Specimen storage device and specimen testing system

Abstract

To provide a specimen storage device capable of reducing the installation area of a specimen testing system and a specimen testing system with the reduced installation area.SOLUTION: A specimen storage device 70 connected to a rack transport path of a specimen testing system, for storing specimens includes: a lifting / lowering mechanism 72 that transfers a rack 100 between a lifting / lowering position P22, which is the arrangement position of the rack 100 on a first layer, and a lifting / lowering position P25, which is the arrangement position of the rack 100 on a second layer; a container transfer mechanism that transfers a container 110 from the rack 100 transferred from the lifting / lowering position P22 to the lifting / lowering position P25 by the lifting / lowering mechanism 72 to an archive rack located on the second layer; a rack standby area 431 that is located on the first layer and makes the rack 100 wait between the lifting / lowering position P22 and an unloading position P23; and a transport mechanism that transports the rack 100 transferred from the lifting / lowering position P25 to the lifting / lowering position P22 by the lifting / lowering mechanism 72 to the unloading position P23 via the rack standby area 431.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a specimen storage device for storing specimen containers held in a rack and a specimen inspection system.

Background Art

[0002] In a specimen inspection system, a specimen transfer device for transferring a specimen container held in a rack to another rack can be arranged together with other devices such as a specimen measurement device and a smear preparation device. For example, as a result of measuring specimens in a plurality of specimen containers held in a rack with a specimen measurement device, smear specimens may be prepared only for a predetermined specimen. In this case, this rack is conveyed to the specimen transfer device, and the specimen container that is the target for smear specimen preparation is temporarily held in the rack in the specimen transfer device. The held specimen container is transferred to an empty rack together with other specimen containers held in the rack in the specimen transfer device. Thereafter, this rack is transferred to the smear preparation device, and smear specimens of the specimens contained in each specimen container are prepared.

[0003] In this type of specimen inspection system, since it takes time to process specimens such as smear specimen preparation and measurement of specimens by other specimen measurement devices, a rack waiting area for waiting for the rack is required until the processing of all specimens held in the preceding rack is completed. The following Patent Document 1 describes a specimen inspection system equipped with this type of specimen transfer device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, a rack waiting area is required outside the sample transfer device to allow the racks to wait until processing of all samples held in the preceding racks is completed. As a result, this rack waiting area increases the total footprint of the sample testing system.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a specimen storage device that can reduce the installation area of ​​a specimen testing system, and a specimen testing system with reduced installation area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The specimen storage device (70) of the present invention relates to a specimen storage device connected to a rack transport path (1a) of a specimen testing system (1) for storing specimens. The specimen storage device (70) of the present invention includes a lifting mechanism (72) that transports a rack (100) between a first lifting position (P22), which is the position of the rack in the first layer (78), and a second lifting position (P25), which is the position of the rack in the second layer (79), and transports specimen containers (110) from the first rack (100), which has been transported from the first lifting position (P22) to the second lifting position (P25) by the lifting mechanism (72), to a second rack (130) located in the second layer (79). The system includes a container transfer mechanism (74), a rack waiting area (431) located on the first level (78) where racks (100) are kept waiting between the first lifting position (P22) and the unloading position (P23) to the rack transport path (1a), and a transport mechanism (423, 439-442) that transports the first rack (100), which has been transferred from the second lifting position (P25) to the first lifting position (P22) by the lifting mechanism (72), to the unloading position (P23) via the rack waiting area (431). The second rack (130) located on the second level (79) and the rack waiting area (431) are arranged vertically.

[0008] In the specimen storage device of the present invention, a rack waiting area for the first rack, which is to be transported to the rack transport path of the specimen testing system, is located on the first level, and specimen containers are transferred from the first rack to the second rack on the second level. Therefore, there is no need to provide a rack waiting area for the first rack outside the specimen storage device. Furthermore, the second rack located on the second level and the rack waiting area located on the first level are arranged vertically. Thus, the installation area of ​​the specimen testing system can be effectively reduced while maintaining high processing efficiency.

[0009] The specimen testing system (1) of the present invention comprises specimen processing devices (52, 62) for processing specimens, specimen storage devices (70) for storing specimens, and transport devices (11, 12, 13, 20, 31, 51, 61) that transport a first rack (100) between the specimen processing devices (52, 62) and the specimen storage devices (70), with a rack transport path (1a). The specimen storage devices (70) have the same configuration as the specimen storage devices described above.

[0010] In the specimen testing system of the present invention, a rack waiting area for the first rack, which is to be transported to the rack transport path of the specimen testing system, is located on the first level, and specimen containers are transferred from the first rack to the second rack on the second level. Therefore, there is no need to provide a rack waiting area for the first rack outside the specimen storage device. Furthermore, the second rack located on the second level and the rack waiting area located on the first level are arranged vertically. Thus, the installation area of ​​the specimen testing system can be effectively reduced while maintaining high processing efficiency. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the installation area of ​​the specimen testing system can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a specimen testing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2]Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a rack and container according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the first layer of a sample sorting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the second layer of a sample sorting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the external appearance of a sample sorting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the first layer of a specimen storage device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the second layer of the specimen storage device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the external appearance of a specimen storage device according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a lifting mechanism provided in a sample rearrangement device according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a lifting mechanism provided in a specimen storage device according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the container transfer mechanism of a sample sorting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the upper and lower transport section and the gripping section according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a sample sorting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a specimen storage device according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] Figure 15 shows the transfer operation in a sample sorting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows the transfer operation in a specimen storage device according to an embodiment. [Figure 17]FIG. 17 is a diagram schematically showing a rack conveyance path between a specimen rearrangement device and a specimen storage device according to an embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a specimen inspection system according to Modification Example 1. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram schematically showing a rack conveyance path between a specimen rearrangement device and a specimen storage device according to Modification Example 1. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a specimen inspection system according to Modification Example 2. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a specimen inspection system according to Modification Example 3.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a specimen inspection system 1.

[0014] In FIG. 1, a plan view configuration of the specimen inspection system 1 is shown, and the front-back, left-right directions in the plan view are shown. The downstream direction and the subsequent stage direction are the left direction, and the upstream direction and the previous stage direction are the right direction. The operator accesses the specimen inspection system 1 from the front side of the specimen inspection system 1. The front side of the specimen inspection system 1 corresponds to the near side for the operator.

[0015] The specimen inspection system 1 includes an input device 11, a conveyance device 12, a collection device 13, a supply device 20, a blood cell counter 30 for counting blood cells contained in a specimen, a specimen rearrangement device 40, a conveyance device 51, a smear preparation device 52, a conveyance device 61, an analyzer 62 for measuring measurement items such as CRP, HbA1c, and ESR, a specimen storage device 70, and a conveyance control device 80. The blood cell counter 30 includes two sets each including one conveyance device 31 and two measurement devices 32, and includes one control device 33.

[0016] The control device 33 is connected to the transport device 31, the measuring device 32, and the host computer 2 in a communicative manner. The smear preparation device 52 is connected to the transport device 51 and the host computer 2 in a communicative manner. The analyzer 62 is connected to the transport device 61 and the host computer 2 in a communicative manner. The transport control device 80 is connected to the input device 11, the transport device 12, the recovery device 13, the supply device 20, the transport device 31, the sample sorting device 40, the transport devices 51 and 61, the sample storage device 70, and the host computer 2 in a communicative manner. In Figure 1, communication cables for communication between devices are shown by dashed lines.

[0017] The specimen testing system 1 is a system that automatically measures specimens and performs analysis based on the measurement data. The specimen is, for example, whole blood collected from a subject. The container 110 (see Figure 2) containing the specimen is transported while being held in a rack 100, and the specimen is aspirated from the container 110 and measured in the measuring device 32, the smear preparation device 52, and the analysis device 62. The transport control device 80 controls each device connected to the transport control device 80 so that the rack 100 is transported to the target device.

[0018] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the rack 100 and the container 110.

[0019] The rack 100 comprises 10 holes 101 capable of holding containers 110, and a barcode label 102. The barcode label 102 is affixed to the rear surface of the rack 100. The barcode label 102 has a barcode printed on it that indicates the rack ID, which serves as identification information that allows for the individual identification of the rack 100.

[0020] The container 110 comprises a body 111, a barcode label 112, and a lid 113. The body 111 is a tubular container with an open top, and contains a sample inside. The barcode label 112 is affixed to the side of the body 111. The barcode label 112 has a barcode printed on it that indicates the sample ID, which is identification information that allows for individual identification of the sample inside. The lid 113 is installed at the top of the body 111 to seal the inside of the body 111. The lid 113 is configured so that piercers provided on the measuring device 32, the smear preparation device 52, and the analyzer 62 can pass through it from above and below.

[0021] Returning to Figure 1, in the specimen testing system 1, the input device 11, supply device 20, two transport devices 31, transport device 12, specimen sorting device 40, transport device 51, transport device 61, specimen storage device 70, and collection device 13 are arranged in a line adjacent to each other in this order from left to right. Racks 100 are transported between two adjacent devices.

[0022] The input device 11, supply device 20, transport device 31, transport device 12, sample rearrangement device 40, transport devices 51 and 61, sample storage device 70, and recovery device 13 are each provided with a rack transport path 1a for transporting the rack 100. The rack transport path 1a is indicated by an arrow in Figure 1, and the direction of this arrow indicates the direction in which the rack 100 can be transported along the rack transport path 1a. The rack transport paths 1a of each device are connected to each other at a forward position. The rack transport path 1a is composed of a conveyor belt that moves in the left-right direction, or a plate member whose upper surface is parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0023] In the configuration shown in Figure 1, the operator places the container 110 containing the sample to be tested into the rack 100, and then places the rack 100 into the input device 11. As a result, the rack 100 is transported along the rack transport path 1a, and the sample is aspirated into the appropriate device according to the test items set for the sample, and the sample is tested. Once all necessary tests are completed, the rack 100 is collected into the retrieval device 13.

[0024] Referring to Figure 1, the transport of the rack 100 from the input device 11 to the retrieval device 13 will be described.

[0025] The loading device 11 transports the racks 100 loaded by the operator to the supply device 20.

[0026] The supply device 20 reads the rack ID and sample ID of the rack 100 that has been brought in from the input device 11, and then delivers it to the transport device 31 to its left.

