Pipetting mechanism and in-vitro diagnostic device

Abstract

The application discloses a pipetting mechanism and an in-vitro diagnosis device, and relates to the technical field of in-vitro diagnosis instruments. The pipetting mechanism comprises a vertical movement mechanism, a pipetting pump assembly and a pipettor. The pipetting pump assembly comprises a pipetting pump and a first driver, and the pipettor is in fluid communication with the pipetting pump. The vertical movement mechanism comprises a guide chute, a toothed rail, an elastic abutting assembly and a second driver. The toothed rail comprises a toothed rail surface, an abutting surface and a guide rail surface. The guide rail surface is in sliding fit with the guide chute. The toothed rail is provided with a cavity along the vertical direction. The pipetting pump is arranged in the cavity. The first driver is arranged at the top of the toothed rail. The bottom of the toothed rail is connected with the pipettor. The elastic abutting assembly elastically abuts the toothed rail in the guide chute and is in sliding fit with the abutting surface. The output shaft sleeve of the second driver is provided with a gear in mesh with the toothed rail surface. The gear is rotated to drive the toothed rail to move up and down. The pipetting mechanism has the advantages of compact structure, small volume, light weight, stable movement, high precision and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of in vitro diagnostic instrument technology, and more specifically, to a pipetting mechanism and an in vitro diagnostic device. Background Technology

[0002] Plunger pumps used in industries such as medicine are used for pipetting reagents and samples, where high precision in the dosage of the liquid being pipetted is required. Commercially available plunger pumps are typically used, but these are often bulky and heavy, and frequently incompatible with pipetting mechanisms, making the pipetting system cumbersome.

[0003] Therefore, how to provide a pipetting mechanism that is compact, small in size, lightweight, stable in movement, and highly accurate is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a pipetting mechanism and an in vitro diagnostic device to solve the problems of bulky and poor compatibility of pipetting mechanisms in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A pipetting mechanism includes a vertical motion mechanism, a pipetting pump assembly, and a pipette. The pipetting pump assembly includes a pipetting pump and a first driver for driving the pipetting pump to perform pipetting. The pipette is in fluid communication with the pipetting pump. The vertical motion mechanism includes: The guide groove provides guidance for the up-and-down movement of the gear rail; The toothed rail includes a toothed rail surface, a contact surface, and a guide rail surface, and slides with the guide groove through the guide rail surface when moving up and down. The toothed rail has a cavity extending vertically through it. The pipette pump is located in the cavity. The first driver is located at the top of the toothed rail. At least one pipette is connected to the bottom of the toothed rail. An elastic abutment component is provided to elastically abut the toothed rail in the guide groove, and the elastic abutment component slides with the abutment surface of the toothed rail when the toothed rail moves up and down; The second driver has an output shaft sleeved with a gear that meshes with the toothed surface of the toothed rail, and the rotation of the gear drives the toothed rail to move up and down along the guide groove.

[0006] Optionally, the pipette pump is a plunger pump, which includes a pump barrel and a plunger. The pump barrel is disposed in the cavity, and the bottom end of the pump barrel is provided with an inlet and outlet port that are in fluid communication with the pipette. The plunger is disposed in the pump barrel, and its top extends through the top end of the pump barrel and is connected to the first driver through a vertically extending drive rod structure. The first driver drives the plunger to reciprocate up and down along the pump barrel through the drive rod structure.

[0007] Optionally, the drive rod structure includes a lead screw and a sliding sleeve. The lead screw is connected to the first driver and extends into the cavity. A first connector is threadedly connected to the lead screw. The first connector is connected to the top port of the sliding sleeve and drives the sliding sleeve to slide up and down along the lead screw. The bottom of the sliding sleeve is connected to the top of the plunger through a second connector.

[0008] Optionally, the first connecting member includes a first cover plate and a nut. The first cover plate is disposed on the top port of the sliding sleeve and is fixedly connected to the top end of the sliding sleeve by the nut. The first cover plate is provided with a threaded hole, and the lead screw passes through the threaded hole and is threadedly connected to the threaded hole.

[0009] Optionally, the second connector includes a locking post and a locking claw. The locking claw is located at the bottom port of the sliding sleeve, and the bottom end of the locking post is located on the core of the plunger. The outer periphery of the locking post is provided with a radially inward recessed groove, which engages with the locking claw.

[0010] Optionally, the top end of the pump barrel is an open end, the open end is provided with a third cover plate, and a sealing ring is provided between the third cover plate and the top end of the pump barrel surrounding the open end. One end of the plunger core passes through the opening of the open end and the opening on the third cover plate and is inserted into the pump barrel, and the other end is connected to the snap-fit ​​post.

[0011] Optionally, the second connector further includes a first magnet and a second magnet. The first magnet is disposed at the top of the snap-fit ​​post, and the second magnet is disposed on a flat plate inside the sliding sleeve adjacent to its bottom port. When the snap-fit ​​post is inserted into the bottom port of the sliding sleeve and snaps into the claw, the first magnet and the second magnet attract each other to limit the position.

[0012] Optionally, the top end of the gear rail is provided with a second cover plate for the first driver to be fixedly installed. The second cover plate is provided with a mounting hole, and the lead screw passes through the mounting hole and is inserted into the cavity of the gear rail.

[0013] Optionally, the outer wall of the sliding sleeve is provided with a limiting hole extending vertically, and the inner wall of the cavity is provided with two limiting members arranged vertically at intervals. The two limiting members can respectively abut against the upper end and the lower end of the limiting hole to limit the vertical movement stroke of the sliding sleeve.

[0014] Optionally, the pipette pump assembly further includes an origin sensor and a sensing plate. The origin sensor is located at the top port of the toothed rail, and the sensing plate is located at the first connector. When the sensing plate triggers the origin sensor, the origin sensor sends a signal to the control unit, and the control unit controls the first driver to operate.

