Automatic constant-pressure air pump

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of air pumps, in particular to an automatic constant-pressure air pump, which is used for providing constant air pressure for a liquid drop chip and comprises a pressure reducing part, and the pressure reducing part is used for reducing pressure of compressed air of an air pressure source and then sending the compressed air to an electric pressure regulating valve to serve as pressure regulating air. The electromagnetic switch valve is controlled by the PLC touch screen all-in-one machine and is used for controlling the on-off state of pressure regulating gas passing through the electric pressure regulating valve entering the liquid storage bottle, the liquid storage bottle is connected with an inlet of the liquid drop chip, an outlet of the liquid drop chip is connected to the liquid drop storage bottle, and the pressure regulating gas is introduced into the liquid storage bottle and is used for pushing liquid in the liquid storage bottle to enter the liquid drop chip; tiny liquid drops are formed in the liquid drop chip and are finally collected in the liquid drop storage bottle. According to the utility model, the electric pressure regulating valve is used for automatically regulating the outlet gas pressure, and the pressure value is stable; the PLC touch screen all-in-one machine is used for visually displaying the pressure value and controlling the action of the electromagnetic switch valve, use is convenient and fast, a pressure curve can be exported, and a basis is provided for product traceability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of air pumps, in particular to an automatic constant-pressure air pump. Background Art

[0002] With the development of technology, existing molecular detection technology has gradually developed from qualitative detection to quantitative detection, and QPCR (Quantitative Real-time PCR, real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction) technology has been widely recognized for its rapidity and accuracy. QPCR technology refers to a method of adding fluorescent groups to the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) reaction system, using the accumulation of fluorescent signals to monitor the entire PCR process in real time, and finally performing quantitative analysis of unknown templates through a standard curve. In existing QPCR tests, samples are all generated using droplet chips to generate tiny droplets, and the consistency of the droplet size determines the accuracy of the test results. In addition to the flow channel structure and liquid properties, the most critical factor for droplet size is the pressure applied to the liquid. The existing technology generally uses a syringe pump to deliver liquid or connects a syringe to the chip outlet to draw negative pressure. Both methods have obvious shortcomings.

[0003] First, although the syringe pump can accurately control the flow rate of liquid delivery, the price of the syringe pump is relatively high, especially when multiple multi-channel syringe pumps are required, the price of the equipment will increase significantly.

[0004] Second, the syringe pump is bulky and not suitable for integration into a desktop system.

[0005] Third, although the method of using a syringe to pump negative pressure at the outlet is inexpensive and easy to implement, the negative pressure will gradually decrease and cannot provide a stable and reliable negative pressure source. In addition, because the chip has two inlets for oil and water, if only negative pressure is pumped at the outlet, it cannot balance the liquid pressure at the two inlets, resulting in a high oil flow rate or a high water flow rate, and the droplets formed are too large or too small. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of the present utility model is to provide an automatic constant pressure air pump to solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0008] An automatic constant pressure air pump for providing constant gas pressure for a droplet chip, the air pump comprising:

[0009] A pressure reducing unit, which is used to reduce the pressure of the compressed gas from the pressure source and then send it through the electric pressure regulating valve as pressure-regulated gas;

[0010] An electromagnetic switch valve, which is controlled by a PLC touch screen integrated machine and is used to control the on / off state of the pressure-regulated gas entering the liquid storage bottle through the electric pressure-regulating valve;

[0011] The liquid storage bottle is connected to the inlet of the droplet chip, and the outlet of the droplet chip is connected to the liquid storage bottle;

[0012] The pressure-regulated gas is introduced into the liquid storage bottle to push the liquid in the liquid storage bottle into the droplet chip, forming tiny droplets in the droplet chip, and the tiny droplets are finally collected in the droplet storage bottle.

[0013] Furthermore, the pressure reducing part includes a manual pressure regulating valve and a pressure gauge. The compressed gas enters the electric pressure regulating valve after being reduced in pressure by the manual pressure regulating valve. The pressure gauge is used to observe the pressure value of the gas reduced in pressure by the manual pressure regulating valve.

[0014] Furthermore, the outlet pressure of the manual pressure regulating valve is greater than the upper limit of the pressure regulation value of the electric pressure regulating valve.

[0015] Furthermore, the liquid storage bottle is provided with a partition, and the liquid storage bottle is divided into a pressurized chamber and a holding chamber by the partition. There is a channel between the pressurized chamber and the holding chamber. The pressure-regulated gas first enters the pressurized chamber and enters the holding chamber through the channel. The holding chamber is used to hold liquid.

[0016] Furthermore, a protection unit and a waterproof breathable membrane are provided in the channel, wherein the protection unit is close to a side of the pressurized chamber, and the waterproof breathable membrane is close to a side of the containing chamber.

