Pipette suction head withdrawing device in full-automatic pipette workstation

Abstract

The utility model relates to a pipette tip withdrawing device in a full-automatic pipette workstation, which comprises a base, two vertically arranged stand columns are symmetrically arranged on the left side and the right side of the upper surface of the base, a cross beam is connected between the two stand columns in a sliding mode, and the cross beam is driven by a first driving mechanism to move up and down in the length direction of the stand columns. A pipette is connected to the cross beam in a sliding manner, and the pipette is driven by a second driving mechanism to move left and right along the length direction of the cross beam; a stop clamp is fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the outer sleeve of the pipette, and a stop fork matched with the stop clamp is fixedly mounted on the side wall of one of the upright posts. The device has the beneficial effects that the suction head can be conveniently and automatically removed, the universality is high, the working efficiency is improved and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a pipette tip removing device, in particular to a pipette tip removing device for a full-automatic pipetting workstation, belonging to the technical field of pipetting equipment. Background Art

[0002] In the experimental processes such as bioscience, chemical analysis and medical detection, the accurate pipetting of liquids is one of the key steps for the success of experiments. The traditional manual pipetting operation is not only inefficient, but also prone to introducing human errors. With the development of automation technology, full-automatic pipetting workstations have emerged, which can greatly improve the accuracy and efficiency of pipetting operations. The pipette in a full-automatic pipetting workstation needs to remove the old pipette tip before replacing it with a new one to start a new round of liquid pipetting; as Figure 2 shown, the pipette tip removing device of currently commercially available pipettes generally includes a pipette tip removal button 9 slidably arranged in the housing main body and an outer sleeve 5 fixedly connected to the pipette tip removal button 9. The pipette tip removal button is arranged on the housing main body, and the outer sleeve is sleeved outside the lower liquid suction cylinder body. Pressing the pipette tip removal button can drive the outer sleeve to move downward to push the pipette tip 8 away from the liquid suction cylinder body. The traditional solution is that the operator uses a finger to vigorously press the pipette tip removal button downward to push the pipette tip out of the pipette, which has problems such as cumbersome operation, low efficiency and easy generation of cross-contamination. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the traditional pipette tip removal solution.

[0003] One common solution on the market currently is to design the pipette gun as part of the workstation in a unified manner. By the downward movement of the end of a linear mechanism on the workstation that is specifically responsible for removing the pipette tip, the pipette tip is pushed out directly or indirectly. For example, in CN220048197U Automatic Pipette Gun, CN117085755A A Solidified Liquid Operation Unit, CN219615571U A Multifunctional Automatic Pipettor, and CN109959782A An Integrated Design in a Pretreatment Device and Method for Chicken Extract; Another solution is to design the workstation around a commercially available pipette gun. By the downward movement of the end of a linear mechanism on the workstation that is specifically responsible for removing the pipette tip, the pipette tip removal button on the body of the commercially available pipette gun is pushed, causing the pipette tip to disengage from the pipette gun. For example, in CN211463200U the push-pull electromagnet that pushes the gun tip removal button, CN217490932U the electric gun tip push rod that pushes the gun tip removal button, CN117160555A the automatic pipette tip removal push rod unit that pushes the gun tip removal button, CN220048197U the lead screw motor that drives the push rod to push the pipette tip, CN117085755A the micro linear push rod that pushes the detachable gun block to push out the pipette tip, CN219615571U the lead screw drive mechanism that pushes the outer sleeve to push out the pipette tip, CN109959782A the gun tip removal module that pushes the push plate to push out the pipette tip, etc. Both of the above design solutions require, outside the linear mechanism of the pipetting workstation that is originally responsible for lifting and lowering the pipette gun, a separate linear mechanism specifically designed to press the button or push the pipette tip. Additionally, the shape of the end of the linear mechanism needs to be considered separately to match the irregular shape of the pipette tip removal button on the commercially available pipette gun due to ergonomic design, which has certain limitations.

