CN118726085A - A temperature control device for entering and exiting a PCR instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an in-and-out bin type temperature control device for a PCR instrument, comprising a support assembly, a heat cover assembly, an in-and-out bin assembly, and a temperature control assembly, wherein the temperature control assembly is arranged in the support assembly, the in-and-out bin assembly is slidably arranged in the support assembly, and the in-and-out bin assembly is located on the upper side of the temperature control assembly; the heat cover assembly is liftably arranged in the support assembly, and the heat cover assembly is located on the upper side of the in-and-out bin assembly; the in-and-out bin assembly comprises a base plate, a tray, a guide rod, and an in-and-out bin driving mechanism, the base plate is provided with a through groove, the tray is liftably arranged in the through groove; the tray is provided with a plurality of tray sample tube holes for placing sample tubes. The in-and-out bin assembly in the present invention is controlled by the in-and-out bin driving mechanism, and the in-and-out bin driving mechanism pushes the in-and-out bin out of the support assembly, so that the operator can place the sample tube in the in-and-out bin assembly conveniently, the structure is simple, and it is convenient for installation and later maintenance, and the user experience is improved.

Description

A temperature control device for entering and exiting a PCR instrument

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the technical field of PCR instruments, and in particular to an in-and-out bin type temperature control device for PCR instruments.

Background Art

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a molecular biology technique used to amplify specific DNA fragments. It can be regarded as a special DNA replication outside the body. The biggest feature of PCR is that it can greatly increase trace amounts of DNA. PCR uses the fact that DNA denatures into single strands at a high temperature of 95°C in vitro. At low temperatures (usually around 60°C), primers and single strands combine according to the principle of base complementary pairing. The temperature is then adjusted to the optimal reaction temperature of DNA polymerase (around 72°C). DNA polymerase synthesizes complementary chains along the direction from phosphate to pentose (5'-3'). The PCR instrument manufactured based on polymerase is actually a temperature control device that can well control the denaturation temperature, annealing temperature, and extension temperature.

However, the PCR instrument in the prior art has the following disadvantages:

1. Some of the common PCR instruments on the market currently place sample tubes on the top. In order to make the structure more compact, the space for the sample tube compartment will be more compact. In actual use, when placing the sample tube, the user will touch the inner wall of the instrument, affecting the user experience. Due to the compact structure, when movement problems occur, maintenance becomes more difficult;

2. The amplification stage of the PCR experiment is from low temperature to high temperature, and the temperature changes very quickly. If the hot cover is not pressed tightly, there will be a gap between the hot cover and the sample tube cover, which is a virtual contact. The sample tube will expand due to heat and be ejected from the sample pool. It is not in complete contact with the side wall of the sample pool. It is likely that the temperature of the liquid in the tube will be lower than the actual required temperature, and the conditions required for amplification cannot be met, affecting the consistency of the test results between different wells in batch testing;

3. The temperature difference between the sample and the outside world is easy to occur during the laboratory test;

4. The PCR instrument cannot detect multiple different types of sample tubes at the same time;

5. There is a problem of temperature control difference in the sample tube during the amplification process of the PCR instrument.

Summary of the invention

In view of the shortcomings of the prior art mentioned above, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an in-and-out bin type temperature control device for a PCR instrument, which is used to solve the problems of the temperature control component of the traditional PCR instrument in the prior art, such as the complex structure of the sample accommodating mechanism, the loose fit between the sample tube and the sample pool, the tube wall being easily affected by the low temperature air outside during the amplification process, and the inability of the conventional PCR instrument to detect multiple different types of samples at the same time, which have an adverse impact on the reliability and stability of the PCR instrument and the user experience.

To achieve the above-mentioned purpose and other related purposes, the present invention provides an in-and-out bin type temperature control device for a PCR instrument, comprising a support assembly, a heat cover assembly, an in-and-out bin assembly, and a temperature control assembly, wherein the temperature control assembly is arranged in the support assembly, the in-and-out bin assembly is slidably arranged in the support assembly, and the in-and-out bin assembly is located on the upper side of the temperature control assembly; the heat cover assembly is liftably arranged in the support assembly, and the heat cover assembly is located on the upper side of the in-and-out bin assembly; the in-and-out bin assembly comprises a base plate, a tray, a guide rod, and an in-and-out bin driving mechanism, the base plate is provided with a through groove, and the tray is liftably arranged in the through groove; the tray is provided with a plurality of tray sample tube holes for placing sample tubes; the guide rod is fixedly connected to the base plate, and the guide rod is slidably connected to the support assembly; the in-and-out bin driving mechanism is fixedly connected to the base plate, and is used to drive the in-and-out bin assembly to move.

Preferably, it further comprises a vertical photoelectric component and a horizontal photoelectric component, wherein the vertical photoelectric component is used to control the travel of the heat cover component in the up and down directions; and the horizontal photoelectric component is used to control the travel of the in-and-out bin component in the horizontal direction.

Preferably, a tray guide column and a tray guide column spring are provided between the tray and the base plate, the bottom end of the tray guide column is fixed on the base plate, the top end of the tray guide column passes through the tray, and the tray guide column spring is sleeved on the outer periphery of the tray guide column; upper thermal insulation cotton is provided on the outer periphery of the tray sample tube hole.

