Patent Application
20160163348
This application claims the benefit of People's Republic of China application Serial No. 201410730118.X, filed Dec. 4, 2014, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a bio-disc detection system, and more particularly to a driver device used in a bio-disc detection system for rotating a bio-disc to facilitate a detection of a biological sample loaded on the bio-disc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Along with the advance in medical technology, more and more high-speed and precise bio-detection technologies are provided. Bio-disc detection technology, which employs optical detection of biological particles, is capable of concurrently detecting a plurality of biological samples loaded on a disc to automatically and quickly analyzes the samples and has become a main bio-detection technology.
Referring to
When the bio-disc detection system 10 performs detection, firstly, a to-be-tested biological sample, such as blood, and a reagent are loaded onto respective test channels 14. Then, the controller 11 controls the spindle motor 12 to rotate at a high speed. The disc 13 is rotated at a high speed to generate a centrifugal force enabling cellular pellets to be separated from plasma, wherein cellular pellets and plasma are two ingredients of blood and have different weights. Then, the separated plasma automatically flows to the detection groove to mix up with the reagent. After particles of the plasma, such as pathogens, are marked, the pathogen particles will carry fluorescence or magnetic marks. Then, the number of marked particles in the detection groove can be used as a basis for determining the result of detection. Therefore, during the pre-determined time when the spindle motor 12 rotates, after the plasma and the reagent are fully mixed up, the computer 16 again controls the optical pick-up head 15 to project a light beam to irradiate the detection groove of the test channel 14. Then, the flux of the light is detected to form signals with different intensities for performing detection analysis.
However, the spindle motor 12 of the bio-disc detection system 10 of the prior art is an ordinary driving motor. Although the spindle motor 12 can rotate at a high speed, due to the inertial of rotation, even when the rotation direction of the spindle motor is changed, the bio-disc cannot stop its rotation immediately. It takes a while for the bio-disc to come to a complete stop before the bio-disc can be rotated in a new direction of rotation. Since the bio-disc can neither swing reciprocally to completely mix the plasma with the reagent nor effectively mark the pathogens, the mixing time is increased and the detection efficiency deteriorates. Besides, since the spindle motor of the prior art cannot control the bio-disc to rotate to a predetermined angle at a low speed, the detection groove cannot be precisely positioned, the optical signal cannot be detected, and the reliability of detection result is decreased. Therefore, the bio-disc detection system still has several problems to resolve in the respect of driver device and driving method.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a driver device for bio-disc detection is provided. A step motor rotates a clamper of a bio-disc at a low speed to precisely control a rotation angle of the bio-disc, such that a detection groove on the bio-disc can be correctly positioned and the accuracy of detection can thus be increased.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a driver device for bio-disc detection is provided. By moving a step motor, a clamper is engaged with or detached from a bio-disc, such that the replacement of the bio-disc is made easier, and the convenience of use is increased.
According to an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a driving method for bio-disc detection is increased. A spindle motor and a step motor work together in conjunction with the separation, mixing and detection process, and various rotation modes can be provided to increase the detection efficiency of the bio-disc.
To achieve the above embodiment of the present invention, a driver device for bio-disc detection is provided. A disc-shaped clamper is disposed on a main body. A cassette mechanism is a frame body disposed inside the main body. A spindle motor is disposed on the cassette mechanism and works together with a clamper to clamp or release a central hole of a bio-disc from atop and underneath. The spindle motor further drives the bio-disc and the clamper by the central hole to rotate at a high speed. The bio-disc has a plurality of test channels and detection groove disposed thereon. A base is disposed on the main body and positioned at the periphery of the clamper. A step motor, rotatably fixed on the base, rotates a driving wheel which is engaged with the periphery of the clamper. A return spring is fixed on the base, wherein one end of the return spring connects and presses the step motor to move the driving wheel towards the periphery of the clamper to rotate the bio-disc.
Each test channel on the bio-disc used in the driver device for bio-disc detection of the present invention has a reagent channel and a sample channel for loading a reagent and a to-be-tested biological sample. The step motor is rotatably fixed on a chute of the base, such that the driving wheel contacts and becomes engaged with the clamper via a belt wheel. Or, the step motor is moved to resist an elastic force of the return spring and drive the driving wheel along the chute to be detached from the periphery of the clamper to release the clamper. Besides, the spindle motor rotates the bio-disc at a high speed to generate a centrifugal force, and the step motor rotates the bio-disc to a predetermined angle at a low speed.
The driving method for bio-disc detection of the present invention comprises following steps. Firstly, a biological sample and a reagent are loaded on a bio-disc, and the detection of the bio-disc starts. Next, a spindle motor is activated, and a separation process is performed in a high-speed rotation mode to separate the biological sample. Then, the spindle motor is turned off, and a step motor is activated to perform a braking process in a braking rotation mode to stop the rotation of the spindle motor. Then, the step motor performs a mixing process in a rotation direction switching mode to mix the biological sample with the reagent. Then, the step motor, in a low-speed rotation mode, drives the bio-disc to pass through the irradiated pre-determined position and performs a detection process to detect an optical signal. Then, the intensity of the detected optical signal is analyzed and a detection result is determined.
