Control method and apparatus for pipetting device, and storage medium

Abstract

A control method and apparatus for a pipetting device, and a storage medium. The control method for a pipetting device comprises: acquiring the amount of a first liquid corresponding to at least one target container; on the basis of the amount of the first liquid and an expected threshold, determining the amount of a second liquid to be replenished into the target container, wherein when the amount of the first liquid is less than the expected threshold, it is necessary to use the second liquid to replenish the amount of the liquid in the target container to the expected threshold; allocating pipetting channels of the pipetting device on the basis of the amount of the first liquid and the amount of the second liquid so as to obtain an allocation result; and on the basis of the allocation result, controlling the pipetting device to perform a pipetting operation.

Description

Control methods, apparatus and storage media for pipetting devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411900950.X, filed on December 20, 2024, entitled "Control method, apparatus and storage medium for pipetting device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of control, and more specifically to a control method for a pipetting apparatus, a control device for a pipetting apparatus, electronic equipment, storage media, and computer program products. Background Technology

[0003] Pipettes are highly automated devices used for the precise transfer and measurement of liquids. These devices can replace manual pipetting operations, thereby significantly improving work efficiency, reducing human error, and ensuring the consistency and repeatability of pipetting operations.

[0004] However, existing pipetting devices typically only perform pipetting operations on one type of liquid. With the development of biotechnology, chemical analysis, and drug development, the need for increasingly complex pipetting tasks arises from handling large quantities of samples and complex research systems. Existing pipetting devices struggle to meet the diverse and complex pipetting requirements of different application scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention was proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a control method for a pipetting device is provided, comprising:

[0007] Obtain the amount of first liquid corresponding to at least one target container; determine the amount of second liquid that needs to be added to the target container based on the amount of first liquid and a desired threshold, wherein when the amount of first liquid is less than the desired threshold, the amount of liquid in the target container needs to be added to the desired threshold using second liquid; allocate the pipetting channels of the pipetting device according to the amount of first liquid and second liquid to obtain allocation results; and control the pipetting device to perform pipetting operations according to the allocation results.

[0008] In one optional embodiment, the control method for a pipetting device further includes: receiving script information input by a user, wherein the script information includes a file containing information about the amount of a first liquid; and obtaining the amount of the first liquid corresponding to at least one target container, including: obtaining the amount of the first liquid according to the file.

[0009] In one alternative implementation, the control method for a pipetting device further includes: providing a file template and generating a file in response to a first operation by a user on the file template.

[0010] In one optional embodiment, the control method for a pipetting device further includes: receiving layout information and liquid type information input by a user, wherein the layout information represents the layout of the working platform of the pipetting device, and the liquid type information represents the liquid parameters of the pipetting operation performed by the pipetting device; wherein controlling the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation is also based on the layout information and the liquid type information.

[0011] In one optional implementation, a first human-computer interaction interface is provided to the user. The first human-computer interaction interface includes one or more script information modules, wherein each script information module includes at least one or more script command information, and each script command information corresponds to one or more sub-operations in the pipetting operation of the pipetting device; receiving script information input by the user includes: in response to the user's operation on the script information module, obtaining script information.

[0012] In one optional implementation, in response to a user's operation on a script information module, obtaining script information includes: in response to a user's operation on a script information module, displaying the script command module and control command module corresponding to the script information module; in response to a user's operation on a control command module, obtaining corresponding control command information, wherein the control command information includes variable information; and in response to a user's operation on a script command module, obtaining corresponding script command information, wherein the variable information is associated with parameters in the script command information.

[0013] In one optional implementation, the script command module includes a fluid refill configuration module, which includes a first operable control, a second operable control, and a third operable control; wherein the first operable control is used to receive a file; the second operable control is used to receive information from the pipetting channel; and the third operable control is used to receive a desired threshold.

[0014] In one optional implementation, controlling the pipetting device to perform a pipetting operation based on the allocation result includes: determining a target container that needs to be replenished with a second liquid; for the target container that needs to be replenished with a second liquid, controlling the pipetting device to perform a pipetting operation with the second liquid based on the allocation result; and controlling the pipetting device to perform a pipetting operation with a first liquid based on the allocation result.

[0015] In one optional embodiment, the control method for the pipetting device further includes: acquiring the capacity of the tip of each pipetting channel of the pipetting device; allocating the pipetting channels of the pipetting device according to the amount of a first liquid and the amount of a second liquid to obtain an allocation result, including: if the amount of the first liquid is greater than the capacity of the tip, determining the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipetting operation for each tip; and allocating the pipetting channels according to the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipetting operation for each tip to obtain an allocation result.

[0016] In one optional implementation, determining the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipette tip includes: comparing the amount of a first liquid with the capacity of the pipette tip; if the amount of the first liquid is greater than the capacity of the pipette tip, dividing the amount of the first liquid by a first integer to obtain an equal volume; repeating the following operations until the equal volume is less than or equal to the capacity of the pipette tip, where the first integer at the end is the number of pipetting operations and the equal volume at the end is the volume of each pipetting operation; comparing the equal volume with the capacity of the pipette tip; if the equal volume is greater than the capacity of the pipette tip, incrementing the first integer by 1, and dividing the amount of the first liquid by the incremented first integer to obtain an updated equal volume.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a control device for a pipetting apparatus is also provided, comprising an acquisition module, a determination module, a dispensing module, and a control module. The acquisition module is configured to acquire the amount of a first liquid corresponding to at least one target container; the determination module is configured to determine, based on the amount of the first liquid and a desired threshold, the amount of a second liquid that needs to be added to the target container, wherein when the amount of the first liquid is less than the desired threshold, the volume of liquid in the target container needs to be replenished to the desired threshold using the second liquid; the dispensing module is configured to allocate the pipetting channels of the pipetting apparatus according to the amounts of the first liquid and the second liquid to obtain a dispensing result; and the control module is configured to control the pipetting apparatus to perform a pipetting operation based on the dispensing result.

[0018] According to a third aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is also provided, comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores computer program instructions, which, when executed by the processor, are used to perform the control method for a pipetting device as described above.

[0019] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a storage medium is also provided, on which program instructions are stored, which, when executed, are used to perform the control method for a pipetting device as described above.

[0020] According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a computer program product is also provided, comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, perform the control method for a pipetting device as described above.

[0021] The above technical solution automatically determines the amount of second liquid needed to reach the desired threshold in the target container by using the amount of the first liquid in the target container and the desired threshold. It then allocates the pipetting channels according to the amounts of the first and second liquids and performs the pipetting operation. This achieves automatic pipetting operations for two liquids with a specific relationship, meeting complex pipetting needs without requiring complex user configuration, thus improving the user experience.

[0022] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of the invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0024] Figure 1 shows a schematic flowchart of a control method for a pipetting device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a file template according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 shows a partial schematic diagram of a human-computer interaction interface for setting layout information according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a first human-computer interaction interface according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a first human-computer interaction interface according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of a fluid replenishment configuration module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 shows a schematic block diagram of a control device for a pipetting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 shows a schematic block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more apparent, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely a subset of embodiments of the present invention.

[0033] To at least address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a control method for pipetting devices. This control method can be used to control various pipetting devices. Pipetting devices may include pipetting workstations, automated pipetting systems, pipettes, etc.

