Urine testing method and urine testing system

Abstract

To reduce discomfort of a user accompanying an odor of a urine specimen stored in a specimen container.SOLUTION: A specimen processing method processes a urine specimen 90 stored in a specimen container 80 having an opening 81 by a specimen processing device, and includes the steps of: sealing the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 containing the urine specimen 90 by a sealing body; penetrating a sealing body 71 by a suction pipe 32 of the specimen processing device to suck the urine specimen 90 in the specimen container 80; and performing specimen processing relative to the sucked urine specimen 90.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention provides a method for treating a urine sample. inspection used to Urine tests method and urine tests System M Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a urine analyzer for analyzing urine samples. When analyzing a urine sample, a urine sample from a subject is collected in a urine collection cup, and a certain amount of the urine sample is dispensed from the urine collection cup into a sample container, which is then set directly into the urine analyzer. The urine analyzer analyzes the urine sample by aspirating the urine sample through an upper opening of the sample container using a suction tube. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-44631 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a urine sample is placed in a sample container set in a urine analyzer, the odor emitted from the sample container during measurement and when the urine sample is stored for retesting can be unpleasant for the user.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention aims to reduce the discomfort felt by users due to the odor of a urine sample contained in a sample container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a first aspect Urine tests As shown in FIG. 1, the method involves transporting the sample container (80) along the transport path to the suction position (P5, P7) and suctioning the urine sample (90) contained in the sample container (80). Urine testsBy device (145, 155) inspection The method includes the steps of removing a stopper (84) from a specimen container (80) having a stopper (84) attached to an opening (81) by an unstopper device (124) on a transport path to the suction positions (P5, P7), and sealing the opening (81) of the specimen container (80) from which the stopper (84) has been removed by a sealing device (300) on the transport path to the suction positions (P5, P7). Film-like A process of sealing with a sealing body (75) and a process of sealing at suction positions (P5, P7) Urine tests a step of aspirating a urine sample (90) from a sample container (80) through a seal (75) using an aspirating tube (32) of the device (145, 155); Perform at least one of a qualitative urine test, a urine sediment test, and imaging of cells in urine using a urine testing device. The method includes the steps of:

[0007] As a result, in the sample processing method according to the first aspect of the present invention, the urine sample 90 can be aspirated while the opening 81 of the sample container 80 is sealed with the seal 75. This reduces odor emissions when the urine sample 90 is aspirated during sample processing. After the urine sample 90 is aspirated, a hole is formed in the seal 75. However, because the hole formed in the seal 75 is sufficiently smaller than the opening 81 of the sample container 80, odor emissions can be reduced more effectively than when the opening 81 is fully open.

[0008] According to the second aspect of the present invention Urine testsAs shown in FIG. 1, the system (100) includes transport devices (111, 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 171) that transport a specimen container (80) containing a urine specimen along a transport path to an aspiration position (P5, P7), an uncap device (124) that removes a stopper (84) from a specimen container (80) with the stopper (84) attached to the opening (81) on the transport path to the aspiration position (P5, P7), a sealing device (300) that seals the opening (81) of the specimen container (80) from which the stopper (84) has been removed with a sealing body (75) on the transport path to the aspiration position (P5, P7), and an aspiration tube (32) that penetrates the sealing body (75) and aspirates the urine specimen in the specimen container (80), and the urine specimen aspirated from the specimen container (80) by the aspiration tube (32) at the aspiration position (P5, P7) is A urine test that performs at least one of the following: qualitative urine test, urine sediment test, and imaging of cells in urine. A device (145, 155) and Well, the encapsulant is a film. .

[0009] As a result, the sample processing system (100) according to the second aspect of the present invention, like the sample processing method according to the first aspect of the present invention, can aspirate a urine sample while the opening of the sample container (80) is sealed with the seal (75), thereby reducing odor emissions when aspirating a urine sample during sample processing. Even after aspirating a urine sample, odor emissions can be reduced more effectively than when the opening is fully open.

[0010] According to the third aspect of the present invention Urine tests As shown in FIG. 1, the method involves transporting the sample container (80) along the transport path to the suction position (P5, P7) and extracting the urine sample contained in the sample container (80). Urine tests By device (145, 155) inspection The method includes a step of sealing the opening (81) of the opened specimen container (80) with a film-like seal (75) by a first sealing device (300) on a transport path to the suction positions (P5, P7), and a step of sealing the opening (81) of the opened specimen container (80) with a film-like seal (75) by a first sealing device (300) on a transport path to the suction positions (P5, P7). Urine tests a step of aspirating the urine specimen in the specimen container (80) through the seal (75) by the aspirating tube (32) of the device (145, 155); By urine testing device (145, 155) , Perform at least one of the following: qualitative urine testing, urine sediment testing, and imaging of cells in urine and For inspection process After the completion of the procedure, the urine sample was aspirated through the seal (75). Opening (81) of specimen container (80) against and resealing the container on the transport path with a film-like sealing body (75) by a second sealing device (300).

[0012] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention Urine tests The system includes a transport device (111, 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 171) that transports a specimen container (80) containing a urine specimen along a transport path to an aspiration position (P5, P7), a first sealing device (300) that seals the opening (81) of the opened specimen container (80) with a film-like sealing body (75) on the transport path to the aspiration position (P5, P7), and an aspiration tube (32) that penetrates the sealing body (75) and aspirates the urine specimen in the specimen container (80), and the urine specimen aspirated from the specimen container (80) by the aspiration tube (32) at the aspiration position (P5, P7) is A urine test that performs at least one of the following: qualitative urine test, urine sediment test, and imaging of cells in urine. Device (145, 155), for urine tests process After the completion of the procedure, the urine sample is aspirated through the seal (75). Opening (81) of specimen container (80) In contrast, and a second sealing device (300) that reseals the container with a film-like sealing body (75) on the transport path. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the discomfort felt by a user due to the odor of a urine sample contained in a sample container. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sample processing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the sample processing system of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a cap removal device. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the cap removal device of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] 1A is a diagram showing gripping of a plug by a hand member, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the gripping surface of the hand member. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the flow of the cap unplugging process by the cap unplugging unit. [Figure 7] 1A is a diagram illustrating a sealing device, FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating a sealing step, and FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram showing a specimen container after sealing. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a sealing device. [Figure 9] 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a film holding portion of the sealing device in FIG. 8 is located at a film discarding position. [Figure 10] 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a film holding portion of the sealing device in FIG. 8 is located at a film holding position. [Figure 11] 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a film holding portion of the sealing device in FIG. 8 is located above the sealing position. [Figure 12] 10A to 10D are diagrams illustrating the operation of the film piece supply mechanism. [Figure 13] 1A to 1E are diagrams showing the flow of the sealing process using a sealing device. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a sealing mechanism and a film piece disposal mechanism. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a sealing portion of a specimen container. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the flow of a sealing process performed by a sealing device. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a transport device for a sealing unit and a sample processing unit. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the measurement section of the urine qualitative testing device. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the measurement unit of the urinary sediment testing device. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a computer that constitutes a control unit. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing operations of the sample processing system. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which a first insertion unit and a second insertion unit are provided. [Figure 23]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first configuration example in which a third insertion unit and a fourth insertion unit are provided. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second configuration example in which a third insertion unit and a fourth insertion unit are provided. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which a second sealing unit is provided in each of a plurality of sample processing sections. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which the unplugging unit and the second sealing unit are not provided. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which a sealing unit is not provided on the upstream side of a sample processing apparatus but is provided on the downstream side. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a third sample processing method. [Figure 29] 10A to 10H are schematic diagrams illustrating the flow of the second sealing method. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing the sealed portion of the specimen container according to the second sealing method. [Figure 31] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a sealing method in which the film and the specimen container are not rotated relative to each other. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration for holding a film by pressure. [Figure 33] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example in which a film is pushed into an opening of a specimen container by pressure. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration for sealing a plurality of specimen containers together. [Figure 35] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing control of upward movement of a sample container according to a first example in which a detection unit for the sample container is provided. [Figure 36] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing control of upward movement of a sample container according to a second example in which a detection unit for the sample container is provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The overall configuration of the sample processing system 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0019] The sample processing system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a feeding unit 110, an uncapped unit 120, a sealing unit 130, a sample processing unit 140, a sample processing unit 150, a second sealing unit 160, and a recovery unit 170. The feeding unit 110, the uncapped unit 120, the sealing unit 130, the sample processing unit 140, the sample processing unit 150, the sealing unit 160, and the recovery unit 170 each include a transport device (111, 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, and 171). In the following, an example will be described in which the first sealing body pre-attached to the sample container 80 is a stopper 84, and films 75 are used as the sealing body and the second sealing body. In each figure, the direction in which the sample container 80 is transported by the transport device is defined as the X direction. The direction perpendicular to the X direction in a horizontal plane is defined as the Y direction. The vertical direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions is defined as the Z direction.

[0020] 1, the units are arranged in the following order from upstream to downstream in the transport direction (X direction) of the sample container 80: an input unit 110, an uncapping unit 120, a sealing unit 130, a sample processing unit 140, a sample processing unit 150, a sealing unit 160, and a recovery unit 170. The units are interconnected by a plurality of transport devices so that the sample container 80 can be transported between adjacent units.

[0021] Each unit will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0022] The input unit 110 provides a location for the sample containers 80 to be input into the sample processing system 100, and has the function of sending the input sample containers 80 downstream. The sample containers 80 contain urine samples 90 (see FIG. 7). The sample containers 80 are placed in a sample rack 85 and then installed in the input unit 110 by the user. The sample rack 85 is a stand that can hold multiple sample containers 80 in an upright position with their openings 81 facing upward.

[0023] The feeding unit 110 (see FIG. 2) includes a transport device 111, a transport control unit 112, a control unit 113, and an information reading unit 114. The transport device 111 is configured to transport a sample rack 85 installed in the feeding unit 110 to the uncap unit 120. The information reading unit 114 is configured to read identification information of each sample container 80 held in the sample rack 85 transported by the transport device 111. The identification information includes a unique sample ID that identifies the urine sample 90 contained in the sample container 80. The identification information is printed on an identification label 83 (see FIG. 9) in the form of, for example, a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code, and is affixed to the side of each sample container 80. The information reading unit 114 is configured from a code reader or a camera and optically reads the identification information.

[0024] The control unit 113, which will be described later, is configured to be able to communicate with the host computer 500. The control unit 113 can acquire sample information registered in the host computer 500 using the identification information acquired by the information reading unit 114. The sample information includes various information related to sample processing, such as measurement items by the sample processing unit 140 and the sample processing unit 150, the presence or absence of a stopper, and whether sealing with a sealer is required. The transport control unit 112 includes a processor and a memory. The transport control unit 112 controls the transport device 111 to transport the sample rack 85 to the uncapping unit 120. The transport control unit 112 communicates with transport control units of other units in the sample processing system 100 and controls the timing of starting transport of the sample rack 85 depending on the status of each transport device.

[0025] The uncapping unit 120 is configured to receive the sample rack 85 from the feeding unit 110 and perform an uncapping process on the sample containers 80 set in the sample rack 85. That is, the uncapping unit 120 is configured to remove the stoppers 84 from the sample containers 80 that have the stoppers 84 attached to the openings 81. The uncapping unit 120 is configured to send the sample containers 80, from which the stoppers 84 have been removed by the uncapping process, to the sealing unit 130.

[0026] The cap removal unit 120 (see FIG. 2) includes a transport device 121, a transport control unit 122, a control unit 123, and an uncapper 124. The transport device 121 is configured to transport a sample rack 85 between the feeding unit 110 and the sealing unit 130. The transport device 121 transports the sample container 80 held in the sample rack 85 to an uncapper position P2 (see FIG. 1) where the uncapper 124 is used. The uncapper position P2 is located on a transport path between the feeding unit 110 and the sealing unit 130. The uncapper 124 is configured to perform an uncapper process to remove the cap 84 from the sample container 80 transported to the uncapper position P2. Details of the uncapper 124 will be described later. The control unit 123 controls the operation of the uncapper 124 to perform the uncapper process on each of the sample containers 80 transported to the uncapper position P2. The transport control unit 122 includes a processor and a memory. The transport control unit 122 receives the sample rack 85 from the feeding unit 110 and controls the transport device 121 to transport the sample containers 80 held in the sample rack 85 one by one to an uncapping position P2 by the uncapping device 124. The transport control unit 122 controls the transport device 121 to send the sample rack 85 holding the uncapped sample containers 80 to the sealing unit 130.

