CN116265140A

CN116265140A - Sample analyzer and cleaning control method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN116265140A
Application number: CN202111555533.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 周洋; 刘右林
Original assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio Medical Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio Medical Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-12-17
Filing date: 2021-12-17
Publication date: 2023-06-20

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a sample analyzer and a cleaning control method thereof. The sample analyzer includes a dispensing mechanism, a first container, an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism, a first fluid path support mechanism, and a controller. The controller may be configured to: controlling a moving part to move a pipetting needle to the first position and aspirate a first wash liquid from the first container; controlling the moving part to move the pipetting needle having sucked the first washing liquid and insert the pipetting needle into the second washing liquid in the first washing tank; and controlling the ultrasonic sound source assembly to provide sound field vibration to the second cleaning liquid and the first cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank. The sample analyzer can suck various types of cleaning liquid into the pipetting needle according to the cleaning requirement of the inner wall of the pipetting needle, and the high-efficiency cleaning effect on the pipetting needle, which comprises the inner wall and the outer wall, is realized under the action of ultrasonic field vibration in cooperation with the cleaning liquid injected into the cleaning pool with the ultrasonic function.

Description

Sample analyzer and cleaning control method thereof

Technical Field

The disclosure belongs to the technical field of automatic analysis devices and control methods thereof, and particularly relates to a sample analyzer and a cleaning control method thereof.

Background

In-vitro diagnostic test devices require the use of probes for the filling of samples and reagents. After filling, stirring and mixing are further needed to ensure full reaction. Wherein the probe is reusable and is exposed to different liquid media during operation. In order to avoid carrying pollution among different media, each device including the probe needs to be cleaned after each operation so as to remove residual substances on the surface of the device, and the residual substances are prevented from being brought into the next reaction, so that cross pollution is caused, and the accuracy of a test result is affected.

In vitro diagnostic tests, many types of media are used, and the physical properties of the various media are different. The conventional cleaning method is to design a cleaning unit for each device, and after each device finishes the media dispensing once, the device moves to a cleaning position to clean, and after the cleaning is finished, the next media dispensing is executed again. With this approach, the corresponding cleaning media and cleaning pattern are relatively fixed, and particularly for applications with low cleaning peel forces, the cleaning approach may not completely remove the contaminants. With the long-term use of the in-vitro diagnosis and test instrument, the accumulation of tiny pollution on the surface of the in-vitro diagnosis and test instrument can eventually cause cross pollution to exceed standard, or the accumulation of residues can cause the property of the surface of a part to change, the residues of liquid after cleaning are increased, and the residues can cause abnormal test results after entering a reaction system.

At present, periodic manual maintenance cleaning and special chemical cleaning are mainly adopted to cope with the situation. However, the regular manual maintenance and cleaning needs to be manually executed, the execution time and frequency cannot be accurately controlled, and the operation complexity is high. And, there is a high professional demand for maintenance personnel, and if the precision unit is abnormally operated or improperly operated, damage or failure of the unit may be caused.

Special chemical cleaning is typically performed automatically by adding one or more chemical cleaning fluids periodically to the work object. However, this method is only suitable for a contaminant capable of reacting with the cleaning agent used, and is difficult to remove for a complicated contaminant, especially for a case where the cleaning peel force is small. And excessive cleaning medium settings can increase operational complexity and difficulty in consumable management.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure provides a sample analyzer and a cleaning control method thereof, which can suck various types of cleaning liquid into a pipetting needle according to the cleaning requirement of the inner wall of the pipetting needle, and cooperate with the cleaning liquid injected into a cleaning tank with an ultrasonic function to realize an efficient cleaning effect on the pipetting needle including the inner wall and the outer wall under the action of ultrasonic field vibration.

In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a sample analyzer is provided. The sample analyzer includes a dispensing mechanism, a first container, an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism, a first fluid path support mechanism, and a controller. The dispensing mechanism may include a moving member for driving the pipetting needle to move between different working positions to aspirate or discharge a target liquid including at least one of a sample and a reagent, and a pipetting needle provided on the moving member. The first container is positioned at a first position on the moving track and is used for containing a first cleaning liquid. The ultrasonic cleaning mechanism comprises a first cleaning pool and an ultrasonic source assembly, wherein the first cleaning pool is used for containing cleaning liquid, and the ultrasonic source assembly is used for providing sound field vibration for the cleaning liquid in the first cleaning pool. The first liquid path supporting mechanism is used for providing at least second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning pool. The controller may be configured to: controlling the moving member to move the pipetting needle to the first position and aspirate a first wash liquid from the first container; controlling the first liquid path supporting mechanism to supply the second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank; controlling the moving means to move the pipetting needle having sucked the first washing liquid and insert the pipetting needle into the second washing liquid in the first washing reservoir; and controlling the ultrasonic sound source assembly to provide sound field vibration to the second cleaning liquid and the first cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank.

In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a sample analyzer is provided. The sample analyzer comprises a residence dividing mechanism, a cleaning liquid providing mechanism, an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism, a liquid path supporting mechanism and a controller. The dispensing mechanism may include a moving member for driving the pipetting needle to move between different working positions to aspirate or discharge a target liquid including at least one of a sample and a reagent, and a pipetting needle provided on the moving member. The cleaning liquid supply mechanism is used for supplying a first cleaning liquid to the inner cavity of the pipetting needle. The ultrasonic cleaning mechanism comprises a first cleaning tank and an ultrasonic sound source assembly, wherein the first cleaning tank is used for containing second cleaning liquid, and the ultrasonic sound source assembly is used for providing sound field vibration for the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank. The liquid path supporting mechanism is used for providing the second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning pool. The controller may be configured to: controlling the cleaning liquid supply mechanism to supply a first cleaning liquid to the inner cavity of the pipetting needle; controlling the liquid path supporting mechanism to supply the second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank; controlling the moving part to insert the pipetting needle into the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank; and controlling the ultrasonic sound source assembly to provide sound field vibration for the second cleaning liquid and the first cleaning liquid in the first cleaning pool, wherein the first cleaning liquid is different from the second cleaning liquid.

In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method of controlling cleaning of a sample analyzer is provided. The cleaning control method comprises the following steps: providing an inner wall cleaning solution to an inner cavity of a pipetting needle of the sample analyzer; providing an outer wall cleaning liquid to a cleaning reservoir of the sample analyzer, the inner wall cleaning liquid and the outer wall cleaning liquid being different in source, or the inner wall cleaning liquid and the outer wall cleaning liquid being different; inserting the pipetting needle at least partially into an outer wall wash liquid within the wash basin; and providing sound field vibration to the outer wall cleaning liquid in the cleaning pool and the inner wall cleaning liquid in the inner cavity of the pipetting needle so as to transfer the sound field vibration to the outer wall and the inner wall of the pipetting needle.

Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the embodiment of the disclosure are that:

the sample analyzer of the present disclosure has a first container for holding a first cleaning fluid, and a controller for controlling the dispensing mechanism to aspirate the first cleaning fluid from the first container and then insert the first cleaning fluid into a second cleaning fluid. Various types of cleaning liquid can be sucked into the pipetting needle according to the cleaning requirement of the inner wall of the pipetting needle, and the high-efficiency cleaning effect on the pipetting needle, which comprises the inner wall and the outer wall, is realized under the action of ultrasonic field vibration in cooperation with the cleaning liquid injected into the cleaning pool with the ultrasonic function.

