Nucleic acid detection card box and nucleic acid detection system
By incorporating a puncture structure at the reagent inlet of the nucleic acid test kit, the problem of reagent leakage was solved, resulting in simplified operation and reduced waste.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-01
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-10
AI Technical Summary
Existing nucleic acid test kits require manual replacement of reagent packs during lysis, cleaning, and elution steps, which is cumbersome and reagents are prone to leakage from the openings, resulting in waste and environmental pollution.
A puncture structure is provided at the reagent inlet on the cartridge. When the reagent pack is under pressure, the puncture structure punctures the reagent pack, allowing the reagent to enter the cartridge directly and preventing leakage.
It simplifies reagent replacement procedures, reduces reagent waste and environmental pollution, and improves testing efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN223983650U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of in vitro medical diagnostic devices, specifically to a nucleic acid detection cartridge and a nucleic acid detection system. Background Technology
[0002] Nucleic acid testing has a wide range of applications in the biomedical field and is of great clinical significance, especially in in vitro medical diagnostics. Compared with traditional tube-based bioanalyzers, test cartridges have advantages such as smaller reaction volume and reduced reagent consumption.
[0003] Nucleic acid detection technology typically includes steps such as lysis, binding, washing, elution, and subsequent PCR (polymerase chain reaction, also known as in vitro DNA amplification technology) and optical detection. Among these steps, lysis, washing, and elution usually require the use of specific reagents to process the nucleic acid sample.
[0004] In existing nucleic acid test kits, the steps of lysis, cleaning, and elution usually require manual intervention to replace and pre-open the corresponding reagent packs according to the reagents needed for each step, so that the corresponding reagents can be injected into the nucleic acid test kits during the nucleic acid testing process. This is not only cumbersome to operate, but the reagents in the reagent packs are also prone to leakage from the pre-opened openings on the reagent packs, resulting in reagent waste and even environmental pollution. Utility Model Content
[0005] In view of the above problems, this application provides a nucleic acid test kit and a nucleic acid test system to solve the problem that reagents in the reagent pack of existing nucleic acid test kits are prone to leakage from the pre-opened opening during the nucleic acid test process, resulting in reagent waste and even environmental pollution.
[0006] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a nucleic acid detection cartridge is provided. The cartridge has a reagent inlet, and a reagent pack is disposed at the reagent inlet. The reagent pack contains reagents. The cartridge has a puncture structure protruding at the reagent inlet. When the reagent pack is compressed, it is squeezed and punctured by the puncture structure, so that the reagents inside can enter the cartridge through the reagent inlet.
[0007] In one alternative embodiment, the puncture structure includes a plurality of puncture needles spaced apart around the reagent inlet. After the reagent package is compressed and punctured at multiple points by the plurality of puncture needles, the multiple puncture points are interconnected to form a slit for reagent outflow.
[0008] In one alternative approach, multiple puncture needles are arranged in a cross, triangle, or straight line around the reagent inlet.
[0009] In one alternative embodiment, the plurality of puncture needles includes a first puncture needle arranged along a first direction and a second puncture needle arranged along a second direction, the first direction and the second direction being perpendicular to each other; the distance from the first puncture needle to the center of the reagent inlet is greater than the distance from the second puncture needle to the center of the reagent inlet.
[0010] In one alternative approach, the height of the first puncture needle is lower than the height of the second puncture needle.
[0011] In one alternative, the cartridge has a recess at the edge of the reagent inlet, a puncture structure is provided on the recess, and the reagent pack is used to embed into the recess and form a bulge when pressure is applied.
[0012] In one alternative embodiment, the bottom of the reagent kit is higher than or flush with the opening at the top of the recess, and the tip of the piercing needle is lower than the opening at the top of the recess.
[0013] In one alternative approach, the area opposite the reagent pack to the reagent inlet is made of a brittle material.
[0014] In one alternative embodiment, the cartridge surrounds the reagent inlet to form a limiting wall, and a placement groove is formed inside the limiting wall to accommodate the reagent pack. The height of the placement groove is higher than the height of the reagent pack. A cover plate is provided at the opening of the placement groove to isolate the placement groove from the external environment.
[0015] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a nucleic acid detection system is provided, including a detection device and a nucleic acid detection cartridge as described in any of the above claims. The detection device is used to fix and operate the nucleic acid detection cartridge to perform nucleic acid detection.
