Sample feeding mechanism and mass spectrometer

Abstract

The utility model provides a sample feeding mechanism and a mass spectrometer. The sample feeding mechanism comprises a containing cavity, a sample carrying platform and a power device. The accommodating cavity is used for providing a vacuum environment; the sample loading platform is positioned in the accommodating cavity and is used for loading a sample target plate; wherein the accommodating cavity is provided with a bearing bottom plate, and a first positioning groove is formed in the bearing bottom plate; a guide rail is arranged in the first positioning groove; the guide rail abuts against the side wall of the first positioning groove so as to position the guide rail in the second direction. The power device is arranged in the containing cavity and comprises a driving assembly and a transmission platform. Wherein the transmission platform is used for bearing the sample loading platform; the transmission platform is slidably connected with the guide rails; the driving assembly is used for driving the transmission platform to slide; the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction. According to the scheme, the power device sends the sample in the first direction, the position of the sample target plate in the second direction is guaranteed through positioning of the first positioning groove, the space of the containing cavity can be saved, the construction rate of the vacuum environment in the mass spectrometer is increased, and user experience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of experimental instruments, and in particular to a sample delivery mechanism and a mass spectrometer. Background Art

[0002] A mass spectrometer is also called a mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometer is based on an ion source, a mass analyzer, and an ion detector. The ion source is a device that ionizes sample molecules under high vacuum conditions. A mass spectrometer is generally equipped with a sample delivery mechanism, which is responsible for accurately and reliably transferring the sample target plate from the sample exchange channel to the laser irradiation position of the ion source. The design and performance of the sample delivery mechanism directly affect the accuracy, reproducibility, and overall work efficiency of mass spectrometry analysis.

[0003] For mass spectrometers, a vacuum state needs to be maintained during the generation of excited ions and the subsequent detection process. After the mass spectrometer is turned on, a vacuum environment needs to be built inside the mass spectrometer first, and after the sample target plate is replaced through the sample exchange channel, the vacuum environment inside the mass spectrometer needs to be rebuilt. However, the mass spectrometer in the prior art has a low rate of building a vacuum environment, which causes users to wait for a long time to build a vacuum environment, affecting the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0004] The present application provides a sample delivery mechanism and a mass spectrometer, which are used to increase the speed of building a vacuum environment inside the mass spectrometer, shorten the time a user waits for building a vacuum environment, and improve the user experience.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a sample delivery mechanism, which is applied to a mass spectrometer. The sample delivery mechanism comprises: a containing chamber, a sample loading platform and a power device; wherein:

[0006] The accommodating cavity is used to provide a vacuum environment; the accommodating cavity has a bearing bottom plate, and a first positioning groove is arranged on the bearing bottom plate; a guide rail is arranged in the first positioning groove; the guide rail abuts against a side wall of the first positioning groove to position the guide rail in a second direction;

[0007] The sample loading platform is located in the containing cavity and is used to carry the sample target plate;

[0008] The power device is arranged in the accommodating cavity, and the power device comprises a driving assembly and a transmission platform; wherein the transmission platform carries the sample loading platform; the transmission platform is slidably connected with the guide rail; the driving assembly is used to drive the transmission platform to slide along the first direction;

[0009] The second direction is orthogonal to the first direction.

[0010] In the above technical scheme, by setting a power device to drive the transmission platform in the first direction to drive the sample loading platform to move, the sample target plate can be delivered; and by setting a guide rail that slides and connects the transmission platform to abut against the first positioning groove, the position of the sample target plate in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction can be ensured. In this scheme, the power device is directly installed on the bearing base plate, and can be installed in the vacuum chamber without an additional mounting plate and deliver the sample along the first direction; and the position of the sample target plate in the second direction can be ensured by positioning the first positioning groove. Compared with the traditional scheme that requires two sets of power devices in the first direction and the second direction to adjust the position of the sample target plate, the power device of this scheme requires fewer components, which can save a lot of space in the accommodating cavity, which is conducive to building a vacuum environment in a shorter time, so as to improve the construction rate of the vacuum environment inside the mass spectrometer, reduce the waiting time for users to wait for the construction of the vacuum environment, and improve the user experience; and the power device in this scheme has fewer components, which can greatly reduce the overall weight of the sample delivery mechanism, thereby greatly reducing the weight and cost of the mass spectrometer, while improving the installation and debugging efficiency.

[0011] In a possible implementation manner, the power device further includes a slider; the transmission platform is slidably connected to the guide rail via the slider;

[0012] The transmission platform is fixedly connected to the slider; an abutment surface is provided at one end of the transmission platform fixedly connected to the slider, and the abutment surface abuts against the slider to position the transmission platform in the second direction.

[0013] In a possible implementation manner, the power device further includes a slider; the slider is slidably connected to the guide rail;

[0014] The transmission platform is fixedly connected to the slider; an abutment surface is provided at one end of the transmission platform fixedly connected to the slider, and the abutment surface abuts against the slider to position the transmission platform in the second direction.

[0015] In a possible implementation manner, the driving assembly includes a driving member, a screw rod, and a transmission nut; the transmission nut is fixedly connected to the transmission platform, the screw rod is arranged parallel to the first direction and is threadedly connected to the transmission nut, and the driving member is used to drive the screw rod to rotate;

[0016] The bearing bottom plate is further provided with a second positioning groove, and the driving member is fixed in the second positioning groove and abuts against the side wall of the second positioning groove to position the driving member at least in the first direction.

