Clamping mechanism, temperature control circulating device and PCR analyzer

Abstract

The utility model relates to a clamping mechanism, a temperature control circulating device and a PCR analyzer. The PCR analyzer comprises a temperature control circulating device, the temperature control circulating device comprises a base, a plurality of temperature control modules, a translation module and a clamping mechanism, the clamping mechanism is arranged on the translation module and comprises a clamping assembly and a hot cover assembly movably connected to the clamping assembly, and the clamping assembly is used for clamping a sample carrier and transferring the sample carrier between the temperature control modules in sequence; therefore, copying and amplification at different temperatures can be carried out on a to-be-detected sample in a short time, the waiting time for heating and cooling is saved, when the clamping assembly clamps the sample carrier, the hot cover assembly can be pressed downwards to be pressed on the sample carrier, so that the sample carrier can be well sealed, and when the hot cover assembly needs to be stripped from the sample carrier, the sample carrier can be conveniently separated from the sample carrier. The sample carrier can be fixed on the temperature control module by using the clamping assembly, and then the hot cover assembly is lifted, so that stripping can be easily realized, labor force is saved, and safety accidents are avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of biological detection, and particularly to a clamping mechanism, a temperature control circulation device, and a PCR analyzer. Background Art

[0002] Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a molecular biology technique used to amplify specific DNA fragments. It can be regarded as a special DNA amplification in vitro. Specifically, it consists of several reaction steps such as high-temperature denaturation, low-temperature annealing, and appropriate-temperature extension to form a temperature cycle, enabling the target DNA to be rapidly amplified. It has the characteristics of strong specificity, high sensitivity, simple operation, and time-saving, and is a major innovation in gene amplification technology. The PCR technique can specifically amplify extremely trace targets by millions of times, thus greatly improving the analysis and detection ability of DNA molecules.

[0003] However, conventional PCR analyzers usually need to frequently raise and lower the temperature in the same temperature-changing module, resulting in an overly long time-consuming process for the temperature-changing module to raise and lower the temperature, thereby affecting the experimental time and being unfavorable for rapid PCR detection. Moreover, when the hot lid assembly is closed on the sample carrier, due to the high temperature and high pressure, there is a large internal negative pressure in the sample carrier, so that the sample carrier and the silicone pad (sealing member) of the hot lid assembly are tightly sealed. Conventional PCR analyzers do not have a dedicated structure to peel the silicone pad from the sample carrier, so the silicone pad and the sample carrier can only be peeled manually, which consumes a large amount of labor and increases the difficulty of peeling. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] Based on this, the purpose of the present application is to provide a clamping mechanism, a temperature control circulation device including the clamping mechanism, and a PCR analyzer including the temperature control circulation device to solve the problems that it is difficult to peel the silicone pad of the hot lid from the sample carrier in existing PCR analyzers and the time-consuming process caused by raising and lowering the temperature using the same temperature-changing module.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present application, a clamping mechanism is provided, including:

[0006] A clamping component, the clamping component has two relatively arranged clamping jaws, each clamping jaw has a clamping end, and the clamping ends of the two clamping jaws can approach or separate from each other to be able to clamp a sample carrier or release the sample carrier;

[0007] A hot lid component, movably connected to the lower side of the clamping component, and the hot lid component can press downward relative to the clamping component to press against the sample carrier when the clamping component clamps the sample carrier.

[0008] In one embodiment, the clamping assembly includes a connecting plate, a moving plate and a fixing plate. The moving plate is connected to the connecting plate in a liftable manner. The fixing plate is disposed at an interval below the moving plate. The hot cover assembly is movably connected to the lower side of the fixing plate. Each clamping jaw has a connecting end opposite to the clamping end, and a connecting portion located between the clamping end and the connecting end. The connecting end is rotatably connected to the moving plate and is slidably limited in a kidney-shaped groove formed in the moving plate. The connecting portion is rotatably connected to the fixing plate.

[0009] In one embodiment, the hot cover assembly includes a hot cover substrate, a heating element and a sealing element. The hot cover substrate is connected to the clamping assembly in a liftable manner. The heating element is connected to the hot cover substrate through an elastic element. One side of the sealing element is attached to the heating element, and the other side is used for attaching to the sample carrier.

