Sample processing system

Abstract

To provide a sample processing system with which it is easy to grasp an object.SOLUTION: The sample processing system comprises: a robot equipped with a handle to grasp an object from both sides in the horizontal direction; and a placement table on which the object is placed. The placement table includes a first placement unit and a second placement unit that is located side by side with the first placement unit and vertically upward of the first placement unit. The first placement unit is positioned between the robot and the second placement unit. Furthermore, when it is assumed that the direction in which the robot and the placement unit are aligned in a row is a first direction, the first placement unit and the second placement unit respectively allow a plurality of the object to be placed along the vertical direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sample processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] The specimen processing system described in Patent Document 1 includes a robot with two arms and a plurality of processing devices that are arranged within the movable range of the robot's arms and perform predetermined processing on specimens. The processing devices include, for example, petri dishes, petri dish stands, spatulas, spatula holders, test tubes, test tube holders, pipettes, pipette holders, tips, tip holders, incubators, centrifuges, mixers, heaters, and coolers. The robot uses holders arranged at the ends of its arms to grasp processing devices such as test tubes and pipettes and perform predetermined processing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-117880 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, for example, if processing equipment is arranged side by side at the front and back sides as seen from the robot, when an attempt is made to grasp the processing equipment at the back side with a holder, the processing equipment located at the front side may collide with the holder, making it impossible for the holder to grasp the desired processing equipment, or the processing equipment located at the front side may be damaged by contact with the holder. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The sample processing system of the present invention includes: a robot having hands that grasp an object from both sides in a horizontal direction; a mounting table on which the object is placed, The mounting table has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion that is arranged alongside the first mounting portion and positioned vertically above the first mounting portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view showing an overall sample processing system according to a preferred embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a specimen container and a sample container. [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart showing the steps of a compounding operation. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the first cover opening and closing device. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the second cover opening and closing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a pipette. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a top view showing a pipette. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the robot. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state in which the first and second placement sections are removed. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating a problem with the conventional mounting table. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the effect of the mounting table. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a side view showing how the first and second placement sections move. [Figure 16] FIG. 15 is a side view showing a modified example of the mounting table. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a modified example of the hand. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The sample processing system of the present invention will be described in detail below based on the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. For ease of explanation, each figure except for Figure 3 illustrates three mutually orthogonal axes: the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. The Z-axis extends vertically, and the X-axis and the Y-axis extend horizontally. The direction along the X-axis is also referred to as the X-axis direction, the direction along the Y-axis is also referred to as the Y-axis direction, and the direction along the Z-axis is also referred to as the Z-axis direction.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a top view showing the entire sample processing system according to a preferred embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a specimen container and a sample container. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the steps of a preparation operation. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a first lid opening / closing device. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a second lid opening / closing device. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a pipette. FIG. 7 is a top view showing a pipette. FIG. 8 is a side view showing a robot. FIG. 9 is a side view showing a mounting table. FIG. 10 is a top view showing a mounting table. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the first mounting unit and the second mounting unit removed. FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the mounting table. FIG. 13 is a side view showing problems with a conventional mounting table. FIG. 14 is a side view showing the effect of the mounting table. FIG. 15 is a side view showing the movement of the first mounting unit and the second mounting unit. FIG. 16 is a side view showing a modified mounting table. FIG. 17 is a side view showing a modified hand. In addition, the front side of the paper in FIG. 1 is the vertically upper side, and the back side of the paper is the vertically lower side.

[0009] The sample processing system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a system that automatically performs predetermined processing on samples. In particular, the sample processing system 1 of this embodiment is a system that automatically dispenses multiple types of liquid samples to prepare samples, and a robot 2 mainly automatically performs the tasks of using a pipette 8 to aspirate a predetermined amount of liquid sample stored in a sample container 91 and dispensing the aspirated liquid sample into a sample container 92. However, the processing performed by the sample processing system 1 is not particularly limited.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the sample processing system 1 comprises a robot 2 that performs dispensing operations, a mounting table 4 on which multiple sample containers 91 and multiple sample containers 92 as objects are placed, a first lid opening / closing device 51 that opens and closes the lid 912 of the sample container 91, a second lid opening / closing device 52 that opens and closes the lid 922 of the sample container 92, an electronic balance 6 that measures the weight of an empty sample container 92, the actual weight of the liquid sample dispensed into the sample container 92, etc., a pipette stand 71 on which a pipette 8 is placed, a tip stand 72 on which a tip 81 attached to the tip of the pipette 8 is placed, and a control device 3 that controls the operation of each part, all of which are arranged in predetermined locations on a base 10.

