to the synchronous belt 3034 via a mounting bracket 3035. Specifically, the mounting bracket 3035 has a U-shaped cross-section, with one end connected to the synchronous belt 3034 and the other end connected to the reaction cup pusher assembly 100. More specifically, the main structure of the rotary motor 3031 and the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 are located on the same side of the mounting plate 3021, while the conveyor belt 3034 and the mounting bracket 3035 are located on the opposite side of the mounting plate 3021. One end of the mounting bracket 3035 is fixed to the surface of the upper synchronous belt 3034, and the other end of the mounting bracket 3035 passes under the lower synchronous belt 3034 and is connected to the reaction cup pusher assembly 100. The mounting plate 3021 has a through hole 3025 extending in the X direction for the mounting bracket 3035 to pass through.

[0042] The mounting plate 3021 is further provided with an origin sensor 3026, a cup-moving position sensor 3027, and a cup-discarding position sensor 3028. Correspondingly, the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 is provided with a position sensing module 113. When the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 passes the origin sensor 3026, the cup-moving position sensor 3027, and the cup-discarding position sensor 3028, and the corresponding sensors sense the position sensing module 113, it indicates that the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 has reached the cup-adding position, the cup-moving position, and the cup-discarding position, respectively. At this time, the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 can be operated to perform the corresponding operation. In this embodiment, the sensing between the position sensing module 113 and the origin sensor 3026, the cup-moving position sensor 3027, and the cup-discarding position sensor 3028 is photoelectric sensing. Specifically, the origin sensor 3026 is a photoelectric sensor, and the position sensing module 113 includes a first baffle 1131. The photoelectric sensor includes two parts: a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter emits visible light or invisible light (infrared light), and the receiver receives the corresponding light. When the first baffle 1131 moves to block the light emitted by the transmitter to the receiver, the position of the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 is sensed as being at the origin. At this time, the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 can start the cup-adding operation. The position sensing module 113 also includes a first photoelectric sensor 1132. The cup-moving position sensor 3027 and the cup-discarding position sensor 3028 are both baffles. The sensing method of the first photoelectric sensor 1132 with the cup-moving position sensor 3027 and the cup-discarding position sensor 3028 is the same as the sensing method of the origin sensor 3026 with the first baffle 1131. In the X direction, the wish point sensor 3026, the cup movement sensor 3027, and the cup rejection sensor 3028 are arranged sequentially from the first end 3022 to the second end 3023.

[0043] Furthermore, the cup-moving sensor 3027 includes a cup-moving initiation sub-baffle 3027a and a cup-moving end sub-baffle 3027b, which are arranged along the X direction and the cup-moving initiation sub-baffle 3027a is closer to the first end 3022. When the first photoelectric sensor 1132 senses the cup-moving initiation sub-baffle 3027a, the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 starts the cup-moving operation. When the first photoelectric sensor 1132 senses the cup-moving end sub-baffle 3027b, the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 ends the cup-moving operation. Similarly, the cup-discarding position sensor 3028 includes a cup-discarding initiation sub-baffle 3028a and a cup-discarding end sub-baffle 3028b, which are arranged along the X direction and the cup-discarding initiation sub-baffle 3028a is closer to the first end 3022. When the first photoelectric sensor 1132 senses the cup-discarding initiation sub-baffle 3028a, the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 starts the cup-discarding operation. When the first photoelectric sensor 1132 senses the cup-discarding end sub-baffle 3028b, the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 ends the cup-discarding operation.

[0044] In this embodiment, the lateral movement structure 30 includes a lateral sliding component 302 extending along the X direction. The reaction cup pusher component 100 is moved along the X-axis direction on the lateral sliding component 302 by the lateral driving component 303. During the sliding stroke of the reaction cup pusher component 100, there are cup loading position, cup moving position and cup discarding position. Thus, the cup loading, cup moving and cup discarding operations can be realized simultaneously by the reaction cup moving device 200. There is no need to set up three components. The structure is simple and the cost is low.

