Automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples

Abstract

An automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples, comprising an upper chamber (1) and a liquid nitrogen storage tank (2), wherein the upper chamber (1) and the liquid nitrogen storage tank (2) are communicated by a loading and unloading passage (13), and the upper chamber (1) has an operation area in which a rack gripping mechanism (3), a rack scanning mechanism (4), a cryotube suction mechanism (5) and a cryotube scanning mechanism (6) are installed. The operation area is for performing taking-out and storage operations on the samples in the liquid nitrogen storage tank (2) in the upper chamber (1) through the loading and unloading passage (13). A pressure reducing member (14) is installed in the upper chamber (1) to automatically discharge the pressure in the upper chamber (1). The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples can solve the problems that the structure of the mechanism for conventional loading and unloading operations is not compact, the storage capacity of cryotubes is limited, the degree of automation and efficiency of coupling between multiple storage devices are low, the upper cover cannot be easily opened, the tank body cannot be easily attached or leveled, and the pressure reducing function of the upper chamber (1) is not perfect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of storage of biological samples, and particularly to an automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, among the conventional devices that can automatically load and unload biological samples, storage devices other than extra-large ones often use a combined structure in which the loading and unloading operation mechanism and the liquid nitrogen cryogenic storage mechanism are intensively arranged. For example, a known low-temperature storage device for biological samples (CN113115765A) and an integrated cooling and storage device for biological samples (CN209023566U) can be mentioned.

[0003] However, storage devices other than extra-large ones in the prior art have problems such as the structure of the loading and unloading operation mechanism not being compact, the storage capacity of cryotubes being limited, the degree of automation and efficiency of combining multiple storage devices being low. At the same time, the upper cover of the conventional storage device other than extra-large is heavier and can be opened manually. Especially in a cryogenic storage environment, the upper cover freezes to the tank body, so the upper cover cannot be easily opened, and the upper cover requires a certain flatness as a mounting base for the loading and unloading operation mechanism. The conventional upper cover and tank body cannot be easily installed or leveled. In addition, the decompression function of the operation chamber / upper chamber where the loading and unloading operation mechanism is provided is not perfect, and it is necessary to add and install one relief valve, which increases the cost.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples that can realize the decompression function of the upper chamber, rationally arrange various mechanisms for loading and unloading operations, increase the storage capacity of cryotubes, realize efficient transportation between multiple sample storage devices, and can more easily open and level the upper cover.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] The technical solution used by the present invention to solve the technical problem is as follows. An automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples, comprising an upper chamber and a liquid nitrogen storage tank, wherein the upper chamber and the liquid nitrogen storage tank are communicated by a loading and unloading passage, and an operation area is provided in the upper chamber with a rack gripping mechanism, a rack scanning mechanism, a cryotube suction mechanism and a cryotube scanning mechanism installed therein. The operation area is for performing taking-out and storage operations on the samples in the liquid nitrogen storage tank in the upper chamber through the loading and unloading passage. A pressure reducing member is installed in the upper chamber, and the pressure of the upper chamber can be automatically discharged.

[0006] Optionally, the pressure reducing member includes a flexible pressure reducing tube. One end of the flexible pressure reducing tube communicates with the operation area, and the other end is closed by an adjustment block and the degree of closing is adjusted by an adjustment pin group.

[0007] Optionally, the upper chamber includes a chamber bottom plate and a chamber outer cover installed on the upper part of the chamber bottom plate. The chamber outer cover includes an operation chamber case installed above the loading and unloading passage, and the pressure reducing member is attached to the operation chamber case.

[0008] Optionally, the chamber outer cover further includes an electric box case, which is installed on the chamber bottom plate side by side with the operation chamber case and they communicate at the bottom.

[0009] Optionally, the rack gripping mechanism, the rack scanning mechanism, the cryotube suction mechanism and the cryotube scanning mechanism are installed in the operation area by a reference plate. The reference plate is attached to the chamber bottom plate and a loading and unloading operation port corresponding to the loading and unloading passage is opened all at once. The rack gripping mechanism is installed on one side of the loading and unloading operation port by the Y-axis moving mechanism, and the cryotube suction mechanism is arranged on the other side. The rack scanning mechanism and the cryotube scanning mechanism are simultaneously arranged at the end far from the electric box case of the loading and unloading operation port.

[0010] Optionally, the rack gripping mechanism includes a gripping clip, a driving electric cylinder, a lifting slider, and a vertical slide rail. The gripping clip is attached to the lifting slider by a connecting plate. The lifting slider is slidably attached to the vertical slide rail and is transmission-connected to the driving electric cylinder. The Y-axis moving mechanism includes a Y-axis rail and a moving carriage slidably connected to the Y-axis rail. The Y-axis rail is fixed to the reference plate, and the vertical slide rail is connected to the moving carriage.

