Sample analyzer

Abstract

The utility model discloses a sample analyzer which comprises a pretreatment module, a mass spectrum module and at least one liquid chromatogram module, wherein each liquid chromatogram module further comprises a first driving mechanism, a first cleaning channel and a waste liquid channel, and the first cleaning channel and the waste liquid channel are both communicated with a sample introduction pool; after the conveying unit drives a sample in the sample introduction pool to be injected into the sample introduction channel, the first driving mechanism is configured to be capable of driving first cleaning liquid to be injected into the sample introduction pool through the first cleaning channel, the first cleaning liquid is used for cleaning the sample introduction pool and at least partially cleaning the liquid transfer component in the sample introduction pool, and the waste liquid channel is used for discharging waste liquid in the sample introduction pool. The sample introduction pool is used for sample introduction and also can be used as a cleaning pool for cleaning the pipetting part, so that an independent cleaning pool is not needed, the material cost can be reduced, the size of the analyzer is reduced, the scheduling of the pipetting part from the sample introduction pool to the cleaning pool can be omitted, and the efficiency of the pipetting part can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a sample analyzer. Background Technology

[0002] With technological advancements, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has become increasingly prevalent in medical sample analysis. LC is used for the separation of target analytes from samples, while mass spectrometry is used for their determination. This combination leverages the advantages of both systems, offering strong separation capabilities, high detection sensitivity, and a wide analytical range. To facilitate sample transfer, LC systems utilize pipetting components such as pipettes. To prevent cross-contamination, these components must be cleaned after each pipetting operation. While some technologies employ separate cleaning tanks for pipette cleaning, this requires additional space and material costs. Furthermore, moving the pipette from the sample dispensing position to the cleaning tank takes extra time. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a sample analyzer that can utilize the sample injection cell to clean the pipetting components, eliminating the need for a separate cleaning tank. This reduces material costs, saves analyzer space, and eliminates the need to move the pipetting components from the sample injection cell to the cleaning tank, thus improving the efficiency of the pipetting components.

[0004] The sample analyzer according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a pretreatment module, a mass spectrometry module, and at least one liquid chromatography module:

[0005] The pretreatment module includes a pretreatment unit, a sample unit, and a pipetting component. The pretreatment unit is used to perform pretreatment operations on the sample, and the sample unit is used to hold the sample that has undergone pretreatment operations.

[0006] Each of the liquid chromatography modules includes an injection cell, an injection channel, a delivery unit, and a chromatographic column. The two ends of the injection channel are respectively connected to the injection cell and the delivery unit. The pipette is movable between the sample unit and at least one of the injection cells. The pipette is used to draw a sample from the sample unit and inject the sample into at least one of the injection cells. The sample in the injection cell can be injected into the chromatographic column through the injection channel and the delivery unit. The chromatographic column is used to separate the target analyte from the sample.

[0007] The mass spectrometry module is used to perform mass spectrometry analysis on the target analyte from the chromatographic column;

[0008] Each of the liquid chromatography modules further includes a first driving mechanism, a first cleaning channel, and a waste liquid channel. The first cleaning channel and the waste liquid channel are both connected to the injection cell. When the delivery unit drives the sample in the injection cell to be injected into the injection channel, the first driving mechanism is configured to drive the first cleaning liquid to be injected into the injection cell through the first cleaning channel. The first cleaning liquid is used to clean the injection cell and at least partially clean the pipetting component in the injection cell. The waste liquid channel is used to discharge the waste liquid in the injection cell.

[0009] The sample analyzer according to the embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0010] The sample injection cell is used for sample injection on one hand, and as a cleaning cell for cleaning pipetting components on the other hand. This eliminates the need for a separate cleaning cell, which reduces material costs, reduces the size of the analyzer, and saves the trouble of moving pipetting components from the sample injection cell to the cleaning cell, thus helping to improve the efficiency of the pipetting components.

[0011] In other embodiments of this utility model, after the delivery unit drives the sample in the injection cell to be injected into the injection channel, the first driving mechanism is configured to perform a first driving operation to drive the first cleaning liquid into the injection cell to clean the injection cell, and after the injection cell is cleaned and the waste liquid in the injection cell is discharged, a second driving operation is performed to drive the first cleaning liquid into the injection cell to clean the outer wall of the pipetting component.

[0012] In other embodiments of this utility model, the liquid chromatography module further includes a first control valve, which is disposed in the waste liquid channel and is used to open or close the waste liquid channel;

[0013] Specifically, when the pipetting component injects the sample into the injection cell, and when the delivery unit drives the sample into the injection channel, the first control valve is in a closed state;

[0014] When the first driving mechanism drives the first cleaning liquid into the sample inlet, or after the liquid enters the sample inlet, the first control valve is in the open state.