Drawings

In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. The same reference numerals with letter suffixes or different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments by way of example in general and not by way of limitation, and together with the description and claims serve to explain the disclosed embodiments. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. Such embodiments are illustrative and not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive of the present apparatus or method.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a configuration of a sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 (a) shows a schematic view of a sample analyzer with a pipetting needle aspirating a first wash solution from a first container in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 (b) shows a schematic view of a sample analyzer with a pipetting needle that aspirates a first wash liquid moving and inserting into a first wash basin according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 3 (a) shows a perspective view of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, seen obliquely from below;

Fig. 3 (b) shows a perspective view of an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, seen obliquely from above;

fig. 3 (c) shows a schematic structural view of a first liquid path support mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a process from a pipette needle to aspirate a first wash liquid to a second wash liquid inserted into a first wash tank according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of another configuration of a sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 6 shows a flowchart of a cleaning control method of the sample analyzer 1' according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The reference numerals in the drawings denote components:

1-a sample analyzer; 2-reaction plate; 3-a reaction vessel; 4-moving parts; 5-pipetting needle; 6-a first container; 7-an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism; 8-a first cleaning tank; 9-an ultrasonic sound source assembly; 10-a first fluid path support mechanism; 11-a controller; 12-a liquid discharge mechanism; 13-an overflow cavity liquid outlet; 14-an overflow chamber; 15-a liquid inlet; 16-cleaning the liquid outlet of the cavity; 17a, 17b, 17 c-adjusting means; 10 a-a first fluid path assembly; 10 b-a second fluid path assembly; 12 a-a liquid discharge circuit assembly; 15 a-a first liquid inlet; 15 b-a second liquid inlet; 15 c-liquid inlet.

Detailed Description

In order to better understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure, the following detailed description of the present disclosure is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings and the specific embodiments. Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in further detail below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments, but not by way of limitation of the present disclosure.

The terms "first," "second," and the like, as used in this disclosure, do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another, and the terms "first element" and "second element" may be identical or different. The word "comprising" or "comprises" and the like means that elements preceding the word encompass the elements recited after the word, and not exclude the possibility of also encompassing other elements. "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc. are used merely to indicate relative positional relationships, which may also be changed when the absolute position of the object to be described is changed.

In this disclosure, when a particular device is described as being located between a first device and a second device, there may or may not be an intervening device between the particular device and either the first device or the second device. When it is described that a particular device is connected to other devices, the particular device may be directly connected to the other devices without intervening devices, or may be directly connected to the other devices without intervening devices.

All terms (including technical or scientific terms) used in this disclosure have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs, unless specifically defined otherwise. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Techniques, methods, and apparatus known to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but are intended to be part of the specification where appropriate.

Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of a sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The sample analyzer 1 may include a dispensing mechanism (including a moving member 4 and a pipetting needle 5), a first container 6, an ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 7, a first liquid path support mechanism 10, and a controller 11. As shown in fig. 1, 2 (a) and 2 (b), a pipetting needle 5 is provided on the moving member 4 so that the moving member 4 drives the pipetting needle 5 to move between different working positions to aspirate or discharge a target liquid including at least one of a sample and a reagent. The path along which the moving member 4 drives the pipetting needle 5 to move between different working positions may also be referred to as the movement track of the pipetting needle 5, and the sample in this embodiment may be serum or whole blood, or may be a body fluid of a user, such as urine.

The sample analyzer 1 may further include a reaction tray 2 and reaction containers 3, wherein the reaction containers 3 are distributed on the reaction tray 2, and the distribution number, size, etc. of the reaction containers may be adjusted based on actual needs, which is not specifically limited in the present disclosure. Driven by the moving member 4, the pipetting needle 5 can aspirate a sample or a reagent and respectively, for example, into each of the reaction vessels 3 on the reaction disk 2, so that the sample and the reagent react therein to perform an in vitro test. Note that the reaction tray 2 and the reaction container 3 are indicated by dashed boxes in fig. 1, and it is intended to mean that the method of controlling the cleaning of the sample analyzer of the various embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented without depending on these two members; it will be appreciated that the pipetting needle 5 may comprise a sample needle for aspirating a sample at a sample aspirating position and injecting the sample into the reaction vessel 3 and a reagent needle for aspirating a reagent at a reagent position in the reagent tray and injecting the reagent into the reaction vessel 3; the sample analyzer 1 may further include a mixing mechanism, an incubation mechanism, and a detection mechanism, where the mixing mechanism is used to mix the reagent and the sample in the reaction container to obtain a reaction solution, the incubation mechanism is used to incubate the reaction solution, and the detection mechanism may be a light measurement component, which is used to perform light measurement on the incubated reaction solution to obtain reaction data of the sample. For example, the light measuring unit may detect absorbance of the reaction solution to be measured, calculate the concentration of the component to be measured in the sample by a calibration curve, and the like.

As shown in fig. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the first container 6 is located at a first position on the moving track of the pipetting needle 5 and is used for containing a first cleaning liquid to be sucked into the lumen thereof by the pipetting needle 5. The first container 6 may be a container other than the first cleaning tank 8 constituting the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 7 together with the ultrasonic sound source unit 9, such as a stirring rod cleaning tank, in which a cleaning liquid for cleaning the stirring rod is contained as the first cleaning liquid, or the first container 6 may be a container placed on a cleaning liquid containing position provided separately. However, the first container 6 is not limited thereto, and in some embodiments, may be the first cleaning tank 8 itself, or any container that is flexibly selectable on the movement track of the pipetting needle 5.

The ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 7 includes a first cleaning tank 8 for containing a cleaning liquid, and an ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 for providing sound field vibration to the cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank 8, the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9. A first fluid path support mechanism 10 (not shown in fig. 2 (a) and 2 (b)) may be used to provide at least a second cleaning fluid into the first cleaning tank 8. Wherein the second cleaning liquid cleans at least part of the outer wall of the pipetting needle 5, for example, immersed therein under sound field vibration, and the part of the pipetting needle 5 immersed in the second cleaning liquid includes at least the free end of the pipetting needle 5. For drawing the target liquid, at least the free end of the pipetting needle 5 is inserted into the target liquid to aspirate the target liquid through the opening of the free end of the pipetting needle 5. Specifically, the first liquid passage supporting mechanism 10 may be a container of any shape and size, or may be a pipe device configured by combining a certain container with other components. The first liquid path supporting mechanism 10 in the present disclosure may take any structure (for example, a control unit, a liquid source, a liquid supply port, and a valve for controlling a flow rate, etc. may be introduced) as long as at least the second cleaning liquid can be supplied into the first cleaning tank 8.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller 11 may be implemented via a dedicated processor, such as, but not limited to, a CPU, MPU, etc., or may be implemented via a hardware circuit having a processing function, such as FPGA, ASIC, SOC.

The controller 11 (not shown in fig. 2 (a) and 2 (b)) may be configured to control at least the moving part 4, the pipetting needle 5 and the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 to perform a washing process of the sample washer 1.

As shown in fig. 2 (a), the controller 11 may control the moving member 4 to move the pipetting needle 5 to the first position and aspirate the first cleaning liquid from the first container 6 in the first position. As shown in fig. 2 (b), the controller 11 may control the first liquid path supporting mechanism 10 to supply the second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank 8, may control the moving member 4 to move and insert the pipetting needle 5 having sucked the first cleaning liquid into the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank 8, and may control the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 to supply sound field vibrations to the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank 8 and the first cleaning liquid (in the lumen of the pipetting needle 5). So, the inner chamber of the pipetting needle 5 is holding first washing liquid and outer wall submergence second washing liquid under the condition of the washing liquid of outer wall, and sound field vibration passes through second washing liquid and transmits to the outer wall of pipetting needle 5, and rethread pipetting needle 5 transmits to the first washing liquid of inner chamber to realize that inner wall and outer wall carry out the effective washing of pertinence. In particular, the first cleaning liquid can be flexibly selected in at least one of category and concentration according to the cleaning requirement of the inner wall of the pipetting needle 5. For example, the adapted first cleaning liquid may be accommodated in each first container 6 on the moving track according to the cleaning requirement of the inner wall of the pipetting needle 5. For another example, a plurality of first containers 6 may be provided on the movement locus, and the same or different first cleaning liquids may be placed in different first containers 6, for example, an acidic solution may be placed in a first container 6, an alkaline solution may be placed in a second first container 6, and the pipetting needle 5 may be moved to the first container 6 containing the first cleaning liquid adapted to the cleaning requirement according to the cleaning requirement of the inner wall of the pipetting needle 5, and the first cleaning liquid may be sucked therefrom.