[0011] Optionally, the cryotube suction mechanism includes a driving motor, a vertical rod, a slider, a swivel arm, and a suction tube mechanism. The suction tube mechanism is attached to the slider by the swivel arm. The slider is slidably installed on the slide rail of the vertical rod and is transmission-connected to the driving motor.

[0012] Optionally, the suction tube mechanism includes a suction nozzle, a pedestal, a base, a pneumatic rod, a magnetic induction coil, and a magnetic rod. The base is connected to the swivel arm. The pedestal is connected to the base by a fixing plate. The upper end of the pneumatic rod is connected to the pedestal, and a suction nozzle is attached to the lower end thereof. The lower end extends downward below the swivel arm through the first through hole on the base. The upper end of the magnetic rod is connected to the pedestal, and the lower end extends into the second through hole of the base through the magnetic induction coil. A liquid storage cylinder and a cold conduction tube that communicate vertically with each other externally of the pneumatic rod and contain liquid nitrogen are sleeved.

[0013] Optionally, the rack scanning mechanism includes a fixed frame for rack scanning attached to the reference plate. An upper cover plate for rack scanning is attached to the upper port of the fixed frame for rack scanning. A light source member and a scanning window are provided on the upper cover plate for rack scanning. A smart scanner is provided inside the fixed frame for rack scanning, and the smart scanner faces the scanning window.

[0014] Optionally, the cryotube scanning mechanism includes a scanning motor attached to the reference plate. The scanning motor is drivingly connected to a rotating post. A rotating arm is fixedly connected to the side of the rotating post. A smart code reader is attached to the rotating arm.

[0015] Optionally, the liquid nitrogen storage tank includes a tank body and an upper cover. The upper cover includes an integrated upper support portion and a lower connection portion, which are respectively for attaching an upper chamber and for sealingly connecting to the upper port of the tank body. An access passage is opened in the upper cover and penetrates through the upper support portion and the lower connection portion.

[0016] Optionally, the bottom of the tank body is attached to a support base and is fixed around by a holder. The upper support portion of the upper cover extends below the outer periphery of its lower connection portion and is supported by a leveling alignment post installed at the top of the holder.

[0017] Optionally, the tank body includes an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder sleeved inside and outside. A honeycomb-type rotating table assembly is provided in the inner cylinder. The cryotube is stored in the honeycomb-type rotating table assembly by an aluminum tube. A fixed plate is connected above the honeycomb-type rotating table assembly. A sorting tube temporary storage plate is installed on the fixed plate. The sorting tube temporary storage plate can rotate along with the honeycomb-type rotating table assembly to the access passage. The sorting tube temporary storage plate includes a temporary storage plate, a rack storage hole and a cryotube temporary storage hole opened in the temporary storage plate.

[0018] Optionally, a guide rail type transfer tank sample transport mechanism is further disposed outside the liquid nitrogen storage tank. The chamber bottom plate and the reference plate both have an extending portion exceeding the upper cover. A through passage opening is provided in the extending portion, and the through passage opening is located above the guide rail type transfer tank sample transport mechanism. A lid opening mechanism is provided on the reference plate on the side of the through passage opening.

[0019] Optionally, the lid opening mechanism includes a lid opening plate with a built-in magnetic attraction block. The lid opening plate is connected to the upper end of the second movable link. The lower end of the second movable link is slidably installed in the movable frame at one end of the first movable link by a movable block. The other end of the first movable link is hingedly connected to a support seat, and the support seat is fixed to the reference plate. The second movable link is further connected to a lifting drive block by a rotating shaft. A limiting block for restricting the movable angle of the second movable link is provided on the lifting drive block. The lifting drive block is further attached to the main body rail of the support seat by a slider, and the slider is driven by a lid opening motor to perform a lifting motion.

[0020] Optionally, the guide rail type transfer tank sample transport mechanism includes a transfer tank transport mechanism and a jacking-up mechanism. The transfer tank transport mechanism is installed on the top of the jacking-up mechanism by a transfer guide rail. The transfer tank enters the through passage opening by the jacking-up mechanism, or is placed on the transfer tank transport mechanism, and is coupled to another automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples connected in series along the guide rail by the transfer tank transport mechanism.