[0016] In this embodiment, by pre-positioning the corresponding reagent packs at the corresponding reagent inlets, the need for multiple reagent pack replacements during the testing process is eliminated, thus improving testing efficiency. Furthermore, the puncture structure at the reagent inlet allows for easy puncturing of the reagent pack when needed. Additionally, during reagent injection, the punctured reagent pack allows the reagent inside to be directly injected into the cartridge, preventing leakage from the pre-opened opening and thus avoiding environmental pollution.
[0017] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of this application are given below. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:
[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the nucleic acid detection cartridge provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] Figure 2 This diagram shows a three-dimensional structural schematic of the nucleic acid detection cartridge provided in an embodiment of the present invention from another perspective.
[0021] Figure 3 A partial structural schematic diagram of the nucleic acid detection cartridge provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown;
[0022] Figure 4 An exploded view of the nucleic acid detection cartridge provided in this embodiment of the present invention is shown.
[0023] Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of the nucleic acid detection cartridge provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown.
[0024] Figure 6 It shows Figure 5 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;
[0025] Figure 7 It shows Figure 3 Enlarged diagram of point B in the middle.
[0026] The reference numerals in the detailed embodiments are as follows:
[0027] 100. Cartridge; 110. Sample inlet; 111. Sealing cap; 120. Sample chamber; 130. Sample processing chamber; 140. Waste liquid chamber; 150. Reagent inlet; 160. Puncture structure; 170. Limiting wall; 171. Placement slot; 180. Cover plate;
[0028] 151. First inlet; 152. Second inlet; 153. Third inlet; 154. Fourth inlet; 155. Center of reagent inlet; 156. Recess;
[0029] 20. Reagent pack; 21. First reagent pack; 22. Second reagent pack; 23. Third reagent pack; 24. Fourth reagent pack; 25. Double-sided tape; 26. Main body; 27. Sealing film;
[0030] 30. Piercing needle; 31. First piercing needle; 32. Second piercing needle. Detailed Implementation
[0031] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.
[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.
[0033] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.
[0034] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.
[0035] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A exists, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects before and after it have an "or" relationship.
[0036] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more (including two sets), and "multiple pieces" refers to two or more (including two pieces).
[0037] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to 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 the embodiments of this application.
[0038] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.
[0039] Nucleic acid detection cartridges, such as microfluidic cartridges, offer several advantages over traditional tubular bioanalytical methods. These advantages include smaller reaction volumes, reduced reagent consumption, lower contamination, easier high-throughput analysis, lower cost, greater adaptability, smaller size, more flexible design, and faster detection speed. Furthermore, they can break down complex systems into numerous simpler systems containing only a single research object, simplifying the background for quantitative and qualitative analysis.
[0040] Nucleic acid testing typically requires the use of specific reagents to process nucleic acid samples. For example, in the lysis step, lysis and binding agents are injected into the nucleic acid test cartridge to expose and bind nucleic acids to magnetic beads; in the washing step, detergent is injected to remove impurities from the magnetic beads; and in the elution step, eluent is injected to elute the nucleic acids from the magnetic beads. However, current nucleic acid test cartridges usually require manual intervention. The reagent packs are pre-opened according to the reagents needed for each step, and the reagents are injected into the nucleic acid test cartridge through the openings in the reagent packs. This is not only cumbersome, but also prone to leakage from the pre-opened openings, resulting in reagent waste and even environmental pollution.
[0041] Based on this, this application provides a nucleic acid testing cartridge with a puncture structure at the reagent inlet. An unopened reagent packet is pre-placed at the reagent inlet. When reagent needs to be injected into the cartridge, the corresponding reagent packet is squeezed, puncturing it through the puncture structure at the reagent inlet, allowing the reagent inside to enter the cartridge directly. This design has two advantages: firstly, it allows the reagent packet to be opened by squeezing and puncturing when reagent injection is needed, preventing leakage from a pre-opened opening, reducing waste, and avoiding environmental pollution; secondly, the puncture location allows for control over the puncture point, preventing severe breakage due to excessive pressure.