[0017] In a possible implementation manner, the power device further includes a support seat;

[0018] The driving member is fixed to the supporting seat and abuts against the supporting seat along the first direction; the supporting seat is fixed to the second positioning groove and abuts against the side wall of the second positioning groove along the first direction.

[0019] In a possible implementation manner, a first position sensor for detecting the transmission platform is disposed on the support seat.

[0020] In a possible implementation manner, the sample delivery mechanism further includes a sample replacement channel communicated with the accommodating cavity;

[0021] The sample delivery mechanism further comprises a lifting device for lifting the sample carrying platform to the sample changing channel, wherein the lifting device is fixed to the carrying bottom plate;

[0022] Along the first direction, the driving member and the lifting device are arranged at two opposite ends of the accommodating cavity; and the screw rod and the lifting device are arranged at intervals along the second direction.

[0023] In a possible implementation manner, the power device further includes an insulating column and a conductive column;

[0024] The insulating column is fixedly connected to a side of the transmission platform facing the sample loading platform; the conductive column is fixedly connected to an end of the insulating column facing the sample loading platform;

[0025] The sample loading platform is provided with a positioning hole which is plugged into and matched with the conductive column; wherein,

[0026] When the conductive column is inserted into the positioning hole and supports the sample loading platform, the conductive column is electrically connected to the sample loading platform.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the power device further includes a screw support and a support bearing disposed on the screw support; an end of the screw away from the driving member is rotatably connected to the screw support via the support bearing;

[0028] The bearing base plate is also provided with a third positioning groove; the screw support is fixed to the third positioning groove, and the screw support abuts against the side wall of the third positioning groove to position the screw support in the first direction.

[0029] In a possible implementation manner, the fitting tolerance between the end of the screw rod away from the driving member and the support bearing is no more than ±5 microns;

[0030] One end of the screw rod away from the driving member has a step surface, the step surface abuts against the support bearing, and the screw rod passes through the support bearing and is exposed;

[0031] The power device also includes a limit clamp spring; the limit clamp spring is clamped on the end of the lead screw that passes through the support bearing and is exposed.

[0032] In a second aspect, the present application provides a mass spectrometer, which includes a mass spectrometer body, and a sample delivery mechanism such as any one of the above-mentioned ones arranged on the mass spectrometer body.

[0033] The mass spectrometer in the above technical solution can realize the delivery of the sample target plate by setting a power device to drive the transmission platform in the first direction to drive the sample loading platform to move; and by setting a guide rail that slides and connects the transmission platform to abut the first positioning groove, the position of the sample target plate in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction can be ensured. In this solution, the power device is directly installed on the bearing base plate, and can be installed in the vacuum chamber without an additional mounting plate and deliver the sample along the first direction; and the position of the sample target plate in the second direction can be ensured by positioning the first positioning groove. Compared with the traditional solution that requires two sets of power devices in the first direction and the second direction to adjust the position of the sample target plate, the power device of this solution requires fewer components and can save a lot of space in the accommodating cavity, which is conducive to building a vacuum environment in a shorter time, so as to improve the construction rate of the vacuum environment inside the mass spectrometer, reduce the waiting time for users to wait for the construction of the vacuum environment, and improve the user experience; and the power device in this solution has fewer components, which can greatly reduce the overall weight of the sample delivery mechanism, thereby greatly reducing the weight and cost of the mass spectrometer, while also improving the efficiency of installation and debugging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 This is the overall schematic diagram of the sample delivery organization in the implementation of this application;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the interior of the accommodation chamber in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a power device disposed in an accommodation chamber in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 4 for Figure 2 AA section view in;

[0038] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a screw support member in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission platform carrying the sample loading platform in the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0041] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in one or more embodiments of this specification should be understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which this disclosure belongs. The "first", "second" and similar words used in one or more embodiments of this specification do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. "Include" or "comprise" and similar words mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word cover the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. "Connect" or "connected" and similar words are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0042] To facilitate understanding of the sample delivery mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application, its application scenario is first described. The sample delivery mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a mass spectrometer, and can be used to transfer a sample target plate between a sample exchange channel and a laser irradiation position of a mass spectrometer.

[0043] The mass spectrometer is a precise scientific instrument, which is mainly used to separate ions of different masses in the sample according to the mass-to-charge ratio m / e. The sample delivery mechanism of the mass spectrometer is an important part of the entire mass spectrometry analysis process. The sample delivery mechanism is responsible for accurately and reliably moving the sample target plate from the sample exchange channel to the laser irradiation position. The design and performance of the sample delivery mechanism directly affect the accuracy, reproducibility and overall work efficiency of mass spectrometry analysis.

[0044] For mass spectrometers, a vacuum state needs to be maintained during the excitation ion generation and subsequent detection process. After the mass spectrometer is turned on, a vacuum environment needs to be built inside the mass spectrometer first, and after the sample is replaced through the sample exchange channel, the vacuum environment inside the mass spectrometer needs to be rebuilt.

[0045] The sample to be tested is usually carried by a sample target plate, which can be placed in the accommodating chamber through a sample changing channel, and then the sample delivery mechanism moves the sample target plate to the laser irradiation position in the accommodating chamber so that the laser can accurately irradiate the sample to ionize the sample. In order to ensure that the sample delivery mechanism can accurately move the sample target plate to the laser irradiation position, the sample delivery mechanism in the prior art usually uses two sets of power mechanisms to adjust the position of the sample target plate in two directions orthogonal to each other on the plane. To accommodate such two sets of power mechanisms, it must mean that a larger accommodating chamber is required. The larger the accommodating chamber, the lower the rate of constructing a vacuum environment in the accommodating chamber, resulting in a longer waiting time for the user to build a vacuum environment, affecting the user experience.