[0027] The sealing unit 130 is configured to seal the specimen container 80 from which the stopper 84 has been removed with the film 75. As described above, the specimen processing method of this embodiment further includes the step of removing the stopper 84 from the specimen container 80 from which the stopper 84 has been attached to the opening 81, and then performing the step of sealing the specimen container 80 from which the stopper 84 has been removed with the film 75. This allows the stopper 84 to be replaced with a film 75 that can be penetrated by the suction tube 32, even for specimen containers 80 that already have the stopper 84 attached. This eliminates the need for the user to remove the stopper 84 from each specimen container 80 before inserting the specimen container 80 into the specimen processing unit 140. Furthermore, the time during which the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 is open can be limited to the time from when the stopper 84 is removed until the opening 81 is sealed with the film 75, thereby effectively reducing the odor of the urine specimen 90 from being emitted outside the specimen container 80.

[0028] The sealing unit 130 (see FIG. 2) includes a transport device 131, a transport control unit 132, a control unit 133, and a sealing device 300. The transport device 131 is configured to transport a sample rack 85 between the uncapped unit 120 and the sample processing unit 140. When the sample rack 85 is received by the sealing unit 130 from the uncapped unit 120, the transport device 131 transports the sample container 80 held in the sample rack 85 to a sealing position P3 (see FIG. 1) where the sealing device 300 seals the opening 81 of the sample container 80 transported to the sealing position P3 with a film 75. Details of the sealing device 300 will be described later. The control unit 133 controls the operation of the sealing device 300 so that the sealing process is performed on each of the sample containers 80 transported to the sealing position P3. The transport control unit 132 includes a processor and a memory. The transport control unit 132 receives the sample rack 85 from the uncap unit 120 and controls the transport device 131 to transport the sample containers 80 held in the sample rack 85 one by one to the sealing position P3 by the sealing device 300. The transport control unit 132 controls the transport device 131 to send the sample rack 85 holding the sealed sample containers 80 to the sample processing unit 140.

[0029] The sample processing unit 140 aspirates a urine sample 90 (see FIG. 7) from a sample container 80 to which a film 75 has been attached by a sealing unit 130 using an aspirating tube 32, and performs measurements on the aspirated urine sample 90.

[0030] The sample processing unit 140 (see FIG. 2) includes a transport device 141, a transport control unit 142, a control unit 143, an information reading unit 144, and a sample processing device 145. The transport device 141 is configured to transport a sample rack 85 between the sealing unit 130 and the sample processing unit 150. The transport device 141 transports the sample container 80 held in the sample rack 85 to a reading position P4 (see FIG. 1) by the information reading unit 144 and to an aspirating position P5 (see FIG. 1) by the sample processing device 145. The reading position P4 and the aspirating position P5 are located on the first transport path 141a. The information reading unit 144 has the same configuration as the information reading unit 114, and reads the identification information of the sample container 80 transported to the reading position P4. The sample processing device 145 pierces the film 75 of the sample container 80 transported to the suction position P5 with the suction tube 32 to aspirate the urine sample 90 inside the sample container 80. The sample processing device 145 performs sample processing on the urine sample 90 aspirated by the suction tube 32. After being pierced by the suction tube 32, the sample container 80 is transported with the through-hole TH in the film 75 until it is resealed by the second sealing unit 160.

[0031] The transport device 141 includes a first transport path 141a, a second transport path 141b, an input reservoir 141c, and an output reservoir 141d, and can receive and send out sample racks 85 from the second transport path 141b. The first transport path 141a, the second transport path 141b, the input reservoir 141c, and the output reservoir 141d form a circular path, and the transport device 141 can circulate and transport sample racks 85 for retesting. The transport device 141 can transport the sample rack 85 from the sealing unit 130 to the sample processing unit 150 via the second transport path 141b without passing through the sample processing device 145.

[0032] The control unit 143 acquires measurement order information from the host computer 500 based on the identification information read by the information reading unit 144. Based on the measurement order information, the control unit 143 controls the operation of the sample processing device 145 to perform sample suction on each urine sample 90 (each sample container 80) one by one, or not to perform sample suction. The control unit 143 controls the operation of the sample processing device 145 to not perform sample suction on sample containers 80 that do not require sample processing by the sample processing unit 140 based on the measurement order information.

[0033] The transport control unit 142 includes a processor and a memory. The transport control unit 142 receives the sample rack 85 from the sealing unit 130 and controls the transport device 141 to transport the sample containers 80 held in the sample rack 85 one by one to the reading position P4 and the aspirating position P5. The transport control unit 142 controls the transport device 141 to send the sample rack 85 holding the sample containers 80 from which the sample has been aspirated to the sample processing unit 150.

[0034] The sample processing unit 150 aspirates the urine sample 90 (see FIG. 7) contained in the sample container 80 received from the transport device 141 of the sample processing unit 140 using the aspirating tube 32, and performs measurements on the aspirated urine sample 90.

[0035] The sample processing unit 150 (see FIG. 2) includes a transport device 151, a transport control unit 152, a control unit 153, an information reading unit 154, and a sample processing device 155. The hardware configurations of the transport device 151, the information reading unit 154, the control unit 153, and the transport control unit 152 are the same as those of the sample processing unit 140.

[0036] The transport device 151 is configured to transport the sample rack 85 between the sample processing unit 140 and the second sealing unit 160. The transport device 151 transports the sample container 80 held in the sample rack 85 to a reading position P6 (see FIG. 1) by the information reading unit 154 and to an aspirating position P7 (see FIG. 1) by the sample processing device 155. The reading position P6 and the aspirating position P7 are located on the first transport path 151a. The sample processing device 155 pierces the film 75 of the sample container 80 transported to the aspirating position P7 with the aspirating tube 32 to aspirate the urine sample 90 in the sample container 80. The sample processing device 155 performs sample processing on the urine sample 90 aspirated by the aspirating tube 32.

[0037] Like the transport device 141, the transport device 151 includes a first transport path 151a, a second transport path 151b, an input reservoir 151c, and an output reservoir 151d. The transport device 151 can transport a sample rack 85 from the sample processing unit 140 to the collection unit 170 via the second transport path 151b without passing through the sample processing device 155. The control unit 153 acquires measurement order information from the host computer 500 based on the identification information read by the information reading unit 154. Based on the measurement order information, the control unit 153 controls the operation of the sample processing device 155 to perform sample suction on each urine sample 90 (each sample container 80) one by one, or not to perform sample suction. For sample containers 80 for which sample suction has been performed in the upstream sample processing unit 140, the film 75 is pierced again by the suction tube 32 of the sample processing device 155.

[0038] The transport control unit 152 receives the sample rack 85 from the sample processing unit 140 and controls the transport device 151 to transport the sample containers 80 held in the sample rack 85 one by one to the reading position P6 and the aspirating position P7. The transport control unit 152 controls the transport device 151 to send the sample rack 85 holding the sample containers 80 from which the sample has been aspirated or the sample containers 80 not to be processed to the second sealing unit 160.

[0039] The second sealing unit 160 is configured to reseal the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 from which the urine sample 90 has been aspirated, with the film 75. As described above, the specimen processing method of this embodiment further comprises the step of resealing the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 from which the urine sample 90 has been aspirated by the aspirating tube 32 piercing the film 75, with the film 75. The second sealing unit 160 reseals the opening 81 by overlapping a new film 75 on the previously attached film 75, without removing the previously attached film 75 from the specimen container 80.

[0040] As a result, even if a through-hole TH is formed in the film 75 by the suction tube 32 before suction, the film 75 can be resealed, which more effectively reduces the odor of the urine sample 90 from being released outside the sample container 80. In addition, since the opening 81 can be resealed with the film 75, it is also useful when storing the sample container 80 after sample suction for re-examination, etc.

[0041] The hardware configuration of the sealing unit 160 is similar to that of the upstream sealing unit 130. The transport device 161 is configured to transport a sample rack 85 between the sample processing unit 150 and the collection unit 170. The transport device 161 also transports the sample containers 80 held in the sample rack 85 to a sealing position P8 (see FIG. 1) located on a transport path between the sample processing unit 150 and the collection unit 170. The control unit 163 controls the operation of the sealing device 300 so as to perform a sealing process on each of the sample containers 80 transported to the sealing position P8.

[0042] The transport control unit 162 receives the sample rack 85 from the sample processing unit 150 and controls the transport device 161 to transport the sample containers 80 held in the sample rack 85 one by one to a sealing position P8 by the sealing device 300. The transport control unit 162 controls the transport device 161 to send the sample rack 85 holding the sealed sample containers 80 to the collection unit 170.

[0043] The collection unit 170 has the function of receiving sample containers 80 that have undergone sample processing by the sample processing system 100 and providing a storage location for the received sample containers 80. The collection unit 170 includes a transport device 171 and a transport control unit 172. The transport device 171 is configured to receive a sample rack 85 from the sealing unit 160 and transport the received sample rack 85 to a storage position. The transport control unit 172 includes a processor and a memory. The transport control unit 172 controls the timing at which the transport device 171 receives the sample rack 85 and controls the transport device 171 to transport the received sample rack 85 to the storage position.

[0044] (Example of configuration of the opening unit) 3 to 5, an example configuration of the cap removal unit 120 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the cap removal device 124 of the cap removal unit 120 is roughly divided into sections by function and includes a control unit 123, a container identification unit 201, a container holding unit 210, and a cap holding unit 220.

[0045] 1, the sample rack 85 set in the feeding unit 110 is placed at the outlet of the transport device 111. When the state in which the sample rack can be discharged from the outlet of the feeding unit 110 and the state in which the sample rack can be brought into the inlet of the cap removal unit 120 are established, the sample rack 85 is fed laterally from the outlet of the feeding unit 110 and brought into the inlet of the cap removal unit 120.

[0046] (Identification of specimen containers) As shown in Figure 3, the uncoating device 124 is equipped with a camera as a container identification unit 201. As shown in Figure 1, while the sample rack 85 is intermittently transported laterally by the transport device 121, the container identification unit 201 (see Figure 3) identifies the length of the container, the presence or absence of a stopper 84, the type of stopper 84, etc. If the control unit 123 (see Figure 3) determines that the sample container 80 is to be uncoated based on the identification result of the container identification unit 201, the control unit 123 performs an uncoating process appropriate for the type of stopper 84 on the sample container 80 at the uncoating position P2. If the control unit 123 determines that the sample container 80 is not to be uncoated, it does not perform an uncoating process on the sample container 80.

[0047] (Opening process) When the specimen container 80 to be uncapped is positioned at the uncap position P2 (see FIG. 1), the transport control unit 122 (see FIG. 2) controls the transport device 121 to temporarily halt the transport of the specimen rack 85. The control unit 123 (see FIG. 3) controls the uncap device 124 to perform an uncapping process on the specimen container 80.

[0048] (Structure of the cap removal device) The container holding unit 210 includes hand members 211 that hold the sample container 80, an opening / closing drive unit 212 for the hand members 211, and an elevation drive unit 213 for the hand members 211. A pair of hand members 211 are provided facing each other so that the sample container 80 can be placed therebetween. As shown in FIG. 4, the opening / closing drive unit 212 opens and closes the pair of hand members 211 by pressure supply from a pressure source 202. The opening / closing drive unit 212 holds the sample container 80 by moving the pair of hand members 211 in directions toward each other. The opening / closing drive unit 212 releases the hold of the sample container 80 by moving the pair of hand members 211 in directions away from each other. The elevation drive unit 213 is configured to move the pair of hand members 211 and the opening / closing drive unit 212 along rails 213b extending in the up-down direction (Z direction) by operation of a motor 213a.