[0010] In the above clamping mechanism, by movably connecting the hot cover assembly to the clamping assembly, when the clamping assembly clamps the sample carrier, the hot cover assembly can press down relative to the sample carrier to tightly press against the sample carrier, so as to be able to seal the sample carrier well, prevent the test sample in the sample carrier from evaporating, and when it is necessary to separate the hot cover assembly from the sample carrier, first, the clamping assembly can be used to fix the sample carrier on the temperature control module, and then the hot cover assembly can be lifted relative to the sample carrier, so that the hot cover assembly can be easily separated from the sample carrier without manual separation, saving labor and avoiding the occurrence of safety accidents.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present application, a temperature control circulation device is provided. The temperature control circulation device includes:

[0012] A base, on which a plurality of temperature control modules are provided. The temperature control modules are provided with sample carriers that can be separated from the temperature control modules. Each of the temperature control modules can perform independent temperature adjustment to respectively perform replication amplification on the test samples in the sample carriers.

[0013] A translation module, movably arranged on the base. The translation module can move along a horizontal direction to sequentially pass through each of the temperature control modules multiple times, and the translation module is provided with a clamping mechanism as described in any of the above solutions.

[0014] In one embodiment, at least one of the temperature control modules is defined as a first temperature control module. The first temperature control module includes a fixing seat, a first heat insulation assembly, a first temperature control component, a first heat conducting component and a second heat insulation assembly connected in sequence from bottom to top. The bottom side of the fixing seat is used for connecting an optical fiber.

[0015] In one embodiment, the first heat insulation component includes a first heat insulation cotton and a plurality of heat insulation balls connected to the first heat insulation cotton and arranged at intervals. The first heat insulation cotton is spaced from the fixed seat and is connected to the fixed seat at multiple points through the plurality of heat insulation balls;

[0016] And / or, the first temperature control component includes a substrate and a heating element, and the heating element is arranged in the substrate according to the heating distribution of the first temperature control component;

[0017] And / or, the second heat insulation component includes a heat insulation protective cover and a second heat insulation cotton. The heat insulation protective cover and the second heat insulation cotton are both provided with a plurality of through holes arranged in an array. The sample carrier has a plurality of PCR tubes corresponding to the through holes one by one, and each PCR tube penetrates through the corresponding through hole.

[0018] In one embodiment, a plurality of magnets arranged in an array are embedded in the first heat conducting member. The magnets are configured to adsorb the magnetic beads to the tube wall of the PCR tube when the first heat conducting member carries the sample carrier and there are magnetic beads in the sample to be tested in the sample carrier.

[0019] In one embodiment, the plurality of temperature control modules further include a second temperature control module. The second temperature control module includes a radiator, a second temperature control component and a second heat conducting member connected in sequence from bottom to top. The second temperature control component is a Peltier element. The second heat conducting member has a plurality of through holes arranged in an array, and each through hole is used for inserting one of the PCR tubes.

[0020] In one embodiment, a plurality of fiber optic connectors arranged in an array are detachably connected to the bottom side of the fixed seat, and each fiber optic connector is correspondingly connected to one fiber optic.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a PCR analyzer, including the temperature control circulation device and the optical detection device as described in any of the above solutions, and the optical detection device is connected to the temperature control circulation device.

[0022] The above PCR analyzer sets multiple temperature control modules on the base. Each temperature control module can perform independent temperature adjustment respectively, so that each temperature control module can have different and stepwise changing temperatures. And by setting a translation module movably connected to the base and a clamping component on the translation module, the clamping component can clamp the sample carrier and transfer it between each temperature control module in turn, so that PCR replication amplification of the sample to be tested under different temperature conditions can be carried out in a relatively short time, without frequent temperature rise and fall on one temperature control module, eliminating the waiting time for temperature rise and fall. Therefore, the change of the heating temperature of the sample to be tested can be quickly realized, the temperature rise and fall rate is greatly improved, which is beneficial to the rapid detection of PCR. Description of the Drawings

[0023] Figure 1 Isometric view of the PCR analyzer provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Figure 2 Exploded view of the first temperature control module provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 3 Isometric view of the sample carrier provided by an embodiment of the present application Figure 1 .

[0026] Figure 4 Isometric view of the sample carrier provided by an embodiment of the present application Figure 2 .

[0027] Figure 5 Exploded view of the second temperature control module provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Figure 6 Front view of the translation module provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Figure 7 Isometric view of the clamping mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present application Figure 1 .

[0030] Figure 8 Isometric view of the clamping mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present application Figure 2 .