[0046] Based on this, the present application provides a sample delivery mechanism and a mass spectrometer, which are used to increase the speed of building a vacuum environment inside the mass spectrometer, shorten the time a user waits for building a vacuum environment, and improve the user experience. The sample delivery mechanism and the mass spectrometer provided by the present application are specifically described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0047] For reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 1 This is the overall schematic diagram of the sample delivery mechanism in the implementation of this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the interior of the accommodation chamber in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the power device in the embodiment of the present application is arranged in the accommodating chamber 1. The sample delivery mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application includes the accommodating chamber 1, which is used to provide a vacuum environment during the operation of the mass spectrometer. Specifically, the accommodating chamber 1 has a closable sample exchange channel 11, through which the operator can place or replace the sample target plate 2. The mass spectrometer can have a vacuum extraction device, and after the user places the sample into the accommodating chamber 1, the vacuum extraction device will extract the gas in the accommodating chamber 1 to create a vacuum environment.

[0048] The sample delivery mechanism also includes a sample loading platform 3 and a power device 4, wherein the sample loading platform 3 is located in the accommodating chamber 1, and the sample loading platform 3 can slide in the accommodating chamber 1. The sample loading platform 3 can be used to carry the sample target plate 2 and transfer the sample target plate 2 between the sample changing channel 11 and the laser irradiation position. For the convenience of description, the straight line direction between the sample changing channel 11 and the laser irradiation position is defined as the first direction, and the first direction is the injection direction of the mass spectrometer. The power device 4 is also located in the accommodating chamber 1, and the power device 4 is used to support the sample loading platform 3 and drive the sample loading platform 3 to slide in the accommodating chamber 1 along the first direction.

[0049] refer to Figure 3 The accommodating chamber 1 has a bearing bottom plate 12. Specifically, the bearing bottom plate 12 can be a bottom plate of the accommodating chamber 1 along the height direction of the mass spectrometer. When the power device 4 is specifically arranged, the bearing bottom plate 12 can be used to bear the power device 4.

[0050] Continue to refer Figure 3, the power device 4 includes a driving assembly 41 and a transmission platform 42. Among them, the transmission platform 42 is used to carry the sample loading platform 3. The transmission platform 42 is slidably assembled in the accommodating chamber 1, and the direction in which the transmission platform 42 can slide is the first direction. The driving assembly 41 is used to drive the transmission platform 42 to slide in the first direction. When the transmission platform 42 slides along the first direction, it can drive the sample loading platform 3 to slide along the first direction, and then drive the sample target plate 2 to slide along the first direction to achieve the purpose of transferring the sample. It is worth noting that the sample delivery mechanism in the embodiment of the present application only moves in the first direction, so the sample target plate 2 that cooperates with the sample delivery mechanism provided in the present application can only be arranged with a row of samples in the first direction.

[0051] When the transmission platform 42 is specifically slidably assembled into the accommodating cavity 1, reference is also made to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 4 for Figure 2 In the AA cross-sectional view in FIG. 1 , a guide rail 5 is further provided in the accommodating chamber 1, and the guide rail 5 can be fixedly provided on the bearing base plate 12. The length direction of the guide rail 5 is along the first direction, and the transmission platform 42 is slidably connected to the guide rail 5 to realize the sliding assembly of the transmission platform 42 to the accommodating chamber 1. In order to ensure the parallelism of the guide rail 5 with the first direction, some positioning structures can also be provided on the bearing base plate 12. Specifically, a first positioning groove 121 is provided on the bearing base plate 12, the guide rail 5 is fixed to the first positioning groove 121, and the guide rail 5 abuts against the side wall of the first positioning groove 121 to position the guide rail 5 in the second direction. Among them, the second direction is a direction orthogonal to the first direction.

[0052] Positioning the guide rail 5 in the second direction means that the guide rail 5 can be arranged to abut against the side wall of the first positioning groove 121 to ensure that the guide rail 5 has a better parallelism with the first direction. Optionally, the first positioning groove 121 can have a side wall parallel to the first direction, and the guide rail 5 located in the first positioning groove 121 can abut against the side wall parallel to the first direction to improve the parallelism of the guide rail 5 with the first direction.

[0053] Setting the guide rail 5 to have a better parallelism with the first direction can reduce the position deviation of the transmission platform 42 in the second direction during movement, thereby reducing the position deviation of the sample target plate 2 in the second direction during transfer, ensuring that the sample can be accurately transferred to the laser irradiation position of the ion source.

[0054] In the above technical scheme, by setting a power device to drive the transmission platform in the first direction to drive the sample loading platform to move, the sample target plate can be delivered; and by setting a guide rail that slides and connects the transmission platform to abut against the first positioning groove, the position of the sample target plate in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction can be ensured. In this scheme, the power device is directly installed on the bearing base plate, and can be installed in the vacuum chamber without an additional mounting plate and deliver the sample along the first direction; and the position of the sample target plate in the second direction can be ensured by positioning the first positioning groove. Compared with the traditional scheme that requires two sets of power devices in the first direction and the second direction to adjust the position of the sample target plate, the power device of this scheme requires fewer components, which can save a lot of space in the accommodating cavity, which is conducive to building a vacuum environment in a shorter time, so as to improve the construction rate of the vacuum environment inside the mass spectrometer, reduce the waiting time for users to wait for the construction of the vacuum environment, and improve the user experience; and the power device in this scheme has fewer components, which can greatly reduce the overall weight of the sample delivery mechanism, thereby greatly reducing the weight and cost of the mass spectrometer, while improving the installation and debugging efficiency.

