TWM598187U - Portable biochemical reactor - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable biochemical reactor is suitable for driving at least one stirring sleeve to move relative to at least one reagent cartridge along a first axis, and comprises a rack unit suitable for supporting the at least one reagent cartridge and a variable speed lifting unit. The variable speed lifting unit includes a linear moving module, a variable speed transmission module, and a rotating module. The linear movement module has a sliding block suitable for installing the at least one stirring sleeve. The sliding block moves between a top end position and a bottom end position relative to the rack unit. At the top end position, the sliding block It is suitable for being far away from the at least one reagent cartridge, and when in the bottom position, the slider is suitable for being adjacent to the at least one reagent cartridge. The variable speed transmission module has a transmission part and a guide part. The rotating module has a cam for driving the transmission member to rotate, thereby driving the sliding block to move along the first axis along the guide rail, and synchronously driving the at least one stirring sleeve to move linearly at a variable speed.

Description

Portable biochemical reactor

This new type relates to a biochemical reactor, especially a portable biochemical reactor.

Conventional biochemical reactors that use magnetic beads (Magnetic Bead) for nucleic acid extraction (Nucleic Acid Extraction) are used to extract nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) from biological samples, which are further provided for example in polymerase chain reaction (PCR). , Polymerae Chain Reaction) and other biological testing.

When the biochemical reaction is in progress, in order to increase the extraction rate of nucleic acids, the biological samples and magnetic beads are repeatedly mixed with reagents of different functions by stirring, and the biochemical reaction procedures such as lysis, washing, and nucleic acid recovery are carried out in sequence. , And finally extract the purified nucleic acid.

The above-mentioned stirring method is usually in the form of using a motor with a screw, and stirring in the reagent in a linear movement up and down. In order to achieve better mixing uniformity and avoid contamination such as reagent splashing, it is often necessary to match a higher-priced controller and use complex electronic control programming to achieve the purpose of variable frequency mixing. In addition, due to the The motor needs to rotate several times to drive the screw to reach a certain movement stroke, which makes the conventional biochemical reactor have a large power consumption. The combination of the motor and the screw will also make the overall equipment have a certain weight, which is difficult to lighten and is not conducive to carrying.

Such shortcomings will make it difficult for the conventional biochemical reactor to be used in first-line occasions other than the laboratory, such as the quarantine site of the breeding industry or the forensic site...etc. And because of the high cost of the overall structure, it is difficult to popularize, and there is room for improvement in use.

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a portable biochemical reactor that can improve mixing efficiency, reduce cost, and is convenient to carry.

Therefore, the new portable biochemical reactor is suitable for driving at least one stirring sleeve to move relative to at least one reagent cartridge along a first axis, and includes a frame unit and a variable speed lifting unit.

The rack unit is suitable for supporting the at least one reagent cartridge.

The variable speed lifting unit includes a linear moving module, a variable speed transmission module, and a rotating module.

The linear movement module has a guide rail connected to the rack unit, and a slider movably connected to the guide rail along the first axial direction and suitable for installing the at least one stirring sleeve. The slider is relative to the machine The rack unit is between a top position and a bottom position When moving, when in the top position, the slider is suitable to be far away from the at least one reagent cartridge, and when in the bottom position, the slider is suitable to be adjacent to the at least one reagent cartridge.

The variable speed transmission module has a guide member and a transmission member, the guide member is arranged on the frame unit, the transmission member has a pivot part and a guide part arranged in opposite directions, and the pivot part is rotatable The ground is connected to the slider, and the guiding part is movably and rotatably connected to the guiding piece.

The rotating module is arranged on the frame unit and has a cam for driving the transmission member to rotate, so that during the rotation of the transmission member, the guide member drives the slider along the first axial direction Following the displacement of the guide rail, and synchronously driving the at least one stirring sleeve to produce a variable speed linear movement.

The effect of the present invention is that by driving the variable speed transmission module by the cam, the at least one stirring sleeve can be linked to produce a variable speed linear movement, thereby improving the stirring efficiency, reducing the cost, reducing the volume and weight, and achieving the purpose of portability .