[0034] Figure 1 shows a schematic flowchart of a control method for a pipetting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the control method includes steps S1100, S1200, S1300, and S1400.

[0035] In step S1100, the amount of first liquid corresponding to at least one target container is obtained.

[0036] Target containers can include test tubes, beakers, wells in microplates, etc. The pipetting operation of a pipetting device is used to move liquid from a source container to a target container. There can be multiple target containers.

[0037] Each target container can have a corresponding amount of first liquid. For example, this corresponding amount of first liquid can also represent the amount of first liquid that the pipetting device needs to transfer into the target container when performing subsequent pipetting operations. The amount of first liquid can be expressed using the volume of the first liquid, the amount of solute in the first liquid, the height of the first liquid, etc. When obtaining the amount of first liquid, non-volume first liquid quantities such as the amount of solute and height can be calculated and converted into liquid volume for subsequent operations.

[0038] In some embodiments, the volume of the first liquid corresponding to the target container can be set by the user according to pipetting requirements. For example, the volume of the first liquid corresponding to target container 1 is 10 microliters, and the volume of the first liquid corresponding to target container 2 is 40 microliters. In other embodiments, the volume of the first liquid corresponding to the target container can be automatically generated according to pipetting requirements. To prevent liquid spillage, the volume of the first liquid is less than the maximum volume of the corresponding target container.

[0039] In step S1200, the amount of second liquid that needs to be added to the target container is determined based on the amount of the first liquid and the desired threshold. When the amount of the first liquid is less than the desired threshold, the amount of liquid in the target container needs to be replenished to the desired threshold using the second liquid.

[0040] Similar to the amount of the first liquid, the amount of the second liquid can also be expressed using the liquid's volume, height, etc. The first and second liquids can be the same liquid or different liquids. In some embodiments, the first liquid can be a solution of a certain substance, and the second liquid can also be a solution of that substance. In other embodiments, the first liquid can be a solution of a certain substance, and the second liquid can be water.

[0041] The expected threshold represents the minimum amount of liquid expected to be contained in the target container. When the amount of the first liquid is greater than or equal to the expected threshold, the amount of liquid in the target container is already greater than or equal to the minimum expected amount, and no second liquid needs to be added. Therefore, the amount of second liquid needed to be added to the target container is 0. When the amount of the first liquid is less than the expected threshold, the amount of liquid in the target container is less than the minimum expected amount. Therefore, a second liquid is needed to replenish the liquid in the target container to the expected threshold. The amount of second liquid needed to be added to the target container is the expected threshold minus the amount of the first liquid. For example, if the expected threshold is 30 microliters, the amount of the first liquid corresponding to target container 1 is 10 microliters, and the amount of the first liquid corresponding to target container 2 is 40 microliters, then the amount of second liquid needed to be added to target container 1 is 20 microliters, and target container 2 does not need to be added, so the amount of second liquid is 0.

[0042] In step S1300, the pipetting channel of the pipetting device is allocated according to the amount of the first liquid and the amount of the second liquid to obtain the allocation result.

[0043] A pipetting device may have one or more pipetting channels. Each pipetting channel can perform a pipetting operation independently. In other words, multiple pipetting channels can perform multiple pipetting operations simultaneously. In some embodiments, the same pipetting channel of the pipetting device can be assigned to perform different pipetting operations. The pipetting channel can be assigned to pipe the first liquid and the second liquid according to the volume of the first liquid and the second liquid, respectively. For example, the pipetting channel can be assigned to pipe 10 μL and 40 μL of the first liquid to target container 1 and target container 2, respectively; then the pipetting channel can be assigned to pipe 20 μL of the second liquid to target container 1. In other embodiments, the pipetting device may have multiple pipetting channels. Each of the multiple pipetting channels can be assigned to pipe the first liquid and / or the second liquid to the target container, respectively. For example, there may be two pipetting channels and four target containers; pipetting channel 1 can be assigned to pipe to target containers 1 and 3, and pipetting channel 2 can be assigned to pipe to target containers 2 and 4. This can speed up the pipetting operation. It should be noted that the allocation of pipetting channels can be freely configured according to actual circumstances, and this application does not impose any restrictions. Furthermore, the above-described allocation of pipetting channels is merely an illustrative example and does not limit the order of pipetting operations for the first and second liquids. The allocation result may include the following information: the target container for each pipetting channel, the type of liquid being pipetted, and the volume of liquid being pipetted, etc.

[0044] In step S1400, the pipetting device is controlled to perform a pipetting operation based on the dispensing result.

[0045] The pipetting device can be configured to assign the target container, liquid type, and corresponding liquid volume to each pipetting channel based on the allocation results, thereby controlling the device to perform the pipetting operation. The device can automatically control the corresponding components for each pipetting channel to execute the appropriate pipetting operation.

[0046] In some embodiments, when the target container does not yet contain the first and second liquids, a pipetting operation can be performed on the second liquid first, and the operation on the first liquid can only be performed after the target container containing the second liquid has been completely pipetted. Alternatively, a pipetting operation can be performed on the first liquid first, and then the second liquid can be added to the target container. In cases where the target container already contains the first liquid, in step S1400, the pipetting device can be controlled to perform a pipetting operation on the second liquid based on the dispensing result.

[0047] The first or second liquid can be obtained from a source container at a fixed location. For example, the second liquid can be obtained from some or all of the microwells in a fixed deep-well plate. The specific locations from which the second liquid is obtained can be determined based on the amount of the second liquid and the capacity of the source container holding it. For example, if the source container holding the second liquid is a shallow-well plate, the second liquid can be obtained from multiple rows of wells in the shallow-well plate during a pipetting operation; if the source container holding the second liquid is a deep-well plate, the second liquid can be obtained from one row of wells in the deep-well plate during a pipetting operation. After obtaining the liquid from the source container, the liquid can be transferred to the target container using the pipetting channels of a pipetting device, based on the dispensing result.

[0048] The above technical solution automatically determines the amount of second liquid needed to reach the desired threshold in the target container by using the amount of the first liquid in the target container and the desired threshold. It then allocates the pipetting channels according to the amounts of the first and second liquids and performs the pipetting operation. This achieves automatic pipetting operations for two liquids with a specific relationship, meeting complex pipetting needs without requiring complex user configuration, thus improving the user experience.

[0049] For example, the control method for a pipetting device further includes: obtaining the capacity of the tip of each pipetting channel of the pipetting device.

[0050] Each pipetting channel corresponds to one pipette tip. In some embodiments, the capacity of the pipette tip for each pipetting channel may be related to the tip's specifications, parameters, etc. The capacity of the pipette tip can be determined based on the type of pipette tip for each pipetting channel. The type of pipette tip can be set according to the user's needs. In other embodiments, each pipetting channel of the pipetting device can support a fixed pipette tip capacity.

[0051] Step S1300 allocates the liquid transfer channel of the pipetting device according to the amount of the first liquid and the amount of the second liquid to obtain the allocation result, including steps S1310 and S1320.

[0052] In step S1310, if the amount of the first liquid is greater than the capacity of the pipette tip, then the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipette tip are determined.

