Sample analyzer and waste card collection device

Abstract

This application relates to a sample analyzer and a waste card collection device. The waste card collection device includes a transmission mechanism, a collection box, and a leveling mechanism. The transmission mechanism has a receiving end and an output end arranged opposite each other. The receiving end is used to receive waste cards output from the discharge section after testing. The transmission mechanism is used to transport the waste cards and includes a driving wheel, a driven wheel, and a transmission component. The driving wheel is connected to the driven wheel through the transmission component. The leveling mechanism is used to level the waste cards in the collection box, so that the waste cards are evenly distributed in various positions within the collection box. This reduces the height of the collection box while storing the same number of waste cards, thus improving the space utilization within the sample analyzer. Furthermore, since the collection box is located inside the sample analyzer, the waste cards are also located inside the analyzer, improving safety by preventing aerosol leakage from the sample and avoiding contamination, and preventing the waste card collection box from occupying additional space above the desktop.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a sample analyzer and a waste card collection device. Background Technology

[0002] Sample analyzers, such as fully automated fluorescence immunoassay analyzers, require test cards to be transported to a designated location for collection after optical detection. The waste card collection device includes a waste card channel and a waste card collection box. Test cards enter the waste card channel from the designated location and slide down the channel or fall directly into the waste card collection box under their own weight for collection. The waste card collection box can be located either outside or inside the sample analyzer's casing.

[0003] When the waste card collection box is placed outside the casing, the waste cards after testing are exposed to the outside of the casing. The aerosol formed by the sample residue on the waste cards can easily cause safety hazards. In addition, although placing the waste card collection box outside the casing can increase the size of the waste card collection box, the waste card collection box will occupy additional desktop space.

[0004] Therefore, to reduce the harm to the human body caused by aerosols formed from residual samples on discarded cards, related technologies typically place the discarded card collection box inside the casing. However, when the discarded card collection box is placed inside the casing, in order to increase the number of discarded cards collected at one time, the length, width, and height of the waste card collection box need to be increased. This will result in insufficient space utilization of the casing, thus requiring an increase in the size of the sample analyzer; otherwise, the number of discarded cards collected at one time cannot meet the requirements. Utility Model Content

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a sample analyzer and waste card collection device that can prevent the leakage of aerosols formed from samples, improve safety performance, reduce height and size, and improve the space utilization rate within the sample analyzer.

[0006] On one hand, this application provides a waste card collection device for installation inside the housing of a sample analyzer, the waste card collection device comprising:

[0007] The transmission mechanism has a receiving end and an output end arranged opposite to each other. The receiving end is arranged corresponding to the discharge section of the sample analyzer after testing. The receiving end is used to receive the waste cards output by the discharge section after testing. The transmission mechanism is used to transmit the waste cards. The transmission mechanism includes a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a transmission component. The driving wheel is connected to the driven wheel through the transmission component.

[0008] A collection box, corresponding to the output terminal, is used to collect the discarded cards output by the transmission mechanism; and

[0009] A material leveling mechanism is used to level the waste cards in the collection box, so that the waste cards are laid flat in various positions in the collection box.

[0010] In one embodiment, the transmission mechanism and the collection box are arranged along the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism.

[0011] In one embodiment, the material leveling mechanism includes a material leveling component; the top of the collection box is provided with a feed inlet, and the side wall of the collection box near the transmission mechanism is provided with a clearance hole; the material leveling component can enter and exit the collection box through the clearance hole along the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism, or the material leveling component can rotate and enter and exit the collection box through the clearance hole.

[0012] In one embodiment, the bottom wall of the collection box is provided with a groove; and / or, the bottom wall of the collection box is provided with a step on the side near the conveying mechanism, and the uniform material is slidably disposed on the step along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism.

[0013] In one embodiment, the clearance hole is curved; and / or, the end face of the material leveling member away from the transmission mechanism is provided with an abutment surface, the abutment surface is set at an angle to the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism, and the top of the abutment surface is closer to the transmission mechanism than the bottom.

[0014] In one embodiment, the waste card collection device further includes a power source connected to the drive wheel, the power source being used to drive the drive wheel to rotate;

[0015] The material leveling mechanism includes:

[0016] Support base;

[0017] A material leveling component is slidably disposed on the support base along the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism. The material leveling component can enter and exit the collection box and can drive the waste cards in the collection box to move along the transmission direction.