Preferably, the in-and-out bin assembly further comprises a front baffle and a rear baffle, the front baffle and the rear baffle are fixed at two ends of the base plate, and the two ends of the guide rod are respectively connected to the front baffle and the rear baffle.

Preferably, the support assembly includes a base plate and a side plate, and the number of the side plates is two. The two side plates are relatively arranged at the two ends of the base plate, and guide sleeves are integrally or separately processed on the opposite surfaces of the two side plates. A guide sleeve through hole is opened through the guide sleeve, and the guide rod is inserted into the guide sleeve through hole; a non-metallic silencer is provided in the guide sleeve through hole to reduce the noise when the guide rod slides.

Preferably, the thermal cover assembly comprises a thermal cover fixing plate, a thermal cover lifting drive mechanism, a thermal cover movable plate, an isolation plate, and an isolation plate guiding mechanism, wherein the thermal cover fixing plate is fixedly connected to the support assembly, the thermal cover lifting drive mechanism is fixedly arranged on the thermal cover fixing plate, and a movable end is connected to the thermal cover movable plate; the thermal cover movable plate is connected to the isolation plate through an isolation plate guiding mechanism; a thermal cover heating plate is further arranged on the bottom surface of the isolation plate, and a heating film is arranged between the isolation plate and the thermal cover heating plate; a plurality of pressure sensors are further arranged on the bottom surface of the thermal cover heating plate; when the thermal cover heating plate is pressed on the sample tube under the action of the thermal cover lifting drive mechanism, the pressure sensor is used to detect the pressure.

Preferably, the isolation plate guide mechanism includes an isolation plate guide sleeve, an isolation plate guide column, and an isolation plate spring. The isolation plate guide sleeve is fixed on the bottom surface of the hot cover movable plate, the bottom end of the isolation plate guide column is fixedly connected to the top surface of the isolation plate, the isolation plate guide column passes through the isolation plate guide sleeve, the isolation plate spring sleeve is arranged on the outer periphery of the isolation plate guide column, and the two ends of the isolation plate spring are respectively abutted against the isolation plate guide sleeve and the top surface of the isolation plate.

Preferably, a lifting nut is provided on the movable plate of the heat cover, and the lifting drive mechanism of the heat cover includes a lifting drive source of the heat cover and a transmission screw, and the transmission screw is drivingly connected to the lifting drive source of the heat cover; the lifting nut is sleeved on the transmission screw and can be lifted and lowered along the transmission screw; a plurality of movable plate guide columns and a bearing seat are also provided between the fixed plate of the heat cover and the movable plate of the heat cover, and the bearing seat is provided on the movable plate of the heat cover, and the movable plate guide column is penetrated in the bearing seat, and the top end of the movable plate guide column is connected to the bottom surface of the fixed plate of the heat cover.

Preferably, the temperature control component includes a radiator, a TEC semiconductor, a sample pool, temperature control insulation cotton, and a temperature control cover plate, the TEC semiconductor is arranged on the upper side of the radiator, and a heat conduction plate is also arranged between the TEC semiconductor and the radiator; the sample pool is arranged on the upper side of the TEC semiconductor; the temperature control insulation cotton is arranged on the upper side of the radiator and is located at the periphery of the sample pool; the temperature control cover plate is arranged on the upper side of the sample pool, and a temperature control cover plate sample tube hole is opened on the temperature control cover plate; lower insulation cotton is arranged on the periphery of the temperature control cover plate sample tube hole.

Preferably, the sample pool includes a sample pool bottom plate and a sample pool column, the sample pool column is arranged on the sample pool bottom plate, and is used to place the sample tube; an excitation fiber hole and a receiving fiber hole are respectively opened at the bottom of each sample pool column, which are used to connect the optical fiber; an auxiliary heating film is also arranged on the sample pool bottom plate, and the auxiliary heating film is provided with openings, and the position and size of the openings are adapted to the sample pool columns, and are used to assist in heating any sample pool column; the auxiliary heating film is used to improve temperature uniformity.

As described above, the in-and-out bin temperature control device for a PCR instrument of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

1. The in-and-out bin assembly in the present invention is controlled by an in-and-out bin driving mechanism, which pushes the in-and-out bin out of the supporting assembly, making it convenient for operators to place sample tubes in the in-and-out bin assembly. The structure is simple, easy to install and maintain later, and improves the user experience.

2. In the present invention, a plurality of pressure sensors are arranged on the bottom surface of the heat cover assembly, and the pressure sensors are used to detect the actual pressure value of the sample tube. When the actual pressure value reaches the expected set pressure value, the heat cover lifting drive mechanism stops working. At the same time, due to the existence of the isolation plate spring, the TEC semiconductor in the temperature control assembly can be effectively prevented from being crushed.

3. The pressure sensor provided in the present invention can perform self-inspection during the debugging stage, simulating the user's experimental process and time, and facilitating the control of quality before delivery according to the change in pressure readings.

4. The hot cover lifting drive mechanism of the present invention adopts a transmission screw and a lifting nut in combination, which reduces the risk of lifting the hot cover assembly due to thermal expansion of the sample tube during the amplification stage.

5. In the present invention, a heat conducting plate is provided between the TEC semiconductor and the heat sink, so that the heat of the TEC semiconductor can be evenly transferred to the heat sink, thereby improving the uniformity of temperature control.