[0015] Optionally, the vertical motion mechanism further includes: The mounting base is provided with the guide groove running vertically through it; The resilient abutment component and the second driver are disposed on the mounting base.

[0016] Optionally, the elastic abutment assembly includes a fixed base, a spring slide, and an elastic connector; the fixed base is elastically connected to the mounting base laterally via the elastic connector, and the spring slide is rotatably disposed on the fixed base about a vertical axis and slides in contact with the abutment surface of the toothed rail.

[0017] Optionally, the elastic connector includes a spring shaft and a spring. The spring shaft passes through the fixed seat, and the spring is sleeved on the spring shaft. One end of the spring abuts against the mounting seat, and the other end abuts against the fixed seat or the shaft end of the spring shaft.

[0018] Optionally, the mounting base is provided with a plurality of slots spaced apart, and at least some of the slots are into which the fixing seat of the resilient abutment component is inserted.

[0019] Optionally, the slot includes two protrusions, which form the slot with a vertical spacing between them.

[0020] Optionally, the guide groove has one or more fixed sliding pieces, and the guide groove slides in cooperation with the guide surface of the gear rail through the fixed sliding pieces.

[0021] Optionally, the guide groove is an L-shaped groove.

[0022] Optionally, the contact surface of the toothed rail is inclined at an angle to the toothed rail surface.

[0023] Optionally, the pipette is a pipetting needle, a pipetting tip adapter, or a combination of both.

[0024] Optionally, it also includes a lateral motion mechanism, the moving part of which is connected to the mounting base of one or more of the vertical motion mechanisms, for driving one or more of the vertical motion mechanisms to move laterally together.

[0025] An in vitro diagnostic device includes a sample container, a reagent container, a reaction container, and a pipetting mechanism as described above, wherein: The vertical motion mechanism is used to drive the pipette and the pipetting pump assembly to the position of at least one of the sample container, reagent container, and reaction container; The pipette, in conjunction with the pipetting pump assembly, is used to perform at least one operation: drawing a sample from the sample container, drawing a reagent from the reagent container, injecting the drawn sample into the reaction container, and injecting the drawn reagent into the reaction container.

[0026] This application provides a pipetting mechanism that integrates a pipetting pump into the cavity of a toothed rail and places the first actuator on top of the toothed rail. This achieves a high degree of integration between the pipetting pump assembly and the vertical motion mechanism, resulting in a more compact overall structure and effectively reducing size and weight. Furthermore, the toothed rail integrates the toothed rail surface, guide rail surface, contact surface, and accommodating cavity into one unit, serving multiple purposes and simplifying the mechanism's composition. In terms of transmission, the second actuator drives the toothed rail to move up and down along the guide groove via gears, ensuring direct and reliable transmission. Simultaneously, the elastic contact component slides against the toothed rail contact surface, effectively eliminating transmission gaps between the gears and the toothed rail, ensuring vertical motion accuracy and stability. Therefore, this pipetting mechanism solves the problems of bulkiness and poor matching in existing pipetting mechanisms, offering advantages such as compact structure, small size, light weight, smooth movement, and high precision. Attached Figure Description

[0027] 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 embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pipetting mechanism provided in this application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial exploded view of the vertical motion mechanism shown; Figure 3 for Figure 2 An exploded view of the elastic abutment component shown; Figure 4 for Figure 2 The exploded view of structure A shown below; Figure 5 for Figure 4 The diagram shows the structure of the first connector. Figure 6 for Figure 4 The diagram shows the structure of the sliding sleeve and the second connecting member. Figure 7 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the lateral motion mechanism. Figure 8This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the sample container, reagent container, reaction container, and pipetting mechanism in the in vitro diagnostic instrument provided in this application.

[0029] Figure label: 1-Vertical motion mechanism; 11-Guide groove; 12-Gear rail; 121-Gear rail surface; 1211-Rack; 122-Abutting surface; 123-Guide rail surface; 124-Cavity; 125-Second cover plate; 13-Elastic abutting component; 131-Fixed seat; 132-Spring slide; 133-Elastic connector; 1331-Spring shaft; 1332-Spring; 134-Rotating shaft; 14-Second driver; 15-Gear; 16-Mounting seat; 161-Mounting plate; 1611-Opening; 162-Baffle; 17-Slot; 171-Protrusion; 18-Fixed slide; 19-Adjusting plate; 191-Through hole; 192-Elongated hole; 110-Cover plate; 2-Pipette pump assembly; 21-Pipette pump; 211-Pump barrel; 2111-Third cover plate; 2112-Sealing ring; 212-Plunger; 22-First actuator; 23-Drive rod structure; 231-Lead screw; 232-Sliding sleeve; 2321-Limiting hole; 24-First connector; 241-First cover plate; 242-Nut; 25-Second connector; 251-Snap-fit ​​post; 2511-Groove; 252-Claw; 253-First magnet; 254-Second magnet; 26-Origin sensor; 27-Sensing plate; 3-Pipette; 4- Lateral motion mechanism; 41- Support; 42- Driving wheel; 43- Driven wheel; 44- Conveyor belt; 45- Third drive; 46- Guide rail; 47- Slider; 5-Sample container; 6-Reagent container; 7-Reaction container; 100-Pipette mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 This application provides a specific embodiment of a pipetting mechanism, including a vertical motion mechanism 1, a pipetting pump assembly 2, and a pipette 3. The pipetting pump assembly 2 includes a pipetting pump 21 and a first driver 22 that drives the pipetting pump 21 to perform pipetting. The pipette 3 is in fluid communication with the pipetting pump 21.

[0032] In this embodiment, the vertical motion mechanism 1 is used to drive the pipette 3 and the pipette pump assembly 2 to move vertically as a whole. The vertical motion mechanism 1 includes a guide groove 11, a toothed rail 12, an elastic abutment assembly 13, and a second driver 14.