[0055] As an optional implementation, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the power device 4 also includes a slider 43, the transmission platform 42 is fixedly connected to the slider 43, the slider 43 is slidably connected to the guide rail 5, that is, the transmission platform 42 is slidably connected to the guide rail 5 through the slider 43. When the transmission platform 42 is specifically fixedly connected to the guide rail 5, an abutment surface is provided at one end where the transmission platform 42 and the slider 43 are fixedly connected, and the abutment surface abuts against the slider 43 to position the transmission platform 42 in the second direction. Positioning the transmission platform 42 in the second direction here means that when the abutment surface abuts against the slider 43, the transmission platform 42 can be limited and positioned and the transmission platform 42 can be made parallel to the first direction in which the guide rail 5 extends. Specifically, Figure 4 As shown in , the abutting surface is set to be parallel to the first direction, and the abutting surface and the end surface where the transmission platform 42 and the slider 43 are fixedly connected form a step structure, the transmission platform 42 is located on the slider 43 and is fixedly connected to the slider 43, and the abutting surface abuts against one side of the slider 43 along the second direction. As is known to all, there is reliable parallelism between the slider 43 and the guide rail 5. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the position deviation of the transmission platform 42 in the second direction during the movement is reduced by improving the parallelism between the transmission platform 42 and the slider 43 and improving the straightness of the guide rail 5. The position deviation of the transmission platform 42 in the second direction during the movement can be reduced, thereby improving the position accuracy of the sample target plate 2 during the transfer process.

[0056] It should be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the number of guide rails 5 can be two, and the two guide rails are arranged at intervals along the second direction and are respectively slidably connected to the transmission platform 42 to improve the stability of the transmission platform 42 sliding in the first direction. When two guide rails 5 are provided, the two guide rails 5 can both be positioned in the second direction with the bearing base 121, or one guide rail 5 can be positioned in the second direction with the bearing base 121. Also, when the number of guide rails 5 is two, the number of sliders 43 is also two, and the two sliders 43 are respectively slidably connected to one guide rail 5. When two sliders 43 are fixedly connected to the transmission platform 42, the transmission platform 42 can be arranged to abut against both sliders 43 in the second direction, or the transmission platform 42 can be arranged to abut against only one slider 43 in the second direction. For example Figure 3 In an example shown in , two guide rails 5 are arranged on the bearing base plate 121, and one of the guide rails 5 is arranged to be positioned with the bearing base plate 121 in the second direction and one of the guide rails 5 is arranged to abut against a slider 43 in the second direction. This arrangement can reduce the difficulty of assembly and improve the assembly production efficiency while having a better positioning effect.

[0057] When the drive assembly 41 is specifically configured, as an optional implementation, continue to refer to Figure 3 The driving assembly 41 includes a driving member 411, a screw rod 412 and a transmission nut 413. The driving member 411 drives the transmission platform 42 to slide in the first direction through the screw rod 412 and the transmission nut 413. Specifically, the driving member 411 is fixedly arranged on the bearing base plate 12, and the driving member 411 can drive the screw rod 412 to rotate. The screw rod 412 is arranged parallel to the first direction, the transmission nut 413 is threadedly connected to the screw rod 412, and the transmission nut 413 is fixedly connected to the transmission platform 42. When the driving member 411 drives the screw rod 412 to rotate, the screw rod 412 can drive the transmission nut 413 to slide along the first direction, and then the transmission nut 413 can drive the transmission platform 42 to slide along the first direction.

[0058] Optionally, when the transmission nut 413 is specifically set, an anti-backlash nut can be used as the transmission nut 413 to reduce the influence of the thread gap on the position accuracy of the sample feeding mechanism in the first direction when transferring the sample. In addition, the transmission nut 413 can be made of a composite material of polyetheretherketone and tetrafluoroethylene, which has a small amount of gas release in a vacuum environment, can speed up the construction rate of the vacuum environment, and reduce the waiting time of users; and the transmission nut 413 made of a composite material of polyetheretherketone and tetrafluoroethylene has better structural stability and good lubrication performance, which can extend the period of manual maintenance and lubrication oil application.

[0059] When the sample delivery mechanism transfers the sample target plate 2, it is necessary to ensure that the sample can be accurately transferred to the laser irradiation position of the ion source. Therefore, while ensuring that the sample target plate 2 moves in the first direction when transferring the sample, it is necessary to ensure the parallelism between the lead screw 412 in the drive assembly 41 and the guide rail 5, so as to improve the movement accuracy of the drive assembly 41 when driving the sample target plate 2. Specifically, a second positioning groove 122 is provided on the bearing base plate 12, and the driving member 411 is fixed in the second positioning groove 122, and the driving member 411 abuts against the side wall of the second positioning groove 122 to position the driving member 411 at least in the first direction. The parallelism of the lead screw 412 and the guide rail 5 is limited by limiting the driving member 411.