[0004] Therefore, a pipette tip removal device for a fully automatic pipetting workstation is designed to be able to remove the pipette tip without modifying the body of the commercially available pipette gun and without pushing the pipette tip removal button. Utility Model Content

[0005] This utility model mainly aims at the above problems existing in the prior art and provides a pipette tip removal device for a fully automatic pipetting workstation.

[0006] The purpose of this utility model is mainly achieved through the following solution:

[0007] A pipette tip ejection device in a fully automatic pipetting workstation, comprising a base. On the upper surface of the base, two vertically arranged columns are symmetrically provided on the left and right sides. A cross beam is slidably connected between the two columns, and the cross beam is driven by a first driving mechanism to move up and down along the length direction of the columns. A pipette is slidably connected to the cross beam, and the pipette is driven by a second driving mechanism to move left and right along the length direction of the cross beam. A stop clamp is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the outer sleeve of the pipette, and a stop fork cooperating with the stop clamp is fixedly installed on the side wall of one of the columns.

[0008] Preferably, the stop fork includes a fixed block and two horizontally arranged stop rods. The fixed block is fixedly installed on the side wall of one of the columns. The stop rods are installed on one side of the fixed block and face the pipette. During the left and right movement of the pipette, it will move between the two stop rods, and during the up and down movement of the pipette, the upper surface or the lower surface of the stop clamp will abut against the outer wall of the stop rod.

[0009] Preferably, a tip collection bin is installed on the base, and the tip collection bin is located directly below the stop rods.

[0010] Preferably, the first driving mechanism includes a Z-axis motor, a first lead screw, a second lead screw, a first slide table, a first driving pulley, a driven pulley and a first synchronous belt. The lower end of one of the columns is connected with a motor flange, the upper end of this column is connected with a bearing seat, and the upper and lower ends of the other column are both connected with bearing seats. The Z-axis motor is fixedly installed on the lower surface of the motor flange. The output end of the Z-axis motor passes through the motor flange and is fixedly connected with the lower end of the first lead screw through a coupling. The upper end of the first lead screw is rotatably connected with the corresponding bearing seat, and the upper and lower ends of the second lead screw are both rotatably connected with the corresponding bearing seats.

[0011] Preferably, there are two first slide tables, which are respectively installed at the left and right ends of the cross beam. The first lead screw and the second lead screw respectively penetrate through the corresponding first slide tables up and down and are threadedly connected with the first slide tables. The other end of the first slide table is slidably connected with the column.

[0012] Preferably, the first driving pulley is fixedly sleeved on the lower end of the first lead screw, the driven pulley is fixedly sleeved on the lower end of the second lead screw, and the first driving pulley and the driven pulley are connected by a first synchronous belt.

[0013] Preferably, the second driving mechanism includes an X-axis motor, a second synchronous belt, and a second sliding table. The X-axis motor is fixedly installed at one end of the rear side of the cross beam away from the stop fork. The second synchronous belt is installed on the cross beam and driven by the X-axis motor. A support block is fixedly sleeved on the outer wall of the upper part of the pipette. The support block is connected to the second synchronous belt and driven by the second synchronous belt to move the support block and the pipette left and right. The second sliding table is fixedly connected to the support block and is slidably connected to the cross beam.

[0014] Preferably, limit blocks are installed at both the left and right ends of the cross beam.

[0015] Therefore, compared with the prior art, the present utility model has the following advantages:

[0016] (1) With the stop fixture and the stop fork provided in the present utility model, under the combined action of the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism, the pipette can reach the designated position, and under the action of the first driving mechanism, the pipette is slightly lifted. Due to the limiting effect of the stop fork and the stop fixture, the outer sleeve can move downward relative to the pipette body, thereby being able to push the pipette tip away from the pipette. The operation is simple, the work efficiency is improved, and there is no need to modify the commercially available pipette body and no need to push the pipette tip removal button. It can be applied to pipettes of various brands and models, with strong versatility;

[0017] (2) With the pipette tip collection bin provided below the stop fork in the present utility model, the used pipette tips are effectively isolated, reducing the risk of cross-contamination. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the present utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 is a working schematic diagram of the stop fixture and the stop fork in the present utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 is Figure 1 an enlarged view of part A in

[0021] Figure 4 is Figure 1 an enlarged view of part B in

[0022] Figure 5 is Figure 1 an enlarged view of part C in

[0023] Figure 6 is an installation schematic diagram of the pipette in the present utility model;

[0024] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of the driving component for driving the second synchronous belt in the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram when the pipette moves in the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram when the tip is removed in the present utility model.

