CN115651809B - Sample box conveying device for PCR instrument and PCR instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a sample cartridge transport device for a PCR instrument and a PCR instrument. The sample cartridge conveying device includes: the fixing seat comprises an accommodating space and a pivot shaft arranged outside the accommodating space; a cartridge carrier adapted to carry a cartridge and comprising a pair of side edges extending in a transverse direction; a sample cartridge seat fixedly disposed in the accommodation space and including a pair of limit grooves extending in a lateral direction, the pair of limit grooves being adapted to receive a pair of side edges, respectively, for movement of the side edges in the lateral direction in the limit grooves; and a door panel rotatably coupled to the pivot shaft and including a push-coupling assembly adapted to push the sample cartridge carrier and the sample cartridge from an off-bin position in a lateral direction to an operative position in which the sample cartridge is located on the sample cartridge seat during rotation of the door panel from the open to the closed position. By the sample cartridge transporting device, the sample cartridge can be ensured to be put in place while simplifying the operation.

Description

Sample box conveying device for PCR instrument and PCR instrument

Technical Field

The present application relates generally to the field of PCR instruments, and in particular to a sample cartridge transport device for a PCR instrument and a PCR instrument.

Background

The polymerase chain reaction (Polymerase chain reaction, PCR) is a molecular biological technique for amplifying specific DNA fragments, which can be seen as specific DNA replication in vitro, the greatest feature of PCR being the ability to increase minute amounts of DNA substantially. PCR instruments are an extremely important tool in molecular biology research. It has been widely used throughout the world in laboratories, for a wide variety of experimental applications such as molecular cloning, gene expression analysis, genotyping, sequencing and mutation.

PCR instruments typically include a temperature control module and an optical detection module. The temperature control module is used for controlling the temperature of the sample, for example, performing a heating-cooling cycle to facilitate the great increase of DNA in the sample. The optical detection module is used for detecting the amplified sample. Some PCR instruments include a pre-processing module in addition to a temperature control module and an optical detection module. The PCR instrument can directly preprocess a hand sample to be tested obtained by sampling and perform a PCR experiment. The sample cartridge adapted to a PCR instrument having a pretreatment module is typically a cartridge having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. How to ensure that the cartridge is in place and remains stable after placement in place while simplifying the handling when placing such a cartridge in a PCR instrument is a challenge.

Disclosure of Invention

In a first aspect of the present application, a sample cartridge transport apparatus for a PCR instrument is provided. The device comprises: the fixing seat comprises an accommodating space and a pivot shaft arranged outside the accommodating space; a cartridge carrier adapted to carry a cartridge and comprising a pair of side edges extending in a transverse direction; a sample cartridge seat fixedly disposed in the accommodation space and including a pair of limit grooves extending in a lateral direction, the pair of limit grooves being adapted to receive a pair of side edges, respectively, for movement of the side edges in the lateral direction in the limit grooves; and a door panel rotatably coupled to the pivot shaft and including a push-coupling assembly adapted to push the sample cartridge carrier and the sample cartridge from an off-bin position in a lateral direction to an operative position in which the sample cartridge is located on the sample cartridge seat during rotation of the door panel from the open to the closed position.

By using the sample box conveying device according to the embodiment of the application, when the sample box is placed, the sample box can be conveyed to a designated position in the PCR instrument only by placing the sample box on the sample box bracket and directly closing the bin gate. From the placement of the sample box to the closing of the bin gate, other complicated operations are not needed, and thus the risk of misoperation caused by the complicated operations can be effectively avoided, and the sample box can be placed in place while the operation is simplified.

In some embodiments, the cartridge carrier comprises: a carrying portion for carrying the sample cartridge, and including a pair of side edges; and a pushing portion disposed at a rear end of the carrying portion remote from the sample cartridge seat, and including a path groove extending in a longitudinal direction, the path groove being adapted for coupling of the pushing coupling assembly.

In some embodiments, the push-coupling assembly comprises: the pin is adapted to be received in the path slot for movement along the path slot during rotation of the door panel in the open and closed positions.

In some embodiments, a door panel includes: an inner plate adapted to close the accommodation space when the door panel is in a door-closing position, and including a notch portion; and an outer plate disposed outside the inner plate and spaced apart from the inner plate by a predetermined distance to define an escape space between the outer plate and the inner plate, and wherein the push-coupling assembly enters a portion of the sample cartridge bracket into the escape space through the notch portion during pushing of the sample cartridge bracket and movement of the sample cartridge.

In some embodiments, the push-coupling assembly further comprises: a pusher plate disposed on the inner plate and adapted to push the sample cartridge during rotation of the door panel from the open to closed positions to move the sample cartridge relative to the sample cartridge bracket toward the sample cartridge seat.

In some embodiments, the angle between the push plate and the inner plate is a non-right angle.

