Automatic sample processing equipment and system

Abstract

The utility model provides an automatic sample processing device and system. The automatic sample processing equipment comprises a filtering module used for filtering a sample to realize solid-liquid separation of the sample; the centrifugal module is used for carrying out centrifugal operation on a sample container containing a sample and further separating a tiny solid sample which is difficult to filter to obtain a pure liquid sample, so that high-precision solid-liquid separation is realized; the balancing module is used for carrying out balancing operation on the plurality of sample containers; and the transfer module is used for executing transfer operations required by the filtering operation, the centrifugal operation and the balancing operation by replacing different tools so as to assist in completing the filtering operation, the centrifugal operation and the balancing operation. According to the automatic sample treatment equipment and system, full automation is achieved through a series of processes such as filtering, centrifuging, weighing, liquid adding, cleaning and transferring, the labor cost is reduced, and the treatment efficiency and accuracy are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of automation equipment, in particular to the technical field of pharmaceutical and chemical automation equipment, and more particularly to a sample automation processing equipment and a sample automation processing system. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the process of extracting a sample, a series of operations such as filtering, centrifuging, weighing, and liquid adding are often required. Currently, an operator manually cooperates to complete these operations on the instrument corresponding to each operation, and moves the product obtained through one operation to the instrument corresponding to the next operation to complete again. Thus, the operator will spend a lot of time and effort, the labor cost is high, and the efficiency is low. In addition, human errors are easily introduced, resulting in poor accuracy of the processing result. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0003] In order to at least partially solve the technical problems existing in the prior art, the present disclosure provides a sample automation processing equipment and a sample automation processing system, which can realize full-process automation of a series of operations such as filtering, centrifuging, weighing, and liquid adding.

[0004] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a sample automation processing equipment is provided, comprising: a filtering module configured to perform a filtering operation on a sample to achieve preliminary solid-liquid separation of the sample; a centrifuging module configured to perform a centrifuging operation on a sample container containing the sample to achieve further solid-liquid separation of the sample; a balancing module configured to perform a balancing operation on a plurality of sample containers; and a transfer module configured to perform a transfer operation required for the filtering operation, the centrifuging operation, and the balancing operation by changing different tools to assist in completing the filtering operation, the centrifuging operation, and the balancing operation.

[0005] In some embodiments, the different tools include a tray gripper / sieve gripper, a bottle gripper, and a pipetting device, and the different tools are connected to the transfer module through quick-change joints.

[0006] In some embodiments, the bottle gripper is provided with an anti-pollution design.

[0007] In some embodiments, the sample automation processing device further comprises a control module, the control module performing control operations on the filtering module, the centrifuging module, the transferring module and the balancing module; the balancing module comprises a weighing device for weighing the plurality of sample containers containing the filtered samples in sequence to obtain a plurality of weighing results, and a pipetting device for performing a balancing operation of transferring a portion of the filtered sample in a sample container containing more sample to another sample container.

[0008] In some embodiments, the control module determines whether the weight difference between the plurality of sample containers exceeds a permissible range according to the plurality of weighing results, if the weight difference between the plurality of sample containers does not exceed the permissible range, the control module controls the transferring module to transfer the plurality of sample containers to the centrifuging module to perform the centrifuging operation; if the weight difference between the plurality of sample containers exceeds the permissible range, the control module controls the transferring module to perform a balancing operation on the plurality of sample containers using the pipetting device of the balancing module.

[0009] In some embodiments, the control module determines whether the centrifuging operation needs to be performed according to the sample type; if the control module determines that the sample has been pulverized according to the sample type, the centrifuging operation needs to be performed; if the control module determines that the sample has not been pulverized according to the sample type, the centrifuging operation is not performed.

[0010] In some embodiments, the control module determines whether the centrifuging operation needs to be performed according to whether the sample is clear through a visual analysis module; if the control module determines that the sample is not clear, the centrifuging operation needs to be performed; if the control module determines that the sample is clear, the centrifuging operation is not performed.

[0011] In some embodiments, the filtering module performs the filtering operation by vacuumizing the sample to pass through the screen under the action of negative pressure.

[0012] In some embodiments, the filtering module comprises a vacuum pump for vacuumizing operation, a screen for filtering the fluid to be filtered, and a vacuum interface connected to the vacuum pump to perform the filtering operation by vacuum filtering the fluid to be filtered passing through the screen.

[0013] In some embodiments, the filtering module comprises a support frame, a funnel for carrying a screen, a screen pressing plate for pressing on the screen, and an adapter fixed to the support frame and used to connect the funnel to the vacuum interface and the sample container.

[0014] In some embodiments, the filtration module further comprises a first lifting mechanism mounted to the support frame and configured to drive the screen pressing plate to move up and down so as to control the pressing on the screen, and a second lifting mechanism mounted to the support frame and configured to drive the placement cylinder in which the sample container is placed to move up and down, so as to lift the sample container received in the placement cylinder to a liquid receiving position to be docked with the adapter when the second lifting mechanism is raised, and remove the sample container received in the placement cylinder from the adapter when the second lifting mechanism is lowered.