[0060] Specifically, positioning at least in the first direction here means that the abutment between the driving member 411 and the side wall of the second positioning groove 122 can position the driving member 411 in the first direction, or can position the driving member 411 in the first direction and the second direction at the same time. Optionally, the second positioning groove 122 can have a side wall extending in the second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction, and the driving member 411 abuts against the side wall, which can improve the verticality of the driving member 411 and the first direction, and then improve the parallelism of the screw rod 412 and the first direction. The screw rod 412 has a high parallelism with the first direction, which can reduce the position deviation in the second direction when the transmission platform 42 moves. Of course, the second positioning groove 122 can also have a side wall extending in the first direction at the same time, and the driving member 411 can also abut against the side wall extending in the first direction at the same time to further improve the parallelism of the screw rod 412 and the first direction.

[0061] refer to Figure 2 As shown in , when the drive assembly 41 is set, it is located between the two guide rails 5 to rationally utilize the space between the guide rails 5 to arrange the drive assembly 41, making it easier to use a smaller accommodating chamber 1 to accommodate components such as the power device 4, thereby increasing the rate of establishing a vacuum environment in the accommodating chamber 1.

[0062] As an optional implementation, continue to refer to Figure 3 The sample delivery mechanism includes a sample changing channel 11, through which the operator can place the sample target plate 2 into the accommodating chamber 1 or take out the sample target plate 2 from the accommodating chamber 1, and the sample changing channel 11 is closable so that the accommodating chamber 1 can construct a vacuum environment. Specifically, the sample changing channel 11 is connected to the accommodating chamber 1, and the sample changing channel 11 and the laser irradiation position are arranged at intervals along the first direction, so that the power device 4 can drive the sample loading platform 3 to carry the sample target plate 2 and move between the sample changing channel 11 and the laser irradiation position along the first direction. When the sample loading platform 3 carries the sample target plate 2 and moves to the laser irradiation position, the sample changing channel 11 is in a closed state, and the laser can irradiate the sample target plate 2 to excite ion generation and then detect the sample.

[0063] The sample delivery mechanism also includes a lifting device 6, which is fixed to the supporting base plate 12. When the sample loading platform 3 carrying the sample target plate 2 moves to the sample changing channel 11, the lifting device 6 can be used to lift the sample loading platform 3 into the sample changing channel 11. At this time, the sample changing channel 11 is opened, and the user can place the sample target plate 2 on the sample loading platform 3, or remove the sample target plate 2 that has completed the test from the sample loading platform 3.

[0064] Optionally, when the lifting device 6 lifts the sample loading platform 3 to the sample changing channel 11, the lifting device 6 can be in sealed contact with the top wall of the accommodating chamber 1. Through the sealed contact between the lifting device 6 and the top wall of the accommodating chamber 1, after the sample changing channel 11 is opened, the lifting device 6 can isolate the sample changing channel 11 from the inside of the accommodating chamber 1, preventing air from quickly filling the entire accommodating chamber 1 through the sample changing channel 11. This arrangement can reduce the amount of air entering the accommodating chamber 1 through the sample changing channel 11 when placing or replacing the sample target plate 2, and then when the sample changing channel 11 is closed again, the accommodating chamber 1 can be quickly restored to a vacuum state, reducing the waiting time of the user.

[0065] When the lifting device 6 is fixed to the bearing base plate 12, the lifting device 6 and the driving assembly 41 are both located between the two guide rails 5 to improve the compactness between the components. Exemplarily, along the first direction, the driving member 411 and the lifting device 6 are arranged at opposite ends of the accommodating chamber 1; and the screw rod 412 and the lifting device 6 are arranged at intervals along the second direction. The driving member 411 and the lifting device 6 are arranged at both ends of the first direction in the first direction in order to space the driving member 411 and the lifting device 6 in the first direction, so as to facilitate the arrangement of the lifting device 6 and the driving member 411. In addition, under the premise of not interfering with the screw rod 412, the lifting device 6 can be close to the screw rod 412 along the second direction to further reduce the width occupied by the driving member 411 and the lifting device 6 in the second direction, so as to achieve the purpose of saving space in the accommodating chamber 1 in the second direction. The screw rod 412 and the lifting device 6 are arranged spaced apart in the second direction, so that the space between the screw rod 412 and the side wall of the accommodating chamber 1 in the second direction can be fully utilized to accommodate the lifting device 6, thereby saving space in the accommodating chamber 1 in the first direction. Figure 3 As shown, in order to accommodate the lifting device 6 more compactly, the screw rod 412 can be disposed away from the center of the accommodating chamber 1 in the second direction, so that there is a larger space for accommodating the lifting device 6 on one side of the screw rod 412 along the second direction.

[0066] Through the above-mentioned arrangement, the distance between the screw rod 412, the driving member 411 and the lifting device 6 is compact, and the three can be accommodated in a smaller storage space, thereby reducing the volume of the storage space, increasing the speed of building the vacuum environment in the storage space, reducing the user's waiting time, and improving the user experience.

[0067] It should be understood that the driving member 411 in this embodiment can be a single motor, such as a stepper motor, a servo motor, etc., and can also include some transmission components such as gears, couplings, etc.; and when the driving member 411 is set to abut against the side wall of the second positioning groove 122, a support structure can also be set to assist in fixing the driving member 411 to the second positioning groove 122.