In some embodiments, the cartridge carrier further comprises: the mating plate is obliquely arranged at one end of the pushing part away from the bearing part.

In some embodiments, the door panel further comprises: and a pair of connection plates protruding from both sides of the notched portion of the inner panel toward a direction away from the outer panel, and each including a circular hole for receiving an end portion of a corresponding pin.

In some embodiments, the door panel further comprises: and a pair of limiting plates respectively arranged at one side of the pair of connecting plates, which is far away from the notch part.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: a torsion spring disposed between the door panel and the pivot shaft and adapted to switch from a door-open equilibrium state to a door-closed equilibrium state through a threshold state during rotation of the door panel from a door-open position to a door-closed position, the torsion spring comprising: a first pivot end coupled to the door panel; a second pivot end coupled to the pivot shaft; and a pivot portion located between the first pivot end and the second pivot end.

In some embodiments, the mount comprises: a base disposed in the PCR instrument and including a receiving space; and a support seat disposed at an opening side of the base adjacent to the receiving space and located at a bottom of the base in a longitudinal direction, the support seat including a pivot shaft.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: a first rotating part arranged in the door panel and comprising a first rotating shaft; the second switching part is arranged in the supporting seat and comprises a second rotating shaft; and a hinge portion pivotably coupled to the first and second rotation shafts.

In some embodiments, the hinge portion includes: a pair of swivel arms are pivotably coupled together, and ends of the pair of swivel arms are coupled to the first and second swivel axes, respectively.

In some embodiments, the sample cartridge comprises: bottom plate, including spacing lug to the sample box bracket includes: the limiting notch is aligned with the limiting lug in the transverse direction.

In some embodiments, the sample cartridge further comprises: a pair of protruding parts protruding from both sides of the bottom plate, respectively, and extending in a lateral direction; and a pair of pressing blocks respectively arranged on top of the pair of protruding parts and including a stopping edge parallel to the protruding parts and spaced apart from the bottom plate by a predetermined distance to define a limiting groove.

In some embodiments, the distance from the side of the stop edge facing the bottom plate to the bottom plate in the transverse direction gradually increases from the middle to the two ends of the stop edge.

In some embodiments, the cartridge holder further comprises an arcuate projection disposed on a side facing the bottom plate.

According to a second aspect of the present application, a PCR instrument is provided. The PCR instrument comprises a main body part and at least comprises an amplifying device capable of realizing temperature control of a sample to be detected; and a cartridge transport device according to the first aspect of the foregoing, coupled to the body portion.

Drawings

The above and other features, advantages and aspects of embodiments of the present application will become more apparent by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like or similar reference numerals denote like or similar elements, in which:

fig. 1 to 3 show schematic structural views of a cartridge transporting device for a PCR instrument in a process of transporting a cartridge according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic structural view of a sample cartridge transport apparatus for a PCR instrument according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a sample cartridge transport device for a PCR instrument according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5B shows a schematic structural view of a sample cartridge carrier according to one embodiment of the present application;

fig. 6 to 7 show schematic cross-sectional views of a sample cartridge transfer apparatus for a PCR instrument during a door closing process according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic structural view of a door panel according to one embodiment of the present application;

fig. 9 to 11 show schematic side views of a sample cartridge conveying device for a PCR instrument during a door closing process according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 12 shows a schematic structural view of a portion of a sample cartridge transport apparatus for a PCR instrument according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 13 illustrates a schematic structural view of a torsion spring according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 14 illustrates a schematic structural view of a door panel and a support base and a hinge assembly therebetween according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 15 illustrates a schematic structural view of a hinge portion according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIGS. 16 and 17 show schematic structural views of a sample cartridge holder and a sample cartridge bracket according to one embodiment of the present application;

fig. 18 and 19 show schematic structural views of a cartridge carried on a cartridge carrier moving toward a cartridge seat according to one embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While the preferred embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present application may be embodied in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

The term "comprising" and variations thereof as used herein means open ended, i.e., "including but not limited to. The term "or" means "and/or" unless specifically stated otherwise. The term "based on" means "based at least in part on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment. The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first," "second," and the like, may refer to different or the same object.

The PCR instrument utilizes PCR technology to realize the purposes of nucleic acid detection, molecular cloning, gene expression analysis, genotyping, sequencing, mutation and the like through specific DNA fragment amplification. As mentioned above, in the amplification stage, it is necessary to control the denaturation temperature, the renaturation (annealing) temperature, the extension temperature, and the action time and the number of cycles stably and reliably. Too high or uneven temperature and insufficient action time have great influence on experimental results.

The PCR instrument added with a fluorescent signal acquisition system and a computer analysis processing system is called a fluorescent quantitative PCR instrument. The PCR amplification principle is the same as that of a common PCR instrument, except that the primer added during PCR amplification is marked by using isotopes, fluorescein and the like, and the primer and the fluorescent substance are combined with the template for amplification.