The driving method for bio-disc detection of the present invention comprises several rotation modes. In the high-speed rotation mode, the bio-disc is rotated at a high speed to generate a centrifugal force. In the braking rotation mode, the step motor is rotated in a direction inverse to the rotation direction of the spindle motor to brake the spindle motor. Besides, in the rotation direction switching mode, a mixing process is performed to quickly switch the rotation of the step motor between a forward direction and a backward direction, such that the bio-disc wobbles severely and the biological sample and the reagent can thus be mixed completely. In the low-speed rotation mode, the bio-disc is rotated to a predetermined angle, so that the biological sample and the reagent pass through an irradiated pre-determined position at a pre-determined speed or shortly stay at the irradiated pre-determined position to detect an optical signal.
The above and other aspects of the invention will become better understood with regard to the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiment(s). The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Refer to
The cassette mechanism 21 has an optical pick-up head 23 disposed corresponding to the detection groove 30 of the test channel 26 of the disc 25 for projecting a light beam to irradiate the detection groove 30. Through the guidance of a pair of guide rods 33 disposed on the cassette mechanism 21 in parallel, the optical pick-up head 23 moves along a radial direction of the disc 25 to adjust the position to be irradiated. The main body 40 further has a base 42 disposed outside the periphery of the clamper 41. The base 42 has a chute 43 disposed thereon, wherein the step motor 24 is movably fixed in the chute 43 for rotating a driving wheel 44. One end of the step motor 24 connected to the return spring 45 receives the elastic force of the return spring 45 fixed on the base 42 for pressing the step motor 24 to move towards the periphery of the clamper 41 along the chute 43, such that the driving wheel 44 is engaged with the periphery of the clamper 41 to rotate the clamper 41. Although the engagement between the driving wheel 44 and the periphery of the clamper 41 of the present embodiment is exemplified by the engagement between the driving wheel 44 of the belt wheel and the clamper 41, the engagement is not limited to the belt wheel and can also be done through gear wheels.
Refer to
When the bio-disc detection system 50 of the present invention detects a biological sample, as indicated in
Then, the controller 51 activates the spindle motor 22, and in a high-speed rotation mode, after the spindle motor 22 of
During the separation process, the spindle motor 22 rotates for a pre-determined time in a high-speed rotation mode to fully separate the cellular pellets and the plasma of the blood. Then, the controller 51 turns off the spindle motor 22 and activates the step motor 24 to drive the driving wheel 44 to perform a braking process in a braking rotation mode. During the braking process, after the spindle motor 22a is turned off, the bio-disc 25 still rotates for a while due to the inertia of rotation. Once the step motor 24 is activated, the step motor 24 is rotated in a direction inverse to the rotation direction of the spindle motor 22 and provides a rotational kinetic energy for braking the spindle motor 22. The step motor 24 stops the rotation of the clamper 41 through the driving wheel 44. The clamper 41, formed of a hard material, can directly transmit the rotational kinetic energy of the inverse rotation of the step motor 24 to quickly stop the rotation of the bio-disc 25 and shorten the waiting time required for the bio-disc 25 to stop its rotation.
Then, the step motor 24 performs a mixing process in a rotation direction switching mode by using the characteristics of fast switching of rotation direction. During the mixing process, the step motor 24 of
After having performed the mixing process for a pre-determined time for fully mixing the plasma with the reagent, the step motor 24 performs a detection process in a low-speed rotation mode. During the detection process, the step motor 24 operates at a lower speed to rotate the clamper 41 through the driving wheel 44 to precisely rotate the bio-disc 25 to a predetermined angle, such that each detection groove 30 passes through a pre-determined position at a predetermined rotation speed or shortly stay at the pre-determined position. Meanwhile, the controller 51 controls the optical pick-up head 23 to project a light beam, which irradiates the detection groove 30, and further moves the optical pick-up head 23 along a radial direction of the guide rod 33 such that the optical pick-up head 23 can irradiate a pre-determined position of the detection groove 30. The optical pick-up head 23 further forms an optical signal according to the intensity of the light reflected from the detection groove 30, and further transmits the optical signal to the analyzer 52. Then, the analyzer 52 analyzes the optical signal and the result of detection is correctly determined.
As indicated in
According to the driver device for bio-disc detection disclosed in above embodiments of the present invention, through the design enables the step motor to be engaged with or detached from the clamper, the bio-disc can be easily replaced and detected. Furthermore, with the bio-disc being clamped by a clamper, the rotation angle of the bio-disc rotated at a low speed can be precisely controlled, such that the detection groove on the bio-disc can be correctly positioned and the accuracy of detection can be increased. Moreover, the driving method for bio-disc detection of the present invention, the spindle motor and the step motor work together in conjunction with the separation, mixing and detection process, and various rotation modes such as high speed mode, braking mode, direction switching mode and low speed rotation mode can be provided to increase the detection efficiency of the bio-disc.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiment(s), it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201410730118.X | Dec 2014 | CN | national |