[0049] The stopper holding portion 220 (see Figure 3) includes a hand member 221 that clamps the stopper 84, an opening / closing drive portion 222 for the hand member 221, a lifting / lowering drive portion 223 for the hand member 221, a rotation drive portion 224 for the hand member 221, and a horizontal drive portion 225 for the hand member 221.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 4, a pair of hand members 221 are provided facing each other so that the stopper 84 of the specimen container 80 can be placed therebetween. The pair of hand members 221 have gripping surfaces 221a for gripping the stopper 84 formed on their opposing side surfaces. As shown in Figs. 5(A) and 5(B), a plurality of sharp protrusions 221b are provided on the gripping surface 221a facing upward (in the direction in which the stopper 84 is pulled out). The stopper 84 may be made of rubber, resin, or a composite type of rubber and resin (inside: rubber, outside: resin), and the protrusions 221b provide a high holding force for any type of stopper 84.

[0051] Returning to FIG. 4 , the opening / closing drive unit 222 opens and closes the pair of hand members 221 by pressure supplied from the pressure source 202. The opening / closing drive unit 222 holds the plug 84 by moving the pair of hand members 221 toward each other. The opening / closing drive unit 212 releases the hold of the plug 84 by moving the pair of hand members 221 away from each other. The elevation drive unit 223 holds the opening / closing drive unit 222 via a spline shaft 224e extending vertically, and is configured to move the pair of hand members 221 and the opening / closing drive unit 222 vertically by changing the amount of movement of the spline shaft 224e in the vertical direction (Z direction) through the operation of the motor 223a. The rotation drive unit 224 rotates a drive pulley 224b attached to the output shaft of the motor 224a using the motor 224a, which rotates a driven pulley 224d connected to the spline shaft 224e via a belt 224c. As a result, the rotation drive unit 224 rotates the opening / closing drive unit 222 and the pair of hand members 221 held at the lower end of the spline shaft 224e around the central axis in the up-down direction.

[0052] The horizontal drive unit 225 has a holding member 225a that holds the hand member 221, the opening / closing drive unit 222, the lifting drive unit 223, and the rotation drive unit 224 so that they can move horizontally on rails 225b. The rails 225b extend along the Y direction. The horizontal drive unit 225 rotates a drive pulley 225d attached to the output shaft of the motor 225c using a motor 225c, which rotates a belt 225f between the drive pulley 225d and a driven pulley 225e. The holding member 225a is connected to this belt 225f. As a result, the horizontal drive unit 225 horizontally moves the pair of hand members 221 held by the holding member 225a between a position above the sample container 80 held by the container holder 210 (i.e., directly above the cap-opening position P2) and a standby position P2a that is not above the sample container 80. Below the standby position P2a, a chute section 204 connected to the collection container 203 is provided.

[0053] <Opening process> The control unit 123 (see FIG. 3) controls the unplugging device 124 configured as above so that it operates as follows, thereby executing the unplugging process.

[0054] 6, the control unit 123 controls the opening / closing drive unit 212 (pressure source 202) to close the pair of hand members 211. The sample container 80 sent to the cap opening position P2 is clamped by the pair of hand members 211.

[0055] In step S12, the control unit 123 controls the horizontal drive unit 225 to move the pair of hand members 221 to a position above the cap-opening position P2.

[0056] In step S13, the control unit 123 controls the container holder 210 and the stopper holder 220 to remove the stopper 84 from the sample container 80. First, the control unit 123 controls the lift driver 213 to lift the sample container 80 held by the hand member 211 upward from the sample rack 85. The control unit 123 also controls the lift driver 223 to move the pair of hand members 221 downward so that the stopper 84 is positioned between the pair of hand members 221.

[0057] Next, the control unit 123 controls the opening / closing drive unit 222 (pressure source 202) to close the pair of hand members 221. The stopper 84 of the specimen container 80 is clamped between the pair of hand members 221. Next, the control unit 123 controls the elevation drive unit 223 and the rotation drive unit 224 to move the pair of hand members 221 upward while rotating them (see FIG. 5(A)). As a result, the stopper 84 held by the pair of hand members 221 is removed upward from the specimen container 80.

[0058] The control unit 123 varies the rotation angle of the hand members 221 based on the identification result of the container identification unit 201. The control unit 123 sets a predetermined angle depending on the type of identified stopper 84, such as 450 degrees for a screw-type stopper 84 or 90 degrees for a push-in type stopper 84. Alternatively, the pair of hand members 221 may be closed and rotated, the hand members 221 may be opened and rotated in the opposite direction, and the hand members 221 may be closed and rotated again. This control is useful when there is a limit to the rotation angle of the hand members 221 by the rotation drive unit 224, and it is possible to rotate the stopper 84 by any angle by performing the rotation operation multiple times.

[0059] Thereafter, in step S14, the control unit 123 controls the lifting / lowering drive unit 213 to move the sample container 80 held by the hand members 211 downward and return it to the sample rack 85. Then, the control unit 123 controls the opening / closing drive unit 212 (pressure source 202) to open the pair of hand members 211. The grip on the uncapped sample container 80 is released, and the sample container 80 held by the pair of hand members 211 is returned to the sample rack 85. In this case, the control unit 123 may control the amount by which the pair of hand members 211 are moved downward by the lifting / lowering drive unit 213 to adjust the depth to which the sample container 80 is inserted into the sample rack 85. This prevents the identification label 83 (see FIG. 9) attached to the sample container 80 from peeling off.

[0060] Furthermore, in step S15, the removed stoppers 84 are collected. The control unit 123 controls the horizontal drive unit 225 to move the pair of hand members 221 to the standby position P2a. The control unit 123 controls the opening / closing drive unit 222 (pressure source 202) to open the pair of hand members 221. The stoppers 84 held by the pair of hand members 221 are dropped from the standby position P2a and thrown into the chute unit 204. The stoppers 84 are collected into the collection container 203 via the chute unit 204. When a predetermined number of stoppers 84 have been stored in the collection container 203, the user removes the collection container 203, and the stoppers 84 are either discarded or washed and reused.

[0061] (Example of sealing unit configuration) 7 to 17, a configuration example of the sealing unit 130 will be described. As described above, the configuration of the sealing unit 160 is the same as that of the sealing unit 130.

[0062] (sealed body) The sealing body used by the sealing unit 130 to seal the opening 81 is made by adhering a thin material such as resin or metal to the opening end of the container and the surrounding wall surface by bonding, heat welding, adhesion, etc.

[0063] As described above, in this embodiment, the sealing body (second sealing body) is film 75. In this specification, the term "film" refers to a thin film-like member and is a broad concept that includes a sheet, a membrane, and a foil. The combination of constituent materials and thickness of film 75 as a sealing body is limited to a range that allows the suction tube 32 to penetrate.

[0064] This allows the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 to be easily sealed with the easily pierceable film 75, and also effectively reduces odor emission. A rubber stopper is also available as a seal that can be pierced by the suction tube 32, but a large puncture force is required to pierce the rubber stopper. However, the film 75 is much thinner than the rubber stopper, and is therefore preferable because it allows the use of a suction mechanism with a simple structure.

[0065] Specifically, the film 75 is a stretchable resin film. Stretchable resin films have excellent sealing properties, and therefore can effectively reduce the odor of urine samples released from the sample container. A suitable stretchable resin film is one that can be irreversibly stretched and exhibits self-adhesive properties when stretched.

[0066] As a result, the film 75 can be brought into close contact with the specimen container 80 by stretching the film 75, so that the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 can be easily sealed, and a sealing structure that is difficult to unseal can be realized.

[0067] The stretchable resin film is, for example, a plastic paraffin film, and the thickness of the resin film is, for example, 1 mm or less, preferably 0.5 mm or less, and more preferably 0.2 mm or less.

[0068] (Sealing device) 7, the sealing unit 130 and the sealing unit 160 (see FIG. 1) of the sample processing system 100 of this embodiment each include a sealing device 300. The sealing device 300 is a device that seals the opening 81 of a sample container 80 having an opening 81.

[0069] A schematic configuration of the sealing device 300 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 7(A), the sealing device 300 includes a film holding unit 41, a container holding unit 42, an elevation driving unit 43, a rotation driving unit 44, and control units (133, 163).

[0070] The film holding unit 41 is configured to hold a film 75 as a sealant. The container holding unit 42 is configured to hold a specimen container 80 containing a urine specimen 90. The lifting / lowering drive unit 43 is configured to drive the film holding unit 41 up and down (Z direction). The rotation drive unit 44 is configured to drive the film holding unit 41 to rotate around the central axis of the specimen container 80. Alternatively, the lifting / lowering drive unit 43 may drive the container holding unit 42 up and down, and the rotation drive unit 44 may drive the container holding unit 42 to rotate around the central axis of the specimen container 80.

[0071] The control unit (133, 163) is configured to control the rotation drive unit 44 to wrap the film 75 around the specimen container 80 while the lift drive unit 43 presses the film 75 held by the film holding unit 41 against the opening edge of the specimen container 80 held by the container holding unit 42.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 7(B), the film 75 held horizontally by the film holding part 41 is pressed from above against the opening edge at the upper end of the sample container 80. The opening edge of the sample container 80 is positioned slightly above the holding position of the film 75, and tension is applied to the film 75 by the sample container 80. The film 75 is stretched so that it becomes convex upward. As a result, the film 75 covering the opening 81 is pressed against the opening edge while coming into close contact with it. In this stretched state, the film holding part 41 and the container holding part 42 are rotated relative to each other around the central axis of the sample container 80. As a result, the film 75, which is in close contact with the opening edge, is wrapped around the outer peripheral surface of the sample container 80. As shown in FIG. 7(C), the film 75 comes into close contact with the opening edge and the outer peripheral surface of the sample container 80 extending downward from the opening edge. As a result, the opening 81 of the sample container 80 is sealed by the film 75.

[0073] (Effect of sealing device) As described above, the sealing device 300 of this embodiment includes a control unit (133, 163) that controls the rotation drive unit 44 to wrap the film 75 around the specimen container 80 while pressing the film 75 held by the film holding unit 41 against the edge of the opening of the specimen container 80 held by the container holding unit 42. This seals the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 with the film 75, allowing the suction tube 32 to penetrate the film 75 while it is still sealed to perform specimen aspiration. This reduces odor emission when a urine specimen is aspirated during specimen processing. Even if a hole is formed in part of the film 75 after specimen aspiration, odor emission can be reduced more effectively than when the opening 81 is fully open.

[0074] With this configuration, in the sample processing method of this embodiment, the process of sealing the opening 81 of the sample container 80 with a sealant includes the steps of pressing the edge of the opening of the sample container 80 against the film 75 to stretch the film 75, and rotating the stretched film 75 around the central axis of the sample container 80 to wrap the sealant around the sample container 80.

[0075] This allows the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 to be closed with the film 75, and then the film 75 can be wrapped around the edge of the opening and sealed around the side of the specimen container 80. As a result, the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 can be tightly sealed, which effectively prevents not only the leakage of odors but also the leakage of the urine specimen 90 when the specimen container 80 is tipped over or stirred.

[0076] (Detailed configuration of sealing device) 8 to 11 show the detailed configuration of the sealing device 300. As shown in Fig. 8, the sealing device 300 is broadly divided by function and includes a control unit 133, a film piece supply mechanism 310, a container holding mechanism 320, a sealing mechanism 330, and a film piece disposal mechanism 340. Figs. 8 and 9 show an example of a configuration in which an elevation drive unit 323 of the container holding mechanism 320 drives the container holding unit 321 in the up and down direction, and a rotation drive unit 333 of the sealing mechanism 330 drives the film holding unit 331 to rotate.

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the sealing mechanism 330 is movable in the Y direction and moves to a film holding position P11 (see FIG. 10), a position P12 above the sealing position P3 (see FIG. 11), and a film discarding position P13 (see FIG. 9).

