Sample Transport System Group Management Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sample transport systems using single carriers for test tubes lack a mechanism to transport multiple test tubes as a consecutive group, leading to reduced processing efficiency and flexibility, and often occupy conveyor lines, causing inefficiencies and potential delays in processing.
Innovation Solution
A management section that generates group information for carriers based on sample attributes and request information, allowing for group management control of carriers at a converging point, enabling simultaneous processing and minimizing the impact on other samples by selectively limiting group control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If carriers each transport only one test tube, then flexibility in transport destination selection is improved, but processing efficiency deteriorates due to inability to perform simultaneous processing on multiple samples
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple single-test-tube carriers into a group that is transported and processed together. The management section groups carriers with the same processing destination and controls them as a unit, enabling simultaneous processing while maintaining individual carrier flexibility through the grouping mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically groups and ungroups carriers based on processing requirements. Carriers are grouped when they share the same processing destination and ungrouped when they diverge, allowing the system to adapt between individual and batch processing modes as needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple carriers are transported on the conveyor line, then flexibility in handling various operation modes is improved, but conveyor line occupancy increases causing potential delays
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple carriers are merged into a group and transported together on the conveyor line, reducing the number of separate transport operations needed. This decreases conveyor line occupancy time while maintaining the ability to handle various operation modes through group management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system ensures continuous transport of grouped carriers without interruption, maintaining conveyor line efficiency. By grouping carriers that require the same processing, the system eliminates idle time and ensures continuous useful action on the conveyor line.
3Productivity
If dedicated racks holding multiple test tubes are used, then simultaneous processing capability is improved, but device complexity increases and ordinary sample processing is affected
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using dedicated racks for multiple test tubes, the patent segments the system into individual carrier units that are grouped logically by the management section. This maintains simplicity at the hardware level while achieving batch processing through software-controlled grouping and management of individual carriers.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention is principally characterized to include a management section (100) which holds information on the status of a sample transport system as a whole as well as sample information in order to transport and control a plurality of carriers as a consecutive group and which generates group information on a group of carriers to be handled simultaneously based on sample attributes and request information; and units (1, 2, 3) made up of a conveyer line (11), a connecting line (12), and a processing section (15) to control received carriers at a converging point (13) based on the group information, so as to permit group management control of the carriers. In this manner, the sample transport system processes as a single batch a plurality of samples collected for the same processing purpose. This constitutes a mechanism capable of transporting the multiple samples as a connected group under a group management control scheme without recourse to carriers each capable of carrying a plurality of containers. Simultaneously processing a plurality of samples allows the system to improve processing efficiency. The system further suppresses the rate of line occupancy under group management control, thus ensuring the above-mentioned processing efficiency and reducing processing time.