[0021] Optionally, the transfer tank transport mechanism includes a transport case and a vehicle-shaped pedestal connected up and down. A support disk for placing the transfer tank is provided on the transport case, and the vehicle-shaped pedestal is attached to the transfer guide rail. The jacking-up mechanism includes a support member and a drive member connected to the side of the liquid nitrogen storage tank. The support member fixes the transfer guide rail from the bottom, and the transfer tank can be driven to move up and down by controlling the drive member.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] The above technical solution of the present invention has the following beneficial effects. By having an operation area in the upper chamber where a rack gripping mechanism, a rack scanning mechanism, a cryotube suction mechanism, and a cryotube scanning mechanism are installed, it is realized to perform extraction and storage operations on the samples of the liquid nitrogen storage tank in the upper chamber through the access passage. The structure is more compact. Furthermore, by installing a pressure reduction member in the upper chamber, it has a pressure reduction function, reduces costs, and can automatically discharge the pressure in the upper chamber.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, the technical solution of the present invention will be further described by way of examples with reference to the drawings.

[0025] An automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples, comprising an upper chamber 1 and a liquid nitrogen storage tank 2, wherein the upper chamber 1 and the liquid nitrogen storage tank 2 are communicated by a loading and unloading passage 13, and an operation area is provided in the upper chamber 1 with a rack gripping mechanism 3, a rack scanning mechanism 4, a cryotube suction mechanism 5 and a cryotube scanning mechanism 6 installed therein. The operation area is for taking out and storing samples in the liquid nitrogen storage tank 2 in the upper chamber 1 through the loading and unloading passage 13. A decompression member 14 is installed in the upper chamber 1 to automatically discharge the pressure in the upper chamber 1.

[0026] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the decompression member 14 includes a flexible decompression tube 141, for example, a rubber tube. One end of the flexible decompression tube 141 communicates with the operation area, and the other end is closed by an adjustment block 142, and the degree of closing is adjusted by an adjustment pin group 143.

[0027] According to the decompression method of the flexible decompression tube 141, the cost is reduced, and the automatic discharge of the pressure in the upper chamber 1 is realized. Specifically, by manually adjusting the height of the adjustment block 142, the decompression amount can be preset or increased or decreased. Since the adjustment block 142 does not completely press the flexible decompression tube 141, if the pressure in the upper chamber 1 is too high, it can be automatically discharged to the outside by the flexible decompression tube 141.

[0028] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the upper chamber 1 includes a chamber bottom plate 11 and a chamber outer cover 12 installed on the upper part of the chamber bottom plate 11. The chamber outer cover 12 includes an operation chamber case 121 installed above the loading and unloading passage 13, and the decompression member 14 is attached to the operation chamber case 121.

[0029] In a specific implementation, the flexible pressure reducing pipe 141 may be installed between a pair of adjustment blocks 142, and the pair of adjustment blocks 142 includes a fixed adjustment block and a movable adjustment block. The fixed adjustment block is connected to the operation chamber case 121, and the movable adjustment block 142 adjusts the interval by using an adjustment pin group 143 connected therebetween, so as to realize different pressing effects of the flexible pressure reducing pipe 141. Specifically, the adjustment pin group 143 includes an adjustment pin and a reset pin. The adjustment pin is composed of a pin rod and a pin cap. The adjustment block 142 is attached to the pin rod and adjusts the interval by turning the pin cap. The reset pin is composed of a pin rod and a spring sleeved on the pin rod. The adjustment block 142 is also attached to the pin rod of the reset pin. By restricting the adjustment block 142 so that the springs on the pin rod approach each other by elastic force on the outside or approach the mounting position, a reset effect is realized, thereby adapting to the changing pressure reducing needs. As another selectable structural scheme, the flexible pressure reducing pipe 141 may be installed below one adjustment block 142, and the adjustment block 142 may be connected to the operation chamber case 121 by the adjustment pin group 143. By operating the adjustment pin group 143, the height of the adjustment block 142 can be changed, thereby realizing different pressing effects and pressure reducing amounts.

[0030] The space surrounded by the chamber outer cover 12 and the chamber bottom plate 11 constitutes the above operation area, and is for realizing the operation of taking in and out the rack 10 or cryotube in a low temperature environment.

[0031] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the chamber outer cover 12 further includes an electric box case 122, and the electric box case 122 is installed on the chamber bottom plate 11 side by side with the operation chamber case 121, and they communicate at the bottom.

[0032] In the electric box case 122, electrical components required for various structures and functions such as the rack gripping mechanism 3, rack scanning mechanism 4, cryotube suction mechanism 5, and cryotube scanning mechanism 6 in the operation chamber case 121 are arranged.

[0033] In order to further improve the smart level of sample access, this embodiment further arranges a controller and a valve assembly, attaches them to the upper chamber 1 and the liquid nitrogen storage tank 2, and associates them with other existing mechanisms or structures, so as to achieve the purpose of automatic control.