[0042] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 and Figure 2 The figure shows the three-dimensional structure of the nucleic acid detection cartridge from two different perspectives. As shown in the figure, the cartridge 100 is provided with an inlet 110, a sample chamber 120, and a sample processing chamber 130 that are interconnected. When processing nucleic acid samples, the nucleic acid sample is first injected into the sample chamber 120 through the inlet 110, and the inlet 110 is sealed with a sealing cap 111. Then, the nucleic acid sample in the sample chamber 120 is injected into the sample processing chamber 130. Next, the reagent pack 20 is opened and the corresponding reaction reagents are injected into the sample processing chamber 130 to process the nucleic acid sample.
[0043] As an example, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, reagent pack 20 includes a first reagent pack 21, a second reagent pack 22, a third reagent pack 23, and a fourth reagent pack 24. The reaction reagents in the first reagent pack 21 are lysis agents and binding agents; the reaction reagents in the second reagent pack 22 and the third reagent pack 23 are detergents; and the reaction reagents in the fourth reagent pack 24 are elution agents. During nucleic acid sample processing, the lysis agent and binding agent from the first reagent pack 21 are first injected into the sample processing chamber 130. Cells and / or viruses in the nucleic acid sample undergo lysis under the action of the lysis agent, exposing the nucleic acids. The exposed nucleic acids then bind to magnetic beads under the action of the binding agent. Next, the waste liquid in the sample processing chamber 130 is drained into the waste liquid chamber 140. After draining, the detergent from the second reagent pack 22 and / or the third reagent pack 23 is injected into the sample processing chamber 130 to clean the magnetic beads bound with nucleic acids, thereby removing as many other impurities as possible from the magnetic beads. Then, the waste liquid in the sample processing chamber 130 is drained into the waste liquid chamber 140 again. After the draining is completed, the eluent in the fourth reagent pack 24 is injected into the sample processing chamber 130, and the nucleic acid is eluted from the magnetic beads by the eluent.
[0044] To prevent reagent leakage from a pre-opened opening in the reagent pack 20 when injecting reagents into the sample processing chamber 130, a nucleic acid detection cartridge is provided according to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, such as... Figures 1 to 3 As shown, Figure 3 A partial structure of a nucleic acid testing cartridge is shown. The cartridge 100 has a reagent inlet 150, and a reagent pack 20 containing reagents is disposed at the reagent inlet 150. The cartridge 100 has a protruding puncture structure 160 at the reagent inlet 150. When pressure is applied, the reagent pack 20 is squeezed and punctured by the puncture structure 160, allowing the reagents inside to enter the cartridge 100 through the reagent inlet 150.
[0045] The reagent pack 20 is used to store reagents such as lysis agents, binding agents, detergents, and eluents. The reagent pack 20 can be a vesicle and is made using specific methods such as film thermopressing. In the nucleic acid detection process, different reagents are usually injected at different steps. Therefore, the reagents corresponding to each step need to be stored in a separate reagent pack 20, resulting in a typical number of reagent packs 20. To ensure proper injection of the required reagents into the cartridge 100, the cartridge 100 can be provided with only one reagent inlet 150 communicating with the sample processing chamber 130. A puncture structure 160 is provided at the reagent inlet 150 on the cartridge 100 at a position opposite to each reagent pack 20, so that each reagent pack 20 can be opened through the corresponding puncture structure 160, thereby injecting different reagents into the sample processing chamber 130.
[0046] Of course, in Figures 1 to 3 In the specific embodiment shown, the number of reagent inlets 150 can also be multiple, specifically including a first inlet 151, a second inlet 152, a third inlet 153, and a fourth inlet 154 respectively connected to the sample processing chamber 130. The first inlet 151 is used to inject lysis agent and binding agent into the sample processing chamber 130; the second inlet 152 and the third inlet 153 are both used to inject detergent into the sample processing chamber 130; and the fourth inlet 154 is used to inject eluent into the sample processing chamber 130. Furthermore, when there are multiple sample processing chambers 130, and each sample processing chamber 130 is used to perform different sample processing steps, this arrangement allows each reagent inlet to be connected to its corresponding sample processing chamber 130 through a separate flow channel. This eliminates the need for valves in the flow channels and eliminates the need to control the opening and closing of valves when injecting reagents into the sample processing chamber 130, thus improving the efficiency of nucleic acid detection.