[0027] The transport device 31 transports the rack 100, which has been brought in from the device to its right, to the front of the measuring device 32. The measuring device 32 aspirates a sample from the container 110 held in the transported rack 100 and counts the blood cells contained in the sample. The control device 33 analyzes the sample based on the measurement data obtained from each measuring device 32. The transport device 31 then transports the rack 100 to the device to its left.

[0028] The transport device 12 transports the rack 100, which was brought in from the transport device 31 to its right, to the rear, and then unloads it at the rear position for the sample sorting device 40.

[0029] The sample sorting device 40 transfers containers 110 that require processing by the subsequent sample processing device, i.e., the smear preparation device 52 and / or analyzer 62, from the rack 100 brought in from the transport device 12 to an empty rack 100 held by the sample sorting device 40. The sample sorting device 40 transports the rack 100 holding the transferred containers 110 forward and, at the front position, unloads it to the transport device 51 to its left. The sample sorting device 40 also transports the rack 100 holding containers 110 that do not require processing by the subsequent sample processing device and were not transferred to the rack 100 forward and, at the front position, unloads it to the transport device 51 to its left. The rack 100, now empty after all the containers 110 have been transferred, is held by the sample sorting device 40.

[0030] The transport device 51 transports the racks 100 containing containers 110 that need to be processed by the smear preparation device 52, from among the racks 100 brought in from the sample sorting device 40 to the right, to the front of the smear preparation device 52. The smear preparation device 52 aspirates samples from the containers 110 held in the transported racks 100 and prepares smears. The transport device 51 then transports the racks 100 that have been processed by the smear preparation device 52 to the transport device 61 to the left. The transport device 51 also transports racks 100 containing only containers 110 that do not need to be processed by the smear preparation device 52 to the transport device 61 to the left, without transporting them to the front of the smear preparation device 52.

[0031] The transport device 61 transports the racks 100 containing containers 110 that need to be processed by the analyzer 62, which were brought in from the transport device 51 to the right, to the front of the analyzer 62. The analyzer 62 is a device capable of measuring items such as CRP, HbA1c, and ESR. The analyzer 62 aspirates samples from the containers 110 held in the transported racks 100 and performs analysis on the samples. The transport device 61 then transports the racks 100 that have been processed by the analyzer 62 to the sample storage device 70 to the left. The transport device 51, on the other hand, does not transport racks 100 containing only containers 110 that do not need to be analyzed by the analyzer 62 to the front of the analyzer 62, but instead transports them to the sample storage device 70 to the left.

[0032] The specimen storage device 70 transports the rack 100, which has been brought in from the transport device 61 to its right, to a lifting position P25 (described later) within the specimen storage device 70, and transfers the containers 110 held in this rack 100 to the archive rack 130 (described later) within the specimen storage device 70. The specimen storage device 70 then transports the empty rack 100 to the transport device 61 to its right or the retrieval device 13 to its left.

[0033] The retrieval device 13 transports the empty racks 100, which have been brought in from the sample storage device 70 to its right, to the rear for storage.

[0034] The transport control device 80 determines the destination of the rack 100 and controls each device that transports the rack 100 so that the rack 100 is transported to the determined destination.

[0035] Incidentally, the specimen testing system 1 requires a reduction in installation area. On the other hand, the specimen testing system 1 needs to keep the racks 100 generated by the specimen sorting device 40 and the specimen storage device 70 on standby until they can be received by the downstream device. For example, in this embodiment, the time required to prepare smears by the smear preparation device 52 is longer than the time required to sort the specimens by the specimen sorting device 40. Therefore, if there is no area to keep the racks 100 sorted by the specimen sorting device 40 on standby, a situation will arise where specimen sorting cannot be started until the preparation of smears is complete, reducing the processing efficiency of the specimen testing system 1. In order to prevent this situation, a waiting area is necessary, but if such a waiting area is to be placed separately in the specimen testing system 1, the installation area of ​​the specimen testing system 1 will increase.

[0036] In contrast, in this embodiment, the sample sorting device 40 and the sample storage device 70 consist of a first and second layer, with the containers 110 being transferred in the second layer, while a rack waiting area for the racks 100 generated by the transfer is provided in the first layer. This effectively reduces the installation area of ​​the sample testing system 1.

[0037] The configuration of the sample sorting device 40 and the sample storage device 70 will be described below.

[0038] Figures 3 and 4 are schematic plan views showing the configuration of a specimen sorting device 40 for rearranging specimens. Figures 3 and 4 show the first and second layers of the specimen sorting device 40, respectively. Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the external appearance of the specimen sorting device 40. As shown in Figure 5, the specimen sorting device 40 has a two-story structure. The interior of the specimen sorting device 40 is divided into two layers, upper and lower, by a partition plate 47 that forms the bottom of the second layer and the ceiling of the first layer. The lower layer is the first layer 48, and the upper layer is the second layer 49. The first layer 48 and the second layer 49 overlap in a plan view. The partition plate 47 is provided with an opening 47a for passing one rack 100 through. Note that the partition plate 47 may also be provided with openings or notches other than the opening 47a. Furthermore, the first layer 48 and the second layer 49 may not be composed of partition plates 47, but rather the housing constituting the second layer 49 may be placed on top of the housing constituting the first layer 48.

[0039] Referring to Figure 3, the first layer of the sample sorting device 40 includes a reading unit 41, a lifting mechanism 42, a reader 43, an input path 301, a sensor 302, a transport mechanism 303, an intermediate path 304, an opening 305, a connection section 306, a relay section 307, a rack waiting area 311, sensors 312-318, transport mechanisms 319-322, an output path 331, a sensor 332, an output path 341, and a sensor 342.

[0040] The transport device 12, located to the right of the sample sorting device 40, transports the rack 100 backward and then unloads the rack 100 into the sample sorting device 40 at the rear position.

[0041] The loading channel 301 extends in the left-right direction and is located behind the sample sorting device 40. The loading channel 301 is composed of a conveyor belt that moves in the left-right direction and transports the racks 100 discharged from the transport device 12 to the left. The racks 100 are loaded into the loading channel 301 in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the racks 100. The sensor 302 is a transmissive photoelectric sensor that detects the racks 100 positioned at loading position P11 on the loading channel 301. The reading unit 41 reads the rack ID and sample ID from the racks 100 positioned at loading position P11.

[0042] The reading unit 41 includes two movable parts 41a that move in the left-right direction. Each movable part 41a includes a driving roller 41b that rotates the container 110 held in the rack 100 in the circumferential direction, two driven rollers 41c that rotatably press the container 110 from the opposite side of the driving roller 41b, and a reader 41d that reads the sample ID from the container 110 sandwiched between the driving roller 41b and the driven rollers 41c. The barcode is reliably read as the container 110 rotates within the hole 101 with the vertical direction as the axis of rotation by the driving roller 41b. The rack ID is read by the reader 41d on the left side. The reader 41d is a barcode reader.

[0043] The transport mechanism 303 is equipped with a member for pushing the side of the rack 100, and transports the rack 100 from the loading position P11 in the direction of the shorter side of the rack 100 (front-to-back direction), and transports it via the intermediate path 304 to the lifting position P12 of the lifting mechanism 42 and the rack waiting area 311.

[0044] The intermediate path 304, the connecting section 306, the relay section 307, and the rack waiting area 311 are each composed of plate members whose upper surfaces are parallel to the horizontal plane. The intermediate path 304 and the rack waiting area 311 are connected to each other via the connecting section 306. The connecting section 306, the relay section 307, and the lifting position P12 of the lifting mechanism 42 are located between the intermediate path 304 and the rack waiting area 311.

[0045] The intermediate passage 304 is located between the loading position P11 and the lifting position P12, which is the placement position of the racks 100 on the first level. The width of the intermediate passage 304 in the front-to-back direction is approximately the same as the width of one rack 100 in the front-to-back direction (short side direction). In other words, the lifting position P12 is located in front of the loading passage 301, with a gap of about one rack width in the front-to-back direction.

[0046] The rack waiting area 311 is an area where racks 100 are kept waiting when they are stuck in the adjacent conveyor 51 to the left or the adjacent conveyor 12 to the right and cannot be removed from the removal position P13 or removal position P14. It is also a transport path for moving racks 100 from the lifting position P12 to the removal position P13. The rack waiting area 311 is a rectangular area with its longer side in the front-to-back direction and extends in the front-to-back direction from the lifting position P12 to the front. The rack waiting area 311 has a length such that 20 racks 100 are lined up in the short-side direction between the lifting position P12 of the rack 100 in the first level and the removal position P13 to the rack transport path 1a of the left device.

[0047] The rack waiting area 311 only needs to have an area for waiting racks 100, but from the viewpoint of reducing the installation area of ​​the specimen testing system 1, it is preferable to have an area for waiting 10 or more racks 100, more preferably 15 or more racks 100, and even more preferably 20 or more racks 100. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of reducing the length of the specimen testing system 1 in the front-to-back direction, the rack waiting area 311 is preferable to have an area for waiting racks 100 not exceeding 50, preferably not exceeding 40 racks 100.

[0048] The lifting mechanism 42 is installed between the intermediate path 304 and the rack waiting area 311. The lifting mechanism 42 raises the rack 100 positioned at the lifting position P12 to the second level. The transport mechanism 303 positions the rack 100 on the loading path 301 at the lifting position P12. The sensor 312 is a reflective photoelectric sensor that detects the rack 100 positioned at the lifting position P12.

[0049] An opening 305 is formed between the intermediate passage 304 and the rack waiting area 311. The opening 305 is a hole that penetrates vertically through the intermediate passage 304, the connecting section 306, and the plate members constituting the rack waiting area 311. The connecting section 306 is located to the right of the opening 305. The relay section 307 is located at the left end of the opening 305. The lower surface of the rack 100 positioned at the lifting position P12 is supported by the connecting section 306 and the relay section 307. The support section 42a of the lifting mechanism 42 is shaped to fit within the opening 305 in a plan view and not interfere with the connecting section 306 and the relay section 307. The configuration of the lifting mechanism 42 will be described later with reference to Figure 9.