[0053] The number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipette tip can be determined based on the volume of the first liquid and the capacity of the pipette tip, ensuring that the volume of each pipette tip is less than or equal to the capacity of the pipette tip. For example, the volume of the first liquid can be subtracted from the capacity of the pipette tip until the remaining liquid volume is less than the capacity of the pipette tip, thereby determining the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipette tip. For instance, if the volume of the first liquid is 40 microliters and the capacity of each pipette tip is 30 microliters, two pipetting operations can be performed: the first operation dispensing 30 microliters of the first liquid, and the second dispensing 10 microliters. Alternatively, the volume of the first liquid can be divided equally so that the volume of the liquid after division is less than the capacity of the pipette tip, thus determining the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipette tip. For instance, if the volume of the first liquid is 40 microliters and the capacity of the pipette tip is 30 microliters, two pipetting operations can be performed: the first operation dispensing 20 microliters of the first liquid, and the second dispensing 20 microliters of the first liquid.

[0054] In step S1320, the pipetting channels are allocated according to the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipetting operation for each pipette tip to obtain the allocation result.

[0055] Using the same initial liquid volume of 40 μL and each pipette tip capacity of 30 μL, and assuming two separate pipetting operations—the first dispensing 30 μL and the second dispensing 10 μL—two pipetting channels can be used. Exemplarily, one of the two channels can be assigned to perform both operations. For example, channel 1 can be assigned to dispense 30 μL of the initial liquid into the target container, followed by another 10 μL. Alternatively, two separate channels can be assigned to perform the two operations. For example, channel 1 can be assigned to dispense 30 μL into the target container, and channel 2 can be assigned to dispense 10 μL.

[0056] In some embodiments, to ensure pipetting accuracy, a lead gas seal and a tail gas seal can be provided for each pipette tip. The lead and tail gas seals are gaseous and occupy the volume of the pipette tip. Therefore, the volume of the pipette tip is the difference between the total volume of the pipette tip and the volumes of the lead and tail gas seals. For example, if the total volume of the pipette tip is 30 μL, the lead gas seal is 5 μL, and the tail gas seal is 3 μL, then the actual volume of the pipette tip should be 22 μL. The number of pipetting operations and the volume of each operation should be determined based on the actual volume of the pipette tip. For example, if the actual pipette tip volume is 22 μL and the first liquid volume is 40 μL, the first pipetting operation can transfer 22 μL of the first liquid, and the second pipetting operation can transfer 18 μL of the first liquid.

[0057] The above technical solution allocates the pipetting channels by determining the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipetting operation based on the capacity of the pipette tip for each channel. This ensures that the volume of each pipetting operation does not exceed the capacity of the pipette tip and eliminates the need for manual calculations, thus improving the user experience.

[0058] For example, step S1310 determines the number of pipetting operations for each pipette tip and the volume of each pipetting operation, including steps S1311, S1312, and S1313.

[0059] In step S1311, the amount of the first liquid is compared with the capacity of the nozzle.

[0060] The capacity of each pipette tip can be compared with the amount of the first liquid in each target container to determine whether the amount of the first liquid in each target container is greater than, less than, or equal to, the pipette tip's capacity. If the amount of the first liquid in the target container is less than or equal to the pipette tip's capacity, the pipetting channel of that pipette tip can be directly assigned to the target container for pipetting. If the amount of the first liquid in the target container is greater than the pipette tip's capacity, step S1312 can be executed.

[0061] In step S1312, if the amount of the first liquid is greater than the capacity of the nozzle, the amount of the first liquid is divided by a first integer to obtain the equal volume. The first integer can be an integer greater than 1, such as 2, 3, 4, etc. Preferably, the first integer is 2. Dividing the amount of the first liquid by the first integer yields the equal volume. For example, if the amount of the first liquid is 120 microliters and the first integer is 2, then the equal volume is 60 microliters.

[0062] In step S1313, the operations Pa and Pb are repeated until the volume of the pipette tip is less than or equal to the volume of the pipette tip. The first integer at the end is the number of pipette operations, and the volume of the pipette tip at the end is the volume of each pipette operation.

[0063] During operation Pa, the volume of the pipette tip is compared with the volume of the pipette tip. As mentioned earlier, if the volume of the pipette tip is less than or equal to the volume of the pipette tip, then the first integer can be determined as the number of pipette cycles, and the volume of the pipette tip is the volume of each pipette cycle.

[0064] When operating Pb, if the equalized volume is greater than the capacity of the nozzle, increment the first integer by 1, and divide the amount of the first liquid by the incremented first integer to obtain the updated equalized volume.

[0065] For example, if the volume of the first liquid is 120 μL, the first integer is 2, the average volume is 60 μL, and the pipette tip capacity is 50 μL, then the average volume of 60 μL is greater than the pipette tip capacity of 50 μL. Therefore, the first integer can be incremented to 3, and the average volume can be recalculated and updated to 40 μL. Now, the average volume is less than the pipette tip capacity, so the first integer 3 can be used as the number of pipetting operations, and the average volume of 40 μL can be used as the volume of each pipetting operation.

[0066] The above technical solution determines the number of pipetting operations by incrementing the number of operations. The first integer representing the fractional volume less than or equal to the pipette tip's capacity is used as the number of pipetting operations, and the corresponding fractional volume is used as the volume for each pipetting operation. This automatically determines the number of pipetting operations and the volume for each operation, avoiding complex user settings and improving the user experience.

[0067] For example, step S1400 controls the pipetting device to perform a pipetting operation based on the allocation result, including steps S1410, S1420 and S1430.

[0068] In step S1410, the target container that needs to be replenished with the second liquid is determined.

[0069] In some embodiments, the target container that needs to be replenished with the second liquid can be further determined based on the amount of the second liquid that needs to be replenished in the target container determined in step S1200 above. If the amount of the second liquid corresponding to a target container is greater than 0, then the target container is determined to be the target container that needs to be replenished with the second liquid. In other embodiments, the target container whose amount of the first liquid is less than a desired threshold can be determined as the target container that needs to be replenished with the second liquid.

[0070] In step S1420, for the target container that needs to be replenished with the second liquid, the pipetting device is controlled to perform a pipetting operation for the second liquid according to the dispensing result.

[0071] In step S1430, based on the dispensing result, the pipetting device is controlled to perform a pipetting operation on the first liquid.

[0072] In some embodiments, after performing a pipetting operation on the second liquid in step S1420, step S1430 is performed on the first liquid. As mentioned above, the dispensing result includes information about the type of the liquid being pipetted. In both steps S1420 and S1430, the pipetting device can be controlled to perform the pipetting operation based on the dispensing result.

[0073] In one example, the allocation result may include allocating the pipetting channel to displace 10 μL and 40 μL of the first liquid into target container 1 and target container 2, respectively; and allocating the pipetting channel to displace 20 μL of the second liquid into target container 1. In this example, the pipetting channel can be controlled to first displace 20 μL of the second liquid into target container 1, and then displace 10 μL and 40 μL of the first liquid into target containers 1 and 2, respectively.

