CENTRIFUGING SYSTEM, SAMPLE PREPROCESSING SYSTEM, AND CONTROL METHOD

摘要

A sample preprocessing system is capable of reducing centrifuging time, which accounts for the majority of time required for a preprocessing step, and at the same time, performing centrifuging under various conditions. A system management unit ascertains the states of a plurality of centrifuge devices, particularly comparing centrifuging start times and centrifuging termination times for the respective centrifuge devices, and selects the centrifuge device for which the processing time is shortest. Specifically, the system includes an adapter that forms a plurality of batches, sample transfer means for transferring a sample to the adapter, a plurality of centrifuge rotors that centrifuge the adapter in batch units, and calculation means for calculating in advance a start timing and a termination timing of the centrifuging in batch units, and the batch, into which samples are transferred, is controlled on the basis of at least one of the calculated start timing and termination timing.

主权项

1. A centrifuging system comprising:
an input module that inputs a sample; a plurality of centrifuge modules that centrifuge the sample input from the input module, the centrifuge module including sample transfer means for transferring samples to a plurality of adapters forming batches, and rotors that centrifuge the samples in batch units; a conveyance device that conveys the sample from the input module to the centrifuge module; means for ascertaining sample attribution of the input sample and operation states of the plurality of centrifuge modules connected to the system to thereby extract a centrifuge module candidate capable of performing centrifuging of the sample; calculation means for calculating a start timing on the basis of at least a standby time-out time or an expected time until the batch is fixedly set in a centrifuging operation condition, for each batch included in the centrifuge module candidate, and calculates a termination timing on the basis of a sum of the start timing and a centrifuging time in the centrifuging operation condition; and control means, when there are a plurality of the centrifuge module candidates, for selecting the batch and the centrifuge module in which the conveyance device and the sample transfer means transfer the sample among the centrifuge module candidates and the batches, on the basis of at least one of the calculated start timing and termination timing.