Traceable automatic analysis system

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of biotechnology and medical instruments, and relates to a traceable automatic analysis system which comprises a table top, consumables and a pipetting unit, the pipetting unit can move in the X direction, the Y direction and the Z direction, the traceable automatic analysis system further comprises a discarding module arranged on the table top, and the discarding module comprises a discarding box and an assembly body. A discarding box can be assembled on the assembly body, the pipetting unit comprises a plurality of pipetting channels, and the pipetting channels can discard a plurality of corresponding consumables into the discarding box at the same time or in sequence. According to the utility model, the volume utilization rate of the discarded box is ensured, consumables and a pipetting channel can be traced in the whole experiment process, and problems can be quickly checked and solved; consumables can be discarded at the same time or in sequence through the pipetting channel, so that the working efficiency of the analysis system is improved; when consumables are discarded, waste liquid cannot be splashed, cleaning and disinfection of the table top and discarded containers are reduced, and the workload is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a traceable automated analysis system, belonging to the technical fields of biotechnology and medical devices. Background Technique

[0002] Automated analysis systems (such as chemical analyzers or immunoassay instruments) usually include a liquid handling unit of a pipetting workstation and integrate third-party devices or modules such as analyzers and centrifuges for analyzing samples such as urine, serum, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid, etc., and are widely used in fields that require automated micro-liquid handling such as disease diagnosis and analysis, infectious disease screening, nucleic acid purification, gene and protein sequencing, rapid clone screening, cell culture, and biological sample preparation.

[0003] These systems use a variety of consumables, such as microplates, tip racks, cryotubes, test tubes, reagent kits, etc. After the experimental steps are completed, the consumables or containers are usually transported as waste to a waste bin or waste box, and are emptied or replaced by the operator when the waste bin or waste box is full.

[0004] The "waste" mentioned here refers to solid or liquid waste after the use of the analysis system, including solid consumables and liquid consumables. Solid consumables such as used tips, tip racks, single tubes, microplates, cryotubes, test tube boxes, etc.; liquid consumables include used reagent solutions, cleaning solutions, reaction products, sample residues, etc. These consumables may be used once or multiple times and are finally discarded as waste.

[0005] In an automated analysis system, the pipetting unit can usually move in three directions of X, Y, and Z. The specifications of disposable tips are diverse. To prevent cross-contamination, the pipetting tips are detachably attached to the pipetting channels and are used to aspirate sample liquids from sample containers or dispense them into sample containers. The used disposable pipetting tips will be accommodated in a disposal container. In the prior art, the disposal container is designed in a box shape or a bag shape and is usually lined with a disposable medical garbage bag or other flexible linings for easy replacement.

[0006] However, there are many problems with these systems. When the waste container is full, the garbage bag must be emptied or replaced, which affects the continuous operation of the automated equipment and the unattended time. Since the guide plate comes into contact with the waste liquid itself, it needs to be regularly cleaned of the accumulated waste liquid pollution. In addition, the pipette tips are usually discarded in the container in a scattered and disorderly manner, resulting in low volume utilization of the waste container and increasing the risk of puncturing the garbage bag. The liquid remaining on the inner and outer walls of the pipette tips may leak or splash, polluting the experimental environment, especially when nucleic acid detection and analysis are carried out, environmental control is particularly important. The pipette tips are usually placed in the pipette tip carrier in a matrix form to ensure that their fixed positions on the equipment platform and the precision tolerance of the pipetting channels are within the allowable range of the system. The sealed packaging box, as the packaging and transportation unit for the pipette tips and the carrier, provides effective cleaning and protection, but it does not have the condition to be directly installed on the machine. These packaging boxes and pipette tip carriers are also discarded as waste after the experiment.

[0007] The US patent with publication number US11385247B2 relates to a method of discarding solid waste into a waste bin, providing a conveying mechanism to push the solid waste into the waste bin through a sliding member; the German patent with publication number DE102012206239A1 relates to a metering device, through a device where the waste container follows the liquid channel, setting a guiding element to make the pipette tips drop orderly, improving space utilization, and setting a discharge opening for more efficient removal of waste; the Japanese patent with publication number JP3569779B2 relates to a pipette tip box with a waste tray to temporarily store the used pipette tips in the waste tray of the pipette tip box. However, none of these solutions solve the problems of the efficiency of discarding in multiple channels, the splashing of waste liquid, and the difficulty in cleaning the irregular waste container. Summary of the Utility Model

[0008] The purpose of the present utility model is to provide a traceable automated analysis system to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art as described above.