[0050] When raising rack 100 from the first level to the second level, the lifting mechanism 42 first positions the support section 42a at a position lower than the rack waiting area 311. Then, when rack 100 is transported to the position of the upper surface of the connection section 306 and the relay section 307, i.e., the lifting position P12, the lifting mechanism 42 moves the support section 42a upward so that rack 100 is placed on the upper surface of the support section 42a and raises rack 100 to the second level. In the second level, as will be described later, the containers 110 held in rack 100 are rearranged. Once the rearrangement of containers 110 is complete, the lifting mechanism 42 moves the support section 42a downward so that it is positioned lower than the rack waiting area 311. This positions rack 100 at the position of the upper surface of the connection section 306 and the relay section 307, i.e., the lifting position P12.

[0051] The rack 100 at the lifting position P12 is transported in the short-side direction (front-to-back direction) of the rack 100 along the rack waiting area 311 toward the front of the sample sorting device 40. The rack 100 returned to the lifting position P12 is transported in front of the lifting position P12 by the transport mechanism 303. In the case of racks 100 that do not require sorting, after being positioned at the lifting position P12, they are transported in front of the lifting position P12 without being moved to the second level.

[0052] When the reading unit 41 has finished reading the rack 100 at the loading position P11, if there is no rack 100 at the lifting position P12 and no rack 100 has been raised to the second level by the lifting mechanism 42, the transport mechanism 303 positions the rack 100 at the loading position P11 at the lifting position P12. Also, when the reading unit 41 has finished reading the rack 100 at the loading position P11, if there is a rack 100 that has returned from the second level or a rack 100 that does not need to be raised to the second level at the lifting position P12, the transport mechanism 303 pushes the rack 100 at the loading position P11 forward, thereby transporting both the rack 100 at the loading position P11 and the rack 100 at the lifting position P12 forward together. As a result, the rack 100 at the loading position P11 is positioned at the lifting position P12, and the rack 100 at the lifting position P12 is transported forward of the lifting position P12.

[0053] Furthermore, when the reading unit 41 has finished reading the rack 100 at the loading position P11, if it is not necessary to raise the rack 100 at the loading position P11 to the second level, and the rack 100 has already been raised to the second level by the lifting mechanism 42, the transport mechanism 303 may transport the rack 100 at the loading position P11 past the lifting position P12 to the front of the lifting position P12.

[0054] Sensors 313 to 318 detect racks 100 on the rack waiting area 311. Based on the detection signals from sensors 318 to 318, the occupancy status of racks 100 on the rack waiting area 311 is detected. Sensors 313, 314, and 318 are reflective photoelectric sensors, while sensors 315 to 317 are transmissive photoelectric sensors.

[0055] The transport mechanisms 319-322 move the racks 100, which have been transported in front of the lifting position P12 by the transport mechanism 303, along the rack waiting area 311 in the short-side direction (front-to-back direction) of the racks 100, and transport them to the discharge positions P13 and P14. At this time, the racks 100 at the discharge position P13 wait at the discharge position P13 as appropriate, depending on the processing status of the downstream side. The racks 100 at the discharge position P14 wait at the discharge position P14 as appropriate, depending on the processing status of the upstream side.

[0056] The transport mechanism 319 is equipped with a member that protrudes upward from the top surface of the rack waiting area 311 and pushes the bottom of the rack 100, and transports the rack 100 that has been transported in front of the lifting position P12 further forward. The transport mechanism 320 is equipped with a pair of members that push the sides of the rack 100, and transports the rack 100 that has been transported forward by the transport mechanism 319 further forward. The transport mechanism 321 has the same configuration as the transport mechanism 319 and transports the rack 100 that has been transported forward by the transport mechanism 320 further forward. The transport mechanism 322 has the same configuration as the transport mechanism 320 and transports the rack 100 that has been transported forward by the transport mechanism 321 to the discharge path 331 or the discharge path 341. The reader 43 reads the rack ID of the rack 100 positioned near the front end of the rack waiting area 311. The reader 43 is a barcode reader.

[0057] The discharge path 331 is composed of a conveyor belt that moves in the left-right direction, and discharges the racks 100 discharged from the rack waiting area 311 to the transport device 51 to the left. Sensor 332 is a through-type photoelectric sensor that detects the racks 100 positioned at the discharge position P13 on the discharge path 331. The discharge path 341 is composed of a conveyor belt that moves in the left-right direction, and discharges the racks 100 discharged from the transport device 51 to the left, and the racks 100 that passed through the discharge path 331 and were discharged from the rack waiting area 311, to the transport device 12 to the right. Sensor 342 is a through-type photoelectric sensor that detects the racks 100 positioned at the discharge position P14 on the discharge path 341.

[0058] Referring to Figure 4, the second layer of the sample sorting device 40 includes a reader 44, a container transfer mechanism 45, a sensor 351, a transport mechanism 352, a rack storage section 361, a rack installation section 362, sensors 363-366, a transport mechanism 367, a sensor 368, a stopper 369, and a buffer rack 120.

[0059] The lifting mechanism 42 raises the rack 100 from the lifting position P12 of the first level and positions it at the lifting position P15, which is the placement position of the rack 100 on the second level. The sensor 351 is a through-type photoelectric sensor and detects the rack 100 positioned at the lifting position P15. The reader 44 reads the rack ID of the rack 100 positioned at the lifting position P15. The reader 44 is a barcode reader.

[0060] The container transfer mechanism 45 is configured to transfer containers 110 between the rack 100 and the buffer rack 120. The container transfer mechanism 45 transfers containers 110 from the rack 100, which has been moved from the first-level lifting position P12 to the second-level lifting position P15 by the lifting mechanism 42, to the buffer rack 120 located on the second level. The container transfer mechanism 45 rearranges the containers 110 held on the rack 100 using the buffer rack 120 so that only containers 110 containing samples that need to be processed by the subsequent equipment (smear preparation device 52 and analyzer 62) remain, or only containers 110 containing samples that do not need to be processed by the subsequent equipment. Once the rearrangement of the containers 110 is complete, the lifting mechanism 42 lowers the rack 100 at lifting position P15 to the first level and positions it at lifting position P12.

[0061] The transport mechanism 352 is equipped with a member for pushing the side of the rack 100 and transports the rack 100 at the lifting position P15 to the rack storage section 361. When all containers 110 have been transferred from the rack 100 positioned at the lifting position P15 to the buffer rack 120, this rack 100 becomes a rack 100 that does not hold containers 110 (hereinafter referred to as an "empty rack"). In this case, the transport mechanism 352 transports the empty rack, which has become empty at the lifting position P15, to the rack storage section 361.

[0062] The rack storage section 361 and the rack mounting section 362 are each composed of a rear portion and a front portion of a plate member whose upper surface is parallel to the horizontal plane. The plate member constituting the rack storage section 361 and the rack mounting section 362 extends in the front-to-back direction from rear to front. The upper part of the rack mounting section 362 is open to the outside through an opening provided in the housing of the specimen sorting device 40.

[0063] Sensors 363 and 364 detect racks 100 on the rack storage section 361. Based on the detection signals from sensors 363 and 364, the storage status of empty racks on the rack storage section 361 is detected. Sensor 363 is a reflective photoelectric sensor, and sensor 364 is a transmissive photoelectric sensor. Sensors 365 and 366 detect racks 100 on the rack mounting section 362. Based on the detection signals from sensors 365 and 366, the mounting status of empty racks on the rack mounting section 362 is detected. Sensors 365 and 366 are transmissive photoelectric sensors.

[0064] The transport mechanism 367 includes a pair of members for pushing the sides of the rack 100 and transports the rack 100 on the rack storage section 361 and the rack installation section 362 in the forward and backward directions. The sensor 368 is a through-type photoelectric sensor that detects when the transport mechanism 367 is positioned at the origin position. When the transport mechanism 367 moves its transport section to its furthest forward position, this transport section is positioned in front of the sensor 368. The sensor 368 detects this transport section and thereby detects that the transport mechanism 367 is positioned at the origin position.

[0065] The buffer rack 120 has multiple holes 121 capable of holding containers 110 containing samples. In the buffer rack 120 shown in Figure 4, a total of 60 holes 121 are formed in a grid pattern, with 6 rows in the front-to-back direction and 10 columns in the left-to-right direction. When a predetermined number N of containers 110 are held in the buffer rack 120, or when a predetermined time T has elapsed since the first sample was placed in the buffer rack 120, the containers 110 are transferred from the buffer rack 120 to the rack 100 at the lifting position P15 so that only containers 110 with the same destination are held in the rack 100. The predetermined number N can be set, for example, in the range of 1 to 10 via the display input unit 803 (see Figure 13). The predetermined time T can be set, for example, in the range of 1 to 30 minutes via the display input unit 803.

[0066] When transferring from buffer rack 120 to rack 100, if rack 100 for transfer is not in the lifting position P15, the transport mechanism 367 pushes the front of the foremost empty rack among the empty racks stored in rack storage section 361 and rack installation section 362, pushing the rearmost empty rack among the empty racks stored in rack storage section 361 and rack installation section 362 to the lifting position P15. At this time, the stopper 369 protrudes upward from the upper surface of rack storage section 361, separating the rearmost empty rack from the empty rack adjacent to the front of the rearmost empty rack. Subsequently, the container transfer mechanism 45 transfers the container 110 from buffer rack 120 to the empty rack positioned in the lifting position P15.

[0067] Once the transfer of containers 110 to rack 100 at lifting position P15 is complete, rack 100 is moved to the first-level lifting position P12 by the lifting mechanism 42 and transported to the adjacent transport device 51 on the left or the adjacent transport device 12 on the right.

[0068] When the number of empty racks stored in the rack storage section 361 falls below a predetermined number, the transport control device 80 controls each device so that the racks 100, which have all had their containers 110 removed from the sample storage device 70 and are now empty, are transported to the sample sorting device 40 via the transport device 12. The sample sorting device 40 transports the empty racks received from the transport device 12 to the second-level rack storage section 361.

[0069] Furthermore, the operator can also install empty racks in the rack installation section 362, which is open to the outside at the top, by referring to the notification of insufficient empty racks displayed on the display input section 803 (see Figure 13). The transport mechanism 367 transports the empty racks installed in the rack installation section 362 by the operator to the rack storage section 361 and the lifting position P15 as appropriate.

[0070] The number of empty racks stored in the rack storage section 361 and the rack installation section 362 is determined by the number of steps taken by the stepping motor from the drive position when the empty rack is positioned at the lifting position P15, to the origin position detected by the sensor 368, when the transport mechanism 367 transports the empty rack to the lifting position P15. The number of steps taken by the stepping motor is counted by a rotary encoder or the like.