L1: first axis

512: Slider

L2: second axis

L3: third axis

S: Biological sample

21: reagent cartridge

211: Reagent Tank

212: magnetic beads

213: Reagent

214: Liquid Level

22: Mixing sleeve

221: inner surface

222: inner ring groove

23: mixing sleeve preservation box

3: Rack unit

31: bottom frame

32: stand

4: Reagent cartridge transfer unit

41: transfer seat

42: drive module

5: Variable speed lifting unit

51: Linear movement module

511: Rail

52: Variable speed drive module

521: guide

522: Transmission Parts

523: Pivot

524: Guiding Department

53: Rotating module

531: Power Parts

532: Cam

533: Long shaft end

534: short shaft end

6: Mixing sleeve grab unit

61: grab head

611: Outer Surface

612: Convex Ring

62: fixed ring

7: Magnetic bead transfer unit

71: Magnetic rod holder

72: Magnet

721: pole

722: Magnetic Department

The other features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiment with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention portable biochemical reactor; Figure 2 is an incomplete partial cross-sectional view , Explain the positional relationship between the grab unit of a mixing sleeve and the plural mixing sleeves; Figure 3 is an incomplete partial cross-sectional view illustrating the positional relationship between the plural stirring sleeves and the reagent cartridges when a slider is located at a top position in this embodiment; Figure 4 is an incomplete one similar to Figure 3 Partial cross-sectional view, but the positional relationship between the stirring sleeves and the reagent cartridges when the slider is at a midpoint position; Figure 5 is an incomplete partial cross-sectional view similar to Figure 3, but the slider is located at a The positional relationship between the stirring sleeves and the reagent cartridges at the bottom end position; and Figure 6 is an incomplete partial cross-sectional view similar to Figure 5, but when the other slider is at a bottom end position, the four magnetic The positional relationship between the rod and the stirring sleeves.

Referring to Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3, an embodiment of the new portable biochemical reactor defines a first axis L1, a second axis L2, and a third axis L3 arranged orthogonally to each other, and It is used to drive the four stirring sleeves to move relative to the four reagent cartridges 21 along the first axis L1.

The reagent cassettes 21 are arranged at intervals along the third axis L3. Each reagent cartridge 21 includes a plurality of reagent tanks 211 arranged along the second axis L2 and used for filling reagents 213, and a plurality of magnetic beads 212 accommodated in one of the reagent tanks 211. The reagent 213 in each reagent tank 211 defines a liquid level 214.

Each stirring sleeve 22 has an inner ring groove 222 formed on an inner surface 221, and can be inserted into a respective reagent tank 211, and is away from the liquid surface 214 or passes through the liquid surface 214 along the first axis L1 And soak in the reagent 213.

It should be noted that before the stirring sleeves 22 are used, they are separately housed by a plurality of stirring sleeve storage boxes 23 to avoid contamination. In addition, the number of the reagent cartridge 21 and the stirring sleeve 22 is not limited to four, and may be less than three or more than five. In other variations, the reagent cartridges 21 can also be replaced by deep well plates, but not limited to this.

This embodiment includes a rack unit 3, a reagent cartridge transfer unit 4, two variable speed lifting units 5, a stirring sleeve grab unit 6, and a magnetic bead transfer unit 7.

The rack unit 3 is suitable for supporting the reagent cartridges 21 and includes a bottom rack 31 and two vertical racks 32.

The stand frames 32 are arranged on two opposite sides of the bottom frame 31 at intervals along the second axial direction L2.

The reagent cartridge transfer unit 4 is disposed on the rack unit 3 and includes a transfer seat 41 and a drive module 42.

The transfer seat 41 is movably disposed on the frame unit 3 along the second axis L2.

The driving module 42 is used to drive the transfer base 41 and move the transfer base 41 relative to the rack unit 3.

Each variable speed lifting unit 5 is arranged on a separate stand 32 and includes a linear movement module 51, a variable speed transmission module 52, and a rotation module 53.

The linear movement module 51 has a guide rail 511 connected to one of the stands 32, and a sliding block movably connected to the guide rail 511 along the first axis L1, and is suitable for installing the stirring sleeve 22 512.

