CN110921327A

CN110921327A - Pneumatic sample conveying device and pneumatic sample conveying method

Info

Publication number: CN110921327A
Application number: CN201811097540.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 杨辰; 许峰
Original assignee: Jiangsu Lei Bo Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Jiangsu Lei Bo Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-09-19
Filing date: 2018-09-19
Publication date: 2020-03-27

Abstract

The invention provides a pneumatic sample conveying device and a pneumatic sample conveying method, wherein the pneumatic sample conveying device comprises a conveying pipeline, a power unit and a starting area, the conveying pipeline is provided with an inlet and an outlet, the power unit is communicated with the conveying pipeline, the power unit provides airflow power for sample conveying, the starting area is communicated with the inlet of the conveying pipeline, and the sample at an initial speed acquired at the starting area reaches the outlet position under the action of the power unit.

Description

Pneumatic sample conveying device and pneumatic sample conveying method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of object transport, and more particularly to a pneumatic sample transport device and a pneumatic sample transport method, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device is used for transporting at least one sample from one location to another location.

Background

After the sample is collected, it is stored by being loaded into a test tube or other container and then transferred to a testing site for testing and analysis of the sample, usually separate from the site of the test. For example, in a hospital, after collecting a sample at a window, a medical staff will transport the sample to a testing center for testing and analysis, and then a patient obtains a testing result at a designated location. In order to save labor costs, a tester usually takes a certain number of samples to a test area for testing after collecting the samples.

With advances in technology and advances in automation, it is now common to transport batches of samples from one location to another by a pneumatic transport device. This way the workload of the transport personnel is reduced considerably. However, there is still a problem that the entire transfer process does not really start until a batch of said samples is collected.

Users who frequently visit hospitals often need to wait for tens of minutes or even an hour after a sample is collected before test results can be obtained. In fact, with the current testing technology, the time required for the sample to obtain the test result from the beginning to the end of the test is only a few minutes or even a few seconds, and the main reason for the extra waiting time of the user is to wait for the number of the subsequent users to reach a certain value. In this process, the time of the previous user is consumed before the last user to meet the amount appears.

Obviously, such an approach is very inefficient, both for the waiting user and for the testing staff, because the staff responsible for the testing may be involved in waiting for the next batch of samples after completing the test of the previous batch of samples, and become so busy when the next batch of samples arrives that the staff's time cannot be reasonably allocated, even causing errors when facing multiple batches of samples at the same time.

Further, once the sampling site is far from the test center, i.e., the transport distance is long, the compressed air pump is maintained at a high power so that the sample just transferred into a transport conduit is immediately subjected to a pressure from the compressed air pump. That is, the sample needs to be subjected to a larger pressure at the position, which may cause the sample to collide during the rapid acceleration process, so that the shape or property of the sample is changed, thereby affecting the subsequent detection result, and this may become more obvious when the transmission distance is longer, for example, the blood cells may break due to the collision between the blood cells after the acceleration process, thereby affecting the total number of the detected blood cells.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transfer apparatus and a pneumatic sample transfer method, wherein the pneumatic sample transfer apparatus can transfer a sample in a follow-up manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transfer apparatus and a pneumatic sample transfer method, wherein the pneumatic sample transfer apparatus can improve the transfer efficiency of the sample.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transportation device and a pneumatic sample transportation method, wherein the pneumatic sample transportation device can transport samples under the premise of ensuring the quality of the samples.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transportation device and a pneumatic sample transportation method, wherein the pneumatic sample transportation device can complete rapid transportation of samples while ensuring sample quality.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic sample transfer device and a pneumatic sample transfer method, wherein the pneumatic sample transfer device is capable of providing a gentle process for providing an initial velocity of a sample.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transportation device and a pneumatic sample transportation method, wherein the pneumatic sample transportation device can provide the initial speed of the sample under the premise of saving energy.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transfer apparatus and a pneumatic sample transfer method, wherein the pneumatic sample transfer apparatus is capable of providing the initial velocity to the sample by using the gravity of the sample itself when transferring the sample.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transfer apparatus and a pneumatic sample transfer method, wherein the pneumatic sample transfer apparatus is capable of reducing a thrust force to a sample on the premise that the sample has the initial velocity.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transportation device and a pneumatic sample transportation method, wherein the pneumatic sample transportation device can reduce the oscillation of the sample itself in the subsequent acceleration process under the premise that the sample has the initial velocity.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transportation device and a pneumatic sample transportation method, wherein a power unit of the pneumatic sample transportation device can be designed to have a small power, and the power unit is used for providing power to push a sample.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transfer apparatus and a pneumatic sample transfer method, in which noise generated by operation of the power unit of the pneumatic sample transfer apparatus can be reduced after the power unit is designed to have a small power.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transportation device and a pneumatic sample transportation method, wherein the power unit of the pneumatic sample transportation device can be placed at a position far away from a sample inlet to reduce noise influence on an operator near the sample inlet.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic sample transfer device and a pneumatic sample transfer method, wherein the pneumatic sample transfer device is capable of providing a negative pressure region for smooth acceleration of the sample.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transfer apparatus and a pneumatic sample transfer method, wherein the pneumatic sample transfer apparatus can provide a buffer for orderly transferring samples into a transfer pipeline.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic sample transfer apparatus and a pneumatic sample transfer method, wherein the negative pressure region is located near an entrance position of the transport pipeline.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pneumatic sample transport device for transporting at least one sample, comprising:

a transport conduit, wherein the transport conduit has an inlet and an outlet;

a power unit, wherein the power unit is communicated with the transmission pipeline and provides airflow power for the sample; and

a take-up zone, wherein the take-up zone is in communication with the inlet of the transport conduit, the sample at a starting speed taken at the take-up zone reaching the outlet position under the influence of the power unit.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the start-up zone is located in a vertical direction.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pneumatic sample transportation device further comprises a sample injection mechanism, wherein the sample injection mechanism is communicably aligned with the inlet of the transportation pipeline, and the start-up area is formed at least in part of the sample injection mechanism.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power unit is a positive pressure power unit, and the positive pressure power unit is used to provide a negative pressure region in the start-up zone.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the power unit is connected to the sample injection mechanism.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the power unit is connected to the transmission line.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the take-off area is located at the entrance position of the transport pipe and is formed in the transport pipe.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the power unit is connected to the transport pipe at a position corresponding to the staging area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power unit is a positive pressure power unit.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the power unit includes a positive pressure power unit and a negative pressure power unit, wherein the positive pressure power unit is located proximate to the outlet location relative to the negative pressure power unit.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the power unit is located in front of the start-up zone, and the sample passes through the power unit after passing through the start-up zone.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the power unit is a negative pressure power unit, and the negative pressure power unit is arranged at a position of the conveying pipeline close to the inlet.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pneumatic sample transfer apparatus further comprises a buffer rack, wherein the buffer rack has a buffer slot, wherein the buffer rack is used for buffering the test tube before the test tube is transported to the transport pipeline.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pneumatic sample transfer device further comprises a vibrator, wherein the vibrator is vibratably disposed on the buffer frame.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the pneumatic sample transport device further comprises a buffer unit, wherein the buffer unit is connected to the outlet, and the buffer unit provides an air flow opposite to the power unit to the pneumatic sample transport device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the buffer rack is disposed at an inclined angle with respect to the horizontal plane, and one end of the buffer rack close to the transport pipeline is lower than the other end of the buffer rack far from the transport pipeline.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pneumatic sample delivery system comprising:

a sorting device; and

the pneumatic sample conveying device, wherein the samples sorted by the sorting device are conveyed by the pneumatic sample conveying device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pneumatic sample delivery method comprising the steps of:

feeding a sample to a transport pipe, wherein the sample obtains the initial velocity at a start zone; and

the sample is transported to an outlet of the transport duct under the guidance of the gas flow in the transport duct.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the method, the method further includes the following steps:

and forming a positive pressure area in the starting area to drive the sample to be conveyed forwards.

and forming a negative pressure area and a positive pressure area in the starting area so as to drive the sample to be conveyed forwards.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the start-up area forms a sample injection mechanism, wherein the sample injection mechanism is communicably aligned with the transfer conduit.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the take-off area is formed in the transport pipe and located at the entrance position of the transport pipe.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial schematic view of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial schematic view of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial schematic view of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a pneumatic sample delivery device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a pneumatic sample transfer device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The following description is presented to disclose the invention so as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention. The preferred embodiments in the following description are given by way of example only, and other obvious variations will occur to those skilled in the art. The basic principles of the invention, as defined in the following description, may be applied to other embodiments, variations, modifications, equivalents, and other technical solutions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that in the present disclosure, the terms "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," and the like are used in an orientation or positional relationship indicated in the drawings for ease of description and simplicity of description, and do not indicate or imply that the referenced devices or components must be in a particular orientation, constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus the above terms are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

It is understood that the terms "a" and "an" should be interpreted as meaning that a number of one element or element is one in one embodiment, while a number of other elements is one in another embodiment, and the terms "a" and "an" should not be interpreted as limiting the number.

Fig. 1-4 illustrate a pneumatic sample transfer system 1000 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the pneumatic sample transfer system 1000 is capable of transferring at least one sample a. For example, the sample a is a blood collection tube, i.e., the pneumatic sample transfer system 1000 is capable of transferring a blood collection tube.