6. The upper and lower sides of the tray in the present invention are both provided with a heat-insulating layer, thereby avoiding the problem of temperature difference between the sample tube and the outside world during the experiment.

7. The temperature control component of the present invention is also provided with an auxiliary heating film, which increases the function of single-hole compensation and improves the uniformity of temperature control during the amplification process.

8. The in-and-out bin assembly of the present invention adopts a guide rod and a guide sleeve. The guide sleeve and the side plate are an integral part or a separate part, and the guide sleeve through hole is inlaid with non-metallic material. This ensures that the guide rod is provided with sufficient strength while ensuring that the guide rod slides in the guide sleeve through hole for self-lubrication, reducing noise, eliminating the need for regular application of lubricating oil, and facilitating maintenance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the spatial structure of an in-and-out bin-type temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to the present invention;

FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a hot cover assembly of an in-and-out bin temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to the present invention;

FIG3 is a bottom view of a hot cover assembly of an in-and-out bin temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to the present invention;

FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of an in-and-out bin assembly of an in-and-out bin temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to the present invention;

FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the temperature control assembly of the in-and-out bin type temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to the present invention;

FIG6 is a cross-sectional view of a temperature control assembly of an in-and-out bin type temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to the present invention;

FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of an in-and-out bin driving mechanism of an in-and-out bin temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to the present invention;

FIG8 is a schematic diagram showing the connection of the guide rod and the guide sleeve of the in-and-out bin temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to the present invention.

Description of reference numerals:

1. Support assembly; 101. Bottom plate; 102. Side plate; 103. Guide sleeve; 1031. Guide sleeve through hole; 104. Horizontal photoelectric switch;

2. Heat cover assembly; 201. Heat cover fixing plate; 202. Heat cover lifting drive source; 203. Movable plate guide column; 204. Bearing seat; 205. Transmission screw; 206. Lifting nut; 207. Heat cover movable plate; 208. Isolation plate; 209. Heating film; 210. Heat cover heating plate; 211. Isolation plate guide column; 212. Isolation plate guide sleeve; 213. Isolation plate spring; 214. Vertical photoelectric switch; 215. Pressure sensor; 216. Pad;

3. In-and-out bin assembly; 301. tray; 302. base plate; 303. tray guide column; 304. tray guide column spring; 305. guide rod; 306. upper insulation cotton; 307. tray sample tube hole; 308. front baffle; 309. rear baffle; 310. horizontal photoelectric baffle;

4. Temperature control assembly; 401. Radiator; 402. Auxiliary heating film; 403. Lower insulation cotton; 404. Sample pool; 4041. Sample pool bottom plate; 4042. Sample pool column; 405. Temperature control insulation cotton; 406. Temperature control cover; 4061. Sample tube hole of temperature control cover; 407. Heat conduction plate; 408. Excitation optical fiber; 409. Receiving optical fiber; 410. TEC semiconductor;

5. In-and-out drive mechanism; 501. In-and-out drive source; 502. In-and-out drive source bracket; 503. In-and-out drive base plate; 504. Rotary bearing; 505. In-and-out drive screw; 506. In-and-out drive nut; 507. In-and-out drive source connecting block; 508. In-and-out support connecting frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following is a description of the implementation of the present invention by means of specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification.

It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings of this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification for people familiar with this technology to understand and read, and are not used to limit the limiting conditions for the implementation of the present invention, so they have no substantial technical significance. Any modification of the structure, change of the proportional relationship or adjustment of the size should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed by the present invention without affecting the effects and purposes that can be achieved by the present invention. At the same time, the terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "middle" and "one" quoted in this specification are only for the convenience of description, and are not used to limit the scope of the implementation of the present invention. The change or adjustment of their relative relationship should also be regarded as the scope of the implementation of the present invention without substantially changing the technical content.

The present invention provides an in-and-out bin-type temperature control device for a PCR instrument. For ease of description, the length direction of the substrate 302 is defined as the front-to-back direction, the width direction of the substrate 302 is the left-to-right direction, and the height direction of the substrate 302 is the up-and-down direction. Therefore, a spatial rectangular coordinate system is established in FIG1 , and the positive and negative directions of the X-axis are the left and right directions, respectively, the positive and negative directions of the Y-axis are the rear and front directions, respectively, and the positive and negative directions of the Z-axis are the up and down directions, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 , the present invention provides an in-and-out bin type temperature control device for a PCR instrument, comprising a support assembly 1, a heat cover assembly 2, an in-and-out bin assembly 3, and a temperature control assembly 4, wherein the temperature control assembly 4 is arranged in the support assembly 1, the in-and-out bin assembly 3 is slidably arranged in the support assembly 1 along the front-to-back direction, and the in-and-out bin assembly 3 is located on the upper side of the temperature control assembly 4; the heat cover assembly 2 is liftably arranged in the support assembly 1, and the heat cover assembly 2 is located on the upper side of the in-and-out bin assembly 3; the in-and-out bin assembly 3 comprises a base plate 302, a tray 301, a guide rod 305, and an in-and-out bin driving mechanism 5, a through groove is provided on the base plate 302 along the up-down direction, and the tray 301 is liftably arranged in the through groove; a plurality of tray sample tube holes 307 are provided on the tray 301 for placing sample tubes; the guide rod 305 is fixedly connected to the base plate 302, and the guide rod 305 is slidably connected to the support assembly 1; the in-and-out bin driving mechanism 5 is fixedly connected to the base plate 302, and is used to drive the in-and-out bin assembly 3 to move forward and backward.