[0033] The gear rail 12 is a vertically movable guide rail structure that can serve as the drive unit of the vertical motion mechanism 1, driving the pipette 3 to move vertically up and down to complete the liquid aspiration action. The gear rail 12 includes a gear surface 121, a contact surface 122, and a guide surface 123, and slides with the guide groove 11 through the guide surface 123 during vertical movement. The gear rail 12 has a cavity 124 extending vertically through it.

[0034] It should be noted that the vertical motion mechanism 1 also includes a second driver 14. The output shaft of the second driver 14 is fitted with a gear 15 that meshes with the toothed surface 121 of the toothed rail 12. The rotation of the gear 15 drives the toothed rail 12 to move up and down along the guide groove 11. The second driver 14 can serve as a power source for the toothed rail 12 to drive it to move vertically up and down.

[0035] The elastic abutment component 13 elastically abuts the gear 12 in the guide groove 11, and the elastic abutment component 13 slides in contact with the abutment surface 122 of the gear 12 when the gear 12 moves up and down. The setting of the elastic abutment component 13 can effectively eliminate the transmission gap between the gear 15 and the gear 12, ensuring the accuracy and stability of vertical movement.

[0036] The pipetting pump 21 is housed within the cavity 124 of the geared rail 12, and the first actuator 22 is located at the top of the geared rail 12. At least one pipette 3 is connected to the bottom of the geared rail 12. This arrangement integrates the pipetting pump 21 within the cavity 124 of the geared rail 12 and positions the first actuator 22 at the top of the geared rail 12, achieving a high degree of integration between the pipetting pump assembly 2 and the vertical motion mechanism 1. This significantly reduces the overall size and weight, resulting in a more compact structure.

[0037] In one specific embodiment, reference is made to Figure 4 The pipette pump 21 can be a plunger pump, which includes a pump barrel 211 and a plunger 212. The pump barrel 211 is located in the cavity 124, with its top closed and its bottom having an inlet / outlet for pumping liquid, which is in fluid communication with the pipette 3. The plunger 212 is located in the pump barrel 211, and its top extends through the top of the pump barrel 211 and is connected to the first actuator 22. The first actuator 22 drives the plunger 212 to reciprocate up and down along the pump barrel 211 via a drive rod structure 23.

[0038] It should be noted that the plunger 212 typically includes a core and a piston sleeved on the core. The piston slides in contact with the wall of the pump barrel 211. The core passes through the top of the pump barrel 211 and connects upward to the first driver 22, so that the first driver 22 can drive the plunger to move up and down reciprocally.

[0039] The pipette 3 can be an adapter for a pipette needle, a pipette tip, or a combination of both; its specific structural form is not unique. The pipette 3 is positioned at the bottom of the toothed rail 12, allowing the toothed rail 12 to move the pipette 3 vertically up and down to complete the pipetting action. Furthermore, the pipetting channel within the pipette 3 connects to the inlet and outlet of the pipetting pump 21, so that the space below the piston in the pump barrel 211 communicates with the pipetting channel to form a liquid-containing cavity. By changing the volume of this cavity, a pressure difference is generated to achieve liquid aspiration or injection.

[0040] The pipetting mechanism provided in the above embodiment integrates the pipetting pump 21 into the cavity 124 of the gear rail 12 and places the first driver 22 on top of the gear rail. This achieves a high degree of integration between the pipetting pump assembly 2 and the vertical motion mechanism 1. In other words, by using the gear rail 12 of the vertical motion mechanism 1 as the outer shell of the pipetting pump 21 and installing the pipetting pump 21 inside the gear rail 12, the entire structure can be made more compact while ensuring the accuracy of liquid injection, effectively reducing the size and weight. Moreover, the gear rail 12 integrates the gear rail surface 121, the guide rail surface 123, the contact surface 122, and the cavity 124 into one unit, serving multiple purposes and simplifying the mechanism composition. In terms of transmission, the second driver 14 drives the gear rail to move up and down along the guide groove 11 through the gear 15, which is direct and reliable. At the same time, the elastic contact component 13 slides with the contact surface 122 of the gear rail 12, which can effectively eliminate the transmission gap between the gear and the gear rail, ensuring the accuracy and stability of the vertical movement. Therefore, this pipetting mechanism can solve the problems of bulky and poor matching of existing pipetting mechanisms, and has the advantages of compact structure, small size, light weight, smooth movement and high precision.

[0041] The pump barrel 211 is positioned near the bottom port of the toothed rail 12, facilitating the connection of one end of the pipette 3 to the inlet / outlet port. Because the pump barrel 211 is positioned near the bottom port of the toothed rail 12, there is a relatively long vertical distance between the pump barrel 211, the plunger 212, and the top port of the toothed rail 12. To enable the first actuator 22 to connect to the plunger 212, the plunger 212 and the first actuator 22 are connected via a vertically extending drive rod structure 23. Thus, the first actuator 22 can push and pull the plunger 212 up and down along the pump barrel 211 via the drive rod structure 23.

[0042] Regarding the specific configuration of the drive rod structure, as an optional implementation method based on the above embodiments, please refer to... Figure 4The drive rod structure 23 includes a lead screw 231 and a sliding sleeve 232. The lead screw 231 is connected to the first driver 22 and extends into the cavity 124. A first connector 24 is threadedly connected to the lead screw 231. The first connector 24 is connected to the top port of the sliding sleeve 232 and is used to drive the sliding sleeve 232 to slide up and down along the lead screw 231. The bottom of the sliding sleeve 232 is connected to the top of the plunger 212 through a second connector 25.

[0043] Therefore, the first actuator 22 drives the lead screw 231 to rotate in the forward direction, and the sliding sleeve 232 moves upward along the lead screw 231, which in turn drives the plunger 212 to move upward along the pump barrel 211. The volume inside the pump barrel 211 increases, and the liquid is drawn into the pipette 3 under atmospheric pressure, thus achieving liquid extraction. Similarly, the first actuator 22 drives the lead screw 231 to rotate in the reverse direction, and the sliding sleeve 232 moves downward along the lead screw 231, which in turn drives the plunger 212 to move downward along the pump barrel 211. The volume inside the pump barrel 211 decreases, and the liquid is forced out of the pipette 3, thus achieving liquid injection.

