Adapter for mounting conductive pipette, sample tube opening / closing device, and automatic sample analysis system

Abstract

To provide an adapter for mounting a conductive pipette which shortens an inspection time in a gene amplification testing apparatus and prevents contamination of a sample.SOLUTION: Provided is an adapter for mounting a conductive pipette for connecting a conductive pipette tip 1000 to a pipette device 1100, the adapter comprising a cylinder body 1200 provided by being coupled to the pipette device, and a cylindrical leaf spring part 1300 coupled to an outer peripheral surface of the cylinder body and into which the conductive pipette tip is fitted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an adapter for attaching a conductive pipette, a sample tube opening and closing device, and an automatic sample analysis system, and more particularly to an adapter for attaching a conductive pipette, a sample tube opening and closing device, and an automatic sample analysis system that perform dispensing of a liquid sample, extraction of nucleic acid, amplification, and testing in an integrated manner. [Background technology]

[0002] Gene amplification testing is an in vitro diagnostic testing (IVD testing) technology that amplifies genes with specific sequences to determine whether or not a gene is present. It is used in a variety of fields, including pathogenic microorganism testing and genotyping for humans, various animals, and plants, as well as food testing and GMO testing.

[0003] In order to perform accurate gene amplification testing from various biological samples, a nucleic acid extraction process is first required to remove various reaction inhibitors contained in the sample that inhibit the gene amplification reaction and obtain highly pure target nucleic acids.

[0004] The extracted target nucleic acid is mixed with a gene amplification solution to carry out a gene amplification reaction, and then the gene amplification test is completed by checking the DNA corresponding to the length of the gene amplification product DNA or by checking the fluorescence generated by the gene amplification product.

[0005] More specifically, various methods have been developed for amplifying target nucleic acids in gene amplification tests, such as PCR, nested PCR, RT / PCR, and isothermal nucleic acid amplification. These methods generally consist of a preparation step in which extracted target nucleic acids are mixed with a gene amplification reaction solution to prepare a gene amplification reaction product, and a reaction step in which the reaction proceeds.

[0006] Conventionally, a dispensing device that dispenses biological samples, a purification and extraction device that purifies and extracts target substances from the dispensed biological samples, and an amplification testing device that amplifies and measures the extracted target substances were all separate devices, and dispensing, extraction, and amplification were performed individually.

[0007] In this case, the time required from dispensing to testing by amplification increases, making rapid testing difficult, and there is a problem that the samples may be exposed to contaminants during the transfer process.

[0008] In addition, in the case of conventional biological sample dispensing devices, sample tubes containing biological samples are supplied and dispensed through a tray in an open state, which poses problems such as the user being exposed to pathogens contained in the biological sample or the biological sample being contaminated.

[0009] Furthermore, it takes a lot of time to inject multiple biological samples from sample containers into a multi-well plate for extraction, which makes it difficult to perform tests quickly or simultaneously.

[0010] Furthermore, when mounting a conventional conductive pipette, there are problems such as the existence of injection tip tolerances and inconsistent tolerances for manufacturing the conductive pipette, which make it difficult to mount the pipette precisely, or leakage of the internal sample or solution. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems by providing an adaptor for attaching a conductive pipette, a sample tube opening and closing device and an automatic sample analysis system which can open and close a specimen container within the device, eliminate the risk of infection to the user, prevent contamination and significantly reduce the time required for dispensing biological samples, and can automatically perform continuous, rapid opening and closing of caps on sample tubes, dispensing, extraction and purification, and amplification testing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention has been created to achieve the above-mentioned object of the present invention, and discloses a sample tube opening and closing device comprising: a housing that forms an internal space isolated from the outside and includes a door for introducing and removing a multiwell plate for biological samples in which a plurality of sample tubes containing biological samples are provided; and a sample tube opening and closing unit that is provided in the internal space and spaced apart from the multiwell plate for biological samples and automatically opens and closes the sample tubes.

[0013] The sample tube opening / closing unit includes at least one lower gripper for gripping a lower portion of the sample tube, and at least one upper gripper for gripping an upper portion of the sample tube.

[0014] Three lower grippers and three upper grippers may be provided in parallel and corresponding to each other so as to simultaneously open and close three sample tubes.

[0015] The upper grippers are each independently linearly movable in the X, Y, and Z directions.

[0016] The upper gripper includes an upper gripping portion that grips the upper portion of the sample tube, an upper gripper forward / backward drive portion for moving the upper gripping portion along the forward / backward direction, which is the processing direction, an upper gripper left / right drive portion for moving the upper gripping portion along the left / right direction relative to the processing direction, and an upper gripper up / down drive portion for moving the upper gripping portion along the up / down direction.

[0017] The upper gripper can open the sample tube by gripping and lifting a sealing member that seals the sample tube while the lower gripper grips the lower portion of the sample tube.

[0018] The upper gripper grips a sealing member that seals the sample tube, and the lower gripper grips a lower portion of the sample tube, and the sample tube can be released by relative rotation of the upper gripper and the lower gripper.

[0019] The lower gripper includes a lower gripping portion on which the sample tube is placed and which grips the lower portion of the sample tube, and a lower gripper rotation drive portion which rotates the lower gripping portion around an imaginary center line passing through the center of the sample tube in the vertical direction.

[0020] The lower gripper includes an identification code recognition unit disposed adjacent to the lower gripping unit and configured to recognize an identification code attached to the sample tube to identify the biological sample.

[0021] The housing includes a UV lamp unit installed on at least one of a lower surface of the interior space and an upper portion of the door.

[0022] The housing includes an ozone sensor disposed in the interior space for detecting ozone generated by the UV lamp unit.

[0023] The housing includes a sound pressure generating portion that exhausts air from the internal space to an external space in one direction so as to maintain a sound pressure state in the internal space.

[0024] The sound pressure generating unit includes an exhaust fan disposed on one side of the housing to exhaust air from the interior space, and an ozone filter disposed in front of the exhaust fan to filter ozone present in the interior space.