[0027] Illustration: 1 - base, 2 - column, 3 - crossbeam, 4 - pipette, 5 - outer sleeve, 6 - stop clamp, 7 - stop fork, 8 - tip, 9 - tip removal button, 10 - fixing block, 11 - stop bar, 12 - tip collection bin, 13 - Z-axis motor, 14 - first lead screw, 15 - second lead screw, 16 - first slide, 17 - first driving pulley, 18 - driven pulley, 19 - first synchronous belt, 20 - motor flange, 21 - X-axis motor, 22 - second synchronous belt, 23 - second slide, 24 - support block, 25 - limit block, 26 - bearing seat, 27 - coupling, 28 - driven roller, 29 - second driving pulley. Specific Embodiments

[0028] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be further specifically described below through specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the implementation of the present utility model is not limited to the following embodiments, and any formal modification and / or change made to the present utility model will fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0029] In the present utility model, unless otherwise specified, all parts and percentages are in weight units, and the equipment and raw materials used can be purchased from the market or are commonly used in the art. The methods in the following embodiments are conventional methods in the art unless otherwise specified. The components or equipment in the following embodiments are all general standard parts or components known to those skilled in the art, and their structures and principles can be known by those skilled in the art through technical manuals or through conventional experimental methods.

[0030] Embodiment 1:

[0031] As Figure 1 、 2As shown in the figure, the present utility model provides a technical solution, a pipette tip removal device in a fully automatic pipetting workstation, including a base 1. The base 1 can ensure the stability of the entire device during the operation process. On the upper surface of the base 1, two vertically arranged columns 2 are symmetrically welded or bolted on both the left and right sides. A cross beam 3 is slidably connected between the two columns 2, and the cross beam 3 is driven by a first driving mechanism to move up and down along the length direction of the column 2. A pipette 4 is slidably connected to the cross beam 3, and the pipette 4 is driven by a second driving mechanism to move left and right along the length direction of the cross beam 3; A stop clamp 6 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the outer sleeve 5 of the pipette 4, and a stop fork 7 for cooperating with the stop clamp 6 is fixedly installed on the side wall of one of the columns 2.

[0032] Under the combined action of the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism, the pipette 4 can be quickly and accurately moved to the specified position, and under the drive of the first driving mechanism, the pipette 4 body can be lifted slightly. Since the stop clamp 6 is fixed on the outer sleeve 5, during the upward movement of the pipette 4, the upper surface of the stop clamp 6 will abut against the lower surface of the stop fork 7, causing the outer sleeve 5 to move downward relative to the pipette 4 body, thereby being able to push the tip 8 away from the pipette.

[0033] Embodiment 2:

[0034] As Figure 1 、 2 shown in the figure, the present utility model provides another technical solution, a pipette tip removal device in a fully automatic pipetting workstation. The difference from Embodiment 1 is that the stop fork 7 is composed of a fixed block 10 and two horizontally arranged stop bars 11. One end of the fixed block 10 is fixedly installed on the side wall of the left column 2 by bolts. Both of the two stop bars 11 are fixedly inserted on one side of the fixed block 10 and face the pipette 4. The two stop bars 11 should be in the same horizontal plane. During the leftward movement of the pipette 4, it will move between the two stop bars 11, and during the up and down movement of the pipette 4, the upper surface or the lower surface of the stop clamp 6 will abut against the outer wall of the stop bar 11. It should be noted here that when performing the operation of removing the tip 8, the pipette 4 should first be adjusted up and down so that the stop clamp 6 is located below the stop fork 7, and then the pipette 4 is moved leftward.