[0071] Figures 6 and 7 are schematic plan views showing the configuration of the specimen storage device 70 for storing specimens. Figures 6 and 7 show the first and second layers of the specimen storage device 70, respectively. Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the external appearance of the specimen storage device 70. As shown in Figure 8, the specimen storage device 70 has a two-story structure, similar to the specimen sorting device 40. The interior of the specimen storage device 70 is divided into two layers, upper and lower, by a partition plate 77 that forms the bottom of the second layer and the ceiling of the first layer. The lower layer is the first layer 78, and the upper layer is the second layer 79. The first layer 78 and the second layer 79 overlap in a plan view. The partition plate 77 is provided with an opening 77a for passing one rack 100 through. Note that the partition plate 77 may also be provided with other openings or notches besides the opening 77a. Furthermore, the first layer 78 and the second layer 79 may not be composed of partition plates 77, but rather the housing constituting the second layer 79 may be placed on top of the housing constituting the first layer 78.

[0072] Referring to Figure 6, the first layer of the specimen storage device 70 includes a reading unit 71, a lifting mechanism 72, a reader 73, an inlet 401, a sensor 402, a transport mechanism 403, a transfer path 411, sensors 412-416, transport mechanisms 417 and 418, an inlet 421, a sensor 422, a transport mechanism 423, an intermediate path 424, an opening 425, a connection section 426, a relay section 427, a rack waiting area 431, sensors 432-438, transport mechanisms 439-442, an outlet 451, a sensor 452, an outlet 461, and a sensor 462.

[0073] The transport device 61, located to the right of the sample sorting device 40, transports the rack 100 to the sample storage device 70 at a forward position along the forward rack transport path 1a (see Figure 1).

[0074] The loading path 401 is composed of a conveyor belt that moves in the left-right direction, and transports the racks 100 discharged from the transport device 61 to the left. Sensor 402 is a through-type photoelectric sensor that detects the racks 100 positioned at loading position P21 on the loading path 401. The transport mechanism 403 is equipped with a member for pushing the sides of the racks 100 and transports the racks 100 at loading position P21 to the transport path 411.

[0075] The transport path 411 is composed of plate members whose upper surfaces are parallel to the horizontal plane and extends in the front-to-back direction from the front to the rear of the sample storage device 70. Sensors 412 to 416 detect the racks 100 on the transport path 411. Based on the detection signals from sensors 412 to 416, the occupancy status of the racks 100 on the transport path 411 is detected. Sensors 412 to 416 are through-beam photoelectric sensors.

[0076] The transport mechanisms 417 and 418 move the rack 100 along the transport path 411 in the direction of the shorter side (front-to-back direction) of the rack 100 and transport it to the loading path 421. The transport mechanism 417 is equipped with a pair of members for pushing the sides of the rack 100 and transports the rack 100 on the transport path 411 to the position of the sensor 415. The transport mechanism 418 is equipped with a member that protrudes upward from the top surface of the transport path 411 and pushes the bottom of the rack 100 and transports the rack 100 at the position of the sensor 415 to the right end of the loading path 421.

[0077] The reading unit 71 reads the rack ID and sample ID from the rack 100 located at the right end of the loading path 421. The reading unit 71 has the same configuration as the reading unit 41 in Figure 3. The reading unit 71 comprises two moving parts 71a, each of which includes a driving roller 71b, two driven rollers 71c, and a reader 71d. The reader 71d is a barcode reader.

[0078] The loading passage 421 extends in the left-right direction and is located behind the sample storage device 70. The loading passage 421 is composed of a conveyor belt that moves in the left-right direction and transports the racks 100 transported from the transport passage 411 to the left. Sensor 422 is a transmissive photoelectric sensor that detects the rack 100 located at the left end of the loading passage 421. The transport mechanism 423 is equipped with a member for pushing the side of the rack 100 and transports the rack 100 at the left end of the loading passage 421 to the rack waiting area 431 via the intermediate passage 424.

[0079] The intermediate path 424, opening 425, connection section 426, relay section 427, rack waiting area 431, sensors 432-438, transport mechanisms 439-442, lifting mechanism 72, and reader 73 have the same configuration as the intermediate path 304, opening 305, connection section 306, relay section 307, rack waiting area 311, sensors 312-318, transport mechanisms 319-322, lifting mechanism 42, and reader 43 in Figure 3, respectively. The width of the intermediate path 424 in the front-to-back direction is approximately the same as the width of one rack 100 in the front-to-back direction (short side direction).

[0080] The rack waiting area 431 is an area where racks 100 are kept waiting when racks 100 are stuck in the retrieval device 13 to the left or the transport device 61 to the right and cannot be transported from the transport position P23 or the transport position P24. It is also a transport path for transporting racks 100 from the lifting position P22 to the transport position P23. The rack waiting area 431 is a rectangular area with its longer side in the front-to-back direction and extends in the front-to-back direction from the lifting position P22, which is the placement position of racks 100 in the first layer, to the front. The rack waiting area 431 has a length such that 20 racks 100 are lined up in the short-side direction between the lifting position P22 of racks 100 in the first layer and the transport position P23 to the rack transport path 1a of the left device.

[0081] The rack waiting area 431 only needs to have an area for waiting racks 100, but from the viewpoint of reducing the installation area of ​​the specimen testing system 1, it is preferable to have an area for waiting 10 or more racks 100, more preferably 15 or more racks 100, and even more preferably 20 or more racks 100. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of reducing the length of the specimen testing system 1 in the front-to-back direction, the rack waiting area 431 is preferable to have an area for waiting racks 100 not exceeding 50, preferably not exceeding 40 racks 100.

[0082] The lifting mechanism 72 moves the rack 100 up and down by moving the support portion 72a, which supports the lower surface of the rack 100, in the vertical direction. The configuration of the lifting mechanism 72 will be explained later with reference to Figure 10.

[0083] The rack 100, which has been unloaded from the loading path 421, is positioned at the lifting position P22 via the intermediate path 424, and the rack 100 positioned at the lifting position P22 is then transported to the second level by the lifting mechanism 72. On the second level, as will be described later, the containers 110 held in the rack 100 are removed from the rack 100 and stored. As a result, the rack 100 that has been transported to the second level becomes an empty rack. Once the storage of the containers 110 is complete, the lifting mechanism 72 lowers the rack 100, which was positioned on the second level, back down to the first level and positions it again at the lifting position P22.

[0084] The rack 100 at the lifting position P22 is transported in the short-side direction (front-to-back direction) of the rack 100 along the rack waiting area 431 toward the front of the sample storage device 70. The rack 100, returned to the lifting position P22, is transported forward of the lifting position P22 by the transport mechanism 423.

[0085] When rack 100 arrives at the left end of loading path 421, if there is no rack 100 at lifting position P22 and no rack 100 has been raised to the second level by the lifting mechanism 72, the transport mechanism 423 positions the rack 100 at the left end of loading path 421 at lifting position P22. Also, when rack 100 arrives at the left end of loading path 421, if there is a rack 100 that has returned from the second level or a rack 100 that does not need to be raised to the second level at lifting position P22, the transport mechanism 423 pushes the rack 100 at the left end of loading path 421 forward, thereby transporting both the rack 100 at the left end of loading path 421 and the rack 100 at lifting position P22 forward together. As a result, rack 100 at the left end of the loading path 421 is positioned at the lifting position P22, and rack 100 at the lifting position P22 is transported forward of the lifting position P22.

[0086] The transport mechanisms 439-442 move the empty racks, which have been transported in front of the lifting position P22 by the transport mechanism 423, along the rack waiting area 431 in the short-side direction (front-to-back direction) of the racks 100, and transport them to the discharge positions P23 and P24. At this time, the racks 100 at the discharge position P23 wait there as appropriate, depending on the processing status on the downstream side. The racks 100 at the discharge position P24 wait there as appropriate, depending on the processing status on the upstream side. The reader 73 reads the rack ID from the racks 100 positioned near the front end of the rack waiting area 431. The reader 73 is a barcode reader.

[0087] The discharge path 451 is composed of a conveyor belt that moves in the left-right direction and discharges the racks 100 discharged from the rack waiting area 431 to the recovery device 13 to the left. Sensor 452 is a through-type photoelectric sensor that detects the racks 100 positioned at the discharge position P23 on the discharge path 451. The discharge path 461 is composed of a conveyor belt that moves in the left-right direction and discharges the racks 100 discharged from the recovery device 13 to the left, and the racks 100 that passed through the discharge path 451 and discharged from the rack waiting area 431, to the transport device 61 to the right. Sensor 462 is a through-type photoelectric sensor that detects the racks 100 positioned at the rightmost discharge position P24 on the discharge path 461. The transport mechanism 403 can also transport the racks 100 positioned at the discharge position P24 to the transfer path 411.

[0088] Referring to Figure 7, the second layer of the specimen storage device 70 includes a container transfer mechanism 74, a tray 75, an archive rack 130, a sensor 471, and a retrieval unit 472.

[0089] The lifting mechanism 72 raises the rack 100 from the lifting position P22 of the first level and positions it at the lifting position P25, which is the placement position of the rack 100 on the second level. The sensor 471 is a through-type photoelectric sensor and detects the rack 100 positioned at the lifting position P25.

[0090] The container transfer mechanism 74 is configured to transfer containers 110 between the rack 100 and the archive rack 130. The container transfer mechanism 74 transfers containers 110 from the rack 100, which has been moved from the first level to the second level by the lifting mechanism 72, to the archive rack 130 located on the second level. The container transfer mechanism 74 removes all containers 110 from the rack 100, which is positioned at the lifting position P25, and stores the removed containers 110 in the archive rack 130. Once all containers 110 have been removed from the rack 100, the lifting mechanism 72 moves the empty rack 100 to the lifting position P22 on the first level. The empty rack, returned to the first level, is transported to the retrieval device 13 or the sample sorting device 40.

[0091] The archive rack 130 is removably set in a tray 75 that can be pulled out from the front of the specimen storage device 70. The archive rack 130 has multiple holes 131 that can hold containers 110 containing specimens. In Figure 7, the archive rack 130 has a grid of 50 holes 131 arranged in 10 rows in the front-to-back direction and 5 columns in the left-to-right direction. Also in Figure 7, five trays 75 are provided in the left-to-right direction, and one tray 75 is configured to hold three archive racks 130 arranged in the front-to-back direction. When the operator inputs a command to remove a tray 75, the lock on the target tray 75 is released. This allows the operator to pull the target tray 75 forward and remove the target archive rack 130.