[0025] The present invention also discloses an automatic sample analysis system including a sample tube opening and closing device that automatically opens and closes a sealing member of a sample tube containing a biological sample, a dispensing device that dispenses the biological sample from the sample tube, an automatic purification and extraction device that purifies and extracts a target substance from the biological sample obtained from the dispensing device, and a nucleic acid amplification testing device that amplifies and measures the target substance obtained from the automatic purification and extraction device.

[0026] The sample tube opening / closing device, the dispensing device, and the automatic purification / extraction device may form a first internal space isolated from the outside, and the nucleic acid amplification testing device may form a second internal space isolated from the outside, and the first internal space and the second internal space may be connected to each other.

[0027] The target substance is a target nucleic acid contained in the biological sample, and the target nucleic acid can be amplified to perform a quantitative or qualitative test.

[0028] The target nucleic acid may be an aptamer nucleic acid or an antigen-nucleic acid conjugate nucleic acid that selectively binds to an antigen or antibody contained in the biological sample.

[0029] Nucleic acids, antigens, and antibodies contained in the biological sample can be simultaneously quantitatively or qualitatively tested.

[0030] The dispensing device, the automatic purification and extraction device, and the nucleic acid amplification testing device each have a door that separates them from each other.

[0031] The dispensing device includes a biological sample dispensing unit that moves between the sample tube opening / closing unit, the pipette tip rack, and the dispensing multi-well plate, aspirates the biological sample in the sample tube located in the sample tube opening / closing unit, and dispenses it into the dispensing multi-well plate.

[0032] The biological sample dispensing unit includes a dispensing pipette that aspirates the biological sample in the sample tube and dispenses the aspirated biological sample into the dispensing multi-well plate, a dispensing pipette sensor unit that adjusts the amount of the biological sample aspirated and dispensed by the dispensing pipette, and a dispensing pipette drive unit that drives the dispensing pipette to move between the sample tube located in the first internal space and the dispensing multi-well plate.

[0033] The dispensing pipette sensor unit includes a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure level to detect clogging of the dispensing pipette.

[0034] The dispensing pipette sensor unit is attached to the dispensing pipette and includes a level sensor that detects when the dispensing pipette tip containing the biological sample comes into contact with the liquid surface of the biological sample.

[0035] The nucleic acid amplification testing device includes a testing housing that forms a testing space isolated from the outside, and a multiwell plate inserting section into which a multiwell plate having a plurality of reaction tubes containing target substances extracted by the automatic purification / extraction device is inserted.

[0036] The multiwell plate insertion unit includes a support unit that supports the edge of the multiwell plate on which the plurality of reaction tubes are provided, and a multiwell plate driving unit that drives the support unit between a dispensing position of the automated purification and extraction device and an amplification position within the test housing.

[0037] The test housing is provided with a shutter for loading and unloading the multiwell plate insert.

[0038] Furthermore, the present invention discloses a conductive pipette attachment adapter for connecting a conductive pipette tip to a pipette device, the conductive pipette attachment adapter including: a cylinder body attached to the pipette device; and a cylindrical leaf spring portion attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder body and into which the conductive pipette tip fits.

[0039] The cylinder body and the leaf spring portion are made of metal and conductive polymer.

[0040] The cylinder body includes an upper connecting portion that is inserted into and connected to the pipette device, a lower connecting portion that is exposed to the outside and connected to the conductive pipette tip, and a center portion that connects the upper connecting portion and the lower connecting portion and has a smaller radius than the upper connecting portion and the lower connecting portion.

[0041] The upper coupling portion includes a first upper step portion formed at an upper end thereof, and a second upper step portion extending downward from the first upper step portion and having a smaller radius than the first upper step portion.

[0042] The lower coupling portion includes a plurality of lower stepped portions spaced apart from one another at regular intervals.

[0043] The conductive pipette tip further includes an elastic member provided at the lower step portion to prevent leakage of the solution from within the conductive pipette tip.

[0044] The leaf spring portion includes a ring portion connected to the upper connecting portion, and a plurality of elastic wing portions provided on the lower side along the ring portion.

[0045] The leaf spring portion has the wing portion spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the center portion, and the annular portion is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the second upper step portion so as to allow elastic deformation due to connection with the conductive pipette tip.

[0046] One end of the plate spring contacts a PCB portion provided in the pipette device to check electrical conduction, and the other end is connected to the conductive pipette tip. [Effects of the Invention]

[0047] The conductive pipette adapter, sample tube opening and closing device, and sample automatic analysis system according to the present invention have the advantage that they can automatically perform dispensing, extraction, purification, amplification, and testing of biological samples continuously.

[0048] In particular, the conductive pipette adapter, sample tube opening / closing device, and automatic sample analysis system according to the present invention have the advantage that the processes from dispensing to testing are carried out automatically and continuously without user intervention, thereby shortening testing time and preventing the problem of sample contamination during intermediate transfer processes.

[0049] In addition, the conductive pipette adapter, sample tube opening / closing device, and automatic sample analysis system according to the present invention have the advantage of preventing contamination of the biological sample by automatically opening and dispensing the sample tube containing the biological sample while it is sealed inside.

[0050] Furthermore, the conductive pipette adapter, sample tube opening and closing device, and automatic sample analysis system according to the present invention have the advantage of being able to simultaneously test multiple biological samples, or to simultaneously perform multiple different types of tests on a single biological sample.

[0051] In particular, the conductive pipette attachment adapter, sample tube opening / closing device, and automatic sample analysis system according to the present invention are configured to be able to operate independently in parallel, and have the advantage of being able to significantly reduce testing time, such as by simultaneously performing three different tests on one biological sample, or by simultaneously performing tests on multiple biological samples.