The slider 512 moves relative to the frame unit 3 between a top position (as shown in FIG. 3), a midpoint position (as shown in FIG. 4), and a bottom position (as shown in FIG. 5). The midpoint position is located between the top position and the bottom position.

At the top position, the slider 512 is suitable to be far away from the reagent cassettes 21, and synchronously drives the bottom end of the stirring sleeve 22 to be away from the reagent cassettes 21.

At the midpoint position, the sliding block 512 is suitable for driving the bottom end of the stirring sleeve 22 to be close to the liquid surface 214.

At the bottom end position, the slider 512 is suitable for being adjacent to the reagent cartridges 21, and synchronously drives the stirring sleeve 22 to pass through the liquid surface 214 and adjacent to the bottom ends of the reagent cartridges 21.

The variable speed transmission module 52 is connected between the linear movement module 51 and the rotation module 53 and has a guide member 521 and a transmission member 522.

The guiding member 521 is disposed on one of the stands 32 of the rack unit 3.

The transmission member 522 has a pivoting portion 523 and a guiding portion 524 that are arranged oppositely. The pivot portion 523 is rotatably connected to the slider 512, and the guide portion 524 can The guide member 521 is movably and rotatably connected. In this embodiment, the guide member 521 is in the shape of a round rod, and the guide portion 524 of the transmission member 522 is a long hole and can rotate and slide relative to the guide member, but it is not limited thereto.

The rotating module 53 has a power element 531 and a cam 532.

The power component 531 is connected to the respective stand 32 of the rack unit 3.

The cam 532 is fixed to the power part 531 and is connected to the variable speed transmission module 52 along the first axial direction L1, and has a long shaft end 533 away from the power part 531 and an adjacent power part 531 The short shaft end 534.

When the cam 532 is driven by the power member 531 to rotate, it will simultaneously push against the transmission member 522 along the first axial direction L1, and make the guide portion 524 of the transmission member 522 relative to the guide member 521 Moving and rotating, the slider 512 is moved along the first axis L1 to follow the guide rail 511, and the stirring sleeve 22 is driven to move linearly at a variable speed.

It should be noted that when the long shaft end 533 of the cam 532 pushes against the transmission member 522, the slider 512 is correspondingly located at the top position, and when the short shaft end 534 pushes against the transmission member 522, The slider 512 is located at the bottom end position. In addition, when the slider 512 moves from the top end position to the bottom end position, the slider 512 falls by its own weight. However, in other variations, it is also possible to additionally install springs and other devices to provide the force of restoring the slider 512 from the top position to the bottom position, which is not limited to this.

In this embodiment, the power element 531 of the rotating module 53 is a stepping motor. With the characteristics of the stepping motor, such as low cost, high torque, open loop precise positioning control, etc., it is beneficial to match the variable speed transmission module 52 to achieve the advantages of stable variable speed movement, but it is not limited to this.

The stirring sleeve grasping unit 6 is arranged on the linear moving module 51 of one of the variable speed lifting units 5 and is suitable for installing the stirring sleeve 22, and includes a plurality of grasping heads 61 and a plurality of fixed rings 62. In this embodiment, the number of the grabbing heads 61 and the fixing rings 62 corresponds to the number of the stirring sleeves 22.

Each grabbing head 61 is disposed on the slider 512, and a respective fixing ring 62 defines a ring groove 60 for inserting the respective stirring sleeve 22, and has a convex ring 612 formed on an outer surface 611 , The convex ring 612 is used to buckle in the inner ring groove 222 of the respective mixing sleeve 22.

It is worth noting that in this embodiment, each stirring sleeve 22 is first placed in a separate stirring sleeve storage box 23. At this time, the operator must first place the stirring sleeve storage box 23 in the reagent The cassette transfer unit 4 is then used for the grab head 61 of the mixing sleeve grab unit 6 to grab the respective mixing sleeve 22 from the corresponding mixing sleeve storage box 23 along the first axis L1. However, in other variations of this embodiment, these stirring sleeve storage boxes 23 may not be used. At this time, each stirring sleeve 22 can also be accommodated in one of the reagent tanks 211 of the respective reagent cassette 21, or fixed on a row of pieces (not shown) at equal intervals, and then the operator can arrange the pieces It is installed in the variable speed lifting unit 5, but it cannot be limited by this.