[0074] The above technical solution first performs a pipetting operation on the target container requiring the second liquid, and then performs a pipetting operation on the first liquid. The pipetting operations for the second and first liquids are performed sequentially; that is, the pipetting operation for one liquid is completed before the pipetting operation for the other liquid is performed, rather than mixing them. Each pipetting channel can correspond to one pipette, and each pipette is equipped with a pipette tip. In this technical solution, the same pipette tip can be used to complete the pipetting operation for one liquid before switching to a different tip for the other liquid. Therefore, while ensuring successful pipetting operations, the number of tip-changing operations is reduced, simplifying the control process of the pipetting equipment, and also ensuring pipetting accuracy.

[0075] For example, the control method for a pipetting device further includes step S1500 of receiving script information input by a user. The script information includes a file containing information about the amount of a first liquid.

[0076] Script information can include relevant information for controlling the pipetting device to perform pipetting operations. This information may include details such as tip picking, aspiration, dispensing, tip dropping, looping operations, and decision-making operations. The script information may contain parameters such as aspiration volume and number of pipetting operations. Furthermore, parameters within the script information can be modified using features such as looping, selection, and decision-making to control complex pipetting operations.

[0077] For example, the script information may include aspiration operations, which may include loop operations. Loop operations may involve a loop count parameter, which can be associated with a variable `i`. Each time the pipette performs aspiration, variable `i` is incremented by 1, thereby controlling the total number of aspiration operations. When variable `i` reaches the loop count threshold, the aspiration operation is considered complete.

[0078] The script information can include a file containing information about the volume of the first liquid. The file can be in any format, such as Excel or TXT. The file can store information about the volume of the first liquid. Users can set the volume of the first liquid for each target container in the file according to their pipetting needs, and then import the set file into the script information to obtain script information that includes the volume of the first liquid.

[0079] It is understood that there can be multiple target containers. In this embodiment, the information on the amount of the first liquid corresponding to all target containers can be compiled into a single file. Therefore, the amount of the first liquid corresponding to all target containers can be determined by reviewing this file.

[0080] Step S1100, obtaining the amount of the first liquid corresponding to at least one target container, includes: obtaining the amount of the first liquid according to the file.

[0081] The script information can be parsed to obtain information about the quantity of the first liquid in the file. Based on this information, the quantity of the first liquid in each target container can be determined.

[0082] The above technical solution determines the amount of the first liquid based on a file containing information about the amount of the first liquid in the script information. The script information can include various control information used to control the pipetting device to perform pipetting operations. Including the amount of the first liquid in the script information in file form facilitates unified management of the amount of the first liquid corresponding to the target container in the pipetting device. Furthermore, it is beneficial for implementing pipetting operations with complex logic, significantly improving the application capability of the pipetting device in complex pipetting operation scenarios.

[0083] For example, a control method for a pipetting device further includes: providing a file template and generating a file in response to a first operation by a user on the file template.

[0084] The file template can include various formats, such as Excel spreadsheets and TXT text files. The file template can have a fixed location for entering the amount of the first liquid. The file template can help users set the required amount of the first liquid for each target container while meeting parsing requirements. Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of a file template according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the target container number section 210 can be used to enter the number of each target container. It is understood that there can be multiple target containers in a pipetting operation, and these target containers can be numbered for differentiation. These target container numbers can be entered in the target container number section 210. The parameter title section 220 is used to fill in the meaning of each column of parameters in the parameter entry section 230. The parameter entry section 230 can be used to enter parameters such as the amount of the first liquid required for each target container and the source of the first liquid. In some embodiments, if the target container is a well in a microplate, the parameter entry section 230 can also enter the name of the microplate to which the target container belongs, so that it, together with the target container number, determines the location of each target container. In other embodiments, the target container can be a test tube, petri dish, etc., in which case the parameter input section 230 may not need to specify the specific container corresponding to each target container, and the location of the target container can be determined according to the target container number. Alternatively, the parameter input section 230 may also input parameters such as the type of the target container.

[0085] In some embodiments, the file template can be in Excel format for easy user operation and viewing. Users can perform the first operation on the file template using input devices such as a mouse, keyboard, or handwriting tablet. This can involve inputting the volume of the first liquid corresponding to the pipetting requirement into the file template according to the required format to generate a file containing information about the volume of the first liquid. For example, in the target container number section 210 of the file template, well 1 and well 2 can be entered respectively; the volume of the first liquid corresponding to well 1 is 10 microliters; and the volume of the first liquid corresponding to well 2 is 40 microliters.

[0086] The above technical solution provides a file template into which information about the quantity of the first liquid is set to generate a file containing that information. This ensures the accuracy of the quantity of the first liquid, and the file template is user-friendly, requiring no complex configuration from the user.

[0087] For example, the control method for a pipetting device further includes receiving layout information and liquid type information input by a user.

[0088] The layout information describes the arrangement of the pipetting device's work platform. This information may include the position and arrangement of components such as the carrier, devices, and grippers within the work platform. The liquid type information indicates the liquid parameters for the pipetting operation performed by the device. This information includes parameters relevant to the pipetting of a specific liquid, such as aspiration rate, lead-in gas seal, tail-out gas seal, and spray rate. The pipetting device's operation is controlled based on both the layout and liquid type information. These information can be configured by the user according to their pipetting needs.

[0089] In some embodiments, users can set layout information, such as the position information of carriers, devices, grippers, etc., through a human-machine interface. The positions of carriers, devices, grippers, etc., in the human-machine interface correspond to their actual positions on the working platform of the pipetting device. Users can set layout information according to pipetting needs in the human-machine interface. Figure 3 shows a partial schematic diagram of a human-machine interface for setting layout information according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the components supported by the pipetting device are provided in the first area 310 of the human-machine interface. Only carriers, waste bins, microplates, and deep-well plates are shown in Figure 3; other components are not shown. Furthermore, the components shown may include various models. Users can first set carriers in the second area 320, and then set other components on the carriers. The positions of each component in the second area 320 correspond to their actual positions on the working platform of the pipetting device. As shown in Figure 3, there are three carriers in the second area 320. The first carrier has a waste bin, the second carrier has four microplates, and the third carrier has two deep-well plates. The orifice plates can be of different types, such as 24-well plates, 48-well plates, 96-well plates, etc.

[0090] Liquid type information can also be set through a human-computer interaction interface. Specifically, this can include settings for aspiration rate, lead-in air seal, tail-in air seal, and spray rate. It can be understood that different liquids and different pipetting needs can have different liquid type information set. For example, for a specific liquid, relevant liquid type information can be provided to the user. Furthermore, for another liquid, different liquid type information can also be set according to needs, such as volume, number of sprays, lead-in air seal volume, and tail-in air seal volume, thereby making it easier to pipet different types of liquids in subsequent operations.

[0091] In some embodiments, users can set script command information, variable information, and the amount of the first liquid in the file based on liquid type information and layout information to obtain script information. For example, when setting up pipetting, users can select the container related to pipetting in the layout information and select the corresponding liquid type information according to the type of liquid being pipetted.

[0092] Based on the layout information, the specific locations of consumables and devices required for pipetting operations on the work platform for the first and second liquids can be determined. During pipetting operations, the corresponding operations can be performed on the first and second liquids according to the operation information based on the relevant parameters in the liquid type information. This allows for the control of the pipetting device to perform pipetting operations.