[0018] A first swing arm, one end of which is connected to the power source, the power source also being used to drive the first swing arm to rotate; and

[0019] The second swing arm has one end rotatably connected to the other end of the first swing arm, and the other end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the uniform material component.

[0020] In one embodiment, the waste card collection device further includes a first transmission component and a second transmission component; the power source is connected to the drive wheel through the first transmission component; the drive wheel is connected to the first swing arm through the second transmission component; the power source and the first transmission component are located on one side of the transmission mechanism, and the second transmission component, the first swing arm and the second swing arm are all located on the other side of the transmission mechanism.

[0021] In one embodiment, the transmission mechanism further includes two support plates arranged at relative intervals; both the driving wheel and the driven wheel are rotatably connected to the support plates;

[0022] The power source is mounted on one of the support plates; the first transmission assembly includes a first synchronous pulley, a second synchronous pulley, and a first synchronous belt; the first synchronous pulley is connected to the power source, and the first synchronous pulley is connected to the second synchronous pulley via the first synchronous belt; the second synchronous pulley is coaxially arranged with the drive pulley and rotates synchronously.

[0023] Another support plate is provided with a rotatable driven shaft; the driven shaft is connected to one end of the first swing arm, and when the driven shaft rotates, it drives one end of the first swing arm to rotate; the second transmission assembly includes a third synchronous pulley, a fourth synchronous pulley and a second synchronous belt; the third synchronous pulley is coaxially arranged with the driven shaft and rotates synchronously, and the fourth synchronous pulley is coaxially arranged with the driving pulley and rotates synchronously; the third synchronous pulley is connected to the fourth synchronous pulley through the second synchronous belt.

[0024] On the other hand, this application also provides a sample analyzer, which includes the aforementioned waste card collection device and a housing, wherein the waste card collection device is disposed within the housing.

[0025] In one embodiment, the test completion discharge section is disposed adjacent to the back or side of the housing; the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the waste card from the back of the housing toward the front of the housing; the collection box is arranged close to the front of the housing.

[0026] In the aforementioned sample analyzer and waste card collection device, during operation, the waste cards output from the sample analyzer's discharge section after testing are received by the transmission mechanism and transported to the collection box. The leveling mechanism evenly distributes the waste cards within the collection box, preventing accumulation and solving the waste card accumulation problem caused by free-falling cards in related technologies. This improves the space utilization of the collection box. Therefore, with the same number of waste cards, the height of the collection box can be reduced, further enhancing the space utilization within the sample analyzer. Furthermore, since the collection box is located inside the sample analyzer, the waste cards are kept within the analyzer, improving safety by preventing aerosol leakage and contamination, and avoiding the waste card collection box occupying additional space above the desktop. Moreover, compared to the gravity-dependent discharge method using ramps in related technologies, the transmission mechanism enables long-distance waste card transport. The collection box can be positioned, for example, in front of the waste card collection box, allowing for easy retrieval of the collected cards from the front, resulting in greater operational convenience. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a waste card collection device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0028] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged structural diagram at point A.

[0029] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the device after removing the collection box.

[0030] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged structural diagram at point B.

[0031] Figure 5 for Figure 3 An exploded view of the device shown.

[0032] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Enlarged structural diagram at point C.

[0033] Figure 7 for Figure 1 Another view of the device shown.

[0034] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of a collection box according to an embodiment of this application.

[0035] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0036] 10. Waste card collection device; 11. Transmission mechanism; 111. Driving wheel; 112. Driven wheel; 113. Transmission component; 12. Collection box; 121. Feed inlet; 122. Clearance hole; 1221. Transverse hole section; 1222. Connecting hole section; 123. Groove; 124. Step; 13. Material leveling mechanism; 131. Material leveling component; 1311. Abutment surface; 132. Support base; 133. First swing arm; 134. Second swing arm; 135. Guide rail; 136. Slider; 14. Power source; 15. First transmission assembly; 151. First synchronous pulley; 152. Second synchronous pulley; 153. First synchronous belt; 16. Second transmission assembly; 161. Third synchronous pulley; 162. Fourth synchronous pulley; 163. Second synchronous belt; 17. Support plate; 18. Driven shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0038] It should be noted that, for ease of description, the normal operating state of the sample analyzer is used as a reference. The side of the sample analyzer facing the user is defined as front, the side of the sample analyzer facing away from the user is defined as back, the side of the sample analyzer facing the ground is defined as down, the side of the sample analyzer facing away from the ground is defined as up, the side of the sample analyzer that is the same as the user's left hand is defined as left, and the side of the sample analyzer that is the same as the user's right hand is defined as right.

