Specimen transport device, specimen analysis system, and specimen pretreatment device

Abstract

The present invention provides a transport device that can stably transport an object to be transported. A specimen transport device (1) according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of electromagnets each provided with a tooth (20) formed from a magnetic substance and a coil (30) wound around the tooth (20); and an object to be transported which is provided with a permanent magnet (10) and which is placed above the electromagnets. The object to be transported is a container carrier that holds a specimen container containing a specimen, namely a biological sample, and is transported on at least part of a transport line to an analysis unit. At the analysis unit, components contained in a biological sample are analyzed for biological samples that have reacted with a reagent. The coil (30) comprises a lower coil (30a) located at the position closest to the object to be transported and a propulsion coil (30b) which is in front of the object to be transported in the direction of travel and which generates thrust directed at the object to be transported. When transporting the object to be transported, the lower coil (30a) is excited, after which the propulsion coil (30b) is excited to propel the object to be transported.

Description

Specimen transport device, specimen analysis system, and specimen pretreatment device

[0001] The present invention relates to a specimen transport device that transports specimens, which are biological samples, a specimen analysis system that analyzes specimens, and a specimen pretreatment device that performs pretreatment on specimens.

[0002] Sample analysis systems for clinical testing perform specified analysis items on biological samples (specimens), such as blood, plasma, serum, urine, and other bodily fluids. These sample analysis systems are connected to multiple types of equipment, and can automatically process each step. To streamline laboratory operations, analytical sections for multiple fields, such as biochemistry and immunology, and pre-processing sections that perform pre-processing required for analysis, are connected by a transport device (transport line), and these are operated as a single system.

[0003] In conventional sample analysis systems, the transport device mainly transports samples using a belt drive system. With this belt drive system, if any abnormality occurs in the belt and sample transport stops, samples cannot be supplied to each device, and sample analysis is interrupted. For this reason, transport devices using a belt drive system must pay close attention to belt abnormalities (e.g., wear). For this reason, a system that uses electromagnetic attraction force as thrust to transport samples has attracted attention.

[0004] With the advancement of medical technology and the aging society, the importance of sample processing is increasing. Therefore, in order to improve the analytical processing capacity of sample analysis systems, there is a demand for devices that can transport samples at high speed, simultaneously transport large quantities of samples, and transport samples in multiple directions. Examples of conventional technologies that achieve such transport are described in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0005] The laboratory sample delivery system described in Patent Document 1 is highly flexible and has high transport performance, and comprises a container carrier equipped with a magnetically active device, preferably a permanent magnet, for carrying sample containers, a transport plane for carrying the container carrier, and an electromagnetic actuator stationary positioned below the transport plane and for moving the container carrier on the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to the container carrier.

[0006] The laboratory sample delivery system described in Patent Document 2 includes multiple electromagnetic actuators that apply magnetic forces to the container carriers to move them across a transport plane. One electromagnetic actuator is activated by driving a coil with a drive current, causing an electromagnetic current. This electromagnetic current is induced by a coupling element and extends through the ferromagnetic core of the unactivated electromagnetic actuator. As a result, a magnetic pushing force is generated by the electromagnetic actuator interacting with the permanent magnet, reducing friction and superimposing in a desired direction on the pulling force generated by the activated electromagnetic actuator. The multiple electromagnetic actuators are activated in multiple steps, i.e., at different times from each other.

[0007] JP 2017-77971 A JP 2017-227648 A

[0008] In the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the electromagnetic actuator to be activated is switched depending on the position of a container carrier equipped with a permanent magnet, and current is passed through the electromagnetic actuator at the desired position to move the container carrier, and the container carrier is stopped at the target position by the attractive force of the electromagnetic actuator against the permanent magnet. In such electromagnetic actuators, even if the current in the coil is the same, the thrust varies greatly depending on the position of the transported object, such as the container carrier. In other words, the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a problem in that it is difficult to control the thrust in order to transport the transported object accurately and at a stable speed without causing significant shaking.

[0009] By feeding back the position and speed of the transported object to the control, it is possible to precisely control the speed and suppress speed variations. However, especially when the travel distance of the transported object is short, the control time is short, so if the initial position of the transported object deviates from the expected position, it is difficult to correct the difference in thrust force caused by this position deviation. This can result in the transported object stopping position deviating from the target position, or overshooting or undershooting from the target position. Furthermore, if the transported object contains a liquid sample, the uneven speed of the transported object can cause the sample to shake, resulting in foaming or liquid spillage, which can adversely affect the sample analysis.

[0010] As described above, conventional conveying devices have a problem in terms of stably conveying the object to be conveyed.

[0011] An object of the present invention is to provide a transport device capable of stably transporting an object to be transported, and to provide a sample analysis system and a sample pretreatment device that include this transport device.

[0012] The sample transport device according to the present invention comprises a plurality of electromagnets, each having teeth made of a magnetic material and a coil wound around the teeth, and a transported object having a permanent magnet and positioned above the electromagnets. The transported object is a container carrier that holds a sample container containing a biological sample, and is transported along at least a portion of a transport line to an analysis unit. In the analysis unit, components contained in the biological sample that has reacted with a reagent are analyzed. The coils include a lower coil located closest to the transported object, and a propulsion coil located ahead of the transported object in the direction of travel, generating thrust toward the transported object. When transporting the transported object, the lower coil is excited, and then the propulsion coil is excited to propel the transported object.

[0013] The sample analysis system according to the present invention includes a container carrier for holding a sample container containing a biological sample, an input section in which the sample is placed, an analysis section for analyzing the transported sample, and a sample transport device for transporting the sample from the input section to the analysis section. The analysis section analyzes components contained in the biological sample after the biological sample has reacted with a reagent. The sample transport device includes a plurality of electromagnets, each having teeth made of a magnetic material and a coil wound around the teeth, and the sample to be transported, which has a permanent magnet and is positioned above the electromagnets. The coils include a lower coil closest to the sample and a propulsion coil ahead of the sample in the direction of travel for generating thrust toward the sample. When the sample is transported, the lower coil is excited first, and then the propulsion coil is excited to propel the sample.

