Specimen transport system and specimen transport method

Abstract

This invention comprises a specimen holder 11 that has a magnetic body 12 and is for conveying a specimen container 10 containing a specimen, a conveyance surface 22 that the specimen holder 11 slides on, a plurality of electromagnets 21 that are disposed on the bottom side of the conveyance surface 22 and are for conveying the specimen holder 11 through electromagnetic force, a barcode 30 that is provided on at least one from among the specimen container 10 and specimen holder 11, a barcode reader 31 for reading the barcode 30, and a rotation mechanism 40 that is provided on the top side of the conveyance surface 22 and touches the specimen holder 11. Conveying the specimen holder 11 while causing the same to touch the rotation mechanism 40 makes the specimen holder 11 rotate while being conveyed, and the bar code 30 is read by the barcode reader 31 while the specimen holder 11 rotates. As a result, a specimen conveyance system and specimen conveyance method are provided that make it possible to smoothly read a specimen identification tag while enhancing conveyance throughput.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sample analyzer that analyzes biological samples (hereinafter referred to as samples) such as blood, plasma, serum, urine, and other body fluids, and a sample transport system in a pretreatment device that performs pretreatment required for the analysis, and a sample transport method. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of a laboratory sample distribution system and a laboratory automation system for identifying a sufficient portion of the identification tags of sample containers, Patent Document 1 describes a laboratory sample distribution system including a rotation device that includes several sample container carriers carrying one or more sample containers, each of which is equipped with at least one magnetically active device, a transport surface supporting the sample container carriers, and an electromagnetic actuator placed below the transport surface that applies a magnetic force to the sample container carriers, thereby causing rotational motion of the rotating surface to move the sample container carriers above the transport surface, and that controls the electromagnetic actuator and the rotational drive so that the sample container carriers move on the rotating surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-96981 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, automation of specimen testing for diagnostic purposes in the medical field has been progressing. In specimen testing automation systems, pre-processing devices and post-processing devices are connected to an automatic analyzer via a specimen transport device, and full automation of specimen analysis processing is being pursued.

[0005] In such an automated system, a specimen holder capable of carrying a single specimen container containing a specimen is used for specimen transport. The specimen transport device transports the specimen holder by using a method in which a magnetic field is generated by multiple electromagnets fixed and arranged below the transport surface to attract and repel the magnets in the specimen holder, causing the holder to slide along the transport surface.

[0006] In an automated system, when connecting such a sample transport device to an automatic analyzer, it is necessary to identify the sample being transported. Patent Document 1 states, "The sample container may include a barcode or other identification tag to identify the sample contained in the sample container. Such an identification tag may be read by an optical recognition device, for example, a barcode reader or a camera," and describes reading the barcode affixed to the sample container as a method of identifying the sample.

[0007] Here, there is no strict requirement for the insertion direction in order to read the identification tag when the sample container is mounted in the sample holder, and the identification tag is not attached to the entire circumference of the sample container.

[0008] Therefore, when transported in front of an optical device that recognizes the identification tag, such as a bar code reader, the specimen holder is required to be rotated within its field of view to reliably read the identification tag in any orientation.

[0009] In Patent Document 1, the sample container carrier is transported onto a rotating plate by an electromagnetic actuator, and the rotation drive device is controlled by electromagnetic actuator or a motor to rotate the sample container carrier. However, this method requires stopping the sample holder before rotating, which may reduce the throughput of sample transportation, and therefore there is room for improvement.

