Container storing device, automatic analysis system, and method of taking out specimen containers

An automatic analysis system comprising:

• an automatic analyzer;
• and
• a container storing device connected to the automatic analyzer through a transportation path that transports a rack, wherein
• the container storing device includes a storage that stores specimen containers in which specimens to be measured by the automatic analyzer are housed, a container transportation mechanism that takes out the specimen containers from the storage onto the rack or houses the specimen containers from the rack into the storage, and a control unit that executes control to take out the specimen containers from the storage,
• the transportation path transports the rack in a direction from the container storing device toward the automatic analyzer,
• the rack includes a plurality of container setting positions at which the specimen containers are to be set,
• the control unit of the container storing device is configured to decide, after a plurality of taking-out target specimen containers in which specimens for which a measurement request has been made from the automatic analyzer are housed become capable of being taken out, taking-out priority regarding the plurality of taking-out target specimen containers and execute control such that the taking-out target specimen container having higher taking-out priority is mounted on the rack at the container setting position located more forward in a transportation direction of the transportation path, and
• the automatic analyzer dispenses the specimens housed in the specimen containers set at the plurality of container setting positions on the rack, in decreasing order of the taking-out priority.

A method of taking out specimen containers from a container storing device,

• the container storing device including a storage that stores specimen containers in which specimens to be measured by an automatic analyzer are housed, and a container transportation mechanism that takes out the specimen containers from the storage onto a rack including a plurality of container setting positions at which the specimen containers are to be set or that houses the specimen containers from the rack into the storage,
• the method comprising:
• deciding, after a plurality of taking-out target specimen containers in which specimens for which a measurement request has been made by the automatic analyzer are housed become capable of being taken out, taking-out priority regarding the plurality of taking-out target specimen containers;
• and
• deciding the container setting positions on the rack at which the taking-out target specimen containers are to be mounted, on a basis of the taking-out priority.