In some embodiments, the first cleaning solution and the second cleaning solution may be the same or different. The first cleaning liquid being different from the second cleaning liquid is understood to mean that the components of the first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid are different or that the sources of the first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid are different. For example, the composition may be different in which the types of substances are different, or in which the types of substances are the same but the mixing modes (suspension, emulsion, solution, etc.) of the cleaning liquid are different, or the types of substances and the mixing modes are the same but the proportions of the substances are different. For another example, different sources of cleaning fluid means that the cleaning fluid is from different supply lines, different supply containers, different sources of liquid at different locations, or different sources of liquid at different times (especially where the liquid supply may vary over time), and so forth.

Note that the so-called cleaning liquid in the present disclosure may be different in composition, may be the same in type but different in concentration, and the like. Specifically, for the cooperative selection of the first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid, it is possible to make it in consideration of the nature of the inner wall contamination of the pipetting needle 5 in combination with the difference in consideration of the nature of the inner wall contamination and the outer wall contamination zone of the pipetting needle 5. For example, the type of the first cleaning liquid may be made the same as the type of the second cleaning liquid but higher in concentration than the latter, so as to perform efficient erosion decomposition and stripping of contaminants more easily accumulated in the inner wall, thereby distinguishing the cleaning effect. For another example, the type and concentration of the first cleaning liquid may be selected so as to be different from the second cleaning liquid based on the difference between the properties of the contaminants in the inner cavity (including the wall surface and the accommodating space) of the pipette needle 5 and the properties of the contaminants in the outer wall. For example, the first cleaning fluid may be a chemically aggressive fluid to provide sufficient aggressive decomposition of contaminants (including potential contaminants) on the inner wall, and the second cleaning fluid may be an alkaline solution, such as sodium hydroxide solution, a strong potassium oxide solution, or a surfactant with cleaning properties, mixtures thereof, and the like, to provide activated separation cleaning of contaminants typically found on the outer wall.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 7 may include a first cleaning tank 8 and an ultrasonic source assembly 9 located at the bottom of the first cleaning tank 8 (e.g., without limitation, connected thereto). The ultrasonic sound source component 9 is located at the bottom of the first cleaning tank 8, so that the ultrasonic sound source component 9 can vibrate through the transmission sound field of the cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank 8 from the bottom of the first cleaning tank 8, the tank wall of the cleaning cavity 8 'of the first cleaning tank 8 can vibrate in the cleaning process, the cleaned dirty substances cannot adhere to the tank wall of the cleaning cavity 8', the cleaning of the cleaning cavity 8 'is maintained, and it is understood that the dirty substances are easier to adhere to the bottom of the cleaning cavity 8' due to the action of gravity, but the bottom wall of the cleaning cavity 8 'vibrates greatly due to the fact that the ultrasonic sound source component 9 is arranged at the bottom of the first cleaning tank 8 in the embodiment, so that the dirty substances can be effectively prevented from adhering to the bottom wall of the cleaning cavity 8'. In addition, the ultrasonic sound source component 9 is arranged at the bottom of the first cleaning tank 8, and the mode of the bottom vibration source is adopted, so that the gravity center of the ultrasonic sound source component 9 and the center axis of the first cleaning tank 8 are on the same line, and the gravity center deviation can not occur even if the ultrasonic sound source component is used for a long time.

Further, the first washing tank 8 is provided with a washing chamber 8' and an overflow chamber 14, the pipetting needle 5 is inserted into the washing liquid in the washing chamber 8', and the overflow chamber 14 is used for receiving the washing liquid overflowed from the washing chamber 8 '. For example, during ultrasonic vibration cleaning, cleaning fluid in the cleaning chamber 8' may overflow under vibration, thereby contaminating the apparatus. By providing the overflow chamber 14 and overflowing the cleaning liquid in the cleaning chamber 8 'to the overflow chamber 14, the amount of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning chamber 8' is always kept consistent, so that the cleaning frequency is stable, and the cleaning effect on the pipetting needle 5 is ensured.

The controller 11 is further configured to control the first liquid path support mechanism 10 to supply the second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank 8: the first liquid path supporting mechanism 10 is controlled to supply the second cleaning liquid into the cleaning cavity 8' within a first preset period of time, so that the second cleaning liquid in the cleaning cavity 8' overflows to the overflow cavity 14, and the cleaning cavity 8' is filled with the second cleaning liquid, thereby improving the cleaning effect.

In some embodiments, the sample analyzer 1 may further include a drain mechanism 12 (as shown in fig. 1), and the drain mechanism 12 may be used to drain the used cleaning liquid from the first cleaning reservoir 8.

As shown in fig. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 7 may be provided with an overflow chamber drain 13, an overflow chamber 14, a liquid inlet 15, and a cleaning chamber drain 16, and the liquid inlet 15 may be used to access a liquid supply pipe for the first cleaning tank 8 to supply cleaning liquid (e.g., second cleaning liquid, cleaning water, etc.) thereto as needed. An overflow cavity 14 is also arranged, once the cleaning liquid entering the first cleaning pool 8 overflows beyond the capacity of the first cleaning pool 8, the overflowed cleaning liquid enters the overflow cavity 14, an overflow cavity liquid outlet 13 arranged at the bottom is used for discharging the overflowed cleaning liquid, and the overflow cavity liquid outlet 13 discharges liquid under the action of gravity. The overflow chamber drain 13, overflow chamber 14, and wash chamber drain 16 cooperate as a drain mechanism 12. The liquid discharging mechanism 12 is specifically described above with reference to the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism 7 shown in fig. 3 (a) and 3 (b), but the structure of the liquid discharging mechanism 12 is not limited thereto. For example, in some cases, if the controller 11 controls the volume of the cleaning liquid entering the first cleaning tank 8, there is no excessive overflow of the cleaning liquid, and therefore, the overflow chamber 14 and the overflow chamber drain 13 may not be provided, and the cleaning chamber drain 16 may be connected to a vacuum pump, and drain may be performed by the vacuum pump.

In some embodiments, the first fluid path support mechanism 10 is further configured to provide a third cleaning fluid into the first cleaning tank 8. Wherein the third cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid may be the same or different. For example, after the completion of one cleaning, the first liquid path supporting mechanism 10 may continue to supply the third cleaning liquid, which is the same (updated) or different (replaced) from the second cleaning liquid, to the first cleaning liquid reservoir 8, and continue to clean the pipette needle 5. The third cleaning liquid can be updated or replaced based on the change of the contaminants on the needle wall during the cleaning process of the pipetting needle 5.

Further, the sample analyzer 1 further comprises a second container located at a second position on the movement track of the pipetting needle 5 for holding a fourth washing liquid, wherein the fourth washing liquid may be the same as or different from the first washing liquid. If only the first container is arranged on the moving track, when the pipetting needle 5 is cleaned, the first cleaning liquid in the first container is required to be discharged and then the fourth cleaning liquid is required to be added for cleaning, so that the cleaning efficiency is reduced. Through setting up the second position and setting up the second container on the removal orbit, be convenient for the pipetting needle high-efficient, absorb the fourth washing liquid fast, improved cleaning efficiency.