[0009] The technical solution provided by the present utility model is as follows: A traceable automated analysis system includes a tabletop, consumables, and a pipetting unit. The pipetting unit can move in three directions of X, Y, and Z. It also includes a waste disposal module provided on the tabletop. The waste disposal module includes a waste disposal box and an assembly body. The waste disposal box can be assembled on the assembly body. The pipetting unit is provided with a number of pipetting channels, and the pipetting channels can simultaneously or successively discard corresponding consumables into the waste disposal box.

[0010] The effects of adopting the above technical solution are as follows: the disposal box and the pipetting channel correspond to each other, and consumables can be discarded simultaneously or successively according to the experimental needs, that is, the pipetting channel and consumables used can be traced during the experiment, and it can be accurately known whether there are problems with the pipetting channel and consumables used, and problems can be dealt with in a timely and targeted manner. In addition, the work of detecting and analyzing and discarding consumables can be carried out in large quantities simultaneously or successively, greatly improving the work efficiency.

[0011] Moreover, in this solution, when dealing with consumables, there is no situation where liquid splashes or consumables pierce the garbage bag, causing environmental pollution, reducing the workload.

[0012] Based on the above technical solution, the present utility model can be further improved as follows:

[0013] Further, the disposal box is equipped with a disposal box cover, and the disposal box cover is a three-fold edge seal cover or a blister seal cover.

[0014] Further, the disposal box and the disposal box cover are made of PET material.

[0015] Further, the disposal box and the disposal box cover are made of transparent material.

[0016] The effects of adopting the above further solution are as follows: the disposal box and the disposal box cover are made of transparent PET material, and the situation inside the disposal box can be observed in real time. And the disposal box and the disposal box cover need to be treated as biological waste after use. Therefore, on the basis of ensuring the use quality, a cheaper material is selected, saving costs.

[0017] Further, two long side edges and one short side edge of the three-fold edge seal cover are set as three-fold edges, the guide cavity formed by the three-fold edges is adapted to the outer eaves of the disposal box, and a locking member is provided on the other short side edge of the three-fold edge seal cover.

[0018] Further, the height of the guide cavity formed by the three-fold edges can also be set to enable the possibility of stacking and discarding consumables.

[0019] The effects of adopting the above further solution are as follows: the height of the guide cavity is increased accordingly, so that consumables can be stacked and discarded, further reducing the occupancy of the disposal space by consumables. For example, a 50 μl pipette tip can be sleeved on a 300 μl pipette tip or a 1000 μl pipette tip, increasing the space utilization rate and improving the work efficiency.

[0020] Further, the assembly is slidably connected to the tabletop through a track, and an induction block is provided on the assembly, and the induction block is used to monitor the loading state of the assembly.

[0021] The effect of adopting the above further scheme is that a sensing block is installed at the front end of the assembly, and the sensing block corresponds to the sensor on the table. When the assembly is not loaded properly, the sensor will alarm to reduce problems caused by improper loading of the assembly during the experiment.

[0022] Furthermore, a groove is provided on the assembly body, and the groove is provided with a curved chamfer, and the curved chamfer is adapted to the outer bottom of the disposal box.

[0023] The effect of adopting the above further solution is that the arc chamfer on the groove can maintain the stability of the disposal box and ensure that the disposal box will not fall over. In addition, the groove on the assembly can be hollowed out at the bottom to reduce weight and save materials, or it can have a bottom plate to prevent the disposal box from being broken and leaking onto the table in extremely accidental situations.

[0024] Furthermore, a sensor sheet is provided on the groove, and the sensor sheet is used to monitor the loading status of the disposal box.

[0025] The effect of adopting the above further solution is that a sensor sheet is provided on the groove to monitor whether the disposal box is installed properly, so as to ensure that the consumables can be accurately disposed of in the corresponding disposal hole when disposed of.

[0026] Furthermore, a probe is provided on the pipetting channel, and the pipetting channel can adapt and interact with consumables through the probe to automatically complete the installation, disposal and replacement of consumables.

[0027] The effect of adopting the above further solution is that the consumables can be coupled or released through the probe on the pipetting channel, which facilitates the adaptive interaction of the consumables.

[0028] Furthermore, the disposal box contains a plurality of disposal racks, and the disposal box and the disposal racks are the packaging box and the racks of the consumables themselves.

[0029] The effect of adopting the above further solution is that the packaging box and carrier of the consumables themselves are used as the disposal box and disposal carrier, which can not only recycle waste and reduce waste, but also perfectly match the consumables to ensure that there will be no splashing and leakage during the disposal process.