[0052] Furthermore, the conductive pipette attachment adapter, sample tube opening / closing device, and automatic sample analysis system according to the present invention have the advantage of overcoming spatial limitations and improving the conventional problem that testing could only be performed within sound pressure facilities due to the risk of harmful substances leaking out during virus testing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0053] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an automatic sample analyzing system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a plan view showing various trays inserted into the automatic sample analyzing system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a side view showing the upper gripper, the biological sample dispensing unit, and the target substance dispensing unit of the automatic sample analyzing system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view showing the state of an upper gripper of the sample tube opening and closing device of the automatic sample analysis system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is an enlarged view showing a part of an upper gripper of the sample tube opening and closing device of the automatic sample analysis system of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 2 is a front view showing the state of a biological sample dispensing section of the automatic sample analyzing system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a side view showing the state of a lower gripper of the sample tube opening and closing device of the automatic sample analysis system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is an enlarged view showing a part of the lower gripper of the sample tube opening and closing device of the automatic sample analysis system of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 2 is a perspective view showing the state of a lower gripper of the sample tube opening and closing device of the automatic sample analyzing system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the state of a sound pressure forming unit of the automatic sample analyzing system of FIG. 1. [Figure 11] 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of an adapter for attaching a conductive pipette according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the conductive pipette adapter of FIG. 11. [Figure 13]FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the state of the conductive pipette mounting adapter. [Figure 14] 2 is a perspective view showing the target substance transfer section of the automatic sample analyzing system of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 15] 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the target substance transfer drive unit in the automatic sample analyzing system of FIG. 14. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0054] The conductive pipette adapter, sample tube opening and closing device, and sample automatic analysis system according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0055] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the automatic sample analysis system according to the present invention includes a sample tube opening and closing device that automatically opens and closes a sealing member 12 of a sample tube 10 containing a biological sample, an automatic dispensing device 1 that dispenses the biological sample from a sample tube containing a liquid biological sample, an automatic purification and extraction device 2 that purifies and extracts a target substance from the biological sample obtained from the automatic dispensing device 1, and a nucleic acid amplification testing device 3 that amplifies and measures the target substance obtained from the automatic purification and extraction device 2.

[0056] The sample tube 10 used here can be any type of tube disclosed in the past without any special restrictions, as long as it is configured to contain a liquid sample inside.

[0057] The automatic purification / extraction device 2 is configured to purify and extract a target substance from the biological sample obtained from the automatic dispensing device 1, and can have a variety of configurations.

[0058] For example, the automatic purification and extraction device 2 may include a second housing 500 that forms a first internal space S1, an extraction section 600 that is provided in the second housing 500 and that purifies and extracts a target substance from a biological sample transferred from an automatic dispensing device 1 described later, and a target substance transfer section 700 that moves between the extraction section 600 and the nucleic acid amplification testing device 3, aspirates the target substance located in the extraction section 600, and transfers it to the nucleic acid amplification testing device 3.

[0059] The second housing 500 is configured to form a first internal space S1 and may be connected to the housing part 100 of the automatic dispensing device 1 described later, and more specifically, can form the same space continuous with the first internal space S1 of the housing part 100.

[0060] Meanwhile, the second housing 500 has a plurality of wells formed therein so that the biological sample can be delivered through the target substance delivery unit 700, and the biological sample can be dispensed into specific rows, and an extraction multi-well plate 40 containing one or more reagents or samples for purifying and extracting the target substance can be placed therein.

[0061] In addition, the second housing 500 can further accommodate not only the extraction multiwell plate 40 in the first internal space S1, but also an extraction pipette tip rack 50 that is attached to the target substance transfer unit 700 and supplies disposable extraction pipette tips for transferring biological samples from the dispensing multiwell plate 30 to the extraction multiwell plate 40 and transferring the extracted target substances from the extraction multiwell plate 40 to the nucleic acid amplification testing device 3, and a disposal unit 60.

[0062] Meanwhile, the extraction multiwell plate 40, the extraction pipette tip rack 50, and the disposal unit 60 may be arranged and provided on a second tray that can slide between the first internal space S1 and the external space.

[0063] The second housing 500 is provided with a second door portion 510 so that the second tray can be moved between the outside and the first internal space S1, and each accessory, such as the extraction multiwell plate 40, the extraction pipette tip rack 50, and the disposal unit 60, can be moved between the outside and the first internal space S1 through the second door portion 510.

[0064] Meanwhile, the second housing 500 may further include an extraction unit 600 for purifying and extracting target substances from the biological sample dispensed into the extraction multiwell plate 40 below the position where the extraction multiwell plate 40 is placed.

[0065] In this case, the extraction unit 600 may be configured in any manner previously disclosed for extracting target substances from biological samples, and more specifically, may include a magnetic field application unit that applies a magnetic field to a specific column of the extraction multiwell plate 40 including a magnet, and a heating unit that is formed adjacent to the magnetic field application unit and heats the same specific column.

[0066] That is, the target substance can be purified and extracted from the dispensed biological sample by applying a magnetic field and heating.

[0067] The target substance transfer section 700 moves between the extraction section 600 and the nucleic acid amplification testing device 3, sucking in the target substance located in the extraction section 600 and supplying it to the nucleic acid amplification testing device 3, and various configurations are possible.

[0068] Furthermore, the target substance transfer section 700 can aspirate the biological sample from the dispensing multiwell plate 30 and supply the biological sample to the extraction multiwell plate 40 .

[0069] That is, the target substance transfer unit 700 is equipped with a plurality of extraction pipette tips provided in the extraction pipette tip rack 50 described above, and can aspirate the target substance dispensed from the dispensing multiwell plate 30 and supply it to the extraction multiwell plate 40, and can supply the target substance extracted through the extraction multiwell plate 40 to the nucleic acid amplification device 3 in a similar manner.

[0070] In this case, three target substance transfer units 700 can be provided in parallel corresponding to the multiwell plate 20 for biological samples, and each can be driven individually in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis.

[0071] Meanwhile, the target substance transfer unit 700 may include a target substance transfer pipette mounting unit 710 to which multiple extraction pipette tips are simultaneously mounted and which draws in and discharges biological samples or target substances through the mounted extraction pipette tips, and a target substance transfer pipette driving unit which drives the target substance transfer pipette mounting unit 710 individually in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively.

[0072] More specifically, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the target substance transfer unit 700 may include a plurality of target substance transfer pipette mounting units 710, a target substance transfer plate 720 on which the target substance transfer pipette mounting units 710 are mounted, and a target substance transfer driving unit 730 for driving the target substance transfer plate 720 in the left-right direction, i.e., the Y direction.

[0073] In addition, the target substance transfer unit 700 may include a target substance transfer support unit 740 on which the target substance transfer drive unit 730 is installed, a target substance transfer drive pulley 750 for driving the target substance transfer unit 700 in the forward and backward directions, i.e., the X direction, and a drive pulley 760 for driving the target substance transfer pipette mounting unit 710.