[0015] In other embodiments of this utility model, the liquid chromatography module further includes a first control valve, which is disposed in the waste liquid channel and is used to open or close the waste liquid channel;

[0016] When the first control valve is in the closed state and the first cleaning liquid remains in the injection cell, the pipetting component is configured to repeatedly perform the aspiration operation of drawing the first cleaning liquid from the injection cell and the discharge operation of discharging the first cleaning liquid to clean the inner wall of the pipetting component.

[0017] In other embodiments of this utility model, the liquid chromatography module further includes a first control valve, which is disposed in the waste liquid channel and is used to open or close the waste liquid channel;

[0018] The liquid chromatography module further includes a second driving mechanism and a second cleaning channel. The second cleaning channel is connected to the pipetting component. The second driving mechanism is configured to drive a second cleaning liquid through the second cleaning channel and the pipetting component into the injection cell to clean the inner wall of the pipetting component.

[0019] In other embodiments of this utility model, the liquid chromatography module further includes a second control valve, which is disposed in the first cleaning channel and is used to open or close the first cleaning channel.

[0020] Specifically, when the pipetting component injects the sample into the injection cell, and when the delivery unit drives the sample into the injection channel, the second control valve is in a closed state;

[0021] When the first drive mechanism drives the first cleaning fluid to be injected into the sample inlet, the second control valve is in the open state.

[0022] In other embodiments of this utility model, the metering loop is connected to the channel switching valve, and the sample outlet channel is connected to the chromatographic column;

[0023] The channel switching valve has a first state and a second state. When the channel switching valve is in the first state, it controls the injection channel to be connected to the quantitative loop and controls the quantitative loop to be disconnected from the outlet channel, so that the sample enters the quantitative loop through the injection channel.

[0024] Furthermore, when the channel switching valve is configured to be in the second state, it controls the sample outlet channel to be connected to the quantitative loop and controls the quantitative loop to be disconnected from the sample injection channel, so that the sample enters the chromatographic column from the quantitative loop.

[0025] In other embodiments of this utility model, the channel switching valve includes a first valve port, a second valve port, a third valve port, a fourth valve port, a fifth valve port, and a sixth valve port; the liquid chromatography module further includes a third driving mechanism and a fourth driving mechanism; the quantitative loop is connected to the first valve port and the fourth valve port respectively; the sample outlet channel is connected to the second valve port; the third driving mechanism is connected to the third valve port; the sample injection channel is connected to the fifth valve port; and the fourth driving mechanism is connected to the sixth valve port.

[0026] When the channel switching valve is in the first state, the first valve port is connected to the sixth valve port, the second valve port is connected to the third valve port, and the fourth valve port is connected to the fifth valve port.

[0027] Furthermore, when the channel switching valve is in the second state, the first valve port is connected to the second valve port, the third valve port is connected to the fourth valve port, and the fifth valve port is connected to the sixth valve port.

[0028] In other embodiments of this utility model, the pretreatment unit includes a support mechanism, a magnetic suction mechanism, and a pipetting assembly. The support mechanism is used to support a sample container containing magnetic bead reagents and a sample. When the magnetic beads of the magnetic bead reagent bind to the analyte, the pipetting assembly is used to inject a third cleaning liquid into the sample container to clean the magnetic beads and to aspirate the waste liquid after cleaning. The pipetting assembly is also used to inject an eluent into the sample container after cleaning to elute the analyte on the magnetic beads, and to aspirate the eluent containing the analyte after elution and transfer the eluent to the sample unit. The magnetic suction mechanism is used to adsorb the magnetic beads when the pipetting assembly aspirates the waste liquid and the eluent. The sample that has undergone pretreatment is the eluent containing the analyte.

[0029] The sample analyzer according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a pretreatment module, a mass spectrometry module, and at least one liquid chromatography module:

[0030] The pretreatment module includes a pretreatment unit, a sample unit, and a pipetting component. The pretreatment unit is used to perform pretreatment operations on the sample, and the sample unit is used to hold the sample that has undergone pretreatment operations.

[0031] Each of the liquid chromatography modules includes an injection cell, an injection channel, a delivery unit, and a chromatographic column. The two ends of the injection channel are respectively connected to the injection cell and the delivery unit. The pipette is movable between the sample unit and at least one of the injection cells. The pipette is used to draw a sample from the sample unit and inject the sample into at least one of the injection cells. The sample in the injection cell can be injected into the chromatographic column through the injection channel and the delivery unit. The chromatographic column is used to separate the target analyte from the sample.

[0032] The mass spectrometry module is used to perform mass spectrometry analysis on the target analyte from the chromatographic column;

[0033] Each of the liquid chromatography modules further includes a second driving mechanism, a second cleaning channel, and a waste liquid channel. The second cleaning channel is connected to the pipetting component, and the waste liquid channel is connected to the injection cell. When the delivery unit drives the sample in the injection cell to be injected into the injection channel, the second driving mechanism is configured to drive the second cleaning liquid through the second cleaning channel and the pipetting component to be injected into the injection cell. The second cleaning liquid is used to clean the injection cell and the pipetting component. The waste liquid channel is used to discharge the waste liquid in the injection cell.