[0030] Furthermore, one disposal box is provided with a plurality of compartments, and each compartment corresponds to at most one disposal carrier.

[0031] The effect of adopting the above further solution is that all compartments in the disposal box can be loaded with disposal carriers for disposing of consumables that need to be traced; there can also be empty compartments, that is, no disposal carriers loaded, for disposing of other consumables that do not need to be traced.

[0032] Further, a plurality of disposal holes are provided on the disposal carrier, and the positions of the disposal holes correspond to the positions of the consumables. The consumables used can be traced through the positions of the disposal holes.

[0033] Further, the number of new consumables to be used corresponds one-to-one with the number of disposal holes.

[0034] The effect of adopting the above further solution is that the number of new consumables to be used corresponds one-to-one with the number of disposal holes, and there is no need to clean the disposal box in advance during the experiment, which can achieve the advantage of no manual intervention in the whole analysis experiment process, saving manpower and time.

[0035] Further, a water-absorbing material is provided at the bottom of the disposal box. The disposal box serves as a waste liquid treatment box to reduce or eliminate the waste liquid container on the tabletop.

[0036] The effect of adopting the above further solution is that when disposing of the consumables, the coupling between the pipetting channel and the consumable does not need to be released. The waste liquid can be directly disposed of in the disposal box, and the waste liquid is absorbed by the absorbing material at the bottom of the disposal box, and then the coupling between the pipetting channel and the consumable is released, so as to dispose of the consumable. Especially when there is a lot of waste liquid, it can ensure that the liquid will not splash out.

[0037] Further, the consumables include disposable pipette tips and disposable sampling tips.

[0038] The technical solution provided by the present utility model has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0039] By directly providing a disposal module on the tabletop, using the original packaging box of the consumable as the disposal box, the consumable corresponds to the disposal hole, and the disposed consumables are placed in an orderly manner. This not only ensures the volume utilization rate of the disposal box, but also enables the consumables and the pipetting channel to be traced throughout the experiment process, and can quickly check and solve problems; the pipetting channel of the present utility model can dispose of the consumables simultaneously or sequentially, improving the working efficiency of the analysis system; when disposing of the consumables, the consumables can vertically and controllably enter the corresponding disposal holes, without causing splashing of waste liquid, reducing the cleaning and disinfection of the tabletop and the disposal container, and reducing the workload. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the present utility model;

[0041] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the disposal module of the present utility model Figure 1 ;

[0042] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the disposal module of the present utility model Figure 2;

[0043] Figure 4 Structural schematic of the disposal module of the present utility model Figure 3 ;

[0044] Figure 5 Structural schematic of the disposal box cover of the present utility model Figure 1 ;

[0045] Figure 6 Structural schematic of the disposal box cover of the present utility model Figure 2 ;

[0046] Figure 7 is Figure 6 Enlarged view of position A in ;

[0047] Figure 8 Structural schematic diagram of the assembly of the present utility model

[0048] In the figure, 1, pipetting channel; 2, disposal module; 21, disposal box; 211, disposal carrier; 212, disposal hole; 22, disposal cover; 221, guide cavity; 222, locking member; 23, assembly; 231, track; 233, groove; 234, arc chamfer Specific embodiments

[0049] The principles and features of the present utility model are described below in conjunction with examples. The examples given are only for explaining the present utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of the present utility model