[0045] Please see Figure 5 The second embodiment of the present invention provides a reaction unit 300, including a reaction disk 40 and a reaction cup transfer device 200 as described in the first embodiment. The reaction disk 40 includes a reaction turntable 402 and a cup discarding channel 404. The reaction turntable 402 has N radial grooves 406 extending radially therefrom. The lateral sliding direction of the reaction cup transfer device 200 is along the radial direction of the reaction turntable 402 and is located above one of the radial grooves 406. The reaction cup pusher assembly 100 moves inward along the reaction disk 40 to realize the transfer and discarding operations of the reaction cups 20. Wherein N is a natural number greater than 1, and this embodiment uses N=69 as an example for explanation. Each radial groove 406 can be provided with multiple reaction cups 20. In this embodiment, each radial groove 406 can be provided with four reaction cups 20, which are respectively set at four radial positioning points of the radial groove 406, from the outside to the inside, namely positioning points D1, D2, D3, and D4. The reaction cup transfer device 200 is located in the X direction along the radial direction of the reaction turntable 402 and above one of the radial grooves 406. The reaction cup 20 is engaged by the movement of the cup discarding pusher assembly 12 and the cup loading pusher assembly 14 along the Z-axis. The reaction cup pushing pusher assembly 100 is moved along the X-axis on the transverse sliding assembly 302 to perform the cup loading, cup transfer and cup discarding operations on the reaction cup 20.

[0046] The reaction unit 300 further includes an upper cup slide 50, a discard cup slide 60, and a cup holder 70. The upper cup slide 50 is located outside the reaction plate 40 and has an upper cup groove 502 for communicating and engaging with the radial groove 406. When a cup needs to be added, the outer end of the radial groove 406 engages with and communicates with the upper cup groove 502. The cup holder 70 is located adjacent to the upper cup slide 50, and the cup discharge groove 702 of the cup holder 70 is connected to the upper cup groove 502. After the reaction cup 20 is arranged in the cup holder 70, it slides through the cup discharge groove 702 to the upper cup position of the upper cup groove 502. At this time, the reaction cup 20 can be added by the upper cup pusher 142, that is, the reaction cup 20 is moved to the corresponding position of the radial groove 406. The cup discarding slide 60 is located inside the reaction plate 40 and has a cup discarding groove 602 for communicating and docking with the radial groove 406. When cup discarding is required, the inner end of the radial groove 406 docks with and communicates with the cup discarding groove 602. The cup discarding channel 404 is located at the central axis of the reaction plate 40 and has a cup discarding hole 4042 extending along its axis. The pre-discarded reaction cup 20, which has been reacted and detected, is discarded through the cup discarding hole 4042. The end of the cup discarding slide 60 is adjacent to the cup discarding channel 404, and the cup discarding groove 602 communicates with the cup discarding hole 4042. When cup discarding is required, the cup discarding pusher 144 pushes the reaction cup 20 to move in the cup discarding groove 602 and finally move it into the cup discarding hole 4042 for discarding. A third embodiment of the present invention provides a sample analyzer, including a reaction unit as described in the second embodiment.

[0047] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 6 The fourth embodiment of the present invention provides a method for transferring and discarding sample analyzers, comprising the following steps: Step 4.1: Move the reaction cup transfer device 200 to the working position so that the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 contacts the multiple reaction cups 20 that are radially adjacent to the reaction plate 40; Step 4.2 The lateral moving structure (30) is pushed inward along the radial direction of the reaction disk 40, so that part of the reaction cup 20 moves to the next positioning point in the radial direction of the reaction disk 40, and pushes the reaction cup 20 to be discarded to the cup discarding channel inside the reaction disk for cup discarding.

[0048] The following is a detailed explanation of the above methods: Driven by the transverse drive assembly 303, the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 moves to a position above the cup discarding pusher 122 located at the positioning point D4. Driven by the first drive motor 121, the cup discarding pusher 122 moves downward along the Z-axis to the working position, and the two first dials 1224 lock the shoulder 202 of the reaction cup 20. The transverse drive assembly 303 drives the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 to move towards the cup discarding channel 404 until the reaction cup 20 is pushed into the cup discarding hole 4042, and drives the cup discarding pusher 122 to move upward to the origin.

[0049] Drive the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 to the cup-moving position, i.e., the upper cup pusher 142 and the cup-discarding pusher 122 are located above positioning points D1 and D3, respectively; drive the upper cup pusher 142 and the cup-discarding pusher 122 downwards to the working position, please refer to... Figure 6 Two second dials 1424 engage the reaction cup 20 at positioning point D1, adjacent second dials 1424 and first dials 1224 engage the reaction cup 20 at positioning point D2, and first dial 1224 engages the reaction cup at positioning point D3; the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 is driven to move inward to the inside of the reaction turntable 402 until the reaction cups 20 at positioning points D1, D2, and D3 move to positioning points D2, D3, and D4, and the cup discard pusher 122 and the cup up pusher 142 move upward to the origin.