[0034] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0035] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the sample analyzer module in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection of the liquid chromatography module when the channel switching valve is in the first state in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0038] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the middle channel switching valve in its first state;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection of the liquid chromatography module when the channel switching valve is in the second state in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0040] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the middle channel switching valve in the second state.

[0041] Figure label:

[0042] Sample Analyzer 10;

[0043] Pre-processing module 100, pre-processing unit, sample unit, pipetting component 110;

[0044] Liquid chromatography module 200, chromatographic column 210, injection cell 220, injection channel 230, delivery unit 240, channel switching valve 241, first valve port 241a, second valve port 241b, third valve port 241c, fourth valve port 241d, fifth valve port 241e, sixth valve port 241f, quantitative loop 242, sample outlet channel 243, third drive mechanism 244, fourth drive mechanism 245, first drive channel 246, second drive channel 247, first drive mechanism 250, first cleaning channel 260, waste liquid channel 270, first control valve 280, second control valve 290;

[0045] Mass spectrometry module 300. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0047] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the directional descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicate the directional or positional relationship based on the directional or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0048] In the description of this utility model, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0049] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "setting," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0050] In the description of this utility model, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this utility model. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0051] As mentioned earlier, currently, pipettes need to be moved to a separate cleaning tank for cleaning. This cleaning tank occupies additional space and increases material costs. Furthermore, the pipetting components need to be moved from the sample dispensing position to the cleaning tank, incurring additional scheduling time. Therefore, this invention proposes a sample analyzer that uses the sample injection tank as the cleaning tank, eliminating the need for a separate cleaning tank. This helps reduce costs, minimize space occupation, and improve the efficiency of the pipetting components. The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, provides further details.

[0052] Reference Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a schematic of the sample analyzer 10 in the first embodiment of the present invention, which includes a pretreatment module 100, a mass spectrometry module 300, and at least one liquid chromatography module 200. The pretreatment module 100 includes a pretreatment unit, a sample unit, and a pipetting component 110. The pretreatment unit performs pretreatment operations on the sample, the sample unit holds the pretreated sample, and the pipetting component transfers the sample. In some specific embodiments, the pretreatment module 100 can perform impurity removal on the sample to remove analytes. For example, the pretreatment unit can remove analytes from the sample using methods such as magnetic bead removal.

[0053] The liquid chromatography module 200 is used to separate the target analyte from the sample that has undergone pretreatment, and the mass spectrometry module 300 is used to perform mass spectrometry analysis on the target analyte from the chromatographic column 210 to obtain analytical results. In some specific embodiments, the liquid chromatography module 200 is configured as one, that is, the sample analyzer 10 is a single-channel analyzer; in other specific embodiments, the liquid chromatography module 200 is configured as multiple, that is, the sample analyzer 10 is a multi-channel analyzer. This utility model is mainly described in the case of multi-channel analysis.

[0054] Among them, reference Figure 2Each liquid chromatography module 200 includes a chromatographic column 210, an injection cell 220, an injection channel 230, and a delivery unit 240. The two ends of the injection channel 230 are connected to the injection cell 220 and the delivery unit 240, respectively. The sample (hereinafter referred to as the sample) that has undergone pretreatment in the injection cell 220 can be injected into the chromatographic column 210 through the injection channel 230 and the delivery unit 240. The chromatographic column 210 is used to separate the target analyte from the sample. Furthermore, a pipette 110 can move between the sample unit and at least one injection cell 220. It can aspirate the pretreated sample from the sample unit and inject the sample into at least one injection cell 220, thereby transferring the sample from the sample unit to the injection cell 220. It should be noted that the present invention does not limit the number of pipetting components 110. When there is one liquid chromatography module 200, there is also one pipetting component 110. When there are multiple liquid chromatography modules 200, the number of pipetting components 110 can be equal to or less than the number of liquid chromatography modules 200. For example, if there is one pipetting component 110, after it completes the injection operation of one liquid chromatography module 200 and is cleaned, it can then perform the injection operation of other liquid chromatography modules 200. That is, multiple liquid chromatography modules 200 can be injected through a shared pipetting component 110, which can reduce costs.