[0035] Specifically, a tip collection bin 12 is installed on the base 1 by bolts, and the tip collection bin 12 is located directly below the stop bars 11. The removed tips 8 will directly fall into the tip collection bin 12, effectively isolating the used tips 8 and reducing the risk of cross contamination.

[0036] Specifically, the stop fixture 6 is made by 3D printing and is manufactured according to the model and size of a specific pipette. A jack that penetrates up and down is provided in the middle thereof, and a notch communicating with the jack is provided on one side. The jack is sleeved on the outer wall of the outer sleeve 5, and the outer sleeve 5 and the stop fixture 6 are fixed through a bolt at the notch.

[0037] Embodiment 3:

[0038] As Figure 3 、 4 As shown in the figure, the present utility model provides another technical solution, a pipette tip ejection device in a fully automatic pipetting workstation. The difference from Embodiment 1 is that the first driving mechanism is composed of a Z-axis motor 13, a first lead screw 14, a second lead screw 15, a first slide table 16, a first driving pulley 17, a driven pulley 18, a first synchronous belt 19 and a coupling 27. Specifically, a motor flange 20 located inside the column 2 is welded or bolted to the lower end of the right column 2, and a bearing seat 26 located inside the column 2 is welded or bolted to the upper end of the column 2. Bearing seats 26 located inside the column 2 are welded or bolted to both the upper and lower ends of the left column 2. The Z-axis motor 13 is fixedly installed on the lower surface of the motor flange 20 at the lower end of the right column 2 through bolts. The output end of the Z-axis motor 13 passes through the motor flange 20 and is fixedly connected to the lower end of the first lead screw 14 through the coupling 27. The upper end of the first lead screw 14 is rotatably connected to the corresponding bearing seat 26, and both the upper and lower ends of the second lead screw 15 are rotatably connected to the corresponding support plate 20.

[0039] Specifically, two first slide tables 16 are provided and are respectively installed on the rear sides of the left and right ends of the cross beam 3 through bolts. The first lead screw 14 and the second lead screw 15 respectively penetrate through the corresponding first slide tables 16 up and down and are threadedly connected to the first slide tables 16. The other end of the first slide table 16 is slidably connected to the column 2. Specifically, a slide rail is provided at the other end of the first slide table 16, and a vertical chute matching the slide rail is provided on the rear side of the column 2. The cooperation of the slide rail and the chute enables the first slide table 16 to only move in the up and down direction of the column 2, but is not limited to the above structure, as long as the up and down relative sliding between the first slide table 16 and the column 2 can be achieved.

[0040] Specifically, the first driving pulley 17 is fixedly sleeved on the lower end of the first lead screw 14, the driven pulley 18 is fixedly sleeved on the lower end of the second lead screw 15, and the first driving pulley 17 and the driven pulley 18 are connected through the first synchronous belt 19. By starting the Z-axis motor 13, the first lead screw 14 is driven to rotate. Then, under the action of the first driving pulley 17, the first synchronous belt 19 and the driven pulley 18, the second lead screw 15 is driven to rotate synchronously. Since the first lead screw 14 and the second lead screw 15 are threadedly connected to the first slide table 16, the up and down movement of the first slide table 16 and the cross beam 3 is realized.

[0041] Example 4:

[0042] As Figure 5 、 6 shown, the present utility model provides another technical solution, a pipette tip ejection device in a fully automatic pipetting workstation. The difference from Example 1 is that the second driving mechanism consists of an X-axis motor 21, a second synchronous belt 22 and a second sliding table 23. The X-axis motor 21 is fixedly installed at the right rear end of the rear side of the cross beam 3 by bolts. The second synchronous belt 22 is installed on the cross beam 3 and driven by the X-axis motor 21. A support block 24 is fixedly sleeved on the upper outer wall of the pipette 4 by bolts. The support block 24 is connected to the second synchronous belt 22, and the second synchronous belt 22 drives the left and right movement of the support block 24 and the pipette 4. The second sliding table 23 is fixedly connected to the support block 24 by bolts, and the second sliding table 23 is slidably connected to the cross beam 3. Specifically, a horizontally arranged sliding groove is provided on the lower surface of the second sliding table 23, and a sliding strip matching the sliding groove is provided at the upper end of the cross beam 3. The cooperation of the sliding groove and the sliding strip enables the second sliding table 23 to move only in the left and right directions of the cross beam 3, but is not limited to the above structure, as long as the left and right relative sliding between the second sliding table 23 and the cross beam 3 can be achieved.