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a sample transport system and a sample transport method that can smoothly read the sample identification tag while improving transport throughput. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention includes a number of means for solving the above problems. One example of the present invention includes a specimen holder having a magnetic body and transporting a specimen container containing a specimen, a transport surface along which the specimen holder slides, a number of magnetic poles disposed on the underside of the transport surface and transporting the specimen holder by electromagnetic force, an identification unit provided on at least one of the specimen container or the specimen holder, a reading unit that reads the identification unit, a rotational force generating plate member fixed to the upper surface of the transport surface and in contact with the specimen holder, A control unit that controls the excitation state of the magnetic poles; The plate member for generating rotational force has a straight portion and an inclined portion. at least a first rotational force generating plate member and a second rotational force generating plate member arranged parallel to the first rotational force generating plate member; It has One or more of the reading units are provided in a moving direction of the sample holder, The specimen holder is transported while being in contact with the rotational force generating plate member, and the specimen holder is rotated while being transported, and the identification portion is read by the reading portion during the rotation. When the control unit fails to read the identification unit, the control unit transports the specimen holder to a different plate member for generating torque and transports the specimen holder while contacting the different plate member for generating torque. It is characterized by the above. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the throughput of transportation and smoothly read the identification tags of the samples. Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a specimen testing automation system including a specimen transport system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a transport device constituting the sample transport system of the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a rotation mechanism in the sample transport system of the first embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a side view of a rotation mechanism in the sample transport system of the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the deviation between the central axis of the sample holder and the center of the electromagnet and the rotation angle / rotation mechanism length in the sample transport system of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a rotating mechanism having teeth and a specimen holder according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the material of the rotation mechanism and the rotation angle / rotation mechanism length in the sample transport system of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart of barcode reading in the sample transport system of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a rotation mechanism in a sample transport system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, examples of the sample transport system and sample transport method of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in this specification, the same or similar reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding components, and repeated explanations of these components may be omitted.

[0015] <Example 1> A sample transport system and a sample transport method according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 8. Fig. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a sample testing automation system, Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a transport device constituting the sample transport system, Fig. 3 shows a plan view of a rotation mechanism, Fig. 4 shows a side view of the rotation mechanism, Fig. 5 shows a graph showing the relationship between the offset between the central axis of a sample holder and the center of an electromagnet and the rotation angle / rotation mechanism length, Fig. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a rotation mechanism having teeth and a sample holder, Fig. 7 shows a graph showing the relationship between the material of the rotation mechanism and the rotation angle / rotation mechanism length, and Fig. 8 shows a flow chart of barcode reading.

[0016] First, the overall configuration of the sample transport system will be described with reference to FIG.

[0017] The sample testing automation system 1 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 comprises a pretreatment device 100, a sample transport system 150, an automatic analyzer 200, and a system control device 111.

[0018] A specimen to be tested in the specimen testing automation system 1 is contained in a specimen container 10 as shown in Fig. 2 and transported. The specimen container 10 is transported within the specimen testing automation system 1 while inserted into a specimen holder 11 as shown in Fig. 2, and various processes are performed in the pretreatment device 100 and the automatic analyzer 200.

[0019] The pretreatment device 100 is a device that performs pretreatment of a sample before analysis. The pretreatment device 100 performs pretreatment steps for the sample, such as receiving the sample, centrifuging the sample, acquiring information such as the liquid volume of the sample, uncapping the sample container, and dispensing the sample into multiple containers. Note that instead of or in addition to the pretreatment device, a post-treatment mechanism that performs post-treatment can be added as appropriate.

[0020] The automatic analyzer 200 is a unit that performs qualitative and quantitative analysis of components of a sample transported by the sample transport system 150. The analysis items in this unit are not particularly limited, and the configuration of a known automatic analyzer that analyzes biochemical items and immune items can be adopted. Furthermore, multiple units can be provided. In this case, the specifications may be the same or different and are not particularly limited.

[0021] The specimen transport system 150 is a device that forms a transport path by arranging a plurality of specimen transport modules 20, and transports specimen containers 10 containing specimens mounted on specimen holders 11 to a destination (pretreatment device 100, automatic analyzer 200, removal port, etc.) by sliding them on the transport path due to the interaction between an electromagnet 21 (see FIG. 2) and a magnetic body 12 (see FIG. 2) provided on the specimen holder 11. The details will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 and subsequent figures.