[0031] Figure 9 Exploded schematic diagram of the hot cover assembly provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0032] Description of the reference numerals:

[0033] 10. PCR Analyzer; 100. Temperature Control Circulation Device; 110. Base; 120. Temperature Control Module; 121. First Temperature Control Module; 1211. Fixed Seat; 1212. First Heat Insulation Component; 1212a. First Heat Insulating Cotton; 1212b. Heat Insulating Ball; 1213. First Temperature Control Element; 1214. First Heat Conducting Element; 1215. Second Heat Insulation Component; 1215a. Heat Insulating Protective Cover; 1215b. Second Heat Insulating Cotton; 1216. Fiber Optic Connector; 122. Second Temperature Control Module; 1221. Radiator; 1222. Second Temperature Control Element; 1223. Second Heat Conducting Element; 130. Translation Module; 131. Frame; 132. First Lifting Mechanism; 1321. First Driving Motor; 1322. First Connecting Rod; 1323. First Lifting Plate; 140. Gripping Mechanism; 141. Gripping Assembly; 1411. Jaw; 1411a. Gripping End; 1411b. Connecting End; 1411c. Connecting Portion; 1412. Connecting Plate; 1413. Moving Plate; 1414. Fixed Plate; 1415. Second Lifting Mechanism; 1415a. Second Driving Motor; 1415b. Second Connecting Rod; 1415c. Second Lifting Plate; 142. Thermal Cover Assembly; 1421. Thermal Cover Substrate; 1422. Heating Element; 1422a. Heat Insulating Frame; 1422c. Heat Insulating Plate; 1422d. Third Heat Insulating Cotton; 1422e. Heating Cover Plate; 1422b. Third Temperature Control Element; 1423. Sealing Element; 1423a. Thermal Cover Insert Plate; 1423b. Sealing Pad; 1424. Elastic Element; 143. Third Driving Motor; 150. Sample Carrier; 151. PCR Tube; 152. Accommodation Chamber; 200. Optical Detection Device; 300. Optical Fiber. Detailed Embodiment

[0034] To make the above objects, features, and advantages of the present application more apparent and understandable, the following detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present application will be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to fully understand the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the connotation of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0035] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that if there are terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., the orientation or positional relationship indicated by these terms is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. These are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0036] In addition, if there are terms such as "first" and "second", these terms are only used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of the present application, if there is a term "plurality", the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically and clearly defined.

[0037] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if there are terms such as "mounted", "connected", "connected to", "fixed", etc., these terms should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly limited. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0038] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if there is a description such as a first feature being "on" or "under" a second feature, the meaning may be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicates that the first feature has a higher horizontal height than the second feature. The first feature being "under", "beneath" and "underneath" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicates that the first feature has a lower horizontal height than the second feature.

[0039] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element at the same time. If any, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this application are only for illustrative purposes and do not represent the only implementation.

[0040] This application provides a clamping mechanism, a temperature control circulation device and a PCR analyzer. The PCR analyzer includes a temperature control circulation device, and the temperature control circulation device includes a clamping mechanism. Among them, the PCR analyzer is used to simulate the DNA replication process in vivo in vitro based on the amplification principle of polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

[0041] The structures of the PCR analyzer, the temperature control circulation device and the clamping mechanism in this application will be described below. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the temperature control circulation device of this application is not limited to being used only in the PCR analyzer, and can also be used in other devices that require stepwise temperature control. And the clamping mechanism of this application is not limited to being used in the temperature control circulation device of the PCR analyzer, and can also be used in any device that requires clamping of samples and keeping the samples warm, which is not limited here.

[0042] Refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of a PCR analyzer 10 in an embodiment of this application. The PCR analyzer 10 provided by this application includes a temperature control circulation device 100 and an optical detection device 200 that are connected to each other. Among them, the temperature control circulation device 100 is used to perform cycles of three stages: high-temperature denaturation, low-temperature annealing, and appropriate-temperature extension on the sample to be tested, so as to achieve rapid amplification of the target DNA fragment; the optical detection device 200 is used to emit excitation light to the sample to be tested and receive the fluorescence emitted by the sample to be tested, so as to analyze the sample to be tested during replication and amplification, so as to monitor the reaction process of PCR in real time.

[0043] Specifically, the temperature control circulation device 100 includes a base 110, a temperature control module 120, a translation module 130, and a clamping mechanism 140. Among them, there are multiple temperature control modules 120, and the multiple temperature control modules 120 are arranged on the base 110 at intervals in sequence. A sample carrier 150 that can be separated from the temperature control module 120 is provided on one of the temperature control modules 120, and the sample carrier 150 is used to hold the sample to be tested. Each temperature control module 120 can separately perform temperature adjustment, so that each temperature control module 120 can have different and stepwise changing temperatures, so as to be able to separately replicate and amplify the sample to be tested in the sample carrier 150 at different temperatures. The translation module 130 is movably arranged on the base 110, and it can move along a horizontal direction (the X direction shown in the figure) under the control of a set program to sequentially pass through each temperature control module 120 multiple times. The clamping mechanism 140 is arranged on the translation module 130 and can lift relative to the translation module 130 to clamp the sample carrier 150, so that the sample carrier 150 can be transferred between each temperature control module 120 when the translation module 130 moves, so that the sample to be tested in the sample carrier 150 can be subjected to PCR replication and amplification in each temperature control module 120 respectively.