The magnetic bead transfer unit 7 is disposed on the linear movement module 51 of the other variable-speed lifting unit 5 relative to the stirring sleeve grab unit 6, and includes a magnetic bar rack 71 connected to the corresponding slider 512, and four The magnetic bars 72 provided corresponding to the stirring sleeves 22.

In this embodiment, the magnetic bar holder 71 and the corresponding slider 512 are integrally formed, but in other variants, they can be manufactured separately and then assembled and combined, which is not limited to this.

3, 4, and 5, each magnetic rod 72 is inserted into a separate stirring sleeve 22, and has a rod 721 connected to the magnetic rod holder 71, and a bottom adjacent to the stirring sleeve 22的磁部722. When the sliders 512 of the variable-speed lifting units 5 are all located at the bottom end position, the magnetic part 722 is suitable for magnetically adsorbing the magnetic beads 212 on the stirring sleeve 22 (as shown in FIG. 6).

With the above structure, the following describes the action procedure when this embodiment is applied to the biochemical reaction of nucleic acid extraction:

Step 1: The operator prepares the reagent cassettes 21 and the stirring sleeves 22 that have not been used, and correspondingly accommodates the plurality of biological samples S to be tested in one of the reagent tanks 211 of the different reagent cassettes 21. In this embodiment, each stirring sleeve 22 is placed in a separate stirring sleeve storage box 23.

Step 2: The operator fixes the reagent cartridges 21 and the stirring sleeve storage boxes 23 on the transfer seat 41. Next, the grabbing head 61 of the mixing sleeve grabbing unit 6 clamps the respective mixing sleeve 22 from the corresponding mixing sleeve storage box 23 along the first axial direction L1. At this time, each stirring sleeve 22 is inserted into the ring groove 60 of the respective grab head 61, and the convex ring 612 is buckled in the inner ring groove 222 of the respective stirring sleeve 22, and each fixing ring 62 is sleeved It is arranged on the outer side of the respective mixing sleeves 22 to assist the positioning and fixing of the mixing sleeves 22.

The following steps 3 to 6 illustrate how to sequentially place the biological samples S in the reagent tanks 211, and use the magnetic beads 212 and different types of reagents 213 for lysis, cleaning, nucleic acid recovery and other reaction procedures. .

Step 3. First, the cell walls and cell membranes of the biological samples S need to be separated and destroyed with the magnetic beads 212 in a reagent 213 with cell tissue lysis effect to release the nucleic acid therein. In this embodiment, one of the variable-speed lifting units 5 is used to drive the stirring sleeve 22 to perform variable-speed stirring in the reagent tanks 211, thereby achieving the effects of homogenization and shortening the reaction time. It should be noted that during the stirring process, the sliding block 512 of the other variable-speed lifting unit 5 is continuously located at the top position and moves the magnetic rods 72 away from the stirring sleeve 22.

In addition, it is worth noting that this embodiment also has the following effects: when the slider 512 of the linear movement module 51 is at the midpoint position (as shown in FIG. 4), it is suitable for driving the stirring The bottom end of the sleeve 22 is adjacent to the liquid surface 214. At this time, since the distance between the pivoting portion 523 of the transmission member 522 and the guide member 521 is reduced, the moving speed of the slider 512 will be slowed down, thereby avoiding When the stirring sleeve 22 breaks through the liquid surface 214, the reagent 213 or the biological samples S splashed, which further reduces the pollution. That is, the instantaneous speed at which the slider 512 moves to the midpoint position (as shown in FIG. 4) The degree is slower than the instantaneous speed when moving to the vicinity of the top position (as shown in FIG. 3) and the bottom position (as shown in FIG. 5). However, in other variations of this embodiment, the shape of the cam 532 can also be adjusted to change the instantaneous speed relationship between different positions, so it is not limited to this.