[0039] As described in the background section, related technologies increase the number of waste cards collected at one time by increasing the length, width, and height of the waste card collection box. However, this leads to insufficient space utilization of the casing, resulting in a need to increase the size of the sample analyzer. This problem arises because waste cards falling into the collection box through the waste card channel tend to accumulate, leading to low space utilization within the collection box. Therefore, even with increased length, width, and height, the space utilization within the waste card collection box remains low. Consequently, when collecting the target number of waste cards, the collection box becomes too large, resulting in insufficient space utilization of the casing and necessitating an increase in the size of the sample analyzer.

[0040] Based on the above reasons, this application provides a sample analyzer and a waste card collection device, which can prevent the leakage of aerosols formed by samples, improve safety performance, reduce height and size, and improve the space utilization rate inside the sample analyzer.

[0041] An embodiment of this application provides a sample analyzer, including a housing, a sample injection mechanism, a sample processing mechanism, and a testing mechanism.

[0042] The sample introduction mechanism, sample processing mechanism, and testing mechanism are all housed within the outer casing. The sample introduction mechanism inputs the test card to be analyzed into the casing, enabling the sample introduction operation. The sample processing mechanism performs various processing operations on the test card input into the casing, including but not limited to cleaning, heating, cooling, filtering, or incubation. After the test card has been processed by the sample processing mechanism, the testing mechanism performs testing on the test card, including but not limited to fluorescence detection. The testing mechanism has a test-complete discharge section. Test cards that have been tested generally cannot be reused; therefore, they are referred to as waste cards in this application. Waste cards are output through the test-complete discharge section.

[0043] See Figures 1 to 4 For example, the sample analyzer also includes a waste card collection device 10. The waste card collection device 10 can be used to collect waste cards output from the discharge section after testing. After the waste cards are collected by the waste card collection device 10, the collected waste cards can be centrally processed, thereby improving the waste card processing efficiency.

[0044] The waste card collection device 10 is installed inside the housing of the sample analyzer. In this way, all waste cards collected by the waste card collection device 10 are located inside the sample analyzer, preventing leakage of aerosols generated from the samples and thus improving safety. Furthermore, it avoids the waste card collection box 12 taking up additional space above the desktop.

[0045] Specifically, the waste card collection device 10 includes a transmission mechanism 11, a collection box 12, and a material leveling mechanism 13.

[0046] The transmission mechanism 11 has a receiving end and an output end arranged opposite to each other. The receiving end is, for example, as shown below. Figure 1 The left end of the transmission mechanism 11 shown has an output terminal, for example, as shown below. Figure 1The right end of the transmission mechanism 11 is shown. The receiving end is correspondingly set to the test completion discharge section. That is, the receiving end is located below the test completion discharge section or is connected to it, as long as the receiving end can receive the waste cards output by the test completion discharge section. The transmission mechanism 11 is used to transmit waste cards. The transmission mechanism 11 includes a driving wheel 111, a driven wheel 112, and a transmission component 113. The driving wheel 111 is connected to the driven wheel 112 through the transmission component 113. When the driving wheel 111 rotates, it drives the transmission component 113 to rotate, so that the waste cards move from the receiving end to the output end, realizing long-distance transmission of waste cards. Optionally, the transmission component 113 may include, but is not limited to, a conveyor belt. Conveyor belts have lower costs and can realize the stable transmission of waste cards from the receiving end to the output end.

[0047] The collection box 12 is configured to correspond to the output end. That is, the output end is located above the collection box 12 or is connected to the collection box 12, as long as the collection box 12 can collect the waste cards output by the transmission mechanism 11.

[0048] For example, the material leveling mechanism 13 is used to level the waste cards in the collection box 12, so that the waste cards are laid flat in various positions in the collection box 12.

