# US 2010/0166605 A1 · Sample testing system and transporting apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0166605 A1 - Document ID: US20100166605A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/645,930 - Filed: 2009-12-23 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-26 - Assignees: Sysmex Corporation - Inventors: Yuichi Hamada; Daigo Fukuma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100166605A1 ## CPC - G01N 35/02: using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations {(G01N35/0098 and G01N35/0099 take precedence)} - G01N 35/00603: {Reinspection of samples} - G01N 35/0092: {Scheduling} - G01N 35/021: {having a flexible chain, e.g. "cartridge belt", conveyor for reaction cells or cuvettes} - G01N 35/026: {having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes} - G01N 2035/0415: {moving in two dimensions in a horizontal plane} - G01N 2035/0462: {Buffers [FIFO] or stacks [LIFO] for holding carriers between operations} - G01N 2035/0465: {Loading or unloading the conveyor} - G01N 2035/0472: {for selective recirculation of carriers} - Y10T 436/113332: with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack - Y10T 436/114998: with treatment or replacement of aspirator element [e.g., cleaning, etc.] - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A sample testing system comprising: a test unit for loading and testing a sample contained in the sample container accommodated in the rack; a rack storage for storing the rack accommodating the sample container from which the sample has been loaded into the test unit; and a transporting part, configured to transport the rack in a first direction and in a second direction that is a reverse direction of the first direction, for transporting the rack in the first direction to the rack storage and transporting the rack stored in the rack storage in the second direction to a sample loading position at which the sample is loaded from the rack into the test unit, is disclosed. A transporting apparatus is also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sample testing system comprising: a test unit for loading and testing a sample contained in the sample container accommodated in the rack; a first rack storage for storing the rack accommodating the sample container from which the sample has been loaded into the test unit; and a transporting part, configured to transport the rack in a first direction and in a second direction that is a reverse direction of the first direction, for transporting the rack in the first direction to the first rack storage and transporting the rack stored in the first rack storage in the second direction to a sample loading position at which the sample is loaded from the rack into the test unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sample testing system of claim 1, further comprising: a rack feeder for feeding a rack accommodating a sample container; a second rack storage, arranged between the first rack storage and a position to which the rack feeder feeds the rack, for storing the rack accommodating the sample container from which the sample has been loaded into the test unit; and a rack transfer part for transferring the rack present on the transporting part to the second rack storage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sample testing system of claim 2, further comprising a controller including a memory under control of a processor, the memory storing instructions enabling the processor to carry out operations comprising: obtaining, based on a result of the testing by the test unit, a judgment result of necessity of retesting of the sample contained in the sample container accommodated in the rack stored in the first rack storage; controlling, based on the judgment result, the transporting part so as to transport the rack to the sample loading position or to a transfer position, wherein the transfer position is a position at which the rack transfer part starts transferring the rack; and controlling the rack transfer part so as to transfer the rack positioned on the transfer position to the second rack storage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The sample testing system of claim 3, wherein the operation of controlling the transporting part comprises determining, as a destination of the rack, the transfer position when the judgment result indicates that retesting is unnecessary for the samples of all the sample containers accommodated in the rack stored in the first rack storage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The sample testing system of claim 3, wherein the operation of controlling the transporting part comprises determining, as a destination of the rack, the sample loading position when the judgment result indicates that retesting is necessary for the sample of the sample container accommodated in the rack stored in the first rack storage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The sample testing system of claim 5, wherein the operation of controlling the transporting part comprises changing the destination of the rack to the transfer position after loading of the sample for the retesting has been performed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The sample testing system of claim 3, wherein the transporting part comprises a transporting belt for transporting the rack in the first direction and the second direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The sample testing system of claim 7, wherein the transporting part comprises two transporting belts for separately transporting two racks, respectively, the two transporting belts each transporting the corresponding rack in the first direction and the second direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sample testing system of claim 8, wherein the transporting part transports a first rack and a second rack separately, in both the first direction and the second direction, wherein the first rack is fed from the rack feeder and the second rack is fed from the rack feeder so as to follow the first rack. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The sample testing system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: controlling the transporting part so as to transport the first rack to the sample loading position; controlling the transporting part so as to transport the first rack to the first rack storage after loading of a sample from a sample container accommodated in the first rack has been performed by the test unit; and controlling the transporting part so as to transport the second rack to the sample loading position when the first rack is stored in the first rack storage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The sample testing system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise: obtaining, based on a result of the testing by the test unit, a judgment result of necessity of retesting of a sample contained in a sample container accommodated in the second rack; controlling the transporting part so as to transport the second rack to the transfer position when the judgment result indicates that retesting is unnecessary for the samples of all the sample containers accommodated in the second rack and the first rack is stored in the first rack storage; and controlling the rack transfer part so as to transfer the second rack, which has been transported to the transfer position, to the second rack storage, in advance of the first rack. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The sample testing system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise: controlling the transporting part such that the sample containers accommodated in the rack are sequentially disposed in the sample loading position in a predetermined sequence; obtaining, based on a result of the testing by the test unit, a result of determination on necessity/unnecessity of retesting of the samples contained in the sample containers accommodated in the rack; and controlling, when the judgment result indicates that retesting is necessary for a sample contained in a sample container among the sample containers accommodated in the rack, the transporting part so as to dispose the sample container containing the sample at the sample loading position such that the sample container cuts in to the predetermined sequence. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The sample testing system of claim 1, wherein the test unit comprises a first test unit and a second test unit, and the transporting part transports the rack such that the samples contained in the sample containers accommodated in the rack are loaded into the first test unit and the second test unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The sample testing system of claim 1, wherein the transporting part transports the rack in the first direction and the second direction on a transporting path having a width that allows only one rack to at a time pass through. ### Claim 15 A transporting apparatus for transporting a sample to a test unit that performs loading and testing of the sample contained in a sample container accommodated in a rack, the transporting apparatus comprising: a first rack storage for storing the rack accommodating the sample container from which the sample has been loaded into the test unit; and a transporting part, configured to transport the rack in a first direction and in a second direction that is a reverse direction of the first direction, for transporting the rack in the first direction to the first rack storage and transporting the rack stored in the first rack storage in the second direction to a sample loading position at which the sample is loaded from the rack into the test unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The transporting apparatus of claim 15, further comprising: a rack feeder for feeding the rack accommodating the sample container; a second rack storage, provided between the first rack storage and a position to which the rack feeder feeds the rack, for storing the rack accommodating the sample container from which the sample has been loaded into the test unit; and a rack transfer part for transferring the rack present on the transporting part to the second rack storage. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The transporting apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transporting part comprises a transporting belt for transporting the rack in the first direction and the second direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The transporting apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transporting part comprises two transporting belts for separately transporting two racks, respectively, the two transporting belts each transporting the corresponding rack in the first direction and the second direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The transporting apparatus of claim 18, wherein the transporting part transports a first rack and a second rack separately, in both the first direction and the second direction, the first rack being fed from the rack feeder and the second rack being fed from the rack feeder so as to follow the first rack. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The transporting apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transporting part transports the rack in the first direction and the second direction on a transporting path having a width that allows only one rack at a time to pass through.