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KR-20260065742-A - Modular preprocessing system

KR20260065742AKR 20260065742 AKR20260065742 AKR 20260065742AKR-20260065742-A

Abstract

A modular pretreatment system may include a supply unit provided with sample containers each containing a sample, reagent containers each containing a reagent, and consumable containers each containing a consumable; a processing unit including at least two processing units, wherein at least one of the processing units includes a processing module having at least two functions among a vortex function, a centrifugation function, a spin-down function, and a heating function; and a control unit that operates the at least two processing units so that the processing module performs a preset pretreatment process among a plurality of pretreatment processes for the types of samples supplied to the processing module.

Inventors

  • 천종윤

Assignees

  • 천종윤

Dates

Publication Date
20260511
Application Date
20251030
Priority Date
20241031

Claims (20)

  1. (i) sample containers each containing a sample, (ii) reagent containers each containing a reagent, and (iii) consumable containers each containing a consumable are provided in a supplying part; A processing part comprising at least two processing units, wherein at least one of the processing units comprises a processing module having at least two functions among (i) a vortex function, (ii) a centrifugation function, (iii) a spin-down function, and (iv) a heating function; and A modular preprocessing system comprising a control unit that operates at least two processing units so that the processing module performs a preset preprocessing process among a plurality of preprocessing processes for the types of samples supplied to the processing module.
  2. A modular preprocessing system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit optimizes the function of each of the at least two processing units such that the function of one of the processing units among the at least two processing units is changed in one run of the preset preprocessing process according to the preset preprocessing process for the types of samples.
  3. A modular preprocessing system according to claim 2, characterized in that at least two of the vortex function, the centrifugation function, the spin-down function, and the heating function are executed in a single operation in one processing unit.
  4. A modular preprocessing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing module preprocesses a single sample for each run of the preprocessing process.
  5. In claim 1, the consumable comprises a tip, the consumable container comprises a tip container, the reagent comprises a first reagent, and the reagent container comprises a first reagent container, The above supply unit is, A first consumable supply device for supplying tip containers each comprising the plurality of tips; and A modular pretreatment system characterized by including a first reagent supply device that supplies the first reagent containers each containing the first reagent.
  6. In claim 5, the processing unit is, A first stage where the above-mentioned tip container is located; and A modular pretreatment system characterized by further including a processing preparation station comprising a second stage in which the first reagent container is optionally located.
  7. In Article 6, A modular pretreatment system characterized by further including a first gripping unit that transfers the tip container to the first stage of the processing preparation station and selectively transfers the first reagent container to the second stage of the processing preparation station.
  8. In claim 7, the supply unit is, A first positioning stage on which one of the tip containers supplied from the first consumable supply device is located; and It further includes a second positioning stage where one of the first reagent containers supplied from the first reagent supply device is located. A modular preprocessing system characterized in that the second positioning stage is positioned spaced apart from the first positioning stage in a first direction, the first stage is positioned spaced apart from the second positioning stage in the first direction, the second stage is positioned spaced apart from the first stage in the first direction, and the first positioning stage, the second positioning stage, the first stage, and the second stage are aligned in the first direction.
  9. A modular pretreatment system according to claim 8, wherein the first gripping unit transfers the one tip container located at the first positioning stage to the first stage, and the first gripping unit selectively transfers the one first reagent container located at the second positioning stage to the second stage.
  10. A modular pretreatment system according to claim 5, characterized in that the types of the first reagent supplied from the first reagent supply device are at least two.
  11. In claim 5, the consumable further comprises a first tube, and the consumable container further comprises a first tube container, and The above supply unit is, A second consumable supply device for supplying the first tube containers, each comprising at least two first tubes; A sample supply device for supplying the above sample container; and It further includes a first pipette unit that transfers a portion of the sample from the sample container supplied from the sample supply device to the first tube supplied from the second consumable supply device, A modular pretreatment system characterized in that the first pipette unit is capable of moving horizontally in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
  12. In claim 11, the reagent further comprises a second reagent, and the reagent container further comprises a second reagent container, The above supply unit further includes a second reagent supply device that supplies the second reagent containers each containing the second reagent, and A modular pretreatment system characterized in that the first pipette unit selectively transfers a second reagent supplied from the second reagent supply device to the first tube of the sample container supplied from the sample supply device or the first tube container supplied from the second consumable device.
  13. In claim 12, a first tube containing a portion of the sample is defined as a sample tube, and The above modular preprocessing system is, A modular preprocessing system characterized by further including a second gripping unit for transferring the sample tube to one processing unit of the processing module.
  14. In claim 13, the supply unit is, A modular pretreatment system characterized by further including a first tip waste container positioned to overlap with the movement path of the first pipette unit between the first consumable supply device and the sample supply device.
  15. In claim 14, the supply unit is, A third positioning stage where one of the tip containers supplied from the first consumable supply device is located; A fourth positioning stage where one of the second reagents supplied from the second reagent supply device is located; A fifth positioning stage on which one of the sample containers supplied from the sample supply device is located; and It further includes a sixth positioning stage where one of the first tube containers supplied from the second consumable supply device is located. A modular pretreatment system characterized in that the fourth positioning stage is positioned spaced apart from the third positioning stage in the first direction, the fifth positioning stage is positioned spaced apart from the fourth positioning stage in the first direction, the sixth positioning stage is positioned spaced apart from the fifth positioning stage in the first direction, the first tip waste container is positioned between the fourth positioning stage and the fifth positioning stage, and the third positioning stage, the fourth positioning stage, the first tip waste container, the fifth positioning stage, and the sixth positioning stage are aligned in the first direction.
  16. A modular pretreatment system according to claim 15, wherein the first pipette unit is connected to a tip contained in a tip container located at the third positioning stage, the first pipette unit selectively transfers the second reagent located at the fourth positioning stage to the sample container located at the fifth positioning stage or to the first tube of the first tube container located at the sixth positioning stage, and after the tip is connected to the first pipette unit, the used tip is discharged to the first tip waste container, the first pipette unit is connected to a tip contained in a tip container located at the third positioning stage, the first pipette unit aspirates a portion of the sample from the sample container located at the fifth positioning stage, and the first pipette unit transfers the aspirated sample to the first tube contained in the first tube container located at the sixth positioning stage.
  17. A modular pretreatment system according to claim 16, characterized in that the movement path of the first pipette unit, the location of the first tip waste container, and the third to sixth positioning stages overlap.
  18. In claim 16, the consumable further comprises a second tube, and the consumable container further comprises a second tube container, and The above supply unit is, A third consumable supply device for supplying the second tube containers comprising at least two second tubes; A seventh positioning stage where the first tube container moved from the sixth positioning stage is located; and It further includes an eighth positioning stage where one of the second tube containers supplied from the third consumable supply device is located, A modular preprocessing system characterized in that the eighth position stage is positioned spaced apart from the seventh position stage in the first direction, and the seventh position stage, the eighth position stage, and at least two processing units are aligned in the first direction.
  19. A modular preprocessing system according to claim 18, wherein the second gripping unit transfers the sample tube located at the seventh positioning stage to one processing unit of the processing module, and the second gripping unit selectively transfers the second tube located at the eighth positioning stage to one processing unit of the processing module.
  20. In claim 13, the at least two processing units include first, second, and third processing units, and the first to third processing units are arranged in order in the first direction, and The sample tube located in the supply unit is transferred to the first or second processing unit by the second gripping unit, and A modular preprocessing system characterized in that the sample tube located in the first or second processing unit is transported along the first direction by the second gripping unit.