[0055] In addition, refer to Figure 2 Each liquid chromatography module 200 also includes a first driving mechanism 250, a first cleaning channel 260, and a waste liquid channel 270. Both the first cleaning channel 260 and the waste liquid channel 270 are connected to the injection cell 220. When the delivery unit 240 drives the sample in the injection cell 220 to be injected into the injection channel 230, the first driving mechanism 250 is configured to drive the first cleaning liquid through the first cleaning channel 260 into the injection cell 220. The first cleaning liquid is used to clean the injection cell 220 and at least partially clean the pipetting component 110 within the injection cell 220. The waste liquid channel 270 is used to discharge waste liquid from the injection cell 220. Thus, the injection cell 220 is used for both sample injection and cleaning of the pipetting component 110, eliminating the need for a separate cleaning tank. This reduces material costs, space requirements, and the need to move the pipetting component 110 from the injection cell 220 to the cleaning tank, thereby improving the efficiency of the pipetting component 110.

[0056] It should be noted that the aforementioned "at least partially cleaning the pipetting component 110" means cleaning at least a portion of the pipetting component 110, such as the outer wall of the pipetting component 110.

[0057] It should also be noted that the aforementioned "after the delivery unit 240 drives the sample in the injection chamber 220 to be injected into the injection channel 230" refers to a situation where a sufficient amount of sample is already in the injection channel 230, or in the delivery unit 240, or in the chromatographic column 210, etc. In other words, the first driving mechanism 250 can choose to drive the first cleaning liquid to be injected into the injection chamber 220 after the sample has reached different positions based on actual needs. In addition, "after the delivery unit 240 drives the sample in the injection chamber 220 to be injected into the injection channel 230" includes the situation where all the sample in the injection chamber 220 has been extracted, as well as the situation where a certain amount of sample remains in the injection chamber 220.

[0058] Based on the first embodiment, in some embodiments of this utility model, after the delivery unit 240 drives the sample injection channel 230 in the sample injection pool 220, the first driving mechanism 250 is configured to perform a first driving operation to drive the first cleaning liquid into the sample injection pool 220 to clean the sample injection pool 220. After the sample injection pool 220 is cleaned and the waste liquid in the sample injection pool 220 is discharged, a second driving operation is performed to drive the first cleaning liquid into the sample injection pool 220 to clean the outer wall of the pipetting component 110. That is, in this embodiment, the sample injection pool 220 is cleaned first, and then the pipetting component 110 is cleaned. Compared with the synchronous mixing cleaning scheme, the amount of first cleaning liquid used can be reduced. For example, when the sample injection pool 220 is cleaned, the pipetting component 110 is located above the liquid surface. After the sample injection pool 220 is cleaned and new first cleaning liquid is injected, the lower end of the pipetting component 110 is submerged in the first cleaning liquid to clean the outer wall.

[0059] It should be noted that in some specific embodiments, the first cleaning liquid may be injected into and retained in the sample injection tank 220, and discharged through the waste liquid channel 270 after cleaning is completed or the cleaning liquid in the tank needs to be replaced. Alternatively, the first cleaning liquid may be continuously injected into the sample injection tank 220 and continuously discharged through the waste liquid channel 270, thereby achieving the rinsing function.

[0060] In other embodiments, the outer wall of the pipetting component 110 can also be cleaned at the same time as the sample inlet 220.

[0061] Based on the first embodiment, in some embodiments of this utility model, the inner wall of the pipetting component 110 can also be cleaned using a first cleaning liquid, thereby achieving complete cleaning of the pipetting component 110. (Refer to...) Figure 2 The liquid chromatography module 200 also includes a first control valve 280, which is disposed in the waste liquid channel 270 and is used to open or close the waste liquid channel 270. The first control valve 280 can be a solenoid valve capable of active control; for example, the first control valve 280 is a two-way solenoid valve.

[0062] When the first control valve 280 is closed and the sample inlet 220 contains the first cleaning liquid, the pipetting component 110 is configured to repeatedly perform the aspiration operation of drawing the first cleaning liquid from the sample inlet 220 and the discharge operation of discharging the first cleaning liquid, thereby cleaning the inner wall of the pipetting component 110. After cleaning is completed or the cleaning liquid in the inlet needs to be replaced, it is discharged through the waste liquid channel 270.

[0063] It should be noted that, in some specific embodiments, the cleaning of the inner wall can be performed after the cleaning of the outer wall of the pipetting component 110 is completed.

[0064] In other embodiments, the inner wall of the pipette component 110 can also be cleaned using a second cleaning liquid. Specifically, the liquid chromatography module 200 further includes a second driving mechanism and a second cleaning channel. The second cleaning channel is connected to the pipette component 110, and the second driving mechanism is configured to drive the second cleaning liquid through the second cleaning channel and the pipette component 110 into the injection cell 220 to clean the inner wall of the pipette component 110. The first control valve 280 can be in an open state when the second cleaning liquid enters the injection cell 220, so that the second cleaning liquid can be continuously discharged from the injection cell 220. The first control valve 280 can also be in an open state after the second cleaning liquid enters the injection cell 220, that is, when a certain amount of the second cleaning liquid accumulates in the injection cell 220, the waste liquid channel 270 is opened to discharge the waste liquid. The second cleaning liquid and the first cleaning liquid can be liquids of the same composition or liquids of different compositions.