The present invention relates to an in-and-out bin type temperature control device for a PCR instrument, in which an in-and-out bin component 3 is slidably arranged in a support component 1, and an in-and-out bin driving mechanism 5 is used to drive the movement of the in-and-out bin component 3. In this way, when the in-and-out bin component 3 is pushed out, the operator can place the sample tube into the sample tube hole 307 of the tray, and then the sample tube follows the in-and-out bin component 3 back to the support component 1 again, and relies on the hot cover component 2 to press the sample tube into the temperature control component 4, thereby realizing an amplification reaction of the sample tube, solving the problem in the prior art that the sample tube placed from the top is prone to hit the inner wall of the instrument, affecting the user experience.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 4 , a tray guide post 303 and a tray guide post spring 304 are provided between the tray 301 and the base plate 302. The bottom end of the tray guide post 303 is fixed on the base plate 302, the top end of the tray guide post 303 passes through the tray 301, and the tray guide post spring 304 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the tray guide post 303; and an upper heat-insulating cotton 306 is provided on the outer periphery of the tray sample tube hole 307. In this embodiment, the tray 301 includes a U-shaped body and two connecting plates fixed on the top of the U-shaped body. The number of tray guide posts 303 is four, and two groups of two are respectively arranged on the front and rear sides of the through groove, and the four tray guide posts 303 are two groups of two through the connecting plate. In this way, when the hot cover assembly 2 applies pressure to the sample tube on the tray 301, the tray 301 moves downward along the tray guide post 303, and the U-shaped body passes through the through groove to place the sample tube in the temperature control assembly 4. The tray guide post spring 304 is used to ensure that the tray 301 is reset when the hot cover assembly 2 does not apply pressure. In other embodiments, the number of tray guide posts 303 and tray guide post springs 304 depends on the actual situation.

Preferably, as shown in Figure 4, the in-and-out bin assembly 3 also includes a front baffle 308 and a rear baffle 309, which are fixed to the front and rear ends of the base plate 302, and the two ends of the guide rod 305 are respectively connected to the front baffle 308 and the rear baffle 309.

Preferably, as shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, and Fig. 8, the support assembly 1 includes a bottom plate 101 and a side plate 102, the number of the side plates 102 is two, the two side plates 102 are relatively arranged on the left and right sides of the bottom plate 101, and the guide sleeves 103 are processed integrally or separately on the opposite surfaces of the two side plates 102, the guide sleeve 103 is penetrated with a guide sleeve through hole 1031 in the front-to-back direction, and the guide rod 305 is inserted in the guide sleeve through hole 1031; a non-metallic silencer is arranged in the guide sleeve through hole 1031 to reduce the noise when the guide rod 305 slides. In this embodiment, the guide sleeve 103 and the side plate 102 are an integral part, and the non-metallic silencer can be made of Teflon, which ensures the strength while ensuring the self-lubrication of the guide rod 305 when sliding in the guide sleeve through hole 1031, reduces the noise, does not need to apply lubricating oil regularly, and is convenient for maintenance.

Preferably, as shown in Figures 1 and 7, the in-and-out warehouse driving mechanism 5 includes an in-and-out warehouse driving base plate 503, an in-and-out warehouse supporting connecting frame 508, an in-and-out warehouse driving source 501, an in-and-out warehouse driving source bracket 502, an in-and-out warehouse driving screw 505, and an in-and-out warehouse driving nut 506. The in-and-out warehouse driving base plate 503 is fixed on the base plate 101, the in-and-out warehouse driving source bracket 502 and the in-and-out warehouse supporting connecting frame 508 are both fixed on the in-and-out warehouse driving base plate 503, and the in-and-out warehouse driving source 501 is connected to the in-and-out warehouse driving source bracket 502 through an in-and-out warehouse driving source connecting block 507; one end of the in-and-out warehouse driving screw 505 is transmission-connected to the in-and-out warehouse driving source 501, and the other end is connected to the in-and-out warehouse supporting connecting frame 508 through a rotating bearing 504; the in-and-out warehouse driving nut 506 is sleeved on the in-and-out warehouse driving screw 505, and the in-and-out warehouse driving nut 506 is fixedly connected to the base plate 302. Thus, when the in-and-out drive source 501 drives the in-and-out drive screw 505 to rotate, the in-and-out drive nut 506 drives the base plate 302 to slide along the in-and-out drive screw 505, thereby realizing the forward and backward movement of the in-and-out assembly 3. The in-and-out drive source 501 adopts a stepping motor, and the displacement of the forward and backward movement of the base plate 302 can be controlled by controlling the number of steps of the stepping motor.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, in the present embodiment, a horizontal photoelectric component is also provided, which includes a horizontal photoelectric switch 104 and a horizontal photoelectric baffle 310. The horizontal photoelectric switch 104 is provided on the rear end surface of the side plate 102, and the horizontal photoelectric baffle 310 is provided on the substrate 302. When the substrate 302 moves in the horizontal direction under the action of the guide rod 305 and the in-and-out warehouse driving mechanism 5, the horizontal photoelectric baffle 310 moves together with the substrate 302. The horizontal photoelectric baffle 310 cooperates with the horizontal photoelectric switch 104 to realize the control of the stroke of the substrate 302.

Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 1 , 2 and 3 , the heat cover assembly 2 comprises a heat cover fixing plate 201, a heat cover lifting drive mechanism, a heat cover movable plate 207, an isolation plate 208 and an isolation plate guide mechanism, the heat cover fixing plate 201 is fixed to the top ends of the two side plates 102 in the left-right direction, the heat cover lifting drive mechanism is fixedly arranged on the heat cover fixing plate 201, and the movable end is connected to the heat cover movable plate 207; the heat cover movable plate 207 is connected to the isolation plate 208 through the isolation plate guide mechanism; a heat cover heating plate 210 is further arranged on the bottom surface of the isolation plate 208, and a heating film 209 is arranged between the isolation plate 208 and the heat cover heating plate 210; a plurality of pressure sensors 215 are further arranged on the bottom surface of the heat cover heating plate 210; when the heat cover heating plate 210 is pressed on the sample tube under the action of the heat cover lifting drive mechanism, the pressure sensor 215 is used to detect the pressure.

In this embodiment, the heating film 209 is used to heat the heat cover heating plate 210 to heat the cover of the sample tube, so as to prevent the water vapor in the sample tube from condensing on the cover of the sample tube when the sample tube is heated by amplification. When the pressure sensor 215 detects that the pressure acting on the sample tube reaches the expected set pressure, the pressure sensor 215 feeds back a message to stop the heat cover lifting drive mechanism. The transmission of information between the pressure sensor 215 and the heat cover lifting drive mechanism is realized through the control system.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 , in this embodiment, a backing plate 216 is detachably provided on the bottom surface of the hot cover heating plate 210 , and the thickness of the backing plate 216 is adjustable, thereby enabling simultaneous amplification reactions of sample tubes of different specifications.

Preferably, as shown in Figure 2, the isolation plate guide mechanism includes an isolation plate guide sleeve 212, an isolation plate guide column 211, and an isolation plate spring 213. The isolation plate guide sleeve 212 is fixed on the bottom surface of the hot cover movable plate 207, the bottom end of the isolation plate guide column 211 is fixedly connected to the top surface of the isolation plate 208, the isolation plate spring 213 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the isolation plate guide column 211, and the two ends of the isolation plate spring 213 are respectively abutted against the isolation plate guide sleeve 212 and the top surface of the isolation plate 208.

In this embodiment, the number of the isolation plate guide sleeve 212, the isolation plate guide column 211, and the isolation plate spring 213 are four, and they correspond one to one. By providing the isolation plate guide sleeve 212, the isolation plate guide column 211, and the isolation plate spring 213, the TEC semiconductor 410 in the temperature control component 4 is prevented from being broken due to excessive pressure on the heat cover component 2.

Preferably, as shown in FIG2 , a lifting nut 206 is provided on the hot cover movable plate 207, and the hot cover lifting drive mechanism includes a hot cover lifting drive source 202 and a transmission screw 205, and the transmission screw 205 is transmission-connected with the hot cover lifting drive source 202; the lifting nut 206 is fixed on the hot cover movable plate 207, and the lifting nut 206 is sleeved on the transmission screw 205 and can be lifted and lowered along the transmission screw 205; a plurality of movable plate guide columns 203 and a bearing seat 204 are also provided between the hot cover fixed plate 201 and the hot cover movable plate 207, and the bearing seat 204 is provided on the hot cover movable plate 207, and the movable plate guide column 203 is penetrated in the bearing seat 204, and the top end of the movable plate guide column 203 is connected to the bottom surface of the hot cover fixed plate 201. The transmission screw 205 uses a trapezoidal screw.

In this embodiment, the hot cover lifting drive source 202 uses a motor with a brake, and drives the hot cover movable plate 207 to move up and down through the transmission screw 205 and the lifting nut 206, reducing other transmission links in the middle, reducing cumulative errors, and making the movement accuracy more accurate. The transmission screw 205 itself has a self-locking function, and then cooperates with the brake function of the hot cover lifting drive source 202, which can fully and reliably ensure that during the pressing process, the hot cover heating plate 210 and the tube cover of the sample tube are in real contact, and the phenomenon of the hot cover heating plate 210 being pressed too tight and rebounding due to insufficient torque and no self-locking of the DC motor will not occur.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2 , in the present embodiment, a vertical photoelectric component is also provided, and the vertical photoelectric component includes a vertical photoelectric switch 214 . The vertical photoelectric switch 214 is provided on the heat cover fixing plate 201 , and the vertical photoelectric switch 214 cooperates with the isolation plate 208 to realize the control of the travel of the isolation plate 208 .

Preferably, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the temperature control component 4 includes a radiator 401, a TEC semiconductor 410, a sample pool 404, temperature control insulation cotton 405, and a temperature control cover 406. The TEC semiconductor 410 is arranged on the upper side of the radiator 401, and a heat conducting plate 407 is also arranged between the TEC semiconductor 410 and the radiator 401; the sample pool 404 is arranged on the upper side of the TEC semiconductor 410; the temperature control insulation cotton 405 is arranged on the upper side of the radiator 401 and is located at the periphery of the sample pool 404; the temperature control cover 406 is arranged on the upper side of the sample pool 404, and a temperature control cover sample tube hole 4061 is opened on the temperature control cover 406; the periphery of the temperature control cover sample tube hole 4061 is provided with a lower insulation cotton 403.

