Sample analyzer and method for controlling a sample analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9080996-B2
Application number	US-201213629045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2012
Priority date	Mar 30, 2010
Publication date	Jul 14, 2015
Grant date	Jul 14, 2015

Abstract

A sample analyzer which transports and analyzes samples, includes: a first measurement apparatus which measures samples; a second measurement apparatus which is arranged downstream, in a transport direction, from the first measurement apparatus, and which measures samples; a transporting apparatus which transports samples to a first supply position for supplying a sample to the first measurement apparatus, and to a second supply position for supplying a sample to the second measurement apparatus; and a controller which controls transportation of a sample present at the first supply position, in accordance with a processing status of a sample present at the second supply position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sample analyzer which transports and analyzes samples, comprising:
a first measurement apparatus configured to test samples;
a second measurement apparatus arranged downstream of the first measurement apparatus in a transport direction, and configured to test at least some of the samples that have been tested by the first measurement apparatus and are found, from test results from the first measurement apparatus, necessary to be further tested;
a transporting apparatus configured to transport the samples in a rack along a transport path which includes a first supply position at which the samples are tested at the first measurement apparatus, and a second supply position, located downstream of the first supply position, at which the at least some of the samples are tested at the second measurement apparatus, wherein the rack has a line of holders at a regular pitch for holding a predetermined number of the samples, and the first and second supply positions are separated along the transport path at a distance equal to a distance between first and second samples stored in the rack such that the first and second samples are simultaneously positioned, respectively, at the first and second supply positions, and further wherein the first and second measurement apparatuses are operable to conduct their tests in parallel on the first and second samples positioned at the first and second supply positions; and
a controller comprising a memory that stores programs for programming the controller, the controller being programmed to coordinate transportation of the rack with progresses of the tests performed by the first measurement apparatus on the first sample positioned at the first supply position and by the second measurement apparatus on the second sample positioned at the second supply position, the controller further programmed to:
keep the rack from being transported until an aspiration is completed from the second sample positioned at the second supply position if an aspiration is completed from the first sample at the first supply position but an aspiration is not completed from the second sample at the second supply position; and
after an aspiration is completed from the first sample at the first supply position, transport the rack downstream by one pitch to advance a next sample located in the rack by one pitch upstream of the second sample to the second supply position, without transporting the rack upstream to move the second sample back to the first supply position, when an aspiration becomes completed from the second sample at the second supply position or it is determined that no aspiration is needed at the second supply position.

2. The sample analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is programmed to generate transportability information based on the progress of the test performed by the second measurement apparatus on the second sample positioned at the second supply position, the transportability information indicating whether or not the second sample at the second supply position may be advanced downstream from the second supply position, and transport the rack downstream when the transportability information indicates that the second sample at the second supply position may be advanced downstream from the second supply position.

3. The sample analyzer according to claim 2 , wherein
when the transportability information indicates that the second sample at the second supply position may not be advanced downstream from the second supply position, the controller is programmed to keep the rack from being transported, until the transportability information switches to indicate that the second sample at the second supply position may be advanced downstream from the second supply position.

4. The sample analyzer according to claim 3 , wherein
the controller is programmed to switch the transportability information to indicate that the second sample at the second supply position may be advanced downstream from the second supply position when an aspiration becomes completed from the second sample positioned at the second supply position.

5. The sample analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller comprises a first processor which controls sample testing performed by the first measurement apparatus and which controls sample transportation performed by the transporting apparatus.

6. The sample analyzer according to claim 5 , wherein
the controller further comprises a second processor which controls sample testing performed by the second measurement apparatus.

7. The sample analyzer according to claim 6 , wherein
the first processor and the second processor are connected to establish a data communication between them,
the second processor is configured to monitor the progress of the test performed by the second measurement apparatus on the second sample positioned at the second supply position, and
the first processor sends an inquiry about the progress of the test on the second sample to the second processor every time a predetermined time elapsed or every time a predefined event occurs.

8. The sample analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein
the transporting apparatus is a single unit.

9. The sample analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein
the transport path connecting the first and second supply positions is linear.

10. The sample analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein
the distance between the first supply position and the second supply position is shorter than or equal to an interval between the holders located at ends of the rack.

11. The sample analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein
the first measurement apparatus is a urine qualitative measurement apparatus, and the second measurement apparatus is a urinary sediment measurement apparatus.

12. The sample analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein
the transporting apparatus is configured to transport a sample in a sample container, and
at least one of the first and second measurement apparatuses is configured to aspirate the sample in the sample container at the first or second supply position.

13. The sample analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein
the transporting apparatus is configured to transport a sample in a sample container, and
at least one of the first and second measurement apparatuses is configured to take the sample container from the first or second supply position into the at least one of the first and second measurement apparatuses, and then to aspirate the sample in the sample container.

14. The sample analyzer according to claim 1 , wherein the transporting apparatus includes:
a first sample storage configured to store one or more unprocessed samples;
a second sample storage configured to store one or more processed samples; and
a connection part that connects the first and second sample storages, the connection part extending along the transport direction.

15. The sample analyzer according to claim 14 , wherein the connecting part has a width that allows only one rack to be passed therethrough in a length direction of the rack.

16. A method executed in a sample analyzer that comprises:
a first measurement apparatus configured to test samples;
a second measurement apparatus arranged downstream of the first measurement apparatus in a transport direction, and configured to test at least some of the samples that have been tested by the first measurement apparatus and are found, from test results from the first measurement apparatus, necessary to be further tested;
a transporting apparatus configured to transport the samples in a rack along a transport

Assignees

• Sysmex Corp
• Arkray Inc

Inventors

• Izumi Takayoshi
• Tsutsumida Keisuke
• Mizumoto Toru
• Nakajima Shinya
• Fujimoto Koji

Classifications

• G01N35/0092 Primary

  Scheduling · CPC title

• G01N2035/0415

  moving in two dimensions in a horizontal plane · CPC title

• G01N33/493

  urine · CPC title

• G01N35/026

  having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes · CPC title