[0092] The retrieval section 472 is configured to be retractable from the front of the specimen storage device 70. The retrieval section 472 has a hole 472a that can hold a container 110. The container transfer mechanism 74 is configured to transfer the container 110 between the archive rack 130 and the retrieval section 472. When an operator inputs a command to retrieve a specific container 110 via the display input unit 813 (see Figure 14), the container transfer mechanism 74 transfers the target container 110 from the archive rack 130 to the retrieval section 472, and the retrieval section 472 is pushed forward. This allows the operator to retrieve the target container 110 from the retrieval section 472.

[0093] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the lifting mechanism 42 provided in the sample rearrangement device 40.

[0094] The lifting mechanism 42 comprises a vertical transfer section 510 and a support section 520. The vertical transfer section 510 moves the support section 520 up and down. The support section 42a of the lifting mechanism 42 (see Figure 3) is composed of the support section 520.

[0095] The vertical transfer unit 510 includes a motor 511, pulleys 513 and 514, a belt 515, and a rail 516.

[0096] Motor 511 is a stepping motor. The rotation shaft 511a of motor 511 extends in the front-rear direction. Pulley 513 is connected to the rotation shaft 511a of motor 511 via an axle, belt, etc., so as to rotate in conjunction with the rotation shaft 511a of motor 511, with the front-rear direction as the central axis of rotation. Pulley 514 is positioned above pulley 513. Belt 515 is connected to pulleys 513 and 514 and moves up and down in response to the drive of motor 511. Rail 516 extends in the vertical direction.

[0097] The support section 520 comprises a connecting member 521, base members 522, 523, and 524, a rail 525, a moving member 526, a spring 527, and two support members 531.

[0098] The connecting member 521 is fixed to the belt 515. As the belt 515 moves vertically, the connecting member 521 moves vertically while being supported by the rail 516. The base members 522 and 523 are installed on the connecting member 521 with a gap 528 in the front-rear direction. The base member 524 is fixed to the base member 522 so as to extend to the right from the base member 522. A rail 525 extending vertically is installed on the front surface of the base member 522.

[0099] The movable member 526 is installed on the rail 525 so that it can move up and down along the rail 525. One end of the spring 527 is connected to the base member 522, and the other end of the spring 527 is connected to the movable member 526. In the normal state, the movable member 526 is positioned at the upper end of the rail 525 by the biasing force of the spring 527. Surfaces 526a are formed on the upper left end and the upper right end of the movable member 526, parallel to the vertical, horizontal, and lateral directions.

[0100] The two support members 531 are installed on the upper left and upper right ends of the base member 524. Each support member 531 has a surface 531a parallel to the up-down and left-right directions, and a surface 531b parallel to the front-back and left-right directions.

[0101] When the motor 511 of the vertical transfer unit 510 is driven, the support unit 520 moves up and down. When the support unit 520 moves up and down in the first layer, the intermediate unit 307 in Figure 3 is passed through the gap 528 between the base members 522 and 523. This prevents contact between the support unit 520 and the intermediate unit 307.

[0102] When the rack 100 is moved upward by the lifting mechanism 42, the rack 100 is positioned between the surface 531a of the support member 531 and the surface 526a of the moving member 526. At this time, the pair of surfaces 531a restrict the movement of the rack 100 backward, and the pair of surfaces 526a restrict the movement of the rack 100 forward. This prevents the rack 100 from moving in the front-rear direction during lifting.

[0103] Furthermore, as explained with reference to Figure 4, the second level of the sample rearranging device 40 is provided with a rack storage section 361 in front of the lifting position P15, and the racks 100 are transported between the lifting position P15 and the rear end of the rack storage section 361. In this case, the movable member 526 is moved downward, and its surface 526a is retracted below the surface 531b of the support member 531. Specifically, when the support section 520 moves upward, the upper surface of the flange 526b of the movable member 526 comes into contact with a predetermined member provided on the second level of the sample rearranging device 40. As a result, when the support member 531 is positioned at the lifting position P15 of the second level, the surface 526a automatically retracts downward, making it possible to transport the racks 100 between the lifting position P15 and the rear end of the rack storage section 361.

[0104] Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the lifting mechanism 72 provided in the sample storage device 70.

[0105] The lifting mechanism 72 has substantially the same configuration as the lifting mechanism 42 in Figure 9. In Figure 10, for convenience, the same numbering as in Figure 9 is used for components that are similar to those in the lifting mechanism 42 in Figure 9. Compared to the lifting mechanism 42 in Figure 9, the lifting mechanism 72 omits the rail 525, the moving member 526, and the spring 527. Also, on the front side of the support member 531, a surface 531c is formed that is parallel in the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions compared to the lifting mechanism 42 in Figure 9. The support portion 72a of the lifting mechanism 72 (see Figure 6) is composed of the support portion 520.

[0106] Unlike the sample sorting device 40, the rack 100, positioned at the second-level lifting position P25 by the lifting mechanism 72, is not transported on the second level. Therefore, the lifting mechanism 72 omits the rail 525, the moving member 526, and the spring 527. In addition, the support member 531 has a front surface 531c in addition to the rear surface 531a. This prevents the rack 100 supported by the support member 531 from moving in the front-rear direction.

[0107] Next, the configuration of the container transfer mechanism 45 of the sample sorting device 40 will be explained with reference to Figures 11 and 12.

[0108] The container transfer mechanism 74 of the sample storage device 70 has the same configuration as the container transfer mechanism 45 of the sample rearrangement device 40. That is, both the container transfer mechanisms 45 and 74 are equipped with a front-to-back transfer section 610, a left-to-right transfer section 620, an up-and-down transfer section 630, and a gripping section 640, as shown in Figures 11 and 12. For convenience, only the configuration of the container transfer mechanism 45 will be described below.

[0109] Figure 11 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the container transfer mechanism 45 of the sample sorting device 40. In Figure 11, the components other than the rack 100, container 110, and buffer rack 120 are omitted for convenience.

[0110] The container transfer mechanism 45 comprises a front-to-back transfer section 610, a left-to-right transfer section 620, an up-to-down transfer section 630, and a gripping section 640. The container transfer mechanism 45 uses the gripping section 640 to move one container 110 from a buffer rack 120 capable of holding multiple containers 110.

[0111] The front-to-back transfer unit 610 is equipped with a motor and rails extending in the front-to-back direction, and moves the left-to-right transfer unit 620 in the front-to-back direction. The left-to-right transfer unit 620 is equipped with a motor and rails extending in the left-to-right direction, and moves the up-to-down transfer unit 630 in the left-to-right direction. The up-to-down transfer unit 630 is equipped with a motor and rails extending in the up-to-down direction, and moves the gripping unit 640 in the up-to-down direction. The gripping unit 640 is capable of opening and closing, and can move vertically and horizontally using the front-to-back transfer unit 610, left-to-right transfer unit 620, and up-to-down transfer unit 630. The gripping unit 640 is also configured to be able to open and close, and grips the container 110.

[0112] Figure 12 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the upper and lower transport section 630 and the gripping section 640.

[0113] The vertical transfer unit 630 comprises a substrate 631, a motor 632, pulleys 633 and 634, a belt 635, and a rail 636.

[0114] Motor 632 is a stepping motor and is mounted on the circuit board 631. Pulley 633 is mounted on the shaft of motor 632, which extends in the front-rear direction. Pulley 634 is mounted on the circuit board 631 below pulley 633. Belt 635 is connected to pulleys 633 and 634 and moves up and down in response to the drive of motor 632. Rail 636 extends in the vertical direction and is mounted on the circuit board 631.

[0115] The gripping section 640 comprises a connecting member 641, a substrate 642, a motor 643, a conversion mechanism 644, and a pair of gripping members 710 and 720.

[0116] The right end of the connecting member 641 is fixed to the belt 635. As the belt 635 moves vertically, the connecting member 641 moves vertically while being supported by the rail 636. The connecting member 641 is fixed to the base plate 642.

[0117] Motor 643 is a stepping motor and is mounted on the circuit board 642. The rotation axis of motor 643 extends in the vertical direction. The conversion mechanism 644 is mounted on the circuit board 642, and gripping members 710 and 720 are mounted on the conversion mechanism 644. The conversion mechanism 644 is configured to convert the rotation direction of motor 643 into a direction in which gripping members 710 and 720 move closer together and apart. Therefore, when motor 643 is driven, gripping members 710 and 720 move closer together and apart. As a result, as shown in Figure 12, the body 111 of container 110 is gripped by the inner surfaces of gripping member 710 and gripping member 720.

[0118] Figure 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the sample sorting device 40.

[0119] The sample sorting device 40 comprises a control unit 801, a storage unit 802, a display input unit 803, a communication unit 804, transport mechanisms 303, 319-322, 352, 367, other mechanisms 805, sensors 302, 312-318, 332, 342, 351, 363-366, 368, a reading unit 41, a lifting mechanism 42, readers 43, 44, and a container transfer mechanism 45.

[0120] The control unit 801 is comprised of, for example, a CPU. The control unit 801 controls the hardware of the sample sorting device 40 by executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 802. The storage unit 802 is comprised of, for example, an SSD, HDD, RAM, etc. The display input unit 803 is comprised of, for example, a touch panel display. The display input unit 803 may be divided into a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display and an input unit such as a mouse or keyboard. The communication unit 804 is comprised of, for example, a network card and is communicatively connected to the transport control device 80. Other mechanisms 805 include a mechanism for driving the conveyor belt in the sample sorting device 40 and a mechanism for driving the stopper 369.

[0121] Figure 14 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the sample storage device 70.

[0122] The specimen storage device 70 comprises a control unit 811, a storage unit 812, a display input unit 813, a communication unit 814, transport mechanisms 403, 417, 418, 423, 439-442, other mechanisms 815, sensors 402, 412-416, 422, 432-438, 452, 462, 471, a reading unit 71, a lifting mechanism 72, a reader 73, and a container transfer mechanism 74.