[0047] The puncture structure 160 can be a conical protrusion, a needle, or other similar structure. When the reagent pack 20 is compressed, the tip of the puncture structure 160 will squeeze the reagent pack 20 and puncture the wall of the reagent pack 20 through the tip of the puncture structure 160. The puncture structure 160 is integrally formed with the cartridge 100, or it can be fixed to the cartridge 100 by means of adhesive bonding, heat fusion, or other methods. In addition, the puncture structure 160 corresponding to each reagent pack 20 can include only one puncture needle 30, making the structure on the cartridge 100 simpler, or it can include multiple puncture needles 30, so that multiple puncture points for reagent outflow can be formed on the reagent pack 20, accelerating the speed at which the reagent enters the cartridge 100 and shortening the injection time.
[0048] Furthermore, during the production and assembly of nucleic acid test kits, the reagent pack 20 can be directly fixed at the reagent inlet 150. Specifically, the reagent pack 20 can be assembled and fixed to the reagent inlet 150 on the kit 100 by means of adhesive bonding, heat fusion, etc., and the reagent inlet 150 can be sealed to prevent aerosols and vaporized reagents in the internal space of the kit 100 from leaking through the reagent inlet 150 and causing environmental pollution. In addition, when the tip of the piercing needle 30 comes into contact with the reagent pack 20, it is easy to pierce the reagent pack 20 directly. Therefore, in order to avoid the reagent pack 20 being accidentally pierced by the piercing structure 160, in some embodiments, a certain gap is left between the bottom end of the reagent pack 20 and the top end of the piercing structure 160. As an example, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, Figure 4 This diagram shows an exploded view of the nucleic acid detection cartridge provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 This diagram shows a partial cross-sectional view of the nucleic acid detection cartridge provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 It shows Figure 5 The enlarged schematic diagram at point A shows that the reagent pack 20 can be pasted onto the card box 100 using double-sided tape 25 of a certain thickness. The double-sided tape 25 creates a gap of L1 between the bottom of the reagent pack 20 and the puncture structure 160, preventing the reagent pack 20 from coming into contact with the tip of the puncture structure 160 and being accidentally punctured.
[0049] In the above embodiments, by pre-arranging the corresponding reagent packs 20 at the corresponding reagent inlets 150, the need to repeatedly replace the reagent packs 20 during the testing process is eliminated, which helps to improve testing efficiency. Furthermore, the puncture structure 160 at the reagent inlet 150 allows for easy puncturing of the corresponding reagent pack 20 when reagent injection is needed. Additionally, during the injection of reagent into the cartridge 100, once the reagent pack 20 is punctured at the reagent inlet 150, the reagent inside can be directly injected into the cartridge 100 through the reagent inlet 150, preventing leakage of reagent from the pre-opened opening on the reagent pack 20 and thus avoiding environmental pollution.
[0050] To enable the reagent to be injected more smoothly into the cartridge 100, this application further proposes an embodiment, such as... Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 It shows Figure 3 The enlarged schematic diagram at point B shows that the puncture structure 160 includes multiple puncture needles 30 arranged at intervals around the reagent inlet 150. The reagent pack 20 is used to form a crack for reagent outflow by connecting the multiple puncture points after being punctured at multiple points by the multiple puncture needles 30 under pressure.
[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, when injecting reagent into the cartridge 100, the reagent pack 20 is pressed down. The reagent in the reagent pack 20 moves downward and around the pressure point. The bottom of the reagent pack 20 will bulge downward at the position opposite to the pressure point, and the sides of the reagent pack 20 will stretch and deform outward. After the bottom bulges, it will come into contact with and be punctured by multiple puncture needles 30. After puncturing, the multiple puncture points on the reagent pack 20 will connect with each other due to the tension caused by the outward stretching and deformation of the reagent pack itself, forming cracks, allowing the reagent to flow out quickly from the cracks.
[0052] The puncture structure 160 includes multiple puncture needles 30, which can be arranged in various shapes around the reagent inlet 150, such as triangles, "X" shapes, cross shapes, and straight lines, so that when the reagent pack 20 is punctured by the puncture needles 30, the multiple puncture points can communicate with each other to form cracks of corresponding shapes. Specifically, as... Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, multiple puncture needles 30 are arranged at intervals around the reagent inlet 150 at the bottom of the reagent pack 20. When the reagent pack 20 is squeezed and its bottom end bulges downward and contacts the tip of the puncture needle 30, the bottom end of the reagent pack 20 will be squeezed and punctured by the puncture needle 30, resulting in multiple puncture points on the reagent pack 20. Moreover, as the wall of the bottom end of the reagent pack 20 continues to bulge downward and the surrounding area stretches outward, the bottom end of the reagent pack 20 will begin to crack from the puncture points under the action of tension, thereby connecting the multiple puncture points to form cracks for reagent to flow out.
