This sample transfer device is provided with a negative pressure supply unit configured to supply negative pressure, a sample container holding unit configured to hold a sample container by suctioning the sample container by the negative pressure supplied in a state of being in contact with the sample container, a sample suction and discharge unit configured to suction the sample from the sample container and discharge the sample at a predetermined position, and a horizontal direction moving mechanism configured to integrally move the sample container holding unit together with the sample suction and discharge unit in a horizontal direction.

This sample transfer device is provided with a negative pressure supply unit for supplying negative pressure, a sample container holding unit for holding a sample container, a container suction member exchangeably provided to the sample container holding unit and configured to suction the sample container by the supplied negative pressure, and a control unit that performs control to determine a state of the container suction member based on a predetermined pressure value determined based on a size of the container suction member and magnitude of the negative pressure in the container suction member.

The invention relates to an automated method for the optical analysis of structures, in particular for the analysis and determination of biological cellular structures, and to an apparatus for this purpose, wherein an electro-optical unit generates an electronic image of two- and three-dimensional structures present in the sample, a storage medium stores the image, a computer-controlled displacement device establishes an optimized image sharpness of the image by changing the distance between sample and the optical unit, wherein the displacement device is controlled by contrast analysis and color value detection, and a computer unit compares the images generated by the electro-optical unit of two- and/or three-dimensional structures with the known structures stored in a database, and the structures registered by the optical unit are assigned by means of an algorithm to characteristic grids, structures or patterns.

A transport system includes a sample rack configured to hold a sample and comprising a notch; a rack storage unit in which the sample rack is stored; a transport path arranged to transport the sample rack moved from the rack storage unit; and a regulating member configured to regulate movement of the sample rack from the rack storage unit toward the transport path, wherein the regulating member is provided at a position corresponding to the notch provided in the sample rack, and enters an interior of the sample rack from the notch and abuts an interior wall of the sample rack as the sample rack moves from the rack storage unit toward the transport path.

An embodiment is a sample analysis system for analyzing a sample that includes at least one test device for analyzing the sample. The system also includes a rack handler operable to move a sample from a first location to a second location along a travel path. The rack handler has a rotation assembly including a) an engagement element for engagement with the sample rack, and b) a motor coupled to the engagement element and is operable to cause rotation of the engagement element. The rotation assembly rotates the sample rack from a first orientation into a second orientation along the travel path when the engagement element engages the sample rack.

An embodiment of the disclosure is a rack adapted to engage a rack handler. The rack includes a rack body. The rack body has a bottom, a top opposite the bottom, and a receptacle that extends from the top toward the bottom. The receptacle is sized to receive the sample collection unit. The rack body has a first interior surface that extends from the bottom toward the top, and a second interior surface that extends from the bottom toward the top. The second interior surface is opposite to the first interior surface so as to at least partially define a slot along the bottom. The rack body also includes an interference groove in the slot along at least one of the first interior surface and the second interior surface. The slot and the interference groove are sized to engage a portion of the rack handler.

The specimen treatment and measurement system 2000 according to the present invention is provided with: a movement stage 2300 having a plurality of treatment lanes for treating specimens in parallel; a consumables supply module 2100 for storing consumables for use in treatment of the specimens, and supplying the consumables to the movement stage 2300; a cartridge supply module 2500 for storing cartridges for use in treatment of the specimens, and supplying the cartridges to the movement stage 2300; and a stage transfer mechanism 2400 for transferring the movement stage 2400 to each module. The cartridge supply module 2500 has a plurality of cartridge cartons for accommodating the cartridges stacked on top of each other, and a push-out mechanism for pushing cartridges out of a cartridge carton to a supply position of the cartridge supply module 2500.

It is possible to realize a sample container transfer device capable of handling a plurality of racks in which a sample container can be efficiently transferred from a preprocessing system to a carrier used in an analysis system and can be transferred to a plurality of kinds of carriers of the analysis system. A plurality of kinds of racks A and racks B is held by an empty rack holding area 330. The racks A or the racks B can be used for conveyance of specimen containers according to the application of a specimen. After a fixed number of specimen containers separated by a separation mechanism 301 according to an application are collected by stoppers 303a and 303b, the specimen containers are conveyed to a transfer start position 309 to be transferred from a holder to a rack. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress an occurrence of a state in which the rack does not have a part where no specimen is mounted.

The automatic analyzer includes a control unit provided with a determination unit which determines requirement or non-requirement of the calibration executed to the loaded reagent when the reagent ID reader identifies the reagent, a request generation unit which makes a notice of a standard solution necessary for the calibration when the determination unit determines requirement of the calibration, and generates a calibration request when loading of the standard solution is detected, and a planning unit which makes a plan of the carry-in and the calibration to execute the calibration as required immediately after the carry-in of the reagent into the reagent disc. This makes it possible to lessen the process to be performed by the user until the reagent is made available for measurement of the patient specimen.

A sample rack recovery method after an accidental interruption of operation of a sample rack manipulation device (10), a sample rack manipulation device (10) capable of performing the method, an automatic detection system (1) comprising the device (10), and a computer-readable medium in which a program for executing the method is stored. The device (10) comprises a conveying device (103) adapted to move in a transport area (TB) to convey a sample rack (30) between a loading/unloading area (TA), sampling areas (TD, TE) and a buffer area (TC). The method comprises: a conveying device detection step of detecting the state of a conveying device (103); a sample rack detection step of detecting the position of a sample rack (30) in a sample rack manipulation device (10); and a sample rack recovery step of conveying the sample rack (30) to a loading/unloading area (TA) by the conveying device (103) according to the detection results of the conveying device (103) and the sample rack (30).