The cleaning process performed by the controller 11 will be exemplarily described below.

In some embodiments, the controller 11 is further configured to: after the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 provides sound field vibration to the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank 8 for a second preset time period and/or a second preset number of times, the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 is closed, the liquid discharging mechanism 12 is controlled to discharge the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank 8, and the pipetting needle 5 is controlled to discharge the first cleaning liquid. For example, the duration and/or the number of sound field vibrations can be preset for the pollution conditions of various types of pipetting needles 5 under different use conditions when leaving the factory, and the sound field vibrations can be presented to the user in a cleaning mode (for example, visually presented on a display interface or an audible prompt) so that the user can select the cleaning mode as required. Specifically, when the contaminants on the inner wall of the pipetting needle 5 are easy to clean, the first preset time period may be set to 3min, and when the residual cleaning difficulty of the inner wall of the pipetting needle 5 is large, the first preset time period may be set to 6min. For another example, the second preset duration and/or the second preset number of times (the customization mode) may be customized by the user for the current cleaning requirement of the pipetting needle 5, such that the sound field vibration of the second preset duration and/or the second preset number of times can accomplish efficient cleaning of the pipetting needle 5. The controller 11 may automatically execute various cleaning modes, and after the sound field vibrates for a preset period of time and/or number of times, the vibration is turned off, and the liquid discharging mechanism 12 is controlled to discharge the used cleaning liquid, so that the cleaning is completed. Thus, proper cleaning of the pipetting needle 5 can be ensured to avoid the loss of the pipetting needle 5 due to insufficient cleaning and excessive cleaning.

In some embodiments, the controller 11 may be further configured to update the second cleaning liquid (change over with a fresher second cleaning liquid) or change over the second cleaning liquid (change over to a different cleaning liquid as needed) after turning off the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 and controlling the drain mechanism 12 to drain the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning reservoir 8. Specifically, the controller 11 may control the pipetting needle 5 to drain the first washing liquid and the moving means 4 to move the drained pipetting needle 5 to the second position and aspirate a fourth washing liquid from the second container, which may be the same as (for renewal) or different from (for replacement) the first washing liquid. The controller 11 may control the first liquid path supporting mechanism 10 to supply the third cleaning liquid to the first cleaning tank 8. The third cleaning liquid may be the same as the second cleaning liquid (for renewal) or different (for replacement) for cleaning the outer wall of the pipetting needle 5. The moving member 4 may also be controlled to move and at least partially insert the pipetting needle 5 having sucked the fourth washing liquid into the third washing liquid in the first washing reservoir 8. Next, the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 may be controlled to provide sound field vibration to the third washing liquid in the first washing reservoir 8 while controlling the pipette needle to be at least partially inserted into the third washing liquid, thereby simultaneously providing sound field vibration to the fourth washing liquid in the lumen of the pipette needle 5. After the third cleaning liquid is provided with the sound field vibration for the second preset time period and/or the second preset times, the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 is turned off and the liquid discharging mechanism 12 is controlled to discharge the third cleaning liquid in the first cleaning reservoir 8, and the pipetting needle 5 is controlled to discharge the fourth cleaning liquid.

For example, the third cleaning liquid may be the same type of cleaning liquid as the second cleaning liquid but at a lower concentration, and may even be cleaning water. The residual property of the pipetting needle 5 is stable, the cleaning difficulty is high, and the selected second cleaning liquid can enable the strong alkali solution and other cleaning liquids with stronger performances and higher concentrations. After the first cleaning is completed, most of the residues of the pipetting needle 5 are likely to be removed, only the pollutants with relatively small cleaning difficulty are left, and at this time, the pollutants can be replaced by cleaning liquid with lower concentration or lower strength, so that the cleaning liquid and the cleaning water possibly used for flushing in the follow-up process can be saved. For example, the second cleaning liquid is 6M potassium hydroxide, and the third cleaning liquid is 2M potassium hydroxide, so that the residual of the pipetting needle 5 can be efficiently removed.

In some embodiments, the sample analyzer may further include a second wash tank, a second fluid path support mechanism, and a third fluid path support mechanism (not shown). The second liquid path supporting mechanism is used for providing the cleaning water for the second cleaning pool, and the third liquid path supporting mechanism is used for providing the cleaning water for the inner cavity of the pipetting needle 5. Through setting up second liquid way supporting mechanism and third liquid way supporting mechanism, provide the washing water to the inner chamber of second washing pond and pipetting needle respectively, be favorable to realizing the washing water rinsing to second washing pond, pipetting needle 5 in the later stage of cleaning process, ensured the cleaning performance and improved cleaning efficiency.

The controller 11 is further configured to perform, in the course of controlling the pipetting needle 5 to drain the first cleaning liquid: and controlling the pipetting needle 5 to move to the second washing tank to discharge the first washing liquid, and controlling the second liquid path supporting mechanism to supply washing water to the second washing tank so as to wash the outer wall of the pipetting needle 5 through the washing water. The controller 11 may control the third liquid path supporting mechanism to supply the cleaning water to the inner cavity of the pipetting needle 5 to flush the inner wall of the pipetting needle 5. The cleaning liquid on the surfaces of the inner wall and the outer wall of the pipetting needle 5 after the cleaning is finished can be cleaned, so that the surfaces of the inner wall and the outer wall of the pipetting needle 5 are free from pollutants and cleaning liquid, and the application safety of the pipetting needle 5 is ensured.

In some embodiments, the first fluid path support mechanism 10 may also be used to provide wash water into the first wash tank 8. The controller 11 may control the first liquid path supporting mechanism 10 to supply the washing water to the first washing tub 8 after controlling the drain mechanism 12 to drain the second washing liquid or the third washing liquid in the first washing tub 8, and may control the drain mechanism 12 to drain the washing water in the first washing tub 8 after the supply of the washing water reaches a third preset period.

At least in the final stage of the cleaning process, the above-mentioned cleaning water cleaning is performed to avoid the cleaning liquid from remaining. When the residual contaminants of the pipette tip 5 are very easily cleaned, for example, only the cleaning water is needed as the cleaning liquid, the controller 11 can control the first liquid path supporting mechanism 10 to supply the cleaning water into the first cleaning tank 8, thereby cleaning the residual contaminants. Of course, after the pipetting needle 5 is washed several times with another washing liquid, it is also possible to wash it with washing water at the end. In the first washing tank 8, after ultrasonic washing is performed, the used washing liquid and washing water, whether other washing liquid or washing water, need to be discharged via the drain mechanism 12 under the control of the controller 11 in order to facilitate the next use of the first washing tank 8.

In some embodiments, the first cleaning liquid contained in the lumen of the pipetting needle 5 may also be renewed (replaced with a fresher first cleaning liquid) or replaced (replaced with a different cleaning liquid) as desired. Specifically, the controller 11 may be further configured to control the moving member 4 to move the pipetting needle 5 to another position after turning off the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 and controlling the drain mechanism 12 to drain the second washing liquid used in the first washing tank 8 and before the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 supplies sound field vibration to the third washing liquid in the first washing tank 8, and to cause the first washing liquid to be ejected from the pipetting needle 5 and the pipetting needle 5 to be washed so that the pipetting needle 5 is ready to suck the washing liquid again. The controller 11 may control the moving means 4 to move the washed pipetting needle 5 to the first position and aspirate the first wash liquid from the first container 6 (renewing), or to a second position other than the first position to aspirate a fourth wash liquid different from the first wash liquid and the second wash liquid (exchanging). Next, the controller 11 may control the moving member 4 to move and insert the pipetting needle 5, which has again sucked the first washing liquid or the fourth washing liquid, into the third washing liquid in the first washing reservoir 8 for further washing.

