Patent ID: 11971423
Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 6:
7. A method for transporting a sample to an automatic analyzer for analyzing a sample, the automatic analyzer including: a controller; an analysis unit including a sample probe, an ion selection electrode, a light source, a photometer, and a reaction container; a transport unit including a first rack that holds a first sample and a second rack that holds a second sample, a rack buffer, and a sample dispensing line connecting the rack buffer and the analysis unit, the method comprising steps of:
generating a first series of operations for executing a first measurement item of the first sample, the first series of operations including a first operation, a second operation and a third operation to be executed successively by the analysis unit;
executing the first operation of the first series of operations in a first cycle of the analysis unit before the first rack is transported to the analysis unit from the transport unit;
generating a second series of operations for a second measurement item of the first sample on the second rack before the second rack is transported to the analysis unit from the transport unit;
controlling the sample dispensing line to transport the first rack to the analysis unit;
in a second cycle of the analysis unit, which immediately follows the first cycle, controlling the sample probe to aspirate the first sample from the first sample rack to measure the first sample using the ion selection electrode thereby executing the second operation of the first series of operations; and
within in a third cycle of the analysis unit, which immediately follows the second cycle, simultaneously executing the third operation in the first series of operations and control the sample probe to aspirate the first sample from the first sample rack and dispense the first sample in the reaction container according to the second series of operations for the second measurement item.