[0053] Furthermore, to make the wall of reagent pack 20 more prone to breakage, in some embodiments, the portion of reagent pack 20 opposite to reagent inlet 150 is made of a brittle material. For example, such as... Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the puncture needle 30 is located below the reagent pack 20, therefore the bottom wall of the reagent pack 20 is made of a brittle material, such as aluminum foil. Brittle materials are those that are easily broken after undergoing relatively small deformation when subjected to external force. Such materials can withstand relatively small deformations before breaking, making it easier for the reagent pack 20 to break and form cracks for reagent to flow out when subjected to force.
[0054] Furthermore, when the entire reagent pack 20 is made of a brittle material, the pressure points on the reagent pack 20 may deform and rupture under pressure. Specifically, when the reagent pack 20 is pressed downwards, the top of the reagent pack 20 may deform and rupture under pressure, causing reagent to spill or splash from the top, potentially leading to environmental pollution. Therefore, to prevent the reagent pack 20 from rupturing from other locations when squeezed, preferably, the reagent pack 20 may be made of a brittle material only at the locations opposite the puncture structure 160. As an example, such as... Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the reagent pack 20 includes a main body 26 and a sealing film 27. The main body 26 has a groove for containing reagents, and the sealing film 27 is used to seal the opening of the groove. The sealing film 27 is made of a brittle material, while the main body 26 can be made of a flexible material (such as aluminum-plastic film). This allows the main body 26 to be squeezed and recessed into the groove, causing the reagent in the groove to move toward the sealing film 27. Consequently, the sealing film 27 protrudes toward the piercing needle 30 and is pierced by the piercing needle 30 to form a crack.
[0055] In the above embodiment, multiple puncture points are formed on the reagent pack 20 by multiple puncture needles 30 of the puncture structure 160, and the multiple puncture points are interconnected to form cracks, so that the reagent in the reagent pack 20 can flow out quickly through the cracks, and the reagent flowing out from the cracks located between the multiple puncture points is not obstructed by the puncture needles 30. The reagent in the reagent pack 20 can flow out smoothly from the cracks between the multiple puncture points on the reagent pack 20, which can not only shorten the time for injecting reagent into the cartridge 100, but also completely drain the reagent in the reagent pack 20.
[0056] Furthermore, in order to form a larger opening on the reagent pack 20, this application further proposes an embodiment, such as... Figure 7 As shown, multiple puncture needles 30 are arranged in a cross shape around the reagent inlet 150, so that multiple puncture points on the reagent pack 20 are interconnected to form a cross-shaped crack. The wall near the intersection of the cross-shaped cracks can bend downward under the impact of the reagent, thereby forming a rhomboid opening with an arc boundary on the reagent pack 20. Furthermore, the cross-shaped cracks have many edges, and the liquid is more likely to be subjected to shear force at the edges and detach from the surface of the wall of the reagent pack 20, thereby promoting flow.
[0057] As an example, such as Figure 7 As shown, the plurality of piercing needles 30 include a first piercing needle 31 arranged in the direction indicated by double arrow C and a second piercing needle 32 arranged in the direction indicated by double arrow D. When the piercing structure 160 pierces the reagent pack 20, the piercing points formed by the first piercing needles 31 in the reagent pack 20 become interconnected, forming a crack extending in the direction indicated by double arrow C on the reagent pack 20. Similarly, the piercing points formed by the second piercing needles 32 in the reagent pack 20 become interconnected, forming a crack extending in the direction indicated by double arrow D on the reagent pack 20. Moreover, the wall at the intersection of the cracks extending in the direction indicated by double arrow C and the cracks extending in the direction indicated by double arrow D on the reagent pack 20 lacks support and is bent downward by the impact of the reagent flowing out of the reagent pack 20, thereby forming a relatively large opening on the reagent pack 20. On the one hand, this allows for more thorough drainage of the reagent pack 20; on the other hand, it allows the reagent in the reagent pack 20 to flow out of the reagent pack 20 at a faster rate, shortening the time for injecting reagent into the cartridge 100, thereby improving the efficiency of nucleic acid detection.