For the residual contamination of the inner wall of the pipetting needle 5 which is difficult to clean, it may be necessary to clean several times. After each cleaning, the residual on the inner wall of the pipetting needle 5 may change, and when the residual contamination on the inner wall of the pipetting needle 5 cleaned twice changes greatly, the type or concentration of the cleaning liquid in the inner cavity of the pipetting needle 5 can be selected to be updated/replaced. For example, during the ultrasonic cleaning process, the first cleaning solution in the inner cavity of the pipetting needle 5 may be a surfactant, and after cleaning, the first cleaning solution in the inner cavity of the pipetting needle 5 is replaced with a fourth cleaning solution, namely sodium hydroxide, for further cleaning residues. Wherein the fourth cleaning fluid is provided by the second location. The cleaning solution can be suitable for high-efficiency cleaning of residues with different properties through the selection of cleaning solutions with different inner cavities.

Further, the controller 11 may monitor the liquid level in the first cleaning tank 8 at various stages of the cleaning process to exclude obstructions to the cleaning process.

In some embodiments, the sample analyzer 1 may further comprise a liquid level detection means for detecting the level of the liquid in the first wash tank 8. The liquid level detection means may be implemented in various ways, such as, but not limited to, a liquid level sensor, the pipetting needle 5 itself temporarily left in the first washing tank 8, etc. The controller 11 may acquire the liquid level detected by the liquid level detecting means, and control the first liquid path supporting mechanism 10 to supply a corresponding cleaning liquid, such as, but not limited to, a corresponding one of a second cleaning liquid, a third cleaning liquid, and cleaning water, into the first cleaning reservoir 8 when the liquid level is less than a first preset liquid level. In this way, the supply process of the cleaning liquid to the appropriate level in the first cleaning tank 8 can be automatically performed, ensuring that the cleaning liquid of the appropriate level is contained in the first cleaning tank 8 to ensure the correct execution of the cleaning process of the pipetting needle 5.

In some embodiments, the controller 11 may be further configured to: after the liquid path support mechanism 10 supplies the cleaning liquid (e.g., the second cleaning liquid, the third cleaning liquid, or the cleaning water) into the first cleaning tank 8, the liquid level detected by the liquid level detecting means is acquired; in the case that the absolute value of the difference between the liquid level and the second preset liquid level is smaller than the preset difference, the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 is enabled to provide sound field vibration, or the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 is enabled to enable sound field vibration. It is ensured that the amount of the cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank 8 reaches the resonance point of the ultrasonic cleaning and that the height of the pipetting needle 5 involved in sucking and discharging the sample is submerged, reaching the second predetermined level means that the liquid pouring is completed, the pipetting needle 5 can be lowered to a specified height, and the sound field vibration is started to start the ultrasonic cleaning. Therefore, the damage to the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 caused by starting the sound field vibration when the liquid level is too low can be avoided, the vibration effect of ultrasonic waves can be improved as much as possible, and the polluted part of the pipetting needle 5 can be fully cleaned.

The liquid level can also be monitored and adapted at other stages throughout the cleaning process in the first cleaning tank 8.

For example, the detection of the evacuation of the first cleaning tank 8 may be performed in advance, before the cleaning liquid is to be supplied into the first cleaning tank 8. When the detected liquid level exceeds the third preset liquid level, which means that the first cleaning tank 8 is not emptied of the used cleaning liquid, the controller 11 can control the reminding device to output fault prompt information. In practice, if the used cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank 8 is not sufficiently drained, the cleaning effect is lowered, and if the cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank 8 is replaced, the cleaning liquid may react with the replaced cleaning liquid, and the cleaning effect may be adversely affected. In this case, the liquid level in the first cleaning tank 8 is automatically monitored and accordingly a fault prompt message is outputted to remind the user or automatically interrupt the cleaning process, so that improper cleaning treatment can be avoided, and the fault detection, removal and repair by the staff are facilitated. In addition, if the liquid level detected by the liquid level detecting part meets the requirement, the next cleaning step can be performed.

In some embodiments, the controller 11 may be further configured to: the moving part 4 is controlled to drive the pipetting needle 5 to descend to a preset height, and the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 can provide sound field vibration, so that the sound field vibration is ensured to sufficiently clean the polluted part of the pipetting needle 5. The preset height can represent the submerged height of the pipetting needle 5 when sucking and discharging samples, and can ensure that the inner cleaning liquid and the outer cleaning liquid of the pipetting needle 5 realize resonance, so that the optimal cleaning effect is obtained. For example, when the submerged height of the pipetting needle 5 is smaller than the contaminated area of the pipetting needle 5, contamination cleaning effect may be deteriorated; when the submerged height contains a contaminated area but does not reach the preset height, the resonance effect of the inside and outside of the pipetting needle 5 is poor and the optimal cleaning effect cannot be obtained. The preset height can be adjusted accordingly, since the specifications of the pipetting needle 5, the previous in vitro detection application, the kind and concentration of the cleaning liquid, etc. will all be different.

The controller 11 may also acquire the liquid level detection result of the liquid level detection means during the descent of the pipetting needle 5. In case the detected liquid level reaches the second predetermined liquid level or the absolute value of the difference from the second predetermined liquid level is smaller than the preset difference, i.e. the supply of cleaning liquid is normal during the lowering, no malfunction (e.g. erroneous draining operation) results in an excessively low liquid level, the pipetting needle 5 is enabled to be lowered, otherwise the lowering of the pipetting needle 5 and the subsequent cleaning steps are aborted. Thereby avoiding the liquid supply/discharge failure during the descending of the pipetting needle 5 and further ensuring the correct realization of the subsequent washing step.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing a process of sucking the first cleaning liquid from the pipetting needle 5 to the second cleaning liquid inserted into the first cleaning reservoir 8 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

First, in step (1), the controller 11 may control the pipetting needle 5 to aspirate the first air segment 4a before the pipetting needle 5 aspirates the first cleaning liquid 4c or the fourth cleaning liquid 4 c. For example, but not by way of limitation, the first air section 4a has a volume of 1ul to 5ul. Wherein the front end (upper section in fig. 4) of the lumen of the pipetting needle 5 may be left with wash water 4b before sucking the first air section 4a. In the subsequent process, the aspirated wash liquid 4c tends to diffuse into the side of the first air segment 4a in the lumen of the pipetting needle 5 opposite to the aspirated wash liquid 4c (upper side in fig. 4), especially under the influence of sound field vibrations after activation of the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9. The first air section 4a of a suitable size is extracted to act as a buffer layer between the washing water 4b and the washing liquid 4c, see step (2). Thus, in the subsequent process, the proportion of the sucked-in washing liquid 4c that diffuses into the opposite side is below the threshold value, preventing the sucked-in washing liquid from being excessively diluted, thereby ensuring that enough washing liquid 4c remains in the contaminated section of the pipetting needle 5 for efficient washing.