The pneumatic sample conveying system 1000 includes a pneumatic sample conveying device 1, a sorting device 2 and a receiving device 3, wherein the sorting device 2 and the receiving device 3 are located at two ends of the pneumatic sample conveying device 1, and the pneumatic sample conveying device 1 can transmit the sample a between the sorting device 2 and the receiving device 3 by using pneumatic power. The sorting device 2 can sort the sample A, and the receiving device 3 is used for receiving the transmitted sample A. That is, the sample a is first sorted by the sorting device 2, and then reaches the receiving device 3 after being transferred by the pneumatic sample transfer device 1.

In other examples of the present invention, the sample a may first pass through the receiving device 3, then pass through the pneumatic sample transportation device 1 to reach the sorting device 2, and finally be sorted.

Alternatively, the pneumatic sample transportation device 1 is detachably connected to the sorting device 2 and the receiving device 3, so that the pneumatic sample transportation device 1 can be used independently of the sorting device 2 and the receiving device 3 or replaced and maintained when any one of the pneumatic sample transportation device 1, the sorting device 2 and the receiving device 3 is in trouble. The two ends of the pneumatic sample transportation device 1 can also be connected to other devices, such as an automatic labeling device, an automatic cleaning device, etc.

The pneumatic sample transportation device 1 comprises a transportation pipeline 10, a power unit 20 and a walking area 30, wherein the transportation pipeline 10 is provided with an inlet 101 and an outlet 102, and the power unit 20 is communicated with the transportation pipeline 10 and is used for providing pneumatic force so that the sample A can be transported in the transportation pipeline 10. The start-up zone 30 is used to provide an initial velocity for the sample a. The sample a having the initial velocity reaches the outlet 102 under the push of the power unit 20, thereby completing the long distance transport for the sample a.

At least part of the start-up zone 30 is formed above the inlet 101 of the transfer duct 10. The power unit 20 is located above the inlet 101 of the transfer duct 10. The sample a passes through the initiation zone 30 and is then transported from the inlet 101 to the outlet 102 by the power unit 20. The take-up zone 30 enables the sample a to automatically attain the initial velocity under the influence of gravity.

In this example, the start-up area 30 is formed in a vertical direction, and the sample a falls from the inlet 101 into the transport pipe 10 after the initial velocity of the sample a is obtained in the start-up area 30 in the vertical direction. The sample a has a speed from the beginning of the fall of zero, which obtains the initial speed under the action of gravity after passing the vertical start zone 30. It will be appreciated that the initiation area 30 may be sloped.

In this way, the sample a obtains the initial velocity directly on the basis of its own weight without relying on the power unit 20, and the power of the power unit 20 can be designed smaller from the point of view of the power unit 20, because the sample a obtains a kinetic energy on the basis of the conversion of potential energy, and therefore the power that the power unit 20 needs to provide for the sample a can become smaller, so that the power unit 20 can transport the inlet 101 to the outlet 102 of the transport pipe 10 without operating the sample a at a higher power.

It is to be understood that the manner in which the sample a obtains the initial velocity is not limited thereto, and the sample a may obtain the initial velocity with the aid of an initial velocity provider, wherein the initial velocity provider may provide the initial velocity in a vertical direction, such as a vertically downward direction, a vertically upward direction, or in a horizontal direction, such that the sample a has an initial velocity before passing through the power unit 20. Of course, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the speed direction of the initial speed obtained by the sample a may be arbitrary and may be changed according to the direction of the initial speed provider. The initial velocity provider may be a powered ejector, and the sample a is ejected by obtaining the initial velocity during ejection.

For the whole pneumatic sample conveying system 1000, the noise generated when the pneumatic sample conveying system 1000 operates mainly comes from the power unit 20 of the pneumatic sample conveying device 1. In this example, the power unit 20 is a positive pressure power unit 21, wherein the positive pressure power unit 21 can compress the outside air, and then inject the compressed air in the transportation pipeline 10 toward the outlet 102, so as to drive the sample a to be transported toward the outlet 102 in the process. The positive pressure power unit 21 may be a blower, not shown, which generates a relatively loud noise during operation, and once the power required by the pneumatic sample transportation device 1 is reduced, the noise generated by the power unit 20 during operation can naturally also be reduced. Therefore, in a preferred example of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 of the present invention, the pneumatic sample delivery system 100 is advantageously quieter in operation because the power requirements of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 to the power unit 20 are less. It is to be understood that the type of positive pressure power unit 21 described herein is merely illustrative and not limiting of the present invention.

In the present example, the power unit 20 is located in the start-up area 30, and the initial speed of the sample a is obtained under the action of the gravitational acceleration before the sample a reaches the position corresponding to the power unit 20 in the transportation pipeline 10, so that the sample a itself is subjected to less vibration under the sudden acceleration of the power unit 20 than under the sudden acceleration of the power unit 20 from the zero speed, and the possibility that the sample a affects the detection quality of the sample a due to the violent vibration in the transportation pipeline 10 is avoided. Further, since the thrust force provided by the power unit 20 itself can be reduced, the impact on the sample a itself at the moment of acceleration by the power unit 20 becomes smaller.

