SAMPLE HANDLING SYSTEM

• US 20190331704A1
• Filed: 07/08/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: ONIZAWA, Kuniaki, OBARI, Koichi, OIZUMI, Junichi, OBA, Shigemi, ABE, Tetsuaki
• Granted Patent: US 10,852,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/1081 Storing samples under refrigeration
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00346 Heating or cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00445 Other cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0462 Buffers [FIFO] or stacks [LIFO] for holding carriers between operations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/026 having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 1/00 Comparing elements, i.e. elements for effecting comparison directly or indirectly between a desired value and existing or anticipated values

Abstract

A sample processing system is configured for analyzing, preprocessing, or carrying out other operations for a biological sample such as blood or urea. With the sample processing system, it is possible to store samples to be stored in a thermally insulated state or specimens required for accuracy control in the thermally insulated state for preventing evaporation or denaturing of the samples and specimens. Also it is possible to carry in or out the samples, rack by rack, according to necessity. Further, the sample processing system is provided with a buffer unit in a cold container having a capability for cold storage and also by accessing a sample rack at random for carrying in or out a rack with a transfer mechanism provided outside of the cold container.

Claims

1. A management method of a cold insulation unit that is connected to a transfer unit and comprises an opening and closing door, the management method comprising step of:

outputting an alarm when the opening and closing number of the opening and closing door of the cold insulation unit per unit time exceeds a prespecified value.

2. The management method according to claim 1, wherein the prespecified value can freely be set.

3. A sample handling system comprising:

a transfer unit configured to transfer samples placed on a sample rack;

a stand-by unit connected to the transfer unit and configured to temporally set the samples; and

a sample processing unit connected to the transfer unit, wherein

the system comprises a cold insulation unit configured to keep cold at least some of the samples set in the stand-by unit;

the cold insulation unit comprises an opening and closing door, and

an alarm is output when the opening and closing number of the opening and closing door of the cold insulation unit per unit time exceeds a prespecified value.

4. The sample handling system according to claim 3, wherein the prespecified value can freely be set.