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Sample handling system

  • US 6,290,907 B1
  • Filed: 09/10/1998
  • Issued: 09/18/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A sample handling system including:

  • a transportation line for transporting a sample rack which holds samples;

    a rack loading device for supplying said sample rack to said transportation line;

    a rack storage device for storing said sample rack transported by said transportation line; and

    a plurality of handling units disposed along said transportation line for applying a treatment on the samples held on said sample rack, or on containers containing said samples, said sample handling system further comprising;

    an identification (ID) information reader for reading an ID information of a sample rack to be transported;

    a central controller which monitors operational status of each handling unit and determines for each sample rack at which handling unit to stopover on the basis of the read-out ID information thereof, a centrifuge unit and an aliquoter unit provided as part of said plurality of handling units;

    a partitive line unit for said centrifuge unit and a partitive line unit for said aliquoter unit each being a part of said transportation line; and

    unit controllers contained in said partitive line units, respectively, each of said unit controllers controlling operation of a respective partitive line unit and mediating information between a related handling unit and said central controller.

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