[0049] In the aforementioned waste card collection device 10 and sample analyzer, during operation, the waste cards output from the discharge section of the sample analyzer after testing are received by the transmission mechanism 11 and transferred to the collection box 12. The leveling mechanism 13 can level the waste cards in the collection box 12, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the box, thus preventing accumulation and solving the problem of waste card accumulation caused by free-falling cards in related technologies. This improves the space utilization of the collection box 12. Therefore, with the same number of waste cards, the height of the collection box 12 can be reduced, which helps improve the space utilization within the sample analyzer. Furthermore, since the collection box 12 is located inside the sample analyzer, the waste cards are also located within the analyzer, improving safety by preventing aerosol leakage and contamination caused by sample-generated aerosols, and avoiding the waste card collection box 12 occupying additional space above the desktop. In addition, compared with the gravity-dependent discharge method of the ramp in related technologies, the transmission mechanism 11 can realize long-distance transmission of waste cards. It can realize the arrangement of the collection box 12 on the front of the waste card collection box 12, and realize the collection of waste cards collected by the collection box 12 from the front, which is more convenient to operate.

[0050] The discharge section after testing may include, but is not limited to, being adjacent to the back, left or right sides, or front of the outer casing. The specific arrangement can be flexibly adjusted and configured according to actual needs. For fully automated sample analyzers, which have many internal components, the discharge section after testing is typically located adjacent to the back or side of the outer casing to reduce size. To facilitate the removal of waste cards collected by the collection box 12, the collection box 12 is, for example, located near the front of the outer casing. This allows for easy access by opening the casing and retrieving the waste cards from the front. Furthermore, the receiving end of the transmission mechanism 11 is correspondingly positioned to the discharge section after testing, i.e., located near the back or side of the outer casing, to receive the waste cards discharged from the discharge section.

[0051] The space inside the housing is limited, so the waste card collection device 10 can be arranged inside the housing for easy access. For example, the transmission mechanism 11 and the collection box 12 are arranged along the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism 11. Under normal operating conditions of the sample analyzer, the distance between the top of the transmission mechanism 11 and the bottom wall of the housing is the same as or deviates from the distance between the top of the collection box 12 and the bottom wall of the housing by, for example, ±10%.

[0052] Generally, when it is necessary to increase the capacity of the collection box 12, the related technologies usually increase the height of the collection box 12, which will lead to an increase in the overall size of the sample analyzer. In one embodiment, the length of the collection box 12 can be increased along the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism 11 to increase the capacity of the collection box 12. Under the action of the material leveling mechanism 13, the waste cards are spread evenly in various positions within the collection box 12, that is, the distribution is relatively more uniform. This effectively solves the defect of the concentrated accumulation of freely falling waste cards in the related technologies, thereby improving the space utilization of the collection box 12 and enabling the installation of a larger number of waste cards.

[0053] The collection box 12 can be, but is not limited to, a cuboid or other regular or irregular shapes. There are no restrictions on its shape, and it can be flexibly adjusted and set according to actual needs.

[0054] To reduce the height of the collection box 12, its length and width are designed to be relatively large, while its height is designed to be relatively small. Optionally, the ratio of the length and width of the collection box 12 to its height is, but is not limited to, 2 to 20, specifically, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, or 20, etc., which can be flexibly adjusted and set according to actual needs. In this way, the internal volume of the collection box 12 is relatively large, which can accommodate a large number of waste cards.

[0055] The conveying mechanism 11 and the leveling mechanism 13 can share a single power source 14, meaning they are driven by the same power source 14. The power source 14 can be, for example, an electric motor. This simplifies the structure of the waste card collection device 10, reduces costs, and decreases the overall size of the device, making it easier to house within an enclosure. Furthermore, while the waste cards are conveyed from the conveying mechanism 11 to the collection box 12, the leveling component 131 simultaneously performs a leveling action, distributing the waste cards throughout the entire area of ​​the collection box 12, preventing accumulation in any one area.

[0056] Of course, as some alternative solutions, the transmission mechanism 11 and the uniform material mechanism 13 can each be driven by their respective power sources 14, thus allowing for greater flexibility.

[0057] Please see Figures 1 to 8 In one embodiment, the material leveling mechanism 13 includes a material leveling component 131. Optionally, the material leveling component 131 includes, but is not limited to, a pushing block, a pushing plate, a rotating rod, a rotating plate, etc. The top of the collection box 12 is provided with a feed inlet 121, through which waste cards output from the output end can enter the collection box 12. The side wall of the collection box 12 near the transmission mechanism 11 is provided with a clearance hole 122. The material leveling component 131 can enter and exit the collection box 12 through the clearance hole 122 along the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism 11. Thus, as the material leveling mechanism 13 causes the material leveling component 131 to reciprocate in and out of the collection box 12 along the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism 11 through the clearance hole 122, the material leveling component 131 can correspondingly push the waste cards falling into the collection box 12 in a direction away from the transmission mechanism 11, thereby making the waste cards more evenly distributed in the collection box 12 and preventing the waste cards from being too concentrated.