[0015] In some embodiments, the filtration module further comprises a vacuum gauge configured to detect a vacuum value to help determine whether the filtration operation is completed, and a vacuum breaking valve configured to break the vacuum to prevent the placement cylinder from being adsorbed to the funnel when the placement cylinder is lowered.

[0016] In some embodiments, the sample automatic processing device further comprises a storage module configured to temporarily store the sample containers and screens required for the centrifugation operation and the filtration operation.

[0017] In some embodiments, the storage module comprises an upper loading rack configured to store clean screens, and a lower loading rack configured to store used screens.

[0018] In some embodiments, each of the upper loading rack and the lower loading rack comprises two vertical plates arranged in a vertical direction, and a plurality of horizontal plates connected to the two vertical plates opposite to each other and arranged in sequence along the height direction of the two vertical plates, the plurality of horizontal plates being spaced apart to form multiple layers, and each layer of horizontal plates being provided with a plurality of placement positions for placing screens.

[0019] In some embodiments, the sample automatic processing device further comprises a cap opening and closing module configured to open or close the container cap of the sample container.

[0020] In some embodiments, the cap opening and closing module comprises a container seat configured to receive the sample container whose cap is to be opened or closed, a container body clamping end configured to clamp the container body, a container cap clamping end configured to clamp the container cap, and a translation mechanism on which the container seat is mounted so as to move the container seat along the translation mechanism, wherein the container cap clamping end is provided with an elastic assembly that enables the container cap clamping end to swing.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a sample automation processing system is provided, comprising a mobile device and at least one sample automation processing device as described above, the mobile device being configured to deliver materials to the sample automation processing device and take away samples processed by the sample automation processing device.

[0022] According to the sample automation processing device and system of the present disclosure, a series of processes such as filtration, centrifugation, weighing, liquid addition, washing, and transportation are fully automated, thereby reducing labor costs and improving processing efficiency and accuracy.

[0023] Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or can be learned by practice of the present disclosure. The purposes and other advantages of the present disclosure will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the description, claims, and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and constitute a part of the specification, and are used together with the embodiments of the present disclosure to explain the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 1a An external perspective view of a sample automation processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0026] Figure 1b An internal structure top view of a sample automation processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 An internal structure perspective view of a sample automation processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0028] Figure 3a A side view of a filtration module of a sample automation processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0029] Figure 3b A perspective view of a filtration module of a sample automation processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 3a A perspective view of a filtration module of a sample automation processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0030] Figure 3c A perspective view of a filtration module of a sample automation processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0031] Figure 4a A perspective view of a filtration module of a sample automation processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 4b A perspective view of a filtration module of a sample automation processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0032] Figure 5A schematic diagram of a mechanical arm of a sample automated processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain and illustrate the present disclosure and should not be used to limit the present disclosure.

[0034] For ease of description, in the present specification, the terms "front", "back", "upper", "lower", "horizontal" and "vertical" and the like indicating directions are used only to facilitate the indication of the relative positions and / or relative orientations of the devices or components, and do not limit the mounting or use orientations of the devices or components.

[0035] Figure 1a An external perspective view of a sample automated processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 1b and Figure 2 An internal structure plan view and a perspective view of a sample automated processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are shown respectively. The sample automated processing apparatus 10 comprises a filtration module 100 for performing a filtration operation on a sample to achieve solid-liquid separation of the sample to obtain a filtered sample, a centrifugation module 200 for performing a centrifugation operation on a sample container 50 containing the filtered sample to separate supernatant and residue, further separate a small solid sample that is difficult to filter to obtain a pure liquid sample, and achieve high-precision solid-liquid separation, a balancing module 400 for performing a balancing operation on a plurality of sample containers 500, and a transfer module 300 for performing a transfer operation required for the filtration operation, the centrifugation operation and the balancing operation by changing different tools to assist in achieving the filtration operation, the centrifugation operation and the balancing operation.

[0036] In the present disclosure, automation of the filtration and centrifugation processes is achieved by using the transfer module 300, thereby reducing labor costs and improving processing efficiency and accuracy.

[0037] In the present disclosure, the sample is a biological sample, a medical sample or a chemical sample. In some embodiments, the sample includes various reagents such as pharmaceutical agents, chemical agents, and particularly includes traditional Chinese medicine agents. When the sample is a medical sample, it can be a western medicine sample, a traditional Chinese medicine sample, or other drug samples with medicinal effects, etc. For example, the traditional Chinese medicine sample includes traditional Chinese medicinal materials, traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces, Chinese patent medicines, semi-finished traditional Chinese medicines, medicinal plants, etc.

[0038] In addition, the sample container 50 mentioned in the present disclosure actually includes a shake flask, a centrifugation bottle and a concentration bottle.