[0074] The target substance transfer plate 720 and the target substance transfer pipette mounting part 710 of the target substance transfer part 700 via the target substance transfer driving part 730 will be described.

[0075] The target substance transfer plate 720 may include a transfer plate 721 on which a target substance transfer pipette mounting portion 710 is provided, and a contact portion 722 integrally formed with the transfer plate 721 and moving in contact with the target substance transfer driving portion 730 described later.

[0076] The target substance transfer drive unit 730 may include a cam unit 731 that moves the target substance transfer plate 720 in the Y direction, i.e., left and right, through pressure contact with the contact unit 722, a rotary motor 732 that is connected to the cam unit 731 and rotates the cam unit 731, a rotary bearing 733 that is provided in a part of the cam unit 731, and a guide movement unit 734 that is provided below the contact unit 722 and moves through a guide unit 741 described later, thereby guiding the left and right movement of the target substance transfer plate 720.

[0077] The target substance transfer support part 740 is provided on one side of the target substance transfer plate 720 and is configured to support the target substance transfer driver 730, and may include a guide part 741 on which the aforementioned guide movement part 734 is movably provided to guide the movement of the target substance transfer plate 720, and a guide support part 742 formed integrally with the guide part 741.

[0078] The nucleic acid amplification test device 3 is configured to amplify and measure the target substance obtained from the automatic purification / extraction device 2, and various configurations are possible.

[0079] For example, the nucleic acid amplification test device 3 can receive a target substance from the target substance transfer unit 700, amplify the target substance, and test it.

[0080] Meanwhile, in the nucleic acid amplification test device 3, a target substance is delivered from a target substance delivery unit 700 to a test multi-well plate 70 having a plurality of wells, and amplification and testing can be performed.

[0081] In addition, the nucleic acid amplification testing device 3 may include a third housing 800 that forms a second internal space S2, and in this case, the second internal space S2 formed by the third housing 800 may also be formed to be connected to the first internal space S1.

[0082] In other words, the first internal space S1, which dispenses the biological sample and extracts the target substance from the biological sample, and the second internal space S2, which amplifies the extracted target substance and performs testing, are connected to each other to form a single space, enabling efficient automatic analysis of biological samples without user intervention.

[0083] For example, the nucleic acid amplification testing device 3 may include a testing housing that forms a testing space isolated from the outside, and a multiwell plate insertion section into which a multiwell plate having a plurality of reaction tubes containing target substances extracted through the automatic purification and extraction device 2 is inserted.

[0084] In this case, the multiwell plate insertion unit may include a support unit that supports the edge of the multiwell plate on which the plurality of reaction tubes are provided, and a multiwell plate driving unit that drives the support unit between the dispensing position of the automatic purification and extraction device 3 and the amplification position within the test housing.

[0085] The test housing may also be provided with a shutter for loading and unloading the multiwell plate insert.

[0086] The automatic dispensing device 1 can include a biological sample dispensing unit 400 that moves between a sample tube opening / closing unit, a pipette tip rack 80, and a dispensing multi-well plate 30, and aspirates a biological sample in the sample tube 10 located in the sample tube opening / closing unit and dispenses it into the dispensing multi-well plate 30.

[0087] The biological sample dispensing unit 400 may be configured to move between the lower gripper 200, the pipette tip rack 80, and the dispensing multi-well plate 30, and to aspirate the biological sample in the sample tube 10 located in the lower gripper 200 and dispense it into the dispensing multi-well plate 30.

[0088] At least three biological sample dispensing units 400 may be provided in parallel corresponding to the lower gripper 200, the upper gripper 300 and the multiwell plate 20 for biological samples, and each of these units can be driven independently.

[0089] Meanwhile, the biological sample dispensing unit 400 can be driven independently in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and each driving unit can be applied in the same manner as each driving unit of the upper gripper 300 described above.

[0090] Meanwhile, the biological sample dispensing unit 400 can move in the front-rear direction from a fixed position via front-rear direction movement guides 900 provided in the first internal space S1 and the second internal space S2 so as to move through them.

[0091] In particular, the biological sample dispensing section 400 is configured to move the biological sample from the dispensing multiwell plate 30 located in the first internal space S1 to the extraction multiwell plate 40, and therefore can move back and forth within the first internal space S1.

[0092] The dispensing pipette 410 may be configured to be equipped with a disposable pipette tip from a pipette tip rack 80, aspirate a biological sample from a sample tube 10, and dispense the aspirated biological sample into a dispensing multi-well plate 30.

[0093] In particular, the dispensing pipette 410 is fitted with a disposable pipette tip supplied via the pipette tip rack 80, and when fitted, it is placed on the lower grip part 310 and can aspirate a biological sample from a sample tube 10 with its tube cap 12 open, move it and dispense it into the dispensing multi-well plate 30.

[0094] Meanwhile, the dispensing pipette sensor unit 420 may be configured to adjust the amount of the biological sample aspirated and dispensed by the dispensing pipette 410.

[0095] For example, the dispensing pipette sensor unit 420 may include a pressure sensor 421 for measuring the level of pressure to detect clogging of the dispensing pipette 410. More specifically, the pressure applied to the dispensing pipette 410 during the process of dispensing a biological sample through a pipette tip connected to the dispensing pipette 410 may be measured to determine whether the pipette tip is clogged and whether dispensing has been completed.

[0096] Furthermore, by measuring the pressure applied to the dispensing pipette 410 via the pressure sensor 421, the pressure for dispensing the biological sample through the pipette tip can be made equal, thereby maintaining the same amount of dispensing.

[0097] The dispensing pipette sensor unit 420 may include a level sensor 422 that is attached to the dispensing pipette 410 and detects when the dispensing pipette tip 411 containing the biological sample comes into contact with the liquid surface of the biological sample.

[0098] In particular, the biological sample dispensing unit 400 can be equipped with disposable pipette tips from the pipette tip rack 80 and dispense the aspirated biological sample into the dispensing multiwell plate 30, and conductive pipette tips can be used in this process.