[0058] Furthermore, when the reagent pack 20 is squeezed and punctured by the puncture needle 30, the reagent pack 20 will also exert a corresponding amount of pressure on the puncture needle 30. When the force on the puncture needle 30 exceeds the material strength limit of the puncture needle 30, the puncture needle 30 may break. Therefore, in order to ensure that the puncture needle 30 remains stable when puncturing the reagent pack 20, such as... Figure 7As shown, the bottom area of the puncture needle 30 is usually set to be relatively large to increase the contact area between the puncture needle 30 and the cartridge 100, making the connection between the puncture needle 30 and the cartridge 100 more stable, thereby ensuring the stability of the puncture needle 30. However, the reagent inlet 150 and the sample processing chamber 130 are usually connected by a flow channel with a relatively small cross-sectional area. If multiple puncture needles 30 are arranged at the same distance around the center 155 of the reagent inlet, the bottom ends of the multiple puncture needles 30 may block the flow channel, preventing the reagent in the reagent inlet 150 from entering the cartridge 100 normally through the flow channel.
[0059] Therefore, in order to ensure that the reagent in the reagent inlet 150 enters the cartridge 100 normally, this application further proposes an embodiment, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the plurality of puncture needles 30 include a first puncture needle 31 arranged along a first direction (as indicated by double arrow C in the figure) and a second puncture needle 32 arranged along a second direction (as indicated by double arrow D in the figure). The first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other. The distance from the first puncture needle 31 to the center of the reagent inlet 155 is greater than the distance from the second puncture needle 32 to the center of the reagent inlet 155.
[0060] Specifically, such as Figure 7 As shown, the distance between the first puncture needle 31 and the center 155 of the reagent inlet is relatively large, while the distance between the second puncture needle 32 and the center 155 of the reagent inlet is relatively small, resulting in a relatively large gap between the first puncture needle 31 and the second puncture needle 32. After the reagent in the reagent pack 20 enters the reagent inlet 150, it can smoothly flow through the gap between the first puncture needle 31 and the second puncture needle 32 and be injected into the cartridge 100. Furthermore, this arrangement can reduce the amount of reagent remaining in the reagent inlet 150 due to obstruction by the puncture needle 30, thus reducing reagent waste.
[0061] Furthermore, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, when reagent pack 20 is squeezed, the deformation of its bottom wall gradually decreases from the center to the edge. To ensure that reagent pack 20 is punctured simultaneously by puncture needles 30, the height of the first puncture needle 31 needs to be increased or the height of the second puncture needle 32 needs to be decreased. That is, the first puncture needle 31 near the edge needs to be higher than the second puncture needle 32 near the center. Increasing the height of the first puncture needle 31 requires a corresponding increase in the area of its bottom to ensure its stability. However, increasing the area of the bottom of the first puncture needle 31 will affect the entry of reagent from the reagent inlet 150 into the cartridge 100. Decreasing the height of the second puncture needle 32 will increase the distance L2 between the second puncture needle 32 and the bottom of reagent pack 20, which will result in a longer time for reagent pack 20 to be punctured by the second puncture needle 32.
[0062] Taking all factors into consideration, this application further proposes an embodiment, such as... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the height of the first piercing needle 31 is lower than the height of the second piercing needle 32, meaning the first piercing needle 31 is L3 lower than the second piercing needle 32. When the reagent pack 20 is squeezed, the deformation at the center of the reagent pack 20 is greater, meaning the bottom center of the reagent pack 20 protrudes downwards a greater distance. This causes the bottom center of the reagent pack 20 to be pierced first by the second piercing needle 32, and reagent begins to be injected into the cartridge 100. Then, as the deformation at the bottom of the reagent pack 20 increases, the bottom of the reagent pack 20 is pierced again by the first piercing needle 31, thus forming a cross-shaped crack on the reagent pack 20. This arrangement ensures that the reagent pack 20 is pierced first by the second piercing needle 32, thus injecting reagent into the cartridge 100 first, and then pierced again by the first piercing needle 31 to form a cross-shaped crack on the reagent pack 20, thereby more thoroughly injecting the reagent from the reagent pack 20 into the cartridge 100.
