Nucleic acid extraction apparatus and method of operation

A nucleic acid extraction apparatus, comprising:

• an incubation mechanism providing an incubation place for reaction solutions;
• a separation mechanism separating a nucleic acid-binding carrier adsorbed with nucleic acid from the reaction solutions, wherein the separation mechanism is a cyclically moveable annular structure and is provided, along an annulus thereof and at intervals, with a plurality of cuvette positions which are arranged in at least one column and used for carrying reaction vessels, and wherein the separation mechanism is provided, along a cyclical movement path thereof, with an in/out position used for taking the reaction vessels out of the separation mechanism or inserting the reaction vessels into the separation mechanism, at least one pipetting position and at least one injection position;
• at least one pipetting mechanism performing a pipetting operation at the at least one pipetting position of the separation mechanism;
• at least one injection mechanism performing an injection operation at the at least one injection position of the separation mechanism;
• and
• at least one transport mechanism transporting the reaction vessels in and out of the incubation mechanism and the separation mechanism;
• wherein the incubation mechanism is a cyclically moveable annular structure, and the incubation mechanism is provided, along an annulus thereof and at intervals, with a plurality of cuvette positions which are arranged in at least one column and used for carrying the reaction vessels;
• wherein the separation mechanism and the incubation mechanism are respectively further provided, along annuluses thereof, with a plurality of circulation tube positions which are used for carrying circulation tubes receiving waste fluid, and each of the circulation tube positions is adjacent to a cuvette position corresponding thereto.

An operation method of a nucleic acid extraction apparatus, wherein the nucleic acid extraction apparatus comprises at least one cyclically moveable annular structure, at least one pipetting mechanism, at least one injection mechanism and a driving mechanism, and the method comprises:

• the driving mechanism driving the annular structure to cause reaction vessels to cyclically step at a predetermined rotation step length and in a predetermined rotation direction, and a predetermined operation being performed during a stop period;
• when the annular structure stops for performing operations, the at least one pipetting mechanism and the at least one injection mechanism performing predetermined operations on the reaction vessels located on operation positions;
• and
• when the predetermined operations are completed, the reaction vessels continuing to be transported to a next operation position within the annular structure;
• wherein circulation tube positions used for carrying circulation tubes receiving waste fluid are arranged beside cuvette positions of the reaction vessels in which the waste fluid needs to be discharged, and, before the nucleic acid extraction apparatus performs an elution operation, during a stop period of transport of the reaction vessels by a transport mechanism, the transport mechanism further transports the circulation tubes used for carrying the waste fluid and following the reaction vessels.

An operation method of a nucleic acid extraction apparatus, wherein the nucleic acid extraction apparatus comprises an incubation mechanism, a separation mechanism, at least one pipetting mechanism, at least one injection mechanism and at least one transport mechanism, and the method comprises:

• driving the separation mechanism to cyclically step at a predetermined rotation step length and in a predetermined rotation direction, and performing a predetermined operation during a stop period;
• and
• when the separation mechanism stops for performing operations, the transport mechanism picking up reaction vessels on which incubation is completed from the incubation mechanism to an in/out position of the separation mechanism, or picking up the reaction vessels on which separation is completed and which are located on the in/out position of the separation mechanism;
• wherein, during a stop period of the separation mechanism for performing operations, the at least one pipetting mechanism and the at least one injection mechanism perform predetermined operations on the reaction vessels stopping at pipetting positions and injection positions, respectively;
• wherein, during a stop period of transport of the reaction vessels by the transport mechanism, the transport mechanism further transports circulation tubes following the reaction vessels, and each circulation tube is used for receiving waste fluid and carrying a disposable pipetting tip of the reaction vessel which each circulation tube follows.