[0011] However, the configuration of the sample processing system 1 is not particularly limited. For example, the first and second lid opening / closing devices 51 and 52 may be omitted, and the specimen container 91 and the sample container 92 with their lids open may be placed on the mounting table 4. Alternatively, for example, a single lid opening / closing device may be provided that serves as both the first and second lid opening / closing devices 51 and 52. Alternatively, for example, two robots 2 may be used: a transport robot that mainly transports the specimen container 91 and the sample container 92, and a dispensing robot that mainly performs dispensing work using the pipette 8.

[0012] The sample container 91 is a container for storing a liquid sample to be aspirated by the pipette 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the sample container 91 is cylindrical with a bottom, and is held by the hand 23 by pinching the outer surface from both sides. A lid 912 is screwed onto the upper end of the sample container 91, thereby closing the opening of the sample container 91. By screwing the lid 912 onto the sample container 91 in this way, the lid 912 is less likely to come off the sample container 91.

[0013] On the other hand, the sample container 92 is a container into which a liquid sample is dispensed from the pipette 8. Like the sample container 91, the sample container 92 is cylindrical with a bottom, and is held by the hand 23 by pinching the outer surface from both sides. A lid 922 is screwed onto the upper end of the sample container 92, thereby closing the opening of the sample container 92. By screwing the lid 922 onto the sample container 92 in this way, the lid 922 is less likely to come off the sample container 92.

[0014] However, the configurations of the sample container 91 and the sample container 92 are not particularly limited. For example, the sample container 91 and the sample container 92 may be rectangular tubular. Alternatively, for example, the sample container 91 and the sample container 92 may be configured so that the lid 912 fits into the sample container 91, like a stopper. Alternatively, the sample container 91 and the lid 912 may be connected by a hinge or the like. The same applies to the sample container 92. Also, for convenience of explanation, the sample container 91 and the sample container 92 are shown to have the same shape in FIG. 2, but this is not limited thereto, and the sample container 91 and the sample container 92 may have different shapes. Alternatively, the shape of each sample container 91 may be different, and the shape of each sample container 92 may be different.

[0015] In this embodiment, different types of liquid samples are stored in the multiple sample containers 91. Therefore, in the sample processing system 1, predetermined amounts of each of the multiple liquid samples are dispensed into one sample container 92, so that the multiple liquid samples can be mixed in the sample container 92 and the desired sample can be prepared.

[0016] Although the work performed by the sample processing system 1 is not particularly limited, an example in which a sample is prepared by mixing two types of liquid reagents will be described as an example. In this example, as shown in Fig. 3, there are a sample container removal step S1 in which the robot 2 transports a sample container 92 placed on the mounting table 4 to the second lid opening device 52, a sample container lid opening step S2 in which the second lid opening device 52 opens the lid of the sample container 92, a first sample container removal step S3 in which the robot 2 transports a first sample container 91 placed on the mounting table 4 to the first lid opening device 51, a first sample container lid opening step S4 in which the first lid opening device 51 opens the lid of the sample container 91, and a pipette 8 in which the robot 2 holds the pipette 8 and inserts a tip 81 into the tip of the pipette. a first pipette gripping step S5 in which the robot 2 uses the pipette 8 to aspirate a predetermined amount of liquid sample from an open sample container 91 held by the first lid opening / closing device 51; a first sample container closing step S7 in which the first lid opening / closing device 51 closes the sample container 91; a first discharging step S8 in which the robot 2 discharges the liquid sample in the pipette 8 into an open sample container 92 held by the second lid opening / closing device 52; and a first pipette return step S9 in which the robot 2 discards the used tip 81 and then returns the pipette 8 to the pipette stand 71. step S9, a first sample container returning step S10 in which the robot 2 returns the sample container 91 closed by the first lid opening / closing device 51 to the mounting table 4, a second sample container taking-out step S11 in which the robot 2 transports the second sample container 91 placed on the mounting table 4 to the first lid opening / closing device 51, a second sample container opening step S12 in which the first lid opening / closing device 51 opens the sample container 91, a second pipette holding step S13 in which the robot 2 holds the pipette 8 and attaches a tip 81 to the tip of the pipette 8, and a second pipette holding step S14 in which the robot 2 holds the pipette 8 held by the first lid opening / closing device 51. a second suction step S14 in which a predetermined amount of liquid sample is aspirated from an open sample container 91; a second sample container lid closing step S15 in which the first lid opening / closing device 51 closes the sample container 91; a second discharge step S16 in which the robot 2 discharges the liquid sample in the pipette 8 into the open sample container 92 held by the second lid opening / closing device 52; a sample container lid closing step S17 in which the second lid opening / closing device 52 closes the sample container 92; and a second pipette return step S18 in which the robot 2 discards the used tip 81 and then returns the pipette 8 to the pipette stand 71.The method includes a second sample container returning step S19 in which the robot 2 returns the sample container 91, the lid of which has been closed by the first lid opening / closing device 51, to the mounting table 4, and a sample container returning step S20 in which the robot 2 returns the sample container 92, the lid of which has been closed by the second lid opening / closing device 52, to the mounting table 4.