Some PCR instruments can only process samples that have been pre-processed by other devices. The PCR instrument comprises a temperature control module for amplifying DNA fragments in a pretreated sample and an optical detection module for detection. Still other PCR instruments have the ability to pre-process samples, including a pre-processing module in addition to a temperature control module and an optical detection module. This type of PCR instrument can directly preprocess a sample to be tested obtained by sampling and perform a PCR experiment. The form of the cartridge used to house the sample is also different, as the two PCR instruments contain different processing contents. For PCR instruments with pretreatment modules, a sample cartridge having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is generally used. When such a sample cartridge is placed in a PCR instrument, how to ensure that the sample cartridge is placed in place with simplified handling and remains stable after being in place is a challenge.

Embodiments of the present application provide a sample cartridge transport apparatus for a PCR instrument to address or at least partially address the above-described problems or other potential problems in conventional sample cartridge placement procedures. According to the sample box conveying device of the embodiment of the application, the sample box placed in the sample box bracket can be automatically and firmly conveyed to the designated position in the PCR instrument while the door plate of the PCR instrument is closed, and can be stably positioned at the designated position so as to be beneficial to various processes such as pretreatment, amplification and detection, and the reliability of the PCR instrument is further improved.

Fig. 1 to 3 show schematic diagrams of a sample cartridge transporting device 100 according to an embodiment of the present application transporting a sample cartridge 200 to a designated position in a PCR instrument. As shown in fig. 1, 2 and 3, by using the cartridge transporting apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present application, the cartridge 200 can be transported to a designated position in the PCR instrument by simply placing the cartridge 200 on the cartridge holder 102 and directly closing the door when placing the cartridge 200. No further cumbersome operations are required from the placement of the sample cartridge 200 to the closing of the door, which effectively avoids the risk of mishandling due to the cumbersome operations, thereby ensuring that the sample cartridge 200 can be placed in place while simplifying the operations.

An exemplary structure of the sample cartridge transporting apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the cartridge transport device 100 according to an embodiment of the present application when the cartridge 200 is not placed, and fig. 5 shows a schematic view of the cartridge transport device 100 partially cut away. As shown in fig. 4 and 5, generally, the cartridge transport device 100 according to the embodiment of the present application includes a fixing base 101, a cartridge holder 102, a cartridge holder 103, and a door plate 104.

The holder 101 is located inside the PCR instrument. The PCR instrument at least further comprises an amplification device capable of controlling the temperature of the sample to be detected. In addition, in some embodiments, the PCR instrument may alternatively or additionally comprise a pre-processing module and/or a detection module for pre-processing the sample to be tested, such as lysing.

The fixing base 101 includes an accommodation space 1011 for accommodating the sample cartridge 200 and a pivot shaft 1012 outside the accommodation space 1011. The accommodation space 1011 is a destination to which the cartridge transport device 100 transports the cartridge 200. When the sample to be tested is located on the holder 101 inside the PCR instrument, the sample to be tested can be preprocessed, amplified and/or detected. The pivot shaft 1012 is located outside the accommodation space 1011. In some embodiments, the holder 101 may comprise two parts, a base 1013 and a support 1014, respectively. The base 1013 is disposed in the PCR instrument and includes the aforementioned accommodation space 1011. The support seat 1014 is located at the bottom side of the opening side of the accommodation space 1011 and includes the aforementioned pivot shaft 1012, as shown in fig. 4.

The cartridge holder 102 is for carrying a cartridge 200 and includes a pair of side edges 1022 that extend in the lateral direction H. The cartridge 200 is placed on the cartridge holder 102 between the pair of sides 1022 and transported into the receiving space 1011 via the cartridge holder 102. During the closing of the door, the cartridge carrier 102 carries the cartridge 200 in the lateral direction H and enters the operating position in the accommodation space 1011 from the out-of-the-cartridge position via the opening of the accommodation space 1011 until the door is closed and the cartridge 200 is transported into place.

In the accommodation space 1011, there is a cartridge holder 103 for carrying the cartridge 200. After the door is closed in place, the cartridge 200 is also transferred onto the cartridge seat 103 in the receiving space 1011. The sample cartridge holder 103 includes a pair of stopper grooves 1031 extending in the lateral direction H. The pair of limit grooves 1031 are configured to receive the side edges 1022 of the cartridge holder 102 such that the side edges 1022 of the cartridge holder 102 are configured to slide in the lateral direction H in the limit grooves 1031 during movement of the cartridge holder 102 in the lateral direction H.