[0014] The present invention provides a sample pretreatment device, in which the transported object is a container carrier for holding a sample container containing a biological sample, connected to a sample analysis system for analyzing the sample. The device includes a pretreatment unit that performs pretreatment on the sample transported to the sample analysis system, and a sample transport device that transports the transported object to the sample analysis system. The sample analysis system includes an analysis unit that analyzes components contained in the biological sample after reaction with a reagent. The sample transport device includes multiple electromagnets, each having teeth made of a magnetic material and a coil wound around the teeth, and the transported object, which has a permanent magnet and is positioned above the electromagnets. The coils include a lower coil closest to the transported object and a propulsion coil located ahead of the transported object in the direction of travel and generating thrust toward the transported object. When the transported object is transported, the lower coil is excited first, and then the propulsion coil is excited to propel the transported object.

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a transport device that can stably transport an object to be transported, and to provide a sample analysis system and a sample pretreatment device that include this transport device.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a conveying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the conveying device cut along the ZX plane in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the positions of permanent magnets as seen from above in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the position of the permanent magnet of the conveyed object and the thrust acting on the conveyed object when a constant current is passed through the coil at position B in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern of current supplied to the lower coil in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern of current supplied to the lower coil in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern of current supplied to the lower coil intermittently and gradually increasing the current application time over time in the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern of current supplied to the lower coil in the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern of current supplied to the lower coil and a propulsion coil located ahead of the conveyed object in the traveling direction in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern of current supplied to the propulsion coil before the current supplied to the lower coil becomes zero in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern of current supplied to the lower coil before the current supplied to the propulsion coil becomes zero in the fourth embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the conveying device cut in the ZX plane in Example 5 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the outline of the whole structure of the sample analysis system by Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the outline of the whole structure of the sample pretreatment device by Example of this invention.

[0017] The specimen transport device according to the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as the "transport device") is a device for transporting an object, which is a transport target, and can transport the object stably. The transport device according to the present invention can be used, for example, in a specimen analysis system for analyzing a specimen, where the specimen is a container carrier used to transport a biological sample such as blood or urine (hereinafter referred to as a "specimen"), or in a specimen pretreatment device for performing pretreatment of the specimen required for specimen analysis.

[0018] In the conveying device according to the present invention, by aligning the position of the object to be conveyed with the position of the coil (or tooth) below the object that is closest to the object, the initial position of the object to be conveyed can be set to a predetermined position, the thrust acting on the object to be conveyed can be stabilized, and the object can be conveyed stably. As a result, the conveying device according to the present invention can stop the object to be conveyed at the target position with high precision, prevent unevenness in the movement speed of the object to be conveyed, and, if the object to be conveyed is liquid, suppress swaying and splashing of the liquid.

[0019] The following describes a transport device, a sample analysis system, and a sample pretreatment device according to embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in this specification, identical or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description of these components may be omitted.

[0020] A conveying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0021] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a conveying device according to this embodiment. The conveying device 1 includes a plurality of teeth 20 made of a magnetic material and a plurality of coils 30. More specifically, the conveying device 1 includes a plurality of electromagnets each having teeth 20 and coils 30 wound around the teeth 20. Fig. 1 shows, as an example, a conveying device 1 including five electromagnets.

[0022] Furthermore, the transport device 1 includes a transport object, a bridge 40 (yoke), and a transport surface (not shown in FIG. 1 ). The transport object includes a permanent magnet 10, is placed on the transport surface above the electromagnets (i.e., the teeth 20 and the coil 30), and moves horizontally on the transport surface. As will be described in Example 6 below, the transport object is transported on at least a portion of a transport line to an analysis unit. In the analysis unit, components contained in a biological sample (specimen) that has reacted with a reagent are analyzed.

[0023] The conveying device 1 includes a control unit (for example, the control unit 120 shown in FIG. 13 ), and conveys the object to a desired position based on a control signal generated by the control unit. For example, the control unit generates a control signal for exciting the coil 30, and supplies a current to the coil 30 based on the control signal to excite the coil 30.

[0024] The conveying device 1 conveys the object by moving the permanent magnets 10 provided on the object using magnetic poles generated by current supplied to the coils 30. In other words, the conveying device 1 conveys the object by generating magnetic poles on the teeth 20 in the direction in which the object is to be moved, and attracting the permanent magnets 10 with these magnetic poles.

[0025] The transported object is, for example, a container carrier. Examples of container carriers include a sample holder that holds one sample container at a time and a sample rack that holds multiple sample containers. The sample container is a container that contains a sample, such as a test tube or sample cell that can contain a liquid sample.

[0026] The object to be conveyed may include one or more permanent magnets 10. In the following description, the object to be conveyed may also be represented by a permanent magnet 10.

[0027] 1, the vertical direction (up and down direction) is defined as the Z direction, and two directions that are perpendicular to each other in a plane (horizontal plane) perpendicular to the Z direction are defined as the X direction and the Y direction. The magnetization direction (direction of the magnetic field) of the permanent magnet 10 is the Z direction. Furthermore, the direction (upward) in which the object to be conveyed (permanent magnet 10) is located as viewed from the teeth 20 is defined as the +Z direction.

[0028] The five teeth 20 are magnetically coupled to one another by a magnetic bridge 40 at a portion opposite to the portion facing the permanent magnet 10 in the Z direction (i.e., the end on the -Z direction side). The teeth 20, coil 30, and bridge 40 form a magnetic circuit unit.

[0029] With this configuration, the transport device 1 has the advantages of being able to hold multiple teeth 20, accurately determine the positions of the teeth 20, and increase the magnetic flux acting on the permanent magnet 10.

[0030] In this embodiment, five electromagnets (sets of teeth 20 and coils 30) are arranged in a cross shape in the XY plane. This arrangement of the electromagnets allows the permanent magnet 10 to move in the X and Y directions. Although the number of electromagnets is five in this embodiment, the conveying device 1 can be equipped with any number of electromagnets. The multiple electromagnets are arranged across the area where the object to be conveyed is desired to be conveyed. The object to be conveyed can be conveyed over a wide area by the multiple electromagnets.