[0034] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the rack gripping mechanism 3, the rack scanning mechanism 4, the cryotube suction mechanism 5 and the cryotube scanning mechanism 6 are installed in the operation area by the reference plate 15. The reference plate 15 is attached to the chamber bottom plate 11, and access operation ports 151 corresponding to the access passage 13 are opened simultaneously. The rack gripping mechanism 3 is installed on one side of the access operation port 151 by the Y-axis moving mechanism 7, the cryotube suction mechanism 5 is arranged on the other side, and the rack scanning mechanism 4 and the cryotube scanning mechanism 6 are simultaneously arranged at the end away from the electrical box case 122 of the access operation port 151.

[0035] The rack gripping mechanism 3 scans and inputs information by the rack scanning mechanism 4 in the upper chamber 1 with respect to the rack 10 in which the cryotubes are stored. Next, in order to perform tube sorting in the cold chain throughout the whole process, the rack 10 is moved to the rack storage hole 2142 in the liquid nitrogen storage tank 2. Next, the cryotubes in the rack 10 are taken out by the cryotube suction mechanism 5 and temporarily stored in the cryotube temporary storage hole, and then lifted to the operation area and information is input by the cryotube scanning mechanism 6, and then stored in the aluminum tube 20 of the honeycomb type rotary table assembly 212.

[0036] The reference plate 15 provides a good workbench for the installation of various functional mechanisms, and the overall arrangement centered on the above-mentioned access operation port 151 has a compact and reasonable structure, which better meets the requirements of storage devices other than ultra-large ones.

[0037] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the rack gripping mechanism 3 includes a gripping clip 31, a driving electric cylinder 32, a lifting slider 33, and a vertical slide rail 34. The gripping clip 31 is attached to the lifting slider 33 by a connection plate. The lifting slider 33 is slidably attached to the vertical slide rail 34 and is transmission-connected to the driving electric cylinder 32. The Y-axis moving mechanism 7 includes a Y-axis rail 71 and a moving carriage 72 slidably connected to the Y-axis rail 71. The Y-axis rail 71 is fixed to the reference plate 15, and the vertical slide rail 34 is connected to the moving carriage 72.

[0038] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the cryotube suction mechanism 5 includes a driving motor 51, a vertical rod 52, a slider 53, a swivel arm 54, and a suction tube mechanism 55. The suction tube mechanism 55 is attached to the slider 53 by the swivel arm 54. The slider 53 is slidably installed on the slide rail of the vertical rod 52 and is transmission-connected to the driving motor 51.

[0039] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the suction tube mechanism 55 includes a suction nozzle 551, a pedestal 552, a base 553, a pneumatic rod 554, a magnetic induction coil 5551, and a magnetic rod 555. The base 553 is connected to the swivel arm 54. The pedestal 552 is connected to the base 553 by a side fixing plate 556. The upper end of the pneumatic rod 554 is connected to the pedestal 552, and the suction nozzle 551 is installed at the lower end thereof. The lower end extends downward below the swivel arm 54 through the first through hole 5531 on the base 553. The upper end of the magnetic rod 555 is connected to the pedestal 552 and communicates with the pneumatic rod (not shown). The lower end extends into the second through hole 5532 of the base 553 through the magnetic induction coil 5551. The lower end of the magnetic induction coil 5551 is inserted and attached to the second through hole 5532. A cold conduction tube 558 is sleeved outside the suction nozzle 551, and a liquid nitrogen storage cylinder 557 with liquid nitrogen built into the outer circumference of the cold conduction tube 558 is sleeved thereon, so that the suction nozzle 551 is kept cold during the process of sucking the cryotube.

[0040] Furthermore, the suction tube mechanism 55 may further include a sensor 559 for detecting the rotational position and a dampering ring 5552 attached to the magnetic rod 555. The dampering ring 5552 is sleeved on the magnetic rod 555 and extends into the second through hole 5532 through the magnetic induction coil 5551 together with the magnetic rod 555. The rotational position refers to the rotational position of the X-axis where the suction tube mechanism 55 is located with respect to the Y-axis where the swivel arm 54 is located.

[0041] The magnetic rod 555 cooperates with the magnetic induction coil 5551 to convert electrical energy into magnetic force and supply it to the pneumatic rod 554 to generate an adsorption force, and finally the cryotube is adsorbed by the suction nozzle 551. As another alternative embodiment, the upper end of the pneumatic rod 554 may be communicated with a suction pump suction pipe without installing the magnetic rod 555 and related members, and this can also cause the suction nozzle 551 to perform a suction operation.

[0042] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the rack scan mechanism 4 includes a fixed frame 41 for rack scan attached to the reference plate 15. An upper cover plate 42 for rack scan is attached to the upper port of the fixed frame 41 for rack scan. A light source member 43 and a scan window 45 are provided on the upper cover plate 42 for rack scan. A smart scanner 44 is provided inside the fixed frame 41 for rack scan, and the smart scanner 44 faces the scan window 45. A transparent glass may be attached to the scan window 45, and the light source member 43 functions as auxiliary light.

