Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Analyzer – structured indicator – or manipulative laboratory... – Sample mechanical transport means in or for automated...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-10
2001-09-18
Warden, Jill (Department: 1743)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Analyzer, structured indicator, or manipulative laboratory...
Sample mechanical transport means in or for automated...
C422S063000, C422S064000, C422S067000, C422S105000, C436S047000, C436S048000, C436S050000, C436S018000, C700S266000, C700S226000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290907
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sample handling system, and in particular, it relates to a sample handling system suitable for automatically carrying out sample testing in clinic laboratories.
A normal sample handling system is comprised of various types of handling units such as a centrifuge, cap-opener, aliquoter, bar code labeler, cap restoppler, sorter, analyzer units, a built-in rack conveyer provided in each handling unit, and a transportation line which connects these handling units, with series connection between a handling unit and another handling unit, between the transportation line and the handling unit, or between a transportation line and another transportation line.
“Hitachi Review, vol.41, No.4, pp.167-172 (1992)” discloses an automatic sample handling system in which the transportation line for transporting samples is comprised of plural transportation routes whereby the transportation line can be diverged into plural branch lines thereby allowing the samples to be distributed to various handling units.
Sample handling units disposed within this system include: an automated centrifuge unit which separates blood sample into serum and cells; a cap opener unit which automatically removes caps from sample containers; an aliquoter unit which aliquotes serum from mother sample containers to daughter sample containers; a bar code labeler unit which labels a bar code label having the same sample ID as the mother sample on the daughter sample container; a restopper unit which restops the sample containers with a cap; a sample sorting unit which sorts out the sample containers into groups of testing; a chemical analyzer unit which automatically analyzes samples chemically, and so on.
Another prior art analyzer system is also known which is provided with a plurality of analyzing modules and has an arrangement to allow samples to stop over at the plurality of analyzing modules by transporting the samples by its transportation line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,423 discloses an arrangement wherein a plurality of analyzing routes are provided corresponding to a plurality of analyzing modules respectively, and a bypass route is provided for sample containers to bypass some of the plurality of analyzing routes. In this example, while a certain sample container which contains a sample to be analyzed is selectively guided to a proper analyzing route, a sample container which contains another sample which does not need to be analyzed is selectively guided to the bypass route. Thereby, each sample is ensured to call only at a proper analyzing module whereby each sample needs to be analyzed.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,488 discloses an arrangement in which a sampling feeder having a sampling line and a rack recovery line is disposed corresponding to each analyzer, and a coupling feeder is disposed between respective sampling feeders. Then, a unit combination which is formed by combining the sampling feeder, the coupling feeder and each analyzer is connected with each other to form a plurality of such combination thereby enabling to increase the capability of its analyzing functions.
According to the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,423, a sample which does not need analysis by a particular analyzing module in the system is caused to stop over at another analyzing module by detouring past the particular analyzing module. However, U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,423 does not teach nor suggest how to operate the system in case of a failure of a part of the plurality of analyzing modules within the system, or in the case of maintenance work being necessitated on a part of the plurality of analyzing modules.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,188 which discloses a large scaled system which is facilitated by integrating plural combination units each including a sampling feeder, coupling feeder and analyzer, however, the patent does not teach nor suggest how to operate the system in case of a failure or stoppage of a part of the plural analyzers in the system, or in the case of maintenance of the system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a sample handling system which, even if a part of plural sample handling units within the system fails or becomes inoperative to treat a sample, allows sample handling to be continued by the other sample handling units.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sample handling system which, in case one of plural handling units which is assigned to carry out a particular treatment on a sample held in a sample rack becomes inoperative or under maintenance work, can proceed to forward the sample rack to a subsequent handling process by detouring the failed sampling unit.
The sample handling system according to the invention is constructed by combining a plurality of sample handling units for treating samples held in a sample rack transported by a sample transportation line, and by disposing the plurality of sample handling units along the sample transportation line, further the same is characterized by comprising: a means for reading identification (ID) information of the sample rack and each sample; and a central controller for controlling the sample transportation line, wherein the central controller: monitors operating status of the plurality of handling units; determines, on the basis of information on the status monitored and of ID information having been read, whether or not to allow the sample rack to stop over at any of the plurality of handling units; providing information having been determined on a destination to the sample transportation line; and whereby the sample transportation line controls transportation of the sample rack in response to the destination information having been provided.
In the sample handling system according to the invention, sample transportation line is arranged to include each transportation line unit which is provided as a pair for each one of the plural handling units, and wherein each one of the plural handling units is set up to be removable from its paired each transportation line unit.
The sample handling system of the invention is provided with: the transportation line for transporting the sample rack which holds samples; a rack loading device for supplying the sample rack to the transportation line; a rack storage device for storing the sample rack transported by the transportation line; and the plurality of handling units for applying physical treatment to the samples held in the sample rack, or performing some action on sample containers containing the samples. The plurality of handling units are arranged along the transportation line.
The sample handling system of the invention which is provided with an ID information reader to read out ID information on the sample rack to be transported, monitors operational status of each handling unit, and is provided with the central controller which determines for a specific sample rack which handling unit to stop over at on the basis of the monitoring and the ID information thereof having been read.
Each handling unit transmits inoperative information to the transportation line when its handling unit is in an inoperative state. The transportation line in response to this inoperative information from the inoperative handling unit transmits this inoperative information to the central controller. Then, the central controller controls the transportation of the sample rack to advance on the transportation line without stopping at the inoperative handling unit.
The transportation line of the invention is comprised of a plurality of partitive line units connected in series, provided in pair with the plural handling units. After any one of the plural handling units has been removed from its partitive line unit coupled therewith, the sample rack is still allowed to advance on the partitive line unit from which the handling unit has been removed. The sample rack designated to drop in at a particular handling unit among the plural handling units is allowed to be delivered through its partitive line unit into the particular handling u
Ikeda Toshiyuki
Komata Mikio
Takahashi Katsushi
Bex Kathryn
Hitachi , Ltd.
Mattingly Stanger & Malur, P.C.
Warden Jill
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