[0093] The above technical solution receives layout and liquid type information input by the user, and controls the pipetting device to perform pipetting operations based on this information. This improves the accuracy of the pipetting device in automatically performing complex pipetting operations on various liquids.

[0094] For example, a first human-computer interaction interface is provided to the user, which includes one or more script information modules. Each script information module includes at least one or more script command information, and each script command information corresponds to one or more sub-operations in the pipetting operation of the pipetting device.

[0095] In some embodiments, a first human-computer interaction interface (HCI) may be provided to the user. The HCI may include multiple functional areas. For example, it may include a script list area and a script editing area. The user can select or create one or more script information modules in the script list area. Different script information modules can correspond to different pipetting operations, meeting different pipetting needs. The currently selected script information module can be displayed and edited in the script editing area.

[0096] Each script information module includes at least one or more script command information entries. Each script command information entry corresponds to one or more sub-operations in the pipetting operation of the pipetting device. For example, the script command information entry can correspond to the command operation of a single operation such as picking up the pipette tip, aspirating, spraying, or discarding the pipette tip. It can be understood that single operations can be combined into one command operation; for example, the operations of picking up and discarding the pipette tip can be combined into one operation, and the command operation of the pipetting device corresponding to this script command information entry can complete both the picking up and discarding of the pipette tip operations. The script information module can also import the file containing the information about the volume of the first liquid. Users can import the file containing the set information about the volume of the first liquid into the script information module. At least one script information module also includes variable information. Variable information can be used to set up complex pipetting operations. Specifically, the variable information is associated with the parameters in the script command information. The values ​​of the parameters in the script command information can be set or changed by setting and calculating the variable information in the script information module. For example, the variable information can be used to set up control structures such as loops, selections, and parameter initialization to achieve complex pipetting operations.

[0097] Step S1500, receiving script information input by the user, includes: Step S1510, in response to the user's operation on the script information module, obtaining script information.

[0098] After a user selects or creates a script information module, the first human-computer interaction interface provides a corresponding script editing area. In this editing area, variable information and script command information can be edited. The editing area may also include a file import interface. Users can edit preset variable information and script command information according to their pipetting needs to obtain the necessary variable and script command information. Users can also import files containing information about the quantity of the first liquid into the script information module via the file import interface to obtain this information from the script information.

[0099] For example, after a user selects the aspiration command information module within the script information module, in addition to setting the number of times the aspiration command is executed, the type of liquid targeted for aspiration, source container parameters, and target container parameters through editing the aspiration command module, the user can also associate variable information with the aspiration volume of the aspiration operation in the script command information and set a loop to change the current total aspiration volume. In a specific embodiment, a variable 'a' can be first constructed in the script editing area, i.e., variable 'a' can be set. Here, variable 'a' can be given an initial value. This variable 'a' is then associated with the aspiration command information in the script command information; for example, variable 'a' can be the volume of liquid aspirated each time. In the aspiration command information, variable 'a' is incremented by a preset fixed value. Thus, after executing the aspiration command a specific number of times, the current total aspiration volume can be automatically determined.

[0100] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a first human-computer interaction interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, the first human-computer interaction interface may include a script list area 410 and a script editing area 420. The script list area may display the names of one or more script information modules, and the user can select or create a script information module in the script list area 410. The user can edit the currently selected script information module in the script editing area 420 to obtain variable information and script command information.

[0101] The above technical solution provides a first human-computer interaction interface. Users can operate the script information module and obtain script information through the human-computer interaction interface. This interaction method is simple, requires no complex user configuration, and has low user requirements.

[0102] Step S1510, in response to the user's operation on the script information module, obtains script information, including steps S1511, S1512, and S1513.

[0103] In step S1511, in response to the user's operation on a script information module, the script command module and control command module corresponding to the script information module are displayed respectively.

[0104] In some embodiments, a user can select or create a script information module. For example, a user can operate a script information module using input devices such as a mouse or keyboard. Based on the user's operation, the corresponding script command module and control command module are displayed.

[0105] A control system for a pipetting device can have multiple script command modules and control command modules. These modules correspond to one or more script information modules. In other words, for each script information module, its corresponding script command modules and control command modules are all or some of the configured ones. For a newly created script information module, all script command modules and control command modules configured in the pipetting device's control system can be displayed, allowing the user to select and configure them according to the specific needs of the current script information module.

[0106] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a first human-computer interaction interface according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 5, the first human-computer interaction interface includes a script list area 510, which displays the names of one or more script information modules. The first human-computer interaction interface also includes a script editing area 520, which displays the script command module and control command module corresponding to a script information module currently operated by the user. In Figure 5, these are shown as script command module 1, script command module 2, script command module 3, and control command module 1.

[0107] In step S1512, in response to the user's operation on the control command module, the corresponding control command information is obtained. The control command information includes variable information.

[0108] Users can operate the control command modules displayed in the first human-computer interaction interface. These modules can perform operations such as looping, selection, judgment, and variable setting. Each control command module can correspond to different control command information. In response to user operations on the control command modules, the corresponding control command information can be obtained. This control command information includes variable information. In some embodiments, different control command modules can operate on the same variable.

[0109] In some embodiments, a control command module can be operated on first to set a variable. Then, other control command modules can operate on this variable, such as increasing or decreasing it. Thus, complex pipetting operations can be achieved through looping, selection, and judgment operations involving this variable in the control command modules.

[0110] Referring again to the first human-computer interaction interface shown in Figure 5, the script information module may include a script information module 1 for pipetting the first liquid. The user can edit the control command module 1 in the script editing area 520 according to the pipetting requirements of the first liquid to obtain the control command information corresponding to the control command module 1. This control command information may include variable information, such as the volume of the first liquid aspirated each time. For clarity, the specific calculations and parameters in the control command module 1 are not shown in Figure 5.

[0111] In step S1513, in response to the user's operation on the script command module, the corresponding script command information is obtained. The variable information is associated with the parameters in the script command information.

[0112] Users can operate the script command modules displayed in the first human-computer interaction interface. Different script command modules can correspond to different command operations, such as single operations like picking up the nozzle, aspirating liquid, spraying liquid, and discarding the nozzle, or combinations of multiple single operations. For example, for picking up the nozzle, users can use the corresponding script command module to set the nozzle type and position. For spraying liquid, users can use the corresponding script command module to set the spraying method, number of channels, nozzle spacing, and spray volume. The system can respond to user operations on the script command modules and obtain script command information. As mentioned earlier, the script command information may involve parameters. These parameters can be associated with the variable information obtained in step S1512. For example, in the above spraying operation, the spray volume can be set using variables, and the spray volume can be changed by changing the value of the variables in the control command module.

[0113] Referring again to Figure 5 and the above embodiment of pipetting the first liquid, the user can edit script command module 1, script command module 2, and script command module 3 in the script editing area 520 according to pipetting needs to obtain the corresponding script command information. For clarity, the specific operations and parameters in script command module 1, script command module 2, and script command module 3 are not shown in Figure 5.

[0114] The above steps S1512, which responds to the user's operation on the control command module to obtain the corresponding control command information, and S1513, which responds to the user's operation on the script command module to obtain the corresponding script command information, do not have a fixed execution order. Instead, they depend on the user's operation. Step S1513 can be performed first, followed by step S1512, or vice versa.