[0017] Furthermore, the protection unit includes a center column, on the surface of which a spiral blade is axially mounted. The spiral blade is fixed to the channel and forms a spiral channel between the channel and the center column. A baffle with air holes is installed at the end of the center column near the waterproof and breathable membrane.

[0018] Furthermore, a gap is reserved between the baffle and the waterproof breathable membrane, and the thickness of the baffle is not greater than the thickness of the waterproof breathable membrane.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0020] In this utility model, compressed gas from the pressure source must first be reduced in pressure by a pressure reducing unit to become pressure-regulated gas before it can be used to drive liquid into the droplet chip, forming tiny droplets of gas within the droplet chip. An electric pressure regulating valve automatically adjusts the outlet gas pressure, ensuring stable pressure values. A PLC touchscreen integrated device intuitively displays pressure values. The PLC touchscreen integrated device controls the operation of the electromagnetic on / off valve, making it convenient and quick to use. Pressure curves can also be derived, providing a basis for product traceability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the piping system structure of the utility model.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the liquid storage bottle of the utility model.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the protective unit and waterproof breathable membrane structure of the utility model.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the central column and the spiral blades thereon of the utility model.

[0025] In the figure: 1-air pressure source, 2-manual pressure regulating valve, 3-pressure gauge, 4-electric pressure regulating valve, 5-PLC touch screen integrated machine, 6-electromagnetic switch valve, 7-liquid storage bottle, 8-droplet chip, 9-droplet storage bottle, 10-bottle cap, 11-partition, 12-pressurization chamber, 13-holding chamber, 14-channel, 15-center column, 16-spiral blade, 17-baffle, 18-air hole, 19-spiral channel, 20-waterproof breathable membrane, 21-protection unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper end", "lower end", "inner", "outer", "front end", "rear end", "two ends", "one end", "the other end", etc., indicating the orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installed," "provided with," "sleeved," "socketed," "connected," etc., should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connected" may refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it may refer to internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0029] See also Figures 1 to 4 , the utility model provides a technical solution:

[0030] An automatic constant pressure air pump, used to provide constant gas pressure for the droplet chip 8, the air pump comprising:

[0031] A pressure reducing unit, which is used to reduce the pressure of the compressed gas from the pressure source 1 and then send it through the electric pressure regulating valve 4 as pressure-regulated gas;

[0032] The electromagnetic switch valve 6 is controlled by the PLC touch screen integrated machine 5 and is used to control the on / off state of the pressure-regulated gas entering the liquid storage bottle 7 through the electric pressure-regulating valve 4;

[0033] The liquid storage bottle 7 is connected to the inlet of the droplet chip 8, and the outlet of the droplet chip 8 is connected to the droplet storage bottle 9;

[0034] The pressure-regulated gas is introduced into the liquid storage bottle 7 to push the liquid in the liquid storage bottle 7 into the droplet chip 8 , forming tiny droplets in the droplet chip 8 , and the tiny droplets are finally collected in the droplet storage bottle 9 .

[0035] Specifically, the pressure reducing part includes a manual pressure regulating valve 2 and a pressure gauge 3. The compressed gas enters the electric pressure regulating valve 4 after being reduced in pressure by the manual pressure regulating valve 2. The pressure gauge 3 is used to observe the pressure value of the gas reduced in pressure by the manual pressure regulating valve 2. The outlet pressure of the manual pressure regulating valve 2 is greater than the upper limit of the pressure value adjusted by the electric pressure regulating valve 4. In this embodiment, the type of gas source is not limited. It can be the gas generated by the operation of the air pump and the air compressor, or it can be the (compressed) gas stored in the gas cylinder, etc. The compressed gas of the pressure source 1 needs to be reduced in pressure first to become a pressure-regulated gas before it can be used to drive the liquid into the droplet chip 8 and form tiny droplets of gas in the droplet chip 8. The pressure is reduced by the manual pressure regulating valve 2, and the pressure value of the gas reduced in pressure by the manual pressure regulating valve 2 can be intuitively seen through the pressure gauge 3.

[0036] Specifically, the liquid storage bottle 7 has a partition 11 inside, which divides the liquid storage bottle 7 into a pressurized chamber 12 and a holding chamber 13. A channel 14 is provided between the pressurized chamber 12 and the holding chamber 13. The pressure-regulated gas first enters the pressurized chamber 12 and then enters the holding chamber 13 through the channel 14. The holding chamber 13 is used to hold liquid. The channel 14 has a protective unit 21 and a waterproof breathable membrane 20 inside. The protective unit 21 is close to one side of the pressurized chamber 12, and the waterproof breathable membrane 20 is close to one side of the holding chamber 13. The pressurized chamber 12 and the holding chamber 13 are two relatively independent chambers, and are sealed except for the channel 14. The protection unit 21 includes a central column 15, on the surface of which a spiral blade 16 is axially mounted. The spiral blade 16 is fixed to the channel 14, and a spiral channel 19 is formed between the channel 14 and the central column 15. A baffle 17 with air holes 18 is installed at the end of the central column 15 near the waterproof breathable membrane 20.