[0039] In addition, referring toFigure 1a The sample automatic processing device 10 comprises a cabinet 10a. The cabinet 10a comprises a base 11, and the base 11 is provided with an interactive site for interacting with the outside world, such as materials or consumables. Optionally, the cabinet 10a further comprises a rack 12, and the rack 12 is arranged on the base 11. The rack 12 has a containing space, and the rack 12 is provided with an interactive window 141 which is in communication with the containing space and the outside space. The cabinet 10a serves as a whole structural framework, the base 11 can be used to support parts such as a carrying mechanism, and the rack 12 can be used to mount some other parts, which are not described here. The base 11 and the rack 12 can be a detachable connection structure or an integral structure, which is not limited. In some embodiments, only the base 11 can be provided without the rack 12. The material of the cabinet 10a can be steel, aluminum alloy, etc., which is not limited. The overall shape of the cabinet 10a can be a cuboid or any other feasible shape, which is not limited. The cabinet 10a can comprise a plurality of support vertical beams, support horizontal beams and the like to form a frame structure.

[0040] The cabinet 10a can be assembled by a plurality of sub-racks, for example, Figure 1a The cabinet 10a shown comprises the base 11 and the rack 12. Of course, the plurality of sub-racks of the cabinet 10a can also have other forms, which are not limited. Optionally, each sub-rack in the plurality of sub-racks can be used to mount a type of parts, for example, the base 11 can mount driving parts, the rack 12 can mount motion executing parts, etc., which are not limited.

[0041] The containing space is defined by the upper surface of the base 11 and the frame structure of the rack 12, that is, the containing space is formed by the upper surface of the base 11 and the frame of the rack 12. Optionally, the base 11 also has a containing space inside. In the case of the cabinet 10a having a plurality of sub-racks, each sub-rack can have its own sub-space, and some of the plurality of sub-spaces can be in communication with each other, and some of the plurality of sub-spaces can be relatively independent and not in communication with other sub-spaces, which are not limited.

[0042] The interactive site is used for interacting with materials or consumables and the like, and for detecting materials or consumables and the like. In the embodiments without the rack 12, the materials or consumables and the like of the interactive site can interact with other positions in any way. In the embodiments with the rack 12, the materials or consumables and the like of the interactive site interact with the outside through the interactive window 141.

[0043] The interactive window 141 is a window on the rack 12 that communicates between the inside and the outside. The interactive window 141 can be used to exchange materials or consumables in the containing space 13 with the outside, and can be used to detect materials or consumables, without any limitation. The shape of the interactive window 141 can be rectangular, circular, or the like, without any limitation. Materials or consumables can be output from the containing space to the outside through the interactive window 141, and materials or consumables from the outside can be input into the containing space through the interactive window 141. In addition, materials or consumables can be moved to the interactive window 141 and detected.

[0044] Optionally, please refer to Figure 1a The box 10a further includes a housing 14 that surrounds the rack 12, and the interactive window 141 is arranged on the housing 14. The housing 14 can be a plate structure and can include multiple plates that are connected to the frame structure of the rack 12 to form a closed structure. Optionally, the housing 14 can surround the entire rack 12, that is, the edges of the multiple plates of the housing 14 are connected to each other, and the inner surfaces of the multiple plates are connected and fixed to the rack 12, so that the rack 12 is not exposed. Optionally, the multiple plates of the housing 14 are embedded in the frame structure of the rack 12, the rack 12 is exposed, and the rack 12 and the housing 14 together surround the containing space 13. The material of the housing 14 can be iron, aluminum alloy, plastic, glass, or the like, without any limitation. The housing 14 surrounds the rack 12, the rack 12 is a skeleton, and can provide stable support. The housing 14 provides protection and makes the entire sample automated processing device 10 have a relatively closed overall appearance.

[0045] Optionally, the housing 14 and the rack 12 are integrated, for example, the housing 14 is made of a material with higher strength, and the rack 12 is omitted, and the housing 14 provides support.

[0046] The housing 14 can also surround the base 11. In other words, the base 11 can also be a frame structure, and multiple plates are connected to the frame structure of the base 11 to enclose the frame structure of the base 11. In this way, the entire box 10a has a relatively closed overall appearance.

[0047] It can be understood that some of the multiple plates surrounding the rack 12 and some of the multiple plates surrounding the base 11 can be one plate, and some of the multiple plates are independent plates. In other words, some of the multiple plates of the housing 14 can surround both the base 11 and the rack 12, and some of the multiple plates of the housing 14 can surround only the base 11 or the rack 12.

[0048] Optionally, please refer to Figure 1aThe outer casing 14 is also provided with an entry door 15, which allows materials or consumables to be placed in batches into the storage space by opening the entry door 15, thereby realizing the storage of materials or consumables. The entry door 15 can be any feasible door that can be opened and closed, such as a single door or a double door. When the entry door 15 is closed, it can form a complete and unified shape with the other parts of the outer casing 14.

[0049] Optional, please refer to Figure 1a At least a portion of the outer casing 14 is made of a transparent material. For example, one or more panels of the outer casing 14 may be partially or entirely made of a transparent material, such as glass or plastic. The operating status of the device within the accommodating space 13 can be observed through the transparent portion, facilitating the monitoring of whether the automated sample processing equipment 10 is operating normally.

[0050] Optional, please refer to Figure 1a The outer casing 14 is provided with a transparent observation window, which can be made of glass, plastic, or other materials and is fixedly installed on the casing. The operating status of the automated sample processing equipment 10 within the containment space can be observed through this transparent observation window, facilitating the monitoring of whether the automated sample processing equipment 10 is operating normally.