[0043] This embodiment provides a driving component that can drive the operation of the second synchronous belt 22. As Figure 7 shown, it consists of four driven rollers 28 and a second driving pulley 29. Two of the driven rollers 28 are vertically rotatably connected to the left and right ends of the cross beam 3 and are connected by the second synchronous belt 22, and the second synchronous belt 22 is tensioned by the driven rollers 28 at both ends of the cross beam 3. Two driven rollers 28 are arranged in parallel on both sides of the output end of the X-axis motor 21 at the rear side of the cross beam 3 for guiding and auxiliary clamping of the second synchronous belt 22. A second driving pulley 29 is provided at the output end of the X-axis motor 21, and the second driving pulley 29 is connected to the four driven rollers 28 by the second synchronous belt 22. By starting the X-axis motor 21, under the action of the second driving pulley 29 and the second synchronous belt 22, the four driven rollers 28 are driven to rotate, thereby realizing the movement of the second synchronous belt 22 in a tensioned state. The support block 24 is fixedly connected to the second synchronous belt 22 by bolts, thereby realizing the left and right movement of the support block 24 and the pipette 4. However, the driving component for driving the operation of the second synchronous belt 22 is not limited to the above structure, as long as the left and right movement of the second sliding table 23, the support block 24 and the pipette 4 can be achieved.

[0044] Specifically, limit blocks 25 are fixedly installed on the upper surfaces of the left and right ends of the cross beam 3 by bolts; as Figure 8 、 9As shown, when the pipette gun 4 needs to remove the pipette tip 8, the Z-axis motor 13 will rotate as required to adjust the height of the crossbeam 3, and at the same time, the X-axis motor 21 will rotate as required to adjust the distance between the second slide 23 and the left column 2. At this time, the second slide 23 contacts the left limit block 25, and the linkage of the two motors causes the stop fixture 6 to move to directly below the stop fork 7. The relative positions of the stop fixture 6 and the stop fork 7 are as shown in Figure 8 As shown. After that, the Z-axis motor 13 will rotate as required to slightly lift the pipette gun 4 on the crossbeam 3. At this time, since the stop fixture 6 is stopped by the stop fork 7, the outer sleeve 5 moves downward as a whole relative to the pipette gun 4, forcing the pipette tip 8 to be removed to form a state as shown in Figure 9 As shown.

[0045] Both the above-mentioned Z-axis motor 13 and X-axis motor 21 are electrically connected to the controller. The forward and reverse rotation and start and stop of the Z-axis motor 13 and X-axis motor 21 are controlled by the controller. The controller can adopt a PLC controller, a single-chip microcomputer or an industrial control computer. The specific structure and circuit connection of the controller are not within the protection scope of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain them through common general knowledge, conventional means or simple derivation in this field, so details are not described here.

[0046] A pipette tip removal device for a fully automatic pipetting workstation provided by the present utility model, through the provided stop fixture and stop fork, can, under the combined action of the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism, make the pipette gun reach the specified position, and under the action of the first driving mechanism, slightly lift the pipette gun. Due to the limiting effect of the stop fork and the stop fixture, the outer sleeve can move downward relative to the pipette gun body, thereby being able to push the pipette tip to separate from the pipette gun. The operation is simple, the work efficiency is improved, and it is not necessary to modify the commercially available pipette gun body and it is not necessary to press the pipette tip removal button. It can be applied to pipette guns of various brands and models, and has strong versatility; through the pipette tip collection bin arranged below the stop fork, the used pipette tips are effectively isolated, reducing the risk of cross-contamination.

[0047] It should be understood that this embodiment is only used to illustrate the present utility model and not to limit the scope of the present utility model. In addition, it should be understood that after reading the content taught by the present utility model, those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to the present utility model, and these equivalent forms also fall within the scope defined by the appended claims of this application.