[0065] In this embodiment, since the second cleaning liquid is injected by the pipetting component 110, the sample injection cell 220 is mainly used for the collection and discharge of waste liquid after cleaning.

[0066] Based on the first embodiment, in some embodiments of this utility model, reference is made to Figure 2 The liquid chromatography module 200 also includes a first control valve 280, which is disposed in the waste liquid channel 270 and is used to open or close the waste liquid channel 270. The first control valve 280 can be a solenoid valve capable of active control; for example, the first control valve 280 is a two-way solenoid valve.

[0067] In this embodiment, when the pipetting component 110 injects a sample into the sample inlet 220, and when the delivery unit 240 drives the sample into the sample inlet channel 230, the first control valve 280 is in a closed state to prevent the sample from being discharged from the waste liquid channel 270. When the first drive mechanism 250 drives the first cleaning liquid into the sample inlet 220, the first control valve 280 is in an open state, and the first cleaning liquid can continue to flow out to achieve rinsing. Alternatively, after the first drive mechanism 250 drives the first cleaning liquid into the sample inlet 220, the first control valve 280 is opened again to allow the first cleaning liquid accumulated in the sample inlet 220 to be discharged through the waste liquid channel 270. By setting the first control valve 280, the switching of the waste liquid channel 270 between different situations can be realized.

[0068] Based on the first embodiment, in some embodiments of this utility model, reference is made to Figure 2 The liquid chromatography module 200 also includes a second control valve 290, which is disposed in the first cleaning channel 260 and is used to open or close the first cleaning channel 260. The second control valve 290 can be a solenoid valve capable of active control; for example, the second control valve 290 is a two-way solenoid valve.

[0069] In this embodiment, when the pipetting component 110 injects a sample into the sample inlet 220, and when the delivery unit 240 drives the sample injection into the sample inlet channel 230, the second control valve 290 is in a closed state to prevent the sample from being discharged from the first cleaning channel 260. When the first drive mechanism 250 drives the first cleaning solution into the sample inlet 220, the second control valve 290 is in an open state. By setting the second control valve 290, the opening and closing of the first cleaning channel 260 under different conditions can be switched.

[0070] Based on the first embodiment, in some embodiments of this utility model, reference is made to Figure 2 The delivery unit 240 includes a channel switching valve 241, a quantitative loop 242, and a sample outlet channel 243. The channel switching valve 241 has multiple ports, and the sample inlet channel 230, the sample outlet channel 243, and the quantitative loop 242 are all connected to different ports of the channel switching valve 241. The sample outlet channel 243 is also connected to the chromatographic column 210. The quantitative loop 242 can store a set amount of sample; for example, its two ends are respectively connected to different ports of the channel switching valve 241.

[0071] Channel switching valve 241 has a first state and a second state, such as Figure 2As shown, when the channel switching valve 241 is in the first state, it controls the injection channel 230 to connect with the quantitative loop 242 and controls the quantitative loop 242 to disconnect from the outlet channel 243. At this time, the sample in the injection cell 220 will enter the quantitative loop 242 through the injection channel 230 and the channel switching valve 241 and remain in the quantitative loop 242. Furthermore, as... Figure 4 As shown, when the channel switching valve 241 is in the second state, it controls the sample outlet channel 243 to connect with the quantitative loop 242 and controls the quantitative loop 242 to disconnect from the sample injection channel 230. At this time, the sample in the quantitative loop 242 can enter the chromatographic column 210 through the sample outlet channel 243, thereby realizing the quantitative transfer of the sample.

[0072] In some specific embodiments, reference is made to Figure 3 , Figure 5 The channel switching valve 241 includes a first valve port 241a, a second valve port 241b, a third valve port 241c, a fourth valve port 241d, a fifth valve port 241e, and a sixth valve port 241f. Exemplarily, the valve ports are arranged sequentially along the circumference of the channel switching valve 241, for example, in a clockwise direction as shown in the figure. In some specific embodiments, the channel switching valve 241 includes a stator and a rotor. The stator is provided with valve ports, and the rotor is provided with channels for communication between the valve ports. By rotating the rotor relative to the stator, the connection relationship between the channels and the valve ports can be adjusted, thereby achieving the switching between a first state and a second state.

[0073] The delivery unit 240 also includes a third drive mechanism 244 and a fourth drive mechanism 245. The two ends of the quantitative ring 242 are connected to the first valve port 241a and the fourth valve port 241d, respectively. The sample outlet channel 243 is connected to the second valve port 241b. The third drive mechanism 244 is connected to the third valve port 241c through the first drive channel 246. The sample inlet channel 230 is connected to the fifth valve port 241e. The fourth drive mechanism 245 is connected to the sixth valve port 241f through the second drive channel 247.