Further, the pneumatic sample transportation device 1 comprises a decompression unit 40, wherein the decompression unit 40 is connected to the transportation pipeline 10 and located between the power unit 20 and the outlet 102, and the sample a first passes through the power unit 20, then passes through the decompression unit 40, and finally exits the pneumatic sample transportation device 1 from the outlet 102. The decompression unit 40 is used to reduce the pressure in the transport pipe 10, especially the pressure near the outlet 102 end of the transport pipe 10 to avoid the sample a from oscillating violently after leaving the outlet 102.

The decompression unit 40 is connected to the transfer pipe 10. The decompression unit 40 has an air inlet capable of communicating with the transport pipe 10 and an air outlet capable of communicating with the outside of the air inlet, and at least a part of the air in the transport pipe 10 can pass through the air inlet of the decompression unit 40 and then be discharged to the outside from the air outlet, so that the air pressure at that position in the transport pipe 10 can be reduced. The thrust to which the sample a is subjected is also reduced to facilitate the subsequent slow transport.

It will be appreciated that the pressure reduction unit 40 may comprise a fan, wherein the fan is in communication with the transport pipe 10. The blower is capable of drawing air from the transport duct 10 through the air inlet and then exhausting the air from the air outlet to reduce the air pressure in the transport duct 10.

Further, the pneumatic sample transport device 1 comprises a buffer unit 50, wherein the buffer unit 50 is located near the position of the outlet 102 of the transport pipeline 10, wherein the buffer unit 50 can provide a buffer effect for the sample a to prevent the sample a from rushing out of the outlet 102 at a faster speed.

In particular, the buffer unit 50 is connected to the transfer duct 10 and is located between the decompression unit 40 and the outlet 102. The buffer unit 50 can supply gas, such as air. The buffer unit 50 provides gas in a direction opposite to the falling direction of the sample a, so as to prevent the sample a from being flushed out of the outlet 102 at a high speed under the action of gravity or air thrust from the power unit 20.

In the present example, the portion of the transport duct 10 near the position of the outlet 102 is arranged in a vertical direction, in which case the sample a, which has a certain velocity itself, may get a faster velocity when reaching the outlet 102 under the action of the acceleration of gravity, and the gas buffer provided by the buffer unit 50 at the position of the outlet 102 can effectively reduce the moving velocity of the sample a.

Further, the pneumatic sample transportation device 1 comprises a buffer unit 60, wherein the buffer unit 60 is located above the inlet 101 of the transportation pipeline 10, and the buffer unit 60 is communicated with the inlet 101 of the transportation pipeline 10. The buffer unit 60 is used for temporarily storing the sample a. The buffer unit 60 can buffer a plurality of samples a, and then the samples a are transported to other positions through the transport pipe 10 one by one.

The buffer unit 60 comprises a buffer frame 61 and a sample feeding mechanism 62, wherein the buffer frame 61 has a buffer slot 610, wherein the buffer slot 610 has a certain length for accommodating a plurality of samples a, and one end of the sample feeding mechanism 62 is aligned with the buffer frame 61 so that the samples a located in the buffer frame 61 can directly fall into the sample feeding mechanism 62. The sample injection mechanism 62 is communicated with the inlet 101 of the transmission pipeline 10 to inject the sample a into the transmission pipeline 10.

The start-up area 30 is formed on the sample injection mechanism 62, and the power unit 20 is connected to the sample injection mechanism 62. Further, the sample introduction mechanism 62 has a sample introduction channel 620, wherein the sample introduction channel 620 is formed in a vertical direction such that the sample a can fall to the transmission pipeline 10 in a vertical direction through the sample introduction channel 620. The power unit 20 is communicated with the sample feeding channel 620. In the present example, the power unit 20 injects compressed air within the feed channel towards the transport duct 10. The start-up area 30 surrounds and forms at least part of the sample channel 620.

Further, the buffer unit 60 includes a vibrator 63, wherein the vibrator 63 is located below the buffer frame 61 and plays a certain supporting role for the buffer frame 61. The vibrator 63 can also serve to flatten the sample a located in the buffer frame 61. The sample a may not move to a predetermined position, for example, adjacent to the previous sample a, under the action of friction force of the buffer frame 61, so that the intervals between the samples a are not uniform, and the subsequent sampling efficiency is affected.

Specifically, the vibrator 63 located below the buffer frame 61 provides a vertical vibration to the sample a on the buffer frame 61. The vibrator 63 includes a vibration body 631, a first vibration arm 632, and a second vibration arm 633, wherein the first vibration arm 632 and the second vibration arm 633 are respectively connected to the vibration body 631. The vibrating body 631 can drive the first vibrating arm 632 and the second vibrating arm 633 to vibrate.