After the pipetting needle 5 aspirates the first washing liquid 4c or the fourth washing liquid 4c, the pipetting needle 5 is controlled to aspirate the second air segment 4d as shown in step (3). Therefore, under the condition that the second air section 4d is reserved at the rear end of the pipetting needle 5, the pipetting needle 5 moves into the first cleaning pool 8, and the second air section 4d is used for plugging the cleaning liquid 4c, so that the liquid throwing of the cleaning liquid 4c under the action of gravity or the action of moving power is reduced or avoided. And then controls the moving member 4 to move the pipetting needle 5 to the first washing tank 8 to discharge the sucked second air segment 4d and controls the moving member 4 to insert the pipetting needle 5 at least partially into the washing liquid (e.g., without limitation, the second washing liquid or the third washing liquid) of the first washing tank 8. In this way, the second air section 4d does not participate in subsequent sound field vibration, avoiding air bubbles affecting the cleaning effect (e.g. resulting in spills, splatter, etc.).

Fig. 3 (c) shows a schematic structural view of the first liquid path support mechanism 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 3 (c), the first liquid path supporting mechanism 10 may include a first liquid path assembly 10a for supplying a cleaning agent and a second liquid path assembly 10b for supplying cleaning water, and the second cleaning agent to be introduced into the first cleaning tank 8 may be formed by mixing the cleaning agent and the cleaning water. The cleaning agent and the cleaning water can be supplied separately by providing two separate liquid path assemblies so that the concentration of the second cleaning liquid can be controlled (or adjusted) conveniently and accurately via the switching members 17a and 17b in accordance with the cleaning request. In this way, the first liquid path supporting mechanism 10 in the same configuration can satisfy the cleaning situations with different concentration demands, and in the case that the cleaning demands change to change the required concentration of the second cleaning liquid, only the switching members 17a and 17b need to be adjusted.

As shown in fig. 3 (c), the first liquid path assembly 10a may be provided with a first liquid outlet 15a, the second liquid path assembly 10b may be provided with a second liquid outlet 15b, and the first cleaning tank 8 may be provided with a single liquid inlet 15c. The first liquid outlet 15a and the second liquid outlet 15b are both communicated with a single liquid inlet 15c via adjusting parts 17a and 17b, and the adjusting parts 17a and 17b can adjust the liquid outlet amounts of the first liquid outlet 15a and the second liquid outlet 15b as required under the control of the controller 11, so that the concentration of the second cleaning liquid can be conveniently and accurately controlled (or adjusted). The port butt joint mode can be compatible with a common single liquid inlet structure of the first cleaning tank 8, and the application range of the first liquid path supporting mechanism 10 is improved. In fig. 3 (c) switching members 17a and 17b are provided for the first and second outlets 15a and 15b, respectively, to accurately control the flow rates of both, but this is by way of example only, and this may be achieved via a single switching member, such as but not limited to a three-way valve.

Specifically, the connection manner between the first liquid path component 10a and the second liquid path component 10b is not specifically limited, so long as the functions can be achieved, for example, a flowmeter and a valve can be disposed at the first liquid outlet 15a of the first liquid path component 10a, a flowmeter and a valve can be disposed at the second liquid outlet 15b of the second liquid path component 10b, a single liquid inlet 15c, which is a liquid inlet of the first cleaning tank 8, is connected between the valves of the two paths of pipes, and when in use, the controller 11 can obtain the flow rate of the liquid in each liquid path through communication with the flowmeter, and regulate the concentration of the cleaning agent in the second cleaning liquid according to the control of each valve.

Similarly, the wash chamber drain 16 may be connected to the drain assembly 12a, and the drain assembly 12a may be provided with a switching member 17c to facilitate control of the flow of drain by the controller 11.

Fig. 5 shows a block diagram of another configuration of a sample analyzer 1' according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The sample analyzer 1 'is different from the sample analyzer 1 described in connection with the drawings mainly in the cleaning liquid supply mechanism 6', etc., and other similar components are not described here. The cleaning liquid supply mechanism 6' may be used to supply a first cleaning liquid to the lumen of the pipetting needle 5. Any mechanism that can be used to supply the first cleaning liquid to the lumen of the pipetting needle 5 may be used as the cleaning liquid supply mechanism 6', such as a stirring rod cleaning tank in which the cleaning liquid for cleaning the stirring rod is contained as the first cleaning liquid; or the first washing tank 8 itself, or any container flexibly selectable on the movement track of the pipetting needle 5. Note that the cleaning liquid supply mechanism 6' may be a container, but not limited to this, an external pipe, a cleaning liquid source cooperative power mechanism (actuation of feeding of the first cleaning liquid to the lumen of the pipetting needle 5), or the like.

Accordingly, the controller 11 may be configured to perform the following steps to effect cleaning. The cleaning liquid supply mechanism 6' may be controlled to supply the first cleaning liquid to the lumen of the pipetting needle 5. For example, this may be performed by the cleaning liquid supply mechanism 6' performing an active action, e.g. actively feeding and/or infusing the first cleaning liquid into the lumen of the pipetting needle 5. It may also be achieved by an active action of the pipetting needle 5 via a power mechanism, e.g. sucking the first washing liquid from the washing liquid supply mechanism 6', etc. It may also be achieved by interaction of the cleaning liquid supply means 6' with said pipetting needle 5. The controller 11 may control the liquid path supporting mechanism 6' to supply the second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank 8. The first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid may be used as an inner wall cleaning liquid and an outer wall cleaning liquid, respectively.

The controller 11 may control the moving member 4 to insert the pipetting needle 5 into the second wash liquid in the first wash tank 8. Next, the controller 11 may control the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 to provide sound field vibration to the second washing liquid and the first washing liquid in the first washing reservoir 8, which may be different from the second washing liquid. So, the outer wall of pipetting needle 5 immerses the second washing liquid and the inner chamber is under the condition that holds different first washing liquids simultaneously, combines the effect of sound field vibration, carries out the effective washing of pertinence to inner wall and outer wall respectively.

Wherein the first cleaning liquid and the second cleaning liquid are different and comprise the types, the concentrations, the pumping amounts and the like of the cleaning liquids. Further, in a specific implementation process, the first cleaning solution and the second cleaning solution are different in type, or the first cleaning solution and the second cleaning solution are the same in type but different in concentration. The type and concentration of the first cleaning liquid may be selected to be different from the second cleaning liquid based on the difference in the properties of the contaminants in the lumen of the pipette needle 5 and the contaminants on the outer wall. For example, the first cleaning fluid may be a chemically aggressive fluid to provide sufficient aggressive decomposition of contaminants (including potential contaminants) on the inner wall, and the second cleaning fluid may be an alkaline solution, such as sodium hydroxide solution, a strong potassium oxide solution, or a surfactant with cleaning properties, mixtures thereof, and the like, to provide activated separation cleaning of contaminants typically found on the outer wall.

In some embodiments, the first cleaning fluid and the second cleaning fluid are of the same type and the concentration of the first cleaning fluid is greater than the concentration of the second cleaning fluid. In the use of the pipetting needle 5, the inner wall of the pipetting needle 5 is contaminated to a higher degree than the outer wall, and the cleaning difficulty is higher, so that the cleaning effect on the inner wall of the pipetting needle 5 can be improved by making the concentration of the first cleaning liquid larger than that of the second cleaning liquid.

In some embodiments, the controller 11 may be further configured to perform, in controlling the liquid path supporting mechanism 10' to supply the second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank 8: controlling the liquid path supporting mechanism 10' to supply the third cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank 8; the liquid path support mechanism 10' is controlled to supply the fourth cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank 8, and the second cleaning liquid is obtained by mixing the third cleaning liquid and the fourth cleaning liquid. The controller 11 may perform, in controlling the liquid path support mechanism 10' to supply the second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank 8: the cleaning liquid supply mechanism 6' is controlled to suck the third cleaning liquid from the first cleaning tank 8 so as to take the third cleaning liquid as the first cleaning liquid.

As an example, the third cleaning liquid is a chemically aggressive liquid and the fourth cleaning liquid is water.