[0068] As an optional implementation, continue to refer to Figure 3 The power device 4 in the embodiment of the present application further includes a support seat 44, a driving member 411 is fixed to the support seat 44 and abuts with the support seat 44 along the first direction, and the support seat 44 is fixed to the second positioning groove 122 and abuts with the side wall of the second positioning groove 122 along the first direction. In this way, the driving member 411 can be indirectly abutted with the side wall of the second positioning groove 122 by abutting with the support seat 44 along the first direction and abutting with the side wall of the second positioning groove 122 along the first direction to ensure the parallelism of the screw rod 412 with the first direction. And by setting the support seat 44, the driving member 411 and the support seat 44 can be pressed and fixed in advance outside the accommodating chamber 1, and then the driving member 411 and the support seat 44 are fixed as a whole in the second positioning groove 122, while improving the connection stability between the driving member 411 and the bearing bottom plate 12, and also improving the assembly production efficiency.

[0069] In some possible implementations, the support seat 44 may include an integrally formed first sub-plate and a second sub-plate, wherein the first sub-plate is used to be fixedly connected to the bearing base plate 12 in the second positioning groove 122, the second sub-plate is vertically arranged to the first sub-plate, and the second sub-plate is used to abut and fix the driving member 411 along the first direction and abut against the side wall of the second positioning groove 122. This form of the support seat 44 has the characteristics of strong structural stability, easy production, and simple assembly.

[0070] In order to improve the parallelism between the screw rod 412 and the first direction, a support structure may be further provided at one end of the screw rod 412 away from the driving member 411 .

[0071] For reference Figure 2 and Figure 5 , Figure 5Schematic diagram of the screw support in the embodiment of the present application. As an optional embodiment, the power device 4 also includes a screw support 45 and a support bearing 46 arranged on the screw support 45. The screw support 45 is located at the end of the screw 412 away from the driving member 411 and is fixedly connected to the bearing base plate 12, and the end of the screw 412 away from the driving member 411 is rotatably connected to the screw support 45 through the support bearing 46. Specifically, the screw support 45 may have a bearing hole, and the support bearing 46 is fixedly arranged in the bearing hole. The end of the screw 412 away from the driving member 411 is inserted into the inner ring of the bearing to realize the rotatable connection between the screw 412 and the screw support 45. By setting the screw support 45, support can be provided for the screw 412 at the end of the screw 412 away from the driving member 411, thereby reducing the shaking of the screw 412, and improving the parallelism of the screw 412 with the first direction, so as to improve the stability of the bearing platform when sliding.

[0072] When the screw support 45 is fixed to the bearing base plate 12, the bearing base plate 12 is further provided with a third positioning groove 123, the screw support 45 is fixed to the third positioning groove 123, and the screw support 45 abuts against the side wall of the third positioning groove 123 to position the screw support 45 in the first direction. Similar to the above-mentioned setting of the drive member 411 abutting against the side wall of the second positioning groove 122, positioning the screw support 45 in the first direction means that the screw support 45 abuts against the side wall of the third positioning groove 123, which can improve the verticality of the screw support 45 and the first direction, thereby improving the parallelism of the screw 412 and the first direction, thereby reducing the positional deviation of the transmission platform 42 carrying the sample target plate 2 in the second direction when moving along the first direction, which is conducive to the sample delivery mechanism to accurately move the sample to the laser irradiation position.

[0073] It should be understood that the second positioning groove 122 for positioning the driving member 411, the first positioning groove 121 for positioning the guide rail 5, and the third positioning groove 123 for positioning the screw support member 45 can be separately opened on the bearing base plate 12; the second positioning groove 122, the first positioning groove 121 and the third positioning groove 123 can also be connected to form a special-shaped positioning groove; it is also possible to set the second positioning groove 122, the first positioning groove 121 and the third positioning groove 123 to be partially opened separately and the other part to be opened together. As an example, Figure 3 As shown, the second positioning groove 122 and the third positioning groove 123 are connected to form one positioning groove, while the first positioning groove 121 is opened separately.

[0074] As an optional implementation, continue to refer to Figure 5, when the end of the screw rod 412 away from the driving member 411 is inserted into the support bearing 46, the fitting tolerance between the end of the screw rod 412 away from the driving member 411 and the support bearing 46 is not greater than ±5 microns. As an example, the fitting tolerance between the end of the screw rod 412 away from the driving member 411 and the support bearing 46 can be ±1 micron, ±2 microns, ±3 microns, ±4 microns, ±5 microns, etc. Such a tolerance can be set, and the screw rod 412 can be assembled to the inner ring of the bearing of the support bearing 46 with a small force, and the screw rod 412 does not idle or slip in the inner ring of the bearing. This avoids the need to apply a large force during assembly to insert the end of the screw rod 412 away from the driving member 411 into the support bearing 46, thereby reducing the difficulty of assembly. In addition, the risk of affecting the transmission accuracy of the screw rod 412 by vigorously hitting the screw rod 412 or the support bearing 46 during the assembly process can also be reduced.

[0075] When the screw rod 412 is specifically arranged to pass through the support bearing 46, the end of the screw rod 412 away from the driving member 411 has a step surface, and the end of the screw rod 412 away from the driving member 411 passes through the support bearing 46 and is exposed, and the step surface abuts against the support bearing 46. Specifically, the end of the screw rod 412 away from the driving member 411 is exposed on the side of the support bearing 46 away from the driving member 411, and the step surface abuts against the side of the support bearing 46 facing the driving member 411. The power device 4 also includes a limit spring 47, which is clamped on the end of the screw rod 412 passing through the support bearing 46 and exposed, and the limit spring 47 cooperates with the step surface to limit the support bearing 46 in the first direction, thereby reducing the risk of the screw rod 412 and the support bearing 46 being separated during the operation of the sample feeding mechanism.