Step 4. The homogenized biological samples S together with the separated nucleic acid will be attached to the magnetic beads 212. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the magnetic bead transfer unit is driven by another variable speed lifting unit 5 7. Drive each magnetic bar 72 to pass through the respective stirring sleeve 22, and make the magnetic part 722 of each magnetic bar 72 adjacent to the bottom end of the respective stirring sleeve 22, and then adsorb the magnetic beads 212 to the stirring sleeve 22 The outside of the sleeve 22. Then, the variable speed lifting units 5 synchronously drive the stirring sleeve 22 and the magnetic rods 72 to rise and move away from the reagent cartridges 21. It should be noted that in this embodiment, two variable-speed lifting units 5 of the same structure are provided to make the stirring sleeve 22 and the magnetic rods 72 rise at a constant speed. However, in other modified examples, The variable speed lifting unit 5 that drives the magnetic rods 72 is replaced with other driving methods such as belts, screws, or linkage mechanisms, but this is not limited.

Step 5. Wait for the reagent cartridge transfer unit 4 to drive the reagent cartridges 21 to transfer along the second axis L2, and make the other reagent slot 211 of the reagent cartridge 21 behind the stirring sleeve 22 , Then repeat steps 3 and 4 of the stirring and transferring procedures. At this time, it is matched with a reagent 213 for removing other non-nucleic acid substances and repeatedly washed in different reagent tanks 211 to achieve the purpose of purification and extraction.

Step 6. The reagent 213 contained in the last reagent tank 211 is used to separate the nucleic acid of the biological sample S from the magnetic beads 212. Then, use the other variable-speed lifting unit 5 to drive the magnetic rods 72 away from the reagent cassettes 21, and then use the one of the variable-speed lifting units 5 to drive the stirring sleeve 22 away from the reagent cassettes 21, and the The nucleic acids of the biological samples S are stored in one of the reagent tanks 211 for subsequent use by the operator.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the way the stirring sleeves 22 are separated from the stirring sleeve grabbing unit 6 is by pushing the magnetic rods 72 against the stirring sleeves 22 in the first direction L1. In this way, the stirring sleeves 22 are separated from the corresponding grab head 61 for the operator to recycle.

With the above structure and action procedure, this embodiment has the following advantages:

1. When the cell walls and cell membranes of the biological samples S are separated and destroyed in the reagent 213 with cell tissue lysis function, one of the variable speed lifting units 5 drives the stirring sleeves 22 to move at variable speeds, which can be The magnetic beads 212 contained in the reagent tanks 211 are stirred more vigorously to achieve a better grinding effect, thereby increasing the ratio of released nucleic acids.

2. The biological samples S after homogeneous lysis need to be further washed repeatedly before other non-nucleic acid substances can be removed. By driving the stirring sleeves 22 to produce variable speed movement, the turbulence intensity in the reagent 213 will be increased. intenity), to further achieve an excellent mixing and stirring effect, in addition to improving the uniformity of mixing, it is also conducive to heat transfer and shortening the mixing time.

3. With the variable speed transmission module 52, in addition to reducing the overall volume and weight compared with the conventional technology, and achieving better portability, it also achieves a better mixing and stirring effect, which can simplify the The programming requirement of the rotating module 53 eliminates the need to purchase high-priced controllers required for complex programming, which further reduces the overall required cost and is more conducive to portability.

4. Compared with the high power consumption characteristics of conventional biochemical reactors, this embodiment uses the variable speed transmission module 52 to make the cam 532 rotate a very small number of revolutions to achieve the purpose of stirring, which will greatly reduce the use Power consumption, which will facilitate the feasibility of plug-in-free operation (powered by batteries), and is suitable for applying this embodiment to first-line occasions other than the laboratory to achieve better convenience and popularization.

In summary, it is indeed possible to achieve the purpose of costing new models.

However, the above are only examples of the present model. When the scope of implementation of the present model cannot be limited by this, all simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the patent scope of the present model application and the contents of the patent specification still belong to This new patent covers the scope.