[0044] In Figure 1 the embodiment shown, there are four temperature control modules 120, and the four temperature control modules 120 can independently maintain four different constant temperatures, such as 4°C, 55°C, 72°C, and 95°C, so that the sample to be tested can first be subjected to high-temperature denaturation in an environment of 95°C. At this temperature, the double-stranded DNA in the sample to be tested will dissociate into two single strands; then the sample to be tested can be subjected to medium-temperature annealing in an environment of 72°C to make the primer and the target DNA complementary bind; then the sample to be tested can be subjected to suitable-temperature extension in an environment of 55°C. At this temperature, the activity of the thermostable DNA polymerase is the highest, which can promote the primer to extend on the target DNA sequence to synthesize a new DNA strand; finally, the sample to be tested is stored temporarily at a temperature of 4°C for the PCR product after the reaction. In the above embodiment, according to specific requirements, the temperature control module 120 with a constant temperature of 55°C is connected to the optical detection device 200 to facilitate quantitative analysis of the sample to be tested after the suitable-temperature extension of the sample to be tested.

[0045] Of course, it can be understood that the constant temperatures maintained by the four temperature control modules 120 are not limited to 4°C, 55°C, 72°C, and 95°C, and can be changed according to requirements. Moreover, the number of temperature control modules 120 is not limited to four, and can be three or any number, all of which can be set according to requirements without special limitations.

[0046] Thus, by setting multiple temperature control modules 120, translation modules 130, and clamping mechanisms 140, the translation module 130 can drive the clamping mechanism 140 to mechanically clamp the sample carrier 150 and transfer it between the respective temperature control modules 120 according to the program settings, so that the temperature of the sample to be tested can be quickly changed in a short time. Furthermore, PCR replication amplification under different temperature conditions can be performed on the sample to be tested in a short time, without the need for frequent heating and cooling on one temperature control module 120, eliminating the waiting time for heating and cooling. Therefore, the change in the heating temperature of the sample to be tested can be quickly realized, greatly improving the heating and cooling rate, which is beneficial to the rapid detection of PCR.

[0047] In the structures of the respective temperature control modules 120, taking the embodiment shown in the figure as an example, the three temperature control modules 120 with constant temperatures of 55°C, 72°C, and 95°C have the same structure, which is defined as the first temperature control module 121 here. The structure of the temperature control module 120 with a constant temperature of 4°C is different from that of the other three temperature control modules 120, which is defined as the second temperature control module 122 here.

[0048] Specifically, as Figure 2 shown, the first temperature control module 121 includes a fixed seat 1211, a first heat insulation component 1212, a first temperature control element 1213, a first heat conducting element 1214, and a second heat insulation component 1215 that are connected in sequence from bottom to top. Among them, the first temperature control element 1213 is used to generate heat to keep the first temperature control module 121 at a constant temperature; the first heat conducting element 1214 is used to conduct the heat generated by the first temperature control element 1213 to the sample carrier 150, so that the sample to be tested can be heated to the preset temperature; the first heat insulation component 1212 is used to prevent heat from being transferred to the base 110 and reduce heat energy loss; the second heat insulation component 1215 is used for heat preservation and insulation to prevent the ambient temperature from affecting the first heat conducting element 1214 and improve the temperature uniformity of the first heat conducting element 1214, thereby ensuring the temperature uniformity of the sample to be tested in the sample carrier 150.

[0049] According to the foregoing, the temperature control module 120 with a constant temperature of 55°C is connected to the optical detection device 200. Therefore, in the temperature control module 120 with a constant temperature of 55°C, multiple optical fibers 300 are connected to the bottom side of the fixed seat 1211, so that this temperature control module 120 is connected to the optical detection device 200 through the optical fibers 300. Of course, one or any other multiple temperature control modules 120 can also be connected to the optical detection device 200, which is not limited here. As Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the reason for connecting multiple optical fibers 300 is that in this embodiment, the sample carrier 150 has a plurality of PCR tubes 151 arranged in an array. Each PCR tube 151 has a receiving cavity 152 for receiving the sample to be tested. All the optical fibers 300 correspond to all the PCR tubes 151 one by one. One end of each optical fiber 300 away from the fixing base 1211 is connected to the optical detection device 200, so that the optical detection device 200 can perform optical detection on the sample to be tested in each PCR tube 151.