[0037] like Figure 1 、 2 As shown, the pressure-regulated gas passing through the electric pressure-regulating valve 4 passes through the bottle cap 10 of the liquid storage bottle 7 through the pipeline a belonging to the electric pressure-regulating valve 4 and enters the pressurized chamber 12. As the pressure-regulated gas continues to enter and flow into the channel 14 and the waterproof breathable membrane 20 and then enters the holding chamber 13, the pipeline b belonging to the droplet chip inlet passes through the bottle cap 10 and enters the bottom of the holding chamber 13. The liquid in the holding chamber 13 passes through the pipeline b, thereby pushing the liquid in the liquid storage bottle 7 into the droplet chip 8, forming tiny droplets in the droplet chip 8, and the tiny droplets are finally collected in the droplet storage bottle 9. The droplet storage bottle 9 is equipped with an exhaust pipeline c.

[0038] When pushing the liquid in the liquid storage bottle 7 into the droplet chip 8, the pressure-regulated gas will generate a certain pressure. If it is blown directly onto the waterproof breathable membrane 20, it will be detrimental to the service life of the waterproof breathable membrane 20. In this case, the protective unit 21 can be used to lengthen the travel space of the pressure-regulated gas when it enters the channel 14 to slow down the gas velocity. In this way, the pressure-regulated gas will be more stable after moving to the waterproof breathable membrane 20, reducing the impact on the waterproof breathable membrane 20 and protecting the waterproof breathable membrane 20.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, a gap is reserved between the baffle 17 and the waterproof breathable membrane 20, and the thickness of the baffle 17 is no greater than that of the waterproof breathable membrane 20. This gap is reserved to prevent pressure fluctuations (such as when adding liquid) from blowing the waterproof breathable membrane 20 toward the baffle 17 and causing contact with the baffle 17. The thickness of the baffle 17 is equal to or less than that of the waterproof breathable membrane 20, allowing gas to pass through the baffle 17 and into the holding chamber 13 as quickly as possible. The air holes 18 are evenly distributed on the baffle 17, ensuring a more uniform flow of pressure-regulated gas toward the waterproof breathable membrane 20, more stable airflow, and better protecting the waterproof breathable membrane 20.

[0040] Specifically, the channel 14 is located near the upper portions of the pressurized chamber 12 and the holding chamber 13. Due to the provision of the waterproof breathable membrane 20, liquid can diffuse through the pores of the membrane 20. However, the spacing between liquid molecules is smaller than the spacing between the pores, and due to surface tension, the liquid molecules cannot pass through the membrane, thus achieving a waterproof effect. This prevents liquid stored in the holding chamber 13 from entering the pressurized chamber 12 through the channel 14, thereby preventing the liquid from leaking out of the holding chamber.

[0041] The utility model is applied in the field of microfluidics technology, and particularly relates to an air pump that provides a constant gas pressure for a droplet generation chip. The air pump can provide a stable and reliable air pressure source to ensure that the pressure at the liquid inlet of the droplet chip is constant.

[0042] The automatic constant pressure air pump is mainly composed of a manual pressure regulating valve 2, a pressure gauge 3, an electric pressure regulating valve 4, an electromagnetic switch valve 6, a PLC touch screen all-in-one machine 5, etc.

[0043] The inlet of the manual pressure regulating valve 2 is connected to the air pressure source 1, which provides high-pressure compressed air. A pressure gauge 3 can visually display the pressure at the outlet of the manual pressure regulating valve 2. Adjusting the knob of the manual pressure regulating valve 2 adjusts the gas pressure output to the electric pressure regulating valve 4. The outlet pressure of the manual pressure regulating valve 2 should be 0.1 MPa higher than the upper limit of the electric pressure regulating valve 4. The electric pressure regulating valve 4 automatically adjusts the outlet pressure based on the preset pressure value information sent by the PLC touch screen all-in-one machine 5. If the inlet and outlet pressure values of the electric pressure regulating valve 4 change, the electric pressure regulating valve 4 automatically adjusts the valve core opening to ensure that the outlet pressure value remains at the preset value. The electromagnetic switch valve 6 is used to control the opening and closing of the outlet, which can control the start and stop of droplet generation. The PLC touch screen all-in-one machine 5 can send the preset pressure value to the electric pressure regulating valve 4 and read the actual air pressure value output by the electric pressure regulating valve 4. The PLC touch screen all-in-one machine 5 can also control the opening and closing of the electromagnetic switch valve 6.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the main workflow is as follows:

