Specimen transportation system

摘要

A specimen transportation system is configured from linear modules, turn modules, and connection modules, wherein adjacent modules are connected to one another, and the modules form multiple paths through which specimen racks outputted from one specimen output device are transported to multiple analysis devices. Each path is associated with a node signal indicating whether said path can be used for transportation, and a node signal sequence comprising multiple node signals of the paths is configured. In the specimen transportation system, the node signal sequence is transferred from the downstream side to the upstream side, and problems such as the detention of a specimen rank in the specimen transportation system are dealt with by using said node signal sequence.

主权项

1. A specimen transport system, comprising:
a plurality of modules are configured to form a plurality of paths for transporting a specimen from upstream to downstream; a microcomputer provided in each of the plurality of modules is configured to correlate a node signal indicating possibility/impossibility of transport in each of the path and forming a node signal array made of a plurality of the node signals for the plurality of paths; and an intermediate module among the plurality of modules is placed partway on each path, wherein the intermediate module is configured to transport a specimen which has been transported from the upstream side to the downstream side; the microcomputer of the intermediate module is configured to transmit the node signal array acquired from the downstream side to the upstream side; and configured to change, when the intermediate module becomes unable to transport, a node signal of a path including the intermediate module in the node signal array to be transmitted to transport impossible.