[0058] Of course, as an alternative, the material leveling component 131 can rotate and enter and exit the collection box 12 through the clearance hole 122. Specifically, the rotating surface of the material leveling component 131 is parallel to the bottom wall of the collection box 12. In this way, the material leveling mechanism 13 allows the material leveling component 131 to rotate and enter and exit the collection box 12 through the clearance hole 122, which can also achieve the same effect of leveling the waste cards that fall into the collection box 12 towards other positions in the collection box 12, so that the waste cards fill the space of the plane of the collection box 12 and prevent the waste cards from accumulating in the collection box 12.

[0059] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 7 and Figure 8For example, the bottom wall of the collection box 12 is provided with a groove 123. A step 124 is provided on the side of the bottom wall of the collection box 12 near the conveying mechanism 11, and the material leveling member 131 is slidably disposed on the step 124 along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 11. Thus, when the material leveling member 131 slides back and forth along the step 124, waste cards can enter into the groove 123 and be laid flat within the groove 123, allowing a large number of waste cards to be collected in the groove 123. Furthermore, the position of the material leveling member 131 is higher than the groove 123, so that before the groove 123 is completely filled with waste cards, the material leveling member 131 will not interfere with the waste cards in the groove 123 during its sliding along the step 124.

[0060] For ease of description, the following text will specifically take the reciprocating pushing and pulling of the uniform material component 131 into and out of the collection box 12 through the clearance hole 122 as an example, but it is not limited to this method.

[0061] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 8 For example, the clearance hole 122 is curved. This helps prevent discarded cards from falling out of the collection box 12 through the clearance hole 122. Specifically, the clearance hole 122 includes multiple transverse segments 1221, which are parallel to the width direction of the collection box 12. Any two adjacent transverse segments 1221 are staggered in the vertical direction. The length of each transverse segment 1221 is less than the length of the discarded card. In this way, discarded cards that fall into the collection box 12 will not fall out of the collection box 12 through the clearance hole 122. The clearance hole 122 also includes multiple connecting segments 1222. The connecting segments 1222 are, for example, vertical segments. A connecting segment 1222 is provided between any two adjacent transverse segments 1221 and is connected through the connecting segment 1222.

[0062] Based on the aforementioned embodiments, the material leveling component 131 is adapted to the clearance hole 122, so that it can smoothly pass through the clearance hole 122 and move back and forth into and out of the collection box 12.

[0063] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 For example, the material leveling component 131 has an abutment surface 1311 on its end face away from the transmission mechanism 11. The abutment surface 1311 is set at an angle to the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism 11, and the top of the abutment surface 1311 is closer to the transmission mechanism 11 than the bottom. In this way, when the material leveling component 131 reciprocates and pushes the material in the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism 11, the abutment surface 1311 is set at an angle relative to the vertical direction, which facilitates the pushing of waste cards in the collection box 12 along the transmission direction, making the pushing action smoother and avoiding interference and jamming failures.

[0064] Please see Figure 2 , Figures 4 to 6 For example, the waste card collection device 10 also includes a power source 14. The power source 14 is connected to the drive wheel 111 and is used to drive the drive wheel 111 to rotate.

[0065] For example, the material leveling mechanism 13 includes: a support base 132, a material leveling component 131, a first swing arm 133, and a second swing arm 134.

[0066] The material leveling component 131 is slidably mounted on the support base 132 along the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism 11. The material leveling component 131 can enter and exit the collection box 12 and can drive the waste cards in the collection box 12 to move along the transmission direction. One end of the first swing arm 133 is connected to the power source 14, which is also used to drive the first swing arm 133 to rotate. One end of the second swing arm 134 is rotatably connected to the other end of the first swing arm 133, and the other end of the second swing arm 134 is rotatably connected to the material leveling component 131.

[0067] The material leveling mechanism 13 and the transmission mechanism 11 share a power source 14 and operate synchronously under the drive of the same power source 14. When the first swing arm 133 swings, it drives the second swing arm 134 to swing. The second swing arm 134 correspondingly drives the material leveling component 131 to reciprocate along the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism 11. When it enters the collection box 12, it can drive the waste card in the collection box 12 to move along the transmission direction.