[0043] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the cryotube scan mechanism 6 includes a scan motor 61 attached to the reference plate 15. The scan motor 61 is drivingly connected to a rotating post 62. A rotating arm 63 is fixedly connected to the side of the rotating post 62, and a smart code reader 64 is attached to the rotating arm 63.

[0044] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the liquid nitrogen storage tank 2 includes a tank body 21 and an upper cover 22. The upper cover 22 includes an integrated upper support portion 221 and a lower connection portion 222, which are respectively for attaching to the upper chamber 1 and for sealing connection to the upper port of the tank body 21. An access passage 13 is opened in the upper cover 22 and penetrates through the upper support portion 221 and the lower connection portion 222.

[0045] Specifically, the tank body 21 and the upper cover 22 can be opened and closed by relative rotation by means of a connection member 25 installed outside one side of them. Here, the connection member 25 may include a rotating rod. Both ends of the rotating rod are respectively hinged to the upper cover 22 and the tank body 21 by connection blocks. The rotating rod may be installed as an automatic or manual structure. For example, a conventional electric rod or a hydraulic rod can be selected, so that manual or automatic lid opening can be realized, and the inner cylinder 211 can be easily installed or repaired.

[0046] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the bottom of the tank body 21 is attached to a support base 23, and its periphery is fixed by a holder 24. The upper support portion 221 of the upper cover 22 exceeds the lower part of the outer periphery of its lower connection portion 222 and is supported by a leveling alignment post 241 installed at the top of the holder 24.

[0047] The design of the leveling alignment post 241 matches the upper cover 22 having the upper support portion 221 and the lower connection portion 222, ensuring not only a good sealing and heat preservation effect but also realizing installation and leveling.

[0048] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the tank body 21 includes an inner cylinder 211 and an outer cylinder 215 sleeved inside and outside. A honeycomb type rotating table assembly 212 is provided on the inner cylinder 211, and the cryotube is stored in the honeycomb type rotating table assembly 212 by an aluminum tube 20. Above the honeycomb type rotary table assembly 212, a fixed plate 213 is connected. A sorting tube temporary storage plate 214 is installed on the fixed plate 213. The sorting tube temporary storage plate 214 can rotate along with the honeycomb type rotary table assembly 212 to the access passage 13. The sorting tube temporary storage plate 214 includes a temporary storage plate 2141, a rack storage hole 2142 and a cryotube temporary storage hole 2143 opened in the temporary storage plate 2141. The sorting tube temporary storage plate 214 may be attached to a through hole opened in the fixed plate 213.

[0049] Specifically, the honeycomb type rotary table assembly 212 may include a lower honeycomb plate 2122 and an upper honeycomb plate 2121 arranged in parallel. The peripheries of the lower honeycomb plate 2122 and the upper honeycomb plate 2121 are integrally combined by connection posts with heat conduction and support functions. Honeycomb holes are provided in both the lower honeycomb plate 2122 and the upper honeycomb plate 2121. The honeycomb holes for storing the aluminum tubes 20 are for storing cryotubes. A rotating shaft 2123 is provided at the centers of the lower honeycomb plate 2122, the upper honeycomb plate 2121 and the fixed plate 213. A cold insulation inner cylinder 2124 may be further installed below the rotating shaft 2123. A driving ring gear 2125 is fixedly installed above the upper honeycomb plate 2121. The driving ring gear 2125 is fixedly connected to the fixed plate 213. A driving gear 2127 is meshed and connected inside the driving ring gear 2125. The driving gear 2127 is driven by a rotating motor 2126 to realize the rotation of the honeycomb type rotary table assembly 212. By using such a honeycomb type storage structure to store cryotubes, the sample storage capacity can be greatly increased.

[0050] By installing the fixed plate 213 and the sorting tube temporary storage plate 214, the insertion and removal of the rack 10 and the cryotubes are carried out on a single member, making the structure compact, more in line with the requirements of storage devices other than such extra-large ones, and more in line with the extraction of the honeycomb. By using the rack storage holes 2142 and the cryotube temporary storage holes 2143 of the sorting tube temporary storage plate 214, the extraction of the cryotubes and the tube sorting operation can be further carried out inside the liquid nitrogen storage tank 2 in a low-temperature environment, thereby ensuring a cold chain throughout the entire process of the sample insertion and removal process.

[0051] As a further embodiment of the present invention, a guide rail type transfer tank sample transport mechanism 9 is further disposed outside the liquid nitrogen storage tank 2. Both the chamber bottom plate 11 and the reference plate 15 have extending portions that exceed the upper cover 22. A through passage 152 is provided in the extending portion, and the through passage 152 is located above the guide rail type transfer tank sample transport mechanism 9. A lid opening mechanism 8 is provided on the reference plate 15 on the side of the through passage 152.