[0022] The system control device 111 controls the operation of the entire sample testing automation system 1, including the pretreatment device 100, the automatic analyzer 200, and the sample transport system 150, and is composed of a computer having a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an input device, a storage device, a CPU, a memory, etc. The control of the operation of each device by the system control device 111 is executed based on various programs recorded in the storage device.

[0023] The system control device 111 of this embodiment controls the excitation state of each electromagnet 21 in the sample transport module 20 in the sample transport system 150. If reading of the barcode 30, which will be described later, fails, the direction of travel of the sample holder 11 is changed and the sample holder 11 is transported while being brought into contact with the rotation mechanism 40 again. Details of this will be described later.

[0024] The control processes of the operations executed by the system control device 111 may be integrated into one program, or may be divided into multiple programs, or may be a combination of these. Also, some or all of the programs may be realized by dedicated hardware, or may be modularized.

[0025] The sample transport module 20 constituting the sample transport system 150 includes a transport surface 22 and a plurality of electromagnets 21, as shown in FIG.

[0026] The transport surface 22 is a surface on which the specimen holder 11 slides, and is therefore configured as a flat surface with low friction, and electromagnets 21 are arranged at equal intervals on the rear side (below) thereof.

[0027] The electromagnet 21 is provided to transport the specimen holder 11 by electromagnetic force, and is composed of a core 21a made of a magnetic material and a winding 21b wound around the outer periphery of the core 21a.

[0028] The specimen holder 11 is configured so that one specimen container 10 for accommodating a specimen can be mounted thereon, and a magnetic body 12 is incorporated inside the lower portion.

[0029] The above is the configuration including the overall configuration of the specimen testing automation system 1.

[0030] In the specimen testing automation system 1, the specimen holder 11 inserted into the specimen testing automation system 1 is transported by the specimen transport system 150 to the pre-processing device 100, and pre-processing required for analysis is appropriately performed on the specimen in the specimen container 10 held in the specimen holder 11. The specimen is then transported by the specimen transport system 150 to the automatic analyzer 200, where analysis is performed. After the analysis process is completed in the automatic analyzer 200, the specimen is transported by the specimen transport system 150 to a specimen storage unit provided in the pre-processing device 100 for storage, or otherwise transported to a required location depending on the specimen.

[0031] During transportation, a current is supplied to the electromagnets 21 to generate a magnetic field on the transport surface 22, which attracts or repels the magnetic bodies 12 in the specimen holder 11. As a result, the specimen holder 11 can be transported by sliding two-dimensionally along the arrangement of the electromagnets 21 on the transport surface 22.

[0032] During this transport, a sample identification tag such as a barcode 30 affixed to the sample container 10 on the transport surface 22 of any sample transport module 20 is read by a barcode reader 31 .

[0033] Here, the orientation of the specimen holder 11 at the time of transporting it before the barcode reader 31 is not necessarily constant, and the orientation of the barcode 30 is also not unique. Therefore, in order to bring the barcode 30 into the field of view of the barcode reader 31, it is necessary to rotate the specimen holder 11 on the transport surface 22.

[0034] Next, details of the configuration related to the rotation mechanism 40 in the sample transport module 20 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0035] Some of the specimen transport modules 20 shown in Fig. 1 are provided with a rotation mechanism 40 as shown in Fig. 3. The rotation mechanism 40 is provided on the upper surface side of the transport surface 22, and is provided with an arbitrary length at a position where it contacts the specimen holder 11. The rotation mechanism 40 is preferably installed at a height where it contacts the lower side surface 13 of the specimen holder 11.

[0036] The specimen transport module 20 in which the rotation mechanism 40 is provided is the part shown in circle A in FIG. 1, but the rotation mechanism 40 can be provided in a module in another location.

[0037] Furthermore, the sample transport module 20 in which the rotation mechanism 40 is provided is further provided with a barcode reader 31 that reads a barcode 30 provided on the sample container 10 and on which information for identifying the sample in the sample container 10 is recorded, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0038] The barcode 30 is not limited to being provided only on the specimen container 10, but may be provided only on the specimen holder 11, or on both the specimen container 10 and the specimen holder 11.