[0045] Compressed gas from pressure source 1 is reduced in pressure by manual pressure regulating valve 2 and then enters electrical pressure regulating valve 4. A conventional pressure gauge 3 provides a visual display of the reduced pressure of the gas after manual pressure regulating valve 2. According to the operating requirements of electrical pressure regulating valve 4, the outlet pressure of manual pressure regulating valve 2 must be greater than the upper limit of 0.1 MPa for the pressure regulation of electrical pressure regulating valve 4. A high-precision pressure sensor is integrated within electrical pressure regulating valve 4, enabling real-time measurement of the outlet pressure and adjusting the internal displacement of the valve core based on pressure changes to ensure that the outlet pressure is consistent with the set value. A PLC touch screen integrated device 5 displays the outlet pressure in real time and can also transmit the pressure value entered in the parameter box to the electrical pressure reducing valve 4 to change the outlet pressure. An electromagnetic on / off valve 6 controls the outlet opening and closing, and this control can be achieved via the touch screen. The pressure-regulated gas is then fed into a liquid storage bottle 7, which pushes the liquid in the liquid storage bottle 7 into a droplet chip 8. Within the droplet chip, the oil and water form tiny droplets, which are ultimately collected in a droplet storage bottle 9.

[0046] The utility model, Figure 1 To illustrate the principle of use, two gas circuits are shown. In actual use, gas circuits can be increased or decreased based on the actual needs of the droplet chip 8. For example, if a droplet chip has two inlets for oil and water, two parallel gas circuits are required, including two parallel electrical pressure regulating valves 4, electromagnetic switch valves 6, and liquid storage bottles 7. If two droplet chips are used, four parallel gas circuits are required, including four electrical pressure regulating valves 4, electromagnetic switch valves 6, and liquid storage bottles 7. The same logic can be applied for each additional droplet chip of the same specification.

[0047] The undescribed parts of the present invention are existing or known technologies.

[0048] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automatic constant pressure air pump for providing a constant gas pressure for a droplet chip (8), characterized in that: The air pump comprises: A pressure reducing unit, the pressure reducing unit being used to reduce the pressure of the compressed gas from the pressure source (1) and then send the compressed gas through the electric pressure regulating valve (4) as pressure-regulated gas; an electromagnetic switch valve (6), the electromagnetic switch valve (6) being controlled by a PLC touch screen integrated machine (5) and being used to control the on / off state of the pressure-regulated gas passing through the electric pressure-regulating valve (4) entering the liquid storage bottle (7); The liquid storage bottle (7) is connected to the inlet of the liquid droplet chip (8), and the outlet of the liquid droplet chip (8) is connected to the liquid droplet storage bottle (9); The pressure-regulated gas is introduced into the liquid storage bottle (7) to push the liquid in the liquid storage bottle (7) into the droplet chip (8), forming tiny droplets in the droplet chip (8), and the tiny droplets are finally collected in the droplet storage bottle (9).

2. An automatic constant pressure air pump according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure reducing unit comprises a manual pressure regulating valve (2) and a pressure gauge (3). The compressed gas enters the electric pressure regulating valve (4) after being reduced in pressure by the manual pressure regulating valve (2). The pressure gauge (3) is used to observe the pressure value of the gas reduced in pressure by the manual pressure regulating valve (2).

3. An automatic constant pressure air pump according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outlet pressure of the manual pressure regulating valve (2) is greater than the upper limit value of the pressure adjustment value of the electric pressure regulating valve (4).

4. An automatic constant pressure air pump according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid storage bottle (7) is provided with a partition (11), and the liquid storage bottle (7) is divided into a pressurizing chamber (12) and a containing chamber (13) by the partition (11). A channel (14) is provided between the pressurizing chamber (12) and the containing chamber (13). The pressure-regulated gas first enters the pressurizing chamber (12) and then enters the containing chamber (13) through the channel (14). The containing chamber (13) is used for containing liquid.

5. An automatic constant pressure air pump as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The channel (14) has a protection unit (21) and a waterproof breathable membrane (20), wherein the protection unit (21) is close to one side of the pressurized chamber (12), and the waterproof breathable membrane (20) is close to one side of the containing chamber (13).

6. An automatic constant pressure air pump according to claim 5, characterized in that: The protection unit (21) includes a center column (15), a spiral blade (16) is axially mounted on the surface of the center column (15), the spiral blade (16) is fixed to the channel (14), and a spiral channel (19) is formed between the channel (14) and the center column (15), and a baffle (17) with air holes (18) is installed at the end of the center column (15) close to the waterproof breathable membrane (20).

7. An automatic constant pressure air pump according to claim 6, characterized in that: A gap is reserved between the baffle (17) and the waterproof breathable membrane (20), and the thickness of the baffle (17) is not greater than the thickness of the waterproof breathable membrane (20).

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