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US 9,752,979 B2Granted
Specimen transporter, specimen testing system and specimen transporting method
AssigneeSysmex Corporation
InventorHidetaka Hayama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A specimen transporter transports a specimen plate to a specimen imaging apparatus. The specimen transporter comprises a plate container configured to contain the specimen plate therein, and a transport mechanism which transports the plate container to the specimen imaging apparatus with the specimen plate contained in the plate container.
Claims11
A specimen transporter for transporting a specimen plate to a specimen imaging apparatus, the specimen transporter comprising:
- a transportation case including a first plate container configured to contain a first specimen plate;
- a transport mechanism configured to transport the transportation case in a reference plane from a transfer position for receiving the first specimen plate in the first plate container to a delivery position for delivering the first specimen plate included in the first plate container to the specimen imaging apparatus;
- and
- a posture changing mechanism configured to change a posture of the transportation case between a substantially horizontal posture relative to the reference plane and a substantially vertical posture relative to the reference plane,
- wherein an opening of the first plate container is directed to a direction substantially parallel to the reference plane in the substantially horizontal posture and is directed to a direction substantially perpendicular to the reference plane in the substantially vertical posture,
- wherein the transport mechanism is configured to support the transportation case in the substantially horizontal posture from the transfer position to the delivery position and therebetween, and
- wherein the transportation case includes a second plate container configured to contain a second specimen plate.
4 more elements
A specimen testing system comprising a specimen imaging apparatus and a specimen transporter, wherein the specimen transporter comprises:
- a transportation case including a first plate container which is configured to contain a first specimen plate,
- a transport mechanism configured to transport the transportation case in a reference plane from a transfer position for receiving the first specimen plate in the first plate container to a delivery position for delivering the first specimen plate included in the first plate container to the specimen imaging apparatus;
- and
- a posture changing mechanism configured to change a posture of the transportation case between a substantially horizontal posture relative to the reference plane and a substantially vertical posture relative to the reference plane,
- wherein an opening of the first plate container is directed to a direction substantially parallel to the reference plane in the substantially horizontal posture and is directed to a direction substantially perpendicular to the reference plane in the substantially vertical posture,
- wherein the transport mechanism is configured to support the transportation case in the substantially horizontal posture from the transfer position to the delivery position and therebetween, and
- wherein the transportation case includes a second plate container configured to contain a second specimen plate.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.