[0050] In terms of the connection method between the optical fiber 300 and the fixing base 1211, a plurality of fiber optic connectors 1216 arranged in an array are detachably connected to the bottom side of the fixing base 1211, and each fiber optic connector 1216 correspondingly connects to one optical fiber 300. Specifically, the fiber optic connector 1216 is in the shape of a hollow cylinder. One end of it is threadedly connected to the fixing base 1211 for easy disassembly. The other end is provided with a fixing hole, and one end of the optical fiber 300 away from the optical detection device 200 passes through the fixing hole. In this way, the optical fiber 300 does not need to be fixed by gluing, which enables the operator to conveniently install the optical fiber 300 independently, making production and manufacturing convenient and the after-sales maintenance cost low. Moreover, the optical fiber 300 can be installed and fixed without looseness and has a simple and reliable structure.

[0051] Furthermore, in terms of the structure of the first heat insulation component 1212, the first heat insulation component 1212 includes a first heat insulation cotton 1212a and a plurality of heat insulation balls 1212b connected to the first heat insulation cotton 1212a and arranged at equal intervals. The upper side of the first heat insulation cotton 1212a is attached to the first temperature control component 1213, and the lower side is spaced from the fixing base 1211 and is connected to the fixing base 1211 by the above-mentioned plurality of heat insulation balls 1212b in a point connection manner. The heat insulation balls 1212b are preferably ceramic balls because the pressure resistance of a single ceramic ball can be greater than 50 Kg, and the high-precision size of the heat insulation balls 1212b can ensure the parallelism between the first heat insulation cotton 1212a and the fixing base 1211. Moreover, since the heat insulation balls 1212b are in point contact with both the first heat insulation cotton 1212a and the fixing base 1211, the heat generated by the first temperature control component 1213 is not easily transferred to the fixing base 1211 and the base 110. More preferably, the first heat insulation cotton 1212a is made of an aerogel material. This material has an aerogel pore size of 20 - 50 nm, a porosity as high as over 95%, and a minimum thermal conductivity of 0.014 W / m·k, which can form a heat barrier layer, making it even more difficult for the heat generated by the first temperature control component 1213 to be transferred to the fixing base 1211 and the base 110, thereby further effectively avoiding heat energy loss.

[0052] Preferably, the first temperature control member 1213 has a plate-like structure, which includes a substrate and a heating element. The heating element is disposed in the substrate according to the heat distribution of the first temperature control member 1213, so that the first temperature control member 1213 can generate reasonable heat, and at the same time, the heating element can compensate the temperature around the first temperature control member 1213, thereby effectively avoiding the edge effect of high temperature in the middle and low temperature around, and making the temperature uniformity of each first temperature control module 121 good.

[0053] In terms of the structure of the first heat conducting member 1214, a plurality of through holes arranged in an array are formed on the side of the first heat conducting member 1214 facing the second heat insulation assembly 1215, and the number of the through holes corresponds to the number of the PCR tubes 151 on the sample carrier 150 respectively. In one embodiment, the second heat insulation assembly 1215 includes a heat insulation protective cover 1215a and a second heat insulation cotton 1215b. The heat insulation protective cover 1215a and the second heat insulation cotton 1215b are respectively provided with a plurality of through holes arranged in an array, and the number of the through holes corresponds to the number of the PCR tubes 151 of the sample carrier 150. In this way, the PCR tubes 151 of the sample carrier 150 are inserted into the corresponding through holes, and thus are inserted into the heat insulation protective cover 1215a and the second heat insulation cotton 1215b, and inserted into the through holes of the first heat conducting member 1214. In this way, it can be ensured that the test samples in each PCR tube 151 are uniformly heated, and the phenomenon that the test samples in different PCR tubes 151 are unevenly heated is avoided.

[0054] In some cases, based on the analysis needs, some of the test samples contain magnetic beads made of ferromagnetic materials. The purpose is to specifically bind the special structure on the surface of the magnetic beads to the nucleic acid molecules of the test samples, so as to be able to perform simple and efficient nucleic acid purification. When performing optical detection on the test samples, in order to avoid the sedimentation of the magnetic beads affecting the detection signal and thus affecting the detection result, in a preferred embodiment, a plurality of magnets arranged in an array are also embedded in the first heat conducting member 1214, that is, the magnets are embedded between any two adjacent through holes of the first heat conducting member 1214. In this way, when the test samples contain magnetic beads and the sample carrier 150 is placed on the first heat conducting member 1214, the magnetic beads can be quickly adsorbed by the corresponding magnets to the side wall of the accommodation cavity 152, so as to quickly sediment the magnetic beads, avoid the magnetic beads from blocking the excitation light or the reflected light, eliminate the influence of the magnetic beads on the detection, and thus will not affect the detection signal, so that the detection time can be shortened.