[0115] The above technical solution acquires control command information and script command information in response to user operations on the control command module and script command module, respectively. Its modular design not only meets the pipetting needs for specific relationships between two liquids but also facilitates user editing of control flows, improving efficiency.

[0116] Optionally, as shown in Figure 5, the first human-machine interface may include a template area 530 in addition to the script list area 510 and the script editing area 520. The template area 530 can display the names of all script command modules and control command modules in the control system of the pipetting device. Each script command module name and control command module name corresponds to a script command template module and a control command template module, respectively.

[0117] The control method for pipetting devices may further include: in response to a user's operation on a script command template module, determining the script command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module.

[0118] In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the user can select a script information module in the script list area 510. Then, the user can operate on the script command template modules in the template area 530 according to pipetting needs. One or more script command template modules that meet pipetting needs can be selected from the multiple script command template modules included in the script command template module list for use as the script command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module. As mentioned earlier, in response to further operations performed by the user on the script command module in the script editing area 520, the corresponding script command information can be obtained.

[0119] Similarly, the control method for pipetting devices may also include: in response to a user's operation on the control command template module, determining the control command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module.

[0120] Taking the embodiment shown in Figure 5 as an example, after a user selects a script information module in the script list area, they can operate on the control command template module in the template area 530 according to their pipetting needs. One or more control command template modules that meet the pipetting needs can be selected from the control command template modules in the template area 530 for use as the control command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module. As mentioned earlier, in response to further user operations on the control command module in the script editing area 520, the corresponding control command information can be obtained.

[0121] The template area in the first interactive interface provides script command template modules and / or control command template modules. User operations on these modules determine the script command module and / or control command module corresponding to the currently selected script information module. Using templates to determine the script command module and / or control command module reduces the complexity of user operations, facilitates the setting of control flows for complex pipetting operations, and improves the user experience.

[0122] For example, the script command module includes a fluid rehydration configuration module. The fluid rehydration configuration module includes a first operable control, a second operable control, and a third operable control. The first operable control is used to receive a file. The second operable control is used to receive information from the pipetting channel. The third operable control is used to receive a desired threshold.

[0123] In some embodiments, after receiving a file containing liquid information, the fluid refill configuration module can automatically generate script command information, control command information, and script information for that file. A first operable control can be used to receive a volume file containing a first liquid. The first operable control can serve as a file import interface, such as an "Import" button. By clicking the "Import" button, the file can be imported. It is understood that the first operable control can also be a menu or other controls. A second operable control can include checkboxes, value boxes, etc., used to determine the number of pipetting channels and which pipetting channels correspond to them. A third operable control can include value boxes, selection boxes, drop-down boxes, etc., and can be used to receive a desired threshold. The user can set the desired threshold through the third operable control. Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of a fluid refill configuration module according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, the first operable control 610 can be used to receive a file. The second operable control includes four pipetting channel selection boxes 621, each corresponding to one pipetting channel. By checking the pipetting channel selection boxes 621, the pipetting channel for performing the pipetting operation can be determined. It is understood that the selected pipetting channels can perform the pipetting channel allocation in step S1300; in other words, the selected pipetting channels can perform pipetting operations, while the unselected pipetting channels do not perform pipetting operations. The user can input a value in the third manipulable control 630, which will be used as the desired threshold.

[0124] The above technical solution includes a refill configuration module in the script command module, and provides a first operable control, a second operable control, and a third operable control, which are respectively used to receive files, information from multiple pipetting channels, and desired thresholds. Therefore, the refill configuration module can be used to conveniently set parameters for pipetting on a target container, facilitating user operation and improving the user experience.

[0125] By way of example, according to a second aspect of the present invention, a control device for a pipetting apparatus is also provided. FIG7 shows a schematic block diagram of a control device 700 for a pipetting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG7, the control device 700 for a pipetting apparatus includes an acquisition module 710, a determination module 720, a dispensing module 730, and a control module 740.

[0126] The acquisition module 710 is used to acquire the amount of first liquid corresponding to at least one target container. The determination module 720 is used to determine the amount of second liquid that needs to be added to the target container based on the amount of the first liquid and a desired threshold, wherein when the amount of the first liquid is less than the desired threshold, the volume of liquid in the target container needs to be replenished to the desired threshold using the second liquid. The allocation module 730 is used to allocate the pipetting channels of the pipetting device according to the amount of the first liquid and the amount of the second liquid to obtain an allocation result. The control module 740 is used to control the pipetting device to perform a pipetting operation according to the allocation result.

[0127] Exemplarily, the control device 700 for the pipetting apparatus further includes a first receiving module. The first receiving module is used to receive script information input by a user, wherein the script information includes a file containing information about the quantity of the first liquid. The acquisition module 710 includes a first acquisition submodule. The first acquisition submodule is used to acquire the quantity of the first liquid according to the file.

[0128] For example, the control device 700 for a pipetting apparatus further includes a generation module. The generation module is used to provide a file template and generate the file in response to a first operation by the user on the file template.

[0129] For example, the control device 700 for the pipetting apparatus further includes a second receiving module. The second receiving module is used to receive layout information and liquid type information input by a user, wherein the layout information represents the layout of the working platform of the pipetting apparatus, and the liquid type information represents the liquid parameters of the pipetting operation performed by the pipetting apparatus; wherein controlling the pipetting apparatus to perform the pipetting operation is also based on the layout information and the liquid type information.

[0130] For example, a first human-computer interaction interface is provided to the user. This interface includes one or more script information modules, each including at least one or more script command information entries, each corresponding to one or more sub-operations in the pipetting operation of the pipetting device. The first receiving module includes a first acquiring unit. This unit is used to acquire the script information in response to the user's operation on the script information module.

[0131] For example, the first acquisition unit includes a display subunit, a first acquisition subunit, and a second acquisition subunit. The display subunit is used to display the script command module and control command module corresponding to a script information module in response to a user's operation on that module. The first acquisition subunit is used to acquire corresponding control command information, wherein the control command information includes variable information, in response to a user's operation on the script command module. The second acquisition subunit is used to acquire corresponding script command information, wherein the variable information is associated with parameters in the script command information, in response to a user's operation on the script command module.

[0132] For example, the script command module includes a fluid refill configuration module, which includes a first operable control, a second operable control, and a third operable control; wherein, the first operable control is used to receive the file; the second operable control is used to receive information about the pipetting channel; and the third operable control is used to receive the desired threshold.

[0133] For example, the control module 740 includes a first determining submodule, a first executing submodule, and a second executing submodule. The first determining submodule is used to determine the target container that needs to be replenished with the second liquid. The first executing submodule is used to control the pipetting device to perform a pipetting operation of the second liquid for the target container that needs to be replenished with the second liquid, based on the allocation result. The second executing submodule is used to control the pipetting device to perform a pipetting operation of the first liquid, based on the allocation result.

[0134] Exemplarily, the control device 700 for the pipetting apparatus further includes a second acquisition module. The second acquisition module is used to acquire the capacity of the pipette tip in each pipetting channel of the pipetting apparatus. The distribution module 730 includes a first distribution submodule and a second distribution submodule. The first distribution submodule is used to determine the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipetting operation for each pipette tip if the volume of the first liquid is greater than the capacity of the pipette tip. The second distribution submodule is used to distribute the pipetting channels according to the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipetting operation for each pipette tip to obtain a distribution result.