[0051] See below. Figures 1a to 4b The document describes in detail the various components of the automated sample processing equipment 10.

[0052] Filtering module

[0053] See details Figures 3a to 3c , Figures 3a to 3c A side view, a front sectional view, and a perspective view of a filter module 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are shown respectively. The filter module 100 includes: a support frame 112, a funnel 114, a screen pressure plate 116, a vacuum interface 118, and an adapter 122.

[0054] Funnel 114 is used to support sieve 130. Sieve clamp 116 is used to press against sieve 130. Vacuum port 118 is used to connect to a vacuum pump for evacuation, performing filtration by evacuating the fluid to be filtered through sieve 130. Adapter 122 is fixed to support frame 112 and used to connect funnel 114 to vacuum port 118 and sample container 50, wherein the sample container 50 connected to adapter 122 is a receiving bottle.

[0055] See Figures 3a to 3cThe detailed structure of the support frame 112 will be described below. The support frame 112 includes a bottom plate 1120, a vertical plate 1122, and a pair of opposing load bearing mechanisms 1124. The pair of load bearing mechanisms 1124 are fixed to the vertical plate 1122 and include a pair of L-shaped load bearing plates 1132 and a pair of load bearing blocks 1134. The load bearing plates 1132 are fixed to the vertical plate 1122 and support the load bearing blocks 1134 and the adapter 122. The opposing surfaces of the pair of load bearing blocks 1134 have inclined surfaces to conform to the shape of the funnel 114, facilitating the loading of the funnel 114 (see FIG. 6). Figure 3b ).

[0056] In use, the funnel 114 is placed on the load bearing mechanisms 1124, the screen 130 is placed on the funnel 114, and the adapter 122 is attached to the load bearing mechanisms 1124 to connect the funnel 114 and the sample container 50, which is used as a receiving bottle, to the vacuum pump. At this time, the filtration operation is performed by the bottle gripper (described in more detail below) of the robot arm holding the container 50 and pouring the sample in the container 50 into the screen 130 while the vacuum pump is activated.

[0057] The above-described connection between the screen 130, the funnel 114, the adapter 122, and the sample container 50, which is used as a receiving bottle, is releasable. This arrangement of the screen 130, the funnel 114, the adapter 122, and the receiving bottle facilitates automated operation, i.e., facilitates the loading and unloading of the screen 130, the funnel 114, and the receiving bottle. In this case, a first gasket 1142 is provided on the upper edge of the funnel 114, and a second gasket 1144 and a third gasket 1146 are provided on the upper end and the lower end of the adapter 122, respectively, to seal between the screen 130 and the funnel 114, between the funnel 114 and the adapter 122, and between the adapter 122 and the sample container 50, which is used as a receiving bottle, respectively, to prevent liquid leakage.

[0058] In addition, during the process in which the bottle gripper holds the container 50 and pours the sample in the container 50 into the screen 130, fluid can drip, thereby contaminating the equipment. Therefore, a contamination prevention design is provided on the bottle gripper to prevent the above-described contamination of the fluid. In some embodiments, a replaceable tape, for example, is attached to the bottle gripper. In this way, when the fluid is poured, the fluid remaining on the mouth of the container flows onto the tape, and does not contaminate other mechanisms. When the filtration of one fluid is completed, the tape can be replaced manually or automatically. The tape can be, for example, a Teflon tape or a cloth tape.

[0059] The filter module 100 further comprises a first lifting mechanism 124 and a second lifting mechanism 126. The first lifting mechanism 124 is mounted to the support frame 112 and is used to drive the screen pressing plate 116 to move up and down so as to control the pressing of the screen 112. The second lifting mechanism 126 is mounted to the support frame 112 and is used to drive the placing cylinder 60 where the liquid receiving bottle is placed to move up and down. The liquid receiving bottle is docked with and undocked from the adapter 122 by the lifting of the placing cylinder 60.

[0060] The filter module 100 further comprises a vacuum gauge 128 which is used to detect the vacuum value to help determine whether the filtering operation is completed.

[0061] The screen pressing plate 116 is generally C-shaped or circular arc-shaped in a plan view Figure 3c ), so as to be able to press the edge of the screen 130. The first lifting mechanism 124 is arranged at the upper portion of the support frame 112 and comprises a first lifting shaft 1242 and a first motor 1244, and the screen pressing plate 116 is fixed to the end of the first lifting shaft 1242. The first motor 1244 drives the first lifting shaft 1242 to move up and down so as to drive the screen pressing plate 116 to move up and down. The screen pressing plate 116 pressing the screen 130 has the following advantages: the screen 130 is stabilized to avoid moving when pouring liquid; the screen pressing plate 116 exerts a certain pressing force on the screen 130, so that the funnel 114 and the adapter 122 are pressed on the second sealing gasket 1144 at the same time when the screen 130 and the funnel 114 are pressed on the first sealing gasket 1142, thereby improving the sealing effect.