As shown in fig. 4, in some embodiments, the sample cartridge holder 103 may include a bottom plate 1032, and a limit bump 1033 is provided on the bottom plate 1032 to protrude upward. Correspondingly, the cartridge holder 102 includes a limit notch 1026. For example, the limit notch 1026 may be disposed midway between the pair of side edges 1022 of the sample cartridge holder 102. The limit notch 1026 and limit tab 1033 are aligned in the lateral direction H such that the limit tab 1033 on the bottom plate 1032 can be received in the limit notch 1026 when the door panel 104 is in the door-closed position to thereby allow the sample cartridge 200 to be transported to the operative position.

The door panel 104 of the sample cartridge transport apparatus 100 serves as a door of the PCR instrument and includes a push-coupling assembly. The door panel 104 is rotatable about a pivot axis 1012 of the fixing base 101 between an open door position and a closed door position. In the open position, door panel 104 extends substantially in the lateral direction H to facilitate placement of cartridge 200 on cartridge bay 102. In moving from the open door position shown in fig. 1 to the closed door position shown in fig. 3 via the intermediate position shown in fig. 2, the push-coupling assembly of the door panel 104 is able to push the sample cartridge carrier 102 and the sample cartridge 200 thereon in the lateral direction H to the operative position.

In some embodiments, the door panel 104 may take a double-layered structure, i.e., including an inner panel 1042 and an outer panel 1043. When the door panel 104 is in the door-closed position, the inner plate 1042 abuts the open side of the accommodation space 1011 and thereby closes the accommodation space 1011. The outer plate 1043 is disposed substantially parallel to the inner plate 1042 outside the inner plate 1042 and spaced apart from the inner plate 1042 by a predetermined distance as shown in fig. 5A. To avoid unnecessary interference of the door panel 104 and the cartridge bay 102 during movement, the inner panel 1042 may include a notch 1044. The notch 1044 can allow a portion of the cartridge bracket 102 to enter the relief space between the inner plate 1042 and the outer plate 1043 during movement of the cartridge bracket 102 and the cartridge 200 toward the operational position by the push coupling assembly of the door 104, thereby avoiding unnecessary interference between the door 104 and the cartridge bracket 102.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 5B, the sample cartridge holder 102 may include a carrying portion 1021 for carrying the sample cartridge 200 and a pushing portion 1023 located rearward of the carrying portion 1021. Here, "front" and "rear" are relative to the direction of entry into the accommodation space 1011 from the position outside the bin, i.e., the front side in the direction of entry, and "rear" is not the rear side in the direction of entry. The pushing portion 1023 is located at the rear of the carrying portion 1021, that is, the pushing portion 1023 is located at the rear end of the carrying portion 1021 away from the sample cartridge holder 103. The pair of side edges 1022 mentioned above may be part of the carrier 1021. In order to enable the rotating door plate 104 to push the cartridge bay 102 to translate in the lateral direction H, the push portion 1023 may include a path slot 1024 extending in the longitudinal direction V. The path slot 1024 is capable of being coupled by a push-coupling assembly to thereby push the cartridge bay 102 in the lateral direction H via the path slot 1024 during rotational movement of the door plate 104.

In some embodiments, the push-coupling component may include a pin 1041. The pin 1041 may be received in the path slot 1024. During rotation of the door panel 104 between the open and closed door positions, the pin 1041 is capable of sliding in the longitudinal direction V in the path slot 1024. At the same time, as door panel 104 rotates about pivot 1012, pin 1041 is also able to push the side walls of path slot 1024 and thereby push sample cartridge carrier 102 in lateral direction H, as shown in fig. 5A, 6 and 7.

To arrange the pins 1041, the door panel 104 may include a pair of webs 1047, as shown in fig. 8. A pair of connection plates 1047 are arranged on both sides of the notch portion 1044 of the inner plate 1042 and protrude toward the inside (i.e., in a direction away from the outer plate 1043). The pair of connection plates 1047 are provided with circular holes 1049 on surfaces facing each other, thereby accommodating and thereby fixing the pins 1041. In some embodiments, the pin 1041 may include two sub-pin portions. The two sub-pin portions are located in circular holes 1049 of a pair of connection plates 1047, respectively. The two sub-pin portions of pin 1041 each extend from a circular bore 1049 and are located in path slot 1024. In some embodiments, to facilitate placement of the pin 1041, the circular hole 1049 may be a through hole structure. In such an embodiment, to prevent the pin 1041 from backing out of the circular hole 1049, the door panel 104 may further include a pair of stop plates 1048. The pair of limiting plates 1048 are located on the outer side of the connecting plate 1047 away from the notch portion 1044 and are in close proximity to the connecting plate 1047, thereby effectively preventing the pin 1041 from coming out of the circular hole 1049 of the connecting plate 1047. In some embodiments, the connection plate 1047 and the stop plate 1048 may be integrally formed with the inner plate 1042. In some alternative embodiments, in order to prevent the pin 1041 from being removed from the circular hole 1049, the circular hole 1049 may be configured as a blind hole instead of the limiting plate 1048. Furthermore, in some alternative embodiments, the pin 1041 may also be a unitary structure. That is, the pin 1041 may be a round bar having a cylindrical structure disposed between a pair of connection plates 1047.