[0123] The control unit 811 is configured, for example, by a CPU. The control unit 811 controls the hardware of the specimen storage device 70 by executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 812. The storage unit 812 is configured, for example, by an SSD, HDD, RAM, etc. The display input unit 813 is configured, for example, by a touch panel display. The display input unit 813 may be divided into a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display and an input unit such as a mouse or keyboard. The communication unit 814 is configured, for example, by a network card and is communicatively connected to the transport control device 80. Other mechanisms 815 include a mechanism for driving the conveyor belt in the specimen storage device 70.

[0124] Figure 15 shows the transfer operation in the sample sorting device 40. The left side of Figure 15 shows the transfer operation of container 110 from rack 100 to buffer rack 120, and the right side of Figure 15 shows the transfer operation of container 110 from buffer rack 120 to rack 100.

[0125] As shown on the left side of Figure 15, in operation M11, the control unit 801 controls the mechanism 805 for driving the conveyor belt of the loading path 301, thereby loading the rack 100 from the adjacent transport device 12 to the loading path 301. In operation M12, the control unit 801 controls the transport mechanism 303, causing the rack 100 in the loading path 301 to be transported forward and positioned at the first level's lifting position P12. In operation M13, the control unit 801 controls the lifting mechanism 42, causing the rack 100 at lifting position P12 to be moved to the second level's lifting position P15.

[0126] In operation M14, the control unit 801 controls the container transfer mechanism 45 to transfer the containers 110 from the rack 100 at the lifting position P15 to the buffer rack 120. In operation M14, only the containers 110 of samples that require processing by the subsequent sample processing device are transferred from the rack 100 to the buffer rack 120. If containers 110 are still held in the rack 100 after the transfer, operations M15 and beyond are executed. On the other hand, if all containers have been transferred to the buffer rack 120 and the rack 100 is empty, the rack 100 remains at the lifting position P15, and in operation M22, the containers 110 are transferred from the buffer rack 120.

[0127] In operation M15, the control unit 801 controls the lifting mechanism 42, so that the transferred rack 100 is moved to the lifting position P12 of the first level. In operation M16, the control unit 801 controls the transport mechanisms 303, 319-322, so that the rack 100 is transported via the rack waiting area 311 to the discharge position P13 or P14. At discharge position P13, the rack 100 is discharged to the transport device 51 to the left in operation M17, as the control unit 801 controls the mechanism 805 for driving the conveyor belt of the discharge path 331. At discharge position P14, the rack 100 is discharged to the transport device 12 to the right in operation M18, as the control unit 801 controls the mechanism 805 for driving the conveyor belt of the discharge path 341.

[0128] If a rack 100 is stuck in the adjacent conveyor 51 to the left or conveyor 12 to the right, making it impossible to execute operation M17 or operation M18, in operation M16, the control unit 801 controls the conveyor mechanisms 303, 319-322 to transport the rack 100 to the rack waiting area 311, where it is made to wait. After that, when the rack 100 is no longer stuck and operation M17 or operation M18 is executed, the control unit 801 controls the conveyor mechanisms 303, 319-322 to transport the rack 100 from the rack waiting area 311 to the discharge position P13 or P14.

[0129] As shown on the right side of Figure 15, when it becomes necessary to transport the container 110 from the buffer rack 120, in operation M21, the control unit 801 controls the transport mechanism 367 so that the empty racks stored in the rack storage section 361 and the rack installation section 362 are transported to the second-level lifting position P15. In operation M22, the control unit 801 controls the container transfer mechanism 45 so that the container 110 is transferred from the buffer rack 120 to the empty rack at the lifting position P15. Subsequently, in operations M23 to M26, the rack 100 is transported to the transport device 51 to the left or the transport device 12 to the right in the same manner as in operations M15 to M18.

[0130] In this embodiment, the destination of the rack 100, which is transported forward along the rack waiting area 311, is one of the smear preparation device 52, the analysis device 62, or the sample storage device 70 located to the left. Therefore, normally, after being positioned at the discharge position P13, the rack 100 is discharged to the transport device 51 to its left.

[0131] Figure 16 shows the transfer operation in the sample storage device 70.

[0132] In operation M31, the control unit 811 controls the mechanism 815 for driving the conveyor belt of the loading path 401, thereby loading the rack 100 from the adjacent transport device 61 to the loading position P21. In operation M32, the control unit 811 controls the transport mechanisms 403, 417, and 418, causing the rack 100 at loading position P21 to be transported backward and positioned at the right end of the loading path 421. In operation M33, the control unit 811 controls the mechanism 815 for driving the conveyor belt of the loading path 421, causing the rack 100 to be transported to the left.

[0133] In operation M34, the control unit 811 controls the transport mechanism 423, causing the rack 100 in the loading path 421 to be transported forward and positioned at the first level's lifting position P22. In operation M35, the control unit 811 controls the lifting mechanism 72, causing the rack 100 at lifting position P22 to be moved to the second level's lifting position P25. In operation M36, the control unit 811 controls the container transfer mechanism 74, causing the containers 110 to be transferred from the rack 100 at lifting position P25 to the archive rack 130. As a result, the rack 100 at lifting position P25 becomes an empty rack.

[0134] In operation M37, the control unit 811 controls the lifting mechanism 72, causing the empty rack to be transported to the lifting position P22 of the first level. In operation M38, the control unit 811 controls the transport mechanisms 423, 439-442, causing the empty rack to be transported via the rack waiting area 431 to the discharge position P23 or P24. In operation M39, the empty rack at discharge position P23 is discharged to the recovery device 13 to the left by the control unit 811 controlling the mechanism 815 for driving the conveyor belt of the discharge path 451. In operation M40, the rack 100 at discharge position P24 is discharged to the transport device 61 to the right by the control unit 811 controlling the mechanism 815 for driving the conveyor belt of the discharge path 461.

[0135] If a rack 100 is stuck in the adjacent retrieval device 13 or the adjacent transport device 61, making it impossible to perform operation M39 or operation M40, in operation M38, the control unit 811 controls the transport mechanisms 423, 439-442 to transport the rack 100 to the rack waiting area 431, where it is made to wait in the rack waiting area 311. After the rack 100 is no longer stuck and operation M39 or operation M40 is performed, the control unit 811 controls the transport mechanisms 423, 439-442 to transport the rack 100 from the rack waiting area 431 to the discharge position P23 or P24.

[0136] In this embodiment, empty racks transported forward along the rack waiting area 431 are normally transported to the recovery device 13 to the left. However, if the number of racks 100 in the rack storage section 361 and rack installation section 362 of the sample rearrangement device 40 decreases, the empty racks generated in the sample storage device 70 are transported to the transport device 61 to the right and then transported back to the sample storage device 70.

[0137] Figure 17 schematically shows the transport path of the rack 100 between the sample sorting device 40 and the sample storage device 70.

[0138] As described above, the input device 11, transport device 12, recovery device 13, supply device 20, transport device 31, sample rearrangement device 40, transport devices 51 and 61, and sample storage device 70 are each provided with a rack transport path 1a (see Figure 1) for transporting the rack 100. The rack 100 is transported along the rack transport path 1a of each device, and the transport of the rack 100 is controlled by the transport control device 80.

[0139] The thick solid arrows indicate the transport route of racks 100 after sorting has been completed in the sample sorting device 40. Racks 100 that have been sorted in the second layer of the sample sorting device 40 and racks 100 that do not require sorting and are transported as is are transported to the sample storage device 70 by transport devices 51 and 61. All containers 110 on rack 100 are stored in the sample storage device 70, and rack 100 becomes an empty rack. The empty racks generated in the sample storage device 70 are transported to the recovery device 13 or the sample sorting device 40.

[0140] The thick dashed arrows indicate the transport route of empty racks being discharged from the sample storage device 70 and the retrieval device 13. When empty racks are discharged from the sample storage device 70, if the number of racks 100 stored in the rack storage section 361 and rack installation section 362 of the sample rearrangement device 40 is below a predetermined number, these empty racks are discharged to the right from the sample storage device 70 and transported to the transport device 12 by the transport devices 51, 61 and the sample rearrangement device 40. The transport device 12 transports the empty racks to the rear and discharges them to the sample rearrangement device 40 at the rear position. The empty racks transported by the transport device 12 are transported to the rack storage section 361 and stored in the rack storage section 361.

[0141] On the other hand, when empty racks are removed from the sample storage device 70, if the number of racks 100 stored in the rack storage section 361 and rack installation section 362 of the sample rearrangement device 40 exceeds a predetermined number, these empty racks are removed from the sample storage device 70 to the left and stored in the recovery device 13. Subsequently, when the number of racks 100 stored in the rack storage section 361 and rack installation section 362 of the sample rearrangement device 40 falls below a predetermined number, the empty racks in the recovery device 13 are transported via the sample storage device 70 to the transport device 12 by the transport devices 51 and 61, and then removed to the sample rearrangement device 40 by the transport device 12 and stored in the rack storage section 361 of the sample rearrangement device 40.

[0142] <Effects of the Embodiment> As shown in Figure 15, in the sample sorting device 40, the container transfer mechanism 45 transfers containers 110 (sample containers) from the rack 100 (first rack), which has been moved by the lifting mechanism 42 from the lifting position P12 (first lifting position), which is the placement position of the rack 100 on the first level, to the lifting position P15 (second lifting position), which is the placement position of the rack 100 on the second level, to the buffer rack 120 (second rack) located on the second level. A rack waiting area 311 for holding the rack 100 (first rack) is located on the first level. With this configuration, there is no need to provide a rack waiting area for holding the rack 100 outside the sample sorting device 40. Therefore, the installation area of ​​the sample testing system 1 can be effectively reduced while maintaining high processing efficiency.

[0143] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 16, in the sample storage device 70, the container transfer mechanism 74 transfers the container 110 (sample container) from the rack 100 (first rack), which has been moved by the lifting mechanism 72 from the lifting position P22 (first lifting position), which is the placement position of the rack 100 on the first level, to the lifting position P25 (second lifting position), which is the placement position of the rack 100 on the second level, to the archive rack 130 (second rack) located on the second level. A rack waiting area 431 for holding the rack 100 (first rack) is located on the first level. With this configuration, there is no need to provide a rack waiting area for holding the rack 100 outside the sample storage device 70. Therefore, the installation area of ​​the sample testing system 1 can be effectively reduced while maintaining high processing efficiency.