[0031] As shown in Figure 1, the permanent magnet 10 of the object to be transported is positioned so as to face the end (upper end) of the tooth 20 on the +Z direction side in the Z direction, and moves on a transport surface not shown in Figure 1.

[0032] The conveying surface is provided on the upper surface of the plurality of electromagnets, and an object to be conveyed is placed on the conveying surface so as to be movable in the horizontal direction.

[0033] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the conveying device 1 taken along the ZX plane. Fig. 2 shows three teeth 20, three coils 30, a bridge 40 connecting the three teeth 20, a permanent magnet 10 of the conveyed object, and a conveying surface 15 along which the permanent magnet 10 moves. The teeth 20 and coils 30 are located below the conveyed object (permanent magnet 10).

[0034] In the following, the position of any one tooth 20 will be referred to as position A, and the position of one tooth 20 adjacent to the tooth 20 at position A will be referred to as position B. In addition, in the following, when the permanent magnet 10 is directly above the tooth 20 at position A, it will be referred to as the permanent magnet 10 being at position A, or the position of the permanent magnet 10 being position A. The same will be said for position B.

[0035] The current position of the permanent magnet 10 is assumed to be position A in Fig. 2. The direction of movement of the permanent magnet 10 is the +X direction (the direction from left to right in Fig. 2). That is, the object to be transported (permanent magnet 10) starts at position A and moves from position A to position B.

[0036] Furthermore, hereinafter, of the multiple coils 30, the coil 30 closest to the object to be transferred will be referred to as the "lower coil 30a." The lower coil 30a is located below the object to be transferred (or the permanent magnet 10) and is the coil 30 to which the object to be transferred is closest. Of the multiple teeth 20, the tooth 20 closest to the object to be transferred will be referred to as the "lower tooth 20a." The lower tooth 20a is located below the object to be transferred (or the permanent magnet 10) and is the tooth 20 to which the object to be transferred is closest.

[0037] To move the permanent magnet 10 in the direction of travel, current is passed through the coil 30 located in front of the permanent magnet 10 in the direction of travel (in Figure 2, the coil 30 arranged around the tooth 20 at position B), causing a magnetic pole to be generated in the tooth 20 located in front of the direction of travel (in Figure 2, the tooth 20 at position B) that attracts the magnetic pole of the permanent magnet 10.

[0038] Hereinafter, the coil 30 that generates an attractive force by passing an electric current through it to move the permanent magnet 10 in the traveling direction, i.e., the coil that is located in front of the traveling direction of the permanent magnet 10 and generates a thrust force toward the permanent magnet 10, will be referred to as the "propulsion coil 30b."

[0039] The permanent magnet 10 generally slides on the conveying surface 15. In this embodiment, the conveying surface 15 is a flat surface parallel to the XY plane (horizontal plane), and is installed at the end (upper end) of the tooth 20 on the +Z direction side.

[0040] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the position of the permanent magnet 10 as viewed from above (+Z direction). Fig. 3 shows five teeth 20 and the permanent magnet 10 of the transport object. The permanent magnet 10 is currently at position A and moves from position A to position B. The tooth 20 at position A is the lower tooth 20a.

[0041] The object to be conveyed can be placed on the conveying surface 15, for example, by using a feeder or a robot hand, or by manual work. When placing the object to be conveyed on the conveying surface 15, it is preferable that the center position of the permanent magnet 10 of the object to be conveyed coincides with the center position of the tooth 20.

[0042] However, when the object to be conveyed is placed on the conveying surface 15, the center position of the permanent magnet 10 often deviates from the center position of the tooth 20. It is preferable to correct such misalignment of the object to be conveyed. However, particularly when there are a large number of objects to be conveyed, it is difficult to measure the positions of the placed objects to be conveyed and adjust the position of each object to be conveyed, making it difficult to correct the misalignment of the objects to be conveyed.

[0043] When starting to transport the object, if the center position of the permanent magnet 10 of the object is shifted from the center position of the tooth 20, the thrust during transport will differ from the thrust that is actually required depending on the amount of this shift.

[0044] Furthermore, when the object is being transported, the movement of the object temporarily stops at a position where the path of the object turns or where a reagent is to be dripped or dispensed onto the object. At this time, it is preferable that the center of the permanent magnet 10 of the object coincides with the center of the tooth 20.

[0045] However, when the movement of the transported object stops, at that stopped position, the center position of the permanent magnet 10 often deviates from the center position of the tooth 20. When such a positional deviation of the transported object occurs, the thrust when the transported object starts moving again differs from the thrust that is originally required, depending on the amount of this deviation.

[0046] As described above, if a difference in thrust occurs when transporting the transported object due to a positional deviation of the transported object (deviation from the expected position of the initial position of movement), the stopping position of the transported object will deviate from the target position, or the transported object will overshoot or undershoot from the target position.If the transported object contains a liquid sample, uneven speed of the transported object will cause the sample to shake, resulting in foaming or liquid spillage, which may have a negative impact on the analysis of the sample.

[0047] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the position of the permanent magnet 10 of the transported object and the thrust Fx acting on the transported object when a constant current is passed through the coil 30 at position B. By passing a current through the coil 30 at position B, a magnetic pole that attracts the permanent magnet 10 is generated in the teeth 20 at position B.

[0048] Assuming that the object to be conveyed (permanent magnet 10) is at position A, the permanent magnet 10 moves from position A to position B in the X direction, with the X-direction component of the attractive force generated in the teeth 20 being thrust Fx. The thrust Fx acting on the permanent magnet 10 changes depending on the distance from position A. As the permanent magnet 10 approaches position B from position A, the distance between the permanent magnet 10 and position B becomes shorter, and the thrust Fx increases. However, as the permanent magnet 10 further approaches position B, the Z-direction component of the attractive force generated by the teeth 20 at position B increases, and the X-direction component, i.e., thrust Fx, decreases. For example, at position B, the attractive force generated by the teeth 20 at position B has only a Z-direction component, and the X-direction component, thrust Fx, is zero.