[0055] Figure 5The explosion diagram of the second temperature control module 122 is shown. Since the second temperature control module 122 needs to keep the temperature constant at a low temperature, preferably set at 4 °C, the structure of the second temperature control module 122 is different from that of the first temperature control module 121. Specifically, the second temperature control module 122 includes a radiator 1221, a second temperature control element 1222, and a second heat conducting element 1223 connected in sequence from bottom to top. The structure of the second heat conducting element 1223 is similar to that of the first heat conducting element 1214 and will not be elaborated here. When the sample carrier 150 is placed on the second temperature control module 122, the PCR tube 151 on the lower side of the sample carrier 150 is inserted into the jack of the second heat conducting element 1223. Optionally, the second temperature control element 1222 is a Peltier element. The upper surface of the Peltier element is attached to the bottom surface of the second heat conducting element 1223, the radiator 1221 is provided below the Peltier element, the lower surface of the Peltier element is attached to the radiator 1221, and heat conducting materials such as heat conducting silicone grease are applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the Peltier element. When cooling down, the Peltier element passes a reverse current. At this time, the upper surface of the Peltier element is the cold end, and the lower surface of the Peltier element is the hot end, so that the upper surface of the Peltier element cools the second heat conducting element 1223, and then cools the sample to be tested in the sample carrier 150. The radiator 1221 can dissipate a large amount of heat generated on the lower surface of the Peltier element at this time. When heating up, the Peltier element passes a forward current. At this time, the upper surface of the Peltier element is the hot end, and the lower surface of the Peltier element is the cold end, and the upper surface of the Peltier element provides heating heat to the second heat conducting element 1223.

[0056] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 , the translation module 130 is movably connected to the base 110 through a timing belt assembly, that is, the translation module 130 is connected to the timing belt of the timing belt assembly. When the timing belt moves horizontally, the translation module 130 also moves accordingly. Figure 6The specific structure of the translation module 130 is shown. In one embodiment, the translation module 130 includes a frame 131 and a first lifting mechanism 132 mounted on the frame 131. The frame 131 has a "door" - shaped structure, and the first lifting mechanism 132 is installed at the top of the frame 131. The clamping mechanism 140 is connected to the first lifting mechanism 132 and is driven by the first lifting mechanism 132 to move up and down. Specifically, the first lifting mechanism 132 includes a first driving motor 1321, a first connecting rod 1322, and a first lifting plate 1323. The first lifting plate 1323 is provided with a chute extending in the horizontal direction. One end of the first connecting rod 1322 is rotatably connected to the first driving motor 1321, and the opposite end is slidably limited in the chute. When the first driving motor 1321 drives the first connecting rod 1322 to rotate around the output shaft of the first driving motor 1321, the end of the first connecting rod 1322 away from the first driving motor 1321 can slide in the chute of the first lifting plate 1323, thereby driving the first lifting plate 1323 to move up and down, and further driving the clamping mechanism 140 to move up and down to complete the action of lifting or lowering the sample carrier 150.

[0057] Furthermore, in terms of the specific structure of the clamping mechanism 140, the clamping mechanism 140 includes a clamping component 141 and a thermal cover component 142 movably connected to the lower side of the clamping component 141. The clamping component 141 has two oppositely - arranged clamping jaws 1411, and each clamping jaw 1411 has a clamping end 1411a. The clamping ends 1411a of the two clamping jaws 1411 can approach or separate from each other to be able to clamp or release the sample carrier 150. The thermal cover component 142 can press down relative to the sample carrier 150 when the clamping component 141 clamps the sample carrier 150 to press against the sample carrier 150, so as to seal the sample to be tested in the sample carrier 150, prevent the sample to be tested from volatilizing into the air, and the thermal cover component 142 can also generate heat to keep its own temperature higher than the temperature of the temperature control module 120, thereby preventing the liquid sample to be tested in the sample carrier 150 from generating condensation during the reaction process.

[0058] More specifically, as Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown in the figure, the clamping assembly 141 includes a connecting plate 1412, a moving plate 1413, a fixing plate 1414, and a second lifting mechanism 1415. The connecting plate 1412 is connected to the first lifting mechanism 132, such that the connecting plate 1412 is connected to the translation module 130 in a liftable manner through the first lifting mechanism 132. The second lifting mechanism 1415 is connected to the moving plate 1413, and the fixing plate 1414 is disposed at intervals below the moving plate 1413. The second lifting mechanism 1415 has the same structure as the first lifting mechanism 132, including a second driving motor 1415a, a second connecting rod 1415b, and a second lifting plate 1415c, which will not be elaborated here. The moving plate 1413 is connected to the second lifting plate 1415c. The second driving motor 1415a drives the second connecting rod 1415b to rotate, thereby driving the second lifting plate 1415c to lift and lower. The hot cover assembly 142 is movably connected to the lower side of the fixing plate 1414. Each clamping jaw 1411 further has a connecting end 1411b disposed opposite to the clamping end 1411a, and a connecting portion 1411c located between the clamping end 1411a and the connecting end 1411b. The connecting end 1411b is rotatably connected to the moving plate 1413 and is slidably limited in a kidney-shaped groove (not marked in the figure) formed in the moving plate 1413. The connecting portion 1411c is rotatably connected to the fixing plate 1414.