[0063] Furthermore, to make the reagent pack 20 easier to puncture by the puncture needle 30, this application further proposes an embodiment, such as... Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the cartridge 100 has a recess 156 formed at the edge of the reagent inlet 150. A puncture structure 160 is provided on the recess 156. The reagent pack 20 is used to embed into the recess 156 and form a bulge when pressure is applied. As shown in the figure, the reagent inlet 150 is recessed in a funnel shape and forms the recess 156. When the reagent pack 20 is broken, the sidewall of the recess 156 can act as a guide, allowing the reagent flowing out of the reagent pack 20 to enter the interior of the cartridge 100 along the sidewall of the recess 156, thereby allowing the reagent to enter the interior of the cartridge 100 more smoothly from the reagent inlet 150.
[0064] In addition, such as Figure 5 As shown, when the reagent pack 20 is squeezed, the wall at the bottom of the reagent pack 20 extends towards the interior of the recess 156 and is constrained by the side wall of the recess 156, forming a bulge within the recess 156. This causes the wall at the bottom of the reagent pack 20 to break more quickly under the combined action of tensile stress and the puncture structure 160. This arrangement makes the reagent pack 20 easier to puncture by the puncture structure 160. Furthermore, since the puncture structure 160 is located within the recess 156, when the puncture structure 160 punctures the reagent pack 20, the reagent inside the reagent pack 20 can flow directly into the recess 156 and be guided into the cartridge 100 by the side wall of the recess 156, preventing the reagent from splashing outside the reagent inlet 150 and causing waste when the reagent pack 20 breaks.
[0065] Furthermore, to avoid direct contact between the reagent pack 20 and the puncture needle 30, this application further proposes an embodiment, such as... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the bottom of the reagent pack 20 is higher than or flush with the opening at the top of the recess 156, while the tip of the piercing needle 30 is lower than the opening at the top of the recess 156. The tip of the piercing needle 30 is the main structure for piercing the reagent pack 20. The fact that the tip of the piercing needle 30 is set lower than the opening at the top of the recess 156 creates a certain distance between the tip of the piercing needle 30 and the reagent pack 20, thereby preventing the reagent pack 20 from being accidentally pierced due to direct contact with the piercing needle 30.
[0066] In addition, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the bottom of reagent pack 20 is the position closest to the puncture structure 160 on reagent pack 20. For example, as shown in the figure, the bottom surface of reagent pack 20 (i.e., the surface of reagent pack 20 facing the reagent inlet 150) is the bottom of reagent pack 20. The bottom of reagent pack 20 can be higher than the opening at the top of the recess 156. For example, reagent pack 20 is attached to card box 100 with double-sided tape 25 of thickness h. In this case, there will be a gap of height h between the flat surface of the bottom of reagent pack 20 and the opening at the top of the recess 156. Alternatively, the bottom of reagent pack 20 can be flush with the opening at the top of the recess 156. For example, reagent pack 20 is directly attached to card box 100 with glue, adhesive, etc. In this case, the flat surface of the bottom of reagent pack 20 will be directly attached to card box 100, that is, the flat surface of the bottom of reagent pack 20 will be flush with the opening at the top of the recess 156. This configuration ensures that the recessed portion 156 contains no other structures besides the puncture needle 30, thus providing more space for the reagent pack 20 to deform.
[0067] Furthermore, to prevent the reagent package 20 from being squeezed and punctured by the puncture structure 160 due to collision with the outer packaging shell during transportation caused by shaking or vibration, in some embodiments, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the cartridge 100 forms a limiting wall 170 around the reagent inlet 150. A placement groove 171 is formed inside the limiting wall 170. The placement groove 171 is used to contain the reagent pack 20. The height of the placement groove 171 is higher than the height of the reagent pack 20. A cover plate 180 is covered at the opening of the placement groove 171. The cover plate 180 is used to isolate the placement groove 171 from the external environment.
[0068] like Figure 6As shown, the height of the placement groove 171 is higher than the height of the reagent pack 20, that is, there is a distance L4 between the top of the reagent pack 20 and the opening of the placement groove 171. When shaking or oscillation occurs during transportation, the limiting wall 170 will collide with the outer packaging shell instead of the reagent pack 20 directly colliding with the outer packaging shell. Furthermore, when the limiting wall 170 and the outer packaging shell collide, there is still a gap of L4 between the reagent pack 20 and the outer packaging shell. This can, to a certain extent, prevent the reagent pack 20 from being accidentally punctured during transportation.