[0049] As can be seen from Figure 4, the thrust Fx acting on the object to be transported (permanent magnet 10) changes depending on the distance (amount of deviation) from position A. For this reason, when permanent magnet 10 of the object to be transported is moved to position B from an initial position deviated from position A, the thrust Fx acting on permanent magnet 10 differs from the thrust that is actually required (thrust when moving to position B from position A as the initial position). In this way, a deviation in the position of permanent magnet 10 (deviation from the initial position) also causes a deviation in the thrust Fx acting on permanent magnet 10.

[0050] For example, when the permanent magnet 10 moves from a position closer to position B than to position A, the thrust Fx becomes larger than when the permanent magnet 10 is at position A, causing the transported object to overshoot or stop at a position beyond the target position. Also, when the permanent magnet 10 moves from a position farther from position B than to position A, the thrust Fx becomes smaller than when the permanent magnet 10 is at position A, causing the transported object to undershoot, stop at a position short of the target position, or experience an unexpected decrease in speed.

[0051] In the conventional technology, a positional deviation (deviation from the initial position) of the permanent magnet 10 causes a deviation in the thrust Fx acting on the permanent magnet 10, making it difficult to stably transport the transported object. For example, in the conventional technology, when transporting multiple transported objects, variations in operation time and stopping positions occur among the transported objects, resulting in a problem of low transport stability.

[0052] In the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, when the object to be conveyed is conveyed, the lower coil 30a is excited to attract the object to the lower coil 30a (or the lower teeth 20a) while the object is stationary, and then the propulsion coil 30b is excited to propel the object. By attracting the object to the lower coil 30a, the initial position of the object to be conveyed can be set to a specific position (e.g., position A).

[0053] For example, in the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, when an object to be conveyed is placed on the conveying surface 15, the lower coil 30a (i.e., one of the multiple coils 30 that is closest to the object to be conveyed) is excited at least one of the following times: after the movement of the object to be conveyed temporarily stops, and when conveyance of the stopped object to be conveyed starts, thereby generating an attractive force in the lower coil 30a (or the lower teeth 20a). This attractive force then aligns the center of the permanent magnet 10 of the object to be conveyed with the center of the excited lower coil 30a (the center of the lower teeth 20a).

[0054] That is, in the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, when the object to be conveyed is stopped or when conveyance of the object to be conveyed is started, current is supplied to the lower coil 30a to excite the lower coil 30a, thereby aligning the position of the permanent magnet 10 of the object to be conveyed (the initial position of the movement of the object to be conveyed) with the position of the lower coil 30a (or the lower teeth 20a).

[0055] Note that the positions being the same do not necessarily have to be the same exactly, and also include cases where the positions can be considered to be the same, such as when the difference between the center position of the permanent magnet 10 of the transported body and the center position of the coil 30 (the center position of the tooth 20) is within a predetermined tolerance range.

[0056] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern of current supplied to the lower coil 30a. The current pattern shown in Fig. 5 is a current pattern when, for example, the permanent magnet 10 of the transport object is near position A and the lower coil 30a at position A is excited to align the center position of the permanent magnet 10 with the center position of the lower coil 30a (lower teeth 20a) at position A. Fig. 5 shows, as an example, a pattern in which current is supplied intermittently in pulses to the lower coil 30a.

[0057] When the lower coil 30a (coil 30 at position A) is excited so that the permanent magnet 10 is attracted to the lower coil 30a, a force is generated that tries to align the center of the permanent magnet 10 with the center of the lower coil 30a (lower teeth 20a). This force brings the center of the permanent magnet 10 of the object to be transported closer to the center of the lower coil 30a, preferably aligning these centers, thereby stabilizing the thrust when the object is moved.

[0058] As shown in Figure 5, it is preferable to intermittently supply current to the lower coil 30a (in this embodiment, the coil 30 at position A) to intermittently excite the lower coil 30a. When the lower coil 30a is intermittently excited, the force acting on the object to be conveyed becomes oscillatory, and this vibration makes it possible to easily move the object to be conveyed.

[0059] Although FIG. 5 shows an example in which a pulsed current is supplied to the lower coil 30a, the current supplied to the lower coil 30a is not limited to a pulsed current, and any other current having an arbitrary waveform, such as a sinusoidal current or a rectangular current, can be used.

[0060] Furthermore, when current is intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a, the frequency of the current supply is preferably the natural frequency of the object to be transported or a frequency close to the natural frequency of the object. Supplying current to the coil 30 at such a frequency causes the object to resonate, allowing the object to be moved with a small current (i.e., a small thrust), making it possible to effectively adjust the position of the object and transport the object more stably. Note that a frequency close to the natural frequency of the object to be transported refers to a frequency that can be considered the natural frequency of the object to be transported, for example, a frequency whose difference from the natural frequency is within a predetermined tolerance range.

[0061] As described above, in this embodiment, when the object to be conveyed is stopped or when conveyance of the object begins, current is supplied to the coil 30 (lower coil 30a) below the object to which the object is closest, exciting the lower coil 30a, and by aligning the position of the permanent magnet 10 of the object with the position of the lower coil 30a (or lower teeth 20a), the initial position of the object to be conveyed can be set to a predetermined position and the thrust force that moves the object can be stabilized. Therefore, in this embodiment, the object can be conveyed stably and stopped with high positional accuracy.

[0062] A conveying device 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The conveying device 1 according to this embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the conveying device 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2) according to the first embodiment. The following mainly describes the differences between the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment and the conveying device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 4, when a current is supplied to the coil 30 at position B, the thrust Fx acting on the object to be conveyed changes depending on the position of the object to be conveyed (permanent magnet 10).