In order to enable the cartridge 200 to be moved onto the cartridge holder 103, the cartridge 200 may be moved in the lateral direction H relative to the cartridge holder 102 towards the cartridge holder 103 while the cartridge holder 102 carries the sample movement. For example, in some embodiments, the push-coupling assembly can further include a push plate 1045. The push plate 1045 is disposed on the inner plate 1042 of the door panel 104 and is capable of pushing the cartridge 200 during rotation of the door panel 104 from the open to the closed position, thereby enabling the cartridge 200 to move relative to the cartridge bay 102 toward the cartridge seat 103, as shown in fig. 9-11.

In some embodiments, the angle between the push plate 1045 and the inner plate 1042 may be non-right, e.g., the push plate 1045 is located on the side 1022 of the notched portion 1044 and is inclined toward the notched portion 1044, as shown in fig. 9. In this way, the push plate 1045 does not contact the cartridge 200 at the beginning of the rotation of the door 104 from the door open position to the door closed position, and the cartridge holder 102 moves the cartridge 200 toward the operating position with the pin 1041 and the path slot 1024. At the same time, a portion of the cartridge holder 102 (e.g., a portion of the pushing portion 1023) passes through the notch 1044 of the inner plate 1042 and enters the escape space between the inner plate 1042 and the outer plate 1043. With further rotation of the door panel 104, the push plate 1045 begins to abut and push the sample cartridge 200 (not shown), as shown in fig. 10, and thereby ultimately push the sample cartridge seat 103 onto the sample cartridge seat 103, as shown in fig. 11. On the one hand, when the door panel 104 is rotated to an angle from the open door position, the inclined arrangement of the push plate 1045 enables the push plate 1045 to face the cartridge 200 in the substantially lateral direction H and thereby more effectively urge the cartridge 200 toward the cartridge seat 103, as shown in fig. 10. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 11, after the door plate 104 is rotated to the door-closed position and thereby the sample cartridge 200 is pushed into place, the inclined arrangement of the push plate 1045 can be elastically deformed more easily, thereby pushing against the sample cartridge 200 with a certain elastic force, ensuring the stability of the sample cartridge 200. Of course, it should be appreciated that in some alternative embodiments, the push plate 1045 may also be disposed substantially perpendicular to the inner plate 1042.

In some embodiments, cartridge bay 102 may further include mating plate 1025. The fitting plate 1025 is obliquely arranged at an end of the pushing portion 1023 away from the bearing portion 1021, as shown in fig. 9. In some embodiments, the mating plate 1025 can be angled such that the mating plate 1025 is substantially parallel to the push plate 1045 when the door panel 104 is in the closed position. In this way, during the pushing of the door panel 104 from the door opening position to the door closing position, the edge of the notch 1044 can move substantially along the mating plate 1025 and at a distance from the mating plate 1025 (i.e., without contacting the mating plate 1025), so that the mating plate 1025 and a portion of the pushing portion 1023 enter the escape space through the notch 1044, as shown in fig. 6, and further, can guide the rotation of the door panel 104 while preventing the interference of the door panel 104 and the sample cartridge bracket 102, thereby improving the stability of the sample cartridge conveying device 100.

In some embodiments, the door panel 104 and the support base 1014 may be coupled by a torsion spring 105. The torsion spring 105 is capable of switching from a door opening equilibrium state to a door closing equilibrium state through a critical state during rotation of the door panel 104 from a door opening position to a door closing position. When the door panel 104 is in the door opening position, the torsion spring 105 is in the door opening equilibrium state, so that it can be ensured that the door panel 104 is kept in the door opening position. The torsion spring 105 is in a door-closing equilibrium state when the door panel 104 is in the door-closing position, so that it can be ensured that the door panel 104 is kept in the door-closing position.

The torsion spring 105 can achieve the above-described function by the example structure shown in fig. 13. Specifically, as shown in fig. 13, in some embodiments, the torsion spring 105 may include a first pivot end 1051, a second pivot end 1052, and a pivot portion 1053 located between the two pivot ends. The first pivot end 1051 and the pivot portion 1053 and the second pivot end 1052 and the pivot portion 1053 are connected by a first spring rod 1054 and a second spring rod 1055, respectively, which are at a non-zero angle in an initial position (e.g., when the door panel 104 is in a closed position). The first pivot end 1051 is coupled to the door panel 104, for example, to a pivot post 1050 of the door panel 104. The second pivot end 1052 is coupled to the pivot shaft 1012 of the support base 1014. As the door panel 104 rotates from the closed to the open position, the first spring 1054 is urged by the receiving plate 1078 on the door panel 104 such that the angle between the two spring levers changes and an elastic force is generated. The elastic force is now applied in the direction of opening the door. As the door panel 104 is further pushed against the elastic force and reaches a position between the door closing position and the door opening position (hereinafter referred to as an intermediate position), the elastic force of the torsion spring 105 reaches a maximum in a critical state.