The first vibration arm 632 and the second vibration arm 633 are respectively located at both sides of the buffer frame 61, and transmit the vibration from the vibration body 631 to the buffer frame 61 as both sides of the sample a. Preferably, the first vibration arm 632 and the second vibration arm 633 are disposed to be symmetrical. The first vibrating arm 632 and the second vibrating arm 633 not only vibrate the buffer frame 61, but also support the buffer frame. The one vibration arm and the second vibration arm 633 are respectively in a vertical direction to facilitate the sample a to be maintained in a vertical direction.

Further, the buffer frame 61 includes a first supporting arm 611 and a second supporting arm 612, wherein the first supporting arm 611 and the second supporting arm 612 form the buffer slot 610, and the sample a is supported by the first supporting arm 611 and the second supporting arm 612. The sample a cannot move downward by the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612. Taking a test tube as an example, a general test tube is provided with a test tube cap having a cross-sectional area larger than that of the test tube, and when the entire test tube and the test tube cap are placed in the buffer storage rack 61, the test tube cap is larger than the buffer storage groove 610, so that the test tube is supported in the buffer storage groove 610 by the test tube cap.

It is worth mentioning that the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612 are provided with a certain length so that the end of the sample a can be exposed outside the buffer frame 61. In particular, the sample a has a high end and a low end, wherein the high end is located at a high position and is supported by the buffer frame 61, and wherein the low end is located at a low position and is not supported by the buffer frame 61. This reduces the impact of the specimen A with the holder of the buffer frame 61, especially under the vibration of the vibrator 63, where the impact of the specimen A with the buffer frame 61 is mainly concentrated at the high end of the specimen A, typically the position of the test tube cap.

Further, the test tube enters the sample injection mechanism 62 along a vertical direction, which can reduce the contact between the test tube and other parts, thereby reducing the resistance of the test tube sliding down.

This is particularly important for glass tubes, which are prone to breakage during impact and thus affect the overall transport process, and the tube caps are typically made of rubber or plastic and have a high strength. The vibrators 63 are located at both sides of the buffer frame 61 and are respectively connected to the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612, so that the buffer frame 61 generates a vibration in a vertical direction. The adjacent samples a can keep a regular state under the action of the vibrator 63, thereby facilitating the subsequent regular falling into the sample injection mechanism 62.

Because the surface friction coefficients of different samples a are different, if one of the samples a has an excessively large friction coefficient, the sample a may be held in the buffer rack 61 and cannot automatically fall into the sample injection mechanism 62 by gravity. The presence of the vibrator 63 can greatly reduce this occurrence so that the sample a can continue to enter the sample introduction mechanism 62 while the sample introduction mechanism 62 is clear. In other examples of the present invention, the vibrator 63 is located below the buffer frame 61, and the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612 of the vibrator 63 extend horizontally outward from both sides of the buffer frame 61. In some examples of the present invention, the vibrator 63 is located below the buffer frame 61, and the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612 of the vibrator 63 extend upward from both sides of the buffer frame 61.

It is worth mentioning that the sample a can be smoothly transferred to the sample injection mechanism 62 with the aid of the vibrator 63.

Preferably, each vibration amplitude of the vibrator 63 is balanced, and the samples a are uniformly spaced and mounted on the buffer frame 61 so that the samples a at the end or closest to the sample injection mechanism 62 can leave the buffer unit 60 and fall into the sample injection mechanism 62 at each time under uniform oscillation of the vibrator 63. Preferably, the vibrators 63 are symmetrically disposed below the buffer frame 61 and supported on the buffer frame 61 to provide a relatively balanced vibration for the sample a of the buffer frame 61.

Preferably, the buffer rack 61 is arranged to be inclined downwards, or inclined towards the sample injection mechanism 62. Specifically, the buffer rack 61 has a high end and a low end, wherein the high end is located higher than the low end, and the high end is close to the sorting device 2, and the low end is close to the conveying pipeline 1, and wherein the high end extends towards the conveying pipeline and downwards to the low end.

The sample a is subjected to at least three forces in the buffer frame 61, one is gravity force directed vertically downward, one is support force from the buffer frame 61 directed obliquely upward, and the other is friction force from the buffer frame 61. The tilted buffer rack 61 causes the sample a to have a tendency to move downward, making it easier for the sample a to leave the buffer rack 61. With the aid of the vibrator 63, the sample a located at the lowest position directly leaves the buffer rack 61 and falls to the sample injection mechanism 62. The sample introduction mechanism 62 can introduce the sample a into the transmission pipeline 10. It is understood that the sample feeding mechanism 62 can control the feeding frequency of the samples a to avoid low transmission efficiency caused by too long intervals between the samples a fed back and forth or possible collision between the samples a caused by too short intervals between the samples a fed back and forth.