[0017] Each of these steps S1 to S20 mainly includes a robot step performed by the robot 2, a first lid opening and closing device step performed by the first lid opening and closing device 51, and a second lid opening and closing device step performed by the second lid opening and closing device 52. The robot step, the first lid opening and closing device step, and the second lid opening and closing device step can be performed in parallel with one another. Specifically, while one of the robot step, the first lid opening and closing device step, and the second lid opening and closing device step is being performed, one or more of the remaining two steps can be performed simultaneously.

[0018] Next, the configuration of each part of the sample processing system 1 will be explained in order.

[0019] ≪First lid opening / closing device 51≫ The first lid opening / closing device 51 is a device that opens and closes the lid 912 of the sample container 91, and as shown in Figure 4, has a container gripping unit 510 that grips the sample container 91 transported by the robot 2, a lid gripping unit 511 that grips the lid 912 of the sample container 91 gripped by the container gripping unit 510, a rotation unit 512 that rotates the lid gripping unit 511 gripping the lid 912 about a vertical axis to remove the lid 912 from the sample container 91 or attach the lid 912 to the sample container 91, and a movement mechanism 513 that moves the container gripping unit 510 in the vertical direction. Note that the lid 912 removed from the sample container 91 by the first lid opening / closing device 51 is held by the lid gripping unit 511 until it is time to attach it to the sample container 91 again. This allows the lid 912 to be attached and detached to and from the sample container 91 smoothly, thereby shortening the time required for preparation work.

[0020] In addition, the moving mechanism 513 moves the container holding portion 510 vertically to transport the sample container 91 held by the container holding portion 510 to a transfer position Q12, where the sample container 91 is transferred to and from the robot 2, an opening / closing position Q11, where the lid 912 is opened and closed, and an aspirating position Q13, where the liquid sample is aspirated from the open sample container 91 using the pipette 8.

[0021] However, the configuration of the first lid opening / closing device 51 is not particularly limited as long as it can attach and detach the lid 912 to and from the sample container 91.

[0022] ≪Second lid opening / closing device 52≫ The second lid opening / closing device 52 is disposed adjacent to the first lid opening / closing device 51 in the X-axis direction. The second lid opening / closing device 52 is a device that opens and closes the lid 922 of the sample container 92, and has the same configuration as the first lid opening / closing device 51 described above.

[0023] 5, the second lid opening / closing device 52 includes a container gripping unit 520 that grips the sample container 92 transported to a predetermined position by the robot 2, a lid gripping unit 521 that grips the lid 922 of the sample container 92 gripped by the container gripping unit 520, a rotation unit 522 that rotates the lid gripping unit 521 gripping the lid 922 about a vertical axis to remove the lid 922 from the sample container 92 or attach the lid 922 to the sample container 92, and a movement mechanism 523 that moves the container gripping unit 520. Note that the lid 922 removed from the sample container 92 is held by the lid gripping unit 521 until it is time to attach it to the sample container 92 again. This allows the lid 922 to be attached and detached to and from the sample container 92 smoothly, thereby reducing the time required for preparation work.