As the door panel 104 continues to rotate toward the door-closed position and passes through the intermediate position, the elastic force of the torsion spring 105 is turned, i.e., the torsion spring 105 applies a force to the door panel 104 that rotates toward the door-closed position. After that, the user needs to apply little or no additional force, and only the elastic force of the torsion spring 105 is needed to drive the door panel 104 to the door-closed position. After the door panel 104 is in the closed position, the torsion spring 105 is in a door-closing equilibrium state. The torsion spring 105 does not apply a force to the door panel 104 or applies a force toward the door-closed position less than a predetermined threshold, thereby facilitating the door panel 104 to remain closed. Similarly to the above door opening process, when it is desired to open the door, the elastic force of the torsion spring 105, which the user needs to overcome when opening the door, is increased until it reaches a maximum at the intermediate position before the door panel 104 reaches the intermediate position. When the door panel 104 continues to rotate toward the door opening position and passes through the intermediate position, the torsion spring 105 begins to apply a force to the door panel 104 that rotates toward the door opening position, thereby facilitating the rotation of the door panel 104 toward the door opening position.

In some embodiments, the door panel 104 may also have a coupling member 1046 disposed thereon. The coupling member 1046 is capable of coupling with a corresponding member on the PCR instrument when the door panel 104 is in the door-closed position, thereby maintaining the door panel 104 in the door-closed position. When the door needs to be opened, the user needs to operate the coupling part 1046 on the door plate 104 or the corresponding part on the PCR instrument to decouple the coupling part 1046 from the part, and then the door is opened by operating the door plate 104. In some embodiments, the coupling component 1046 may also be decoupled from the corresponding component on the PCR instrument by clicking a corresponding button in the PCR instrument or an interactive interface on the screen.

In some embodiments, a hinge assembly may also be provided between the door panel 104 and the support base 1014 in order to smooth rotation of the door panel 104. Specifically, as shown in fig. 14 and 15, the cartridge transport device 100 may further include two transfer portions and a hinge portion 1065. A first transition 1061 of the two transitions is disposed in the door panel 104 and includes a first axis of rotation 1062. The second transition 1063 is disposed in the support seat 1014 and includes a second shaft 1064. The first and second transition portions 1061, 1063 may be separate components mounted in the door panel 104 and the support base 1014, respectively. Hinge portion 1065 is pivotally coupled to first and second shafts 1062, 1064. In this way, a smoother rotation of the door panel 104 can be ensured.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 15, the hinge portion 1065 may include a pair of swivel arms 1066 pivotally coupled together. The pair of arms 1066 may have substantially the same shape and are pivotally coupled together at respective approximately intermediate positions. The mutually distal ends of the pair of swivel arms 1066 are coupled to first and second shafts 1062, 1064, respectively. In this way, the strength of the connection between the door panel 104 and the support base 1014 can be improved, damage is less likely to occur, and the smoothness of the rotation of the door panel 104 is ensured at a lower cost.

An example structure of the sample cartridge holder 103 will be further described below with reference to fig. 16 to 19. As shown in fig. 16, the sample cartridge holder 103 may further include a pair of bosses 1034. The pair of bosses 1034 protrude from both sides of the bottom plate 1032, and each extend in the lateral direction H. A pair of pressing pieces 1035 are also provided on the pair of protruding portions 1034, respectively. Each of the pressing pieces 1035 is provided on top of the corresponding boss 1034, and has an inverted U-shape in cross section. One side of the pressing block 1035 of the inverted U-shaped structure is disposed on the boss 1034, and the other side (i.e., the stopper side 1036) is parallel to the boss 1034 and spaced apart from the bottom plate 1032 by a predetermined distance. The above-mentioned limit groove 1031 is defined by the boss 1034, the pressing block 1035, and the bottom plate 1032. In some embodiments, all of the components of the cartridge holder 103 may be integrally formed. In some alternative embodiments, at least some portions of the cartridge holder 103, such as the boss 1034 and the press block 1035, may be assembled together by snap-fit connection, fastener connection, or the like.

The side 1022 of the cartridge bay 102 can be defined in the limit slot 1031. The side 1022 of the sample cartridge holder 102 includes an edge portion that protrudes upward from the carrier bottom 1032 of the carrier 1021. During sliding of the cartridge holder 102 in the transverse direction H with respect to the cartridge holder 103, the edge portions of the side edges 1022 of the cartridge holder 102 are located between the stop edges 1036 of the press block 1035 and the boss 1034, so that the smoothness of the sliding of the cartridge holder 102 can be ensured.