A detector may be disposed at the position of the sample injection mechanism 62, wherein the detector can be used to detect the amount of sample injection or identify the type of the sample a injected. Optionally, when the detector detects that the sample a enters the sample injection mechanism 62, the sample injection mechanism 62 can provide at least one channel for sample injection, and when the detector does not detect that the sample a enters the sample injection mechanism 62, the channel of the sample injection mechanism 62 is closed to prevent other objects from entering the sample injection mechanism 62 or prevent the sample a from entering the sample injection mechanism 62.

In this example, at the lower end of the buffer rack 61, the sample injection mechanism 62 includes a sample injection main body 621 and a sample injection control mechanism 622, wherein the sample injection main body 621 surrounds and forms the sample injection channel 620, and the sample injection control mechanism 622 is movably connected to the sample injection main body 621 to control the sample injection rate of the sample injection main body 621. The sample feeding mechanism 62 has an open state and a closed state, the open state is located in the buffer storage frame 61 the test tube can enter the sample feeding channel 620 to complete sample feeding, the closed state is located in the buffer storage frame 61 the test tube can not enter the sample feeding channel 620. The sample control mechanism 622 can be implemented as a baffle and a motor, the baffle can block part of the sample channel to prevent the test tube from falling into, in this example, the baffle is located on the side of the sample main body 621 to prevent the test tube from falling into the side of the sample channel 620, the motor can drive the baffle to move back and forth, so that the sample mechanism 62 can the open state and the closed state switch back and forth to control the sample frequency of the sample A. It is understood that the structure of the sample injection control mechanism 622 is only an example and is not a limitation of the present invention.

In this example, at the end of the buffer frame 61, the sample injection mechanism 62 is provided with a movable baffle to prevent the sample a of the buffer frame 61 from directly falling into the sample injection mechanism 62, when the baffle is removed, the sample a can be entered into the sample injection mechanism 62, the baffle can be connected to a motor, so that the sample injection mechanism 62 can continuously inject samples according to a certain frequency, and meanwhile, the existence of the vibrator 63 ensures that the sample a can be continuously entered into the sample injection mechanism 62 according to a preset interval when the baffle is moved away on the buffer frame 61.

In this example, at least a portion of the start-up area 30 is located above the position of the inlet 101 of the transmission pipeline 10, and is formed at the connection between the sample injection mechanism 62 and the transmission pipeline 10. The power unit 20 is located above the transfer pipe 10. It is worth mentioning that during the process of the air jet from the power unit 20 towards the transport pipe 10, a negative pressure area is formed in the start-up zone 30, and when the sample a passes through the negative pressure area during the falling process, the sample a can more quickly enter the transport pipe 10 and be transferred to the outlet 102 of the transport pipe 10 by the power unit 20.

More specifically, the power unit 20 injects compressed air at a high speed toward the inlet 101 of the transport pipe 10, and injects the compressed air forward in terms of the moving direction of the sample a, thereby forming a negative pressure region at the rear, i.e., the rear of the power unit 20.

Referring to fig. 5A, another embodiment of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 according to the present invention is shown.

The present embodiment differs from the above embodiments mainly in the power unit 20 of the pneumatic sample transportation device 1 of the pneumatic sample transportation system 1000. In this example, the power unit 20 is connected to the transmission pipeline 10 and the power unit 20 includes a positive pressure power unit 21 and a negative pressure power unit 22.

The positive pressure power unit 21 is used to generate a positive pressure to push the sample a to the outlet 102. The negative pressure power unit 22 continues to advance by drawing the sample a in front of the sample a by creating a negative pressure.

At least part of the position of the inlet 101 of the transfer pipe 10 is arranged to be in a vertical direction, where the take-off zone 30 forms the transfer pipe 10. The sample a passes through the negative pressure power unit 22 under the action of the negative pressure power unit 22 after the initial speed is obtained in the start-up area 30, and reaches the outlet 102 under the action of the positive pressure power unit 21.

In the present example, the positive pressure power unit 21 and the negative pressure power unit 22 are disposed adjacently. In other examples of the present invention, the positive pressure power unit 21 and the negative pressure power unit 22 may be disposed at a certain distance. Since the transport pipe 10 is in a vertical direction at some positions of the transport pipe 10, the sample a can be transported by its own weight, so that the presence of the positive pressure power unit 21 or the negative pressure power unit 22 of the power unit 20 is not necessary at these positions. The position of the positive pressure power unit 21 or the negative pressure power unit 22 can be flexibly selected and arranged.

Referring to fig. 5B, another embodiment of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 according to the present invention is shown.

The difference between this embodiment and the above embodiment is that the positive pressure power unit 21 and the negative pressure power unit 22 of the power unit 20, the sample a passes through the negative pressure power unit 22, then passes through the positive pressure power unit 21 under the action of gravity, and reaches the outlet 102 under the action of the positive pressure power unit 21. In this example, the transport duct 10 between the negative pressure power unit 22 and the positive pressure power unit 21 is arranged to be in a vertical direction so that the specimen a can automatically fall under gravity between the negative pressure power unit 22 and the positive pressure power unit 21.