[0099] That is, the level sensor 422 can dispense a fixed amount of the biological sample by sensing the liquid level of the biological sample dispensed through the conductive pipette tip.

[0100] In addition, the biological sample dispensing unit 400 may include a dispensing pipette driving unit 430 that drives the dispensing pipette 410 to move between the sample tube 10 located in the first internal space S1 and the dispensing multiwell plate 30.

[0101] In this case, the dispensing pipette driving unit 430 can be driven in the same manner as the upper gripper driving unit 320 described above, and can be driven through the forward / backward moving guide 900 to guide the biological sample dispensing unit 400 in the process direction.

[0102] The sample tube opening and closing device according to the present invention will now be described in detail.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 1, the sample tube opening and closing device according to the present invention includes a housing 110 forming a first internal space S1 isolated from the outside, a housing part 100 provided in the housing 110 and including a door part 120 for introducing and removing a multiwell plate 20 for biological samples, in which a plurality of sample tubes 10 containing biological samples are provided, and a sample tube opening and closing part provided in the internal space, spaced apart from the multiwell plate 20 for biological samples, for automatically opening and closing the sample tubes 10.

[0104] In this case, the sample tube opening / closing unit may include at least one lower gripper 200 for gripping the lower portion of the sample tube 10 and at least one upper gripper 300 for gripping the upper portion of the sample tube 10.

[0105] That is, the device includes at least three lower grippers 200 that are installed in the internal space apart from the multiwell plate 20 for biological samples, receive the sample tubes 10, and grip the lower parts of the sample tubes 10, and at least three upper grippers 300 that grip the upper parts of the sample tubes 10 and are independently driven to move between the multiwell plate 20 for biological samples and the lower grippers 200 to transfer the sample tubes 10.

[0106] Here, the biological sample to be extracted and tested in the present invention is configured to contain a target substance to be tested, and various configurations are possible.

[0107] For example, biological samples include blood, urine, tissue, saliva, sputum, etc. containing target substances obtained from living organisms, and can also include crushed suspensions of animals and plants, culture solutions and suspensions of microorganisms.

[0108] In this case, the target substance is a target nucleic acid contained in a biological sample, and the automated sample analysis system according to the present invention can amplify the target nucleic acid and perform quantitative or qualitative testing.

[0109] In particular, the target substance may be an antigen or antibody contained in a biological sample, and the nucleic acid to be amplified may be an aptamer nucleic acid or an antigen-nucleic acid conjugate nucleic acid that selectively binds to the antigen or antibody contained in the kit.

[0110] Therefore, the automated sample analysis system according to the present invention can simultaneously perform quantitative or qualitative testing of nucleic acids, antigens, and antibodies contained in a biological sample.

[0111] In this case, the sample tube 10 according to the present invention is configured to contain a biological sample extracted from a human body, and any type of sample tube 10 disclosed in the past can be applied.

[0112] For example, the sample tube 10 includes a tube body 11 that contains a biological sample and has an open top, and a tube cap 12 that is attached to the top of the tube body 11 by pressure and seals the top of the tube body 11.

[0113] That is, the sample tube 10 may include a tube cap 12 attached to the top of the tube body 11 to seal the biological sample contained in the tube body 11, and in this case, the tube cap 12 may be attached to the tube body 11 by a screw type or a snap type that is attached by simple pressure.

[0114] Meanwhile, the multi-well plate 20 for biological samples is configured with a plurality of rows and columns in which a plurality of sample tubes 10 are placed, thereby forming a plurality of wells.

[0115] In particular, the multiwell plate 20 for biological samples has three unit multiwells arranged in parallel, each of which has 32 wells, each of which is 8×4, for a total of 96 wells.

[0116] Meanwhile, the multiwell plate for biological samples 20 can be placed on the first tray, similar to the second tray described above, and moved between the external space and the internal space via the door portion 120 described later.

[0117] That is, the multiwell plate for biological samples 20 can be slid while placed on the first tray and introduced into the internal space through the door part 120, and can be carried out from the internal space to the outside.

[0118] The dispensing multi-well plate 30 may be positioned on the processing direction side of the biological sample multi-well plate 20 based on the lower gripper 200 described later, and may be configured to dispense and supply biological samples from the sample tube 1 via the biological sample dispensing section 400.

[0119] In this case, the dispensing multi-well plate 30 may include a plurality of multi-wells for dispensing and supplying biological samples through the biological sample dispensing unit 400, and a buffer unit for storing other necessary reagents or samples and excess biological samples for sample testing, and may include a pipette tip rack 80 that is attached to the biological sample dispensing unit 400 and supplies and discharges disposable pipette tips for transferring biological samples.

[0120] The housing part 100 is configured to form an internal space, and can have various configurations.

[0121] For example, the housing part 100 may include a housing 110 that forms an internal space isolated from the outside, and a door part 120 that is provided in the housing 110 and that is used to introduce and remove a multiwell plate 20 for biological samples that is provided with a plurality of sample tubes 10 containing biological samples.

[0122] The housing 100 may further include a UV lamp unit 130 installed on at least one of a lower surface of the interior space or an upper portion of the door 120 in the interior space.

[0123] In addition, the housing unit 100 may include an ozone sensor 140 installed in the internal space thereof to detect ozone generated by the UV lamp unit 130 .

[0124] In addition, the housing part 100 may include a sound pressure forming part 150 that exhausts air from the internal space to the external space in one direction so that the internal space maintains a sound pressure state.

[0125] The door portion 120 may be provided in the housing 110 and configured to introduce and remove a multi-well plate 20 for biological samples, in which a plurality of sample tubes 10 for containing biological samples are provided.

[0126] The door 120 may be hinged to open and close the opening of the housing 110, and the first tray including the multiwell plate 20 for biological samples may be loaded into the internal space.

[0127] The UV lamp unit 130 is installed on at least one of the lower surface of the interior space or the upper surface of the door unit 120 in the interior space, and may have various configurations.

[0128] For example, the UV lamp unit 130 is installed on the lower surface of the inner space and on the upper surface of the door unit 120, respectively, and can sterilize and disinfect the multiwell plates 20 of the first tray that are loaded and unloaded.