[0144] As shown in Figure 3, in the sample sorting device 40, the rack waiting area 311 is a rectangular area between the lifting position P12 (first lifting position) and the unloading position P13. With this configuration, racks 100 that have been transported between the first and second levels can be moved quickly and smoothly to the unloading positions P13 and P14.

[0145] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, in the sample storage device 70, the rack standby area 431 is a rectangular area between the lifting position P22 (first lifting position) and the unloading position P23. With this configuration, the racks 100 that have been transported between the first and second levels can be moved quickly and smoothly to the unloading positions P23 and P24.

[0146] As shown in Figure 3, in the sample sorting device 40, the transport mechanisms 303, 319-322 (first transport mechanism) move the rack 100 (first rack) that has been transported between the first and second levels along the rack waiting area 311 in the direction of the shorter side of the rack 100 (first rack). With this configuration, the length of the rack waiting area 311 can be shortened compared to the case where the rack 100 is moved in the direction of the longer side of the rack 100.

[0147] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, in the sample storage device 70, the transport mechanisms 423, 439-442 (first transport mechanism) move the rack 100 (first rack) that has been transported between the first and second levels along the rack waiting area 431 in the direction of the shorter side of the rack 100 (first rack). With this configuration, the length of the rack waiting area 431 can be shortened compared to the case where the rack 100 is moved in the direction of the longer side of the rack 100.

[0148] As shown in Figure 3, in the sample sorting device 40, the first level has an entry path 301 for loading racks 100 (first racks) on the opposite side of the rack waiting area 311 from the lifting position P12 (first lifting position), and a transport mechanism 303 (second transport mechanism) is arranged to transport the racks 100 (first racks) loaded into the entry path 301 to the lifting position P12 (first lifting position). With this configuration, while the racks 100 are being raised and lowered at the lifting position P12, subsequent racks 100 can be kept waiting in the entry path 301. Therefore, processing of subsequent racks 100 can be carried out quickly, and processing efficiency can be increased.

[0149] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, in the sample storage device 70, in the first layer, an entry path 421 for loading racks 100 (first racks) is located on the opposite side of the transport direction of the rack waiting area 431 from the lifting position P22 (first lifting position), and a transport mechanism 423 (second transport mechanism) is located to transport the racks 100 (first racks) loaded into the entry path 421 to the lifting position P22 (first lifting position). With this configuration, while the racks 100 are being raised and lowered at the lifting position P22, subsequent racks 100 can be kept waiting at the entry position. Therefore, processing of subsequent racks 100 can be carried out quickly, and processing efficiency can be increased.

[0150] As shown in Figure 3, the sample sorting device 40 is equipped with a reader 41d that reads the identification information of the containers 110 (sample containers) held in the rack 100 (first rack) in the loading path 301. With this configuration, the identification information for the rack 100 can be read while the rack 100 is waiting in the loading path 301. This allows for faster processing of subsequent racks 100, thereby increasing processing efficiency.

[0151] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the sample storage device 70 is equipped with a reader 71d that reads the identification information of the containers 110 (sample containers) held in the racks 100 (first racks) in the loading passage 421. With this configuration, the identification information for the racks 100 can be read while the racks 100 are waiting in the loading passage 421. This allows for faster processing of subsequent racks 100, thereby increasing processing efficiency.

[0152] As shown in Figures 5 and 15, in the sample sorting device 40, the second layer 49 is a layer above the first layer 48. This allows the height of the rack transport path 1a of the sample testing system 1 to be the same as the height of the discharge position in the first layer, thereby suppressing the height of the rack transport path 1a.

[0153] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 16, in the specimen storage device 70, the second layer 79 is a layer above the first layer 78. This allows the height of the rack transport path 1a of the specimen testing system 1 to be the same as the height of the unloading position in the first layer, thereby suppressing the height of the rack transport path 1a.

[0154] As shown in Figure 4, in the sample sorting device 40, the rack storage unit 361 is located on the second level and stores empty racks 100 (third racks). The transport mechanism 367 (third transport mechanism) transports the racks 100 (third racks) stored in the rack storage unit 361 to the lifting position P15 (second lifting position). Containers 110 (sample containers) transferred to the buffer rack 120 (second rack) are transferred to rack 100 (third rack) by the container transport mechanism 45. The rack 100 (third rack) to which the containers 110 (sample containers) have been transferred is transported to the lifting position P12 (first lifting position) by the lifting mechanism 42, and then transported to the discharge position P13 via the rack waiting area 311 by the transport mechanisms 303, 319-322 (first transport mechanism). This configuration allows for efficient rearrangement of containers 110 while reducing the installation area of ​​the sample testing system 1.

[0155] As shown in Figure 4, in the sample rearrangement device 40, the rack storage unit 361 is positioned on the opposite side of the buffer rack 120 (second rack) from the lifting position P15 (second lifting position). This configuration makes it possible to position both the rack storage unit 361 and the buffer rack 120 close to the second-level lifting position P15, allowing for efficient rearrangement of the containers 110.

[0156] As shown in Figure 4, the sample sorting device 40 includes a rack installation section 362 for the operator to install empty racks (third racks), and a transport mechanism 367 (fourth transport mechanism) for transporting the empty racks (third racks) installed in the rack installation section 362 to the rack storage section 361. With this configuration, empty racks can be smoothly replenished to the sample sorting device 40.

[0157] In this embodiment, the transport mechanism 367 (third transport mechanism) that transports empty racks (third racks) stored in the rack storage section 361 to the second-level lifting position P15 is shared with the transport mechanism (fourth transport mechanism) that transports empty racks (third racks) installed in the rack installation section 362 to the rack storage section 361. However, instead, a separate transport mechanism (fourth transport mechanism) that transports empty racks from the rack installation section 362 to the rack storage section 361 may be provided.

[0158] As shown in Figure 4, in the sample sorting device 40, the rack installation section 362, rack storage section 361, lifting position P15 (second lifting position), and buffer rack 120 (second rack) are arranged in this order from the front of the device. With this configuration, the lifting position P15 of the second level is located towards the back of the device, so a wide width can be secured in front of and behind the rack storage section 361. Therefore, many empty racks can be stored in the rack storage section 361. In addition, since the rack installation section 362 is located at the very front of the device, the operator can smoothly install empty racks in the rack installation section 362.

[0159] As shown in Figure 3, in the sample sorting device 40, the rack waiting area 311 is located in front of the sample sorting device 40 (device) relative to the lifting position P12 (first lifting position), and the rack transport paths 1a (see Figure 1) of the transport devices 12 and 51 located to the left and right of the sample sorting device 40 are connected to the front of the sample sorting device 40 (device). With this configuration, since the first lifting position P12 is located towards the back of the device, a large length in the front-to-back direction of the rack waiting area 311, which is located in front of the lifting position P12, can be secured. Therefore, many racks 100 can be kept waiting in the rack waiting area 311.

[0160] As shown in Figure 7, in the specimen storage device 70, a tray 75 that can be moved outside the specimen storage device 70 (device) is placed in the second layer, and the archive rack 130 (second rack) is installed on the tray 75. With this configuration, the operator can smoothly remove the stored containers 110 by moving the tray 75 outside.

[0161] As shown in Figure 7, in the specimen storage device 70, the archive rack 130 (second rack) is positioned in front of the specimen storage device 70 (device) above the lifting position P25 (second lifting position). With this configuration, the operator can smoothly pull out the tray 75 and smoothly remove the stored containers 110. In addition, since the second-level lifting position P25 is located towards the back of the device, the archive rack 130 can be placed in a wide area at the front of the device. Therefore, the number of containers 110 that can be stored can be increased.

[0162] As shown in Figure 6, in the sample storage device 70, the rack waiting area 431 is located in front of the sample storage device 70 (device) relative to the lifting position P22 (first lifting position), and the rack transport paths 1a (see Figure 1) of the transport devices 61 and retrieval devices 13, located to the left and right of the sample storage device 70, are connected to the front of the sample storage device 70 (device). With this configuration, since the first lifting position P22 is located towards the back of the device, a large length in the front-to-back direction of the rack waiting area 431, which is located in front of the lifting position P22, can be secured. Therefore, many racks 100 can be kept waiting in the rack waiting area 431.

[0163] As shown in Figure 7, in the specimen storage device 70, a retrieval unit 472 for removing containers 110 (specimen containers) to the outside is located in the second layer, and the container transfer mechanism 74 transfers the containers 110 (specimen containers) to be retrieved from the archive rack 130 (second rack) to the retrieval unit 472. With this configuration, a predetermined container 110 can be retrieved from among the stored containers 110.

[0164] As shown in Figure 1, the transport devices 12 and 31 are equipped with rack transport paths 1a and transport racks 100 between the measuring device 32 and the sample sorting device 40. With this configuration, racks 100 can be smoothly transported between the measuring device 32 and the sample sorting device 40. In addition, the transport devices 51 and 61 are equipped with rack transport paths 1a and transport racks 100 between the smear preparation device 52 and the analyzer 62 (sample processing device) and the sample sorting device 40. With these configurations, racks 100 can be smoothly transported between the smear preparation device 52 and the analyzer 62 (sample processing device) and the sample sorting device 40.

[0165] As shown in Figure 1, the transport devices 12, 31, 51, 61 and the sample rearrangement device 40 (transport device) are equipped with a rack transport path 1a and transport the racks 100 between the measuring device 32 and the sample storage device 70. With this configuration, the racks 100 can be smoothly transported between the measuring device 32 and the sample storage device 70. In addition, the transport devices 51 and 61 are equipped with a rack transport path 1a and transport the racks 100 between the smear preparation device 52 and the analyzer 62 (sample processing device) and the sample storage device 70. With these configurations, the racks 100 can be smoothly transported between the smear preparation device 52 and the analyzer 62 (sample processing device) and the sample storage device 70.

[0166] The transport devices 12, 51, 61 and the recovery device 13 (transport device) are equipped with a rack transport path 1a and transport the rack 100 between the sample sorting device 40 and the sample storage device 70, as shown in Figure 17. With this configuration, the rack 100 can be transported smoothly between the sample sorting device 40 and the sample storage device 70.

[0167] <Example of change 1> In the specimen testing system 1 shown in Figure 1, the specimen storage device 70, collection device 13, input device 11, supply device 20, two transport devices 31, transport device 12, specimen sorting device 40, and transport devices 51 and 61 may be arranged in a line adjacent to each other in this order from left to right.