[0135] For example, the first allocation submodule includes a comparison unit, an equalization unit, and a judgment unit. The comparison unit is used to compare the amount of the first liquid with the capacity of the pipette tip. The equalization unit is used to divide the amount of the first liquid by a first integer if the amount of the first liquid is greater than the capacity of the pipette tip to obtain an equalized volume. The judgment unit is used to repeat the following operations until the equalized volume is less than or equal to the capacity of the pipette tip, where the first integer at the end is the number of pipetting operations, and the equalized volume at the end is the volume of each pipetting operation; compare the equalized volume with the capacity of the pipette tip; if the equalized volume is greater than the capacity of the pipette tip, increment the first integer by 1, and divide the amount of the first liquid by the incremented first integer to obtain an updated equalized volume.

[0136] By way of example, according to a third aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is also provided. FIG8 shows a schematic block diagram of an electronic device 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG8, the electronic device 800 includes a processor 810 and a memory 820. The memory 820 stores computer program instructions, which, when executed by the processor 810, are used to perform the control method for a pipetting device as described above.

[0137] By way of example, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a storage medium is also provided, on which program instructions are stored, which, when executed, are used to perform the control method for a pipetting device as described above. The storage medium may, for example, include an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a portable read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media. The storage medium may be any combination of one or more computer-readable storage media.

[0138] By way of example, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a computer program product is also provided, including computer program instructions that, when executed, are used to perform the control method for a pipetting device as described above.

[0139] Example

[0140] Example 1. A control method for a pipetting device, wherein,

[0141] Obtain the amount of the first liquid corresponding to at least one target container;

[0142] Based on the amount of the first liquid and the expected threshold, the amount of the second liquid that needs to be added to the target container is determined. When the amount of the first liquid is less than the expected threshold, the amount of liquid in the target container needs to be added to the expected threshold using the second liquid.

[0143] The pipetting channels of the pipetting device are allocated according to the amounts of the first liquid and the second liquid to obtain a allocation result;

[0144] Based on the allocation result, the pipetting device is controlled to perform pipetting operations.

[0145] Example 2. The control method for a pipetting device according to Example 1, wherein the control method for a pipetting device further includes:

[0146] Receive script information input by the user, wherein the script information includes a file containing information about the amount of the first liquid;

[0147] The step of obtaining the amount of the first liquid corresponding to at least one target container includes:

[0148] According to the document, obtain the amount of the first liquid.

[0149] Example 3. The control method for a pipetting device according to Example 1 or 2, wherein the control method for a pipetting device further includes:

[0150] Provide file templates,

[0151] The file is generated in response to the user's first action on the file template.

[0152] Example 4. A control method for a pipetting apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein,

[0153] The control method for the pipetting device further includes:

[0154] Receive layout information and liquid type information input by the user, wherein the layout information represents the layout of the working platform of the pipetting device, and the liquid type information represents the liquid parameters of the pipetting operation performed by the pipetting device;

[0155] The control of the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation is also based on the layout information and the liquid type information.

[0156] Example 5. A control method for a pipetting device according to any one of Examples 1 to 4, wherein,

[0157] Provide a first human-computer interaction interface for users. The first human-computer interaction interface includes one or more script information modules. Each script information module includes at least one or more script command information. Each script command information corresponds to one or more sub-operations in the pipetting operation of the pipetting device.

[0158] The script information received from user input includes:

[0159] In response to the user's operation on the script information module, the script information is obtained.

[0160] Example 6. A control method for a pipetting device according to any one of Examples 1 to 5, wherein obtaining the script information in response to a user's operation on the script information module includes:

[0161] In response to a user's operation on a script information module, the corresponding script command module and control command module are displayed.

[0162] In response to the user's operation on the control command module, the corresponding control command information is obtained, wherein the control command information includes variable information;

[0163] In response to the user's operation on the script command module, the corresponding script command information is obtained, wherein the variable information is associated with the parameters in the script command information.

[0164] Example 7. A control method for a pipetting device according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the script command module includes a replenishment configuration module, and the replenishment configuration module includes a first operable control, a second operable control, and a third operable control; wherein,

[0165] The first operable control is used to receive the file;

[0166] The second operable control is used to receive information from the pipetting channel;

[0167] The third operable control is used to receive the desired threshold.

[0168] Example 8. A control method for a pipetting device according to any one of Examples 1 to 7, wherein controlling the pipetting device to perform a pipetting operation based on the dispensing result includes:

[0169] Identify the target container that needs to be replenished with the second liquid;

[0170] For the target container that needs to be replenished with the second liquid, the pipetting device is controlled to perform a pipetting operation for the second liquid based on the dispensing result;

[0171] Based on the allocation result, the pipetting device is controlled to perform the pipetting operation of the first liquid.

[0172] Example 9. A control method for a pipetting apparatus according to any one of Examples 1 to 8, wherein,

[0173] The control method for the pipetting device further includes:

[0174] Obtain the volume of the pipette tip in each pipetting channel of the pipetting device;

[0175] The step of distributing the pipetting channels of the pipetting device according to the amounts of the first liquid and the second liquid to obtain a distribution result includes:

[0176] If the amount of the first liquid is greater than the capacity of the pipette tip, then determine the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipetting operation for each pipette tip.

[0177] The pipetting channels are allocated based on the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipetting operation for each pipette tip to obtain the allocation result.

[0178] Example 10. The control method for a pipetting device according to any one of Examples 1 to 9, wherein determining the number of pipetting operations for each pipette tip and the volume of each pipetting operation includes:

[0179] Compare the amount of the first liquid with the capacity of the nozzle;

[0180] If the amount of the first liquid is greater than the capacity of the nozzle, divide the amount of the first liquid by a first integer to obtain an evenly distributed volume;

[0181] Repeat the following operations until the equalized volume is less than or equal to the capacity of the pipette tip. The first integer at the end is the number of pipetting operations, and the equalized volume at the end is the volume of each pipetting operation.

[0182] Compare the equalized volume with the capacity of the gun head;

[0183] If the equalized volume is greater than the capacity of the nozzle, the first integer is incremented by 1, and the amount of the first liquid is divided by the incremented first integer to obtain the updated equalized volume.

[0184] Example 11. A control device for a pipetting apparatus, comprising:

[0185] The acquisition module is used to acquire the amount of first liquid corresponding to at least one target container;

[0186] The determining module is used to determine the amount of second liquid that needs to be added to the target container based on the amount of the first liquid and the expected threshold, wherein when the amount of the first liquid is less than the expected threshold, the volume of liquid in the target container needs to be replenished to the expected threshold using the second liquid;

[0187] The dispensing module is used to dispense liquids into the pipetting channel of the pipetting device according to the amount of the first liquid and the amount of the second liquid, so as to obtain a dispensing result;

[0188] The control module is used to control the pipetting device to perform pipetting operations based on the allocation result.

[0189] Example 12. An electronic device, comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein,

[0190] The memory stores computer program instructions, which, when executed by the processor, are used to perform a control method for a pipetting device as described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 10.