[0044] It should be noted that the drive rod structure 23 uses a lead screw 231 and a sliding sleeve 232 for transmission. The lead screw 231 drives the sliding sleeve 232 to move in a straight line by rotating. The structure is simple, the movement is smooth and the transmission efficiency is high, which is conducive to smooth and efficient liquid injection.

[0045] Regarding the specific configuration of the first connector 24, as an optional implementation method based on the above embodiments, please refer to... Figure 4 and Figure 5 The first connecting member 24 includes a first cover plate 241 and a nut 242. The first cover plate 241 covers the top port of the sliding sleeve 232 and is fixedly connected to the top end of the sliding sleeve 232 by the nut 242. The first cover plate 241 has a threaded hole in the middle, through which the lead screw 231 passes and is threadedly connected. When the first driver 22 drives the lead screw 231 to rotate, the first cover plate 241 moves along the axial direction of the lead screw 231, and drives the sliding sleeve 232 to move up and down synchronously through the nut 242. Thus, the rotational motion of the lead screw 231 can be converted into the linear motion of the sliding sleeve 232, and the connection between the first cover plate 241 and the sliding sleeve 232 is stable.

[0046] Regarding the specific configuration of the second connector 25, as an optional implementation method based on the above embodiments, please refer to... Figure 4 and Figure 6 The second connector 25 includes a snap-fit ​​post 251 and a snap-fit ​​claw 252. The snap-fit ​​claw 252 is located at the bottom port of the sliding sleeve 232. The bottom end of the snap-fit ​​post 251 is bonded to the top of the core post of the plunger 212. The outer periphery of the snap-fit ​​post 251 is provided with a radially inward recessed groove 2511. The groove 2511 engages with the snap-fit ​​claw 252, thereby achieving a stable connection between the sliding sleeve 232 and the plunger 212.

[0047] Furthermore, the second connector 25 also includes a first magnet 253 and a second magnet 254. The first magnet 253 is bonded to the top of the snap-fit ​​post 251, and the second magnet 254 is bonded to the flat plate inside the sliding sleeve 232 near its bottom port. The snap-fit ​​post 251 is inserted into the bottom port of the sliding sleeve 232 and snaps into the claw 252, so that the first magnet 253 and the second magnet 254 attract each other and cooperate to limit the position, thereby making the connection between the sliding sleeve 232 and the plunger 212 more stable and reliable.

[0048] Regarding the specific connection method between the pump barrel 211 and the plunger 212, as an optional implementation method based on the above embodiments, please refer to... Figure 4 The top end of the pump barrel 211 is an open end, and a third cover plate 2111 is provided at the open end. A sealing ring 2112 is provided between the third cover plate 2111 and the top end of the pump barrel 211, surrounding the open end. One end of the plunger 212 is inserted into the pump barrel 211 through the open end and the opening on the third cover plate 2111, and the other end can be connected to the snap-fit ​​post 251 by adhesive bonding, thereby achieving a sealed connection between the plunger 212 and the pump barrel 211, thus forming a sealed cavity inside the pump barrel 211 to prevent liquid leakage.

[0049] Regarding the specific settings of the first driver 22, as an optional implementation method based on the above embodiments, please refer to... Figure 4 The top end of the gear rail 12 is provided with a second cover plate 125. The second cover plate 125 is fastened to the edge of the top end of the gear rail 12 by bolts or screws. The first driver 22 is fixedly installed on the second cover plate 125. The second cover plate 125 is provided with mounting holes. The lead screw 231 passes through the mounting holes and is inserted into the cavity 124 of the gear rail 12, thereby realizing a stable connection between the first driver 22 and the gear rail 12.

[0050] Based on the above embodiments, as an optional implementation method, please refer to... Figure 4 and Figure 6 The outer wall of the sliding sleeve 232 is provided with a vertically extending limiting hole 2321, and the inner wall of the cavity 124 is provided with two vertically spaced limiting members (not shown in the figure). The two limiting members can respectively abut the upper end and the lower end of the limiting hole 2321 to limit the vertical movement stroke of the sliding sleeve 232. This setting, on the one hand, prevents the sliding sleeve 232 from falling off the lead screw 231 and causing the pipetting mechanism to fail, and on the other hand, by limiting the vertical movement stroke of the sliding sleeve 232, the vertical movement stroke of the plunger 212 in the plunger pump can be limited, thereby accurately controlling the liquid drawing volume and liquid injection volume of the pipette 3.

[0051] Based on the above embodiments, as an optional implementation method, please refer to... Figure 4The pipette pump assembly 2 also includes an origin sensor 26 and a sensing plate 27. The origin sensor 26 is located at the top port of the gear rail 12, and the sensing plate 27 is located on the first cover plate 241 of the first connector 24. Before aspirating liquid, the first actuator 22 drives the sliding sleeve 232 back to its initial position, which in turn drives the plunger 212 inside the pump barrel 211 back to its initial position. At this time, the sensing plate 27 triggers the origin sensor 26, which sends a signal to the control unit. The control unit controls the first actuator 22 to operate, thereby enabling the pipette 3 to complete the pipetting action.

[0052] Considering the specific configuration of the vertical motion mechanism 1, and based on the above embodiment, as an optional implementation method, please refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The vertical motion mechanism 1 also includes a mounting base 16, which has a guide groove 11 extending vertically through it; the elastic abutment component 13 and the second driver 14 are disposed on the mounting base 16.

[0053] It should be noted that the guide groove 11 can play a guiding role. The guide groove 11 slides and engages with the toothed rail 12, so that the toothed rail 12 moves up and down along the groove 11, thereby controlling the up and down movement of the pipette 3 to complete the liquid aspiration action.