L1: first axis

L2: second axis

L3: third axis

21: reagent cartridge

22: Mixing sleeve

221: inner surface

511: Rail

512: Slider

52: Variable speed drive module

521: guide

522: Transmission Parts

523: Pivot

222: inner ring groove

23: mixing sleeve preservation box

3: Rack unit

31: bottom frame

32: stand

4: Reagent cartridge transfer unit

41: transfer seat

5: Variable speed lifting unit

51: Linear movement module

524: Guiding Department

53: Rotating module

531: Power Parts

532: Cam

533: Long shaft end

534: short shaft end

6: Mixing sleeve grab unit

62: fixed ring

7: Magnetic bead transfer unit

Claims (8)

A portable biochemical reactor is suitable for driving at least one stirring sleeve to move relative to at least one reagent cartridge along a first axis, and comprises: a rack unit suitable for supporting the at least one reagent cartridge; and a variable speed lifting unit, It includes: a linear movement module with a guide rail connected to the rack unit, and a slider movably connected to the guide rail along the first axis and suitable for installing the at least one stirring sleeve, the slider Relative to the rack unit, it moves between a top position and a bottom position. In the top position, the slider is suitable for being away from the at least one reagent cartridge, and when in the bottom position, the slider is suitable for being adjacent to the At least one reagent cartridge and a variable speed transmission module have a guide member and a transmission member, the guide member is arranged on the frame unit, and the transmission member has a pivot part and a guide part arranged in reverse directions, The pivoting part is rotatably connected to the slider, the guiding part is movably and rotatably connected to the guide, and a rotating module is arranged on the frame unit and has a cam, the cam Used to drive the transmission member to rotate, so that during the rotation of the transmission member, the guide member drives the sliding block to move along the first axis along the guide rail, and synchronously drives the at least one stirring sleeve to move linearly at a variable speed . In the portable biochemical reactor according to claim 1, the at least one reagent cartridge is filled with reagents and defines a liquid level, wherein the slider can also move relative to the rack unit to a position at the top and bottom The midpoint position between the end positions. At the midpoint position, the slider is suitable for driving the at least one The bottom end of the stirring jacket is close to the liquid surface, and the instantaneous speed of the slider moving to the midpoint position is slower than the instantaneous speed when moving to the top position. The portable biochemical reactor according to claim 1, further comprising a stirring sleeve grasping unit installed on the variable speed lifting unit and used for connecting the at least one stirring sleeve, the at least one stirring sleeve having an inner surface formed The stirring sleeve grabbing unit includes a grabbing head for inserting in the at least one mixing sleeve, and having an outer surface formed on an outer surface and buckled in the inner ring groove Convex ring. The portable biochemical reactor according to claim 3, wherein the stirring sleeve grasping unit further includes a fixed ring arranged at a distance from the outer surface of the grasping head, and the fixed ring is suitable for being sleeved on the at least one stirring sleeve The outside. The portable biochemical reactor according to claim 1, wherein a second axis and a third axis that are orthogonal to the first axis and mutually orthogonal to each other are defined, and the rotating module is along the second axis The direction and the sliding block are located on two opposite sides of the guide rail, and there is a power part connected to the frame unit and used for driving the cam. The portable biochemical reactor according to claim 1, wherein the guide part of the transmission member is a long hole, and the guide member slides in the guide part. The portable biochemical reactor according to claim 1, further comprising a reagent cartridge transfer unit, and defines a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, and the reagent cartridge transfer unit includes a reagent cartridge transfer unit along the second axis. A transfer seat axially arranged on the rack unit, and a drive module for driving the transfer seat to move relative to the rack unit. The portable biochemical reactor as described in claim 1, further comprising another variable-speed rise A lowering unit, and a magnetic bead transfer unit, the at least one reagent box is suitable for filling a plurality of magnetic beads, wherein a sliding block of a variable speed lifting unit is connected to the stirring sleeve, and another variable speed lifting unit is connected to the magnetic bead transferring unit, The magnetic bead transfer unit includes at least one magnetic bar inserted in the at least one stirring sleeve, the at least one magnetic bar has a magnetic part adjacent to the bottom of the stirring sleeve, and when the slider is at the bottom end position, the The magnetic part is suitable for magnetically adsorbing the magnetic beads on the stirring sleeve.

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