[0050] In addition, the above method may also include the following steps: When it is time to place a cup, the reaction cup 20 of the cup holder 70 moves to the cup placement groove 502 of the cup placement channel 50 via the cup dispensing groove 702. At this time, the reaction cup 20 is in the cup placement position. The position sensing module 113 and the origin sensing element 3026 sense each other, that is, the origin sensing element 3026 senses the first baffle 1131. The second drive motor 141 drives the cup placement pusher 142 to move from the origin to the working position. The shoulder 202 of the reaction cup 20 is located between the two second dials 1424 of the cup placement pusher 142. The transverse drive assembly 303 is activated to move the reaction cup 20 to the positioning point D1 on the reaction turntable 402. The reaction turntable 402 rotates in a predetermined manner until the next radial groove 406 rotates to the bottom of the reaction cup transfer device 200. The reaction cup 20 is placed in the same manner as above. The above steps are repeated to place the cup at the positioning point D1.

[0051] When positioning point D1 rotates and moves N times, each time by the same predetermined rotation angle, the reaction cup 20 at D1 activates the transverse drive assembly 303, moving the upper cup pusher 142 of the reaction cup pusher assembly 100 above positioning point D1. The second drive motor 141 drives the upper cup pusher 142 to move from the origin to the working position, and the transverse drive assembly 303 is activated again to move the reaction cup 20 from positioning point D1 to positioning point D2. When moving a single reaction cup 20 on the same radial slide 406, the above steps can be used, employing the upper cup pusher 142, the discard cup pusher 122, or the adjacent first and second dials 1224 of the upper cup pusher 142 and the discard cup pusher 122. When moving two adjacent reaction cups 20, the upper cup pusher 142 and the adjacent first and second dials 1224 of the upper cup pusher 142 and the discard cup pusher 122 can be used, or the adjacent first and second dials 1224 of the upper cup pusher 142 and the discard cup pusher 122 and the discard cup pusher 122 can be used.

[0052] In this embodiment, the reaction unit 300 only uses one device, the reaction cup transfer device 200, to perform cup removal, cup transfer, and upward operation on the reaction cup 20 in the reaction tray 40. It does not need to be disassembled into multiple parts, making the structure more compact, reducing costs, and saving layout space. Moreover, the entire operation process is compact and simple, and has high reliability.

[0053] In the accompanying drawings of this embodiment, the same or similar reference numerals correspond to the same or similar components. In the description of this invention, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing the 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, the terms describing positional relationships in the drawings are only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting this patent. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sample analyzer, comprising a reaction plate (40) and a reaction cup transfer device (200); The reaction disk (40) includes a reaction turntable (402) and a cup discarding channel (404). The reaction turntable (402) has N radial grooves (406) extending radially along it, where N is a natural number greater than 1. Each radial groove (406) may be provided with multiple reaction cups (20). The lateral sliding direction of the reaction cup transfer device (200) is along the radial direction of the reaction turntable (402) and is located above one of the radial grooves (406); the reaction cup transfer device (200) includes a reaction cup pusher assembly (100) and a lateral moving structure (30). in, The reaction cup pusher assembly (100) can contact the plurality of reaction cups (20) in the radial direction of the reaction disk (40) and apply a thrust along the radial direction of the reaction disk (40); the lateral movement structure (30) is connected to the reaction cup pusher assembly (100) and is used to drive the reaction cup pusher assembly (100) to move laterally, thereby pushing the reaction cups (20) to move inward along the reaction disk (40) to realize the loading, moving and discarding operations of the plurality of reaction cups (20).

2. The sample analyzer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The reaction cup pusher assembly (100) includes a support (10), a cup discarding pusher assembly (12), and an upper cup pusher assembly (14). The cup discarding pusher assembly (12) and the upper cup pusher assembly (14) are both disposed on the support (10) and are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction. The cup discarding pusher assembly (12) is used to move the reaction cup (20) to the next positioning point or the cup discarding channel (404). The upper cup pusher assembly (14) is used to move the reaction cup (20) from the upper cup position to a predetermined positioning point of the reaction plate (40) or to move the reaction cup (20) to the next positioning point. The cup discarding pusher assembly (12) and the upper cup pusher assembly (14) can be driven by the support to move synchronously, so as to simultaneously push at least a plurality of the reaction cups (20) to move radially.

3. The sample analyzer as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The cup-discarding pusher assembly (12) includes a first drive motor (121) and a cup-discarding pusher (122). The first drive motor (121) is fixed to the support (10), and the cup-discarding pusher (122) is connected to the first drive motor (121) to move in the vertical direction. The cup-discarding pusher (122) includes a first pusher body (1223) and a first dial (1224) connected to the first pusher body (1223).