Fig. 6 shows a flowchart of a method of controlling washing of a sample analyzer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The purge control method is applicable to a sample analyzer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, the purge control method may include performing the following steps with the controller 11 in various sample analyzers. For example, the sample analyzer may be configured as shown in fig. 1, 2 (a) and 2 (b), but is not limited thereto, and any sample analyzer may be used as long as it can perform the following steps.

At step 601, an inner wall cleaning fluid is provided to the lumen of a pipetting needle of the sample analyzer. For example, referring to fig. 1 and 2 (a), the moving member 4 may be controlled to move the pipetting needle 5 to the first position and aspirate the first wash liquid from the first reservoir 6.

At step 602, an outer wall cleaning fluid is provided to a cleaning reservoir of the sample analyzer. Specifically, referring to fig. 1 and 2 (b), the first liquid path supporting mechanism 10 may be controlled to supply the outer wall cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank 8. Wherein the source of the inner wall cleaning liquid and the source of the outer wall cleaning liquid are different, or the source of the inner wall cleaning liquid and the source of the outer wall cleaning liquid are different. The pipetting needle 5 is at least partially inserted into the outer wall washing liquid in the first washing basin 8.

In step 603, acoustic field vibrations are provided to the outer wall cleaning fluid in the cleaning reservoir and the inner wall cleaning fluid in the lumen of the pipette needle to transfer acoustic field vibrations to the outer wall and the inner wall of the pipette needle. For example, referring to fig. 1 and 2 (b), the ultrasonic sound source assembly 9 is controlled to provide sound field vibration to the outer wall cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank 8 and the inner wall cleaning liquid in the inner cavity of the pipetting needle 5.

The cleaning control method can enable the inner cavity of the pipetting needle to be used for effectively cleaning the inner wall and the outer wall in a targeted manner under the condition that the inner cavity is contained with the first cleaning liquid and the outer wall is immersed in the second cleaning liquid and combined with the action of sound field vibration. Moreover, the inner wall cleaning liquid of the pipetting needle and the outer wall cleaning liquid in the cleaning pool can be respectively subjected to adaptive adjustment, for example, based on the control method, a strong alkaline solution can be selected to enter the pipetting needle, and then the pipetting needle is inserted into another cleaning liquid for ultrasonic cleaning. In particular, the flexible selection of the cleaning liquid on the inner wall of the pipetting needle can be realized, so that the cleaning liquid with better cleaning effect is selected based on the property of the pollutant in the inner cavity of the pipetting needle, and the cleaning effect on the pipetting needle is improved.

In some embodiments, the step of providing an inner wall cleaning solution to a pipetting needle of the sample analyzer comprises: the liquid transferring needle is controlled to absorb the inner wall cleaning liquid from the target position, and the target position is not overlapped with the position of the cleaning pool, so that the cleaning efficiency is improved, and the problem of cross contamination of different cleaning liquids is avoided.

In some embodiments, the cleaning control method further comprises controlling the pipetting needle to suck a first air section before the pipetting needle sucks the inner wall cleaning liquid, wherein the volume of the first air section is 1ul-5ul so as to avoid dilution of the cleaning liquid and further exert a cleaning effect. In some embodiments, the cleaning control method further comprises controlling the pipetting needle to aspirate a second air segment after the pipetting needle aspirates the first cleaning liquid, avoiding the occurrence of a liquid slinging during movement of the pipetting needle. And then, controlling the moving part to move the pipetting needle to the cleaning pool, discharging the sucked second air section, and controlling the moving part to insert at least part of the pipetting needle into the outer wall cleaning liquid in the cleaning pool, so that the pipetting needle is cleaned efficiently. For a specific process including sequentially sucking the first air segment and the second air segment, reference may be made to the description above in connection with fig. 4, which is not repeated here.

Note that the content of the processing described in connection with the sample analyzer in the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be incorporated herein and will not be described in detail herein. When the cleaning control method is applied to the respective embodiments of the sample analyzer 1', the steps 601, 602 and 603 are adaptively adjusted, specifically, the cleaning liquid supply mechanism 6' is respectively adjusted to supply the first cleaning liquid as the inner wall cleaning liquid to the inner cavity of the pipetting needle 5, and then the moving member 4 is controlled to insert the pipetting needle 5 into the second cleaning liquid or the third cleaning liquid in the first cleaning reservoir 8.

Furthermore, although exemplary embodiments have been described herein, the scope thereof includes any and all embodiments having equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., of the various embodiments across schemes), adaptations or alterations based on the present disclosure. Elements in the claims are to be construed broadly based on the language employed in the claims and are not limited to examples described in the present specification or during the practice of the present application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive. It is intended, therefore, that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims and their full scope of equivalents.

The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. For example, other embodiments may be used by those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the above description. In addition, in the above detailed description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This is not to be interpreted as an intention that the disclosed features not being claimed are essential to any claim. Rather, the disclosed subject matter may include less than all of the features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description as examples or embodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment, and it is contemplated that these embodiments may be combined with one another in various combinations or permutations. The scope of the disclosure should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, which are not intended to limit the present disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the claims. Various modifications and equivalent arrangements of parts may be made by those skilled in the art, which modifications and equivalents are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A sample analyzer, the sample analyzer comprising:

a dispensing mechanism including a moving member and a pipetting needle provided on the moving member, the moving member being for driving the pipetting needle to move between different working positions to aspirate or discharge a target liquid including at least one of a sample and a reagent;

the first container is positioned at a first position on the moving track of the pipetting needle and is used for containing a first cleaning liquid;

the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism comprises a first cleaning pool and an ultrasonic sound source assembly, wherein the first cleaning pool is used for containing cleaning liquid, and the ultrasonic sound source assembly is used for providing sound field vibration for the cleaning liquid in the first cleaning pool;

a first liquid path support mechanism for supplying at least a second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank;

a controller configured to:

controlling the moving member to move the pipetting needle to the first position and aspirate a first wash liquid from the first container;

controlling the first liquid path supporting mechanism to supply the second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank;

Controlling the moving means to move the pipetting needle having sucked the first washing liquid and insert the pipetting needle into the second washing liquid in the washing reservoir; and

and controlling the ultrasonic sound source assembly to provide sound field vibration to the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning pool.

2. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic sound source assembly is positioned at a bottom of the first wash tank to transmit sound field vibrations through the bottom of the first wash tank to the wash liquid in the first wash tank.

3. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein the first wash basin is provided with a wash chamber and an overflow chamber, the pipette needle being inserted into the wash liquid in the wash chamber, the overflow chamber being for receiving wash liquid overflowed from the wash chamber, the controller being further configured to, during control of the first liquid path support mechanism to provide a second wash liquid into the first wash basin: and controlling the first liquid path supporting mechanism to provide a second cleaning liquid into the cleaning cavity within a first preset time period so that the second cleaning liquid in the cleaning cavity overflows to the overflow cavity.

4. The sample analyzer of claim 1, further comprising a drain mechanism for draining used cleaning fluid from the first cleaning tank,

the controller is further configured to, after the ultrasonic sound source assembly provides sound field vibrations to the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank for a second preset period of time and/or a second preset number of times:

closing the ultrasonic sound source assembly and controlling the liquid discharge mechanism to discharge the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank;

and controlling the pipetting needle to drain the first cleaning liquid.