[0024] In addition, the moving mechanism 523 moves the container holding portion 520 vertically to transport the sample container 92 held by the container holding portion 520 to a transfer position Q22, where the sample container 92 is transferred to and from the robot 2, an opening / closing position Q21, where the lid 922 is opened and closed, and an ejection position Q23, where a liquid sample is ejected from the pipette 8 into the open sample container 92.

[0025] However, the configuration of the second lid opening / closing device 52 is not particularly limited as long as it can attach and detach the lid 922 to and from the sample container 92.

[0026] <Pipette 8> The pipette 8 is, for example, an electric micropipette, and as shown in FIG. 6, is used with a tip 81 attached to its tip. Such a pipette 8 aspirates a liquid sample from a sample container 91 through the tip 81 and dispenses the aspirated liquid sample into a sample container 92. Although not shown, the pipette 8 has a cylinder, a plunger that slides within the cylinder, a motor that drives the plunger, and a motor control device that controls the driving of the motor. The pipette 8 aspirates and dispenses the liquid sample by driving the motor to slide the plunger within the cylinder. However, the configuration of the pipette 8 is not particularly limited as long as it can aspirate and dispense a predetermined amount of liquid sample.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 6 , an attachment 82 is attached to the pipette 8. The pipette 8 is held by the hand 23 via the attachment 82. The portion of the attachment 82 that is held by the hand 23 has a shape similar to that of a sample container 91. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7 , the portion of the attachment 82 that is held by the hand 23 is cylindrical, like the sample container 91, and its outer diameter is approximately the same as that of the sample container 91. With this configuration, the sample container 91, the sample container 92, and the pipette 8 are all aligned to have similar shapes, allowing each of these three to be stably held by a single hand 23. This allows for smooth and accurate preparation work.

[0028] Robot 2 As shown in Figure 8, the robot 2 is a six-axis vertical articulated robot with six drive axes, and has a base 21 fixed to the base 10, a robot arm 22 rotatably connected to the base 21, and a hand 23 attached to the tip of the robot arm 22.

[0029] The robot arm 22 has six arms 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, and 226 rotatably connected in this order from the base 21 side, and includes six joints J1, J2, J3, J4, J5, and J6. Specifically, the arm 221 is rotatably connected to the base 21 via the joint J1. The arm 222 is rotatably connected to the arm 221 via the joint J2. The arm 223 is rotatably connected to the arm 222 via the joint J3. The arm 224 is rotatably connected to the arm 223 via the joint J4. The arm 225 is rotatably connected to the arm 224 via the joint J5. The arm 226 is rotatably connected to the arm 225 via the joint J6.

[0030] Of the joints J1 to J6, joints J2, J3, and J5 are bending joints, and joints J1, J4, and J6 are torsion joints. Although not shown, each of the joints J1 to J6 is equipped with a drive mechanism including a motor, a reducer that reduces the speed of the motor's rotation to increase and output a rotational force (torque), and an encoder that detects the amount of rotation of the joint. By independently moving each of the joints J1 to J6, the hand 23 located at the tip of the robot arm 22 can be moved in a desired direction at a desired posture and speed.

[0031] The hand 23 is attached to the tip of the robot arm 22, that is, to the arm 226. The hand 23 has a base 230 attached to the arm 226 and a pair of claws 231 and 232 that are movable relative to the base 230.

[0032] In a posture in which the rotation axis of the joint J6 is aligned in the vertical direction (for example, the posture shown in FIG. 7), the pair of claws 231, 232 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction (a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the joint J6) and move toward or away from each other in the horizontal direction relative to the base 230. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the claws 231, 232 each have a crank-like bent shape, and have base portions 231a, 232a extending horizontally from the base 230, intermediate portions 231b, 232b extending vertically downward from the tips of the base portions 231a, 232a, and tip portions 231c, 232c extending horizontally from the tips of the intermediate portions 231b, 232b. Then, with the rotation axis of joint J6 positioned along the vertical direction, the object to be grasped (specimen container 91, sample container 92 or pipette 8) is placed between tip portions 231c and 232c, and by bringing claws 231 and 232 closer to each other, the object to be grasped can be grasped from both horizontal sides by tip portions 231c and 232c, and conversely, by moving claws 231 and 232 away from each other, the grasped object can be released.