[0062] The second lifting mechanism 126 is arranged at the lower portion of the support frame 112 and comprises a second lifting shaft 1262 and a second motor 1264, and the shelf 1302 which carries the placing cylinder 60 is fixed to the end of the second lifting shaft 1262. The second motor 1264 drives the second lifting shaft 1262 to move up and down so as to drive the placing cylinder 60 to move up and down. The placing cylinder 60 is cylindrical in appearance, and the inside thereof can be designed to be pointed (see Figure 3b ) according to the need to adapt to the pointed bottom structure of the liquid receiving bottle.

[0063] In some embodiments, the support frame 112 is further provided with a first sliding rail 1246 at the upper portion and a second sliding rail 1266 at the lower portion, and the screen pressing plate 116 moves up and down along the first sliding rail 1246, and the shelf 1302 moves up and down along the second sliding rail 1266. By arranging the first sliding rail 1246 and the second sliding rail 1266, the up and down movement of the screen pressing plate 116 and the shelf 1266 is more stable, and the structural stability is increased.

[0064] During use, the screen presser 116 is raised by the first lifting mechanism 124, and the transfer module 300 can take and place the screen 112, thus automatically taking the used screen and placing the new screen. In addition, after the transfer module 300 places the sample container 50 as a receiving bottle into the placing cylinder 60, the second lifting mechanism 126 raises the placing cylinder 60, so as to connect the receiving bottle to the adapter 122. After the filtration operation is completed, the receiving bottle is lowered again. Thus, the whole filtration operation is fully automated.

[0065] The filtration module 100 further comprises a vacuum breaking valve 132. The vacuum breaking valve 132 is used to break the vacuum to prevent the receiving bottle from being adsorbed to the funnel 114 when it is lowered.

[0066] Centrifugation module

[0067] The centrifugation module 200 comprises a centrifuge, which centrifugates the centrifuge bottle as the sample container 50 containing the solvent to centrifugate the supernatant and the residue.

[0068] Transfer module

[0069] The transfer module 300 comprises a moving mechanism having at least one degree of freedom, specifically, a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm (such as a four-axis mechanical arm, a six-axis mechanical arm, etc.), or an XYZ three-axis linear moving mechanism. The mechanical arm of the transfer module 300 realizes the transfer of the tray, the screen, and different kinds of sample containers 50 in the equipment by changing different tools, so as to assist in completing various operations in the equipment, including the filtration operation and the centrifugation operation, thus assisting in realizing the full-process automation.

[0070] The transfer module 300 further comprises a carrying gripper, which comprises various grippers such as a tray / screen gripper, a bottle gripper, etc. One end of the mechanical arm is connected to the base 11, and the other end is connected to the carrying gripper. The mechanical arm is used to drive one end of the carrying gripper, and the carrying gripper is used to clamp various consumables such as the tray, the screen, and the bottle.

[0071] During the storage, retrieval, interaction, and other operations, the mechanical arm drives the carrying gripper to take the object and move it to the interaction position, or moves the carrying gripper at the interaction position to the corresponding temporary or transfer position, and can also realize other carrying operations. The carrying gripper has a structure capable of clamping the tray / screen or the bottle. The clamping is performed by the carrying gripper, and the material or consumable is moved by moving the carrying gripper by the mechanical arm, so that the carrying mechanism moves the material or consumable stably and reliably, avoiding the dropping of the material or consumable. The specific structure of the carrying gripper can not be limited. The carrying gripper can be accommodated at any feasible position of the accommodation space, and the carrying mechanism can be connected thereto.

[0072] Balancing module and control module

[0073] Referring back to Figures 1a to 2 The balancing module 400 of the sample automated processing device 10 performs a balancing operation on the plurality of sample containers 50, and the balancing module 400 includes a weighing device 500 and a pipetting device 600. By weighing the sample containers 50 containing solvent before centrifugation (at this time, centrifuge bottles) by using the balancing module 400 of the present disclosure, it is ensured that the weight difference of the plurality of sample containers 50 before being placed in the centrifuge of the centrifugation module 200 is within the allowable range, thereby ensuring the service life of the centrifuge.

[0074] Referring back to Figure 1b The sample automated processing device 10 further includes a control module 900, which performs a control operation on the filtration module 100, the centrifugation module 200, the transfer module 300, and the balancing module 400. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the control module 900 can be integrated into the sample automated processing device 10, or can be arranged outside the sample automated processing device 10, and the specific arrangement manner is not limited. In addition, the control module 900 can be controlled by wired or wireless means via 5G network, Internet of Things, local area network, etc.

[0075] The weighing device 500 is used to weigh the plurality of sample containers 50 containing filtered samples in sequence to obtain a plurality of weighing results. The pipetting device 600 is used to perform a balancing operation of transferring part of the filtered samples in a sample container 50 containing more samples to another sample container 50. The control module 900 determines whether the weight difference between the plurality of sample containers 50 exceeds the allowable range according to the plurality of weighing results; if the weight difference between the plurality of sample containers 50 does not exceed the allowable range, the control module 900 controls the transfer module 300 to transfer the plurality of sample containers 50 to the centrifugation module 200 to perform a centrifugation operation; if the weight difference between the plurality of sample containers 50 exceeds the allowable range, the control module 900 controls the transfer module 300 to perform a balancing operation on the plurality of sample containers 50 by using the pipetting device 600 of the balancing module 400.