In addition, to facilitate the edge portions of the side 1022 of the sample cartridge holder 102 to enter and slide out of the limit slot 1031, the side of the stop edge 1036 facing the bottom plate 1032 is provided with: in the transverse direction H, the distance of the side from the bottom plate 1032 becomes gradually larger from the middle portion to both ends of the stopper edge 1036. The above arrangement makes the opening of the limit groove 1031 larger, since the opening of the limit groove 1031 corresponds to the end position of the side of the stopper edge 1036 facing the bottom plate 1032. For example, in some embodiments, the side of the stop edge 1036 facing the bottom plate 1032 may have an arcuate shape with a convex middle. In this way, when the carrier bottom plate 1032 and the edge portion of the cartridge holder 102 enter the limit groove 1031, it is possible to smoothly enter from a large opening of the limit groove 1031. With further movement of the cartridge holder 102 in the lateral direction H, the cartridge holder 102 and the cartridge 200 carried thereon will pass the stop edge 1036 at a minimum distance from the bottom plate 1032 (i.e., the middle of the stop edge 1036 in the lateral direction H), thereby enabling the stop edge 1036 to apply a certain pressure thereto to the cartridge 200. The pressure does not affect the push plate 1045 to push the cartridge 200 into displacement relative to the cartridge bay 102. The pressure is not great but the movement of the cartridge 200 in the longitudinal direction V can be limited to some extent, thereby ensuring the stability of the cartridge 200 in the working position.

In addition, the above-described design of the stop edge 1036 also allows the cartridge 200 to be placed on the cartridge holder 102 as desired. In particular, even if the initial placement position of the cartridge 200 on the cartridge holder 102 is deviated, the cartridge 200 stops moving when the cartridge 200 moves to the position where the bottom plate 1032 of the cartridge 200 contacts the lowest of the stopper sides 1036 due to the shape of the stopper sides 1036 during the closing of the cartridge door. The cartridge carrier 102 does not move in the transverse direction H until it is further touched and pushed by the push plate 1045, thereby ensuring that even if the cartridge 200 is not initially set in the correct position, the correct working position is eventually reached by the combined action of the stop edge 1036 and the push plate 1045.

In some embodiments, in order to enable smoother sliding between the cartridge holder 102 and the cartridge seat 103, an arc-shaped protrusion 1027 may be provided at the bottom of the bearing 1021 of the cartridge holder 102. The arc-shaped convex portion 1027 can reduce the contact area with the bottom plate 1032 of the cartridge holder 103, so that the friction force can be reduced, and further the sliding of the cartridge holder 102 on the cartridge holder 103 can be made smoother. The arcuate projections 1027 may take any suitable form, for example, in some embodiments, the arcuate projections 1027 may be in the form of strips extending in the lateral direction H. In some alternative embodiments, the arcuate projection 1027 may also be provided in the form of a plurality of small arcuate projections, thereby effectively reducing the friction of the sliding of the cartridge holder 102 on the cartridge seat 103, and making the sliding of the cartridge holder 102 smoother.

The embodiments of the present application have been described above, the foregoing description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and not limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the various embodiments described. The terminology used herein was chosen in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or the technical improvement in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims (15)

1. A sample cartridge transport apparatus for a PCR instrument, the PCR instrument comprising at least a pretreatment module and an amplification device, the pretreatment module being capable of pretreating a sample to be tested contained in a sample cartridge (200) including lysis, the sample cartridge transport apparatus comprising:

a fixed base (101) including an accommodation space (1011) and a pivot shaft (1012) disposed outside the accommodation space (1011);

a cartridge carrier (102) adapted to carry the cartridge (200) and comprising a pair of side edges (1022) extending in a transverse direction (H);

a sample cartridge (103) fixedly arranged in the accommodation space (1011) and comprising a pair of limit grooves (1031) extending in the lateral direction (H), the pair of limit grooves (1031) being adapted to receive the pair of side edges (1022) respectively for movement of the side edges (1022) in the lateral direction (H) in the limit grooves (1031); and

a door plate (104) rotatably coupled to the pivot shaft (1012) and comprising a push coupling assembly adapted to push the sample cartridge carrier (102) and the sample cartridge (200) from an off-bin position in the lateral direction (H) to an operative position in which the sample cartridge (200) is located on the sample cartridge seat (103) during rotation of the door plate (104) from a door open position to a door closed position,

wherein the sample cartridge holder (102) comprises:

a carrying portion (1021) for carrying the sample cartridge (200), and including the pair of side edges (1022); and