[0078] The film piece supply mechanism 310 is configured to hold a film roll FR around which a film 75 is wound, and to supply the film 75 to a film holding section 331 disposed at a film holding position P11 (see FIG. 10). As shown in FIG. 12, the film piece supply mechanism 310 is arranged to be aligned in the X direction with the film holding section 331 disposed at the film holding position P11.

[0079] The film piece supply mechanism 310 includes a film feed unit 311 and a cutter mechanism 312. As shown in FIG. 12(A), the film feed unit 311 includes a roll holder 311a that holds the film roll FR, around which the film 75 is wound, so that the film 75 can rotate about its axis, a pair of feed rollers 311b, and a roller driver 311c. The film 75 pulled out from the film roll FR is set so that it is sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers 311b. One of the pair of feed rollers 311b has a drive roller that is rotationally driven by the roller driver 311c, and the other, a driven roller, has the function of pressing the film 75 toward the drive roller. As shown in FIG. 12(B), the drive roller is rotated by a predetermined amount by the roller driver 311c, and the film 75 is fed out horizontally (in the X direction) from between the pair of feed rollers 311b. A pair of delivery rollers 311b delivers film 75 to film holding section 331 disposed at film holding position P11.

[0080] Cutter mechanism 312 separates film 75 supplied to film holding unit 331 from film roll FR by cutting film 75 fed from pair of feed rollers 311b. As shown in FIGS. 12(C) and 12(D), cutter mechanism 312 includes cutter table 312a disposed below film 75, blade 312b disposed on cutter table 312a, and cutter driver 312c that moves blade 312b back and forth. Cutter driver 312c moves blade 312b in the Y direction across film 75 on cutter table 312a, for example, by pressure from pressure source 301. This cuts film 75.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 8, the container holding mechanism 320 includes a container holding unit 321, an opening / closing drive unit 322, and an elevation drive unit 323. As shown in Fig. 11, the container holding unit 321 is disposed at a sealing position P3 on the transport path of the transport device 131. That is, when the film holding unit 331 is disposed at a position P12 above the sealing position P3, the film holding unit 331 is positioned directly above the container holding unit 321. The container holding unit 321 holds a sample container 80 on a sample rack 85 that has been transported to the sealing position P3, and removes it from the sample rack 85 or returns it to the sample rack 85.

[0082] The container holder 321 is composed of a pair of hand members 321a that hold a sample container 80 therebetween. The hand members 321a are provided in pairs facing each other so that the sample container 80 can be placed between them. The open / close drive unit 322 (see FIG. 8) opens and closes the pair of hand members 321a. The open / close drive unit 322 moves the pair of hand members 321a toward each other to hold the sample container 80. The open / close drive unit 322 moves the pair of hand members 321a away from each other to release the hold of the sample container 80. The elevation drive unit 323 is configured to move the pair of hand members 321a up and down.

[0083] The sealing mechanism 330 (see FIG. 8) includes a film holding unit 331, an opening / closing drive unit 332, a rotation drive unit 333, and a horizontal drive unit 334.

[0084] The film holding unit 331 holds a film piece supplied from the film piece supply mechanism 310. As shown in FIG. 13(A), the film holding unit 331 has two upper and lower members (a first member 331a and a second member 331b) with a space in the center and an adjustable distance between them. The film 75 is supplied between the lower first member 331a and the upper second member 331b with the distance between them widened (see FIG. 12(B)). By narrowing the distance between the first member 331a and the second member 331b (see FIG. 12(C)), the peripheral portion of the film 75 is sandwiched between the first member 331a and the second member 331b, thereby holding the film 75. A through-hole 331c is formed in the center of the first member 331a. A recess 331d, which is open on the bottom, is formed in the second member 331b so as to be continuous with the through-hole 331c of the first member 331a. The through-hole 331c and the recess 331d form a central space into which the upper end of the specimen container 80 is inserted.

[0085] In the configuration example of FIG. 13, the sealing device 300 includes a pressing unit 335 that presses the film 75 covering the opening 81 into the opening 81 of the specimen container 80. This allows the sealing process to be completed when the pressing unit 335 presses the film 75 into the inside of the specimen container 80 (see FIG. 13(C)). Depending on the urine specimen 90, microorganisms in the specimen may produce gas. In this case, since the internal volume of the specimen container 80 sealed with the film 75 is reduced in advance, the pressed portion of the film 75 is pushed aside, preventing a pressure increase inside the specimen container 80 due to gas production. As a result, loosening of the seal due to a pressure increase can be prevented, and gas release when the film 75 is pierced can be reduced.

[0086] The pressing portion 335 is provided inside the recess 331d of the second member 331b so as to face the held film piece. The pressing portion 335 has a convex shape that protrudes (downward) from the second member 331b toward the first member 331a. The pressing portion 335 is made of an elastic body and is rotatably attached to the second member 331b. The elastic body is, for example, rubber, sponge, or elastomer. When sealing the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 (see FIG. 13(C)), the opening edge is pressed against the pressing portion 335. When the opening edge is pressed against the pressing portion 335, the pressing portion 335 elastically deforms and partially enters the interior of the opening 81 via the film 75. As a result, the portion of the film 75 covering the opening 81 is pressed into the interior of the opening 81, and the film 75 adheres tightly to the inner surface of the opening 81, sealing the opening 81.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 14, the opening / closing drive unit 332 of the sealing mechanism 330 (see FIG. 8) drives the film holding unit 331 to open and close using pressure from the pressure source 301. The opening / closing drive unit 332 holds the film piece by moving the first member 331a and the second member 331b in directions toward each other. The opening / closing drive unit 332 releases the hold on the film piece by moving the first member 331a and the second member 331b in directions away from each other. In the configuration example of FIG. 14, the opening / closing drive unit 332 moves the second member 331b up and down (in the Z direction) relative to the first member 331a.

[0088] The rotation drive unit 333 rotates a drive pulley 333b attached to the output shaft of the motor 333a using a motor 333a, which in turn rotates a driven pulley 333d connected to the film holding unit 331 via a belt 333c. As a result, the rotation drive unit 333 rotates the film holding unit 331 including the first member 331a and the second member 331b around the central axis of the specimen container 80 (i.e., a vertical axis along the Z direction).

[0089] The horizontal drive unit 334 has a holding member 334a that holds the film holding unit 331 so that it can move horizontally on rails 334b. The rails 334b are provided along the Y direction. The horizontal drive unit 334 rotates a drive pulley 334d attached to the output shaft of the motor 334c using a motor 334c, and a belt 334e is rotated between the drive pulley 334d and a driven pulley 334f. The holding member 334a is connected to this belt 334e. As a result, the horizontal drive unit 334 horizontally moves the film holding unit 331 and the rotation drive unit 333 held by the holding member 334a to a position P12 above the specimen container 80 held by the container holder 321 (i.e., directly above the sealing position P3), a film holding position P11, and a film disposal position P13.

[0090] In this embodiment, of the film 75 held by the film holding part 331 (see FIG. 13), the portion wrapped around the specimen container 80 is separated from the remaining portion of the film 75. The remaining portion of the film 75 is the portion sandwiched between the first member 331a and the second member 331b.

[0091] Specifically, the control unit (133, 163) (see FIG. 8) controls the rotation drive unit 333 to operate until the film 75 wrapped around the specimen container 80 is cut off from the portion held by the film holding unit 331.

[0092] This allows the film 75 wrapped around the specimen container 80 to be separated from the film holding portion 331 by causing tensile fracture of the film 75 through rotation. As a result, the opening 81 can be sealed with the film 75 and the remaining portion of the sealed film 75 can be removed by the simple action of rotation. Since the excess film 75 is removed from the specimen container 80, handling of the specimen container 80 after sealing becomes easier.

[0093] 13(A) and 13(B), the control unit 133 (see FIG. 8) first controls the elevation drive unit 323 so that the upper end of the specimen container 80 is moved by the container holding mechanism 320 (see FIG. 11) through the through-hole 331c and above the upper surface of the first member 331a. As a result, the film 75 is pressed against the opening edge of the specimen container 80 by tension, and the film 75 comes into close contact with the opening edge. The specimen container 80 is moved upward to a position where the opening edge presses against the pressing unit 335, causing elastic deformation.

[0094] 13(C), the control unit 133 controls the rotation drive unit 333 (see FIG. 8) to rotate the film holding unit 331 and wrap the film 75 around the specimen container 80 while the film 75 is in contact with the opening edge. As a result, the film 75 covering the opening 81 is wrapped around the outer circumferential surface of the specimen container 80.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 13(D), the control unit 133 further operates the rotation drive unit 333 to rotate the film holding unit 331. Due to the rotation, the film 75 wrapped around the sample container 80 undergoes tensile fracture between the outer circumferential surface of the sample container 80 and the holding portion (the portion clamped by the first member 331a and the second member 331b), and the film 75 is cut off from the portion not wrapped around the sample container 80. As a result, of the film piece held by the film holding unit 331, only the portion wrapped around the sample container 80 is attached to the sample container 80, and the remaining portion RP remains held by the film holding unit 331. FIG. 15 shows a state in which the opening 81 is sealed by the film 75 from which the remaining portion RP has been cut off.

[0096] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13(E), the control unit 133 controls the lifting drive unit 323 (see FIG. 8) to move the sample container 80 downward by the container holding mechanism 320 and return it to the sample rack 85.

[0097] In this configuration in which the remaining portion RP of the film 75 is separated from the specimen container 80, the remaining portion RP (see FIG. 13(E)) remains in the film holding portion 331. Therefore, the sealing device 300 shown in FIG. 8 includes a film removing portion 341 (see FIG. 8) that removes the portion of the film 75 held by the film holding portion 331 (the remaining portion RP) from the film holding portion 331.

[0098] As a result, after being separated from the specimen container 80, the remaining portion RP of the film 75 held on the film holding section 331 side can be removed by the film removing section 341, so that the next sealing process can be carried out promptly.

[0099] 8, the film removal unit 341 is provided in the film piece disposal mechanism 340. The film piece disposal mechanism 340 is further provided with a disposal unit 345 that is a disposal destination for the remaining portion RP. The film piece disposal mechanism 340 removes the remaining portion RP of the film 75 from the film holding unit 331 that is positioned at the film disposal position P13.

[0100] The film removal section 341 is configured to discard the remaining portion RP of the film 75 by clamping a portion of the remaining portion RP and guiding it to the disposal section 345 when the first member 331a of the film holding section 331 is separated from the second member 331b.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 14 , the film removing unit 341 includes a pair of clamping members 342, a clamping drive unit 343, and an elevation drive unit 344. The pair of clamping members 342 are arranged vertically side by side, and the distance between them is adjustable. In FIG. 14 , the upper member of the pair of clamping members 342 is fixed, and the lower member is rotatable around a rotation shaft 343a at its end. The clamping drive unit 343 is configured with a motor that rotates the lower member of the pair of clamping members 342 about the horizontal rotation shaft 343a. The clamping drive unit 343 narrows the distance between the upper and lower members, thereby clamping the remaining portion RP of the film 75 between the upper and lower members. The clamping drive unit 343 widens the distance between the upper and lower members, thereby releasing the clamping of the remaining portion RP. The lifting drive unit 344 is configured by, for example, an air cylinder, and moves the pair of clamping members 342 and the clamping drive unit 343 along rails 344a in the vertical direction (Z direction) by advancing and retreating a rod. The disposal unit 345 is a disposal box with an open top, and is installed below the pair of clamping members 342.

[0102] The first member 331a and the second member 331b of the film holding unit 331 are formed with cutout portions 336 that are cut out to expose a portion of the remaining portion RP of the film 75. When the film holding unit 331 is positioned at the film discarding position P13 with the pair of clamping members 342 spaced apart, the remaining portion RP of the film 75 exposed from the cutout portions 336 of the film holding unit 331 is positioned between the pair of clamping members 342.