Referring to fig. 6, there is shown another embodiment of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 according to the present invention.

The present embodiment differs from the embodiment shown in fig. 1 mainly in the location of the power unit 20 and the start zone 30.

In the present example, at least part of the start-up zone 30 forms the transport duct 10 and is located close to the inlet 101. The presence of the take-up zone 30 enables the sample a to be transported automatically for a certain distance in the height direction after entering the transport pipe 10 through the inlet 101, and then transported in the entire transport pipe 10 under the action of the positive pressure power unit 21. The presence of the start zone 30 enables the sample a to be transported automatically over a distance in the height direction.

It is worth mentioning that in this example, the sample inlet channel 620 of the sample inlet mechanism 62 may not be in a vertical position, for example, in a horizontal position, and then is transported to the outlet 102 by the positive pressure power unit 21 after the initial speed is obtained through the start-up section 30 of the transportation pipeline 10. It will be appreciated that the positive pressure power unit 21 may be located outside the start zone 30, because the positive pressure power unit 21 forms a negative pressure region at the rear when injecting compressed air forward, and the sample a which cannot advance further under the action of gravity can be transported forward to the position of the positive pressure power unit 21 under the pulling of the negative pressure region.

The sample a can be pushed into the sample introduction mechanism 62 in a horizontal position by a push rod.

Referring to fig. 7, a modified embodiment of the pneumatic conveying system 1000 according to the present invention is shown.

The pneumatic sample conveying system 1000 of the present embodiment and fig. 1 is different in the sorting machine 2, wherein the sorting machine 2 has a plurality of outlets, each of the outlets is connected to one of the inlets 101 of one of the conveying pipelines 10, and different conveying pipelines 10 correspond to different receivers 3, so that the samples a collected at the same position can be conveyed to different positions for subsequent processing according to different types of the samples a.

Referring to fig. 8, a modified embodiment of the pneumatic sample delivery system 1000 according to the present invention is shown. The present embodiment differs from the pneumatic sample transportation system 1000 shown in fig. 1 mainly in the vibrator 63 of the pneumatic sample transportation device 1.

In this example, the vibrators 63 are disposed on both sides of the buffer frame 61 of the buffer unit 60 of the pneumatic sample transportation device 1 to vibrate the buffer frame 61 with a certain amplitude at the side of the buffer frame 61 so as to keep the sample a on the buffer frame 61 in an aligned state.

Specifically, the buffer frame 61 includes a first support arm 611 and a second support arm 612, wherein the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612 form the buffer slot 610, and the sample a is supported by the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612. The sample a cannot move downward by the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612. Taking a test tube as an example, a general test tube is provided with a test tube cap having a cross-sectional area larger than that of the test tube, and when the entire test tube and the test tube cap are placed in the buffer storage rack 61, the test tube cap is larger than the buffer storage groove 610, so that the test tube is supported in the buffer storage groove 610 by the test tube cap.

This is particularly important for glass tubes, which are prone to breakage during impact and thus affect the overall transport process, and the tube caps are typically made of rubber or plastic and have a high strength.

The vibrators 63 are located at both sides of the buffer frame 61 and are respectively connected to the first support arm 611 and the second support arm 612, so that the buffer frame 61 generates a vibration in a horizontal direction. The adjacent samples a can keep a regular state under the action of the vibrator 63, thereby facilitating the subsequent regular falling into the sample injection mechanism 62.

Because the different samples a have different friction coefficients, the friction coefficients of the surfaces of the samples a are different, and once the friction coefficient of one sample a is too large, the sample a may be held in the buffer rack 61 and cannot automatically fall into the sample injection mechanism 62 by gravity. The presence of the vibrator 63 can greatly reduce the occurrence of such a situation so that the sample a can continuously enter the sample introduction mechanism 62 while the sample introduction mechanism 62 is open.

Preferably, the vibrators 63 are symmetrically arranged on two sides of the buffer frame 61 to provide a more uniform oscillation for the sample a of the buffer frame 61, and reduce the influence of the oscillation of the vibrators 63 on the biochemical properties of the sample a itself.

It is worth mentioning that since the vibrator 63 is located at the side of the buffer frame 61, the possibility that the sample a supported by the buffer frame 61 is in contact with the vibrator 63 during the vibration is reduced, and the collision between the sample a and the vibrator 63 is avoided.

In other examples of the present invention, the number of the vibrators 63 may be two, and the vibrators are respectively located on both sides of the buffer frame 61. Two vibrators 63 may be operated at intervals to vibrate the buffer frame 61. Alternatively, according to other embodiments of the present invention, the pneumatic sample transfer system 1000 has only one vibrator 63 located at the side. Alternatively, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the vibrator 63 is located above the buffer frame 61.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a pneumatic transmission method comprising:

feeding the sample a to the transport pipe 10, wherein the sample obtains the initial velocity at the initial zone 30 located in the vertical direction; and

the sample a is transported to the outlet 102 of the transport pipe 10 under the guidance of the gas flow in the transport pipe 10.