[0054] Based on the above embodiments, to further optimize the structural compactness of the vertical motion mechanism 1, as an optional implementation method, please refer to... Figure 2 The mounting base 16 includes a mounting plate 161 and a baffle 162. The guide groove 11 is an L-shaped groove, formed by the first side of the mounting plate 161 along the longitudinal direction and the baffle 162. The toothed rail 12 is disposed in the guide groove 11, and its guide rail surface 123 is slidably engaged with the guide groove 11.

[0055] The mounting plate 161 is provided with a second driver 14 along the second side of the longitudinal direction. The output shaft of the second driver 14 passes through the mounting plate 161 in the longitudinal direction to form a through portion. The through portion of the second driver 14 is directly opposite to the rack 1211 that extends vertically along the gear rail surface 121, and is fitted with a gear 15 that meshes with the gear rail surface 121.

[0056] Thus, the second driver 14 and the gear rail 12 are located on opposite sides of the mounting plate 161 along the longitudinal direction, and the rack 1211 on the gear rail surface 121 extends vertically, while the output shaft of the second driver 14 extends longitudinally, so that the gear 15 on the output shaft meshes with the rack 1211. This means that the output shaft and the gear rail 12 are perpendicular to each other, thereby making reasonable use of the space on both sides of the mounting base 16 along the longitudinal direction, and arranging the second driver 14 and the gear rail 12 compactly, resulting in a more compact structure and further saving space.

[0057] The mounting base 16 with the above-mentioned structure can simplify the structure of the mounting base 16 to the greatest extent, save space, and is suitable for use in limited spaces. It also reduces the weight of the mounting base 16 and reduces the support burden on the vertical motion mechanism 1.

[0058] Based on the above embodiments, to further optimize the structural compactness of the vertical motion mechanism 1, as an optional implementation method, please refer to... Figure 2 The guide groove 11 contains one or more fixed sliding pieces 18, and the guide groove 11 slides in contact with the guide rail surface 123 of the gear rail 12 through the fixed sliding pieces 18. The fixed sliding pieces 18 are located on the side wall of the guide groove 11, which not only serve as guides to ensure that the gear rail 12 moves vertically up and down, but also reduce the motion resistance between the guide groove 11 and the gear rail 12, so that the gear rail 12 moves smoothly up and down and reduces vibration.

[0059] Regarding the specific configuration of the elastic abutment component 13, as an optional implementation method based on the above embodiments, please refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, the elastic abutment component 13 includes a fixed base 131, a spring slide 132, and an elastic connector 133. The fixed base 131 is elastically connected to the mounting base 16 in the lateral direction through the elastic connector 133. The spring slide 132 is rotatably disposed on the fixed base 131 about the vertical axis and slides in contact with the abutment surface 122 of the toothed rail 12.

[0060] In this configuration, the fixed base 131 is elastically connected to the mounting base 16 laterally via the elastic connector 133, allowing only relative displacement or rotation of the fixed base 131 in the horizontal direction, while restricting the degree of freedom in other directions (such as the vertical direction). Furthermore, the fixed base 131 is connected to a spring slide 132 that can rotate about the vertical axis, and the spring slide 132 slides in contact with the contact surface 122 of the gear rail 12. Thus, during the up-and-down movement of the gear 12 along the guide groove 11, even if the gear 12 rotates slightly due to uneven load or installation error, the spring slide 132 can automatically adjust the contact angle with the contact surface 122 of the gear 12, and always maintain contact with the contact surface 122 of the gear 12. If the gear 12 runs for a long time, friction between the gear 12 and the guide groove 11 will generate a gap in the horizontal direction. The fixed seat 131 will automatically push the gear 12 to the gap position through the spring slide 132 to fill the gap, ensuring that the gear 12 is always in close contact with the guide groove 11, thereby ensuring that the gear 12 moves up and down stably, and thus stably drives the pipette 3 to complete the liquid aspiration action.

[0061] In one specific embodiment, the elastic connector 133 includes a spring shaft 1331 and a spring 1332. The spring shaft 1331 passes through the fixed base 131, and the spring 1332 is sleeved on the spring shaft 1331. One end of the spring 1332 abuts against the mounting base 16, and the other end abuts against the fixed base 131 or the shaft end of the spring shaft 1331. The fixed base 131 is connected to the spring slide 132 through a vertical rotating shaft 134. The spring slide 132 slides in contact with the contact surface 122 of the gear rail 12, so that the spring slide 132 remains in contact with the gear rail 12 as the gear rail 12 moves up and down along the guide groove 11.

[0062] Based on the above embodiments, as an optional implementation method, please refer to... Figure 4 The contact surface 122 of the toothed rail 12 is inclined to the toothed rail surface 121 so that the spring slide 132 can better contact the contact surface 122 and provide a stable elastic contact force.

[0063] Based on the above embodiments, as an optional implementation method, please refer to... Figure 2 The mounting base 16 is provided with a plurality of slots 17 spaced apart, and at least some of the slots 17 are fitted with a fixing seat 131 of the resilient abutment component 13. Specifically, the mounting plate 161 is provided with at least two protrusions 171 along a first side along the longitudinal direction, and the at least two protrusions 171 form slots 17 at vertical intervals.

[0064] Two elastic abutment components 13 are provided, respectively adjacent to the upper and lower parts of the guide groove 11. Two fixing seats 131 and two slots 17 are provided in a one-to-one correspondence. Each fixing seat 131 is inserted into its corresponding slot 17, and the slot 17 provides a vertical limit for the fixing seat 131, preventing it from moving up or down. The fixing seat 131 is elastically connected to the mounting base 16 laterally via an elastic connector 133, allowing the fixing seat 131 to only undergo relative displacement in the horizontal direction, while restricting its freedom in other directions.