[0039] The rotation mechanism 40 is installed on the transport surface 22 so as to be aligned with the arranged electromagnets 21. The rotation mechanism 40 is installed within a range from the center of the electromagnets 21, which forms the transport path, to a range less than the radius of the cross section of the side surface of the specimen holder 11 that comes into contact with the rotation mechanism 40.

[0040] When the specimen holder 11 in the rotating mechanism 40 is transported by exciting the electromagnet 21 at the destination, the specimen holder 11 is attracted by electromagnetic force as shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 3. Normally, the transport path of the specimen holder 11 passes through the center of the electromagnet 21 (the dashed line in Figs. 3 and 4).

[0041] However, in this embodiment, since the rotation mechanism 40 is installed at a distance from the center of the electromagnet 21 that is less than the radius of the contact point with the specimen holder 11 being transported, the specimen holder 11 cannot return to the transport path that passes through the center of the electromagnet 21, and as shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 3, a force in the direction of travel parallel to the normal transport path and a force in the direction in which the specimen holder is pressed against the rotation mechanism 40 are generated.

[0042] As a result, the specimen holder 11 advances along a transport path (indicated by the dashed arrow parallel to the dashed line in FIG. 3 and the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4) that is shifted an arbitrary distance from the center of the electromagnet 21. During this, the side surface of the specimen holder 11 advances while being in contact with the rotation mechanism 40, and a frictional force is generated between the side surface of the specimen holder 11 and the rotation mechanism 40. Due to this frictional force, the specimen holder 11 rotates while being transported, during which the barcode 30 is read.

[0043] For this purpose, one or more barcode readers 31 are installed in the moving direction of the specimen holder 11, and are installed in the moving direction of the specimen holder 11 and at a height that does not contact the specimen container 10. Note that a second or subsequent barcode reader may be installed depending on the usage environment. Also, the installation position is not limited to this. For example, the barcode reader may be installed on the side of the moving direction.

[0044] The rotation angle of the specimen holder 11 is related to the distance by which the transport path is shifted from the center of the electromagnet 21. When the distance by which the transport path of the specimen holder 11 is shifted from the center of the electromagnet by the rotation mechanism 40 is increased, the force by the electromagnetic force pressing the specimen holder 11 toward the rotation mechanism 40 also increases. Accordingly, the frictional force generated between the two also increases, and the rotation angle increases.

[0045] As an example, FIG. 5 shows the results of an experiment in which Bakelite was used for the rotation mechanism 40 and the rotation angle of the specimen holder 11 was measured when the distance by which the transport path was shifted from the center of the electromagnet 21 was increased.

[0046] 5, the rotation angle can be adjusted by changing the distance by which the transport path is shifted by the rotation mechanism 40. The range in which the transport path can be shifted can be the range in which the position of the specimen holder 11 can be detected by a sensor under the transport surface 22 located at the same position as the electromagnet 21, or the range in which the force of the electromagnet 21 in the forward direction exceeds the frictional force generated between the transport surface 22 and the bottom of the specimen holder 11, and between the rotation mechanism 40 and the side of the specimen holder 11.

[0047] In addition, the friction coefficient and the contact state with the side surface of the specimen holder 11 change depending on the material of the rotation mechanism 40, and the rotation angle of the specimen holder 11 changes. The material of the rotation mechanism 40 is not limited to a hard material. For example, an elastic material such as rubber can be used as the rotation mechanism. In this case, not only the friction coefficient changes, but also the force in the direction of the rotation mechanism 40 generated in the specimen holder 11 causes the rotation mechanism 40 to bend. This bending brings the side surface of the specimen holder 11 and the rotation mechanism 40 into contact with each other, increasing the friction force for rotation. As a result, the rotation angle can be increased. When an elastic material is used for the rotation mechanism 40, the rotation angle can be adjusted depending on the hardness and thickness related to the bending.