[0064] Here, let us consider a case in which the permanent magnet 10 is located near position B, and current is supplied to the lower coil 30a (coil 30 at position B) located below the permanent magnet 10 and closest to the permanent magnet 10, exciting this lower coil 30a to generate a thrust force Fx, thereby aligning the position of the permanent magnet 10 with the position of the lower coil 30a at position B.

[0065] 4, the thrust force Fx generated in the permanent magnet 10 increases the farther the permanent magnet 10 is positioned from position B (i.e., the greater the deviation of the permanent magnet 10 from position B). Therefore, if the permanent magnet 10 (object to be transported) is positioned away from position B, a large force is suddenly applied to the permanent magnet 10 when the lower coil 30a (coil 30 at position B) is excited, and a large acceleration force is suddenly generated in the object to be transported. If the object to be transported is a liquid sample, this large acceleration force may cause the sample to shake, foam or splash, or spill.

[0066] Therefore, in this embodiment, the magnitude of the current supplied to the lower coil 30a is initially small and gradually increased over time, so that the force acting on the permanent magnet 10 can be initially small and gradually increased over time, thereby preventing a large acceleration force from being generated on the transported object.

[0067] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern of current supplied to the lower coil 30a in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, a current whose magnitude increases over time is intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a.

[0068] When the permanent magnet 10 of the object to be transported is located very close to the lower coil 30a (the coil 30 whose center is to be aligned with the permanent magnet 10), the initial value of the current is small, and so the generated thrust Fx is also small at first. As the magnitude of the current increases over time, the thrust Fx gradually increases. Then, when the thrust Fx exceeds the static friction force of the object to be transported, the object to be transported begins to move, and the center position of the object to be transported (permanent magnet 10) can be aligned with the center position of the lower coil 30a.

[0069] When the permanent magnet 10 of the object to be conveyed is located far from the lower coil 30a, even if the initial value of the current is small, the position of the permanent magnet 10 is far from the lower coil 30a (in FIG. 4, the permanent magnet 10 is located far from position B), so the thrust Fx acting on the permanent magnet 10 is large. Therefore, the object to be conveyed can be moved by this thrust Fx, and the center position of the object to be conveyed (permanent magnet 10) can be aligned with the center position of the lower coil 30a.

[0070] Although FIG. 6 shows an example in which a pulsed current whose magnitude increases over time is supplied, the supplied current is not limited to a pulsed current and can have any waveform such as a sinusoidal or rectangular waveform.

[0071] In the above description, an example has been described in which the magnitude of the current intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a is gradually increased over time. The current flow time of the current intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a may also be gradually increased over time. By increasing the time the current is flowing intermittently to the lower coil 30a, the force acting on the permanent magnet 10 can be initially small and gradually increased over time, just as in the case of increasing the magnitude of the current.

[0072] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern of current intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a, in which the current supply time is gradually increased over time.

[0073] Furthermore, the current intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a may be gradually increased in both magnitude and duration over time, i.e., at least one of the magnitude and duration of the current intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a may be gradually increased over time.

[0074] Furthermore, the magnitude and / or duration of the current intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a may be decreased or varied arbitrarily over time. By varying at least one of the magnitude and duration of this current arbitrarily (for example, monotonically increasing, monotonically decreasing, or a combination of increasing and decreasing), it is possible to prevent a large acceleration force from being generated on the transported object and to apply a vibrating force to the transported object, thereby making it easier to move the transported object.

[0075] A conveying device 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The conveying device 1 according to this embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the conveying device 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2) according to the first embodiment. The following mainly describes the differences between the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment and the conveying device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0076] When a current is supplied to the coil 30 and a magnetic attraction force is generated in the teeth 20, the permanent magnet 10 of the object to be conveyed is attracted to the teeth 20 and moves. At this time, a frictional force is generated in the object to be conveyed, and particularly in the vicinity directly above the teeth 20, there is a range in which this frictional force prevents the object from moving easily with a small thrust Fx.

[0077] Therefore, in this embodiment, the direction of the current supplied to the coil 30 (lower coil 30 a) below the object to be conveyed (permanent magnet 10) and closest to the object to be conveyed is changed over time, so that the teeth 20 (or lower coil 30 a) alternately generate an attractive force and a repulsive force toward the object to be conveyed, thereby moving the object to be conveyed. By alternately generating an attractive force and a repulsive force toward the object to be conveyed, the thrust force Fx acting on the object to be conveyed becomes oscillatory, and this oscillation can reduce the effects of frictional forces, making it easier to move the object to be conveyed. In addition, by moving the object to be conveyed away from the coil 30 by the repulsive force toward the object to be conveyed, the thrust force Fx acting on the object to be conveyed is increased (see FIG. 4 ), which also has the effect of facilitating the movement of the object to be conveyed.

[0078] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern of current supplied to the lower coil 30a in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, a current whose flow direction alternates over time is intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a. This causes the lower coil 30a to alternately generate an attractive force and a repulsive force with respect to the permanent magnet 10 of the transport object. Fig. 8 shows an example in which a positive current generates an attractive force and a negative current generates a repulsive force.

[0079] For example, at time t1, a positive current is supplied to the lower coil 30a to generate an attractive force on the lower teeth 20a (lower coil 30a), and at the next time t2, a negative current is supplied to the lower coil 30a to generate a repulsive force on the lower teeth 20a. Then, at the next time t3, a positive current is supplied to the lower coil 30a, and at the next time t4, a negative current is supplied to the lower coil 30a, thereby alternately generating an attractive force and a repulsive force on the lower teeth 20a.

[0080] The repulsive force generated by the lower teeth 20a has not only an X-direction component (repulsive force in the X-direction) but also a Z-direction component (repulsive force in the Z-direction). The repulsive force in the Z-direction is a force that moves the object being transported in an undesired direction, so it is preferable to make it small. Therefore, it is preferable that the current supplied to the coil 30 that generates the repulsive force be smaller than the current that generates the attractive force in at least one of the magnitude and duration of current flow. This allows for gentle changes in the movement of the object being transported, ensuring stable transport of the object.

[0081] FIG. 8 shows an example in which the magnitude of the current (negative current) that generates a repulsive force is smaller than the magnitude of the current (positive current) that generates an attractive force.