5. The sample analyzer of claim 4, wherein the first fluid path support mechanism is further configured to provide a third cleaning fluid into the first cleaning reservoir, the sample analyzer further comprising a second container positioned at a second location on the movement trajectory of the pipetting needle and configured to hold a fourth cleaning fluid;

the controller is further configured to, after turning off the ultrasonic sound source assembly and controlling the drain mechanism to drain the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank:

controlling the pipetting needle to drain the first cleaning liquid;

controlling the moving part to move the liquid-discharged pipetting needle to the second position and aspirate a fourth cleaning liquid from the second container;

Controlling the first liquid path supporting mechanism to provide a third cleaning liquid to the first cleaning tank;

controlling the moving means to move and insert the pipetting needle having sucked the fourth washing liquid into the third washing liquid in the first washing reservoir;

controlling the ultrasonic sound source assembly to provide sound field vibration to a third cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank, and controlling the pipetting needle to be at least partially inserted into the third cleaning liquid;

after providing sound field vibration to the third cleaning liquid for a second preset time period and/or a second preset times, closing the ultrasonic sound source assembly and controlling the liquid discharge mechanism to discharge the third cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank;

and controlling the pipetting needle to discharge the fourth cleaning liquid.

6. The sample analyzer of claim 5, further comprising a second wash tank, a second fluid path support mechanism for providing wash water to the second wash tank, and a third fluid path support mechanism for providing wash water to the inner lumen of the pipetting needle;

the controller is further configured to perform, during the controlling the pipetting needle to drain the first cleaning liquid:

Controlling the pipetting needle to move to the second washing pool to discharge the first washing liquid;

executing after the controlling the pipetting needle to drain the first cleaning liquid:

controlling the second liquid path supporting mechanism to supply washing water to the second washing tank so as to wash the outer wall of the pipetting needle with the washing water;

and controlling the third liquid path supporting mechanism to provide cleaning water for the inner cavity of the pipetting needle so as to flush the inner wall of the pipetting needle.

7. The sample analyzer of claim 4 or 5, wherein the first liquid path support mechanism is further configured to supply wash water into the first wash tank,

the controller is further configured to, after controlling the drain mechanism to drain the second cleaning liquid or the third cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank:

controlling the first liquid path supporting mechanism to supply washing water to the first washing tank;

after the third preset period of time is provided for the cleaning water, the liquid draining mechanism is controlled to drain the cleaning water in the first cleaning tank.

8. The sample analyzer of any one of claims 1-7, further comprising a liquid level detection component for detecting a level of liquid in the first wash tank, the controller further configured to:

Acquiring the liquid level detected by the liquid level detection component;

and when the liquid level is smaller than a first preset liquid level, controlling the first liquid path supporting mechanism to provide corresponding one of second cleaning liquid, third cleaning liquid and cleaning water in the first cleaning pool.

9. The sample analyzer of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the controller is further configured to: before the first cleaning liquid or the fourth cleaning liquid is pumped by the liquid transferring needle, the liquid transferring needle is controlled to pump a first air section, and the volume of the first air section is 1ul-5ul.

10. The sample analyzer of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the controller is further configured to: controlling the pipetting needle to aspirate a second air segment after the pipetting needle aspirates the first cleaning solution or the fourth cleaning solution; and then controlling the moving part to move the pipetting needle to the first cleaning tank so as to discharge the sucked second air segment, and controlling the moving part to insert the pipetting needle at least partially into the second cleaning liquid or the third cleaning liquid of the first cleaning tank.

11. The sample analyzer of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the first fluid path support mechanism includes a first fluid path assembly for supplying a cleaning agent and a second fluid path assembly for supplying cleaning water, the second cleaning agent being formed by mixing the cleaning agent and the cleaning water.

12. The sample analyzer of claim 11, wherein the first fluid path assembly is provided with a first fluid outlet, the second fluid path assembly is provided with a second fluid outlet, the first wash basin is provided with a fluid inlet, the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet are both in communication with the fluid inlet via an adjustment member, and the adjustment member adjusts the fluid volumes of the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet under the control of the controller.

13. The sample analyzer of any one of claims 1-7, further comprising a liquid level detection component for detecting a level of liquid in the first wash tank, the controller further configured to: after the first liquid path supporting mechanism supplies the second cleaning liquid, the third cleaning liquid or the cleaning water into the first cleaning pool, the liquid level detected by the liquid level detecting component is obtained; and under the condition that the absolute value of the difference value between the liquid level and the second preset liquid level is smaller than the preset difference value, enabling the ultrasonic sound source assembly to provide sound field vibration.

14. A sample analyzer, the sample analyzer comprising:

a cleaning liquid supply mechanism for supplying a first cleaning liquid to the inner cavity of the pipetting needle;

the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism comprises a first cleaning pool and an ultrasonic sound source assembly, wherein the first cleaning pool is used for containing second cleaning liquid, and the ultrasonic sound source assembly is used for providing sound field vibration for the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning pool;

a liquid path support mechanism for supplying the second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank;

a controller configured to:

controlling the cleaning liquid supply mechanism to supply a first cleaning liquid to the inner cavity of the pipetting needle;

controlling the liquid path supporting mechanism to supply the second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank;

controlling the moving part to insert the pipetting needle into the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning tank;

And controlling the ultrasonic sound source assembly to provide sound field vibration to the second cleaning liquid in the first cleaning pool and the first cleaning liquid, wherein the first cleaning liquid is different from the second cleaning liquid.

15. The sample analyzer of claim 14, wherein the first and second cleaning fluids are of the same type but have a concentration that is greater than a concentration of the second cleaning fluid.

16. The sample analyzer of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to, in controlling the fluid path support mechanism to provide the second cleaning fluid into the first cleaning tank, perform:

controlling the liquid path supporting mechanism to provide a third cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank;

controlling the liquid path supporting mechanism to provide a fourth cleaning liquid into the first cleaning pool, wherein the second cleaning liquid is obtained by mixing the third cleaning liquid and the fourth cleaning liquid;

in controlling the liquid path supporting mechanism to supply the second cleaning liquid into the first cleaning tank, performing: and controlling the cleaning liquid supply mechanism to suck the third cleaning liquid from the first cleaning tank so as to take the third cleaning liquid as the first cleaning liquid.

17. The sample analyzer of claim 16, wherein the third cleaning fluid is a chemically aggressive liquid and the fourth cleaning fluid is water.

18. A method of controlling washing of a sample analyzer, the method comprising:

providing an inner wall cleaning solution to an inner cavity of a pipetting needle of the sample analyzer;

providing an outer wall cleaning liquid to a cleaning reservoir of the sample analyzer, the inner wall cleaning liquid and the outer wall cleaning liquid being different in source, or the inner wall cleaning liquid and the outer wall cleaning liquid being different;

inserting the pipetting needle at least partially into an outer wall wash liquid within the wash basin; the method comprises the steps of,

providing sound field vibration to the outer wall cleaning liquid in the cleaning pool and the inner wall cleaning liquid in the inner cavity of the pipetting needle so as to transfer the sound field vibration to the outer wall and the inner wall of the pipetting needle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of providing the inner wall cleaning fluid to the pipetting needle of the sample analyzer comprises:

and controlling the pipetting needle to suck the inner wall cleaning liquid from a target position, wherein the target position is not overlapped with the position of the cleaning pool.

20. The cleaning control method of claim 18, further comprising:

before the inner wall cleaning liquid is sucked by the liquid transferring needle, the liquid transferring needle is controlled to suck a first air section, and the volume of the first air section is 1ul-5ul.

21. The cleaning control method of claim 18, further comprising:

controlling the pipetting needle to aspirate a second air segment after the pipetting needle aspirates the first cleaning liquid;

and then controlling the moving part to move the pipetting needle to the cleaning pool, discharging the sucked second air segment, and controlling the moving part to insert at least part of the pipetting needle into the outer wall cleaning liquid in the cleaning pool.