AUTOMATED SAMPLE TESTING SYSTEM

• US 20120177547A1
• Filed: 09/08/2010
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fukugaki, Tatsuya, Hanawa, Masaaki, Ohga, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,877,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/547
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0427 nestable or stockable
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/046 General conveyor features
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0467 Switching points ("aiguillages")
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/047 diverging, e.g. sending carriers to different analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/026 having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence

Abstract

An empty rack transport line is arranged at a lower stage and independent of a main transport line, a fast emergency line and a reverse line. In a rack stocker, an inclined transport line connects the empty rack transport line to the rack stocker. The rack stocker is arranged between a storage module and a loading module. The rack stocker is capable of continuously supplying and collecting empty racks, while transport lines do not cross each other. It is, therefore, possible to continuously supply and collect empty racks in a simple configuration, without an increase in the size system, an intersection of transport lines and a reduction in processing capability. In addition, it is possible to provide an automated sample testing system that is highly extendable for a facility size.

Claims

1. An automated sample testing system comprising:

a main transport line for transporting a sample holder holding at least one sample;

a plurality of processing units that are arranged along the main transport line;

a rack stocker is arranged along the main transport line and supplies and collects an empty sample holder to be transported to the main transport line;

an empty rack transport line that is provided for an empty rack and extends in parallel to the main transport line; and

a first transport line for connecting the rack stocker to the empty rack transport line,

wherein the empty rack transport line is arranged at a lower stage than the main transport line and configured so that the main transport line is arranged between the empty rack transport line and the rack stocker.

2. The automated sample testing system according to claim 1,

wherein the empty rack transport line is a dedicated line that is independent of the main transport line, and

wherein the empty rack transport line includes a forward line, a reverse line and a second transport line for connecting the forward line to the reverse line, the forward line and the reverse line extend in parallel to each other.

3. The automated sample testing system according to claim 1,

wherein the first transport line is nearly perpendicular to the main transport line.

5. The automated sample testing system according to claim 1,

wherein the first transport line is an inclined transport line.

6. The automated sample testing system according to claim 1,

wherein the first transport line is an inclined spiral transport line.

4. An automated sample testing system comprising:

a main transport line for transporting a sample rack holding at least one sample;

a first sample processing unit that is arranged along the main transport line;

a rack stocker that is arranged along the main transport line and supplies and collects an empty sample rack to be transported to the main transport line;

a loading module that is arranged along the main transport line and loads the sample into the system; and

a storage module that is arranged along the main transport line and stores the sample completed with a processing,

wherein the first sample processing unit, the storage module, the rack stocker, the loading module and the second sample processing unit are arranged in this order so that the storage module is adjacent to the first sample processing unit and the rack stocker, and the loading module is adjacent to the rack stocker and the second sample processing unit.