Automatic analyzer and sample-processing system

A sample processing system comprising:

• a plurality of functional modules arranged along a first direction;
• a loader for loading a plurality of sample racks;
• a pipette included in each functional module configured to pipette a sample held in a sample rack;
• a plurality of second buffer units each combined with a functional module in a one-to-one correspondence to form a pair;
• a conveyance unit extending in the first direction, and connected to each second buffer unit, for conveying sample racks loaded by the loader to each of the plurality of functional modules through each of the plurality of second buffer units;
• a first internal buffer unit included in each of the functional modules configured to temporarily hold a sample rack at a buffer position in the first internal buffer unit while the temporarily held sample rack awaits a pipetting process by the pipette of the respective functional module at a pipetting position in the first internal buffer unit of each functional module;
• a plurality of independent conveyance lines each extending in the first direction, each connecting respective second buffer units to respective paired functional modules and each extending from the respective second buffer units into the respectively paired functional modules, wherein each conveyance line is independent of the conveyance unit and each conveyance line is configured to convey a sample rack from each respective second buffer unit to each first internal buffer of each respectively paired functional module;
• and
• a control unit,
• wherein each first internal buffer unit in each respective functional module is configured to receive sample racks from the conveyance unit and from the each respective second buffer unit of the respectively paired functional module, where the sample racks move from the conveyance unit through each respective second buffer unit and each respective conveyance line to each respective first internal buffer unit,
• wherein each second buffer unit is disposed in a second direction, different from the first direction,
• wherein each second buffer unit has a plurality of slots and each slot is configured to hold a sample rack temporarily,
• wherein each second buffer unit is disposed closer to the loader than the first internal buffer unit of the paired functional module,
• wherein the control unit is programmed to:
• execute the pipetting process by controlling each pipette to pipette a sample at each respective pipetting position in each first internal buffer unit from a sample rack that has been temporarily held in each respective first internal buffer unit at the respective buffer positions in each first internal buffer unit.

A sample processing system comprising:

• a plurality of functional modules;
• a loader for loading a plurality of sample racks;
• a pipette included in each functional module configured to pipette a sample held in a sample rack;
• a plurality of second buffer units each combined with a functional module in a one-to-one correspondence to form a pair;
• a conveyance unit extending along the functional modules, and connected to each second buffer unit, for conveying sample racks loaded by the loader to each of the plurality of functional modules through each of the plurality of second buffer units;
• a first internal buffer unit included in the functional modules configured to accept and temporarily hold a sample rack at a buffer position in the first internal buffer while the temporarily held sample rack awaits pipetting process by the pipette of the respective functional module at a pipetting position in the first internal buffer unit of each functional module;
• a plurality of independent conveyance lines each connecting respective second buffer units to respective paired functional modules and each extending from the respective second buffer units into the respectively paired functional modules, wherein each conveyance line is independent of the conveyance unit and each conveyance line is configured to convey a sample rack from each respective second buffer unit to each first internal buffer of each respectively paired functional module;
• and
• a control unit,
• wherein each first internal buffer unit in each respective functional module is configured to receive sample racks from the conveyance unit and from the each respective second buffer unit of the respectively paired functional module, where the sample racks move from the conveyance unit through each respective second buffer unit and each respective conveyance line to each respective first internal buffer unit,
• wherein each second buffer unit has a plurality of slots and each slot is configured to hold a sample rack temporarily,
• wherein each second buffer unit is disposed closer to the loader than the first internal buffer unit of the paired functional module ,
• wherein the control unit is programmed to:
• execute the pipetting process by controlling each pipette to pipette a sample at each respective pipetting position in each first internal buffer unit from a sample rack that has been temporarily held in each respective first internal buffer unit at the respective buffer positions in each first internal buffer unit.