[0048] In this embodiment, in FIGS. 3 and 4, the contact surface of the rotating mechanism 40 with the specimen holder 11 is illustrated as being flat, but the surface of the rotating mechanism 40 and the side surface of the specimen holder 11 are not limited to being flat.

[0049] 6, it is possible to employ a rotating mechanism 41 having teeth 41a and a specimen holder 11A having teeth 11A1 on the lower side 13 that comes into contact with the rotating mechanism 41. In this case, it is sufficient that at least one of the rotating mechanism 41 and the specimen holder 11 has teeth cut on the portion that comes into contact with the other, and for example, only one of the teeth 41a and the teeth 11A1 may be provided.

[0050] By installing the rotation mechanism 41 having teeth 41a in the same position as the above-mentioned rotation mechanism 40, it is possible to increase the rotation angle by engaging with the teeth 11A1 on the side of the specimen holder 11A during transportation. In this case, the rotation angle can be adjusted by the number of teeth 41a or teeth 11A1 mounted in addition to the distance by which the transportation path is shifted by the rotation mechanism 41.

[0051] In this way, by changing the installation position, material, and shape of the rotation mechanisms 40, 41, the frictional force and contact condition with the sides of the sample holders 11, 11A can be changed, making it possible to adjust the rotation angle to an appropriate level for reading the barcode 30 on the sample container 10.

[0052] FIG. 7 shows the results of an experiment on the rotation angle per length of the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 when the distance by which the transport path of the specimen holder 11 is shifted by the rotation mechanism is uniform and the type of the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 is changed.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 7, it can be seen that the rotation angle differs depending on the type of rotation mechanism 40, 41. For example, it was found that the rotation angle of elastic nitrile rubber can be made larger than that of hard materials such as bakelite and polyacetal. It was also confirmed that an even larger rotation angle can be obtained by providing teeth 41a.

[0054] The materials of the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 have the following advantages. When a hard material is used, the rotation angle per unit distance of the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 can be adjusted by changing the length or friction coefficient, and the contact area with the holder side surface is small, reducing wear on both. In contrast, when an elastic material is used, the rotation angle can be adjusted without changing the length of the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 by changing the amount of deflection during specimen holder transport depending on the thickness and hardness of the material. When the engagement between the rotation mechanism 41 and the specimen holder 11A is utilized, a large rotation angle can be obtained with a short rotation mechanism 41.

[0055] Furthermore, changing the material of the bottom of the specimen holder 11 and the transport surface 22 changes the frictional force generated between the specimen holder 11 and the transport surface 22 during transport. This can also change the magnitude relationship between the distance the transport path is shifted and the rotation angle of the specimen holder 11.

[0056] Here, the object to be read is not limited to the barcode attached to the specimen container 10. Any other identification tag, such as an RFID tag, whose readable direction is limited, and a mechanism equipped with an optical device for reading the tag, can be read by this rotation method. Also, it is possible to read an identification tag attached to the specimen holder 11, 11A at a location other than the contact point with the rotation mechanism 40, 41.

[0057] Next, a sample transport method in the first embodiment, which is preferably executed by the above-mentioned sample transport system 150, that is, a flow of reading the barcode 30, will be described with reference to FIG.

[0058] 8, before the specimen holder 11, 11A comes into contact with the rotating mechanism 40, 41, the position detection sensor under the conveying surface 22 detects the approach of the specimen holder 11, 11A (step S601), and the system control device 111 activates the barcode reader 31 (step S602). This position detection may be performed by the electromagnet 21 or may use other types of sensors such as a Hall sensor.

[0059] Next, the system controller 111 excites the electromagnet 21 at the destination in the rotating mechanisms 40, 41, and the specimen holders 11, 11A are attracted by the electromagnetic force and start contacting the rotating mechanisms 40, 41 (step S603), and are transported while rotating (step S604).

[0060] During the transport, the system controller 111 attempts to read the barcode 30 without stopping the specimen holder 11, 11A, and determines whether the reading is successful or not (step S605). If it is determined that the reading is successful, the system controller 111 takes the specimen holder 11, 11A out of the rotating mechanism 40, 41 (step S606), and transports the specimen holder 11, 11A to the pretreatment device 100 or the automatic analyzer 200.