[0059] In one embodiment, the hot cover assembly 142 is connected to the fixing plate 1414 of the clamping assembly 141 in a liftable manner through a third driving motor 143. The third driving motor 143 is a lead screw motor. Driven by the third driving motor 143, the hot cover assembly 142 can lift and lower relative to the fixing plate 1414.

[0060] Specifically, Figure 9 shows an exploded view of the hot cover assembly 142 in this embodiment. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the hot cover assembly 142 includes a hot cover substrate 1421, a heating element 1422, and a sealing element 1423. Combining Figure 7 and Figure 9 as shown, the hot cover substrate 1421 is connected to the fixing plate 1414 of the clamping assembly 141 in a liftable manner through the third driving motor 143. The heating element 1422 is connected to the hot cover substrate 1421 through an elastic element 1424. The purpose of setting the elastic element 1424 is to ensure that when the third driving motor 143 drives the hot cover assembly 142 to press down, the downward pressure of the hot cover assembly 142 on the sample carrier 150 is constant. One side of the sealing element 1423 is attached to the heating element 1422, and the other side is used to attach to the sample carrier 150.

[0061] In one embodiment, the heating element 1422 includes an insulation frame 1422a and a third temperature control unit 1422b disposed in the insulation frame 1422a. The third temperature control unit 1422b generates heat and keeps it constant at 105°C, so that the temperature of the heat cover assembly 142 is kept higher than the temperature of the temperature control module 120, thereby preventing condensation of the sample to be tested.

[0062] Furthermore, the insulation frame 1422a includes an insulation board 1422c, a third insulation cotton 1422d and a heating cover plate 1422e, wherein the upper side of the heating cover plate 1422e is open, the third temperature control unit 1422b is installed in the heating cover plate 1422e through a thermal conductive curing process, the third insulation cotton 1422d is attached to the lower side of the insulation board 1422c, the insulation board 1422c and the third insulation cotton 1422d together close the upper opening of the heating cover plate 1422e, the third temperature control unit 1422b has the same structure as the first temperature control unit 1213 in the first temperature control module 121, and also includes a substrate and a heating element, and the heating element is arranged in the substrate according to the thermal design, which can also prevent the generation of edge effects. The role of the third thermal insulation cotton 1422d here is similar to that of the first thermal insulation cotton 1212a and the second thermal insulation cotton 1215b in the first temperature control module 121, and it also plays a role of heat preservation to prevent the heat generated by the third temperature control unit 1422b from being lost, and it can also prevent the high temperature from causing thermal deformation to the thermal insulation board 1422c, thereby ensuring the dimensional stability of the thermal insulation board 1422c. The seal 1423 is used to seal the liquid sample to be tested in the sample carrier 150 to prevent it from volatilizing. Further, the seal 1423 includes a heat cover plug 1423a and a sealing gasket 1423b, wherein one side of the heat cover plug 1423a is attached to the heating cover 1422e, one side of the sealing gasket 1423b is attached to the side of the heat cover plug 1423a away from the heating cover 1422e, and the other side is used to attach to the sample carrier 150.

[0063] Thus, when the second lifting plate 1415c of the second lifting mechanism 1415 moves up and down to drive the moving plate 1413 of the clamping assembly 141 to move up and down, the connecting end 1411b of each clamping jaw 1411 can rotate relative to the moving plate 1413, horizontally move relative to the moving plate 1413 in the kidney-shaped groove, and can also rotate relative to the fixed plate 1414 around the central axis of the connecting portion 1411c, so that the two clamping jaws 1411 can complete the actions of clamping or releasing. At the same time, when the clamping jaws 1411 clamp the sample carrier 150, the third driving motor 143 can drive the hot cover assembly 142 to press down and fit onto the sample carrier 150 to provide good sealing for the sample carrier 150, prevent the evaporation of the sample to be tested in the sample carrier 150, and avoid the condensation of the liquid sample to be tested in the sample carrier 150 during the reaction process due to cooling. In addition, when it is necessary to separate the hot cover assembly 142 from the sample carrier, the sample carrier 150 can be first fixed on the temperature control module 120 by using the clamping assembly 141, and then the hot cover assembly 142 can be lifted relative to the sample carrier 150, so that the hot cover assembly 142 can be easily separated from the sample carrier 150 without manual separation, saving labor and avoiding the occurrence of safety accidents.

