Analyzer system having sample rack transfer line

• US 5,902,549 A
• Filed: 03/07/1997
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mimura, Tomonori, Sakazume, Taku, Mitsumaki, Hiroshi, Ohishi, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Soderquist, Arlen
• Application Number:
  US08/813,872
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 422/63, 422/64, 422/65, 422/67, 436/43, 436/47, 436/48, 436/50, 364/497, 364/500
• US Class Current: 422/65
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00326 Analysers with modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00673 of reagents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0453 Multiple carousels working in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00663 of consumables
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0092 Scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/02 using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations G01N35/0098 and G01N35/0099 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/026 having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114165 with step of insertion or removal from test line
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/115831 Condition or time responsive

Abstract

A plurality of analyzer units for serum, a plurality of analyzer units for blood plasma, and a plurality of analyzer units for urine are arranged along a main transfer line for transferring a sample rack from a rack providing portion to a rack storage portion. A reagent bottle for inspecting liver function is contained in each reagent delivery mechanism of two analyzer units among the plurality of analyzer units for serum. When the reagent for inspecting liver function in one of the two analyzer units is to be short, analysis for the liver function analysis item in the samples can be continued by transferring a sample rack from the rack providing portion to the other analyzer unit.

Claims

1. An analyzer system comprising a transfer line for transferring a sample rack from a rack providing portion to a rack storage portion, and a plurality of analyzer units arranged along said transfer line, each of said analyzer units analyzing a sample by using a reagent, and each of said analyzer units including a delivery mechanism for delivering the sample from the sample rack for analysis of the sample, and a delivery mechanism for delivering a reagent from a reagent bottle for analysis of the sample, the analyzer system further comprising:

first and second analyzer units capable of analyzing a specific analysis item; and

a control means for judging whether or not a reagent corresponding to said specific analysis item in the first analyzer unit is to be short as the reagent is consumed;

said control means controlling said transfer line so that said sample rack is transferred to said second analyzer unit instead of said first analyzer unit for said specific analysis item if it is judged that said reagent is to be short.

2. An analyzer system according to claim 1, wherein

said control means interrupts an analysis function for said specific analysis item in said first analyzer unit in which the reagent is judged to be short, and performs a subsequent analysis for said specific analysis item in said second analyzer unit.

3. An analyzer system according to claim 1, wherein

said control means stores each calibration result performed by said first and said second analyzer units in respect to said specific analysis item into a memory corresponding to each of said analyzer units, and uses said result to calculate the concentration of said specific analysis item.

4. An analyzer system according to claim 1, wherein

said control means selects a first analyzer unit for executing analysis for said specific analysis item of the following samples among a plurality of analyzer units based on a condition of having a minimum number of samples waiting for analysis if it is judged that said reagent is not to be short.

5. An analyzer system according to claim 1, which comprises:

at least three analyzer units, said control means allocating an analysis item having a large number of analysis requests to first and second analyzer units of said at least three analyzer units and an analysis item having a least number of analysis requests to a third analyzer unit of said at least three analyzer units, a status of allocating analysis items to said at least three analyzer units being displayed on a display unit.

6. An analyzer system according to claim 1, wherein

said specified analysis item comprises at least one of a liver function inspection analysis item and an emergency inspection analysis item.

7. An analyzer system according to claim 1, which further comprises:

a display unit for displaying which analyzer unit among the plurality of analyzer units should be used for analyzing said specific analysis item.

8. An analyzer system according to claim 1, wherein

said control means recognizes the kind of a sample on said sample rack based on a read-out result of identification information labeled on said sample rack or said sample container in said rack when said sample rack is to be transferred by said transfer line, and then transfers said sample rack to an analyzer unit in which an analysis condition for said recognized kind is set.

9. An analyzer system according to claim 1, which further comprises:

an instruction means for instructing a start-up operation and a shutdown operation for each of said plurality of analyzer units, said control unit transferring said sample rack through said transfer line to an analyzer unit other than that whose operation is suspended.

10. An analyzer system according to claim 1, wherein

said control means controls said transfer line so that when analysis for said specific analysis item cannot be processed by said first analyzer unit, a sample rack fed to said transfer line and having a sample to be analyzed for said specific analysis item is transferred to said second analyzer unit.