[0069] In addition, to further protect the reagent pack 20, a cover plate 180 can be installed at the opening of the placement slot 171 to seal the placement slot 171. Specifically, the cover plate 180 can be directly fixed to the surface of the limiting wall 170 using temporary adhesives, heat sealing, or other methods. During nucleic acid testing, the cover plate 180 can be torn off the limiting wall 170 by applying sufficient force to it. Alternatively, the cover plate 180 and the limiting wall 170 can be connected using snaps, magnetic attraction, or other structures. During nucleic acid testing, the connection structure between the cover plate 180 and the limiting wall 170 can be opened to expose the placement slot 171. When it is necessary to inject reagents into the cartridge 100, the cover plate 180 is first removed from the opening of the placement slot 171 to expose the reagent pack 20, and then force is applied to the corresponding reagent pack 20 to puncture it using the puncture structure 160.
[0070] In the above embodiment, by setting the limiting wall 170, the reagent pack 20 is prevented from directly colliding with the mounting shell and being accidentally punctured by the puncture structure 160. Furthermore, by setting the cover plate 180 at the opening of the placement slot 171, the reagent pack 20 is isolated from the external environment and protected within the placement slot 171. This effectively prevents the reagent pack 20 from being squeezed and broken during transportation, ensuring the safety of the nucleic acid test kit during transportation.
[0071] Furthermore, when there are multiple reagent inlets 150, the limiting wall 170 can enclose multiple reagent inlets 150 together within the same placement slot 171. This structural design allows multiple reagent packs 20 to be designed as a single unit. Only one placement of the reagent pack 20 into the placement slot 171 is needed to place all the reagent packs 20 required for nucleic acid testing at their respective reagent inlets 150, saving placement time. Alternatively, a limiting wall 170 can be separately formed around each reagent inlet 150, creating an independent placement slot 171 for each reagent pack 20.
[0072] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a nucleic acid detection system is also provided, the system including a detection device and a nucleic acid detection cartridge as described in any of the above embodiments, the detection device being used to fix and operate the nucleic acid detection cartridge to perform nucleic acid detection.
[0073] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of this application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way. This application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A nucleic acid testing cartridge, characterized by, The cartridge is provided with a reagent inlet, and a reagent bag is arranged at the reagent inlet, and the reagent bag contains reagents. The cartridge is provided with a piercing structure at the reagent inlet, and the reagent bag is extruded and pierced by the piercing structure when pressed, so that the reagents in the reagent bag enter the cartridge through the reagent inlet.
2. The nucleic acid testing cartridge of claim 1, wherein, The piercing structure includes a plurality of piercing needles arranged around the reagent inlet, and the reagent bag is pierced by multiple piercing needles and connected between the piercing points to form a crack for the reagents to flow out.
3. The nucleic acid testing cartridge of claim 2, wherein, The plurality of piercing needles are distributed in a "cross" shape around the reagent inlet.
4. The nucleic acid testing cartridge of claim 3, wherein, The plurality of piercing needles include first piercing needles arranged in a first direction and second piercing needles arranged in a second direction, and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other. The distance from the first piercing needles to the center of the reagent inlet is greater than the distance from the second piercing needles to the center of the reagent inlet.
5. The nucleic acid testing cartridge of claim 4, wherein, The height of the first piercing needles is lower than the height of the second piercing needles.
6. The nucleic acid testing cartridge of any one of claims 2-5, wherein, The cartridge is provided with a recess at the edge of the reagent inlet, and the piercing structure is arranged on the recess, and the reagent bag is embedded in the recess when pressed and forms a convex.
7. The nucleic acid testing cartridge of claim 6, wherein, The bottom end of the reagent bag is higher than or flush with the opening at the top of the recess, and the top end of the piercing needle is lower than the opening at the top of the recess.
8. The nucleic acid testing cartridge of any one of claims 2-4, wherein, The position of the reagent bag opposite to the reagent inlet is a brittle material.
9. The nucleic acid testing cartridge of claim 1, wherein, The cartridge is surrounded by a limiting wall at the reagent inlet, and the inside of the limiting wall is provided with a placing groove for accommodating the reagent bag, and the height of the placing groove is higher than the height of the reagent bag.
10. The nucleic acid testing cartridge of claim 9, wherein, The slot of the placing groove is covered with a cover plate, and the cover plate is used to separate the placing groove from the external environment.
11. A nucleic acid detection system, characterized by, The nucleic acid detection cartridge of any one of claims 1-10 is used in a detection device for fixing and operating the nucleic acid detection cartridge to perform nucleic acid detection.