[0033] 7, in the hand 23 of this embodiment, the tip portions 231c, 232c are bent in a "<" shape so that the central portions are spaced apart from each other when viewed in a plan view along the rotation axis of the joint J6 (in a plan view from the vertical direction). As described above, the specimen container 91, sample container 92, or pipette 8, which are the objects to be grasped, all have a cylindrical shape, and therefore, by forming the tip portions 231c, 231c in this shape, these objects can be stably grasped. However, the shapes of the claws 231, 232 are not particularly limited.

[0034] In addition, a connector 233 is disposed on the base 230 for electrically connecting the pipette 8 held by the hand 23 to the robot 2. For example, the connector 233 is a magnetic connector, and as shown in FIG. 6, when the hand 23 holds the pipette 8, the connector 233 automatically connects to the terminal of the pipette 8 by magnetic force. With this configuration, the electrical connection between the pipette 8 and the robot 2 is automatic, thereby reducing the number of steps required for the preparation work. However, the configuration of the connector 233 is not particularly limited.

[0035] The robot 2 has been described above. However, the configuration of the robot 2 is not particularly limited. For example, the number of arms provided in the robot arm 22 is not limited to six. Furthermore, the robot 2 may be a dual-arm robot, a horizontally articulated robot (SCARA robot), or the like. Furthermore, the configuration of the hand 23 is not particularly limited as long as it can grasp an object to be grasped from a horizontal direction.

[0036] <Control device 3> The control device 3 is electrically connected to each device of the sample processing system 1 and controls the operation of each device. Specifically, it controls the operation of the robot 2 to transport the specimen container 91 and the sample container 92 and dispense the liquid sample, controls the operation of the first lid opening / closing device 51 to attach and detach the lid 912 to the sample container 91, and controls the operation of the second lid opening / closing device 52 to attach and detach the lid 922 to the sample container 92.

[0037] Such a control device 3 is, for example, configured as a computer, and has a processor (CPU) for processing information, a memory communicatively connected to the processor, and an external interface for connecting to external devices. Various programs executable by the processor are stored in the memory, and the processor can read and execute the programs stored in the memory.

[0038] <Placement table 4> The mounting table 4 is a table on which a specimen container 91 and a sample container 92 are placed. As shown in FIG. 9 , the mounting table 4 is arranged alongside the robot 2 in the X-axis direction, which is a first direction. The mounting table 4 has a first mounting portion 41 and a second mounting portion 42 that is arranged alongside the first mounting portion 41 in the X-axis direction and is positioned vertically above the first mounting portion 41. That is, the mounting table 4 has the first mounting portion 41 as a lower step and the second mounting portion 42 as an upper step that are arranged in a staircase-like manner. The mounting table 4 is arranged directly opposite the robot 2, with the first mounting portion 41 located between the second mounting portion 42 and the robot 2. That is, the mounting table 4 is arranged so that, when viewed from the robot 2, the first mounting portion 41 is located on the front side and the second mounting portion 42 is located on the back side.

[0039] 10, the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 each have an elongated shape extending along the Y-axis direction, which is the second direction, i.e., a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction. A plurality of sample containers 92 can be mounted on the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 along the Y-axis direction. By making the first and second mounting portions 41 and 42 elongated along the Y-axis direction in this way, a greater number of specimen containers 91 and sample containers 92 can be mounted on the mounting table 4.

[0040] The term "orthogonal" as used herein not only refers to cases where two objects are perpendicular to each other, but also refers to cases where the two objects deviate from the orthogonal orientation within a range that can be considered to be orthogonal from a technically common sense perspective. However, this is not limited thereto, and the first and second mounting sections 41 and 42 may extend along a direction other than the Y-axis direction. Also, in FIG. 10, for convenience of explanation, the sample container 92 is mounted on the first mounting section 41, and the specimen container 91 is mounted on the second mounting section 42. However, this is not limited thereto. For example, the sample container 91 may be mounted on the first mounting section 41, and the specimen container 92 may be mounted on the second mounting section 42. Alternatively, the specimen container 91 and the specimen container 92 may be mounted separately on the first and second mounting sections 41 and 42, respectively.