[0052] The storage process of the transferred sample is as follows. The transfer tank 30 is transferred by the guide rail type transfer tank sample transport mechanism 9 from the previous automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples at the transfer source to the extraction target position (below the intersection 152) of the automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples at this transfer destination. Next, the transfer tank 30 is lifted to the intersection 152 by the jack-up mechanism 92, and the lid opening mechanism 8 opens the lid of the transfer tank 30. Next, the rack gripping mechanism 3 moves along the Y-axis movement mechanism 7 to the intersection 152 to take out the rack 10 in the transfer tank 30. In order to perform tube sorting in the cold chain throughout the entire process, after the information is scanned and input by the rack scanning mechanism 4, the rack 10 is moved to the rack storage hole 2142 in the liquid nitrogen storage tank 2. Then, the cryotube suction mechanism 5 takes out the cryotubes in the rack 10 and temporarily stores them in the cryotube temporary storage hole 2143. After the information is input by the cryotube scanning mechanism 6, it may be stored in the aluminum tube 20 of the honeycomb type rotary table assembly 212, thereby realizing the storage of cryotubes. The extraction process of the transferred sample may be the reverse of the above storage process.

[0053] By using the guide rail type transfer tank sample transport mechanism 9 to cooperate with the upper chamber 1 of the automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples and the liquid nitrogen storage tank 2, the serial connection function of multiple automatic loading and unloading devices for biological samples is realized, thereby improving the transport efficiency of the transfer tank 30 and the sample transport efficiency between multiple automatic loading and unloading devices.

[0054] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the lid opening mechanism 8 includes a lid opening plate 81 with a built-in magnetic attraction block. The lid opening plate 81 is connected to the upper end of the second movable link 82. The lower end of the second movable link 82 is slidably installed in the movable frame at one end of the first movable link 83 by a movable block. The other end of the first movable link 83 is hingedly connected to the support seat 84, and the support seat 84 is fixed to the reference plate 15. The second movable link 82 is further connected to the lifting drive block 85 by a rotating shaft. A limiting block 851 for restricting the movable angle of the second movable link 82 is provided on the lifting drive block 85. The lifting drive block 85 is further attached to the main rail of the support base 84 by a slide block 86, and the slide block 86 is driven by a lid-opening motor 87 to perform a lifting motion.

[0055] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the guide rail type transfer tank sample transport mechanism 9 includes a transfer tank transport mechanism 91 and a jacking mechanism 92. The transfer tank transport mechanism 91 is installed on the top of the jacking mechanism 92 by a transfer guide rail 93. The transfer tank 30 enters the access port 152 by the jacking mechanism 92, or is placed on the transfer tank transport mechanism 91, and is coupled to other automatic loading and unloading devices for biological samples that are serially connected along the guide rail by the transfer tank transport mechanism 91.

[0056] As a further embodiment of the present invention, the transfer tank transport mechanism 91 includes a transport case 911 and a vehicle-shaped pedestal 912 connected vertically. A support disk 9111 for placing the transfer tank 30 is provided in the transport case 911, and the vehicle-shaped pedestal 912 is attached to the transfer guide rail 93. The jacking mechanism 92 includes a support member 921 and a drive member 922 connected to the side of the liquid nitrogen storage tank 2. The support member 921 fixes the transfer guide rail 93 from the bottom, and the transfer tank 30 can be driven by the control of the drive member 922 to move up and down. Further, in order to be integrally connected to the outside of the liquid nitrogen storage tank 2, a case structure may be installed outside the jacking mechanism 92.

[0057] In a specific implementation, a limiting rod is provided around the support disk 9111 to avoid slipping by accurately positioning the storage position of the transfer tank 30. A battery pack, a drive assembly, a detection disk for tilt detection, a side pulley block for guiding, and an automatic alignment slider connected to the bottom by a spring may be further arranged on the vehicle-shaped pedestal 912.