[0168] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the specimen testing system 1 according to modification example 1.

[0169] In this modified example, as in Figure 1, the transport devices 12 and 31 transport the rack 100 between the measuring device 32 and the sample sorting device 40, while the transport devices 51 and 61 transport the rack 100 between the smear preparation device 52 and the analyzer 62 (sample processing device) and the sample sorting device 40. On the other hand, the transport device 31, the supply device 20, the input device 11 and the recovery device 13 (transport device) transport the rack 100 between the measuring device 32 and the sample storage device 70. Furthermore, the transport devices 51 and 61, the sample sorting device 40, the transport device 12, the transport device 31, the supply device 20, the input device 11 and the recovery device 13 (transport device) transport the rack 100 between the smear preparation device 52 and the analyzer 62 (sample processing device) and the sample storage device 70. With these configurations, the rack 100 can be transported smoothly, as in the embodiment.

[0170] The recovery device 13, input device 11, supply device 20, two transport devices 31, transport device 12, and transport devices 51 and 61 (transport devices) transport rack 100 between the sample sorting device 40 and the sample storage device 70. The route at this time will be explained with reference to Figure 19.

[0171] Figure 19 schematically shows the transport path of the rack 100 between the sample sorting device 40 and the sample storage device 70 according to Modification Example 1. The rack 100 is transported along the rack transport path 1a of each device (see Figure 18), and the transport of the rack 100 is controlled by the transport control device 80.

[0172] The thick solid arrows indicate the transport route of racks 100 after sorting has been completed in the sample sorting device 40. Racks 100 that have been sorted in the second layer of the sample sorting device 40 and racks 100 that do not require sorting and are transported as is are transported by transport devices 51 and 61 as needed, and then transported to the sample storage device 70 by the sample sorting device 40, transport device 12, two transport devices 31, supply device 20, input device 11, and recovery device 13. All containers 110 on rack 100 are stored in the sample storage device 70, and rack 100 becomes an empty rack. The empty racks generated in the sample storage device 70 are transported to the recovery device 13 or the sample sorting device 40.

[0173] The thick dashed arrows indicate the transport route of the racks 100 being discharged from the sample storage device 70 and the retrieval device 13. When an empty rack is discharged from the sample storage device 70, if the number of racks 100 stored in the rack storage section 361 and the rack installation section 362 of the sample sorting device 40 is below a predetermined number, the empty rack is discharged from the sample storage device 70 to the left and transported to the sample sorting device 40 by the retrieval device 13, the input device 11, the supply device 20, the two transport devices 31, and the transport device 12.

[0174] On the other hand, when empty racks are removed from the sample storage device 70, if the number of racks 100 stored in the rack storage section 361 and rack installation section 362 of the sample rearrangement device 40 exceeds a predetermined number, these empty racks are removed from the sample storage device 70 to the left and stored in the recovery device 13. Subsequently, when the number of racks 100 stored in the rack storage section 361 and rack installation section 362 of the sample rearrangement device 40 falls below a predetermined number, the empty racks in the recovery device 13 are transported to the sample rearrangement device 40 by the input device 11, supply device 20, two transport devices 31, and transport device 12, without passing through the sample storage device 70.

[0175] Thus, in the configurations shown in Figures 18 and 19, the recovery device 13, input device 11, supply device 20, two transport devices 31, transport device 12, and transport devices 51 and 61 transport the rack 100 between the sample sorting device 40 and the sample storage device 70. With this configuration, the rack 100 can be transported smoothly between the sample sorting device 40 and the sample storage device 70.

[0176] <Example of change 2> The specimen testing system 1 in Figure 1 may include only the specimen sorting device 40 among the specimen sorting device 40 and the specimen storage device 70. In other words, the specimen storage device 70 may be omitted from the specimen testing system 1 shown in Figure 1.

[0177] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the specimen testing system 1 according to modification example 2.

[0178] In this modified example, the rack 100 holding the samples after testing is transported to the left and collected by the collection device 13. In the configuration of Figure 20, the transport devices 51 and 61 are equipped with a rack transport path 1a and transport the rack 100 between the smear preparation device 52 and the analyzer 62 (sample processing device) and the sample rearrangement device 40. This allows the rack 100 to be transported smoothly between the sample processing device and the sample rearrangement device 40.

[0179] <Example of change 3> The specimen testing system 1 in Figure 1 may include only the specimen storage device 70 among the specimen sorting device 40 and specimen storage device 70. In other words, the specimen sorting device 40 and the transport device 12 may be omitted from the specimen testing system 1 shown in Figure 1.

[0180] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the specimen testing system 1 according to modification example 3.

[0181] In this modified example, the rack 100 holding the samples after testing is transported to the left, and the containers 110 held in the rack 100 are stored in the sample storage device 70. In the configuration of Figure 21, the transport devices 51 and 61 are equipped with a rack transport path 1a and transport the rack 100 between the smear preparation device 52 and the analyzer 62 (sample processing device) and the sample storage device 70. This allows the rack 100 to be transported smoothly between the sample processing device and the sample storage device 70.

[0182] <Other examples of changes> In the above embodiment, the second layer of the sample sorting device 40 is provided above the first layer, but it may also be provided below the first layer. The second layer of the sample storage device 70 is provided above the first layer, but it may also be provided below the first layer.

[0183] In the sample sorting device 40, if the width of the intermediate passage 304 is set to accommodate racks 100, racks 100 whose rack ID and sample ID have been read in the loading passage 301 may be stored in the intermediate passage 304. Similarly, in the sample storage device 70, if the width of the intermediate passage 424 is set to accommodate racks 100, racks 100 whose rack ID and sample ID have been read in the loading passage 421 may be stored in the intermediate passage 424. In these cases, while the racks 100 are raised and lowered at the lifting positions P12 and P22, subsequent racks 100 can be kept waiting in the intermediate passages 304 and 424. Therefore, processing of subsequent racks 100 can be carried out quickly, further increasing processing efficiency.

[0184] As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the lifting mechanisms 42 and 72 raise and lower the rack 100 by moving the support parts 42a and 72a that support the lower surface of the rack 100 up and down. However, the lifting mechanisms 42 and 72 may also raise and lower the rack 100 by moving the gripping parts that grip the left and right or front and rear sides of the rack 100 up and down.

[0185] As shown in Figure 12, the container 110 is gripped by the gripping members 710 and 720 moving closer together and further apart in the left-right direction. However, the container 110 may also be gripped by the gripping members 710 and 720 moving closer together and further apart in the front-rear direction. Alternatively, instead of the gripping members 710 and 720, the container 110 may be gripped by three or more rod-shaped members that move closer to and further apart from the container 110 in a plan view.

[0186] The rack waiting areas 311, 431, the transport path 411, the rack storage section 361, and the rack installation section 362 are composed of plate members whose upper surfaces are parallel to the horizontal plane, but they may also be composed of a conveyor belt that moves in the front-rear direction. In this case, the transport mechanism for transporting the racks 100 on the rack waiting areas 311, 431, the transport path 411, the rack storage section 361, and the rack installation section 362 includes a motor that drives the conveyor belt.

[0187] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the transfer of container 110 was performed at the second-level lifting position P15 in the sample sorting device 40, and at the second-level lifting position P25 in the sample storage device 70. However, the transfer of container 110 is not limited to these positions, and may be performed at other positions on the second level different from lifting positions P15 and P25.

[0188] Although the sample sorting device 40 and the transport device 12 were separate components, they may be configured as a single device. In this case, the first layer of the sample sorting device 40 and the transport device 12 are integrated. As a result, similar to the above embodiment, the containers 110 are transferred in the second layer while the racks 100 are waiting in the rack waiting area 311 of the first layer. This effectively reduces the installation area of ​​the sample testing system 1.

[0189] Embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0190] 1. Specimen testing system 1a Rack transport path 11. Input device (conveying device) 12 Conveying device 13. Recovery device (conveyor device) 20. Supply device (conveying device) 31 Conveying device 51 Conveying device 52. Specimen preparation device (specimen processing device) 61 Conveying device 62. Analytical Instruments (Sample Processing Equipment) 70 Sample storage devices 72 Lifting mechanism 74 Container transfer mechanism 75 trays 78 1st layer 79 Second layer 100 racks (1st rack) 110 containers (sample containers) 130 Archive Rack (Rack 2) 431 Rack standby area 423, 439-442 Conveying mechanism 472 Removal section P22 Lifting position (1st lifting position) P23 Unloading position P25 Lifting position (2nd lifting position)

Claims

1. A specimen storage device connected to the rack transport path of a specimen testing system for storing specimens, A lifting mechanism for moving racks between a first lifting position, which is the rack placement position on the first level, and a second lifting position, which is the rack placement position on the second level. A container transfer mechanism that transfers sample containers from the first rack, which has been moved from the first lifting position to the second lifting position by the lifting mechanism, to the second rack located on the second level, A rack waiting area is located on the first level, and the racks are kept waiting between the first lifting position and the position where they are unloaded onto the rack transport path. The system includes a transport mechanism that transports the first rack, which has been moved from the second lifting position to the first lifting position by the lifting mechanism, to the discharge position via the rack waiting area, A specimen storage device in which the second rack, located in the second layer, and the rack waiting area are arranged vertically.

2. The second layer includes a movable tray located outside the device. The specimen storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second rack is installed in the tray.

3. The specimen storage apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rack standby area is a rectangular area between the first lifting position and the discharge position.

4. The specimen storage apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the transport mechanism moves the first rack in the short-side direction of the first rack along the rack waiting area.

5. The specimen storage apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second layer is a layer above the first layer.

6. The specimen storage apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second rack is positioned in front of the apparatus than the second lifting position.

7. The rack standby area is located in front of the device, The sample storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the rack transport path is connected to the front of the device.

8. The second layer includes an extraction section for removing the sample container to the outside. The specimen storage apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the container transfer mechanism transfers the specimen container to be removed from the second rack to the removal section.

9. A specimen processing device for processing specimens, The specimen storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, A specimen testing system comprising a transport device that transports the first rack between the specimen processing device and the specimen storage device, the transport device having the aforementioned rack transport path.

10. The specimen testing system according to claim 9, wherein the specimen processing device is a specimen preparation device for preparing a specimen smear.

Images