An analysis method of an automatic analyzer is provided. The automatic analyzer includes: an insertion unit into which a rack is inserted; a transport line that transports the rack; a detection unit that detects a rack identifier from a rack or an attribute from a sample container which accommodates therein a sample as an object to be examined and which is mounted on a rack; an analysis module that includes a light source and a spectrometer which measures a measurement value to analyze a sample; a rack standby unit in which a rack stands by; and, a rack recovery unit that recovers a rack. In the automatic analyzer, a rack stands by in the rack standby unit until a measurement result in the analysis module is output; and is then recovered to the rack recovery unit. The analysis method includes: a step of transporting a rack from the rack insertion unit to the transport line, making the transported rack stand by until a measurement result in the analysis module is output, and then recovering the rack to the rack recovery; a step of detecting an identifier from the rack or an attribute from a sample container accommodating a sample and mounted on the rack; and a step of, when a rack transported subsequent to the rack of interest is transported from the rack insertion unit to the transport line, recovering the subsequent rack to the rack recovery unit without standing by in the rack standby unit.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and systems for performing automated assays, and particularly to performing sequential assays on a sample on an automated instrument.

In order to easily identify a specimen to be extracted because, for example, an item remains uninspected, from a rack 31 collected in a storage part 13 or the rack 31 taken out from the storage part, a camera of a smart device takes an image of the rack; and a calculation unit included in the smart device provides a mark, by AR technology, at the position of a specimen to be extracted. For example, the item that remains uninspected is identified on the basis of information about a combination of a rack ID and an identifier and information, which is received from an operation unit about specimens at respective positions. Thus, irrespective of a place or whether the specimen to be extracted is inside or outside of the device, the specimen to be extracted can be reliably specified from a plurality of specimen containers provided on a holder.

In medical analysis devices and automatic specimen examination systems, the specimen conveyance mechanism is constituted by a plurality of belt lines. During installation or maintenance of the specimen conveyance mechanism, it is necessary to confirm the existence of steps at the joints of these belt lines and the parallelism of the conveyance line. According to the present invention, it is possible to lighten the burden of this work with a test tube type or conveyance holder type inspection device provided with a sensor and battery for operation. Also, even when an operator cannot visually confirm the conveyance line from outside, it is possible to confirm the state of the conveyance line.

The present invention makes it possible for an automated analyzer including two or more types of photometers to obtain suitable output of the measurement results of the plurality of photometers and suitable data alarm output even if there is an abnormality, or the like, at the time of measurement. This automated analyzer includes, for example, two types of photometers having different quantitative ranges and an analysis control unit for controlling analysis that includes measurement of a given sample using the two types of photometers. If two types of data alarms corresponding to abnormalities, or the like, during measurement have been added to the two types of measurement results from the two types of photometers, the analysis control unit selects measurement result and data alarm output corresponding to the combination of the two types of data alarms and outputs the same to a user as analysis results.

This automated analysis device is provided with a plurality of analysis units for analyzing a specimen, a buffer portion which holds a plurality of specimen racks on which are placed specimen containers holding the specimen, a sampler portion which conveys the specimen racks held in the buffer portion to the analysis units, and a control portion which, when performing a process to deliver the specimen racks to the plurality of analysis units, outputs synchronization signals to all the plurality of analysis units, wherein the analysis unit performs a delivery process starting from the synchronization signal, and the analysis unit performs a delivery process starting from the synchronization signal.

The automatic analyzer includes: a liquid dispensing mechanism that performs suction of a liquid; a pressure sensor that measures a change of an internal pressure of a probe provided at the liquid dispensing mechanism; a determination section that determines whether the suction of the liquid by the probe is normal suction or air suction abnormality; an analysis section; a storage section that stores a cumulative number of times of air suction abnormality per liquid and an allowable cumulative number for the cumulative number of times of air suction abnormality; and a controller that exercises operation control over the liquid dispensing mechanism, the determination section, and the analysis section. The controller exercises control such that the cumulative number of times of air suction abnormality is updated and the updated cumulative number is stored in the storage section even if the air suction abnormality occurs non-consecutively.

Provided is an automatic analyzer capable of switching an apparatus operation mode, such as automatic reexamination, without stopping measurement by efficiently using a rack. The automatic analyzer includes a storage unit that stores an operation mode, such as automatic reexamination, of the automatic analyzer, a detection unit that detects an operation mode switching rack inserted into an insertion unit, and a control unit that switches the operation mode stored in the storage unit on the basis of the detection of the operation mode switching rack by the detection unit. The control unit applies the switched operation mode to an examination object rack transported from the insertion unit to a transport line after the operation mode switching rack.

Automated systems and methods for the quantitative collection and extraction of a fecal sample, the system including: a primary loading module configured to receive a plurality of primary stool specimen containers, and a secondary loading module configured to receive a plurality of secondary extraction tubes, each with a collection wand; a robotic arm for loading stool on the wand and inserting the stool-loaded wand into the extraction tube; a quality control module configured to assess and confirm whether loading of the collection wand meets a preset acceptable tolerance and if so, assisting with positioning of the robotic arm for accurate insertion of the stool loaded wand into the selected extraction tube; an exhaust module; and executable software loaded into the system and in communication with a database that pairs the primary stool specimen container with a corresponding secondary extraction tube(s).

The automatic analyzer includes: a sample dispensing unit that dispenses a sample into a reaction vessel; a reagent dispensing unit that dispenses a reagent into the reaction vessel; a control unit that controls the sample dispensing unit and the reagent dispensing unit; and a measurement unit that measures a mixed solution of the sample and the reagent mixed in the reaction vessel. The reagent includes three types of reagents of: a first reagent that specifically binds to an antigen in the sample; a second reagent that specifically binds to a site different from that to which the first reagent binds with respect to the antigen and has a label to be detected by the measurement unit; and a third reagent that specifically binds to a site different from the binding site of the first reagent and the antigen and contains insoluble carriers.