US 12,282,034 B2
Automatic analysis device
Takeshi Setomaru, Tokyo (JP); and Hiroyuki Mishima, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/312,163
Filed by HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Dec. 13, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/048887
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 9, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/162042, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 13, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-021154 (JP), filed on Feb. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0018861 A1, Jan. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 35/00 (2006.01); G01N 35/04 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 35/0092 (2013.01) [G01N 35/00663 (2013.01); G01N 35/04 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automatic analysis device comprising:
a conveyance line through which a specimen rack is conveyed on which a plurality of specimen containers are mounted, each specimen container accommodating a specimen to be analyzed;
a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense the specimens from the plurality of specimen containers;
one or more dispensing lines on which the specimen rack is conveyed in and out from one end and conveyed to a dispensing position at which the specimens are dispensed from the specimen containers by the dispensing mechanism;
a rack standby unit having a slot in which the specimen rack is mountable, and configured to transfer the specimen rack between one end of the conveyance line and one end of the one or more dispensing lines;
an identification device configured to read information on the specimens in the specimen containers mounted on the specimen rack to be conveyed to the conveyance line;
a rack accommodating unit in which the specimen rack is accommodated at a position at which the specimen rack is removable; and
a control unit, wherein
the control unit is configured to
when there is an error in a respective specimen accommodated in a respective specimen container mounted on the specimen rack,
control the conveyance of the specimen rack based on information on the respective specimen in which the error occurs and information on other respective specimens accommodated in other respective specimen containers in the specimen rack on which the respective specimen container accommodating the respective specimen in which the error occurs is mounted, and a retrieval condition for retrieving a specimen rack in the rack accommodating unit, characterized in that when there is the error, the control unit is configured to obtain a remaining time which is a time required for processing on the other respective specimens accommodated in the other respective specimen containers in the specimen rack on which the respective sample container accommodating the respective specimen in which the error occurs is mounted,
determine whether the obtained remaining time is within a preset allowable time range, and
control the conveyance of the specimen rack based on a determination result and the retrieval condition.