Description

Modular preprocessing system The present invention relates to a modular preprocessing system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a modular preprocessing system having the ability to continuously load a sample and randomly access a device for preprocessing the sample. Molecular diagnostic testing is a method that determines the presence or absence of disease or infection by analyzing genetic information contained in biological samples or biological markers contained in proteins using molecular biological techniques. To perform molecular diagnostic testing, nucleic acids contained in biological samples must be extracted, and a sample pretreatment process is required prior to extraction, depending on the type of biological sample. Furthermore, the pretreatment processes may vary depending on the type of sample. For example, various devices such as vortexers, centrifugation units, spin-down units, heating units, and pipette units may be used for sample pretreatment, and various reagents may be utilized. In addition, various samples such as urine, liquid-based cytology (LBC), semen, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), saliva, respiratory sputum (RP sputum), tuberculosis sputum (TB sputum), bronchial washing, and raw stool can each be contained in a container, and the shape and diameter of the lids of each container may differ from each other. Pretreatment processes for various samples can mostly be performed manually by laboratory researchers, and the process can be automatically carried out by automated pretreatment devices only for a select few samples with relatively high demand. In other words, the pretreatment process for most samples can be performed manually by laboratory researchers. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a modular preprocessing system according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a supply unit included in the modular preprocessing system of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a processing unit included in the modular preprocessing system of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a control unit included in the modular preprocessing system of Figure 1. FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are plan views illustrating pretreatment processes performed in the modular pretreatment system of FIG. 1. Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12 are plan views illustrating the operation of the modular preprocessing system of Figure 1. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a modular preprocessing system according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a modular preprocessing system according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 15 and 16 are plan views illustrating a modular preprocessing system according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a modular preprocessing system according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a plan view showing a modular preprocessing system according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Hereinafter, a modular preprocessing system and a method of operating the modular preprocessing system according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the attached drawings, identical or similar reference numerals are used for identical or similar components. In this specification, specific structural or functional descriptions are merely illustrative for the purpose of explaining embodiments of the invention, and embodiments of the invention may be implemented in various forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described herein, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. Where it is stated that a component is “connected” or “in contact” with another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or in contact with the other component, or that there may be another component in between. Furthermore, where it is stated that a component is “directly connected” or “directly in contact” with another component, it should be understood that there is no other component in between. Other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as “between” and “directly between” or “adjacent to” and “directly adjacent to,” may be interpreted in the same way. The terms used herein are used merely to describe exemplary embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as “comprising,” “comprising,” or “having” are intended to specify the presence of the implemented features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof, and should not be understood as precluding the existence or addition of one or more other