[0129] In addition, the UV lamp unit 130 may be installed on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the second door unit 510 of the second housing 500, as well as in the internal space.

[0130] The ozone sensor 140 is installed in the internal space and is configured to detect ozone generated by the UV lamp unit 130, and can be configured in various ways.

[0131] The ozone sensor 140 is installed on the inner wall surface of the housing 110 forming the internal space, particularly adjacent to the position where the UV lamp unit 130 is installed, and can sense the generated ozone.

[0132] The sound pressure forming unit 150 may be configured to exhaust air in one direction from the internal space to the external space so that the internal space maintains a sound pressure state.

[0133] For example, the sound pressure forming unit 150 may include an exhaust fan 151 installed on one side of the housing unit 100 to exhaust air from the internal space, and an ozone filter 152 installed in front of the exhaust fan 151 to filter ozone present in the internal space.

[0134] More specifically, the sound pressure forming unit 150 may be installed in an exhaust port 111 formed on one side of the housing 110, and an exhaust fan 151 may be positioned in the exhaust port 111 to exhaust air from the internal space to the outside in one direction.

[0135] The exhaust fan 151 exhausts air from the internal space, the first internal space S1, and the second internal space S2 connected thereto to the outside, thereby generating sound pressure in the internal space and preventing internal contaminants or substances to be analyzed from leaking out even when the first tray, second tray, etc. are pulled in and out through the opening of the door part 120 and the second door part 520.

[0136] The ozone filter 152 may be provided in front of the exhaust fan 151 and configured to filter ozone present in the internal space.

[0137] For example, the ozone filter 152 is installed in front of the exhaust fan 151 on the inner space side, so that air exhausted from the inner space via the exhaust fan 151 can pass through the ozone filter 152.

[0138] Therefore, the ozone filter 152 can filter the ozone by preventing the ozone generated from the UV lamp unit 130 and the like from being discharged to the outside.

[0139] Meanwhile, the housing part 100 according to the present invention may further include an exhaust guide part 160 provided in the internal space to guide an air exhaust path from the internal space to the outside.

[0140] The exhaust guide part 160 is installed vertically on one side of the internal space opposite to the door part 120 of the first tray and the second tray, and can guide the air in the first internal space S1 and the second internal space S2 toward the exhaust port 111.

[0141] In addition, the housing part 100 may include an external air intake filter 190 installed on an upper surface thereof to form an air flow in the internal space.

[0142] At this time, the external air intake filter 190 is installed on the upper surface of the housing 110 to guide the external air to be supplied to the internal space, and a filter for filtering the external air passing through may be installed together.

[0143] As a result, the external air intake filter 190 can induce the formation of airflow in the internal space together with the internal circulation fan 180 described later, and therefore can induce the airflow in the internal space to be smoothly exhausted through the exhaust fan 151.

[0144] Meanwhile, the housing part 100 may include an internal circulation fan 180 installed at one end surface of the internal space to induce airflow in the internal space.

[0145] The internal circulation fan 180 is installed on one end surface of the internal space and can be driven to form an airflow inside, thereby circulating the outside air that is filtered and supplied from the outside through the outside air intake filter 190 in the internal space and guiding it to be exhausted to the exhaust fan 151 described above.

[0146] The lower gripper 200 may be configured to be installed in the internal space apart from the multiwell plate 20 for biological samples, to receive the sample tubes 10 and to grip the lower portions of the sample tubes 10 .

[0147] In particular, the lower grippers 200 are provided in three in parallel to correspond to the multi-well plate 20 for biological samples described above, and can grip the sample tubes 10 respectively so that the three tests can be performed independently.

[0148] For example, the lower gripper 200 may include a lower gripping unit 210 on which the sample tube 10 is placed and which grips the lower part of the sample tube 10, and a lower gripper rotation driving unit 220 which rotates the lower gripping unit 210 around an imaginary center line passing through the center of the sample tube 10 in the vertical direction.

[0149] The lower gripper 200 may also include an identification code recognition unit 230 disposed adjacent to the lower grip unit 210 and configured to recognize the identification code 13 to identify the biological sample.

[0150] The lower grip portion 210 may be arranged adjacent to the multiwell plate 20 for biological samples in the internal space, and may be configured to place the sample tube 10 moving through the upper gripper 300 and grip the lower part of the sample tube 10.

[0151] For example, the lower grip unit 210 may include a plurality of lower gripping members 211 arranged circumferentially on the outer circumferential surface of the sample tube 10 based on the placement position of the sample tube 10, and a lower gripping member driving unit 212 that drives the lower gripping members 211 so that the lower gripping members 211 move radially based on the placement position of the sample tube 10.

[0152] In addition, the lower grip part 210 may include a fixing member 213 made of rubber and provided on the lower gripping member 211 to closely contact the sample tube 10 being gripped and fix the sample tube 10 .

[0153] That is, with the sample tube 10 placed at the placement position, the lower grip section 210 can grip the lower part of the sample tube 10 by horizontally moving the lower holding members 211 toward the sample tube 10 .

[0154] In this case, the lower gripping member driving unit 212 can be applied with any type of driving method disclosed in the past, for example, driving using an electric motor, a magnetic motor, and gears, driving using pulleys and belts, or moving using electromagnetic force, and can move the lower gripping member 211 linearly.

[0155] The lower gripper rotation drive unit 220 may be configured to rotate the sample tube 10 about an imaginary center line passing through the center of the sample tube 10 in the vertical direction.

[0156] That is, the lower gripper rotation drive unit 220 can rotate the lower grip unit 210 around an imaginary center line passing through the center of the sample tube 10 in the vertical direction, thereby causing the sample tube 10 to rotate at a predetermined position.

[0157] As a result, the lower gripper rotation drive unit 220 can rotate the tube body 11 of the sample tube 10 relative to the tube cap 12 gripped by the upper gripper 300, thereby separating the tube cap 12 of the sample tube 10 from the tube body 11.

[0158] This allows the tube body 11 to automatically open internally, as will be described later.

[0159] Meanwhile, the lower gripper rotation drive unit 220 may include a lower gripper rotation drive source 221 that provides driving force in response to rotation, and a pair of lower gripper rotation pulleys 222, one connected to the lower gripper rotation drive source 221 and the other connected to the lower grip unit 210, each connected by a belt.