[0050] Such as Figures 1 - 8As shown in the figure, a traceable automated analysis system includes a tabletop, consumables, a pipetting unit, and a disposal module 2 disposed on the tabletop. The pipetting unit can move in three directions of X, Y, and Z. The disposal module 2 includes a disposal box 21 and an assembly 23. The disposal box 21 can be assembled on the assembly 23. The pipetting unit is provided with a plurality of pipetting channels 1. The pipetting channels 1 can simultaneously or successively discard corresponding consumables into the disposal box 21. The disposal box 21 and the pipetting channels 1 correspond to each other. Consumables can be discarded simultaneously or successively according to experimental needs, that is, the pipetting channels 1 and consumables used can be traced during the experiment, and it can be accurately known whether there are problems with the pipetting channels 1 and consumables used, and problems can be processed in a timely and targeted manner. The disposal box 21 is equipped with a disposal box cover 22. The disposal box cover 22 is a three-fold edge sealing cover. The disposal box 21 and the disposal box cover 22 are made of PET transparent material, and the situation inside the disposal box 21 can be observed in real time. Moreover, the disposal box 21 and the disposal box cover 22 need to be treated as biological waste after use. Therefore, on the basis of ensuring the use quality, a cheaper material is selected, saving costs. Two long sides and one short side of the three-fold edge sealing cover are set as three-fold edges. The guide cavity 221 formed by the three-fold edges is adapted to the outer eaves of the disposal box 21. The other short side of the three-fold edge sealing cover is provided with a locking member 222. The height of the guide cavity 221 formed by the three-fold edges can also be set to enable the possibility of stacking and discarding consumables. With the corresponding increase in the height of the guide cavity 221, consumables can be stacked and discarded, further reducing the occupancy of the disposal space by consumables. For example, a 50 μl pipette tip can be sleeved on a 300 μl pipette tip or a 1000 μl pipette tip, increasing the space utilization rate and improving work efficiency. The assembly 23 is slidably connected to the tabletop through a track 231. The assembly 23 is provided with an induction block for monitoring the loading state of the assembly 23. An induction block is installed at the front end of the assembly 23, which corresponds to a sensor on the tabletop. When the assembly 23 is not loaded properly, the sensor will alarm to remind, so as to reduce problems during the experiment. A groove 233 is provided on the assembly 23. The groove 233 is provided with an arc chamfer 234, and the arc chamfer 234 is adapted to the outer bottom of the disposal box 21. The arc chamfer 234 on the groove 233 can maintain the stability of the disposal box 21 and ensure that the disposal box 21 will not tip over. Moreover, the groove 233 on the assembly 23 can either have a hollow bottom to reduce weight and solve materials, or have a bottom plate to prevent the liquid from leaking onto the tabletop in the extremely rare case that the disposal box 21 is broken.An induction sheet is provided on the groove 233. The induction sheet is used to monitor the loading state of the discard box 21. An induction sheet is provided on the groove 233 to monitor whether the discard box 21 is properly installed, so as to ensure that the consumables can be accurately discarded into the corresponding discard holes 212 during discarding. A probe is provided on the liquid transfer channel 1. Through the probe on the liquid transfer channel 1, the consumables can be adaptively interacted with, and the installation, discard, and replacement of the consumables can be automatically completed. Through the probe on the liquid transfer channel 1, the consumables can be coupled and connected, and the coupling can also be released, facilitating the adaptive interaction with the consumables. A number of discard carriers 211 are loaded in the discard box 21. The discard box 21 and the discard carriers 211 are the packaging box and carrier of the consumables themselves. Using the packaging box and carrier of the consumables themselves as the discard box 21 and the discard carriers 211 can not only make use of waste and reduce waste, but also perfectly match the consumables, ensuring that there will be no splashing and liquid leakage problems during the discarding process. A number of discard holes 212 are provided on the discard carrier 211. The positions of the discard holes 212 correspond to the positions of the consumables. The consumables used can be traced through the positions of the discard holes 212. An absorbent material is provided at the bottom of the discard box 21. The discard box 21 serves as a waste liquid treatment box to reduce or eliminate the waste liquid container on the workbench, saving the area of the workbench. When discarding the consumables, the coupling between the liquid transfer channel 1 and the consumables does not need to be released, and the waste liquid can be directly discarded into the discard box 21. The waste liquid is absorbed by the absorbent material at the bottom of the discard box 21. Especially when there is a large amount of waste liquid, it can ensure that the liquid will not splash out.

[0051] In the present utility model, by directly providing the discard module 2 on the workbench and using the original packaging box of the consumables as the discard box 21, the consumables correspond to the discard holes 212, and the discarded consumables are placed in an orderly manner. This not only ensures the volume utilization rate of the discard box 21, but also enables the consumables and the liquid transfer channel 1 to be traced throughout the entire experiment process, facilitating quick inspection and problem-solving; the liquid transfer channel 1 of the present utility model can discard the consumables simultaneously or sequentially, improving the working efficiency of the analysis system; when discarding the consumables, the consumables can vertically and controllably enter the corresponding discard holes 212, without causing splashing of the waste liquid, reducing the cleaning and disinfection of the workbench and the discard container, and reducing the workload.