[0076] In the process of laser irradiation of the sample to excite ions, the sample target plate 2 needs to be connected to high voltage electricity to improve the ionization efficiency. The way to connect the sample target plate 2 to high voltage electricity is usually to connect the sample loading platform 3 to the high voltage power supply. When the transmission platform 42 is specifically implemented to carry the sample loading platform 3 and drive the sample loading platform 3 to move, a support structure can be set on the transmission platform 42 to insulate and isolate the sample loading platform 3 from the transmission platform 42 while supporting the sample loading platform 3.

[0077] As an optional implementation, continue to refer to Figure 4, the power device 4 also includes an insulating column 48 and a conductive column 49. Among them, the conductive column 49 supports the sample loading platform 3 and is conductively connected to the sample loading platform 3, the insulating column 48 is fixedly connected to the side of the transmission platform 42 facing the sample loading platform 3, and the conductive column 49 is fixedly connected to one end of the insulating column 48 facing the sample loading platform 3. The conductive column 49 can be conductively connected to the high-voltage power supply through a wire to enable the sample loading platform 3 to be connected to the high-voltage power supply. By arranging the insulating column 48 and the conductive column 49 to jointly support the sample loading platform 3, the sample loading platform 3 and the transmission platform 42 can be insulated and isolated, thereby reducing the risk of the driving member 411 being connected to the high voltage electricity through the transmission platform 42, causing the driving member 411 to be damaged or affecting the driving accuracy of the driving member 411.

[0078] Optionally, when the insulating column 48 is specifically set, three insulating columns 48 can be arranged in a triangle, and the conductive column 49 can be set to be adjustable in the height direction of the mass spectrometer. And the number of the conductive columns 49 is also three, and the conductive columns 49 and the insulating columns 48 are set one by one to achieve three-point support for the sample loading platform 3. Three points can determine a plane. By setting a three-point support for the sample loading platform 3, the difficulty of leveling the sample loading platform 3 can be reduced while providing stable support. The insulating column 48 is set to be telescopically adjustable, and the sample loading platform 3 can also be easily leveled by adjusting the length of the insulating column 48, thereby improving the assembly and debugging efficiency of the sample loading platform 3.

[0079] refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the transmission platform carrying the sample loading platform in the embodiment of the present application. When the conductive column 49 is specifically set to support the sample loading platform 3, the sample loading platform 3 is provided with a positioning hole 31 that is plugged and matched with the conductive column 49. The sample loading platform 3 is placed from top to bottom along the height direction of the mass spectrometer, and the conductive column 49 can be inserted into the positioning hole 31 and support the sample loading platform 3. When the conductive column 49 is inserted into the positioning hole 31 and supports the sample loading platform 3, the conductive column 49 abuts against the sample loading platform 3 and is electrically connected to realize the conductive connection between the sample loading platform 3 and the high-voltage power supply. When the transmission platform 42 moves along the first direction, the transmission platform 42 can drive the conductive column 49 to move along the first direction through the insulating column 48, and the conductive column 49 inserted into the positioning hole 31 can drive the sample loading platform 3 to move along the first direction, so that the transmission platform 42 can drive the sample loading platform 3 to move along the first direction. Such a support and conductive connection method has a simple structure, a stable support effect, and is convenient for the lifting device 6 to lift the sample loading platform 3.

[0080] Furthermore, when the positioning hole 31 is specifically set, the opening of the positioning hole 31 and the end of the conductive column 49 inserted into the positioning hole 31 can be set to have a guiding bevel, so as to provide guidance when the conductive column 49 is inserted into the positioning hole 31, thereby reducing the risk of the conductive column 49 being unable to be inserted into the positioning hole 31 due to a certain position deviation between the positioning hole 31 and the conductive column 49 when the sample loading platform 3 is lifted and then lowered.

[0081] In order to ensure that it is possible to accurately determine whether the sample has reached the laser irradiation area in the first direction, some sensing elements may be arranged in the containing cavity 1 .

[0082] As an optional embodiment, a first position sensor 7 is provided on the support seat 44, and the first position sensor 7 can be used to detect the position of the transmission platform 42. Specifically, the first position sensor 7 can send out an induction signal when the transmission platform 42 is at a certain set distance from the first position sensor 7. At this time, the position of the transmission platform 42 in the first direction can be recorded as the position calculation origin. The displacement of the transmission platform 42 relative to the position calculation origin can be calculated through the position calculation origin combined with the distance that the power device 4 drives the transmission platform 42 to slide, and then the position of the sample target plate 2 in the accommodating cavity 1 can be accurately calculated, so as to facilitate the alignment of the sample target plate 2 and the laser irradiation position in the first direction.

[0083] As an example, if the driving member 411 is an electric motor, when specifically determining the position of the transmission platform 42 at a certain moment, the displacement between the current position relative to the position calculation origin can be calculated by combining the time difference between the moment and the sensing signal sent by the first position sensor 7, the rotation speed of the motor, and the thread parameters of the screw rod 412, and then combined with the distance between the position calculation origin and the laser irradiation position, it can be determined whether the sample target plate 2 has reached the laser irradiation position at this time.

