Nucleic acid amplification reaction module and nucleic acid amplification instrument
By thermally connecting the semiconductor cooling chip to the side wall of the reactor in the nucleic acid amplification instrument, the heat transfer area is increased and the heat transfer path is shortened, which solves the problems of low heat transfer efficiency and uneven temperature in the prior art, and achieves more efficient heating/cooling and temperature uniformity.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHANGHAI HONGSHI MEDICAL TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-12
AI Technical Summary
In existing nucleic acid amplification instruments, the method of heating/cooling by contacting the semiconductor cooling chip with the bottom of the reactor results in low heat transfer efficiency and a temperature difference between the bottom and top of the reactor, which affects the uniformity of the PCR reaction.
By thermally connecting the semiconductor cooling chip to the outer wall of the reactor, and through the design of annular protrusions and heat sinks, the heat transfer area is increased and the heat transfer path is shortened, thereby achieving heating/cooling of the reactor sidewall.
This improves heating/cooling efficiency, ensures uniform reactor temperature, avoids temperature differences between the bottom and top, and enhances PCR reaction performance.
Smart Images
Figure CN224227072U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of nucleic acid amplification instrument technology, specifically relating to a nucleic acid amplification reaction module and a nucleic acid amplification instrument. Background Technology
[0002] Nucleic acid amplification instruments are fundamental instruments in the biomedical field used for PCR reactions. PCR reactions require rapid heating / cooling responses and a uniform, stable temperature environment. The PCR reaction takes place in test tubes within a reactor, with the outer wall of the tubes adhering to the inner wall of the reactor. The reactor is heated by a thermoelectric cooler, and during heat dissipation, the heat is first transferred to the thermoelectric cooler and then dissipated through a radiator. In existing technologies, the thermoelectric cooler typically contacts the bottom of the reactor for heating / cooling. This method has two drawbacks: firstly, the contact area is small, resulting in low heat transfer efficiency; more importantly, this method causes heat to transfer between the bottom and top of the reactor, resulting in a long heat transfer path and a temperature difference between the bottom and top, which is detrimental to the PCR reaction. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a nucleic acid amplification reaction module and instrument with a simple structure that can improve heating / cooling efficiency and uniformity. Utility Model Content
[0003] In view of the shortcomings or deficiencies of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by this application is to provide a nucleic acid amplification reaction module and a nucleic acid amplification instrument.
[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides the following technical solution:
[0005] This application proposes a nucleic acid amplification reaction module, characterized in that it includes: a reactor, a semiconductor cooling chip, and a heat sink, wherein the semiconductor cooling chip is thermally connected to the outer wall of the reactor and thermally connected to the heat sink.
[0006] Optionally, in the above-mentioned nucleic acid amplification reaction module, an annular protrusion is provided along the outer side wall of the reactor, the semiconductor cooling chip is annular, the lower part of the reactor passes through the semiconductor cooling chip, and the semiconductor cooling chip is attached to the annular protrusion and the heat sink.
[0007] Optionally, in the above-described nucleic acid amplification reaction module, the annular protrusion extends from a position slightly below the center of the outer wall of the reactor to a position slightly above the center in the vertical direction.
[0008] Optionally, in the above-mentioned nucleic acid amplification reaction module, the annular protrusion includes a vertical section and an inclined section from bottom to top, the vertical section is provided with an optical fiber hole, and the surface of the inclined section is inclined from bottom to top toward the central axis of the reactor.
[0009] Optionally, in the above-described nucleic acid amplification reaction module, the heat sink is provided with a groove, and the lower part of the reactor passes through the semiconductor cooling chip and is accommodated in the groove, without being thermally connected to the heat sink.
[0010] Optionally, in the above-described nucleic acid amplification reaction module, the reactor is fixedly connected to the semiconductor cooling chip, and the semiconductor cooling chip is fixedly connected to the heat sink.
[0011] Optionally, in the above-mentioned nucleic acid amplification reaction module, the reactor can be fixedly connected to the heat sink via a connector, and the semiconductor cooling chip is clamped between the reactor and the heat sink; the connector is a heat-insulating material, or a heat-insulating material is provided between the reactor and the connector, and a heat-insulating material is provided between the heat sink and the connector.
[0012] Optionally, in the above-mentioned nucleic acid amplification reaction module, the reactor, the semiconductor cooling chip, and the heat sink are all of one type.
[0013] This application also proposes a nucleic acid amplification instrument, characterized in that it includes the above-mentioned nucleic acid amplification reaction module.
[0014] Optionally, in the above-mentioned nucleic acid amplification instrument, the nucleic acid amplification reaction modules are arranged in a geometric array, and the temperature of the reactor in each nucleic acid amplification reaction module can be controlled individually.