[0041] 11 , the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 can each be detached from the base 10. That is, the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 are each detachable from the base 10. With this configuration, preparation for a blending operation can be performed by removing the first mounting portion 41 from the base 10, placing a sample container 92 on the first mounting portion 41 in an open area, and fixing the first mounting portion 41 with the sample container 92 placed thereon to the base 10. Similarly, preparation for a blending operation can be performed by removing the second mounting portion 42 from the base 10, placing a sample container 91 on the second mounting portion 42 in an open area, and fixing the second mounting portion 42 with the sample container 91 placed thereon to the base 10. Therefore, preparation for the preparation work can be made easier than when the specimen container 91 and the sample container 92 are placed on the first and second placement portions 41 and 42 that are fixed to the base 10, for example.

[0042] However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 may be integrally formed and detachable from the base 10. Furthermore, at least one of the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 may be fixed to the base 10 in an undetachable state.

[0043] 12, the first mounting part 41 has a restricting part 410 that restricts displacement of the sample container 91. With this configuration, it is possible to effectively prevent displacement or wobbling of the sample container 91 due to contact with the hand 23. This allows the sample container 91 to be securely and appropriately gripped by the hand 23. In particular, the restricting part 410 of this embodiment is configured as a bottomed hole 411 that opens on the mounting surface (upper surface). The lower end of the sample container 91 is inserted into this hole 411. With this configuration, it is possible to restrict displacement of the sample container 91 with a simple structure. However, the configuration of the restricting part 410 is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the restricting part 410 may be omitted.

[0044] Similarly, the second mounting portion 42 has a restricting portion 420 that restricts displacement of the sample container 92. With this configuration, it is possible to effectively prevent displacement or wobbling of the sample container 92 due to contact with the hand 23. This allows the sample container 92 to be securely and appropriately gripped by the hand 23. In particular, the restricting portion 420 of this embodiment is configured as a bottomed hole 421 that opens on the mounting surface (upper surface). The lower end of the sample container 92 is inserted into this hole 421. With this configuration, it is possible to restrict displacement of the sample container 92 with a simple structure. However, the configuration of the restricting portion 420 is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the restricting portion 420 may be omitted.

[0045] The mounting table 4 configured as described above can achieve the following effects. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , if the first mounting section 41 and the second mounting section 42 are at the same height, when the hand 23 attempts to grasp a sample container 91 on the second mounting section 42, the hand 23 will collide with a sample container 92 located in front of the first mounting section 42. This may result in the hand 23 being unable to grasp the sample container 91, or the sample container 92 being damaged by contact with the hand 23. Furthermore, depending on the system settings, the hand 23 colliding with the sample container 92 may activate a safety mode, sound an alarm, or cause the sample processing system 1 to make an emergency stop.

[0046] 14, in the mounting table 4 of this embodiment, the second mounting portion 42 located at the rear side is positioned vertically above the first mounting portion 41 located at the front side. Therefore, the sample container 92 mounted on the first mounting portion 41 is positioned downward relative to the sample container 91 mounted on the second mounting portion 42. As a result, when the hand 23 grips the sample container 91 on the second mounting portion 42, contact between the hand 23 and the sample container 92 can be effectively avoided. Therefore, the sample container 91 can be gripped more reliably by the hand 23, and damage to the sample container 92 due to contact with the hand 23 can be more reliably prevented.

[0047] In particular, by arranging the lower first mounting part 41 on the front side as viewed from the robot 2, as in this embodiment, the robot 2 can approach the sample container 91 from its front side, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 14. This makes it possible to shorten the movement distance of the hand 23 during the compounding operation, thereby reducing the time required for the compounding operation. However, the orientation of the mounting table 4 is not particularly limited, and for example, it may be rotated 90° around the vertical axis relative to this embodiment and facing sideways relative to the robot 2, or it may be rotated 180° around the vertical axis relative to this embodiment and facing backwards relative to the robot 2.

[0048] The height difference H between the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 in the vertical direction is greater than the length D of the claws 231, 232 in the vertical direction. In other words, H>D. In this embodiment, the height difference H refers to the height difference between the bottom surface of the hole 421, which is the mounting surface for the sample container 92 in the first mounting portion 41, and the bottom surface of the hole 411, which is the mounting surface for the sample container 91 in the second mounting portion 42. The length D of the claws 231, 232 refers to the length of the tip portions 231c, 232c in the vertical direction. With this configuration, a height difference sufficient for the hand 23 to approach the sample container 91 can be ensured between the sample container 91 mounted on the second mounting portion 42 and the sample container 92 mounted on the first mounting portion 41. Therefore, when the hand 23 grips the sample container 91 on the second mounting section 42, contact between the hand 23 and the sample container 92 can be more reliably avoided. However, the height difference H is not particularly limited.