[0061] On the other hand, if reading fails in step S605, the system controller 111 reverses the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 that previously brought the specimen holders 11, 11A into contact with each other (step S607) and attempts to read the barcode 30 again (step S604).

[0062] It should be noted that step S607 is not limited to reverse running, but when two or more rotation mechanisms 40, 41 are provided as in the second embodiment described below, it can be a step of transporting the material to another rotation mechanism 40, 41 and rotating and transporting it again, or a step of selecting between reverse running and transporting the material to a different rotation mechanism 40, 41.

[0063] The choice between reversing or transporting to another rotation mechanism 40, 41 depends on the device configuration and transport situation. If there is another specimen holder 11, 11A waiting behind, it is preferable to transport it to another rotation mechanism 40, 41, and if there is room, it is preferable to reverse the movement.

[0064] It is also desirable to set an upper limit on the number of times the loop of step S604 → No in step S605 → step S607 is repeated, and to output an error as an error sample when the loop has been repeated a predetermined number of times.

[0065] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0066] The specimen transport system 150 of the above-mentioned embodiment 1 of the present invention is equipped with a magnetic body 12, a specimen holder 11, 11A that transports a specimen container 10 containing a specimen, a transport surface 22 along which the specimen holder 11, 11A slides, a plurality of electromagnets 21 arranged on the underside of the transport surface 22 and transporting the specimen holder 11, 11A by electromagnetic force, a barcode 30 provided on at least one of the specimen container 10 or the specimen holder 11, 11A, a barcode reader 31 that reads the barcode 30, and rotation mechanisms 40, 41 provided on the upper side of the transport surface 22 and in contact with the specimen holder 11, 11A. The specimen holder 11, 11A is transported while being in contact with the rotation mechanisms 40, 41, thereby rotating the specimen holder 11, 11A at the same time as it is transported, and the barcode 30 is read by the barcode reader 31 during rotation.

[0067] In the conventional rotation method, it is necessary to bring an active rotation mechanism driven by an electromagnetic force or a motor into contact with the side or bottom of the specimen holder or specimen container while the specimen holder is stopped. The problem with this method is, as mentioned above, the decrease in transport throughput due to the stopping of the transport of the specimen holder. In addition, in addition to the many electromagnets used for transport, it is also necessary to control the rotation mechanism and, in some cases, the mechanism for fixing the specimen holder at an arbitrary position. Further problems include an increase in frictional force with the transport surface due to the increase in the mass of the specimen holder, and the need for an active rotation mechanism and its control for each specimen holder.

[0068] In contrast, with the above-mentioned configuration, the specimen holders 11, 11A can be rotated by the transport force required for transport, and there is no need to stop the specimen holders 11, 11A when reading the barcode 30, which improves throughput. In addition, since the electromagnetic force generated during transport of the specimen holders 11, 11A is used as an actuator required for rotation, there is no need to control the drive of the rotation mechanism other than for transport. In addition, since no control is required and the number of components required for rotation is reduced, a reduction in cost can be achieved.

[0069] Furthermore, since the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 are installed along the arranged multiple electromagnets 21, the excited electromagnets 21 can be made to form a conveying path, making excitation control easy and stabilizing the conveying.

[0070] Furthermore, the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 are installed so as to come into contact with the lower side 13 of the sample holder 11, 11A, thereby reducing the risk of the sample container 10 tipping over when the sample holder 11, 11A comes into contact with the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 and rotates to move forward.

[0071] In addition, since the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 are installed at a distance from the center of the electromagnet 21 that is less than the radius of the contact portion with the sample holder 11, 11A being transported, the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 are prevented from moving too far away from the electromagnet 21, which would weaken the electromagnetic force for transport, thereby preventing a decrease in speed in the transport direction and minimizing a decrease in transport efficiency.