[0103] At this time, the control unit 133 controls the opening / closing drive unit 332 to increase the distance between the first member 331a and the second member 331b, thereby releasing the film holding unit 331 from its hold, and controls the clamping drive unit 343 to close the pair of clamping members 342, thereby causing the film removing unit 341 to grip the remaining portion RP. The control unit 133 then controls the lifting drive unit 344 to move the pair of clamping members 342 downward toward the disposal unit 345. The downward movement of the pair of clamping members 342 clamping the remaining portion RP removes the remaining portion RP from the film holding unit 331. Thereafter, the control unit 133 controls the clamping drive unit 343 to open the pair of clamping members 342 that have entered the disposal unit 345. As a result, the remaining portion RP clamped by the pair of clamping members 342 is collected into the disposal unit 345.

[0104] <Sealing treatment> The flow of the sealing process will be described with reference to Fig. 16. The control unit 133 controls the drive of each drive source of each mechanism.

[0105] In step S21, the control unit 133 controls the film piece supply mechanism 310 to supply the film 75 to the film holding unit 331. The control unit 133 controls the horizontal drive unit 334 to position the film holding unit 331 at the film holding position P11. The control unit 133 controls the roller drive unit 311c to feed the film 75 between the first member 331a and the second member 331b of the film holding unit 331. The control unit 133 controls the cutter drive unit 312c to cut the fed film 75 and separate it from the film roll FR.

[0106] In step S22, the film 75 is held. The control unit 133 controls the opening / closing drive unit 322 so that the film 75 supplied from the film piece supply mechanism 310 is sandwiched between the first member 331a and the second member 331b.

[0107] In step S23, the sample container 80 is held. The control unit 133 controls the opening / closing drive unit 322 so that the pair of hand members 321a clamp the sample container 80 in the sample rack 85 transported to the sealing position P3. The control unit 133 controls the horizontal drive unit 334 so that the film holding unit 331 is positioned at a position P12 above the sealing position P3. The control unit 133 controls the elevation drive unit 323 so that the pair of hand members 321a clamping the sample container 80 move upward and are positioned within the space (through-hole 331c and recess 331d) of the film holding unit 331. As a result, the opening edge at the upper end of the sample container 80 comes into close contact with the film 75, and the pressing unit 335 presses the film 75 into the opening 81 (see FIG. 13(B)).

[0108] In step S24, the opening 81 is sealed. The control unit 133 rotates the film holding unit 331 and controls the rotation drive unit 333 so that the film 75 held by the film holding unit 331 is wrapped around the outer circumferential surface of the specimen container 80. The control unit 133 operates the rotation drive unit 333 until the film 75 wrapped around the specimen container 80 is cut off from the portion held by the film holding unit 331. As a result, the specimen container 80 is sealed with the film 75, and the film 75 wrapped around the specimen container 80 is separated from the remaining portion RP of the film 75 held by the film holding unit 331 (see FIG. 13(D)).

[0109] In step S25, the sample container 80 is released from its hold. The control unit 133 controls the lifting / lowering drive unit 323 to move the pair of hand members 321a holding the sample container 80 downward and return the sealed sample container 80 to the sample rack 85. The control unit 133 controls the opening / closing drive unit 322 to widen the gap between the pair of hand members 321a and release the clamping of the sample container 80 by the pair of hand members 321a. After the clamping is released, the transport control unit 132 controls the transport device 131 to transport the sample rack 85 so that the next sample container 80 to be sealed is positioned at sealing position P3.

[0110] In step S26, the remaining portion RP is discarded. Control unit 133 controls horizontal drive unit 334 to position film holding unit 331, which holds remaining portion RP of film 75, at film discard position P13. Control unit 133 controls opening / closing drive unit 332 to increase the distance between first member 331a and second member 331b, and controls clamp drive unit 343 to close the pair of clamping members 342. This causes remaining portion RP of film 75 to be clamped by the pair of clamping members 342 of film removal unit 341. Control unit 133 controls elevation drive unit 344 to move the pair of clamping members 342 downward toward the disposal unit 345. Control unit 133 then controls clamp drive unit 343 to open the pair of clamping members 342 that have entered the disposal unit 345. This causes remaining portion RP of film 75 clamped between the pair of clamping members 342 to be collected into the disposal unit 345.

[0111] (Sample rack transport control) After the sealing process has been completed for all of the sample containers 80 to be sealed, the sample rack 85 is transported from the sealing unit 130 to the sample processing unit 140 (see FIG. 1). In the example shown in FIG. 17, the sealing unit 130 is configured so that the distance D1 from the outlet of the sealing unit 130 to the sealing position P3 is shorter than the length L1 of the sample rack 85. In this case, by reducing the distance D1, the width dimension of the sealing unit 130 in the transport direction (X direction) of the sample rack 85 can be reduced.

[0112] For example, in Figure 17, when the fourth sample container 80 from the front of a sample rack 85 capable of holding 10 sample containers 80 is placed at sealing position P3, the front of the sample rack 85 will enter the transport device 141 of the sample processing unit 140.

[0113] The transport device 141 of the sample processing unit 140 moves the received sample rack 85 from the second transport path 141b, which is provided with an input port, to the input reservoir 141c, and then from the input reservoir 141c to the first transport path 141a, using the moving member 401. Since urine samples 90 (see FIG. 7) are aspirated from each sample container 80 at the aspirating position P5 on the first transport path 141a, when sample processing is performed continuously, one or more sample racks 85 will be waiting in the input reservoir 141c.

[0114] Therefore, when the sample rack 85 enters the transport device 141 of the sample processing unit 140 during the sealing process by the sealing unit 130, the transport device 141 is unable to send the sample rack 85 from the second transport path 141b to the input storage section 141c using the moving member 401.

[0115] Therefore, in this embodiment, the transport control unit 132 of the sealing unit 130 is configured to control the transport of the Kth or later holding position of the sample rack 85 from the front to the sealing position P3, provided that the transport device 141 is in a state where the sample rack 85 can be received. Here, the Kth position refers to the holding position where the front of the sample rack 85 would enter the entrance of the transport device 141 if the Kth holding position were placed at the sealing position P3. The transport control unit 132 is configured to control the transport of the Kth or later holding position of the sample rack 85 from the front to the sealing position P3, when the transport device 141 is not in a state where the sample rack 85 can be received. Figure 17 shows an example where K=4.

[0116] The transport device 141 is in a state where it can accept a sample rack 85 when no sample rack 85 is placed in the input reservoir 141c. The transport device 141 is in a state where it cannot accept a sample rack 85 when a sample rack 85 is placed in the input reservoir 141c. The transport control unit 132 acquires the transport status of the sample rack 85 in the transport device 141 from the transport control unit 142 of the sample processing unit 140. When a sample rack 85 is placed in the input reservoir 141c of the transport device 141, the transport control unit 132 prohibits transport to the sealing position P3 of the Kth or later holding position, and when no sample rack 85 is placed in the input reservoir 141c, the transport control unit 132 allows transport to the sealing position P3 of the Kth or later holding position.

[0117] (Sample processing device) Next, the sample processing apparatus provided in the sample processing unit 140 and the sample processing unit 150 shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

[0118] The sample processing device 145 of the sample processing unit 140 performs measurements related to a qualitative urine test. A qualitative urine test is a test that measures chemical components in urine that are related to clinical testing. As shown in FIG. 18, the sample processing device 145 includes a measurement section 410 that measures the urine sample by detecting the color of a test strip to which the urine sample has been attached.

[0119] The measurement unit 410 measures test item components contained in urine by applying a urine sample to a test strip and measuring the color reaction of the test strip. The measurement unit 410 feeds the test strip from a test strip feeder 411 that stores the test strips to a predetermined test position within the measurement unit 410. The sample supply unit 412 supplies the urine sample 90 aspirated from the sample container 80 by the suction tube 32 to the test strip. The measurement unit 410 measures the color reaction of the test strip by irradiating measurement light from the light source unit 413 onto the test strip and receiving the measurement light with the color sensor 414. Measurement items include, for example, glucose, protein, bilirubin, pH (hydrogen ion index), etc.

[0120] The control unit 143 of the sample processing unit 140 controls the sample processing device 145 to perform suction and discharge agitation in the sample container 80 using the suction tube 32 that has penetrated the film 75 when aspirating the urine sample 90 using the suction tube 32. Suction and discharge agitation refers to agitating the urine sample 90 by aspirating the urine sample 90 from the sample container 80 and discharging the aspirated urine sample 90 into the sample container 80. This reduces leakage of the urine sample 90 from the sample container 80 during agitation compared to, for example, inversion agitation, in which the sample container 80 is turned over. This effectively reduces the discomfort experienced by the user due to the odor of the urine sample 90.

[0121] The sample processing device 155 of the sample processing unit 150 performs measurements related to a urinary sediment test. A urinary sediment test is a test in which formed elements (sediments) in urine are measured and the formed elements are classified and counted. As shown in Figure 19, the sample processing device 155 includes a measurement section 420 that measures formed elements in a urine sample by flow cytometry.

[0122] The measurement section 420 includes a flow cytometer. In the measurement section 420, a sample preparation section 421 prepares a measurement sample from a urine sample 90 aspirated from a sample container 80 by an aspirating tube 32 using a reagent such as a staining solution. When aspirating the urine sample 90, the control section 153 of the sample processing unit 150 controls the sample processing device 155 to perform aspiration and agitation in the sample container 80 by the aspirating tube 32 penetrating the film 75. The sample preparation section 421 then supplies the measurement sample to a flow cell 422. A light source section 423 irradiates the flow cell 422 with measurement light. A light receiving section 424, a light receiving section 425, and a light receiving section 426 measure forward scattered light, side scattered light, and fluorescence of the measurement light generated from formed elements in the measurement sample flowing through the flow cell 422, respectively. Optical systems 427 such as lenses and spectroscopic elements are provided between light source 423, light receiving units 424, 425, and 426 and flow cell 422. Controller 153 analyzes the received light signals to count and classify the formed elements. The formed elements include, for example, red blood cells, white blood cells, epithelial cells, casts, bacteria, and the like contained in urine sample 90.

[0123] (Control unit) FIG. 20 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a computer that can be used as a control unit (control units 113 to 163). The computer includes an arithmetic unit 452, a storage device 453, an input / output interface 454, and a communication interface 455, which are connected to each other via a bus 451. The arithmetic unit 452 is a processor. The storage device 453 includes a semiconductor storage element and / or a hard disk drive. Various programs for operating the computer as a control unit are stored in the storage device 453. The arithmetic unit 452 causes the computer to function as a control unit by executing instructions included in the programs stored in the storage device 453. The input / output interface 454 is an interface for connecting the computer to external devices. The communication interface 455 is an interface for the control unit to communicate with external devices including the host computer 500.

[0124] The control unit 143 of the sample processing unit 140 and the control unit 153 of the sample processing unit 150 are configured to analyze data obtained from the respective sample processing devices 145. An input device 431 through which a user inputs various information to the computer and a display unit 432 through which the computer displays various information may be connected to the input / output interface 454 of the control unit 143 and the control unit 153. The input device 431 and the display unit 432 may be built into the computer or may be connected (externally) to the computer. For example, the input device 431 may be a keyboard, a mouse, a touch sensor, etc. The display unit 432 is a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor. The display unit 432 may be a touch panel display integrated with a touch sensor as the input device 431.

[0125] (Flow of sample processing method) The flow of the sample processing method using the sample processing system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 21. The configuration of the sample processing system 100 will be described with reference to Figs.

[0126] First, the user places the sample rack 85, in which the sample containers 80 to be processed are set, in the feeding unit 110. When the user presses the start button, sample processing begins.

[0127] In step S51, a transport process of the sample rack 85 is executed. The control unit 113 of the feeding unit 110 (see FIG. 1) controls the information reading unit 114 to read the identification information attached to the sample container 80. The transport control unit 112 controls the transport device 111 to sequentially transport the multiple sample containers 80 in the sample rack 85 to the reading position P1, and then sends the sample rack 85 to the uncapping unit 120.