[0068] It should be noted that the connection between the power source 14 and the drive wheel 111 can be either direct or indirect, and there is no limitation on this, as long as it can drive the drive wheel 111 to rotate. Similarly, the connection between the power source 14 and the first swing arm 133 can be either direct or indirect, and there is no limitation on this, as long as it can drive the first swing arm 133 to rotate.

[0069] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 In one embodiment, the waste card collection device 10 further includes a first transmission assembly 15 and a second transmission assembly 16. The power source 14 includes, but is not limited to, a motor. The power source 14 is connected to the drive wheel 111 via the first transmission assembly 15. The power source 14 drives the first transmission assembly 15 to move, and the first transmission assembly 15 correspondingly drives the drive wheel 111 to rotate. The drive wheel 111 is connected to the first swing arm 133 via the second transmission assembly 16. When the drive wheel 111 rotates, it synchronously drives the second transmission assembly 16 to move, and the second transmission assembly 16 correspondingly drives the first swing arm 133 to rotate. Specifically, the power source 14 and the first transmission assembly 15 are located on one side of the transmission mechanism 11, while the second transmission assembly 16, the first swing arm 133, and the second swing arm 134 are all located on the other side of the transmission mechanism 11. Thus, the waste card collection device 10 has a compact and reasonable arrangement, and its overall size is small.

[0070] Based on the aforementioned embodiment, the transmission mechanism 11 further includes two support plates 17 arranged at relatively intervals. Both the driving wheel 111 and the driven wheel 112 are rotatably connected to the support plates 17. The tops of the two support plates 17 protrude above the transmission member 113, which can limit the waste cards transmitted on the transmission member 113 and prevent the waste cards from falling off one side of the transmission member 113.

[0071] Optionally, the power source 14 is mounted on one of the support plates 17. The first transmission assembly 15 includes a first synchronous pulley 151, a second synchronous pulley 152, and a first synchronous belt 153. The first synchronous pulley 151 is connected to the power source 14, and the first synchronous pulley 151 is connected to the second synchronous pulley 152 via the first synchronous belt 153. The second synchronous pulley 152 is coaxially arranged with the drive pulley 111 and rotates synchronously.

[0072] Optionally, another support plate 17 is provided with a rotatable driven shaft 18. The driven shaft 18 is connected to one end of the first swing arm 133. When the driven shaft 18 rotates, it drives one end of the first swing arm 133 to rotate, thereby realizing the swing of the first swing arm 133. The second transmission assembly 16 includes a third synchronous pulley 161, a fourth synchronous pulley 162, and a second synchronous belt 163. The third synchronous pulley 161 is coaxially arranged with the driven shaft 18 and rotates synchronously, and the fourth synchronous pulley 162 is coaxially arranged with the driving pulley 111 and rotates synchronously. The third synchronous pulley 161 is connected to the fourth synchronous pulley 162 through the second synchronous belt 163.

[0073] Optionally, the support base 132 is connected to the support plate 17.

[0074] Based on the aforementioned embodiments, the material leveling mechanism 13 further includes a sensor. The sensor is, for example, mounted on the support plate 17. The sensor may include, but is not limited to, an optocoupler, and can be used to sense whether the material leveling component 131 is moving. Since the material leveling mechanism 13 and the transmission mechanism 11 share the same power source 14, the movement of the material leveling component 131 is linked to the transmission movement of the transmission mechanism 11. Therefore, when the sensor detects the reciprocating movement of the material leveling component 131, it can correspondingly determine whether the transmission mechanism 11 is operating synchronously.

[0075] Based on the aforementioned embodiments, the material leveling mechanism 13 further includes a guide rail 135 and a slider 136. The guide rail 135 is disposed on the support base 132. The slider 136 is slidably disposed on the guide rail 135, and the material leveling component 131 is connected to the slider 136. Thus, the slider 136 reciprocates under the guidance of the guide rail 135, thereby driving the material leveling component 131 to reciprocate in and out of the collection box 12.

[0076] In some embodiments, when the leveling component 131 rotates in and out of the collection box 12, in order to share the same power source 14 with the transmission mechanism 11, the leveling mechanism 13 includes, for example, a worm gear. The power source 14 is connected to the drive wheel 111 and also to the worm gear, which is connected to the leveling component 131. The power source 14 drives the drive wheel 111 to rotate, and also drives the leveling component 131 to rotate via the worm gear.