[0052] When the utility model works, firstly, it is necessary to manually install the new consumables to be used on the tabletop, and then use the consumable packaging box identical to the consumables as the waste disposal box 21, load it on the assembly body 23, and then load the waste disposal box 21 at an appropriate position through the track 231 of the assembly body 23; then the system starts automatic analysis. Firstly, the pipetting channel 1 is coupled with the consumables. After the detection and analysis are completed, the pipetting channel 1 moves in the XYZ axis directions to decouple the used consumables and place them into the corresponding waste disposal holes 212. When the waste disposal box 21 is full, align the guiding cavity 221 formed by the three-fold edges of the waste disposal box cover 22 with the outer edge of the waste disposal box 21 and push it inward, then pull the assembler outward, and after buckling the locking part 222 of the waste disposal box cover 22, the waste disposal box 21 and the waste disposal box cover 22 can be disposed of as biological waste.

[0053] Moreover, the number of new consumables to be used in the utility model corresponds one-to-one with the number of waste disposal holes 212. During the experiment process, there is no need to pause to clean the waste disposal box 21, and the advantage that the entire analysis experiment process can be realized without manual intervention can be achieved, saving manpower and time.

[0054] When the utility model disposes of consumables, especially during and after the disposal of disposable pipette tips, due to the limitation of the waste disposal carrier 211, the disposable pipette tips will not contact the bottom of the waste disposal box 21, and the disposed disposable pipette tips are in a suspended state. The suspended state can, on the one hand, ensure a certain buffer space between the pipette tips and the bottom of the waste disposal box, providing a certain buffer during the later waste transfer; on the other hand, if the pipette tips contact the bottom of the waste disposal box, the residual liquid in the pipette tips will transfer to the bottom due to surface tension and be mixed with other waste liquids. A slightly larger amount of bottom waste liquid will cause all the pipette tips to be soaked in the mixed waste liquid, which is equivalent to incomplete traceability; if the pipette tips are suspended, there is no need to worry about the pipette tips being touched by the mixed waste liquid, and complete traceability can be achieved.

[0055] Generally, the waste disposal box 21 is provided with 5 compartments, and each compartment can load 96 disposable pipette tips in a single layer. When the waste disposal box 21 is full, the number of disposable pipette tips loaded in a single layer is 480, and the volume ratio when the waste disposal box 21 is full can reach more than 15 - 20%, greatly improving the utilization rate of the waste disposal box.

[0056] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the utility model, and are not intended to limit the utility model. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the utility model shall be included within the protection scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A traceable automated analysis system, comprising a tabletop, a pipetting unit and consumables, wherein the pipetting unit is capable of moving in three directions of X, Y and Z, characterized in that, It further includes a disposal module (2) disposed on the tabletop. The disposal module (2) includes a disposal box (21) and an assembly (23). The disposal box (21) can be assembled on the assembly (23). The pipetting unit includes a number of pipetting channels (1), and the pipetting channels (1) can simultaneously or successively dispose corresponding consumables into the disposal box (21).

2. The traceable automated analysis system according to claim 1, wherein The disposal box (21) is equipped with a disposal box cover (22), and the disposal box cover (22) is a triple-fold edge sealing cover or a blister sealing cover.

3. The traceable automated analysis system according to claim 2, characterized in that, Two long side edges and one short side edge of the triple-fold edge sealing cover are set as triple-fold edges. The guide cavity (221) formed by the triple-fold edges is adapted to the outer eaves of the disposal box (21), and a locking member (222) is provided on the other short side edge of the triple-fold edge sealing cover.

4. The traceable automated analysis system according to claim 1, wherein The assembly (23) is slidably connected to the tabletop through a track (231). An induction block is provided on the assembly (23), and the induction block is used to monitor the loading state of the assembly (23).

5. The traceable automated analysis system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A groove (233) is provided on the assembly (23), and the groove (233) is provided with an arc chamfer (234). The arc chamfer (234) is adapted to the outer bottom of the disposal box (21).

6. The traceable automated analysis system according to claim 5, characterized in that An induction sheet is provided on the groove (233), and the induction sheet is used to monitor the loading state of the disposal box (21).

7. The traceable automated analysis system according to claim 1, wherein, A probe is provided on the pipetting channel (1). Through the probe, the pipetting channel (1) can perform adaptive interaction with the consumables and automatically complete the installation, disposal, and replacement of the consumables.

8. The traceable automated analysis system according to claim 1, wherein The disposal box (21) is provided with a number of compartments, and at most one disposal carrier (211) is loaded in each compartment.

9. The traceable automated analysis system according to claim 8, wherein, A number of disposal holes (212) are provided on the disposal carrier (211). The positions of the disposal holes (212) correspond to the positions of the consumables, and the used consumables can be traced through the positions of the disposal holes (212).

10. The traceable automated analysis system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The disposal box (21) and the disposal carrier (211) are the packaging box and carrier of the consumables themselves.

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