According to some embodiments of the invention, in the above method, the pneumatic conveying method further comprises the steps of:

the positive pressure area is formed in the start area 30 to drive the sample a to be transported forward.

the negative pressure region and the positive pressure region are formed in the start-up region 30 to drive the sample a to be transported forward.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the start-up section 30 is formed at the sample injection mechanism 62, wherein the sample injection mechanism 62 is communicably aligned with the transfer tube 10.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the start-up zone 30 is formed in the transport pipe 10 at the location of the entrance 101 of the transport pipe 10.

According to some embodiments of the invention, in the above method, the sample a is transported to the outlet 102 under the guidance of the positive pressure in the transport pipe 10.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, in the above method, the sample a is first transferred under the guidance of negative pressure in the transport pipe 10, and then transferred to the outlet 102 under the guidance of positive pressure in the transport pipe 10.

According to some embodiments of the invention, in the above method, the sample a leaves the dosing unit from the dosing unit under the action of vibration and then enters the inlet 101.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the embodiments of the invention described above and shown in the drawings are given by way of example only and are not limiting of the invention. The objects of the invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. The functional and structural principles of the present invention have been shown and described in the examples, and any variations or modifications of the embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the principles.

Claims

1. A pneumatic sample transport device for transporting at least one sample, comprising:

a transport conduit, wherein the transport conduit has an inlet and an outlet;

2. The pneumatic sample transfer device of claim 1, wherein the initiation zone is positioned in a vertical orientation.

3. The pneumatic sample transport device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the pneumatic sample transport device further comprises a sample injection mechanism, wherein the sample injection mechanism is communicably aligned with the inlet of the transport conduit, the start-up section being formed at least in part of the sample injection mechanism.

4. The pneumatic sample transport device of claim 3, wherein the power unit is a positive pressure power unit and has a negative pressure region in the priming zone under the action of the positive pressure power unit.

5. The pneumatic sample transfer device of claim 3, wherein the power unit is connected to the sample injection mechanism.

6. The pneumatic sample transport device of claim 3, wherein the power unit is connected to the transport tubing.

7. The pneumatic sample transfer device of claim 1, wherein the staging area is located at the entrance location of the transport tubing and is formed in the transport tubing.

8. The pneumatic sample transportation device of claim 7, wherein the power unit is connected to the transport tubing at a location corresponding to the staging area.

9. The pneumatic sample transfer device of claim 8, wherein the power unit is a positive pressure power unit.

10. The pneumatic sample transfer device of claim 8, wherein the power unit comprises a positive pressure power unit and a negative pressure power unit, wherein the positive pressure power unit is located proximate to the outlet location relative to the negative pressure power unit.

11. The pneumatic sample transfer station of claim 7, wherein the power unit is located in front of the initiation zone, the sample passing through the initiation zone before passing through the power unit.

12. The pneumatic sample transfer device of claim 11, wherein the power unit is a positive pressure power unit.

13. The pneumatic sample transfer device of any one of claims 4 to 11, wherein the pneumatic sample transfer device further comprises a buffer rack, wherein the buffer rack has a buffer slot, wherein the buffer rack is configured to buffer the test tubes before the test tubes are transferred to the transfer tubing.

14. The pneumatic sample transfer device of claim 13, further comprising a vibrator, wherein the vibrator is vibratably disposed on the buffer frame.

15. The pneumatic sample transport device of claim 13, further comprising a buffer unit, wherein the buffer unit is in communication with the outlet, the buffer unit providing an air flow to the pneumatic sample transport device opposite the power unit.

16. The pneumatic sample transport device of claim 13, wherein the buffer shelf is disposed at an oblique angle to the horizontal plane, with one end closer to the transport tube being lower than the other end farther from the transport tube.

17. A pneumatic sample delivery system, comprising:

a sorting device; and

the pneumatic sample transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the samples sorted by the sorting device are transported by the pneumatic sample transport device.

18. A pneumatic sample transfer method, comprising the steps of:

feeding a sample to a transmission pipeline, wherein the sample obtains an initial speed in a start area; and

19. The pneumatic sample transfer method of claim 18, wherein in the method, the pneumatic sample transfer method further comprises the steps of:

20. The pneumatic sample transfer method of claim 18, wherein in the method, the pneumatic sample transfer method further comprises the steps of:

21. The pneumatic sample delivery method of any of claims 18 to 20, wherein the staging area is provided with a sample introduction mechanism, wherein the sample introduction mechanism is communicably aligned with the transport conduit.

22. The pneumatic sample transfer method of any of claims 18 to 20, wherein the start-up zone is formed in the transfer tube and is located at the entrance position of the transfer tube.