[0128] In step S52, the uncapping step is performed by the uncapping unit 120. The transport control unit 122 receives the sample rack 85 from the feeding unit 110 and controls the transport device 121 to transport the sample containers 80 in the sample rack 85 sequentially to the uncapping position P2. During transport to the uncapping position P2, the control unit 123 controls the container identification unit 201 (see FIG. 3) to identify the caps 84 of the sample containers 80 and determines whether the sample containers 80 are to be uncapped based on the identification result of the container identification unit 201. The control unit 123 controls the uncapping device 124 to selectively perform an uncapping process on the sample containers 80 to be uncapped at the uncapping position P2. When the uncapping process has been performed on all of the sample containers 80 set in the sample rack 85, the transport control unit 122 controls the transport device 121 to send the sample rack 85 to the sealing unit 130.

[0129] In step S53, the sealing process is performed by the sealing unit 130 (see FIG. 1). The transport control unit 132 receives the sample rack 85 from the uncap unit 120 and sequentially transports the multiple sample containers 80 in the sample rack 85 to the sealing position P3. When the reception of the sample rack 85 from the uncap unit 120 to the sealing unit 130 is detected, the transport of the sample containers 80 to the sealing position P3 is controlled based on the distance of each sample container 80 to the sealing position P3 and the feed amount per pulse of the motor. The control unit 133 controls the sealing device 300 to perform the sealing process at the sealing position P3. When the sealing process has been performed on all sample containers 80 set in the sample rack 85, the transport control unit 132 controls the transport device 131 to send the sample rack 85 to the sample processing device 145.

[0130] In step S54, the sample processing unit 140 and the sample processing unit 150 perform the sample processing step (see FIG. 1). First, in the sample processing unit 140, the transport control unit 142 receives the sample rack 85 from the sealing unit 130 and controls the transport device 141 to send the sample containers 80 in the sample rack 85 from the second transport path 141b to the first transport path 141a. The transport control unit 142 sequentially transports the sample containers 80 in the sample rack 85 to the reading position P4, and then sequentially transports them to the suction position P5. The control unit 143 controls the information reading unit 144 to read the identification information attached to the sample containers 80 at the reading position P4. Based on the read identification information, the control unit 143 obtains a measurement order for the urine samples 90 contained in each sample container 80 from the host computer 500. The control unit 143 controls the sample processing device 145 to perform sample measurement and analyzes the measurement data obtained from the sample processing device 145. The transport control unit 142 controls the transport device 141 to send the sample rack 85, for which the suction has been completed, from the first transport path 141a to the second transport path 141b, and then from the second transport path 141b to the sample processing unit 150.

[0131] In the sample processing unit 150, the transport control unit 152 receives a sample rack 85 from the sample processing unit 140 and controls the transport device 151 to send the sample containers 80 in the sample rack 85 from the second transport path 151b to the first transport path 151a. The transport control unit 152 sequentially transports the sample containers 80 in the sample rack 85 to the reading position P6, and then to the aspirating position P7. The control unit 153 controls the information reading unit 154 to read the identification information attached to the sample containers 80 at the reading position P6. Based on the read identification information, the control unit 153 obtains a measurement order for the urine samples 90 contained in each sample container 80 from the host computer 500. For the sample containers 80 set as test subjects by the measurement order, the control unit 153 sequentially aspirates the urine samples 90 in the sample containers 80 using the aspirating tubes 32 at the aspirating position P7. The control unit 153 controls the sample processing device 155 to perform a sample measurement operation, and analyzes the measurement data obtained from the sample processing device 155. The transport control unit 152 controls the transport device 151 to send the sample rack 85, for which suction has been completed, from the first transport path 151a to the second transport path 151b, and from the second transport path 151b to the second sealing unit 160.

[0132] Sample measurement in the sample processing unit 150 may be performed when an order for a urinary sediment test is registered in advance, or when an order for a urinary sediment test is registered based on the analysis results of a urine qualitative test performed by the upstream sample processing unit 140. The control unit 153 controls the operation of the sample processing device 155 so as not to perform sample suction on sample containers 80 that do not require sample processing (urinary sediment testing) by the sample processing unit 150 based on the measurement order information.

[0133] In step S55, a resealing step is performed by the second sealing unit 160. The transport control unit 162 receives the sample rack 85 from the sample processing unit 150, and sequentially transports the sample containers 80 in the sample rack 85 to the sealing position P8.

[0134] In this embodiment, a resealing step is selectively performed on the sample container 80 based on the identification information. That is, the control unit 163 acquires the identification information read by at least one of the information reading unit 114, the information reading unit 144, and the information reading unit 154 through communication between the devices, and individually identifies the sample container 80 in the sample rack 85. The control unit 163 is configured to control the second sealing unit 160 to selectively perform resealing on the sample container 80 based on the read identification information.

[0135] This allows selective sealing of the specimen container 80 depending on the type of treatment to be performed on the processed urine specimen 90. For example, specimen containers 80 that are scheduled to be used for storing the urine specimen 90 or for transferring to another department can be resealed, while specimen containers 80 that will contain discarded urine specimens 90 can be left unsealed.

[0136] Based on the identification information, the control unit 163 obtains information regarding the processing of the urine sample 90 from the host computer 500. The control unit 163 selects to reseal a sample container 80 containing, for example, a urine sample 90 that needs to be stored or transferred to another testing department. The control unit 163 selects not to reseal a sample container 80 containing a urine sample 90 to be discarded.

[0137] The control unit 163 controls the sealing mechanism (sealing device 300) to perform the sealing process at the sealing position P8. When the sealing process is performed on the sample container 80 to be resealed that is set in the sample rack 85, the transport control unit 162 controls the transport device 161 to send the sample rack 85 to the collection unit 170.

[0138] In step S56, a recovery step is performed for the sample rack 85. The transport control unit 172 of the recovery unit 170 receives the sample rack 85 from the second sealing unit 160, and controls the transport device 171 to transport the received sample rack 85 to a storage position.

[0139] This completes the sample processing method by the sample processing system 100 for one sample rack 85. If the user places multiple sample racks 85 in the feeding unit 110, the above process is performed for each sample rack 85 in sequence.

[0140] The sample rack 85 transported to the storage location is collected by the user. The analyzed and collected urine samples 90 undergo post-processing, such as disposal or storage, depending on the test results and circumstances. For example, the user determines whether sample containers 80 need to be stored for retesting or additional testing after sample analysis has been completed. Sample containers 80 that do not require storage are moved to a disposal location and disposed of in a prescribed manner. Sample containers 80 that require storage for a specified period or transportation to another department are stored in a specified location and environment for a specified period (refrigerated storage, or in some cases, room temperature storage). The user reinserts the stored sample containers 80 into the sample processing system 100 at the appropriate time for retesting, or for another test using a different testing system. If an abnormality is found in the urine sample 90 as a result of analysis, a bacterial test may be performed to diagnose a urinary tract infection.

[0141] (Variation) The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above description of the embodiments, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0142] For example, in the above embodiment, an example in which one feeding unit 110 is provided has been shown, but it is also possible to provide multiple feeding units 110. Furthermore, an example in which stoppers 84 are attached to all of the specimen containers 80 in the feeding unit 110 has been shown, but it is also possible for some specimen containers 80 to have stoppers 84 attached and others not to have stoppers 84 attached.

[0143] 22, the sample processing system 100 includes a first input unit 601 and a second input unit 603, each of which receives a sample container 80. The transport device 20 transports the sample container 80 from the first input unit 601 toward the sample processing unit 604 via the sealing unit 602, and the transport device 20 transports the sample container 80 from the second input unit 603 to the sample processing unit 604 without passing through the sealing unit 602. In this example, the first input unit 601, the sealing unit 602, the second input unit 603, and the sample processing unit 604 are arranged in this order along the transport path of the transport device 20. The sealing unit 602 seals the opening 81 of the sample container 80 received from the first input unit 601 with a seal 71.

[0144] As a result, when there are specimen containers 80 that need to be sealed and specimen containers 80 that do not need to be sealed, the specimen containers 80 that need to be sealed can be set in the first input unit 601, and the specimen containers 80 that do not need to be sealed can be set in the second input unit 603. The specimen containers 80 set in the first input unit 601 can be sealed by the sealing unit 602, and the specimen containers 80 set in the second input unit 603 can be transported without passing through the sealing unit 602, allowing specimen processing to be performed efficiently.

[0145] 23 and 24, the sample processing system 100 includes a third input unit 611 and a fourth input unit 612, each of which receives a sample container 80. The transport device 20 transports the sample container 80 from the third input unit 611 toward the sample processing unit 615 via the uncap unit 613, and the transport device 20 transports the sample container 80 from the fourth input unit 612 toward the sealing unit 614 or the sample processing unit 615 without passing through the uncap unit 613.

[0146] In the configuration of Figure 23, a specimen container 80 fitted with a stopper 84 from the third input unit 611 is transported in sequence to the uncapper unit 613, the sealing unit 614, and the specimen processing unit 615. A specimen container 80 with an opening 81 from the fourth input unit 612 opened is transported to the sealing unit 614 and the specimen processing unit 615 without passing through the uncapper unit 613. On the other hand, in the configuration of Figure 24, a specimen container 80 with a seal 71 already fitted is placed in the fourth input unit 612. The specimen container 80 from the fourth input unit 612 is transported to the specimen processing unit 615 without passing through the uncapper unit 613 and the sealing unit 614. A specimen container 80 fitted with a stopper 84 from the third input unit 611 is transported in sequence to the uncapper unit 613, the sealing unit 614, and the specimen processing unit 615.

[0147] 23 and 24, a specimen container 80 with a stopper 84 already attached can be set in the third input unit 611, and a specimen container 80 that does not require removal of the stopper 84 can be set in the fourth input unit 612. The stopper 84 of a specimen container 80 set in the third input unit 611 can be removed by the uncap unit 613, and a specimen container 80 set in the fourth input unit 612 can be transported without passing through the uncap unit 613, allowing for efficient specimen processing. In addition to the third input unit 611 and the fourth input unit 612, a fifth input unit may be provided between the uncap unit 613 and the sealing unit 614.

[0148] 25, the sample processing system 100 includes a plurality of sample processing units 622 and a plurality of second sealing units 623. The plurality of second sealing units 623 reseal the sample containers 80 that have been aspirated in the different sample processing units 622. In the example of Fig. 25, one second sealing unit 623 is disposed after the sealing unit 621 and immediately after each of the two sample processing units 622.

[0149] This allows one specimen container 80 to be processed by one or more specimen processing units 622. In this case, by providing multiple second sealing units 623, specimen containers 80 that have been processed by any of the specimen processing units 622 can be resealed, thereby reducing the odor of urine specimens 90 released from the specimen containers 80.

[0150] Although the above embodiment has been described with reference to a configuration example including an uncap unit 120, the uncap unit 120 may be omitted, as shown in FIG. 26 . In this case, the user may remove the caps 84 from the sample containers 80 before inserting them into the sample processing system 100. In FIG. 26 , the sample processing system 100 does not include the uncap unit 120 and the second sealing unit 160, and instead includes the input unit 110, sealing unit 130, sample processing unit 140, sample processing unit 150, and collection unit 170, arranged in this order. In this case, after sample processing by the sample processing units 140 and 150, the sample rack 85 may be transported back to the sealing unit 130, and the opening 81 of the sample container 80 may be resealed with a film 75 that can be penetrated by the suction tube 32. A film removal unit may be provided to remove the film 75 that has sealed the opening 81 of the sample container 80 by the sealing unit 130, or the second sealing unit 160 may be provided between the sample processing unit 150 and the collection unit 170.

[0151] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 is sealed with a film 75 that can be penetrated by the suction tube 32 before specimen suction by the suction tube 32 in the specimen processing device 145, but the present invention is not limited to this. In Figure 27, the sealing unit 130 is not provided upstream of the specimen processing unit 30, and the feeding unit 110, uncapping unit 120, specimen processing unit 30, sealing unit 10, and recovery unit 170 are arranged in this order. In this way, instead of sealing the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 with a film 75 that can be penetrated by the suction tube 32 before specimen suction, the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 may be sealed with a sealer 71 that can be penetrated by the suction tube 32 after specimen suction.