[0015] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following technical effects:
[0016] Compared with the prior art, this application thermally connects the semiconductor cooling chip to the side wall of the reactor, changing the traditional heat transfer through the bottom of the reactor to heat transfer through the side wall. This increases the heat transfer area and shortens the heat transfer path, greatly improving heating / cooling efficiency. In addition, heat transfer through the side wall of the reactor can transfer heat to both the bottom and top of the reactor simultaneously, making the temperature of the entire reactor more uniform and avoiding a large temperature difference between the bottom and top of the reactor. Attached Figure Description
[0017] Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:
[0018] Figure 1 : A perspective view of the reactor in Embodiment 1 of this application;
[0019] Figure 2 : A perspective view of the semiconductor cooling chip in Embodiment 1 of this application;
[0020] Figure 3 : A three-dimensional view of the nucleic acid amplification reaction module in Example 1 of this application;
[0021] Figure 4 Cross-sectional view of the nucleic acid amplification reaction module in Example 1 of this application;
[0022] Figure 5 Cross-sectional view of the reactor in Embodiment 2 of this application;
[0023] Figure 6 Cross-sectional view of the nucleic acid amplification reaction module in Example 2 of this application;
[0024] Figure 7 : Figure 6 A magnified view of a portion of the image;
[0025] Figure 8 : A three-dimensional view of multiple acid amplification reaction modules.
[0026] In the figure: reactor 1, annular protrusion 11, vertical section 111, inclined section 112, fiber optic hole 12, through hole 13, semiconductor cooling chip 2, annular top surface 21, heat sink 3, groove 31, screw hole 32, screw 4, heat insulation material 5. Detailed Implementation
[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0028] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown in Embodiment 1 of this application, a nucleic acid amplification reaction module includes: a reactor 1, a semiconductor cooling chip 2, and a heat sink 3.
[0029] An annular protrusion 11 is provided on the outer wall of reactor 1. The semiconductor cooling chip 2 can directly heat the annular protrusion 11 and thus heat reactor 1. This heating method increases the heat transfer area, shortens the heat transfer path, improves heating efficiency, and can simultaneously transfer heat to the bottom and top of the reactor, making the temperature of the entire reactor more uniform. The annular protrusion 11 extends from the lower middle part of the outer wall of reactor 1 to the upper middle part, which is conducive to heat transfer in reactor 1 and further improves heating efficiency. The annular protrusion 11 includes a vertical section 111 and an inclined section 112 from bottom to top. The outer surface of the inclined section 112 is inclined from bottom to top towards the central axis of reactor 1. This arrangement can minimize the volume of the annular protrusion 11 and further improve heating efficiency. An optical fiber hole 12 is opened on the vertical section 111. The vertical section 111 is relatively thick, and placing the optical fiber hole 12 on the vertical section 111 can better fix the direction of the optical fiber. It should also be noted that the annular shape mentioned here does not necessarily have to be circular; it can also be square or other similar shapes.
[0030] The semiconductor refrigeration chip 2 is annular and has an annular top surface 21. The lower part of the reactor 1 can pass through the interior of the semiconductor refrigeration chip 2. The annular top surface 21 can fit against the bottom surface of the annular protrusion 11 so that the semiconductor refrigeration chip 2 heats the reactor 1.
[0031] Furthermore, it should be noted that the semiconductor cooling chip 2 can also be a square ring or other similar shape as needed; or, the semiconductor cooling chip can also be a flat sheet, and the outer wall of the reactor can also be flat, with the two attached to each other; these similar technical solutions all fall within the protection scope of this patent.
[0032] The heat sink 3 includes lower fins and an upper platform. A groove 31 is located on the platform. The lower part of the reactor 1 passes through the interior of the thermoelectric cooler 2 and is housed within the groove 31, without thermal connection to the heat sink 3. This arrangement makes the reactor 1 more stable, reduces the height of the thermoelectric cooler 2, and prevents the heat sink 3 from carrying away heat from the reactor 1 during normal reaction.
[0033] The above describes the heating process, where the heat generated by the thermoelectric cooler 2 is conducted to the reactor 1 to heat the reactor 1. It can be understood that during heat dissipation, the direction of heat transfer in the reactor 1 is opposite to that during heating. The heat in the reactor 1 is absorbed by the thermoelectric cooler 2 and dissipated through the heat sink 3.
[0034] The nucleic acid amplification reaction module includes a reactor 1, a thermoelectric cooler 2, and a heat sink 3. The thermoelectric cooler 2 is fixedly connected to the heat sink 3, and the reactor 1 is fixedly connected to the thermoelectric cooler 2.
[0035] In the nucleic acid amplification reaction module, the size of the heat sink 3 can be set according to actual needs, and multiple semiconductor cooling pads 2 and reactors 1 can be installed on the heat sink 3. Furthermore, each nucleic acid amplification reaction module includes only one reactor 1, semiconductor cooling pad 2, and heat sink 3, and the temperature inside the reactor 1 in each nucleic acid amplification reaction module can be controlled independently, which is more flexible and precise.
[0036] like Figures 5 to 7 As shown, Embodiment 2 of this application discloses a nucleic acid amplification reaction module, comprising: a reactor 1, a semiconductor cooling chip 2, and a heat sink 3. The difference from Embodiment 1 is that, in Embodiment 2, a through hole 13 is provided at the bottom of the reactor 1, through which a connector such as a screw 4 can pass; in Embodiment 2, a screw hole 32 is provided below the groove 31 of the heat sink 3, which can be used to fasten the screw 4; the semiconductor cooling chip 2 in Embodiment 2 is the same as that in Embodiment 1.