[0072] Furthermore, since the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 are made of elastic members, the rotation angle can be adjusted without changing the length of the rotation mechanisms 40, 41.

[0073] In addition, at least one of the rotation mechanism 41 and the specimen holder 11, 11A has teeth cut at the contact portion with the other, so that the amount of rotation per unit distance can be increased and the length of the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 can be shortened.

[0074] Furthermore, the system controller 111 controls the excitation state of the electromagnet 21, and if the system controller 111 fails to read the barcode 30, it can reliably read the barcode 30 by changing the direction of travel of the sample holder 11, 11A and transporting it while bringing it into contact with the rotation mechanisms 40, 41 again.

[0075] Moreover, one or more barcode readers 31 are provided in the moving direction of the sample holders 11 and 11A, so that the barcodes 30 can be read efficiently.

[0076] <Example 2> A sample transport system and a sample transport method according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a plan view of a rotation mechanism in the sample transport system according to the second embodiment.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 9, in this embodiment, two rotation mechanisms 40 are provided, while the barcode reader 31A has a field of view large enough to capture the specimen holders 11, 11A throughout the entire process as they are transported while rotating.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 9, even when multiple rotation mechanisms 40 are installed, by installing them in the moving direction of the sample holders 11, 11A, it is possible to read barcodes of multiple paths with one barcode reader 31A.

[0079] The other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the sample transport system and sample transport method of the first embodiment described above, and the details are omitted.

[0080] The sample transport system and sample transport method according to the second embodiment of the present invention also provide substantially the same effects as those of the sample transport system and sample transport method according to the first embodiment described above.

[0081] Furthermore, by providing two rotating mechanisms 40 arranged in parallel, it is possible to improve the reading of the barcode 30 and further improve the conveyance efficiency.

[0082] In this embodiment, the number of rotation mechanisms 40 is not limited to two, and may be three or more. In addition, one or more rotation mechanisms 41 as shown in FIG. 6 may be provided instead of or in addition to the rotation mechanisms 40, and all the rotation mechanisms may be the rotation mechanisms 41.

[0083] <Other> The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, but includes various modified examples. The above-mentioned embodiment has been described in detail to explain the present invention in an easily understandable manner, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to the embodiment having all of the described configurations.

[0084] It is also possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1. Sample testing automation system 10...Sample container 11, 11A…Specimen holder 11A1…tooth 12...Magnetic material 13…Lower side 20...Sample transport module 21...Electromagnet (magnetic pole) 21a…Core 21b…Winding 22...Transport surface 30...Barcode (Identification section) 31, 31A...Barcode reader (reading unit) 40...Rotation mechanism (rotating part, first rotating part, second rotating part) 41...Rotation mechanism (rotating part, first rotating part, second rotating part) 41a…tooth 100...Pretreatment device 111...System control device (control unit) 150...Sample transport system 200…Automatic analyzer

Claims

1. a specimen holder that includes a magnetic body and transports a specimen container that contains a specimen; a conveying surface on which the specimen holder slides; a plurality of magnetic poles disposed on a lower surface side of the transport surface and configured to transport the specimen holder by electromagnetic force; an identification unit provided on at least one of the sample container and the sample holder; A reading unit that reads the identification unit; a rotational force generating plate member fixed to an upper surface side of the transport surface and in contact with the specimen holder; A control unit that controls the excitation state of the magnetic poles, the rotational force generating plate member has a straight portion and an inclined portion, and at least a first rotational force generating plate member and a second rotational force generating plate member disposed parallel to the first rotational force generating plate member, One or more of the reading units are provided in a moving direction of the sample holder, transporting the specimen holder while in contact with the rotational force generating plate member, thereby rotating the specimen holder while transporting it, and reading the identification part by the reading part during the rotation; When the control unit fails to read the identification unit, the control unit transports the specimen holder to a different one of the rotational force generating plate members and transports the specimen holder while contacting the different rotational force generating plate member. A specimen transport system comprising:

2. a specimen holder that includes a magnetic body and transports a specimen container that contains a specimen; a conveying surface on which the specimen holder slides; a plurality of magnetic poles disposed on a lower surface side of the transport surface and configured to transport the specimen holder by electromagnetic force; an identification unit provided on at least one of the sample container and the sample holder; A reading unit that reads the identification unit; a rotational force generating plate member fixed to an upper surface side of the transport surface and in contact with the specimen holder, the plate member for generating rotational force has a straight portion and an inclined portion, and is disposed between the magnetic pole and the adjacent magnetic pole when the conveying surface is viewed from above in a vertical direction, The specimen holder is transported while being in contact with the rotational force generating plate member, thereby rotating the specimen holder while transporting it, and the identification portion is read by the reading portion during the rotation. A specimen transport system comprising:

3. 3. The sample transport system according to claim 1, The plate member for generating torque is disposed along the arranged magnetic poles. A specimen transport system comprising:

4. 3. The sample transport system according to claim 1, The rotational force generating plate member is disposed so as to come into contact with a lower portion of a side surface of the specimen holder. A specimen transport system comprising:

5. 3. The sample transport system according to claim 1, The plate member for generating rotational force is disposed at a distance from the center of the magnetic pole that is less than the radius of a contact portion with the specimen holder being transported. A specimen transport system comprising:

6. 3. The sample transport system according to claim 1, The rotational force generating plate member is made of an elastic material. A specimen transport system comprising:

7. 3. The sample transport system according to claim 1, At least one of the rotational force generating plate member and the specimen holder has teeth cut into a portion that comes into contact with the other. A specimen transport system comprising:

8. The specimen transport system according to claim 2, A control unit for controlling the excitation state of the magnetic poles is further provided. When the control unit fails to read the identification unit, the control unit changes the direction of travel of the specimen holder and transports the specimen holder while contacting the specimen holder with the rotational force generating plate member again. A specimen transport system comprising:

9. The specimen transport system according to claim 2, The rotational force generating plate member includes at least a first rotational force generating plate member and a second rotational force generating plate member disposed parallel to the first rotational force generating plate member. A specimen transport system comprising:

10. The specimen transport system according to claim 9, One or more of the reading units are provided in the moving direction of the sample holder. A specimen transport system comprising:

11. The specimen transport system according to claim 10, A control unit for controlling the excitation state of the magnetic poles is further provided. When the control unit fails to read the identification unit, the control unit transports the specimen holder to a different one of the rotational force generating plate members and transports the specimen holder while contacting the different rotational force generating plate member. A specimen transport system comprising:

12. A method for transporting a specimen contained in a specimen container held in a specimen holder having a magnetic body, comprising: When the specimen holder is transported by applying a voltage to a plurality of magnetic poles arranged below a transport surface above the specimen holder, the specimen holder is transported while being brought into contact with the rotational force generating plate member that contacts the specimen holder, thereby rotating the specimen holder at the same time as transporting the specimen holder; and an identification portion provided on at least one of the specimen container and the specimen holder is read by one or more reading portions provided in a traveling direction of the specimen holder so as to read the identification portion, If the reading of the identification portion fails, the specimen holder is transported to a different plate member for generating rotational force, and is transported while being brought into contact with the different plate member for generating rotational force. A method for transporting a specimen.

13. The specimen transport system according to claim 1, The rotational force generating plate member is disposed between the magnetic pole and the adjacent magnetic pole when the conveying surface is viewed from above in the vertical direction. A specimen transport system comprising:

14. A method for transporting a specimen contained in a specimen container held in a specimen holder having a magnetic body, comprising: When the specimen holder is transported by applying a voltage to a plurality of magnetic poles arranged below a transport surface above the specimen holder, a plate member for generating rotational force that contacts the specimen holder and conveys the specimen holder while in contact with the plate member, and the specimen holder is rotated while being conveyed, and an identification unit that reads an identification unit provided on at least one of the specimen container and the specimen holder during the rotation reads the identification unit. A method for transporting a specimen.

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