[0076] By using the control module 900 and the balancing module 400 of the present disclosure and the mutual cooperation of the transfer module 300, the balancing operation that may be required in the centrifugation operation can also be automatically completed without human intervention, thereby improving the efficiency and reducing the damage to personnel caused by the harmful cost of the medicament.

[0077] In addition, the control module 900 also performs a judgment of whether to perform a centrifugation operation.

[0078] In some embodiments, the control module 900 determines whether centrifugation is needed according to the sample type; if the control module 900 determines that the sample has been pulverized according to the sample type, centrifugation is needed; if the control module 900 determines that the sample has not been pulverized according to the sample type, centrifugation is not performed.

[0079] In some embodiments, the control module 900 determines whether centrifugation is needed according to whether the sample is clear; if the control module 900 determines that the sample is not clear, centrifugation is needed; if the control module 900 determines that the sample is clear, centrifugation is not performed.

[0080] Switching cap module

[0081] Referring to Figures 4a-4b , Figure 4a and 4b respectively show a perspective view and a right view of a switching cap module 700 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The switching cap module 700 is used to open or close the cap of a sample container 50. Automation of the opening and closing operation of the cap is achieved by the switching cap module 700.

[0082] In some embodiments, the switching cap module 700 comprises a container seat 710 for accommodating the sample container whose cap is to be opened or closed, a container body clamping end 720 for clamping the container body, and a container cap clamping end 730 for clamping the cap. The container seat 710 is mounted on a translation mechanism 712 so as to be movable, and the container cap clamping end 730 is provided with an elastic assembly 732 which enables the container cap clamping end 730 to swing. In a preferred embodiment, the elastic assembly 732 mainly swings in the horizontal plane (i.e. a surface substantially parallel to the translation mechanism), so that the switching cap module 700 can adapt to the size variation of different types of sample containers and the certain degree of dimensional tolerance of the same type of sample containers due to the manufacturing process.

[0083] In the present disclosure, the sample container 50 is moved along the horizontal direction towards and away from the container body clamping end 720 by the translation mechanism 712. Referring to Figure 4b , the translation mechanism 712 comprises a track 713, a third motor 714 located below the container seat 710, and a drive shaft 715. The container seat 710 is connected to the end of the drive shaft 715, so that under the drive of the third motor 714, the container seat 710 can move along the track 713.

[0084] The switch cover module 700 further comprises a lifting module 734 and a rotating module 736. The lifting module 734 drives the container cover clamping end 730 to move up and down to approach and move away from the sample container placed on the container seat 710 in the vertical direction. The rotating module 736 drives the container cover clamping end 730 to rotate to tighten or loosen the container cover to complete the switch cover operation. In addition, those skilled in the art can understand that the opening or closing operation includes but is not limited to rotation or plugging, wherein the rotation operation can be realized by driving the container cover clamping end 730 by the rotating module 736 and the lifting module 734, and the plugging operation can be realized by driving the container cover clamping end 730 by the lifting module 734.

[0085] In the present disclosure, the switch cover module 700 and the container body clamping end 720 are fixedly arranged, the container seat 710 is translatable, and the elastic assembly 732 is arranged on the container cover clamping end 730. Compared with the case that the container seat and the bottle body clamping mechanism are integrated together, can be translated together, and the elastic assembly is arranged below the container seat, the arrangement of the present disclosure has the following advantages: since the elastic assembly 732 is arranged on the container cover clamping end 730, the motor does not float together with the elastic assembly 732, especially in the case that the motor for driving the clamping jaw to open and close on the container body clamping end 720 is relatively large when processing large containers, which can reduce the occupied space of the structure.

[0086] Storage module

[0087] The storage module of the sample automatic processing equipment 10 according to the present disclosure comprises an upper rack 110 and a lower rack 120. The upper rack 110 is used to store clean screens 130, and the lower rack 120 is used to store used screens 130.

[0088] In some embodiments, each of the upper rack 110 and the lower rack 120 comprises two vertical plates 111 and a plurality of horizontal plates 113. The vertical plates 111 are arranged in the vertical direction. The plurality of horizontal plates 113 are connected to the two opposite vertical plates 111 and are arranged in sequence in the height direction of the vertical plates 111. The plurality of horizontal plates 113 are spaced apart to form multiple layers. Each layer of horizontal plates 113 is provided with a plurality of first placing positions for placing screens. In this way, the structure of the upper rack 110 and the lower rack 120 is simple, reliable and stable. The upper rack 110 and the lower rack 120 have a plurality of first placing positions, which can temporarily store a plurality of screens, improving efficiency.