[0058] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are for explaining the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than for limiting them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, it is still possible to modify the technical solutions described in each of the above embodiments, or perform equivalent substitution on some of their technical features. However, these modifications or substitutions do not deviate from the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the gist and scope of the technical solutions of each embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0059] 10 Rack 20 Aluminum Tube 30 Transfer Tank 1 Upper Chamber 11 Chamber Bottom Plate 12 Chamber Outer Cover 121 Operation Room Case 122 Electric Box Case 13 Access Passage 14 Pressure Reducing Member 141 Flexible Pressure Reducing Tube 142 Adjusting Block 143 Adjusting Pin Group 15 Reference Plate 151 Access Operation Port 152 Communication Port 2 Liquid Nitrogen Storage Tank 21 Tank Body 211 Inner Cylinder 212 Honeycomb-Type Rotating Table Assembly 2121 Upper Honeycomb Plate 2122 Lower Honeycomb Plate 2123 Rotating Shaft 2124 Cold Insulation Inner Cylinder 2125 Driving Ring Gear 2126 Rotating Electric Machine 2127 Driving Gear 213 Fixed Plate 214 Sorting Tube Temporary Storage Plate 2141 Temporary Storage Plate 2142 Rack Storage Hole 2143 Cryotube temporary storage hole 215 Outer cylinder 22 Upper cover 221 Upper support part 222 Lower connection part 23 Support base 24 Holder 241 Levelling alignment post 25 Connection member 3 Rack gripping mechanism 31 Gripping clip 32 Driving electric cylinder 33 Lifting slider 34 Vertical slide rail 4 Rack scanning mechanism 41 Fixed frame for rack scanning 42 Upper cover plate for rack scanning 43 Light source member 44 Smart scanner 45 Scanning window 5 Cryotube suction mechanism 51 Driving motor 52 Vertical rod 53 Slider 54 Swivel arm 55 Suction tube mechanism 551 Suction nozzle 552 Pedestal 553 Base 5531 First through hole 5532 Second through hole 554 Pneumatic rod 555 Magnetic rod 5551 Magnetic induction coil 5552 Damping 556 Side fixing plate 557 Liquid storage cylinder 558 Cold conduction tube 559 Sensor 6 Cryotube scanning mechanism 61 Scanning motor 62 Rotating post 63 Rotating arm 64 Smart Code Reader 7 Y-axis Moving Mechanism 71 Y-axis Rail 72 Moving Carriage 8 Lid Opening Mechanism 81 Lid Opening Plate 82 Second Movable Link 83 First Movable Link 84 Support Seat 85 Lifting Drive Block 851 Limit Block 86 Slide Block 87 Lid Opening Motor 9 Guide Rail Type Transfer Tank Sample Transport Mechanism 91 Transfer Tank Transport Mechanism 911 Transport Case 9111 Support Disk 912 Vehicle Type Pedestal 92 Jacking-up Mechanism 921 Support Member 922 Driving Member 93 Guide Rail for Transfer

Claims

1. An automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples, comprising an upper chamber and a liquid nitrogen storage tank, wherein the upper chamber and the liquid nitrogen storage tank are communicated by a loading and unloading passage, the upper chamber has an operation area in which a rack gripping mechanism, a rack scanning mechanism, a cryotube suction mechanism and a cryotube scanning mechanism are installed, and the operation area is for performing extraction and storage operations on the samples in the liquid nitrogen storage tank in the upper chamber through the loading and unloading passage. A pressure reducing member is installed in the upper chamber, and the pressure of the upper chamber can be automatically discharged. An automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples is characterized by this.

2. The pressure reducing member includes a flexible pressure reducing tube. One end of the flexible pressure reducing tube communicates with the operation area, and the other end is closed by an adjustment block, and the degree of closing is adjusted by an adjustment pin group. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to Claim 1 is characterized by this.

3. The upper chamber includes a chamber bottom plate and a chamber outer cover installed on the upper part of the chamber bottom plate. The chamber outer cover includes an operation chamber case installed above the loading and unloading passage, and the pressure reducing member is attached to the operation chamber case. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to Claim 2 is characterized by this.

4. The chamber outer cover further includes an electric box case. The electric box case is installed on the chamber bottom plate side by side with the operation chamber case, and they communicate at the bottom. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to Claim 3 is characterized by this.

5. The rack gripping mechanism, the rack scanning mechanism, the cryotube suction mechanism and the cryotube scanning mechanism are installed in the operation area by a reference plate. The reference plate is attached to the chamber bottom plate, and loading and unloading operation ports corresponding to the loading and unloading passage are opened simultaneously. The rack gripping mechanism is installed on one side of the loading and unloading operation port by a Y-axis moving mechanism, and the cryotube suction mechanism is arranged on the other side. The rack scanning mechanism and the cryotube scanning mechanism are arranged at the end away from the electric box case of the loading and unloading operation port simultaneously. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to Claim 4 is characterized by this.

6. The rack gripping mechanism includes a gripping clip, a driving electric cylinder, a lifting slider, and a vertical slide rail. The gripping clip is attached to the lifting slider by a connecting plate. The lifting slider is slidably attached to the vertical slide rail and is transmission-connected to the driving electric cylinder. The Y-axis moving mechanism includes a Y-axis rail and a moving carriage slidably connected to the Y-axis rail. The Y-axis rail is fixed to the reference plate, and the vertical slide rail is connected to the moving carriage. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to claim 5 is characterized in that.