a push portion (1023) arranged at a rear end of the carrier portion (1021) remote from the cartridge holder (103) and comprising a path slot (1024) extending in a longitudinal direction (V), the path slot (1024) being adapted for coupling of the push coupling assembly,

the push-coupling assembly includes:

a pin (1041) adapted to be received in the path slot (1024) to move along the path slot (1024) during rotation of the door panel (104) in the open and closed positions,

wherein the door panel (104) comprises:

an inner plate (1042) adapted to close the containing space (1011) when the door panel (104) is in the door-closing position, and comprising a notched portion (1044); and

an outer plate (1043) arranged outside the inner plate (1042) and spaced apart from the inner plate (1042) by a predetermined distance to define a relief space between the outer plate (1043) and the inner plate (1042), and

wherein the push-coupling assembly, during pushing of the cartridge holder (102) and movement of the cartridge (200), a portion of the cartridge holder (102) enters the escape space through the notch (1044).

2. The sample cartridge transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein the push-coupling assembly further comprises:

a push plate (1045) disposed on the inner plate (1042) and adapted to push the sample cartridge (200) during rotation of the door plate (104) from a door open position to a door closed position to move the sample cartridge (200) relative to the sample cartridge carrier (102) toward the sample cartridge seat (103).

3. The sample cartridge transport apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an angle between the push plate (1045) and the inner plate (1042) is a non-right angle.

4. The sample cartridge transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sample cartridge carrier (102) further comprises:

and a mating plate (1025) obliquely arranged at an end of the pushing portion (1023) away from the bearing portion (1021).

5. The sample cartridge transport apparatus of claim 1, wherein the door panel (104) further comprises:

a pair of connection plates (1047) protruding from both sides of the notched portion (1044) of the inner plate (1042) toward a direction away from the outer plate (1043), and each connection plate (1047) includes a circular hole (1049) for receiving an end portion of the pin (1041).

6. The sample cartridge transport apparatus of claim 5, wherein the door panel (104) further comprises:

a pair of stopper plates (1048) respectively arranged on the sides of the pair of connecting plates (1047) away from the notch portion (1044).

7. The sample cartridge transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising:

a torsion spring (105) arranged between a door panel (104) and the pivot shaft (1012) and adapted to switch from a door opening equilibrium state to a door closing equilibrium state through a critical state during rotation of the door panel (104) from the door opening position to the door closing position, the torsion spring (105) comprising:

a first pivot end (1051) coupled to the door panel (104);

a second pivot end (1052) coupled to the pivot shaft (1012); and

a pivot (1053) located between the first pivot end (1051) and the second pivot end (1052).

8. The sample cartridge transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the holder (101) comprises:

a base (1013) disposed in the PCR instrument and including the accommodation space (1011); and

-a support seat (1014) arranged at the open side of the base (1013) adjacent to the accommodation space (1011) and at the bottom of the base (1013) in the longitudinal direction (V), the support seat (1014) comprising the pivot shaft (1012).

9. The sample cartridge transport apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a first hinge (1061) disposed in the door panel (104) and including a first hinge (1062);

a second transition portion (1063) disposed in the support seat (1014) and including a second rotation shaft (1064); and

a hinge portion (1065) pivotally coupled to the first and second shafts (1062, 1064).

10. The sample cartridge transport apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the hinge portion (1065) includes:

a pair of swivel arms (1066) are pivotably coupled together, and ends of the pair of swivel arms (1066) are coupled to the first and second swivel axes, respectively.

11. The sample cartridge transport device according to any one of claims 1-6, 9 and 10, wherein the sample cartridge seat (103) comprises:

-a base plate (1032) comprising a limit bump (1033), and-the cartridge carrier (102) comprises:

and a limit notch (1026) aligned with the limit bump (1033) in the transverse direction (H).

12. The sample cartridge transport apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sample cartridge holder (103) further comprises:

a pair of bosses (1034) protruding from both sides of the base plate (1032), respectively, and extending in the lateral direction (H); and

a pair of press blocks (1035) respectively arranged on top of the pair of bosses (1034) and including a stopper edge (1036), the stopper edge (1036) being parallel to the bosses (1034) and spaced apart from the base plate (1032) by a predetermined distance to define the limit groove (1031).

13. The sample cartridge conveying device according to claim 12, wherein a distance from the bottom plate (1032) of a side of the stopper edge (1036) toward the bottom plate (1032) in the lateral direction (H) becomes gradually larger from a middle portion to both ends of the stopper edge (1036).

14. The sample cartridge transport apparatus of claim 12, wherein the sample cartridge carrier (102) further comprises an arcuate projection (1027) disposed on a side facing the base plate (1032).

15. A PCR instrument, comprising:

a main body part including at least an amplification device capable of realizing temperature control of a sample to be measured; and

the sample cartridge transport device (100) according to any one of claims 1-14, coupled to the body portion.

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