[0089] The storage module of the sample automated processing device 10 further comprises various container temporary storage and transfer devices. These container temporary storage and transfer devices comprise: an exchange bin 810 for exchanging shake flasks, centrifuge bottle trays, concentrated bottle trays, etc. between the sample automated processing device 10 and external AGV vehicles; a shake flask temporary storage site 820 for temporarily storing shake flasks; a centrifuge bottle / concentrated bottle tray temporary storage site 830 for temporarily storing centrifuge bottle trays and concentrated bottle trays; and a centrifuge bottle / concentrated bottle transfer site 840 for transferring centrifuge bottles / concentrated bottles when taking and placing them from the trays.

[0090] The exchange bin 810 is arranged at the interactive station and is used for temporarily storing material trays or consumables, etc. When the material trays or consumables, etc. are moved to the interactive station by the manipulator gripper driven by the mechanical arm, the material trays or consumables, etc. are placed on the exchange bin 810. The exchange bin 810 can be placed on the box body 10a and can be fixedly connected with the box body 10a. The specific structure of the exchange bin 810 is not limited, and a plurality of second placement sites can be arranged on the exchange bin 810, which can temporarily store a plurality of material trays or consumables, etc.

[0091] The sample automated processing device 10 according to the present disclosure further comprises a tool library 1100 for storing different tools. These tools comprise tray / screen mesh grippers, bottle grippers, pipetting devices, etc., which can be quickly connected with the mechanical arm of the transfer module 300 through quick-change connectors, and the mechanical arm changes different tools in the tool library 1100 to perform corresponding operations.

[0092] The sample automated processing device 10 according to the present disclosure further comprises a Tip head tray temporary storage site 1200 for storing Tip heads.

[0093] The present disclosure eliminates the need for manual transportation of any articles to the instruments or temporary storage sites corresponding to the next operation by including the storage module and taking and transferring the screen, various containers, various tools and Tip heads, etc. in the storage module by the transfer module 300, further reducing the intervention of manual operation, and achieving a higher level of automation.

[0094] Cleaning module

[0095] The sample automated processing device 10 according to the present disclosure further comprises a cleaning module 1000 for cleaning the sample containers 50 left by the solid samples after filtration, discharging the waste liquid to the waste liquid tank, and recovering the samples for secondary extraction. The structure of the cleaning module 1000 is similar to that of the filtration module 100, and the difference lies in that the lower end outlet of the suction filtration adapter of the cleaning module 1000 is directly connected to the waste liquid tank.

[0096] By using the sample automatic processing device of the present disclosure, full-process automation of all processes including filtering, centrifugation, opening and closing the cover, cleaning and transfer process can be realized, and the labor cost is reduced.

[0097] The present disclosure also provides a sample automatic processing system, which comprises the mobile device and at least one sample automatic processing device 10, and the mobile device is used to transport materials to the sample automatic processing device 10 and take away the samples processed by the sample automatic processing device 10. The mobile device can be any mobile device in the prior art that can realize the above functions, such as but not limited to a mobile AGV trolley or a mobile robot.

[0098] The sample automatic processing system of the present disclosure can be used for biological preparation, chemical preparation, etc., and can be applied to the biopharmaceutical industry, chemical reagent preparation industry, etc. By using the sample automatic processing device in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the management efficiency of materials and consumables can be improved, and the warehousing, delivery, transfer, etc. of materials can be realized, and the automation level is improved.

[0099] Optionally, the mobile device of the sample automatic processing system comprises a mechanical arm, and the mechanical arm is used to take and place materials and consumables, etc.

[0100] Referring to Figure 5 , a schematic diagram of a mechanical arm of a sample automatic processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The mechanical arm comprises a mechanical hand 410, a vision assembly (camera lens) 420 and a clamping device 430. One end of the mechanical hand 410 is connected to the base 11, and the other end of the mechanical hand 410 is connected to the clamping device 430. The vision assembly (such as a camera lens, etc.) 420 is connected to the mechanical hand 410, and the vision assembly 420 can be arranged close to the clamping device 430. The mechanical arm 400 identifies the equipment or locates the warehouse through the vision assembly 420, and grabs the corresponding materials or consumables, etc. through the clamping device 430. In specific implementation, the mechanical arm can be a collaborative mechanical arm, and the mechanical hand can be a multi-axis mechanical hand (such as a six-axis mechanical hand, a four-axis mechanical hand, a three-axis mechanical hand, etc.). The multi-axis mechanical hand 410 and the vision assembly 420 can be selected from standard products. The use of the mobile device can realize the grabbing or placing function of materials or consumables, is suitable for the transmission and grabbing of light-load materials or consumables, realizes the diversified needs of identification, inspection, grabbing, etc. of specific goods, can reach places that cannot be reached before, and the work site is no longer limited, so as to meet the production needs of flexible production lines.

[0101] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure; although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions recorded in the above embodiments can still be modified, or some or all of the technical features can be replaced by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A sample automation processing apparatus, characterized by, The sample automatic processing equipment comprises: a filtering module for performing a filtering operation on a sample to achieve a preliminary solid-liquid separation of the sample; a centrifuging module for performing a centrifuging operation on a sample container containing the sample to achieve a further solid-liquid separation of the sample; a balancing module for performing a balancing operation on a plurality of sample containers; and a transfer module for performing a transfer operation required for the filtering operation, the centrifuging operation and the balancing operation by changing different tools to assist in completing the filtering operation, the centrifuging operation and the balancing operation.