[0082] In this embodiment, the direction of the current supplied to the lower coil 30a is changed over time, causing the lower coil 30a (or lower teeth 20a) to alternately generate an attractive force and a repulsive force toward the object being transported, thereby reducing the effect of the frictional force generated in the object being transported and easily aligning the position of the permanent magnet 10 of the object being transported with the position of the lower coil 30a (or lower teeth 20a).

[0083] A conveying device 1 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The conveying device 1 according to this embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the conveying device 1 according to the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 2). The following mainly describes the differences between the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment and the conveying device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0084] In the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, as described in the first to third embodiments, current is intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a (the coil 30 at position A in the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3), causing an attractive force to be generated in the lower coil 30a (or the lower teeth 20a). Then, currents that generate an attractive force are alternately supplied to the lower coil 30a and the propulsion coil 30b (the coil 30 located ahead in the traveling direction of the conveyed object and generating a thrust force toward the permanent magnet 10, the coil 30 at position B in the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0085] For example, while current is intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a (coil 30 at position A), current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b (coil 30 at position B) during the time period when current is not being supplied to the lower coil 30a. Similar to the lower coil 30a, a current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b so as to generate an attractive force in the lower coil 30a (or lower teeth 20a).

[0086] In this embodiment, currents that generate attractive forces are alternately supplied to the lower coil 30a and the propulsion coil 30b, thereby alternately generating attractive forces in the lower coil 30a and the propulsion coil 30b. For example, while current is intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a, a current that generates an attractive force in the propulsion coil 30b is supplied during a period when current is not being supplied to the lower coil 30a. By flowing current in this manner, the position of the permanent magnet 10 of the transported object can be effectively aligned with the position of the lower coil 30a, i.e., the position of the lower teeth 20a.

[0087] 9 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern of current supplied to the lower coil 30 a and the propulsion coil 30 b. The upper part of Fig. 9 shows the pattern of current supplied to the lower coil 30 a, and the lower part of Fig. 9 shows the pattern of current supplied to the propulsion coil 30 b.

[0088] At time t11, when the operation starts, a current is supplied to the lower coil 30a (the coil 30 at position A) to generate an attractive force, which attracts the object to be transported toward the lower coil 30a (i.e., toward position A).

[0089] At time t12, the current supplied to the lower coil 30a is set to zero, and current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b to generate an attractive force, which attracts the object toward the propulsion coil 30b (i.e., toward position B).

[0090] At time t13, the current supplied to the propulsion coil 30b is set to zero, and current is supplied to the lower coil 30a to generate an attractive force, attracting the object to be transported toward the lower coil 30a (i.e., toward position A).

[0091] The attractive force caused by the current supplied to the lower coil 30a (position A) has a large attractive effect on the object to be transported (permanent magnet 10) because the object is located close to the lower coil 30a. On the other hand, the attractive force caused by the current supplied to the propulsion coil 30b (position B) has a small attractive effect on the object to be transported because the object is located far from the propulsion coil 30b. Because of this relationship between the attractive forces caused by the lower coil 30a and the propulsion coil 30b, the object to be transported can move toward the lower coil 30a (toward the lower teeth 20a, i.e., toward position A).

[0092] The magnitude of the current supplied to the lower coil 30a (position A) is preferably greater than the magnitude of the current supplied to the propulsion coil 30b (position B). In this way, the attractive force of the lower coil 30a can be made greater than the attractive force of the propulsion coil 30b, and the object to be carried can be effectively moved toward the lower coil 30a (i.e., toward position A).

[0093] In this embodiment, currents that generate an attractive force are alternately supplied to the lower coil 30a and the propulsion coil 30b, and a vibrational force is applied to the object to be transported (permanent magnet 10), which makes it possible to easily move the object and effectively align the position of the object to the position of the lower coil 30a (or lower teeth 20a). As a result, the initial position of the object when transported can be set to a predetermined position, the thrust force that moves the object can be stabilized, and the object can be transported stably.

[0094] In the above description, as shown in Fig. 9, while current is intermittently supplied to the lower coil 30a, current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b during the time period when current is not being supplied to the lower coil 30a. That is, after current is supplied to the lower coil 30a, the current supplied to the lower coil 30a is set to zero, and then current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b. If the current supply is suddenly switched in this way, the direction of the attractive force on the transported object may suddenly change (for example, attraction to position A may suddenly change to attraction in the opposite direction to position B), causing the transported object to fluctuate significantly and be adversely affected.

[0095] Therefore, when the current supplied to the lower coil 30a is set to zero after the current supplied to the lower coil 30a has been supplied, current may be supplied to the propulsion coil 30b before the current supplied to the lower coil 30a reaches zero. Alternatively, when the current supplied to the propulsion coil 30b is set to zero after the current supplied to the propulsion coil 30b has been supplied, current may be supplied to the lower coil 30a before the current supplied to the propulsion coil 30b reaches zero. Alternatively, these two current supply methods may be used in combination.

[0096] In other words, when switching between supplying current to the lower coil 30a and supplying current to the propulsion coil 30b, part of the time period during which current is supplied to the lower coil 30a and part of the time period during which current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b may overlap with each other.

[0097] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a current pattern in which current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b before the current supplied to the lower coil 30a becomes zero.

[0098] At time t21, current is supplied to the lower coil 30a, and at time t23, the current supplied to the lower coil 30a is set to zero. At time t22, before time t23, current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b. That is, after current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b at time t22, the current supplied to the lower coil 30a is set to zero at time t23. The time period during which current is supplied to the lower coil 30a overlaps with the time period during which current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b, between time t22 and time t23.

[0099] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a current pattern in which current is supplied to the lower coil 30a before the current supplied to the propulsion coil 30b becomes zero.