[0037] In Example 2, reactor 1 and radiator 3 are fixedly connected by a connector. The connector used in this example is screw 4. The thermoelectric cooler is clamped by the reactor and the radiator. This connection method is more reliable and can avoid damage to the thermoelectric cooler due to the tension or shear force of the reactor when the thermoelectric cooler 2 is fixedly connected to the reactor 1.
[0038] Furthermore, a ring of heat-insulating material 5 is installed inside the through hole 13 to separate the reactor 1 from the screw 4, and a ring of heat-insulating material 5 is installed inside the screw hole 32 to separate the radiator 3 from the screw 4. The heat-insulating material 5 can be a material with poor thermal conductivity, such as nylon. The installation of heat-insulating material can increase the thermal stability of the reactor 1 during normal reaction and prevent the radiator 3 from carrying away too much heat from the inside of the reactor 1 during normal reaction. In addition, the connector itself can also be made directly from heat-insulating material. In this case, it is not necessary to install additional heat-insulating material to separate the connector from the reactor 1 and the radiator 3.
[0039] In the nucleic acid amplification reaction module, the size of the heat sink 3 can be set according to actual needs, and multiple semiconductor cooling pads 2 and reactors 1 can be installed on the heat sink 3. Furthermore, each nucleic acid amplification reaction module includes only one reactor 1, semiconductor cooling pad 2, and heat sink 3, and the temperature inside the reactor 1 in each nucleic acid amplification reaction module can be controlled independently, which is more flexible and precise.
[0040] This application also proposes a nucleic acid amplification instrument, including the aforementioned nucleic acid amplification reaction module.
[0041] The nucleic acid amplification reaction module is described above and will not be repeated here.
[0042] like Figure 8As shown, in the nucleic acid amplification instrument, the nucleic acid amplification reaction modules are arranged in a geometric array. Only the 1×4 arrangement is shown here, but various arrangements such as 4×4 and 8×12 can be used according to actual needs. Each nucleic acid amplification reaction module includes only one reactor 1, a semiconductor cooling chip 2, and a heat sink 3. The temperature inside reactor 1 in each nucleic acid amplification reaction module can be controlled independently, allowing for greater flexibility and precision.
[0043] Compared with the prior art, this application changes the heating / cooling method of bottom heat transfer in reactor 1 to sidewall heat transfer, which can increase the heat transfer area and shorten the heat transfer path, thus greatly improving the heating efficiency. In addition, by transferring heat through the sidewall of the reactor, heat can be transferred to both the bottom and top of the reactor at the same time, making the temperature of the entire reactor more uniform and avoiding a large temperature difference between the bottom and top of the reactor.
[0044] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" 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. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.
[0045] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0046] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, 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 application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used only for distinction in description and have no special meaning.
[0047] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. The preferred embodiments have been described in detail. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application, and all such modifications and substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this application.
Claims
1. A nucleic acid amplification reaction module, characterized in that, include: The reactor, a thermoelectric cooler, and a heat sink are provided. The thermoelectric cooler is thermally connected to the outer wall of the reactor and to the heat sink. An annular protrusion is provided along the outer wall of the reactor. The thermoelectric cooler is annular. The lower part of the reactor passes through the thermoelectric cooler. The thermoelectric cooler is attached to the annular protrusion and the heat sink.
2. The nucleic acid amplification reaction module according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the vertical direction, the annular protrusion extends from a position slightly below the center of the outer wall of the reactor to a position slightly above the center.
3. The nucleic acid amplification reaction module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The annular protrusion includes a vertical section and an inclined section from bottom to top. The vertical section has an optical fiber hole, and the surface of the inclined section is inclined from bottom to top toward the central axis of the reactor.
4. The nucleic acid amplification reaction module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radiator has a groove, and the lower part of the reactor passes through the semiconductor cooling chip and is housed in the groove, without being thermally connected to the radiator.
5. The nucleic acid amplification reaction module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The reactor is fixedly connected to the thermoelectric cooler, and the thermoelectric cooler is fixedly connected to the heat sink.
6. The nucleic acid amplification reaction module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The reactor can be fixedly connected to the heat sink via a connector, and the semiconductor cooling chip is clamped between the reactor and the heat sink; the connector is a heat-insulating material, or a heat-insulating material is provided between the reactor and the connector, and a heat-insulating material is provided between the heat sink and the connector.
7. The nucleic acid amplification reaction module according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The reactor, the semiconductor refrigeration chip, and the heat sink are all of one type.
8. A nucleic acid amplification instrument, characterized in that, Includes the nucleic acid amplification reaction module according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
9. The nucleic acid amplification instrument according to claim 8, characterized in that, The nucleic acid amplification reaction modules are arranged in a geometric array, and the temperature of the reactor in each nucleic acid amplification reaction module can be controlled individually.