[0049] Furthermore, one of the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 can move in the X-axis direction relative to the other. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15 , a rail 101 is formed on the base 10 along the X-axis direction, and the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 can independently move in the X-axis direction along this rail 101. With this configuration, the separation distance between the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 can be adjusted based on, for example, the shape and size of the hand 23 and the shapes and sizes of the specimen container 91 and the sample container 92. This more reliably prevents contact between the hand 23 and the sample container 92 when gripping the specimen container 91. In particular, if both the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 can move in the X-axis direction, as in this embodiment, the entire mounting table 4 can be moved closer to or further away from the robot 2. Therefore, the position of the mounting table 4 relative to the robot 2 can be easily adjusted in accordance with the movement of the hand 23 during the blending operation. This makes the blending operation smoother.

[0050] However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, only one of the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 may be configured to be movable in the X-axis direction, while the other is fixed to the base 10. Alternatively, both the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 may be fixed to the base 10 and unable to move in the X-axis direction.

[0051] Although the mounting table 4 has been described above, there are no particular limitations on the configuration of the mounting table 4. For example, as shown in Fig. 16 , a third mounting section 43 located vertically above the second mounting section 42 may be disposed at the rear side of the second mounting section 42, or at least one further mounting section may be disposed at the rear side of the third mounting section 43.

[0052] The sample processing system 1 has been described above. As described above, the sample processing system 1 includes the robot 2 equipped with the hand 23 that grasps the sample container 91 and sample container 92, which are objects, from both horizontal sides, and the mounting table 4 on which the sample container 91 and sample container 92 are placed. The mounting table 4 includes a first mounting section 41 and a second mounting section 42 that is arranged alongside the first mounting section 41 and positioned vertically above the first mounting section 41. With this configuration, the sample container 92 placed on the first mounting section 41 is positioned lower than the sample container 91 placed on the second mounting section 42. As a result, when the hand 23 grasps the sample container 91 on the second mounting section 42, contact between the hand 23 and the sample container 92 can be effectively avoided. This allows the hand 23 to more reliably grasp the sample container 91, and more reliably prevents damage to the sample container 92 due to contact with the hand 23.

[0053] As described above, the first mounting part 41 is located between the robot 2 and the second mounting part 42. With this configuration, the robot 2 can approach the sample container 91 from the front side of the robot 2. This allows the movement distance of the hand 23 during the preparation work to be kept short, thereby shortening the time required for the preparation work.

[0054] Furthermore, as described above, when the direction in which the robot 2 and the mounting table 4 are aligned is the X-axis direction as a first direction, the first mounting unit 41 and the second mounting unit 42 can mount a plurality of specimen containers 91 and sample containers 92 along the Y-axis direction as a second direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the X-axis direction. With this configuration, a large number of specimen containers 91 and sample containers 92 can be mounted on the mounting table 4.

[0055] Furthermore, as described above, one of the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 can move in the X-axis direction relative to the other. With this configuration, the separation distance between the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 can be adjusted based on, for example, the shape and size of the hand 23, and the shapes and sizes of the specimen container 91 and the sample container 92, and contact between the hand 23 and the sample container 92 can be more reliably avoided when the specimen container 91 is gripped.

[0056] As described above, the first placement section 41 and the second placement section 42 can be removed. This configuration makes it easier to prepare for work.

[0057] As described above, the hand 23 has a pair of claws 231, 232 that sandwich and grip the specimen container 91 and the sample container 92 from both sides in the horizontal direction, and the height difference H along the vertical direction between the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 is greater than the length D along the vertical direction of the claws 231, 232. With this configuration, a height difference sufficient for the hand 23 to approach the sample container 91 can be ensured between the sample container 91 placed on the second mounting portion 42 and the sample container 92 placed on the first mounting portion 41. Therefore, when the hand 23 grips the sample container 91 on the second mounting portion 42, contact between the hand 23 and the sample container 92 can be more reliably avoided.

[0058] As described above, the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 each have restricting portions 410, 420 that restrict misalignment of the specimen container 91 and the sample container 92. This configuration effectively prevents the specimen container 91 and the sample container 92 from shifting or wobbling due to contact with the hand 23. This allows the hand 23 to securely and appropriately hold the specimen container 91 and the sample container 92.