[0065] Therefore, compared to one fixed seat 131, there are two fixed seats 131, and the two fixed seats 131 are respectively adjacent to the fixed slide pieces 18 on the upper and lower parts of the guide slide groove 11 in the vertical direction. During the process of the gear rail 12 moving up and down along the guide slide groove 11, it can be ensured that multiple sides of the gear rail 12 are always in close contact with the slide pieces, thereby ensuring the stable operation of the gear rail 12.

[0066] Regarding how to set the fixing slide 18 on the mounting base 16, as an optional implementation method based on the above embodiment, please refer to... Figure 2The mounting plate 161 is located between the slot 17 and the baffle 162. The upper and lower parts of the first side are symmetrically provided with fixed slide plates 18. The upper and lower parts of the baffle 162 are also symmetrically provided with fixed slide plates 18, so as to avoid vibration and instability caused by the shift of the center of gravity when the toothed rail 12 slides.

[0067] Based on the above embodiments, and considering the automation of the pipetting mechanism, as an optional implementation, the pipetting mechanism of this application further includes a control unit, which is signal-connected to the first driver 22 and the second driver 14. In this way, the control unit can automatically control the opening and closing of the first driver 22 and the second driver 14 according to preset control logic, thereby automatically controlling the pipette 3 to move vertically up and down to complete the liquid aspiration / dispensing action.

[0068] Based on the above embodiments, to ensure smooth transmission between gear 15 and rack 1211, as an optional implementation method, please refer to... Figure 2 An adjustment plate 19 is provided on the mounting plate 161, and a second driver 14 is provided on the adjustment plate 19. The adjustment plate 19 is movably provided on the mounting plate 161 in the lateral direction and is used to adjust the distance between the gear 15 and the toothed track 12.

[0069] Specifically, the adjusting plate 19 is provided with a through hole 191 and an elongated hole 192. The output shaft of the second driver 14 passes through the through hole 191 on the adjusting plate 19 and the opening 1611 on the mounting plate 161, extending into the side of the guide groove 11, and is fitted with a gear 15 that meshes with the gear surface 121 of the gear rail 12. The elongated hole 192 extends laterally, and a bolt passes through the elongated hole 192 to be fastened to the mounting plate 161. The adjusting plate 19 can be moved laterally by adjusting the position of the bolt in the elongated hole 192, thereby adjusting the gap between the gear 15 and the gear rail 12.

[0070] Therefore, during the initial assembly process, the meshing clearance between gear 15 and rack 1211 on the gear rail 12 can be adjusted to adapt to the transmission ratio accuracy requirements under different working conditions and optimize the meshing state of gear 15 and rack 1211. Moreover, during long-term operation, if the meshing clearance between gear 15 and rack 1211 increases due to friction, it will lead to increased wear and decreased transmission efficiency. The meshing clearance between gear 15 and rack 1211 can be readjusted to ensure smooth transmission between gear 15 and rack 1211, reduce wear, and improve transmission efficiency.

[0071] Based on the above embodiments, as an optional implementation method, please refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 4The gear rail 12 has a notch on the side facing away from the mounting base 16, and a removable cover plate 110 is provided on the notch. The cover plate 110 can protect the pipetting pump 21 and the drive rod structure 23 inside the gear rail 12, thereby improving the reliability of the pipetting mechanism operation.

[0072] The vertical motion mechanism 1 provided in the above embodiments has the following advantages: Space saving: Compared with synchronous belt drive, the gear 15 and the toothed surface 121 of the toothed track 12 of this application directly transmit power through tooth surface meshing, without the need for an additional tensioning device to maintain transmission, reducing the number of auxiliary transmission components, making the structure more compact and saving space.

[0073] High transmission efficiency: Compared with synchronous belt drive, the gear 15 and the toothed track 12 of this application rely on rigid tooth surface meshing for transmission, and there is no elastic deformation or slippage, which can reduce transmission loss. Moreover, the gear 15 and the toothed track 12 have a compact structure, which can achieve a large transmission ratio within the effective space, and can also reduce transmission loss, thereby improving transmission efficiency.

[0074] Reliable operation: During the up-and-down movement of the gear rail 12 along the guide groove 11, even if the gear rail 12 rotates slightly due to uneven load or installation error, the spring slide 132 can automatically adjust the angle of the contact surface with the gear rail 12 to always maintain contact with the gear rail 12. If the gear rail 12 runs for a long time, friction between the gear rail 12 and the guide groove 11 will generate a horizontal gap. The fixed seat 131 will automatically push the gear rail 12 to the gap position through the spring slide 132 to fill the gap and ensure that the gear rail 12 is always in close contact with the guide groove 11, thereby ensuring that the gear rail 12 moves up and down stably, and thus stably drives the pipette 3 to complete the liquid aspiration action.

[0075] In summary, the output shaft of the second driver 14 in the vertical motion mechanism 1 is sleeved with the gear 15. The gear 15 meshes with the toothed surface 121 extending vertically on the toothed track 12, so that the second driver 14 can drive the toothed track 12 to move up and down along the guide groove 11 through the gear 15. During the up and down movement of the toothed track 12, the elastic abutment component 13 can keep the toothed track 12 in close contact with the guide groove 11, thereby stably driving the pipette 3 to complete the liquid aspiration action.

[0076] To enable the pipetting mechanism to flexibly aspirate and inject liquid in space, as an optional implementation method based on the above embodiments, please refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 7 The pipetting mechanism of this application also includes a lateral movement mechanism 4, the moving part of which is connected to the mounting base 16 of one or more vertical movement mechanisms 1, for driving one or more vertical movement mechanisms 1 to move laterally together.

[0077] Specifically, the lateral motion mechanism 4 includes a bracket 41, a drive wheel 42, a driven wheel 43, a conveyor belt 44, and a third driver 45. The bracket 41 extends laterally, the third driver 45 is located at one end of the bracket 41 and connected to the drive wheel 42, the driven wheel 43 is located at the other end of the bracket 41, and the conveyor belt 44 is located between the drive wheel 42 and the driven wheel 43 and connected to the bottom end of the mounting base 16 (that is, the bottom end of the mounting plate 161).