[0100] At time t31, current is supplied to the lower coil 30a, and at time t32, the current supplied to the lower coil 30a is set to zero, and current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b. At time t34, the current supplied to the propulsion coil 30b is set to zero. At time t33, prior to time t34, current is supplied to the lower coil 30a. That is, after current is supplied to the lower coil 30a at time t33, the current supplied to the propulsion coil 30b is set to zero at time t34. The time period during which current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b overlaps with the time period during which current is supplied to the lower coil 30a, between time t33 and time t34.

[0101] In this way, when switching between supplying current to the lower coil 30a and supplying current to the propulsion coil 30b, by overlapping part of the time period during which current is supplied to the lower coil 30a with part of the time period during which current is supplied to the propulsion coil 30b, it is possible to prevent the direction of the attractive force acting on the transported object from changing suddenly, and to suppress large fluctuations in the transported object.

[0102] Furthermore, in order to gradually change the direction of the attractive force acting on the transported object, the current supplied to the coil may be gradually decreased when the current is set to zero, or may be gradually increased when the current is supplied to the coil, thereby more effectively suppressing large fluctuations in the transported object.

[0103] A conveying device 1 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The conveying device 1 according to this embodiment has a configuration similar to that of the conveying device 1 according to the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 2). The following mainly describes the differences between the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment and the conveying device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0104] 12 is a schematic view of the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, taken along the ZX plane, similar to FIG. 2. The conveying device 1 according to this embodiment includes a rolling portion 50 between the object to be conveyed (permanent magnet 10) and the conveying surface 15 on which the object to be conveyed moves. More specifically, the object to be conveyed includes the rolling portion 50 on the lower surface of the object to be conveyed.

[0105] The rolling part 50 is a member that reduces friction between the transported object and the transport surface 15 when the transported object moves. The rolling part 50 can be made of any member, such as a rod-shaped member or a ball bearing.

[0106] Friction occurs between the object to be conveyed and conveying surface 15, and the force of this friction prevents the object from moving smoothly on conveying surface 15, making the movement unstable. For this reason, when this friction is large, it is necessary to increase the current that excites lower coil 30a (coil 30 at position A in the example shown in Figures 2 and 3) to obtain a large force that allows the object to overcome the frictional force and move to the center position of lower coil 30a (or lower teeth 20a).

[0107] The conveying device 1 according to this embodiment includes the rolling part 50, which can reduce friction between the conveyed object and the conveying surface 15 when the conveyed object moves, making it possible to move the conveyed object more easily and stabilizing the thrust force that moves the conveyed object. Therefore, the conveying device 1 according to this embodiment can stably convey the conveyed object.

[0108] A sample analysis system and a sample pretreatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The sample analysis system and the sample pretreatment device according to this embodiment include a transport device 1 according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments of the present invention.

[0109] First, the sample analysis system according to this embodiment will be described. The sample analysis system is an apparatus that dispenses a sample and a reagent into a reaction vessel, reacts them, and measures the reacted liquid.

[0110] 13 is a diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of a sample analysis system 100 according to this embodiment. The sample analysis system 100 includes an input unit 101, an emergency rack input port 113, a transport line 102, a buffer 104, an analysis unit 105, a storage unit 103, a display unit 118, and a control unit 120.

[0111] The loading section 101 is where a sample rack 111, which is a container carrier that holds a plurality of sample containers 122 containing biological samples (specimens) such as blood or urine, is placed.

[0112] The emergency rack insertion port 113 is a place for inserting into the device a sample rack (calibration rack) loaded with a standard solution or a sample rack 111 containing a sample container 122 containing a sample that requires urgent analysis.

[0113] The transport line 102 is a line that transports a sample rack 111 installed in the loading section 101, and can be configured with the transport device 1 according to any one of Examples 1 to 5 of the present invention. In this example, the object to be transported is the sample rack 111, and the permanent magnet 10 provided on the object to be transported is provided on the bottom surface of the sample rack 111. The transport device 1 transports the object to be transported from the loading section 101 to the analysis section 105. The sample rack 111, which is the object to be transported, is transported on at least a portion of the transport line 102 to the analysis section 105.

[0114] The buffer 104 holds a plurality of sample racks 111 transported by the transport line 102 so that the order in which samples are dispensed in the sample racks 111 can be changed.

[0115] The analysis unit 105 analyzes samples transported from the sample rack 111 via the transport line 102 from the loading unit 101 through the buffer 104. The analysis unit 105 analyzes components contained in the biological sample (sample) that has reacted with a reagent. The analysis unit 105 can have a configuration similar to that of an analysis unit included in an existing sample analysis system, for example.

[0116] The storage section 103 stores sample racks 111 that contain sample containers 122 holding samples that have been analyzed in the analysis section 105 .

[0117] The display unit 118 is a display device for displaying the results of the analysis performed by the analysis unit 105. For example, the display unit 118 displays the concentration of a predetermined component contained in the sample as the analysis result.

[0118] The control unit 120 is configured with a computer or the like, and controls the operation of each mechanism of the sample analysis system 100, and performs calculations to determine the concentration of a predetermined component in a sample such as blood or urine. The transport device 1 (transport line 102) according to the embodiment of the present invention is controlled by the control unit 120.

[0119] Next, a sample pretreatment device according to this embodiment will be described. The sample pretreatment device is a device that performs various pretreatments on samples required for sample analysis, and can be connected to a sample analysis system.

[0120] 14 is a diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of a sample pretreatment device 150 according to this embodiment. The sample pretreatment device 150 may have a configuration similar to that of existing sample pretreatment devices, and includes one or more pretreatment units that perform pretreatment on samples transported to a sample analysis system. For example, the sample pretreatment device 150 includes a capping unit 152, a sample storage unit 153, an empty holder stacker 154, a sample loading unit 155, a centrifugation unit 156, a liquid volume measurement unit 157, an uncapping unit 158, a secondary sample container preparation unit 159, a dispensing unit 160, and a transfer unit 161 as pretreatment units, as well as an operation unit 163 that controls the operation of these multiple units.

[0121] A sample analysis system 100 for performing qualitative and quantitative analysis of the components of the sample is connected to the sample pretreatment device 150 as a destination of the pretreated sample. The sample analysis system 100 analyzes the components contained in the biological sample (sample) that has reacted with a reagent.