[0160] That is, when the lower gripper rotation drive source 221 provides rotation to one of the lower gripper rotation pulleys 222, the other lower gripper rotation pulley 222 connected via a belt rotates, thereby rotating the lower grip unit 210 connected thereto.

[0161] Meanwhile, the lower gripper 200 may further include an identification code recognition unit 230 that recognizes the identification code 13 that identifies the biological sample attached to the tube body 11 and accommodated therein.

[0162] For example, the identification code recognition unit 230 is disposed adjacent to the lower grip unit 210 and can recognize the identification code 13 to identify the biological sample.

[0163] In this case, the identification code recognition unit 230 may include a recognition unit 232 that is provided adjacent to the lower grip unit, irradiates light toward the identification code 13, receives the irradiated light, and recognizes the identification code 13, and a reading unit 231 that is provided adjacent to the recognition unit 232 and reads the identification code 13 recognized through the recognition unit 232.

[0164] In particular, the identification code recognition unit 230 can be configured to rotate around the central axis of the lower grip unit 210 and the placed sample tube 10, thereby enabling stable identification regardless of the position of the identification code 13 attached to the tube body 11.

[0165] On the other hand, the identification code recognition unit 230 may be fixed. In this case, when the upper gripper 300 moves the sample tube 10 from the multi-well plate 20 for biological samples, the position of the sample tube 10 is aligned to a fixed position, thereby enabling stable identification code recognition.

[0166] The identification code 13 may have any structure that can be identified by scanning, and may be, for example, a barcode, a QR code (registered trademark), or the like.

[0167] The upper gripper 300 may be configured to grip the upper portion of the sample tube 10 and move between the multiwell plate 20 for biological samples and the lower gripper 200 to transfer the sample tube 10, and may be independently driven.

[0168] In particular, the upper grippers 300 may be provided in parallel in a number of three so as to be individually drivable, corresponding to the multiwell plate 20 for biological samples and the lower grippers 200 described above.

[0169] In particular, the upper grippers 300 may be linearly movable in the X, Y and Z directions, and the three upper grippers 300 may be independently driven.

[0170] For example, the upper gripper 300 may include an upper gripping unit 310 that grips the upper portion of the sample tube 10, an upper gripper forward / backward driving unit 320 that moves the upper gripping unit 310 along the forward / backward direction, which is the processing direction, an upper gripper left / right driving unit 330 that moves the upper gripping unit 310 along the left / right direction relative to the processing direction, and an upper gripper up / down driving unit 340 that moves the upper gripping unit 310 along the up / down direction.

[0171] The upper gripping portion 310 may be configured to grip the upper portion of the sample tube 10 .

[0172] For example, the upper grip unit 310 may include upper gripping members 311 that grip the tube body 11 or the tube cap 12 of the sample tube 10 and are provided in multiple positions corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the sample tube 10, similar to the above-mentioned lower gripping member 211, centered on the sample tube 10, and an upper gripping member driving unit 312 that drives the upper gripping members 311 in the radial direction of the sample tube 10.

[0173] At this time, the upper gripping member 311 can stably grip the sample tube 10 by forming a friction portion 313 on the surface that comes into contact with the sample tube 10 .

[0174] More specifically, the upper grip portion 310 is provided in multiple positions corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the sample tube 1, and can grasp the sample tube 10 by moving radially while adjacent to the sample tube 10.

[0175] The upper gripping member driving unit 312 can grip the sample tube 10 or release the grip of the sample tube 10 by horizontally moving the upper gripping member 311 using various methods previously disclosed, like the above-mentioned lower gripping member driving unit 212.

[0176] The upper gripper forward / backward drive unit 320 may be configured to move the upper grip unit 310 in the forward / backward direction, which is the processing direction.

[0177] The upper gripper front-rear driving unit 320 can drive the upper gripper 310 in the front-rear direction via a belt connected to the upper gripper 310 and a pair of upper gripper front-rear driving pulleys connected via the belt.

[0178] In addition, the upper gripper front-rear drive unit 320 can be driven in the front-rear direction from a fixed position via a front-rear direction movement guide 900 provided in the first internal space S1 and the second internal space S2 so that the upper grip unit 310 can move through it.

[0179] The upper gripper left-right drive unit 330 may be configured to move the upper grip unit 310 in the left-right direction relative to the processing direction.

[0180] In this case, the upper gripper left / right driving unit 330 may be a pair of pulleys and a belt connected to the upper grip unit 310 as described above, or may be driven left / right via a rotating screw as another example.

[0181] The upper gripper vertical driving unit 340 is configured to move the upper grip unit 310 in the vertical direction, and may be configured to use the pulley and belt described above, or as another example, to be driven via a rotating screw.

[0182] On the other hand, the opening of the sample tube 10 via the upper gripper 300 and the lower gripper 200 will be described below.

[0183] As described above, the sample tube 10 may have a tube cap 12 connected to the tube body 11 by a screw type, or may have a snap type that is connected simply by applying pressure.

[0184] On the other hand, if the tube cap 12 is configured to be connected to the tube body 11 by rotating it using a screw type, the lower part of the placed tube body 11 can be gripped using the lower grip part 210 while holding the tube cap 12 using the upper grip part 310.

[0185] At this time, when the entire lower grip section 210 including the sample tube 10 placed thereon is rotated via the lower gripper rotation drive section 220, the tube cap 12 is held by the upper grip section 310, so that the tube cap 12 can rotate relative to the tube body 11, thereby allowing the tube cap 12 to be separated from the tube body 11.

[0186] On the other hand, it goes without saying that the tube cap 12 can be opened by rotating the upper grip part 310 while it is fixedly gripping the tube body 11 via the lower grip part 210.

[0187] On the other hand, if the tube cap 12 is configured to be attached to the tube body 11 by a simple pressure method, as described above, the tube cap 12 can be opened by gripping the tube cap 12 with the upper grip portion 310 and gripping the lower part of the tube body 11 with the lower grip portion 210, and then moving the upper grip portion 310 upward or the lower grip portion 210 downward.

[0188] The conductive pipette adapter according to the present invention will now be described.