4. The sample analyzer as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The first dial (1224) extends vertically, and there are two first dials that are spaced apart horizontally, with one first dial (1224) being longer than the other first dial (1224).

5. The sample analyzer as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The support (10) is provided with a cup-discarding origin sensor (104) and a cup-discarding position sensor (105) in sequence. The cup-discarding pusher assembly (12) includes a first sensing structure (123). The first sensing structure (123) cooperates with the cup-discarding origin sensor (104) and the cup-discarding position sensor (105) to indicate that the cup-discarding pusher (122) has reached the corresponding position.

6. The sample analyzer as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The upper cup pusher assembly (14) includes a second drive motor (141) and an upper cup pusher (142). The second drive motor (141) is fixed to the support (10) and is parallel and adjacent to the first drive motor (121) in the horizontal direction. The upper cup pusher (142) is connected to the second drive motor (141) to move in the vertical direction. The upper cup pusher (142) includes a second pusher body (1423) and a second dial (1424) connected to the second pusher body (1423).

7. The sample analyzer as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The second dial (1424) extends vertically, and there are two second dials spaced apart horizontally.

8. The sample analyzer as described in claim 7, characterized in that, There is a clamping space between the first dial (1224) adjacent to the upper cup pusher (142) and the second dial (1424) adjacent to the discard cup pusher (122) for clamping a reaction cup (20).

9. The sample analyzer as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The support (10) is provided with a cup origin sensor (109) and a cup position sensor (110) in sequence. The cup pusher assembly (14) includes a second sensing structure (143). The second sensing structure (143) cooperates with the cup origin sensor (109) and the cup position sensor (110) to indicate that the cup pusher (142) has reached the corresponding position.

10. The sample analyzer according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The lateral movement structure (30) includes a lateral sliding component (302) and a lateral driving component (303). The reaction cup pusher component (100) is slidably mounted on the lateral sliding component (302). The lateral driving component (303) is used to drive the reaction cup pusher component (100) to slide laterally on the lateral sliding component (302).

11. The sample analyzer as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The lateral movement structure (30) further includes a mounting base (301), and the lateral sliding component (302) is fixed to the mounting base (301). The mounting base (301) is provided with an origin sensor (3026), a cup-moving position sensor (3027), and a cup-discarding position sensor (3028). The reaction cup pusher assembly (100) is provided with a position sensing module (113) that can sense the origin sensor (3026), the cup-moving position sensor (3027), and the cup-discarding position sensor (3028), and is used to indicate that the reaction cup pusher assembly (100) reaches the corresponding position.

12. The sample analyzer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The sample analyzer also includes an upper cup slide (50) and a discard cup slide (60). The upper cup slide (50) is located on the outside of the reaction plate (40) and has an upper cup groove (502) for communicating and docking with the radial groove (406). The discard cup slide (60) is located on the inside of the reaction plate (40) and has a discard cup groove (602) for communicating and docking with the radial groove (406). The discard cup channel (404) is located at the central axis of the reaction cup (40). The end of the discard cup slide (60) is adjacent to the discard cup channel (404). The reaction cup pusher assembly (100) pushes the reaction cup (20) to move from the discard cup groove (602) to the discard cup channel (404).

13. The sample analyzer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The sample analyzer also includes a cup holder (70), which is arranged adjacent to the upper cup slide (50). The cup holder (70) has a cup outlet slide (702) for connecting and docking with the prime number upper cup slide (502). The cup holder (70) is used to slide the reaction cup (20) through the cup outlet slide (702) to the upper cup position of the cup slide (502) after the reaction cup (20) is arranged.

14. A method for transferring and discarding sample cups in a sample analyzer as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising the following steps: Move the reaction cup transfer device (200) to the working position so that the reaction cup pusher assembly (100) contacts multiple reaction cups (20) that are radially adjacent to the reaction plate (40); The lateral moving structure (30) is pushed radially inward along the reaction disk (40), causing part of the reaction cups (20) to move to the next positioning point radially of the reaction disk (40), and pushing the reaction cups (20) to be discarded to the cup discarding channel (404) inside the reaction disk (40) for cup discarding.

15. The method for transferring and discarding a cup as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: When it is necessary to place the reaction cup (20) on the cup holder (70) is moved to the upper cup position on the upper cup channel (50) through the cup discharge slide (702), and the reaction cup transfer device (200) is moved to the upper cup position so that the reaction cup (20) on the upper cup position of the reaction cup pusher assembly (100) contacts the reaction cup (20); The lateral moving structure (30) is pushed radially inward along the reaction disk (40) to move the upper cup (20) to the next positioning point radially of the reaction disk (40).

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