As shown in FIG6 , in this embodiment, a slot is provided on the top of the heat sink 401, and a heat conducting plate 407 is disposed in the slot. The heat conducting plate 407 is made of a copper plate, which can enhance and accelerate the heat dissipation effect of the TEC semiconductor 410, and can evenly transfer the heat of the TEC semiconductor 410 to the heat sink 401, thereby improving the uniformity of temperature control.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 , the sample pool 404 includes a sample pool bottom plate 4041 and a sample pool column 4042. The sample pool column 4042 is arranged on the sample pool bottom plate 4041 and is used to place the sample tube. An excitation fiber hole and a receiving fiber hole are respectively provided at the bottom of each sample pool column 4042. The excitation fiber hole is used to connect the excitation fiber 408, and the receiving fiber hole is used to connect the receiving fiber 409. An auxiliary heating film 402 is also provided on the sample pool bottom plate 4041. The auxiliary heating film 402 is provided with openings. The position and size of the openings are adapted to the sample pool column 4042, and are used to heat any sample pool column 4042. A heating element is also provided on the auxiliary heating film 402, which can compensate for a small range of temperature of a single hole and improve the uniformity of temperature control.

In this embodiment, the sample pool column 4042 is aligned with the sample tube hole 4061 of the temperature control cover. When the in-and-out bin assembly 3 moves to the expected position, the tray sample tube hole 307, the temperature control cover sample tube hole 4061, and the sample pool column 4042 are aligned, so that the sample tube can be placed in the sample pool 404, and the sample tube can be heated by the TEC semiconductor 410. Optical fibers are connected to the excitation fiber hole and the receiving fiber hole, and the other end of the optical fiber is connected to an optical detection component, which is used to detect fluorescence signals in the sample tube at different wavelengths.

In this embodiment, the tray 301 is made of resin; the upper insulation cotton 306 and the lower insulation cotton 403 are made of foamed silicone; the guide column and the guide rod 305 are made of SUS304; the hot cover heating plate 210 and the sample pool 404 are made of AL6063; the heating film 209 and the auxiliary heating film 402 are made of PI or other electric heating wire. The remaining parts are made of AL6061.

In this embodiment, the in-and-out bin drive mechanism 5 and the hot cover lifting drive mechanism both adopt a combination of a motor and a screw rod, but in other embodiments, synchronous belt drive, rack and pinion drive, and worm gear drive may also be adopted.

The in-and-out bin temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to the present invention has the following working principle:

First, the operator assembles the components according to Figures 1 to 8 and the description of the above components; the device is in the initial state, the tray 301 is at a certain horizontal height position due to the elastic force of the tray guide column spring 304, and the tray sample tube hole 307, the temperature control cover sample tube hole 4061, and the sample pool column 4042 are aligned. The vertical photoelectric component and the horizontal photoelectric component are reset to zero.

Next, the operator starts the in-and-out drive source 501, which drives the in-and-out drive screw 505 to rotate, and the in-and-out drive nut 506 moves forward on the in-and-out drive screw 505, and the in-and-out drive nut 506 drives the base plate 302 to move forward (the base plate 302 moves forward from the initial position). At this time, the guide rod 305 and the guide sleeve 103 guide the forward movement of the base plate 302, and the base plate 302 moves forward. When the base plate 302 moves forward to the predetermined position, the operator places several sample tubes into the sample tube holes 307 of the tray, and the bosses of the sample tubes are stuck on the sample tube holes 307 of the tray.

Then, the operator starts the in-and-out warehouse driving source 501 in reverse, and the in-and-out warehouse driving source 501 drives the in-and-out warehouse driving screw 505 to rotate, and the in-and-out warehouse driving nut 506 moves backward on the in-and-out warehouse driving screw 505, and the in-and-out warehouse driving nut 506 drives the base plate 302 to move backward. At this time, the guide rod 305 and the guide sleeve 103 guide the backward movement of the base plate 302, and the base plate 302 moves backward and returns to the initial position of the base plate 302, at which position the tray sample tube hole 307, the temperature control cover sample tube hole 4061, and the sample pool column 4042 are aligned.

Then, the operator starts the hot cover lifting drive source 202, which drives the transmission screw 205 to rotate, and the lifting nut 206 moves downward on the transmission screw 205, and then the hot cover movable plate 207 moves downward with the lifting nut 206 under the cooperation of the movable plate guide column 203 and the bearing seat 204. The downward movement of the hot cover movable plate 207 drives the isolation plate 208 to move downward, the isolation plate spring 213 is compressed, and the isolation plate 208 is pressed on the tube cover of the sample tube. In this way, the boss on the sample tube drives the tray 301 to enter the sample pool column 4042 under the guidance of the tray guide column 303, and the tray guide column spring 304 is compressed. The pressure sensor 215 detects the pressure on the tube cover of the sample tube in real time. When the pressure sensor 215 reaches the expected set pressure, the pressure sensor 215 feedbacks a message, and the hot cover lifting drive source 202 stops working. At this time, the hot cover assembly 2 is in full contact with the tube cover of the sample tube, ensuring that the sample tube is completely confined in the hole of the sample pool column 4042, and the tube wall of the sample tube is in full contact with the hole of the sample pool column 4042. When the hot cover assembly 2 moves downward, the lower surface of the hot cover heating plate 210 is in contact and compression with the upper insulation cotton 306, ensuring that the sample tube above the tray sample tube hole 307 is sealed all around. The lower surface of the tray 301 is in contact and compression with the lower insulation cotton 403, ensuring the sealing of the lower half of the sample tube, so that the sample tube avoids heat exchange with external cold air during the amplification reaction.