Claims

1. A pipette tip ejection device in a fully automatic pipetting workstation, comprising a base (1), characterized in that: Two vertically arranged columns (2) are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the upper surface of the base (1); a crossbeam (3) is slidably connected between the two columns (2), and the crossbeam (3) is driven by a first driving mechanism to move up and down along the length direction of the columns (2); a pipette gun (4) is slidably connected to the crossbeam (3), and the pipette gun (4) is driven by a second driving mechanism to move left and right along the length direction of the crossbeam (3); a stop clamp (6) is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the outer sleeve (5) of the pipette gun (4), and a stop fork (7) used in conjunction with the stop clamp (6) is fixedly installed on the side wall of one of the columns (2).

2. The device for ejecting the pipette tip in a fully automatic pipetting workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stop fork (7) comprises a fixed block (10) and two laterally arranged stop bars (11), wherein the fixed block (10) is fixedly mounted on the side wall of one of the columns (2), and the stop bar (11) is mounted on one side of the fixed block (10) and faces the pipette (4). When the pipette (4) moves left and right, the stop bar (11) moves between the two stop bars (11), and when the pipette (4) moves up and down, the upper surface or the lower surface of the stop clamp (6) abuts against the outer wall of the stop bar (11).

3. The device for ejecting the pipette tip in a fully automatic pipetting workstation according to claim 2, characterized in that: A suction tip collection bin (12) is installed on the base (1), and the suction tip collection bin (12) is located directly below the blocking rod (11).

4. The device for ejecting a pipette tip in a fully automatic pipetting workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first driving mechanism comprises a Z-axis motor (13), a first screw rod (14), a second screw rod (15), a first slide (16), a first driving pulley (17), a driven pulley (18) and a first synchronous belt (19), wherein the lower end of one of the columns (2) is connected to a motor flange (20), the upper end of the column (2) is connected to a bearing seat (26), and the upper and lower ends of the other column (2) are both connected to the bearing seat (26), the Z-axis motor (13) is fixedly mounted on the lower surface of the motor flange (20), the output end of the Z-axis motor (13) passes through the motor flange (20) and is fixedly connected to the lower end of the first screw rod (14) via a coupling (27), the upper end of the first screw rod (14) is rotationally connected to the corresponding bearing seat (26), and the upper and lower ends of the second screw rod (15) are rotationally connected to the corresponding bearing seat (26).

5. The device for ejecting the pipette tip in a fully automatic pipetting workstation according to claim 4, characterized in that: Two first slides (16) are provided and are respectively mounted on the left and right ends of the crossbeam (3); the first screw rod (14) and the second screw rod (15) respectively pass through the corresponding first slides (16) up and down and are threadedly connected to the first slides (16); the other end of the first slide (16) is slidably connected to the column (2).

6. The device for ejecting the pipette tip in a fully automatic pipetting workstation according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first driving pulley (17) is fixedly sleeved on the lower end of the first screw rod (14), the driven pulley (18) is fixedly sleeved on the lower end of the second screw rod (15), and the first driving pulley (17) and the driven pulley (18) are connected via a first synchronous belt (19).

7. The device for ejecting the pipette tip in a fully automatic pipetting workstation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second driving mechanism comprises an X-axis motor (21), a second synchronous belt (22) and a second slide (23); the X-axis motor (21) is fixedly mounted on an end of the rear side of the crossbeam (3) away from the stop fork (7); the second synchronous belt (22) is mounted on the crossbeam (3) and driven by the X-axis motor (21); a support block (24) is fixedly sleeved on the upper outer wall of the pipette gun (4); the support block (24) is connected to the second synchronous belt (22), and the support block (24) and the pipette gun (4) are driven to move left and right through the second synchronous belt (22); the second slide (23) is fixedly connected to the support block (24), and the second slide (23) is slidably connected to the crossbeam (3).

8. The device for ejecting the pipette tip in a fully automatic pipetting workstation according to claim 7, characterized in that: Limiting blocks (25) are installed at both left and right ends of the crossbeam (3).

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