[0122] The transport device 1 according to any one of Examples 1 to 5 of the present invention can be used to connect the multiple units included in the sample pretreatment device 150, or between the sample pretreatment device 150 and the sample analysis system 100. For example, the transport device 1 transports a container carrier, such as a sample holder or sample rack 111, that holds sample containers 122 to the sample analysis system 100 as a transport target.

[0123] The sample analysis system 100 and sample pretreatment device 150 according to this embodiment are equipped with the transport device 1 according to this embodiment of the present invention, and can transport the sample container 122 stably to the destination, thereby shortening the time until the analysis results are obtained. In addition, there are fewer problems that occur when transporting the sample container 122, which reduces the burden on the laboratory technician.

[0124] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the transport object is a sample rack 111 that holds five sample containers 122 containing samples, as shown in Fig. 13. The transport object is not limited to this sample rack 111, and may be, for example, a sample holder that holds two sample containers 122.

[0125] Furthermore, in Examples 1 to 6, the objects to be transported by the transport device 1 are not limited to container carriers such as sample holders and sample racks 111, but can be any object, for example, various objects that require large-scale transport.

[0126] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to embodiments that include all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment. It is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to delete part of the configuration of each embodiment, or to add or replace other configurations.

[0127] 1...transport device, 10...permanent magnet, 15...transport surface, 20...teeth, 20a...lower teeth, 30...coil, 30a...lower coil, 30b...propulsion coil, 40...bridge, 50...rolling section, 100...sample analysis system, 101...inlet section, 102...transport line, 103...storage section, 104...buffer, 105...analysis section, 111...sample rack, 113...emergency rack input port, 118...display section, 120...control section, 122...sample container, 150...sample pretreatment device, 152...capping unit, 153...sample storage unit, 154...empty holder stacker, 155...sample input unit, 156...centrifugation unit, 157...liquid volume measurement unit, 158...uncapping unit, 159...child sample container preparation unit, 160...dispensing unit, 161...transfer unit, 163...operation section.

Claims

1. A specimen transport device comprising: a plurality of electromagnets, each having teeth made of a magnetic material and a coil wound around the teeth; a transported object having a permanent magnet and positioned above the electromagnets; the transported object is a container carrier that holds a specimen container containing a specimen which is a biological sample, and is transported along at least a part of a transport line to an analysis section, where components contained in the biological sample that has reacted with a reagent are analyzed, the coils comprising a lower coil located closest to the transported object, and a propulsion coil located in front of the transported object in the direction of travel and generating thrust toward the transported object; and when the transported object is transported, the lower coil is excited and then the propulsion coil is excited to propel the transported object.

2. The specimen transport device according to claim 1, wherein, when transporting the object, the lower coil is excited to attract the object to the lower coil, and then the propulsion coil is excited to propel the object.

3. The specimen transport device according to claim 1, wherein the lower coil is excited while the transported object is stationary.

4. The specimen transport device according to claim 1, wherein the lower coil is excited when transport of the object to be transported is started.

5. The specimen transport device according to claim 1, wherein the lower coil is intermittently excited by intermittently supplying a current to the lower coil.

6. The specimen transport device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the magnitude and energization time of the current supplied to the lower coil varies with time.

7. The specimen transport device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the magnitude and energizing time of the current supplied to the lower coil increases with time.

8. The specimen transport device according to claim 5, wherein the direction of the current supplied to the lower coil changes with time, causing the lower coil to alternately generate an attractive force and a repulsive force against the transported object.

9. The specimen transport device according to claim 8, wherein the current that generates the repulsive force is smaller than the current that generates the attractive force in at least one of the magnitude and current flow time.

10. The specimen transport device according to claim 1, wherein currents are alternately supplied to the lower coil and the propulsion coil so as to generate an attractive force for the transported object, thereby alternately generating the attractive force of the lower coil and the attractive force of the propulsion coil.

11. The specimen transport device according to claim 10, wherein when switching between supplying the current to the lower coil and supplying the current to the propulsion coil, a time period during which the current is supplied to the lower coil and a time period during which the current is supplied to the propulsion coil overlap with each other.

12. The specimen transport device according to claim 5, wherein the frequency of the current intermittently supplied to the lower coil is the natural frequency of the transported object or a frequency close to the natural frequency.

13. The specimen transport device according to claim 1, further comprising: a transport surface along which the transported object moves; and a rolling portion between the transported object and the transport surface.

14. A sample analysis system comprising: an input section in which the transported object is placed, an analysis section in which the transported object is analyzed, and a sample transport device in which the transported object is transported from the input section to the analysis section, wherein the analysis section analyzes components contained in the biological sample that has reacted with a reagent, and wherein the sample transport device comprises: a plurality of electromagnets, each having teeth made of a magnetic material and a coil wound around the teeth, and the transported object having a permanent magnet and positioned above the electromagnets, wherein the coils include a lower coil located closest to the transported object, and a propulsion coil located in front of the transported object in the direction of travel and generating thrust toward the transported object, and wherein when the transported object is transported, the lower coil is excited and then the propulsion coil is excited to propel the transported object.

15. A specimen pretreatment device comprising: a specimen container carrier holding a specimen which is a biological sample; connected to a specimen analysis system for analyzing the specimen; a pretreatment unit which performs pretreatment on the specimen which is transported to the specimen analysis system; and a specimen transport device which transports the specimen to the specimen analysis system; the specimen analysis system comprises an analysis unit which analyzes components contained in the biological sample which has reacted with a reagent; the specimen transport device comprises: a plurality of electromagnets, each having teeth made of a magnetic material and a coil wound around the teeth; and the specimen which has a permanent magnet and is disposed above the electromagnets; the coils comprise: a lower coil which is located closest to the specimen; and a propulsion coil which is located in front of the direction of travel of the specimen and generates thrust toward the specimen; and when the specimen is transported, the lower coil is excited and then the propulsion coil is excited to propel the specimen.

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