[0084] Optional, continue to refer to Figure 3 A second position sensor 8 may also be arranged in the accommodating chamber 1. The second position sensor 8 may be arranged in the accommodating chamber 1 on a side away from the driving member 411 along the first direction, and the second position sensor 8 is used to send an in-position signal when the transmission platform 42 drives the sample loading platform 3 to arrive at the sample changing channel 11. According to the in-position signal, it can be judged that the sample loading platform 3 arrives at the sample changing channel 11 and the driving of the driving member 411 is stopped.

[0085] An embodiment of the present application further provides a mass spectrometer, which includes a mass spectrometer body, and a sample delivery mechanism such as any one of the above-mentioned ones arranged on the mass spectrometer body.

[0086] The mass spectrometer in the above technical solution can realize the delivery of the sample target plate by setting a power device to drive the transmission platform in the first direction to drive the sample loading platform to move; and by setting a guide rail that slides and connects the transmission platform to abut the first positioning groove, the position of the sample target plate in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction can be ensured. In this solution, the power device is directly installed on the bearing base plate, and can be installed in the vacuum chamber without an additional mounting plate and deliver the sample along the first direction; and the position of the sample target plate in the second direction can be ensured by positioning the first positioning groove. Compared with the traditional solution that requires two sets of power devices in the first direction and the second direction to adjust the position of the sample target plate, the power device of this solution requires fewer components and can save a lot of space in the accommodating cavity, which is conducive to building a vacuum environment in a shorter time, so as to improve the construction rate of the vacuum environment inside the mass spectrometer, reduce the waiting time for users to wait for the construction of the vacuum environment, and improve the user experience; and the power device in this solution has fewer components, which can greatly reduce the overall weight of the sample delivery mechanism, thereby greatly reducing the weight and cost of the mass spectrometer, while also improving the efficiency of installation and debugging.

[0087] One or more embodiments of this specification are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of one or more embodiments of this specification should be included in the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0088] The above are only specific implementations of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A sample delivery mechanism, applied to a mass spectrometer, characterized in that: include: A containing chamber, a sample loading platform and a power device; wherein, The accommodating cavity is used to provide a vacuum environment; the accommodating cavity has a bearing bottom plate, and a first positioning groove is arranged on the bearing bottom plate; a guide rail is arranged in the first positioning groove; the guide rail abuts against a side wall of the first positioning groove to position the guide rail in a second direction; The sample loading platform is located in the containing cavity and is used to carry the sample target plate; The power device is arranged in the accommodating cavity, and the power device comprises a driving assembly and a transmission platform; wherein the transmission platform carries the sample loading platform; the transmission platform is slidably connected with the guide rail; the driving assembly is used to drive the transmission platform to slide along a first direction; The second direction is orthogonal to the first direction.

2. The sample feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power device also includes a slider; the transmission platform is slidably connected to the guide rail via the slider; The transmission platform is fixedly connected to the slider; an abutment surface is provided at one end of the transmission platform fixedly connected to the slider, and the abutment surface abuts against the slider to position the transmission platform in the second direction.

3. The sample feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving assembly includes a driving member, a screw rod, and a transmission nut; the transmission nut is fixedly connected to the transmission platform, the screw rod is arranged parallel to the first direction and is threadedly connected to the transmission nut, and the driving member is used to drive the screw rod to rotate; The bearing bottom plate is further provided with a second positioning groove, and the driving member is fixed in the second positioning groove and abuts against the side wall of the second positioning groove to position the driving member at least in the first direction.

4. The sample feeding mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The power device also includes a support seat; The driving member is fixed to the supporting seat and abuts against the supporting seat along the first direction; the supporting seat is fixed to the second positioning groove and abuts against the side wall of the second positioning groove along the first direction.

5. The sample feeding mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The support seat is provided with a first position sensor for detecting the transmission platform.

6. The sample delivery mechanism according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that: The sample delivery mechanism also includes a sample exchange channel communicated with the accommodating cavity; The sample delivery mechanism further includes a lifting device for lifting the sample loading platform to the sample changing channel, wherein the lifting device is fixed to the carrying bottom plate; Along the first direction, the driving member and the lifting device are arranged at two opposite ends of the accommodating cavity; and the screw rod and the lifting device are arranged at intervals along the second direction.

7. The sample feeding mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The power device also includes an insulating column and a conductive column; The insulating column is fixedly connected to a side of the transmission platform facing the sample loading platform; the conductive column is fixedly connected to an end of the insulating column facing the sample loading platform; The sample loading platform is provided with a positioning hole which is plugged into and matched with the conductive column; wherein, When the conductive column is inserted into the positioning hole and supports the sample loading platform, the conductive column is electrically connected to the sample loading platform.

8. The sample feeding mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that: The power device further comprises a screw support and a support bearing arranged on the screw support; one end of the screw away from the driving member is rotatably connected to the screw support through the support bearing; The bearing base plate is also provided with a third positioning groove; the screw support is fixed to the third positioning groove, and the screw support abuts against the side wall of the third positioning groove to position the screw support in the first direction.

9. The sample feeding mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: The fitting tolerance between the end of the screw rod away from the driving member and the support bearing is no more than ±5 microns; One end of the screw rod away from the driving member has a step surface, the step surface abuts against the support bearing, and the screw rod passes through the support bearing and is exposed; The power device also includes a limit clamp spring; the limit clamp spring is clamped on the end of the lead screw that passes through the support bearing and is exposed.

10. A mass spectrometer, characterized in that: It comprises a mass spectrometer body, and a sample delivery mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 arranged on the mass spectrometer body.

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