Finally, the operator starts the TEC semiconductor 410, and the TEC semiconductor 410 generates heat and transfers it to the sample pool column 4042 through the sample pool bottom plate 4041, thereby heating the sample tube. When the TEC semiconductor 410 is heated, the heating film 209 in the thermal cover assembly 2 works and transfers heat through the thermal cover heating plate 210 to heat the tube cover of the sample tube, thereby preventing the water vapor in the sample tube from condensing on the tube cover of the sample tube.

When the TEC semiconductor 410 heats the sample tube to the expected temperature, the excitation optical fiber 408 and the receiving optical fiber 409 transmit the fluorescence signal in the sample tube to the optical detection component, thereby acquiring the fluorescence signal in the sample tube. When the TEC semiconductor 410 is heated, the operator can use the auxiliary heating film 402 to perform auxiliary heating on a small area of the sample pool column 4042 that is lower than the expected temperature, so that the sample pool column 4042 reaches the expected temperature.

When the temperature needs to be lowered, the current direction of the TEC semiconductor 410 is changed to achieve the conversion between the heating surface and the cooling surface.

When the amplification reaction is completed, the TEC semiconductor 410 and the heating film 209 are stopped, and the heat cover lifting drive source 202 is started in reverse, and the tray 301 rises under the elasticity of the tray guide column spring 304, and the sample tube is separated from the sample pool 404; the in-and-out bin drive source 501 is started in reverse, the base plate 302 is pushed out, and the operator can take the sample tube out of the tray sample tube hole 307.

The in-and-out bin temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

1. The in-and-out bin assembly 3 can move forward and backward, and the sample tube is placed outside the instrument by the operator. There is enough space for easy installation and subsequent maintenance, and the sample tube will not interfere with or collide with the inner wall of the sample pool 404 during placement, thereby improving the user experience.

2. The hot cover lifting drive mechanism of the present invention adopts a screw motor with a brake to directly drive the lifting movement of the hot cover movable plate 207, thereby reducing other transmission links in the middle, reducing cumulative errors, making the movement accuracy more accurate, and at the same time ensuring that the hot cover heating plate 210 is in real contact with the tube cover of the sample tube, and the situation that some DC motors are not self-locking due to insufficient torque, resulting in the hot cover heating plate 210 being rebounded when pressed too tightly will not occur.

3. The heat cover assembly 2 of the present invention is also provided with an isolation plate guide column 211 and an isolation plate spring 213 to avoid the rupture of the TEC semiconductor 410 due to excessive pressure. At the same time, a pressure sensor 215 is provided so that the actual pressure of the sample tube can be displayed intuitively, reducing the risk of damaging the TEC semiconductor 410 due to excessive pressure without detection means.

4. The temperature control component 4 of the present application is provided with an auxiliary heating film 402, which can compensate for the temperature of any sample pool column 4042 and improve the consistency of temperature control.

5. In the present application, a pad 216 is detachably provided on the bottom surface of the hot cover heating plate 210, and the thickness of the pad 216 is adjustable, so that sample tubes of different specifications can be amplified simultaneously, thereby improving the applicability of the PCR instrument.

Therefore, the present invention effectively overcomes various shortcomings in the prior art and has high industrial utilization value.