7. The cryotube suction mechanism includes a driving motor, a vertical rod, a slider, a swivel arm, and a suction tube mechanism. The suction tube mechanism is attached to the slider by the swivel arm. The slider is slidably installed on the slide rail of the vertical rod and is transmission-connected to the driving motor. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to claim 6 is characterized in that.

8. The suction tube mechanism includes a suction nozzle, a pedestal, a base, a pneumatic rod, a magnetic induction coil, and a magnetic rod. The base is connected to the swivel arm. The pedestal is connected to the base by a fixing plate. The upper end of the pneumatic rod is connected to the pedestal, and the suction nozzle is attached to the lower end thereof. The lower end extends downward below the swivel arm through the first through hole on the base. The upper end of the magnetic rod is connected to the pedestal, and the lower end extends into the second through hole of the base through the magnetic induction coil. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to claim 7 is characterized in that a liquid storage cylinder and a cold conduction tube, which communicate vertically outside the pneumatic rod and contain liquid nitrogen, are sleeved.

9. The rack scanning mechanism includes a fixed frame for rack scanning attached to the reference plate. An upper cover plate for rack scanning is attached to the upper port of the fixed frame for rack scanning. A light source member and a scanning window are provided on the upper cover plate for rack scanning. A smart scanner is provided inside the fixed frame for rack scanning, and the smart scanner faces the scanning window. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to claim 8 is characterized in that.

10. The cryotube scanning mechanism includes a scanning motor attached to a reference plate, the scanning motor is drivingly connected to a rotating post, a rotating arm is fixedly connected to a side portion of the rotating post, and a smart code reader is attached to the rotating arm. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to claim 9, characterized in that.

11. The liquid nitrogen storage tank includes a tank body and an upper cover. The upper cover includes an integrated upper support portion and a lower connection portion, which are respectively for attaching an upper chamber and for sealingly connecting to the upper port of the tank body. An access passage is opened in the upper cover and penetrates through the upper support portion and the lower connection portion. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to claim 10, characterized in that.

12. The bottom of the tank body is attached to a support base, and its periphery is fixed by a holder. The upper support portion of the upper cover extends below the outer periphery of its lower connection portion and is supported by a leveling alignment post installed at the top of the holder. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to claim 11, characterized in that.

13. The tank body includes an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder sleeved inside and outside. A honeycomb-type rotating table assembly is provided in the inner cylinder, and cryotubes are stored in the honeycomb-type rotating table assembly by aluminum tubes. A fixing plate is connected above the honeycomb-type rotating table assembly. A sorting tube temporary storage plate is installed on the fixing plate. The sorting tube temporary storage plate can rotate along with the honeycomb-type rotating table assembly to the access passage. The sorting tube temporary storage plate includes a temporary storage plate, a rack storage hole and a cryotube temporary storage hole opened in the temporary storage plate. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to claim 12, characterized in that.

14. A guide rail type transfer tank sample transport mechanism is further arranged outside the liquid nitrogen storage tank. The chamber bottom plate and the reference plate both have an extending portion exceeding the upper cover. A through hole is provided in the extending portion, and the through hole is located above the guide rail type transfer tank sample transport mechanism. A lid opening mechanism is provided on the reference plate on the side of the through hole. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to claim 13, characterized in that.

15. The lid opening mechanism includes a lid opening plate with a built-in magnetic attraction block. The lid opening plate is connected to the upper end of the second movable link. The lower end of the second movable link is slidably installed within the movable frame at one end of the first movable link by a movable block. The other end of the first movable link is hinge-connected to a support seat, and the support seat is fixed to the reference plate. The second movable link is further connected to a lifting drive block by a rotating shaft. A limiting block for restricting the movable angle of the second movable link is provided on the lifting drive block. The lifting drive block is further attached to the main body rail of the support seat by a slider. The slider is driven by a lid opening motor to perform a lifting motion. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to claim 14, characterized in that.

16. The guide rail type transfer tank sample transport mechanism includes a transfer tank transport mechanism and a jacking-up mechanism. The transfer tank transport mechanism is installed at the top of the jacking-up mechanism by a transfer guide rail. The transfer tank enters the access opening by the jacking-up mechanism, or is placed on the transfer tank transport mechanism, and is coupled to another automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples that is serially connected along the guide rail by the transfer tank transport mechanism. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that.

17. The transfer tank transport mechanism includes a transport case and a vehicle-type pedestal that are connected up and down. A support disk for placing the transfer tank is provided on the transport case, and the vehicle-type pedestal is attached to the transfer guide rail. The jacking-up mechanism includes a support member and a drive member that are connected to the side of the liquid nitrogen storage tank. The support member fixes the transfer guide rail from the bottom, and can drive the transfer tank to move up and down under the control of the drive member. The automatic loading and unloading device for biological samples according to claim 16, characterized in that.

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