[0074] Among them, reference Figure 3 When the channel switching valve 241 is in the first state, the first valve port 241a is connected to the sixth valve port 241f, the second valve port 241b is connected to the third valve port 241c, and the fourth valve port 241d is connected to the fifth valve port 241e. Thus, under the drive of the fourth drive mechanism 245, the sample in the injection cell 220 can enter the quantitative loop 242 in sequence through the injection channel 230, the fifth valve port 241e, the fourth valve port 241d, and the first drive channel 246. By adjusting the fourth drive mechanism 245, the quantitative loop 242 can be completely filled or partially filled.

[0075] Reference Figure 5When the channel switching valve 241 is in the second state, the first valve port 241a is connected to the second valve port 241b, the third valve port 241c is connected to the fourth valve port 241d, and the fifth valve port 241e is connected to the sixth valve port 241f. Thus, under the drive of the third drive mechanism 244, the sample in the quantitative loop 242 is pushed by the driving liquid (excluding the sample) from the first drive channel 246 and flows into the chromatographic column 210 through the sample outlet channel 243.

[0076] It should be noted that the driving mechanism mentioned in this utility model can be a pump, syringe, or other driving mechanism capable of driving liquid flow.

[0077] Based on the first embodiment, in some embodiments of the present invention, the pretreatment unit can remove impurities from the sample by means of magnetic beads. Specifically, it includes a support mechanism, a magnetic suction mechanism and a pipetting assembly. The support mechanism is used to support a sample container containing magnetic bead reagents and samples. For example, the support mechanism is an incubation tray with multiple placement holes, each placement hole being used to place a sample container.

[0078] When the magnetic beads in the magnetic bead reagent are bound to the analyte, the pipetting assembly is used to inject a third cleaning liquid into the sample container to clean the magnetic beads. After cleaning, the pipetting assembly removes the waste liquid. During the process of the pipetting assembly removing the waste liquid, the magnetic adsorption mechanism adsorbs the magnetic beads onto the container wall to prevent the magnetic beads from being sucked away and causing loss of the analyte. After one or more cleaning operations, most of the non-analyte in the container can be removed.

[0079] The pipetting assembly is also used to inject eluent into the sample container after washing to elute the analyte from the magnetic beads, and to aspirate the eluted eluent containing the analyte and transfer it to the sample unit. A magnetic adsorption mechanism holds the magnetic beads against the container wall during the aspiration of the eluent by the pipetting assembly, preventing the beads from being transferred to the sample unit. Based on the above operations, the sample that has undergone pretreatment actually refers to the eluent containing the analyte.

[0080] It should be noted that, in some specific embodiments, the pipetting assembly is also used to inject lysis buffer into the sample container to lyse the sample, thereby releasing the analyte.

[0081] It should also be noted that the pipetting assembly includes one or more pipetting components. The aforementioned steps of injecting cleaning solution, aspirating cleaning waste solution, injecting elution solution, and aspirating elution solution can be performed using the same pipetting component or different pipetting components.

[0082] The second embodiment of this utility model also proposes a sample analyzer, which cleans the sample injection cell 220 and the pipetting component 110 by injecting a second cleaning liquid through the pipetting component 110. Specifically, the sample analyzer 10 includes a pretreatment module 100, a mass spectrometry module 300, and at least one liquid chromatography module 200. The pretreatment module 100 includes a pretreatment unit, a sample unit, and the pipetting component 110. The pretreatment unit is used to perform pretreatment operations on the sample, the sample unit is used to hold the sample that has undergone pretreatment operations, and the pipetting component is used to transfer the sample.

[0083] The liquid chromatography module 200 is used to separate the target analyte from the sample that has undergone pretreatment, and the mass spectrometry module 300 is used to perform mass spectrometric analysis on the target analyte from the chromatographic column 210 to obtain analytical results. (Refer to...) Figure 2 Each liquid chromatography module 200 includes a chromatographic column 210, an injection cell 220, an injection channel 230, and a delivery unit 240. The two ends of the injection channel 230 are connected to the injection cell 220 and the delivery unit 240, respectively. The sample in the injection cell 220 can be injected into the chromatographic column 210 through the injection channel 230 and the delivery unit 240. The chromatographic column 210 is used to separate the target analyte from the sample. Furthermore, a pipette 110 can move between the sample unit and at least one injection cell 220. It can aspirate the sample that has undergone pretreatment from the sample unit and inject the sample into at least one injection cell 220, thereby transferring the sample from the sample unit to the injection cell 220.