[0189] Meanwhile, the conductive pipette attachment adapter described below can be applied to various configurations for attaching a conductive pipette in an automatic sample analysis system, and more specifically, it can be installed in the biological sample dispensing unit 400 to guide the attachment of a conductive pipette tip stably and easily.

[0190] As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the conductive pipette adapter according to the present invention is an adapter for connecting a conductive pipette tip 1000 to a pipette device 1100, and includes a cylinder body 1200 that is attached to the pipette device 1100, and a cylindrical leaf spring portion 1300 that is attached to the outer surface of the cylinder body 1200 and into which the conductive pipette tip 1000 fits.

[0191] The pipette device 1100 may be configured to couple to a conductive pipette tip 1000 and move or dispense a solution contained within the conductive pipette tip 100 .

[0192] In this case, the pipette device 1100 may include a conductive element that can check whether the conductive pipette tip 1000 is connected or not, and for example, a PCB part 1500 described later may be provided to enable electrical conduction.

[0193] The cylinder body 1200 is configured to be coupled to the pipette device 1100, and can have a variety of configurations.

[0194] For example, the cylinder body 1200 may include an upper connecting portion 1210 that is inserted into and connected to the pipette device 1100, a lower connecting portion 1220 that is exposed to the outside and connected to the conductive pipette tip 1000, and a center portion 1230 that connects the upper connecting portion 1210 and the lower connecting portion 1220 and has a smaller radius than the upper connecting portion 1210 and the lower connecting portion 1220.

[0195] In this case, the upper coupling part 1210 may include a first upper step part 1211 formed at the upper end, and a second upper step part 1212 extended from the lower side of the first upper step part 1211 and formed with a radius smaller than that of the first upper step part 1211.

[0196] In addition, the lower coupling part 1220 may include a plurality of lower stepped parts 1221 spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction.

[0197] The leaf spring portion 1300 may be coupled to the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder body 1200 and may have a columnar configuration into which the conductive pipette tip 1000 is fitted.

[0198] For example, the leaf spring part 1300 may include a ring part 1310 connected to the upper connecting part 1210, and a plurality of elastic wings 1320 provided on the lower side along the ring part 1310.

[0199] In addition, the leaf spring portion 1300 may have a wing portion 1320 spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the center portion 1230, and the annular portion 1310 may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the second upper step portion 1212 so as to enable elastic deformation due to coupling with the conductive pipette tip 1000.

[0200] Therefore, the leaf spring part 1300 can guide the conductive pipette tip 1000 to the position where the wing part 1320 is provided so that the conductive pipette tip 1000 can be elastically and tightly attached to the position where the wing part 1320 is provided, thereby enabling stable coupling.

[0201] In addition, one end of the leaf spring part 1300 contacts a PCB part 1500 provided in the pipette device 1100 to check the electrical connection, and the other end can be connected to the conductive pipette tip 1000 .

[0202] Meanwhile, the cylinder body 1200 and the leaf spring part 1300 may be made of metal and conductive polymer.

[0203] In addition, the conductive pipette mounting adapter according to the present invention may further include an elastic member 1400 provided on the lower step portion 1221 to prevent leakage of the solution in the conductive pipette tip 1000.

[0204] In this case, the elastic member 1400 is provided on the outer diameter of the lower step portion 1221 and is in close contact with the inner diameter of the conductive pipette tip 1000, thereby preventing leakage of the solution contained in the conductive pipette tip 1000.

[0205] It goes without saying that the elastic member 1400 may be further provided on the upper step portion 1211 .

[0206] In addition, the conductive pipette mounting adapter may further include an adapter plate 1600 bolted to the bottom of the pipette device 1100 to easily remove the conductive pipette tip 1000 from the pipette device 1100.

[0207] The adapter plate 1600 is bolted to the lower end of the pipette device 1100, and when the adapter plate 1600 is removed while the upper end of the conductive pipette tip 1000 is interfering with the adapter plate 1600, the conductive pipette tip 1000 can be guided to be removed together with the adapter plate 1600.

[0208] The above is merely a description of some of the preferred embodiments that can be realized by the present invention, and as is well known, the scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and it should be said that the technical ideas of the present invention described above and technical ideas that combine their fundamental principles are all included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A conductive pipette attachment adapter for connecting a conductive pipette tip to a pipetting device, comprising: a cylinder body coupled to the pipette device; a cylindrical leaf spring portion coupled to the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder body and into which the conductive pipette tip is fitted.

2. The cylinder body and the leaf spring portion are 2. The conductive pipette adapter according to claim 1, which is made of a metal and a conductive polymer.

3. The cylinder body is 2. The adapter for attaching a conductive pipette according to claim 1, comprising: an upper coupling portion that is inserted into and coupled to the pipette device; a lower coupling portion that is exposed to the outside and coupled to the conductive pipette tip; and a center portion that connects the upper coupling portion and the lower coupling portion and has a smaller radius than the upper coupling portion and the lower coupling portion.

4. The upper coupling portion is 4. The adapter for attaching a conductive pipette according to claim 3, further comprising: a first upper step portion formed at the upper end; and a second upper step portion extending below the first upper step portion and formed with a smaller radius than the first upper step portion.

5. The lower coupling portion is 4. The adaptor for attaching a conductive pipette according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of lower stepped portions formed at regular intervals.

6. 6. The adaptor for attaching a conductive pipette according to claim 5, further comprising an elastic member provided at the lower step portion to prevent leakage of the solution from the conductive pipette tip.

7. The leaf spring portion is The adapter for attaching a conductive pipette as described in claim 4, characterized in that it includes a ring-shaped portion that is connected to the upper connecting portion side, and a plurality of elastic wing portions that are provided on the lower side along the ring-shaped portion.

8. The leaf spring portion is 8. The adapter for attaching a conductive pipette according to claim 7, wherein the wing portion is spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the center portion, and the annular portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the second upper step portion so as to allow elastic deformation due to connection of the conductive pipette tip.

9. The leaf spring portion is 2. The conductive pipette adapter according to claim 1, wherein one end contacts a PCB portion provided in the pipette device to check electrical continuity, and the other end is connected to the conductive pipette tip.

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