US 8,262,994 B2Granted

Analyzer

AssigneeSysmex Corporation

InventorsYuichi Hamada, Masaharu Shibata, Daigo Fukuma

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An analyzer comprising: a first specimen holder configured to hold a plurality of first specimen containers; a conveying assembly for conveying the first specimen containers held in the first specimen holder; a second specimen holder arranged at a position higher than an upper end of the first specimen containers held in the first specimen holder; a holder moving assembly for moving the second specimen holder so as to pass the upper side of at least one of the first specimen containers held in the first specimen holder; a container transferring assembly for transferring at least one of the first specimen containers from the first specimen holder to the second specimen holder; and a controller for controlling the holder moving assembly and the container transferring assembly, is disclosed.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An analyzer comprising:

a measurement mechanism configured to perform a predetermined analyzing process on a sample in a sample container;
a first transporting path along which a first transporting section transports the sample container;
a vertical transporting path along which a removal section transports the sample container vertically from the first transporting path;
and
a second transporting path along which a holder, while holding the sample container, transports the same, wherein the second transporting path intersects with the first transporting path at a vertical distance therefrom and includes (i) a loading position where the sample container is manually loadable onto the holder, (ii) a sample set position where the holder receives the sample container transported by the removal section vertically from the first transporting path, and (iii) a process position where the measurement mechanism performs the predetermined analyzing process on the sample in the sample container.

2 more elements

A method for transporting a sample container comprising computer executable steps executed by a processor of an analyzer to implement:

transporting a sample container containing a sample therein, along a first transporting path;
transporting the sample container vertically from the first transporting path along a vertical transporting path;
transporting the sample container along a second transporting path which intersects with the first transporting path at a vertical distance therefrom and includes (i) a loading position where a sample container is manually loadable for transportation along the second transporting path, (ii) a sample set position where the sample container transported vertically from the first transporting path is receivable for transportation along the second transporting path, and (iii) a process position where the sample in the sample container is analyzed, wherein transporting the sample container along a second transporting path comprises transporting the sample container from the loading position to the process position and from the sample set position to the process position;
and
analyzing the sample in the sample container at the process position.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/324,810Filed 13 Dec 2011 · continuation
Priority: JP 2008-16991530 Jun 2008
Published: US 2012/0088293 A112 Apr 2012
Granted: 11 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G01N 35/04
Using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations: details of the conveyor system
G01N 35/026
Using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations: having blocks or racks of…
G01N 35/0095
Scheduling: introducing urgent samples with priority, e.g. Short Turn Around Time Samples [STATS]
Y10T 436/113332
Automated chemical analysis: with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack

Family

Application12/399,379Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Mar 2009
US 2012/0088293 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Apr 2012
US 8,097,211 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2009/0325274 A1Published application
US 8,262,994 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.