[0084] The foregoing content can be understood with reference to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, each liquid chromatography module 200 further includes a second driving mechanism, a second cleaning channel, and a waste liquid channel 270. The second cleaning channel is connected to the pipetting component 110, and the waste liquid channel 270 is connected to the injection cell 220. When the delivery unit 240 drives the sample in the injection cell 220 to be injected into the injection channel 230, the second driving mechanism is configured to drive the second cleaning liquid to be injected into the injection cell 220 through the second cleaning channel and the pipetting component 110. The second cleaning liquid is used to clean the injection cell 220 and the pipetting component 110. The waste liquid channel 270 is used to discharge the waste liquid in the injection cell 220. That is, the difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that in the first embodiment, the first cleaning liquid is injected into the injection cell 220 through the first cleaning channel 260 connected to the injection cell 220, thereby realizing the cleaning of the injection cell 220 and the pipetting component 110. In this embodiment, the second cleaning liquid injected through the pipetting component 110 realizes the cleaning of the injection cell 220 and the pipetting component 110.

[0085] In some specific embodiments, the sample inlet 220 is cleaned by the second cleaning liquid as follows: the pipetting component 110 injects the second cleaning liquid into the sample inlet 220, and opens the first control valve 280 on the waste liquid channel 270 to discharge the waste liquid during or after the injection.

[0086] In some specific embodiments, the method of cleaning the pipetting component 110 with the second cleaning liquid is as follows: the pipetting component 110 injects the second cleaning liquid into the sample injection cell 220. When a certain amount of the second cleaning liquid accumulates in the sample injection cell 220 (this can be achieved by turning off the first control valve 280 or by making the injection flow rate greater than the discharge flow rate), the lower end of the pipetting component 110 is immersed in the second cleaning liquid to clean the outer wall, and waste liquid is discharged during or after cleaning.

[0087] In some specific embodiments, the second cleaning liquid is used to clean the pipetting component 110 as follows: the second cleaning liquid is injected into the sample injection cell 220 to clean the inner wall of the pipetting component. At this time, the sample injection cell 220 is mainly used for the collection and discharge of waste liquid after cleaning.

[0088] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof can be combined with each other unless otherwise specified.

Claims

1. A sample analyzer characterized by, The system comprises a pretreatment module, a mass spectrometry module and at least one liquid chromatography module. The pretreatment module comprises a pretreatment unit, a sample unit and a pipetting component, the pretreatment unit is configured to perform a pretreatment operation on a sample, and the sample unit is configured to carry the sample after the pretreatment operation. Each of the liquid chromatography modules comprises a sample injection pool, a sample injection channel, a delivery unit and a chromatographic column, two ends of the sample injection channel are respectively connected with the sample injection pool and the delivery unit, the pipetting component is movable between the sample unit and at least one of the sample injection pools, the pipetting component is configured to suck the sample from the sample unit and inject the sample into at least one of the sample injection pools, the sample in the sample injection pool can be injected into the chromatographic column through the sample injection channel and the delivery unit, and the chromatographic column is configured to separate a target from the sample. The mass spectrometry module is configured to perform mass spectrometry analysis on the target from the chromatographic column. Each of the liquid chromatography modules further comprises a first driving mechanism, a first cleaning channel and a waste liquid channel, the first cleaning channel and the waste liquid channel are both connected with the sample injection pool, when the delivery unit drives the sample in the sample injection pool to be injected into the sample injection channel, the first driving mechanism is configured to drive a first cleaning liquid to be injected into the sample injection pool through the first cleaning channel, the first cleaning liquid is configured to clean the sample injection pool and at least partially clean the pipetting component, and the waste liquid channel is configured to discharge waste liquid in the sample injection pool.

2. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein, When the delivery unit drives the sample in the sample injection pool to be injected into the sample injection channel, the first driving mechanism is configured to perform a first driving operation to drive the first cleaning liquid to be injected into the sample injection pool to clean the sample injection pool, and after the sample injection pool is cleaned and the waste liquid in the sample injection pool is discharged, the first driving mechanism is configured to perform a second driving operation to drive the first cleaning liquid to be injected into the sample injection pool to clean the outer wall of the pipetting component.

3. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein, The liquid chromatography module further comprises a first control valve arranged in the waste liquid channel and configured to open or close the waste liquid channel. When the pipetting component injects the sample into the sample injection pool and when the delivery unit drives the sample to be injected into the sample injection channel, the first control valve is in a closed state. When the first driving mechanism drives the first cleaning liquid to enter or has entered the sample injection pool, the first control valve is in an open state.

4. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein, The liquid chromatography module further comprises a first control valve arranged in the waste liquid channel and configured to open or close the waste liquid channel. When the first control valve is in a closed state and the first cleaning liquid remains in the sample injection pool, the pipetting component is configured to repeatedly perform a suction operation of sucking the first cleaning liquid from the sample injection pool and a discharge operation of discharging the first cleaning liquid to clean the inner wall of the pipetting component.

5. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein, The liquid chromatography module further comprises a first control valve disposed in the waste channel for opening or closing the waste channel; The liquid chromatography module further comprises a second driving mechanism and a second cleaning channel, the second cleaning channel being in communication with the pipetting component, the second driving mechanism being configured to drive a second cleaning liquid through the second cleaning channel and the pipetting component to inject the sample cell for cleaning the inner wall of the pipetting component.

6. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein, The liquid chromatography module further comprises a second control valve disposed in the first cleaning channel for opening or closing the first cleaning channel; When the pipetting component injects the sample into the sample cell, and when the transport unit drives the sample to inject into the sample channel, the second control valve is in a closed state; When the first driving mechanism drives the first cleaning liquid to inject into the sample cell, the second control valve is in an open state.

7. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein, The transport unit comprises a channel switching valve, a constant volume ring and a sample outlet channel, the sample inlet channel, the sample outlet channel and the constant volume ring are all in communication with the channel switching valve, and the sample outlet channel is in communication with the chromatography column; Wherein, the channel switching valve has a first state and a second state, the channel switching valve is configured to control the sample inlet channel and the constant volume ring to be in communication and control the constant volume ring and the sample outlet channel to be disconnected when in the first state, so that the sample enters the constant volume ring through the sample inlet channel; And the channel switching valve is configured to control the sample outlet channel and the constant volume ring to be in communication and control the constant volume ring and the sample inlet channel to be disconnected when in the second state, so that the sample enters the chromatography column from the constant volume ring.

8. The sample analyzer of claim 7, wherein, The channel switching valve comprises a first valve port, a second valve port, a third valve port, a fourth valve port, a fifth valve port and a sixth valve port, the liquid chromatography module further comprises a third driving mechanism and a fourth driving mechanism, the constant volume ring is in communication with the first valve port and the fourth valve port respectively, the sample outlet channel is in communication with the second valve port, the third driving mechanism is in communication with the third valve port, the sample inlet channel is in communication with the fifth valve port, and the fourth driving mechanism is in communication with the sixth valve port; Wherein, when the channel switching valve is in the first state, the first valve port and the sixth valve port are in communication, the second valve port and the third valve port are in communication, and the fourth valve port and the fifth valve port are in communication; And when the channel switching valve is in the second state, the first valve port and the second valve port are in communication, the third valve port and the fourth valve port are in communication, and the fifth valve port and the sixth valve port are in communication.

9. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein, The pre-treatment unit comprises a bearing mechanism, a magnetic attraction mechanism and a pipetting component. The bearing mechanism is used to bear a sample container containing magnetic bead reagents and a sample. When the magnetic beads of the magnetic bead reagents combine with the analyte to be detected, the pipetting component is used to inject a third cleaning liquid into the sample container to clean the magnetic beads, and to suck the cleaned waste liquid. After the cleaning is completed, the pipetting component is used to inject an elution liquid into the sample container to elute the analyte on the magnetic beads, and to suck the elution liquid containing the analyte after elution, and to transfer the elution liquid to the sample unit. The magnetic attraction mechanism is used to attract the magnetic beads when the pipetting component sucks the waste liquid and the elution liquid. The sample that has undergone the pre-treatment operation is the elution liquid containing the analyte.

10. A sample analyzer characterized by, The pre-treatment module, the mass spectrometry module and at least one liquid chromatography module are included. The pre-treatment module comprises a pre-treatment unit, a sample unit and a pipetting component. The pre-treatment unit is used to perform a pre-treatment operation on a sample. The sample unit is used to bear the sample that has undergone the pre-treatment operation. Each liquid chromatography module comprises a sample injection pool, a sample injection channel, a conveying unit and a chromatographic column. Two ends of the sample injection channel are respectively in communication with the sample injection pool and the conveying unit. The pipetting component can move between the sample unit and at least one sample injection pool. The pipetting component is used to suck the sample from the sample unit and inject the sample into at least one sample injection pool. The sample in the sample injection pool can be injected into the chromatographic column through the sample injection channel and the conveying unit. The chromatographic column is used to separate target substances from the sample. The mass spectrometry module is used to perform mass spectrometry analysis on the target substances from the chromatographic column. Each liquid chromatography module further comprises a second driving mechanism, a second cleaning channel and a waste liquid channel. The second cleaning channel is in communication with the pipetting component. The waste liquid channel is in communication with the sample injection pool. After the conveying unit drives the sample in the sample injection pool to be injected into the sample injection channel, the second driving mechanism is configured to drive a second cleaning liquid through the second cleaning channel and the pipetting component to be injected into the sample injection pool. The second cleaning liquid is used to clean the sample injection pool and the pipetting component. The waste liquid channel is used to discharge the waste liquid in the sample injection pool.

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