[0152] (Third specimen processing method) That is, as shown in FIG. 28, the third sample processing method of this embodiment is a method of processing a urine sample 90 contained in a sample container 80 having an opening 81 using a sample processing device 31, and includes the steps of (1) aspirating the urine sample 90 from the sample container 80 containing the urine sample 90 using an aspirating tube 32, (2) performing sample processing on the aspirated urine sample 90, and (3) sealing the opening 81 of the sample container 80 into which the urine sample 90 has been aspirated with a sealing body 71 that can be penetrated by the aspirating tube 32.

[0153] 28, (1) in the step of aspirating a urine sample 90 from a sample container 80 containing the sample using an aspirating tube 32, the opening 81 of the sample container 80 is not sealed. The aspirating tube 32 of the sample processing device 31 aspirates the urine sample 90 from the sample container 80 whose opening 81 is not covered and is therefore open.

[0154] (2) The step of processing the aspirated urine sample 90 is carried out by the sample processing device 31. The processing by the sample processing device 31 is not particularly limited, but may be the same sample measurement as in the above embodiment.

[0155] (3) In the process of sealing the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 into which the urine specimen 90 has been aspirated with the seal 71 that can be penetrated by the aspirating tube 32, the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 is sealed with the seal 71 for the first time. The sealing process can be performed by the sealing unit 10. The specimen container 80 that has been processed and sealed is then subjected to post-processing such as disposal or storage depending on the test results and circumstances, as described above.

[0156] According to this third sample processing method, after the urine sample 90 is aspirated, the opening 81 is sealed with the seal 71, thereby reducing odor emission from the sample container 80 while the urine sample 90 is being stored for retesting or the like. Furthermore, when the sample container 80 sealed with the seal 71 is to be subjected to sample processing again for retesting or the like, the suction tube 32 can penetrate the seal 71 to aspirate the urine sample 90, eliminating the need for an unplugging operation. This reduces the complexity of the unplugging and replugging operations. Furthermore, even when unplugging a sample container 80 sealed with a stopper, there is no need to store the removed stopper in order to return it, thereby reducing the complexity of the unplugging and replugging operations.

[0157] (Selection of sealing method) Furthermore, the above embodiment shows only one example of the sealing method using the sealing device 300. The specimen processing method of the present invention is not limited to this, and in the step of sealing with a sealer, the sealing method to be performed may be selected from a plurality of sealing methods.

[0158] This allows a more appropriate sealing method to be used for the specimen container 80. For example, different sealing methods can be selected depending on the type of specimen, whether it is an initial test or a retest, the details of specimen processing, whether storage is required, the destination, etc. For example, a sealing method that provides a stronger seal can be selected for specimen containers 80 that will be agitated by inversion. Furthermore, by using different sealing forms, specimen containers 80 can be distinguished from each other by the appearance of the seal 71.

[0159] In the above embodiment, the sealing method shown in Fig. 13 is referred to as the first sealing method. The film 75 attached to the specimen container 80 by the first sealing method is wrapped around the specimen container 80 from the edge of the opening to the upper part of the outer periphery, as shown in Fig. 15, with the remaining portion RP removed.

[0160] With reference to FIG. 29, the flow of a second sealing method, which is different from the first sealing method, will be described.

[0161] (A) With the film 75 held by the film holding part 331, the upper end of the specimen container 80 is pressed from below against the film 75 via the through-hole 331c of the first member 331a. The film 75 comes into close contact with the edge of the opening, and the opening 81 is covered by the film 75.

[0162] (B) The film holding part 331 is rotated through a rotation angle of approximately 240 degrees. The film 75 is wrapped around the outer periphery of the sample container 80.

[0163] (C) With the gap between the first member 331a and the second member 331b of the film holding unit 331 widened, the film holding unit 331 is rotated through an angle of about 120 degrees. The film 75, which had been in close contact with the lower first member 331a due to clamping, is peeled off from the first member 331a.

[0164] (D) The specimen container 80 held by the container holder 321 is moved downward. The specimen container 80 is moved downward until the outer periphery of the film 75 remains on the first member 331a and the film 75 further inward is positioned within the through-hole 331c of the first member 331a.

[0165] (E) The gap between first member 331a and second member 331b is narrowed, and the outer periphery of film 75 located on first member 331a is sandwiched between first member 331a and second member 331b. In this way, in the second sealing method, the portion of film 75 held by film holding portion 331 is changed during sealing.

[0166] (F) The film holding part 331 is rotated through a rotation angle of approximately 240 degrees. The film 75 is folded upward from the lower end of the portion already wrapped around the sample container 80 by the first rotation, and the film 75 is wrapped upward so as to overlap the already wrapped portion. Then, above the upper end of the sample container 80, the remaining portion of the film 75 that was not wrapped around the sample container 80 is twisted and bundled immediately above the opening 81.

[0167] (G) With the gap between the first member 331a and the second member 331b of the film holding unit 331 widened, the film holding unit 331 is rotated through a rotation angle of approximately 120 degrees. The outer periphery of the film 75 that had been in close contact with the lower first member 331a is peeled off from the first member 331a.

[0168] (H) The sample container 80 held by the container holder 321 is moved downward, and the sample container 80 is returned to the sample rack 85. At this time, the bundle BD of the remaining portions of the film 75 formed by the rotation passes through the through-hole 331c of the first member 331a, and the shape of the bundle BD of the remaining portions is adjusted so that it does not spread horizontally but stands upward from the sample container 80. Thereafter, the container holder 321 releases the hold of the sample container 80.

[0169] Figure 30 is a schematic diagram of the film 75 attached to the specimen container 80 using the second sealing method. The film 75 double-closes the folded opening 81, and a bundle BD of the remaining portions is formed above the specimen container 80. With this second sealing method, the remaining portions of the film 75 are not cut off, so the film removal unit 341 shown in the above embodiment is not required. The bundle BD of the remaining portions is formed compactly on the specimen container 80, so the remaining portions of the film 75 do not interfere with handling of the specimen container 80. Because the opening 81 of the specimen container 80 is double-covered by the film 75, the sealing performance is high and the specimen container 80 is suitable for storage, and leakage of the urine specimen 90 can be effectively reduced even when the specimen container 80 is turned over and agitated.

[0170] For example, in the resealing step shown in step S55 of Figure 21, the control unit 163 of the second sealing unit 160 selects a sealing method for the specimen container 80 based on the read identification information. Based on the identification information, the control unit 163 obtains information regarding the processing of the urine sample 90 from the host computer 500 and controls the sealing device 300 to reseal the specimen container 80 to be retested using the first sealing method. The control unit 163 controls the sealing device 300 to reseal the specimen container 80 to be stored in a predetermined location for a predetermined period of time and the specimen container 80 to be transported to another testing department using the second sealing method. The control unit 163 does not reseal the specimen container 80 containing the urine sample 90 to be discarded. This configuration may also be used.

[0171] In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the rotation drive unit 333 rotates the film holding unit 331 in the sealing device 300, but the rotation drive unit 333 may also rotate the container holding unit 321, or the rotation drive unit 333 may rotate both the film holding unit 331 and the container holding unit 321.

[0172] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the rotation drive unit 333 is operated in the sealing device 300 until the film 75 wrapped around the sample container 80 is separated from the portion held by the film holding unit 331, thereby separating the portion wrapped around the sample container 80 from the remaining portion RP of the film 75. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The film 75 wrapped around the sample container 80 may be left without being separated. That is, once the film 75 is wrapped around the sample container 80 in FIG. 13(C), the holding of the film 75 may be released without performing the operations of FIGS. 13(D) and 13(E). In this case, a peripheral portion (a portion corresponding to the remaining portion RP) is also attached to the film 75 covering the opening 81 of the sample container 80. In this case, the remaining portion RP does not remain on the film holding unit 331, so the film removal unit 341 is not necessary.

[0173] In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the lifting / lowering drive unit 323 drives the container holding unit 321 up and down, but the lifting / lowering drive unit 323 may also drive the film holding unit 331 up and down, or the lifting / lowering drive unit 323 may drive both the container holding unit 321 and the film holding unit 331 up and down.

[0174] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the film 75 was separated from the film roll FR by the cutter mechanism 312, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of providing the cutter mechanism 312, a configuration may be adopted in which perforations (a series of small holes arranged across the film) are provided at regular intervals in the film 75, and the film 75 is clamped by the film holding parts 331, and then the film holding parts 331 are rotated to apply a horizontal force and cut the film 75 along the perforations.

[0175] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the specimen container 80 was held by the container holding unit 321, but the present invention is not limited to this. In cases such as when the sealing device 300 is configured as a standalone device, instead of providing the container holding unit 321, the specimen container 80 to be sealed may be manually held by the user.

[0176] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the film 75 is wrapped around the specimen container 80 by rotating the film 75 relative to the specimen container 80 while the film 75 is in contact with the opening edge of the specimen container 80, but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 31 , the film 75 may be tightly attached to the outer circumferential surface of the specimen container 80 without rotating the film 75 relative to the specimen container 80. In the example of FIG. 31 , a sealing device 300 is provided with a contact processing section 631 having a recess 632 shaped to fit the upper end of the specimen container 80. With the film 75 in contact with the opening edge of the specimen container 80, the upper end of the specimen container 80, together with the film 75 covering the opening 81, is fitted into the recess 632 of the contact processing section 631. The film 75 is sandwiched between the opening edge (upper end surface) of the specimen container 80 and the bottom surface of the recess 632, and is tightly attached to the opening edge. The outer peripheral portion of the opening edge of the film 75 is sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface of the specimen container 80 and the inner peripheral surface of the recess 632, and is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the specimen container 80. In this state, the film 75 is released from the film holding section 331. The film 75 around the contact processing section 631 may be cut. Thereafter, the specimen container 80 is moved to the outside of the recess 632 of the contact processing section 631, thereby completing the sealing of the opening 81.

[0177] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which film holding portion 331 sandwiched film 75 between first member 331a and second member 331b, but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in Fig. 32, film holding portion 331 may hold film 75 by suction. In the example of Fig. 32, film holding portion 331 holds film 75 by contact processing portion 631. Negative pressure is supplied from pressure source 634 via pressure passage 633 provided in the bottom surface of recess 632 of contact processing portion 631, whereby film 75 is suction-held to the lower surface of contact processing portion 631 (the lower opening of recess 632). The method of sealing opening 81 is the same as that shown in Fig. 31.

[0178] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the convex pressing portion 335 provided on the film holding portion 331 presses the film 75 into the opening 81 of the specimen container 80, but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 33 , the pressing portion 335 may be configured to press the film 75 into the opening 81 by pressure. In the example of FIG. 33 , the film holding portion 331 holds the film 75 by the contact processing portion 631. With the film 75 held by negative pressure supplied to the recess 632 of the contact processing portion 631, the upper end of the specimen container 80, together with the film 75 covering the opening 81, is fitted into the recess 632 of the contact processing portion 631. With the upper end (opening edge) of the specimen container 80 in contact with the bottom surface of the recess 632, a pressure source 634 supplies positive pressure via a pressure passage 633. The pressure supplied from the pressure source 634 to the bottom surface of the recess 632 presses the portion of the film 75 covering the opening 81 into the opening 81.

[0179] In the above embodiment, an example in which the sealing process is performed on each specimen container 80 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. The openings 81 of multiple specimen containers 80 may be sealed simultaneously in a single sealing process. In the example of FIG. 34 , the opening edges of multiple specimen containers 80 (five in FIG. 34 ) are in contact from below with the film 75 held by the film holding section 331, and the upper surface of the film 75 is pressed against the opening edges of the specimen containers 80 by a roller-shaped pressing member 640. The pressing member 640 is moved in the arrangement direction of the multiple specimen containers 80, thereby tightly contacting the film 75 with the opening edges of each specimen container 80. In this state, the film 75 is released from the film holding section 331. As a result, the openings 81 of the multiple specimen containers 80 are sealed simultaneously with the film 75. Alternatively, multiple recesses 632 may be provided in the contact processing section 631 shown in FIGS. 31 to 33 so that the sealing process for multiple specimen containers 80 can be performed simultaneously. Instead of providing multiple recesses 632, a groove-shaped recess 632 may be provided, and multiple specimen containers 80 lined up in a row may be fitted into the groove-shaped recess 632, thereby allowing the sealing process for multiple specimen containers 80 to be performed collectively.