2. The sample automatic processing equipment according to claim 1, wherein the different tools comprise a tray / sieve gripper, a bottle gripper and a pipetting device, and the different tools are fast-changedly connected to the transfer module through fast-changing joints.

3. The sample automatic processing equipment according to claim 2, wherein the bottle gripper is provided with an anti-pollution design.

4. The sample automated processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The sample automatic processing equipment further comprises a control module, the control module controls the filtering module, the centrifuging module, the transfer module and the balancing module to perform a control operation.

5. The sample automatic processing equipment according to claim 4, wherein the balancing module comprises a weighing device and a pipetting device, the weighing device is used to weigh a plurality of sample containers containing the sample one by one to obtain a plurality of weighing results, the pipetting device is used to perform a balancing operation of transferring a part of the filtered sample in a sample container containing more sample to another sample container.

6. The sample automatic processing equipment according to claim 5, wherein the control module determines whether the weight difference between the plurality of sample containers exceeds a permissible range according to the plurality of weighing results, if the weight difference between the plurality of sample containers does not exceed the permissible range, the control module controls the transfer module to transfer the plurality of sample containers to the centrifuging module to perform the centrifuging operation; if the weight difference between the plurality of sample containers exceeds the permissible range, the control module controls the transfer module to perform a balancing operation on the plurality of sample containers by using the pipetting device of the balancing module.

7. The sample automatic processing equipment according to claim 4, wherein the control module determines whether the sample needs to perform the centrifuging operation.

8. The sample automatic processing equipment according to claim 7, wherein the control module determines whether the centrifuging operation needs to be performed according to the sample type; if the control module determines that the sample has been pulverized according to the sample type, the centrifuging operation needs to be performed; if the control module determines that the sample has not been pulverized according to the sample type, the centrifuging operation is not performed.

9. The sample automatic processing equipment according to claim 7, wherein the control module determines whether the centrifuging operation needs to be performed according to whether the sample is clear; if the control module determines that the sample is not clear, the centrifuging operation needs to be performed; If the control module determines that the sample has been clarified, the centrifugation operation is not performed.

10. The sample automated processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The filtration module performs the filtration operation by vacuumizing the sample to pass through the screen under the action of negative pressure.

11. The sample automated processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein, The filtration module comprises: a vacuum pump for performing a vacuumizing operation; a screen for filtering the fluid to be filtered; and a vacuum interface connected to the vacuum pump to perform the filtration operation by vacuum filtering the fluid to be filtered passing through the screen.

12. The sample automated processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein, The filtration module further comprises: a support frame; a funnel for carrying the screen; a screen pressing plate for pressing on the screen; and an adapter fixed to the support frame and used to connect the funnel to the vacuum interface and the sample container.

13. The sample automated processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein, The filtration module further comprises: a first lifting mechanism mounted to the support frame and used to drive the screen pressing plate to move up and down to control the pressing on the screen; and a second lifting mechanism mounted to the support frame and used to drive a placement cylinder where the sample container is placed to move up and down, when the second lifting mechanism is raised, the sample container contained in the placement cylinder is lifted to a liquid receiving position to be docked with the adapter, when the second lifting mechanism is lowered, the sample container contained in the placement cylinder is removed from the adapter.

14. The sample automated processing apparatus of claim 13, wherein, The filtration module further comprises: a vacuum gauge for detecting the vacuum value to help determine whether the filtration operation is completed; and a vacuum breaking valve for breaking the vacuum to prevent the placement cylinder from being adsorbed to the funnel when it is lowered.

15. The sample automated processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein, The sample automatic processing equipment further comprises a storage module for temporarily storing the sample container and the screen required for the centrifugation operation and the filtration operation.

16. The sample automated processing apparatus of claim 15, wherein, The storage module comprises: an upper feeding rack for storing clean screens; and a lower feeding rack for storing used screens.

17. The sample automated processing apparatus of claim 16, wherein, Each of the upper feeding rack and the lower feeding rack comprises two vertical plates arranged in the vertical direction and a plurality of horizontal plates connected to the two opposite vertical plates and arranged in sequence along the height direction of the two vertical plates, the plurality of horizontal plates are spaced apart to form multiple layers, and each layer of horizontal plates is provided with a plurality of placement positions for placing screens.

18. The sample automated processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The sample automatic processing equipment further comprises: a cover opening and closing module for opening or closing the container cover of the sample container.

19. The sample automated processing apparatus of claim 18, wherein, The cover opening and closing module comprises: a container seat for accommodating the sample container to be opened or closed; a container body clamping end for clamping the container body; a container cover clamping end for clamping the container cover; and a translation mechanism on which the container seat is mounted so that the container seat moves along the translation mechanism, wherein the container cover clamping end is provided with an elastic component that enables the container cover clamping end to swing.

20. A sample automation processing system, characterized by, comprising a mobile device and at least one sample automated processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 19, the mobile device being configured to deliver material to the sample automated processing device and to take away samples processed by the sample automated processing device.

Images