The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone familiar with the art may modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed by the present invention shall still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. A chamber in-and-out temperature control device for a PCR instrument, comprising a support assembly (1), a heat cover assembly (2), a chamber in-and-out assembly (3), and a temperature control assembly (4), wherein the temperature control assembly (4) is arranged in the support assembly (1), the chamber in-and-out assembly (3) is slidably arranged in the support assembly (1), and the chamber in-and-out assembly (3) is located above the temperature control assembly (4); the heat cover assembly (2) is liftably arranged in the support assembly (1), and the heat cover assembly (2) is located above the chamber in-and-out assembly (3); characterized in that: The in-and-out bin assembly (3) comprises a base plate (302), a tray (301), a guide rod (305), and an in-and-out bin driving mechanism (5); the base plate (302) is provided with a through slot, and the tray (301) is arranged in a liftable manner in the through slot; the tray (301) is provided with a plurality of tray sample tube holes (307) for placing sample tubes; the guide rod (305) is fixedly connected to the base plate (302), and the guide rod (305) is slidably connected to the support assembly (1); the in-and-out bin driving mechanism (5) is fixedly connected to the base plate (302), and is used to drive the in-and-out bin assembly (3) to move. 2. According to claim 1, the in-and-out bin temperature control device for a PCR instrument is characterized in that it also includes a vertical photoelectric component and a horizontal photoelectric component, wherein the vertical photoelectric component is used to control the travel of the heat cover component (2) in the up and down directions; and the horizontal photoelectric component is used to control the travel of the in-and-out bin component (3) in the horizontal direction. 3. The in-and-out bin-type temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to claim 1 is characterized in that: a tray guide column (303) and a tray guide column spring (304) are arranged between the tray (301) and the base plate (302), the bottom end of the tray guide column (303) is fixed on the base plate (302), the top end of the tray guide column (303) passes through the tray (301), and the tray guide column spring (304) is sleeved on the outer periphery of the tray guide column (303); an upper thermal insulation cotton (306) is arranged on the outer periphery of the tray sample tube hole (307). 4. According to claim 1, the in-and-out bin temperature control device for a PCR instrument is characterized in that: the in-and-out bin assembly (3) also includes a front baffle (308) and a rear baffle (309), the front baffle (308) and the rear baffle (309) are fixed at both ends of the base plate (302), and the two ends of the guide rod (305) are respectively connected to the front baffle (308) and the rear baffle (309). 5. The in-and-out bin-type temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to claim 1 is characterized in that: the support assembly (1) includes a bottom plate (101) and a side plate (102), the number of the side plates (102) is two, the two side plates (102) are relatively arranged at the two ends of the bottom plate (101), and the guide sleeves (103) are integrally or separately processed on the opposite surfaces of the two side plates (102), a guide sleeve through hole (1031) is penetrated by the guide sleeve (103), and the guide rod (305) is penetrated by the guide sleeve through hole (1031); a non-metallic silencer is arranged in the guide sleeve through hole (1031) to reduce the noise when the guide rod (305) slides. 6. The in-and-out bin temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that: the heat cover assembly (2) comprises a heat cover fixing plate (201), a heat cover lifting drive mechanism, a heat cover movable plate (207), an isolation plate (208), and an isolation plate guide mechanism, the heat cover fixing plate (201) is fixedly connected to the support assembly (1), the heat cover lifting drive mechanism is fixedly arranged on the heat cover fixing plate (201), and the movable end is connected to the heat cover movable plate (207); the heat cover movable plate (207) is connected to the isolation plate (208) through an isolation plate guide mechanism; a heat cover heating plate (210) is also arranged on the bottom surface of the isolation plate (208), and a heating film (209) is arranged between the isolation plate (208) and the heat cover heating plate (210); a plurality of pressure sensors (215) are also arranged on the bottom surface of the heat cover heating plate (210); when the heat cover heating plate (210) is pressed on the sample tube under the action of the heat cover lifting drive mechanism, the pressure sensor (215) is used to detect the pressure. 7. The in-and-out bin-type temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to claim 6 is characterized in that: the isolation plate guide mechanism includes an isolation plate guide sleeve (212), an isolation plate guide column (211), and an isolation plate spring (213); the isolation plate guide sleeve (212) is fixed on the bottom surface of the hot cover movable plate (207); the bottom end of the isolation plate guide column (211) is fixedly connected to the top surface of the isolation plate (208); the isolation plate guide column (211) passes through the isolation plate guide sleeve (212); the isolation plate spring (213) is sleeved on the outer periphery of the isolation plate guide column (211), and the two ends of the isolation plate spring (213) are respectively in contact with the isolation plate guide sleeve (212) and the top surface of the isolation plate (208). 8. The in-and-out bin type temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to claim 6 is characterized in that: a lifting nut (206) is arranged on the hot cover movable plate (207), and the hot cover lifting drive mechanism comprises a hot cover lifting drive source (202) and a transmission screw (205), and the transmission screw (205) is transmission-connected to the hot cover lifting drive source (202); the lifting nut (206) is sleeved on the transmission screw (205) and can be lifted and lowered along the transmission screw (205); a plurality of movable plate guide columns (203) and a bearing seat (204) are also arranged between the hot cover fixed plate (201) and the hot cover movable plate (207), and the bearing seat (204) is arranged on the hot cover movable plate (207), the movable plate guide column (203) is penetrated in the bearing seat (204), and the top end of the movable plate guide column (203) is connected to the bottom surface of the hot cover fixed plate (201). 9. The in-and-out bin type temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that: the temperature control component (4) comprises a heat sink (401), a TEC semiconductor (410), a sample pool (404), a temperature control insulation cotton (405), and a temperature control cover (406), the TEC semiconductor (410) is arranged on the upper side of the heat sink (401), and a heat conduction plate (407) is further arranged between the TEC semiconductor (410) and the heat sink (401). ); the sample pool (404) is arranged on the upper side of the TEC semiconductor (410); the temperature control insulation cotton (405) is arranged on the upper side of the radiator (401) and is located on the periphery of the sample pool (404); the temperature control cover (406) is arranged on the upper side of the sample pool (404), and a temperature control cover sample tube hole (4061) is opened on the temperature control cover (406); and the periphery of the temperature control cover sample tube hole (4061) is provided with a lower insulation cotton (403). 10. The in-and-out bin-type temperature control device for a PCR instrument according to claim 9 is characterized in that: the sample pool (404) includes a sample pool bottom plate (4041) and a sample pool column (4042), and the sample pool column (4042) is arranged on the sample pool bottom plate (4041) for placing sample tubes; an excitation fiber hole and a receiving fiber hole are respectively opened at the bottom of each sample pool column (4042) for connecting optical fibers; an auxiliary heating film (402) is also arranged on the sample pool bottom plate (4041), and an opening is arranged on the auxiliary heating film (402), and the position and size of the opening are adapted to the sample pool column (4042), and are used for auxiliary heating of any sample pool column (4042); the auxiliary heating film (402) is used to improve temperature uniformity.