[0180] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the sealing body (second sealing body) was film 75, but the present invention is not limited to this. The sealing body may have a cap-like structure in which the upper end surface of a ring-shaped peripheral wall portion, the upper surface of which is made of a hard resin material or the like, is covered with a film or a thin portion that can be penetrated by suction tube 32.

[0181] 9 to 11, the specimen containers 80 have the same shape, but the specimen containers 80 may have different lengths (heights). To accurately perform the sealing process on specimen containers 80 of different lengths, the sealing device 300 may be provided with a detector for the specimen container 80. For example, in the example of FIG. 35(A), the sealing device 300 includes a detector 460. The detector 460 is a transmission-type optical sensor and includes a light-emitting unit 461 and a light-receiving unit 462. The light-emitting unit 461 and the light-receiving unit 462 are located at a height between the specimen container 80 held in the specimen rack 85 and the film holding unit 331. The controller 133 moves the specimen container 80 upward using the elevation driver 323 of the container holding mechanism 320, and receives a detection signal from the detector 460 when the upper end of the specimen container 80 is positioned at the detection position (on the optical path between the light-emitting unit 461 and the light-receiving unit 462, indicated by the dashed line). When the control unit 133 receives the detection signal, it controls the elevation drive unit 323 to move the specimen container 80 upward from the detection position by a preset distance D2, as shown in Figure 35(B). When the specimen container 80 moves upward by the distance D2, the upper end of the specimen container 80 stretches the film 75 and elastically deforms the pressing unit 335. With this configuration, the specimen container 80 can be moved upward based on the upper end position of the specimen container 80, so that the upper end of the specimen container 80 can be reliably positioned at an appropriate sealing position regardless of the length of the specimen container 80.

[0182] In the example of FIG. 36(A), a moving member 471 that can be moved up and down by being pushed by the upper end of a sample container 80 and a detection unit 472 that detects when the moving member 471 reaches a predetermined position are provided inside the film holding unit 331. When the sample container 80 held by the container holding unit 321 moves upward, the upper end of the sample container 80 contacts the film 75 and then contacts the moving member 471 via the film 75. As the sample container 80 continues to move upward, the moving member 471 moves upward while stretching the film 75. As shown in FIG. 36(B), when the sample container 80 reaches an appropriate position for sealing, the moving member 471 is detected by the detection unit 472. In FIG. 36, the detection unit 472 is a photointerrupter that detects a detection piece provided on the moving member 471. Upon receiving a detection signal from the detection unit 472, the control unit 133 controls the elevation drive unit 323 to stop the upward movement of the sample container 80. When the specimen container 80 is moved downward after the sealing process, the moving member 471 is returned to the initial position (see FIG. 36(A)) by the biasing force of the biasing member 473. This also ensures that the upper end of the specimen container 80 is positioned at the sealing position regardless of the length of the specimen container 80.

[0183] (Configuration of sample processing system) In the above embodiment, the sample processing system 100 includes two sample processing units, sample processing unit 140 and sample processing unit 150. However, as shown in Figures 22 to 24, 27, etc., the sample processing system may include only one sample processing unit. Alternatively, three or more sample processing units may be provided. For example, the sample processing system may include three sample processing units: one for performing a urine qualitative test, one for performing a urinary sediment test, and one for capturing images of cells in urine. Multiple sample processing devices may be provided within one sample processing unit. For example, one sample processing unit may include a sample processing device 145 for performing a urine qualitative test and a sample processing device 155 for performing a urinary sediment test.

[0184] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the transport device 20 (transport devices 111 to 171) transports the sample rack 85 holding the sample containers 80, but the present invention is not limited to this. The transport device 20 may directly transport each sample container 80 without using the sample rack 85.

[0185] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the transport device 20 (transport devices 111 to 171) was configured to be able to transport the sample rack 85 holding the sample containers 80 between the feeding unit 110 and the collection unit 170, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the transport device 20 may be configured to be able to transport the sample rack 85 between only some of the devices.

[0186] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the specimen container 80 is transported by the transport device 20, but the specimen container 80 may also be transported manually by an operator to the sealing device 300 (sealing unit 10) or the position of the suction tube 32 of the specimen processing device. For example, if the specimen processing unit and the sealing unit are not connected but installed as separate independent devices, the operator may carry the specimen container 80 to the sealing device to perform the sealing process, and then carry the sealed specimen container 80 to the specimen processing unit to perform specimen suction and specimen processing.

[0187] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the sealing body (film 75) was pierced by the suction tube 32 of the sample processing device, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, a puncturing member for forming the through-hole TH may be provided separately from the suction tube 32, and the sealing body (film) may be pierced by this puncturing member.

[0188] (Fourth specimen processing method) That is, the fourth sample processing method of this embodiment is a method of processing a urine sample 90 contained in a sample container 80 having an opening 81 using a sample processing device, and includes the steps of: (1) sealing the opening 81 of the sample container 80 containing the urine sample 90 with a seal; (2) forming a through hole TH in the seal of the sample container sealed with the seal using a puncture member of the sample processing device; (3) aspirating the urine sample 90 in the sample container 80 through the through hole TH using an aspirating tube 32; and (4) performing sample processing on the aspirated urine sample 90.

[0189] A known needle member can be used as the puncturing member. A through hole TH is formed in a part of the sealing body by the puncturing member, and the urine sample 90 is aspirated by inserting the suction tube 32 into the sample container 80 through this through hole TH. The outer diameter (diameter) of the puncturing member is set sufficiently smaller than the inner diameter of the opening 81 so that the suction tube 32 can pass through.

[0190] This allows the urine sample 90 to be aspirated through the through-hole TH while the opening 81 of the sample container 80 remains sealed by the sealant. This reduces the release of odor when the urine sample 90 is aspirated during sample processing. After the urine sample 90 is aspirated, a through-hole TH is formed in part of the sealant. However, since the through-hole TH formed in the sealant can be made sufficiently smaller than the opening 81 of the sample container 80, odor release can be reduced more effectively than when the opening 81 is fully open. [Explanation of symbols]

[0191] 10, 130, 602, 614, 621: sealing unit, 20, 111, 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 171: conveying device, 30, 140, 150, 604, 615, 622: specimen processing unit, 31, 145, 155: specimen processing device, 32: suction tube, 41, 331: film holding unit, 42, 321: container holding unit, 43, 323: lifting drive unit, 44, 333: rotation drive unit, 50, 120, 613: cap removal unit, 71: sealer , 75: film (sealing body, second sealing body), 80: specimen container, 81: opening, 84: stopper body (first sealing body), 90: urine specimen, 100: specimen processing system, 114, 144, 154: information reading section, 133: control section, 160, 623: second sealing unit, 163: control section, 300: sealing device, 335: pressing section, 341: film removing section, 601: first input unit, 603: second input unit, 611: third input unit, 612: fourth input unit

Claims

1. A method for transporting a specimen container along a transport path to a suction position and testing a urine specimen contained in the specimen container using a urine testing device, comprising: removing the cap from the specimen container, which has a cap attached to an opening, by a cap removal device on the transport path to the suction position; a step of sealing the opening of the specimen container from which the stopper has been removed with a film-like seal by a sealing device on the transport path to the suction position; aspirating the urine sample from the sample container by penetrating the seal with an aspirating tube of the urinalysis device at the aspirating position; performing at least one of a urine qualitative test, a urine sediment test, and capturing an image of cells in the urine on the aspirated urine sample using the urine testing device.

2. 2. The urine testing method of claim 1, wherein the film-like sealant is a stretchable resin film, and the sealing device covers the opening of the specimen container with the resin film and adheres a portion of the resin film extending from the edge of the opening to the outer periphery of the specimen container.

3. 3. The urine testing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of resealing the opening of the specimen container, from which the urine specimen has been aspirated by the suction tube penetrating the seal, with a seal that can be penetrated by the suction tube.

4. further comprising a step of acquiring identification information for identifying the specimen container, The urine testing method according to claim 3 , wherein the resealing step is selectively performed on the specimen container based on the identification information.

5. 5. The urine test method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of sealing with the sealer, a sealing method to be performed is selected from a plurality of sealing methods.

6. The step of sealing with the sealing body includes: a step of pressing an edge of the opening of the specimen container against the seal to stretch the seal; and a step of wrapping the seal around the specimen container by rotating at least one of the seal and the specimen container in an extended state around the central axis of the specimen container.

7. 7. The urine test method according to claim 6, wherein the step of wrapping the seal around the specimen container comprises wrapping the seal around the specimen container by rotating the seal in an extended state around a central axis of the specimen container.

8. a transport device that transports a sample container containing a urine sample along a transport path to a suction position; a cap removal device that removes a cap from the specimen container having a cap attached to an opening on the transport path to the suction position; a sealing device that seals the opening of the specimen container from which the stopper has been removed with a seal on the transport path to the suction position; a urine testing device that includes a suction tube that penetrates the sealing body and aspirates the urine sample in the sample container, and performs at least one of a urine qualitative test, a urine sediment test, and imaging of cells in the urine on the urine sample aspirated from the sample container by the suction tube at the suction position, wherein the sealing body is a film.

9. 9. The urine testing system of claim 8, wherein the film is a stretchable resin film, and the sealing device covers the opening of the specimen container with the resin film and adheres a portion of the resin film extending from the edge of the opening to the outer periphery of the specimen container.

10. 10. The urine testing system according to claim 8, further comprising a second sealing device that reseals the opening of the specimen container from which the urine specimen has been aspirated, with a seal that can be penetrated by the aspirating tube.

11. a plurality of the urine testing devices and a plurality of the second sealing devices; The urine testing system according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of second sealing devices reseal the specimen containers aspirated in different urine testing devices.

12. an information reading unit that reads identification information that identifies the sample container; 12. The urine testing system according to claim 10, further comprising: a control unit that controls the second sealing device to selectively perform resealing on the specimen container based on the read identification information.

13. 13. The urine testing system according to claim 8, further comprising a control unit that controls selection of a sealing method to be performed by the sealing device from among a plurality of sealing methods.

14. A method for transporting a specimen container along a transport path to a suction position and testing a urine specimen contained in the specimen container using a urine testing device, comprising: a step of sealing the opened opening of the specimen container with a film-like seal by a first sealing device on the transport path to the suction position; aspirating the urine sample from the sample container by penetrating the seal with an aspirating tube of the urinalysis device at the aspirating position; performing at least one of a urine qualitative test, a urine sediment test, and capturing an image of cells in the urine on the aspirated urine sample using the urine testing device; After the processing for the test is completed, the sample container from which the urine sample has been aspirated through the seal is resealed with a film-like seal by a second sealing device on the transport path. A urine testing method comprising:

15. 15. The urine testing method of claim 14, wherein the film-like sealant is a stretchable resin film, and the first sealing device and the second sealing device cover the opening of the specimen container with the resin film and adhere a portion of the resin film extending from the edge of the opening to the outer periphery of the specimen container.

16. a transport device that transports a sample container containing a urine sample along a transport path to a suction position; a first sealing device that seals the opening of the opened specimen container with a film-like sealant on the transport path to the suction position; a urine testing device including an aspirating tube that penetrates the sealing body and aspirates the urine sample in the sample container, and that performs at least one of a urine qualitative test, a urine sediment test, and imaging of cells in the urine on the urine sample aspirated from the sample container by the aspirating tube at the aspirating position; a second sealing device that, after the processing for the urine test is completed, reseals the specimen container, from which the urine specimen has been aspirated through the seal, with a film-like seal on the transport path.

17. The urine testing system of claim 16, wherein the film-like sealing body is a stretchable resin film, and the first sealing device and the second sealing device cover the opening of the specimen container with the resin film and adhere a portion of the resin film extending from the edge of the opening to the outer periphery of the specimen container.

Images