Sample testing apparatus with controled sample transport mechanism capable of transport in two opposing directions

• US 8,641,969 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Inventors: Kitagawa, Nobuhiro, Tanaka, Hiroyuki, Tatsutani, Hiroo, Asahara, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Soderquist, Arlen
• Application Number:
  US12/727,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20100248374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 422 63- 65, 422/67, 435/286.1, 435/286.3, 435/287.1, 435/288.3, 436/43, 436 46- 48, 436/50, 436/55, 436/66
• US Class Current: 422/65
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0092 Scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/12 Condition responsive control

Abstract

The present invention is to present a sample testing apparatus comprising: a transport unit for transporting a sample container through a first position and a second position; a testing unit for performing a test on the sample in the sample container transported to the first position; a determination result obtainer for obtaining one of a first determination result indicating that a second test is required and a second determination result indicating that the second test is not required; and a transport controller for controlling the transport unit so as to transport the sample container back to the first position, if the first determination result has been obtained, wherein the sample container is not transported beyond the second position from the first position side before any one of the first and the second determination result has been obtained.

Claims

1. A sample testing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of testing units, each of the plurality of testing units being for aspirating the sample from the sample container, and for performing a test on the aspirated sample;

a plurality of transport units corresponding to the plurality of testing units, each of the plurality of transport units having;

a feeding section for feeding a sample container to a first position;

a transport mechanism for transporting the sample container on a path in a first transport direction from the first position to a third position through a second position to serve the sample container to the testing unit,

wherein the transport mechanism is also configured to be capable of transporting the sample container on said path in a second transport direction opposite to the first transport direction;

a receiving section for receiving the sample container from the third position; and

a transport line for transporting the sample container to another transporting unit, and which is connected to the feeding section and the receiving section,

a determination result obtainer for obtaining one of a first determination result indicating that a second test is required for the sample and a second determination result indicating that the second test is not required for the sample, based on a test result of a first test on the sample; and

a transport controller for controlling the transport unit so as to transport the sample container positioned between the second position and the third position back to the second position on said path in the second transport direction, the sample container containing the sample on which the first test has been performed, if the determination result obtainer has obtained the first determination result on the sample,

wherein the sample container is not transported beyond the third position from the second position side before the determination result obtainer has obtained any one of the first and the second determination result on the sample.

2. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transport controller controls the transport unit so as to keep the sample container waiting at the third position until the determination result obtainer has obtained any one of the first and the second determination result on the sample, if the determination result obtainer has not obtained any one of the first and the second determination result on the sample when the sample container has reached the third position.

3. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the transport controller controls the transport unit so as to transport the sample container beyond the third position from the second position side without keeping the sample container waiting at the third position, if the determination result obtainer has obtained the second determination result on the sample.

4. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transport controller controls the transport unit so as to transport the sample container back to the second position without transporting the sample container to the third position, if the determination result obtainer has obtained the first determination result on the sample before the sample container has reached the third position.

5. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transport unit is configured to transport the sample rack which holds a plurality of sample containers, each containing a sample;

and

wherein the sample rack is not transported beyond the third position from the second position side before the determination result obtainer has obtained any one of the first and the second determination result on all of the samples held on the sample rack.

6. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the transport controller controls the transport unit so as to transport one sample container held on the sample rack back to the second position, the one sample container containing a sample on which the first test has been performed, if the determination result obtainer has obtained the first determination result on the sample in the one sample container when the determination result obtainer has not obtained any one of the first and the second determination result on a sample in another sample container held on the sample rack, the another sample container containing a sample on which the first test has been performed.

7. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the transport controller controls the transport unit so as to transport one sample container held on the sample rack back to the second position, the one sample container containing a sample on which the first test has been performed, if the determination result obtainer has obtained the first determination result on the sample in the one sample container when the testing unit has not performed the first test on a sample in another container held on the sample rack.

8. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transport controller controls the transport unit so as to transport the sample container beyond the third position from the second position side, if the determination result obtainer has not obtained any one of the first and the second determination result on the sample within a predetermined time period.

9. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transport mechanism is configured to transport the sample container along a transport path including the first position, the second position and the third position;

and

wherein the transport controller controls the transport unit so as to transport the sample container back to the second position along the transport path, if the determination result obtainer has obtained the first determination result on the sample.

10. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the feeding section is configured to transport the sample container only in a direction toward the transport path;

and

wherein the receiving section is configured to transport the sample container only in a direction separating from the transport path.

11. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the third position is an end position of the transport path with respect to the first transport direction;

and

wherein the transport mechanism comprises a delivery mechanism for delivering the sample container located at the end position to the receiving section, and is configured to transport the sample container beyond the third position from the second position side by delivering the sample container located at the end position to the receiving section by the delivery mechanism.

12. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second transport unit for receiving and transporting the sample container which is transported from the transport unit; and

a sample processing unit for performing a predetermined process on the sample in the sample container transported by the second transport unit.

13. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the testing unit is configured to detect a blood cell in a blood, and

wherein the sample processing unit is configured to prepare a blood smear by smearing a blood on a slide glass.

14. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the testing unit is configured to remove the sample container at the second position from the transport mechanism, to aspirate the sample contained in the removed sample container and to return the removed sample container to the transport mechanism.

15. A sample testing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of testing units for aspirating a sample from a sample container and performing a test on the aspirated sample;

a plurality of transport units corresponding to the plurality of testing units, each of the plurality of transport units having;

a feeding section for feeding a sample container to a first position;

a transport mechanism for transporting the sample container on a path in a first transport direction from the first position to a third position through a second position to serve the sample container to the testing unit,

wherein the transport mechanism is also configured to be capable of transporting the sample container on said path in a second transport direction opposite to the first transport direction;

a receiving section for receiving the sample container from the third position; and

a transport line for transporting the sample container to another transporting unit, and which is connected to the feeding section and the receiving section,

a determination result obtainer for obtaining one of a first determination result indicating that a second test is required for the sample and a second determination result indicating that the second test is not required for the sample, based on a test result of a first test on the sample; and

a transport controller for controlling the transport unit so as to keep the sample container waiting at the third position, the sample container containing the sample on which the first test has been performed, until the determination result obtainer has obtained any one of the first and the second determination result on the sample, if the determination result obtainer has not obtained any one of the first and the second determination result on the sample when the sample container has reached the second position, and for controlling the transport unit so as to transport the sample container back to the second position on said path in the second direction if the determination result obtainer has obtained the first determination result on the sample.

16. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the transport controller controls the transport unit so as to transport the sample container beyond the third position from the second position side in the first direction without keeping the sample container waiting at the third position, if the determination result obtainer has obtained the second determination result on the sample.

17. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the transport controller controls the transport unit so as to transport the sample container back to the second position in the second direction without transporting the sample container to the third position, if the determination result obtainer has obtained the first determination result on the sample before the sample container has reached the third position.

18. The sample testing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the testing unit is configured to remove the sample container at the second position from the transport mechanism, to aspirate the sample contained in the removed sample container and to return the removed sample container to the transport mechanism.