[0191] Example 13. A storage medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed, are used to perform a control method for a pipetting device as described in any one of Examples 1 to 10.

[0192] Example 14. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions, wherein the computer program instructions, when executed, are used to perform a control method for a pipetting device as described in any one of Examples 1 to 10.

[0193] Those skilled in the art can understand the specific implementation schemes and beneficial effects of the control devices, electronic devices, storage media, and computer program products for pipetting equipment by reading the above description of the control methods for pipetting equipment. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0194] Although exemplary embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various changes and modifications can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this application. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this application as claimed in the appended claims.

[0195] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0196] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0197] Numerous specific details are set forth in the specification provided herein. However, it will be understood that embodiments of this application may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification.

[0198] Similarly, it should be understood that, in order to streamline this application and aid in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects, features of this application may sometimes be grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof in the description of exemplary embodiments of this application. However, this approach should not be construed as reflecting an intention that the claimed application requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the corresponding claims, its inventive point lies in solving the corresponding technical problem with features fewer than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into that detailed description, wherein each claim itself is a separate embodiment of this application.

[0199] Those skilled in the art will understand that, apart from the mutual exclusion of features, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or apparatus so disclosed can be combined in any combination. Unless otherwise expressly stated, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature that serves the same, equivalent, or similar purpose.

[0200] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments described herein include certain features but not others included in other embodiments, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any one of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0201] The various component embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware, or as software modules running on one or more processors, or a combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will understand that microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs) can be used in practice to implement some or all of the functions of some modules in the control device for a pipetting apparatus according to embodiments of this application. This application can also be implemented as an apparatus program (e.g., a computer program and computer program product) for performing part or all of the methods described herein. Such an implementation of this application can be stored on a computer-readable medium or can take the form of one or more signals. Such signals can be downloaded from an Internet website, provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0202] It should be noted that the above embodiments are illustrative of this application and not restrictive, and that those skilled in the art can devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses should not be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. This application can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the unit claims enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc., does not indicate any order. These words can be interpreted as names.

[0203] The above description is merely a specific embodiment or illustration of the embodiments of this application. The scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. The scope of protection of this application shall be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for a pipetting device, characterized in that, Obtain the amount of the first liquid corresponding to at least one target container; Based on the amount of the first liquid and the expected threshold, the amount of the second liquid that needs to be added to the target container is determined. When the amount of the first liquid is less than the expected threshold, the amount of liquid in the target container needs to be added to the expected threshold using the second liquid. The pipetting channels of the pipetting device are allocated according to the amounts of the first liquid and the second liquid to obtain a allocation result; Based on the allocation result, the pipetting device is controlled to perform pipetting operations.

2. The control method for a pipetting device according to claim 1, wherein, The control method for the pipetting device further includes: Receive script information input by the user, wherein the script information includes a file containing information about the amount of the first liquid; The step of obtaining the amount of the first liquid corresponding to at least one target container includes: According to the document, obtain the amount of the first liquid.

3. The control method for a pipetting device according to claim 2, wherein, The control method for the pipetting device further includes: Provide file templates, The file is generated in response to the user's first action on the file template.

4. The control method for a pipetting device according to claim 2, wherein, The control method for the pipetting device further includes: Receive layout information and liquid type information input by the user, wherein the layout information represents the layout of the working platform of the pipetting device, and the liquid type information represents the liquid parameters of the pipetting operation performed by the pipetting device; The control of the pipetting device to perform the pipetting operation is also based on the layout information and the liquid type information.

5. The control method for a pipetting device according to claim 2, wherein, Provide a first human-computer interaction interface for users. The first human-computer interaction interface includes one or more script information modules. Each script information module includes at least one or more script command information. Each script command information corresponds to one or more sub-operations in the pipetting operation of the pipetting device. The script information received from user input includes: In response to the user's operation on the script information module, the script information is obtained.

6. The control method for a pipetting device according to claim 5, wherein, The step of obtaining the script information in response to a user's operation on the script information module includes: In response to a user's operation on a script information module, the corresponding script command module and control command module are displayed. In response to the user's operation on the control command module, the corresponding control command information is obtained, wherein the control command information includes variable information; In response to the user's operation on the script command module, the corresponding script command information is obtained, wherein the variable information is associated with the parameters in the script command information.

7. The control method for a pipetting device according to claim 6, wherein, The script command module includes a fluid rehydration configuration module, which includes a first operable control, a second operable control, and a third operable control; wherein... The first operable control is used to receive the file; The second operable control is used to receive information from the pipetting channel; The third operable control is used to receive the desired threshold.

8. The control method for a pipetting device according to claim 1, wherein, The step of controlling the pipetting device to perform a pipetting operation based on the allocation result includes: Identify the target container that needs to be replenished with the second liquid; For the target container that needs to be replenished with the second liquid, the pipetting device is controlled to perform a pipetting operation for the second liquid based on the dispensing result; Based on the allocation result, the pipetting device is controlled to perform the pipetting operation of the first liquid.

9. The control method for a pipetting device according to claim 1, wherein, The control method for the pipetting device further includes: Obtain the volume of the pipette tip in each pipetting channel of the pipetting device; The step of distributing the pipetting channels of the pipetting device according to the amounts of the first liquid and the second liquid to obtain a distribution result includes: If the amount of the first liquid is greater than the capacity of the pipette tip, then determine the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipetting operation for each pipette tip. The pipetting channels are allocated based on the number of pipetting operations and the volume of each pipetting operation for each pipette tip to obtain the allocation result.

10. The control method for a pipetting device according to claim 9, wherein determining the number of pipetting operations for each pipette tip and the volume of each pipetting operation comprises: Compare the amount of the first liquid with the capacity of the nozzle; If the amount of the first liquid is greater than the capacity of the nozzle, divide the amount of the first liquid by a first integer to obtain an evenly distributed volume; Repeat the following operations until the equalized volume is less than or equal to the capacity of the pipette tip. The first integer at the end is the number of pipetting operations, and the equalized volume at the end is the volume of each pipetting operation. Compare the equalized volume with the capacity of the gun head; If the equalized volume is greater than the capacity of the nozzle, the first integer is incremented by 1, and the amount of the first liquid is divided by the incremented first integer to obtain the updated equalized volume.

11. A control device for a pipetting apparatus, characterized in that, include: The acquisition module is used to acquire the amount of first liquid corresponding to at least one target container; The determining module is used to determine the amount of second liquid that needs to be added to the target container based on the amount of the first liquid and the expected threshold, wherein when the amount of the first liquid is less than the expected threshold, the volume of liquid in the target container needs to be replenished to the expected threshold using the second liquid; The dispensing module is used to dispense liquids into the pipetting channel of the pipetting device according to the amount of the first liquid and the amount of the second liquid, so as to obtain a dispensing result; The control module is used to control the pipetting device to perform pipetting operations based on the allocation result.

12. An electronic device, comprising: Processor and memory, characterized in that, The memory stores computer program instructions, which, when executed by the processor, are used to perform the control method for a pipetting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A storage medium on which program instructions are stored, characterized in that, The program instructions, when executed, are used to perform the control method for a pipetting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

14. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions, characterized in that, The computer program instructions, when executed, are used to perform the control method for a pipetting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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