[0064] Through the design of the above structure, the clamping assembly 141 and the hot cover assembly 142 are integrated into the clamping mechanism 140, so that there is no need to separately set up a mechanism for lifting the hot cover assembly 142, thus simplifying the overall structure, saving the manufacturing cost of the equipment, and simplifying the process flow. It is convenient to press the hot cover assembly 142 onto the sample carrier 150 and also convenient to separate the hot cover assembly 142 from the sample carrier 150.

[0065] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be considered as the scope described in this specification.

[0066] The above-described embodiments only represent several implementation manners of the present application. The description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present application, several modifications and improvements can be made, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A clamping mechanism, characterized in that: include: A clamping assembly, wherein the clamping assembly has two clamping jaws arranged opposite to each other, each of the clamping jaws has a clamping end, and the clamping ends of the two clamping jaws can move closer to or farther away from each other so as to clamp a sample carrier or release the sample carrier; The hot cover assembly is movably connected to the lower side of the clamping assembly. When the clamping assembly clamps the sample carrier, the hot cover assembly can be pressed downward relative to the clamping assembly to press against the sample carrier.

2. The clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping assembly includes a connecting plate, a movable plate and a fixed plate, the movable plate is connected to the connecting plate in a liftable manner, the fixed plate is arranged below the movable plate at intervals, and the heat cover assembly is movably connected to the lower side of the fixed plate; each of the clamping claws has a connecting end arranged opposite to the clamping end, and a connecting portion located between the clamping end and the connecting end, the connecting end is rotatably connected to the movable plate and slidably limited in a waist-shaped groove opened in the movable plate, and the connecting portion is rotatably connected to the fixed plate.

3. The clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat cover assembly comprises a heat cover base plate, a heating element and a sealing element. The heat cover base plate is connected to the clamping assembly in a liftable manner. The heating element is connected to the heat cover base plate through an elastic element. One side of the sealing element is attached to the heating element, and the other side is used to attach to the sample carrier.

4. A temperature control circulation device, characterized in that: The temperature control circulation device comprises: A base, wherein a plurality of temperature control modules are disposed on the base, and a sample carrier that can be separated from the temperature control module is disposed on the temperature control module; each of the temperature control modules can perform independent temperature adjustment to replicate and amplify the sample to be tested in the sample carrier; A translation module is movably arranged on the base, and the translation module can move along a horizontal direction to pass through each of the temperature control modules in sequence for multiple times, and the translation module is provided with a clamping mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-3.

5. The temperature control circulation device according to claim 4, characterized in that: At least one of the temperature control modules is defined as a first temperature control module, which includes a fixing seat, a first insulation component, a first temperature control component, a first heat conducting component and a second insulation component connected in sequence from bottom to top, and the bottom side of the fixing seat is used to connect the optical fiber.

6. The temperature control circulation device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first thermal insulation component includes a first thermal insulation cotton and a plurality of thermal insulation balls connected to the first thermal insulation cotton and arranged at intervals, wherein the first thermal insulation cotton is arranged at intervals from the fixing seat and is connected to the fixing seat through a plurality of thermal insulation balls; And / or, the first temperature control component includes a substrate and a heating element, and the heating element is arranged in the substrate according to the heating distribution of the first temperature control component; And / or, the second thermal insulation component includes a thermal insulation protective cover and a second thermal insulation cotton, the thermal insulation protective cover and the second thermal insulation cotton are both provided with a plurality of through holes distributed in an array, the sample carrier has a plurality of PCR tubes corresponding one by one to the through holes, and each of the PCR tubes is passed through the corresponding through hole.

7. The temperature control circulation device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first heat-conducting member is embedded with a plurality of magnets distributed in an array, and the magnets are configured to adsorb the magnetic beads to the tube wall of the PCR tube when the first heat-conducting member carries the sample carrier and there are magnetic beads in the sample to be tested in the sample carrier.

8. The temperature control circulation device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The multiple temperature control modules also include a second temperature control module, which includes a heat sink, a second temperature control unit and a second heat conductor connected in sequence from bottom to top, the second temperature control unit is a Peltier element, and the second heat conductor has a plurality of sockets distributed in an array, each of the sockets is used for inserting one of the PCR tubes.

9. The temperature control circulation device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A plurality of optical fiber connectors distributed in an array are detachably connected to the bottom side of the fixing seat, and each of the optical fiber connectors is correspondingly used to connect one of the optical fibers.

10. A PCR analyzer, characterized in that: It comprises a temperature control circulation device and an optical detection device as described in any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein the optical detection device is connected to the temperature control circulation device.

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