[0059] As described above, the restricting portions 410, 420 are holes 411, 421 into which the specimen container 91 and the sample container 92 are inserted. With this configuration, the displacement of the specimen container 91 and the sample container 92 can be restricted with a simple configuration.

[0060] As described above, the object is a sample container 91, which is held by the hand 23 and further includes a pipette 8 for aspirating the sample in the sample container 91, and the pipette 8 is attached with an attachment 82 that is held by the hand 23. With this configuration, the portion of the attachment 82 that is held by the hand 23 has a shape similar to that of the sample container 91, so that the sample container 91 and the pipette 8 can each be stably held by one hand 23. This allows the operation to be performed smoothly and accurately.

[0061] While the sample processing system of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration having a similar function. In addition, any other configuration may be added to the present invention.

[0062] For example, in the robot 2 of the above-described embodiment, when the hand 23 grasps the sample container 91, the central axis of the sample container 91 and the rotation axis of the joint J6 become parallel, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, as shown in Fig. 17, when the hand 23 grasps the sample container 91, the central axis of the sample container 91 and the rotation axis of the joint J6 may be perpendicular to each other. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to achieve the same effects as in the above-described embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1...sample processing system, 10...base, 101...rail, 2...robot, 21...base, 22...robot arm, 221...base, 222...arm, 223...arm, 224...arm, 225...arm, 226...arm, 23...hand, 230...base, 231...claw, 231a...base, 231b...middle part, 231c...tip part, 232...claw, 232a...base, 232b...middle part, 232c...tip part, 233...connector, 3...control device, 4...mounting table, 41 ...first placement section, 410...regulating section, 411...hole, 42...second placement section, 420...regulating section, 421...hole, 43...third placement section, 51...first lid opening / closing device, 510...container gripping section, 511...lid gripping section, 512...rotating section, 513...moving mechanism, 52...second lid opening / closing device, 520...container gripping section, 521...lid gripping section, 522...rotating section, 523...moving mechanism, 6...electronic balance, 8...pipette, 71...pipette stand, 72...tip stand, 81...tip, 82...attachment, 91...test Sample container, 912...lid, 92...sample container, 922...lid, D...length, H...height difference, J1...joint, J2...joint, J3...joint, J4...joint, J5...joint, J6...joint, Q11...opening / closing position, Q12...delivery position, Q13...suction position, Q21...opening / closing position, Q22...delivery position, Q23...discharge position, S1...sample container removal step, S2...sample container lid opening step, S3...first sample container removal step, S4...first sample container lid opening step, S5...first pipette gripping step, S6... First suction step, S7...first sample container lid closing step, S8...first discharge step, S9...first pipette returning step, S10...first sample container returning step, S11...second sample container removing step, S12...second sample container lid opening step, S13...second pipette gripping step, S14...second suction step, S15...second sample container lid closing step, S16...second discharge step, S17...sample container lid closing step, S18...second pipette returning step, S19...second sample container returning step, S20...sample container returning step

Claims

1. a robot having hands that grasp an object from both sides in a horizontal direction; a mounting table on which the object is placed, A sample processing system characterized in that the mounting table has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion arranged alongside the first mounting portion and positioned vertically above the first mounting portion.

2. The sample processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first mounting portion is located between the robot and the second mounting portion.

3. When a direction in which the robot and the stage are aligned is defined as a first direction, The sample processing system according to claim 2 , wherein the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion are each capable of mounting a plurality of the objects along a vertical direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The sample processing system according to claim 3 , wherein one of the first and second mounting sections is movable in the first direction relative to the other.

5. The sample processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion are each removable.

6. the hand has a pair of claws that hold the object from both sides in a horizontal direction, 2. The sample processing system according to claim 1, wherein a difference in height between the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion in the vertical direction is greater than a length of the claw in the vertical direction.

7. The sample processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second mounting sections each have a restricting section that restricts displacement of the object.

8. The sample processing system according to claim 7 , wherein the restriction portion is a hole into which the object is inserted.

9. the object is a sample container, a pipette held by the hand for aspirating the sample in the sample container; 2. The sample processing system according to claim 1, wherein the pipette is provided with an attachment that is held by the hand.

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