[0078] Therefore, the third drive 45 is activated, which drives the drive wheel 42 to rotate, thereby causing the conveyor belt 44 to move laterally. The conveyor belt 44 then drives the mounting base 16 to move laterally, which in turn drives the vertical motion mechanism 1 to move laterally, and consequently, the pipette 3 to move laterally. Thus, the lateral motion mechanism 4 and the vertical motion mechanism 1 work together, allowing the pipette 3 to move laterally and vertically in space. This enables the pipette 3 to move laterally to different operating positions and to perform operations such as aspiration or dispensing at each operating position via vertical movement.

[0079] For a further preferred embodiment, please refer to Figure 7 The bracket 41 is provided with a guide rail 46 extending laterally, and a slider 47 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 46. The slider 47 is connected to the mounting base 16. Specifically, the slider 47 is connected to the second side of the mounting plate 161 and is located below the second driver 14. In this way, the slider 47 and the guide rail 46 slide together, and the guide rail 46 can play a guiding and supporting role, thereby ensuring that the vertical motion mechanism 1 moves smoothly laterally, and thus ensuring that the pipette 3 moves smoothly laterally.

[0080] In addition, the control unit can be signal-connected to the first driver 22, the second driver 14, and the third driver 45. In this way, the control unit can automatically control the opening and closing of the first driver 22, the second driver 14, and the third driver 45 according to the preset control logic, thereby automatically controlling the pipette 3 to move vertically and horizontally to complete the pipetting action.

[0081] In summary, the pipetting mechanism provided in this application has the following main advantages: (1) The toothed rail 12 integrates a toothed rail surface 121 for transmission, a guide rail surface 123 for guidance, and a contact surface 122 for engagement to eliminate gaps. It also has a cavity 124 for accommodating the pipette pump 21, making it a multi-purpose device. On the one hand, the gear 15 directly transmits power through tooth meshing with the toothed rail surface 121, eliminating the need for an additional tensioning device to maintain transmission, reducing the number of transmission components, making the structure compact and space-saving. On the other hand, during the up-and-down movement of the toothed rail 12, the elastic contact component 13 keeps the toothed rail 12 in close contact with the guide groove 11 through the spring slide 132, thereby effectively eliminating the transmission gap between the gear and the toothed rail, ensuring the accuracy and stability of vertical movement, and thus stably driving the pipette 3 to complete the liquid aspiration action.

[0082] (2) By using the toothed rail 12 as the housing of the pipetting pump 21, the pipetting pump 21 is installed inside the cavity 124 of the toothed rail 12, and the first driver 22 is placed on the top of the toothed rail 12. This can achieve a high degree of integration between the pipetting pump assembly 2 and the vertical motion mechanism 1, and make the whole structure more compact while ensuring the pipetting accuracy, thus greatly reducing the structural volume and weight.

[0083] Please refer to Figure 8 This application also provides an in vitro diagnostic device, including a sample container 5, a reagent container 6, a reaction container 7, and a pipetting mechanism 100 as described in any of the above embodiments. Wherein: Figure 8 This is a simplified schematic diagram from a top-down view, showing sample container 5, reagent container 6, and reaction container 7 arranged at intervals. In embodiments where the pipetting mechanism 100 includes a lateral movement mechanism 4, the lateral movement mechanism 4 can drive the vertical movement mechanism 1 and the pipette 3 to the corresponding pipetting positions in each container. It should be noted that... Figure 8 The diagram only illustrates the arrangement of the components mentioned above; other components in the in vitro diagnostic instrument are not shown in the figure.

[0084] The vertical motion mechanism 1 is used to move the pipette 3 and the pipette pump assembly 2 to the position of at least one of the sample container 5, reagent container 6, and reaction container 7; The pipette 3, in conjunction with the pipetting pump assembly 2, is used to perform at least one operation: drawing a sample from the sample container 5, drawing a reagent from the reagent container 6, injecting the drawn sample into the reaction container 7, and injecting the drawn reagent into the reaction container 7.

[0085] Since the aforementioned pipetting mechanism has the aforementioned technical effects, the in vitro diagnostic equipment including the pipetting mechanism should also have the corresponding technical effects, which will not be elaborated here.

[0086] It should be noted that in this specification, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity from several other entities, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities.

[0087] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0088] The pipetting mechanism and in vitro diagnostic equipment provided by this invention have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this invention without departing from the principles of this invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A pipetting mechanism, characterized in that, The device includes a vertical motion mechanism (1), a pipetting pump assembly (2), and a pipette (3). The pipetting pump assembly (2) includes a pipetting pump (21) and a first driver (22) for driving the pipetting pump to perform pipetting. The pipette (3) is in fluid communication with the pipetting pump (21). The vertical motion mechanism (1) includes: The guide groove (11) provides guidance for the up and down movement of the gear rail (12); The toothed rail (12) includes a toothed rail surface (121), a contact surface (122) and a guide rail surface (123), and slides with the guide groove (11) through the guide rail surface (123) when moving up and down. The toothed rail (12) has a cavity (124) extending vertically through it. The pipette pump (21) is located in the cavity (124). The first driver (22) is located at the top of the toothed rail (12). At least one pipette (3) is connected to the bottom of the toothed rail (12). The elastic abutment component (13) elastically abuts the toothed rail (12) in the guide groove (11), and when the toothed rail (12) moves up and down, the elastic abutment component (13) slides in cooperation with the abutment surface (122) of the toothed rail (12); The second driver (14) has a gear (15) on its output shaft that meshes with the toothed surface (121) of the toothed rail (12), and the gear (15) rotates to drive the toothed rail (12) to move up and down along the guide groove (11).

2. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pipette pump (21) is a plunger pump, which includes a pump barrel (211) and a plunger (212). The pump barrel (211) is located in the cavity (124). The bottom end of the pump barrel (211) is provided with an inlet and outlet that are in fluid communication with the pipette (3). The plunger (212) is located in the pump barrel (211), and its top extends through the top end of the pump barrel (211) and is connected to the first driver (22) through a vertically extending drive rod structure (23). The first driver (22) drives the plunger (212) to move up and down along the pump barrel (211) through the drive rod structure (23).

3. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive rod structure (23) includes a lead screw (231) and a sliding sleeve (232). The lead screw (231) is connected to the first driver (22) and extends into the cavity (124). A first connector (24) is threadedly connected to the lead screw (231). The first connector (24) is connected to the top port of the sliding sleeve (232) and drives the sliding sleeve (232) to slide up and down along the lead screw (231). The bottom of the sliding sleeve (232) is connected to the top of the plunger (212) through a second connector (25).

4. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first connector (24) includes a first cover plate (241) and a nut (242). The first cover plate (241) covers the top port of the sliding sleeve (232) and is fixedly connected to the top of the sliding sleeve (232) by the nut (242). The first cover plate (241) is provided with a threaded hole, and the lead screw (231) passes through the threaded hole and is threadedly connected to the threaded hole.

5. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second connector (25) includes a snap-fit ​​post (251) and a snap-fit ​​claw (252). The snap-fit ​​claw (252) is located at the bottom port of the sliding sleeve (232). The bottom end of the snap-fit ​​post (251) is located on the core of the plunger (212). The outer periphery of the snap-fit ​​post (251) is provided with a radially inward recessed groove (2511), which engages with the snap-fit ​​claw (252).

6. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The top end of the pump barrel (211) is set as an open end, and the open end is provided with a third cover plate (2111). A sealing ring (2112) is provided between the third cover plate (2111) and the top end of the pump barrel (211). One end of the plunger (212) passes through the opening on the open end and the third cover plate (2111) and is inserted into the pump barrel (211), and the other end is connected to the snap-fit ​​post (251).

7. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second connector (25) further includes a first magnet (253) and a second magnet (254). The first magnet (253) is located at the top of the snap-fit ​​post (251), and the second magnet (254) is located on a flat plate inside the sliding sleeve (232) near its bottom port. When the snap-fit ​​post (251) is inserted into the bottom port of the sliding sleeve (232) and snaps into the claw (252), the first magnet (253) and the second magnet (254) attract each other to limit the position.

8. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The top end of the gear (12) is provided with a second cover plate (125) for the first driver (22) to be fixedly installed. The second cover plate (125) is provided with a mounting hole, and the lead screw (231) passes through the mounting hole and is inserted into the cavity (124) of the gear (12).

9. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer wall of the sliding sleeve (232) is provided with a limiting hole (2321) extending vertically, and the inner wall of the cavity (124) is provided with two limiting members arranged vertically at intervals. The two limiting members can respectively abut against the upper end and the lower end of the limiting hole (2321) to limit the vertical movement of the sliding sleeve (232).

10. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pipette pump assembly (2) further includes an origin sensor (26) and a sensing plate (27). The origin sensor (26) is located at the top port of the toothed rail (12), and the sensing plate (27) is located at the first connector (24). When the sensing plate (27) triggers the origin sensor (26), the origin sensor (26) sends a signal to the control unit, and the control unit controls the first driver (22) to operate.

11. The pipetting mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The vertical motion mechanism (1) further includes: The mounting base (16) is provided with the guide groove (11) extending vertically through it; The resilient abutment component (13) and the second driver (14) are disposed on the mounting base (16).

12. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 11, characterized in that, The elastic abutment assembly (13) includes a fixed base (131), a spring slide (132), and an elastic connector (133); the fixed base (131) is elastically connected to the mounting base (16) in the transverse direction through the elastic connector (133), and the spring slide (132) is rotatably disposed on the fixed base (131) about the vertical axis and slides in contact with the abutment surface (122) of the toothed rail (12).

13. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that, The elastic connector (133) includes a spring shaft (1331) and a spring (1332). The spring shaft (1331) passes through the fixed seat (131), and the spring (1332) is sleeved on the spring shaft (1331). One end of the spring (1332) abuts against the mounting seat (16), and the other end abuts against the fixed seat (131) or the shaft end of the spring shaft (1331).

14. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that, The mounting base (16) is provided with a plurality of slots (17) spaced apart, and at least some of the slots (17) are inserted into the fixing seat (131) of the elastic abutment component (13).

15. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 14, characterized in that, The slot (17) includes two protrusions (171) that are spaced vertically to form the slot (17).

16. The pipetting mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The guide groove (11) has one or more fixed slide pieces (18), and the guide groove (11) slides with the guide rail surface (123) of the gear rail (12) through the fixed slide pieces (18).

17. The pipetting mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The guide groove (11) is an L-shaped groove.

18. The pipetting mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The contact surface (122) of the toothed rail (12) is inclined at an angle to the toothed rail surface (121).

19. The pipetting mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The pipette (3) is an adapter for a pipetting needle, a pipetting tip, or a combination of both.

20. The pipetting mechanism according to claim 11, characterized in that, It also includes a lateral motion mechanism (4), the moving part of which is connected to the mounting base (16) of one or more of the vertical motion mechanisms (1) for driving one or more of the vertical motion mechanisms (1) to move laterally together.

21. An in vitro diagnostic device, characterized in that, Includes a sample container (5), a reagent container (6), a reaction container (7), and a pipetting mechanism (100) as described in any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein: The vertical motion mechanism (1) is used to drive the pipette (3) and the pipette pump assembly (2) to the position of at least one of the sample container (5), reagent container (6), and reaction container (7); The pipette (3), in cooperation with the pipetting pump assembly (2), is used to perform at least one operation: drawing a sample from the sample container (5), drawing a reagent from the reagent container (6), injecting the drawn sample into the reaction container (7), and injecting the drawn reagent into the reaction container (7).

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