[0077] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0078] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0079] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., 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, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0080] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0081] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0082] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0083] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A spent card collection device characterized by, The waste card collection device, intended for installation within the housing of a sample analyzer, includes: The transmission mechanism has a receiving end and an output end arranged opposite to each other. The receiving end is arranged corresponding to the discharge section of the sample analyzer after testing. The receiving end is used to receive the waste cards output by the discharge section after testing. The transmission mechanism is used to transmit the waste cards. The transmission mechanism includes a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a transmission component. The driving wheel is connected to the driven wheel through the transmission component. A collection box, corresponding to the output terminal, is used to collect the discarded cards output by the transmission mechanism; and A material leveling mechanism is used to level the waste cards in the collection box, so that the waste cards are laid flat in various positions in the collection box.

2. The spent card collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The transmission mechanism and the collection box are arranged along the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism.

3. The spent card collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The material leveling mechanism includes a material leveling component; the top of the collection box is provided with a feed inlet, and the side wall of the collection box near the transmission mechanism is provided with a clearance hole; the material leveling component can enter and exit the collection box through the clearance hole along the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism, or the material leveling component can rotate and enter and exit the collection box through the clearance hole.

4. The spent card collection apparatus of claim 3, wherein, The bottom wall of the collection box is provided with a groove; and / or, the bottom wall of the collection box is provided with a step on the side near the conveying mechanism, and the material leveling component is slidably disposed on the step along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism.

5. The spent card collection apparatus of claim 3, wherein, The clearance hole is curved; and / or, the end face of the material leveling component away from the transmission mechanism is provided with an abutment surface, the abutment surface is set at an angle to the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism, and the top of the abutment surface is closer to the transmission mechanism than the bottom.

6. The spent card collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The waste card collection device also includes a power source, which is connected to the drive wheel and is used to drive the drive wheel to rotate. The material leveling mechanism includes: Support base; A material leveling component is slidably disposed on the support base along the transmission direction of the transmission mechanism. The material leveling component can enter and exit the collection box and can drive the waste cards in the collection box to move along the transmission direction. A first swing arm, one end of which is connected to the power source, the power source also being used to drive the first swing arm to rotate; and The second swing arm has one end rotatably connected to the other end of the first swing arm, and the other end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the uniform material component.

7. The spent card collection apparatus of claim 6, wherein, The waste card collection device further includes a first transmission component and a second transmission component; the power source is connected to the drive wheel through the first transmission component; the drive wheel is connected to the first swing arm through the second transmission component; the power source and the first transmission component are located on one side of the transmission mechanism, and the second transmission component, the first swing arm and the second swing arm are all located on the other side of the transmission mechanism.

8. The spent card collection apparatus of claim 7, wherein, The transmission mechanism also includes two support plates arranged at relatively intervals; both the driving wheel and the driven wheel are rotatably connected to the support plates; The power source is mounted on one of the support plates; the first transmission assembly includes a first synchronous pulley, a second synchronous pulley, and a first synchronous belt; the first synchronous pulley is connected to the power source, and the first synchronous pulley is connected to the second synchronous pulley via the first synchronous belt; the second synchronous pulley is coaxially arranged with the drive pulley and rotates synchronously. Another support plate is provided with a rotatable driven shaft; the driven shaft is connected to one end of the first swing arm, and when the driven shaft rotates, it drives one end of the first swing arm to rotate; the second transmission assembly includes a third synchronous pulley, a fourth synchronous pulley and a second synchronous belt; the third synchronous pulley is coaxially arranged with the driven shaft and rotates synchronously, and the fourth synchronous pulley is coaxially arranged with the driving pulley and rotates synchronously; the third synchronous pulley is connected to the fourth synchronous pulley through the second synchronous belt.

9. A sample analyzer characterized by, The sample analyzer includes a waste card collection device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, and further includes a housing, wherein the waste card collection device is disposed within the housing.

10. The sample analyzer of claim 9, wherein, The test completion discharge section is located adjacent to the back or side of the outer casing; the transmission mechanism is used to transport the waste card from the back of the outer casing toward the front of the outer casing; the collection box is arranged close to the front of the outer casing.

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