Patent ID: 9329196
Filing Date: 2016-05-03
CPC Classification: G01N

Claim Text:
1. A specimen storage device for storing a specimen plate in a rack, the specimen plate imaged by a specimen imaging apparatus, the specimen storage device comprising: a specimen container transporter comprising a specimen container configured to contain a specimen plate and a specimen container transport mechanism configured to transport the specimen container between a first position and a second position for providing the specimen plate to the specimen imaging apparatus; a specimen storage section comprising an accumulating section containing a plurality of racks and a rack transport mechanism configured to supply a selected rack among the plurality of racks accumulated in the accumulating section to a specimen storage position, each of the racks configured to store a plurality of specimen plates in an upright position and having an opening at an upper part; and a specimen transport mechanism configured to insert the specimen plate into the specimen container at the first position and to take out the specimen plate from the specimen container at the first position, wherein the specimen storage device further includes a controller that is configured to: insert the specimen plate in the specimen container at the first position by the specimen transport mechanism; transport the specimen container with the inserted the specimen plate from the first position to the second position by the specimen container transport mechanism; provide the specimen plate to the specimen image apparatus for imaging; receive the specimen plate imaged by the specimen imaging apparatus in the specimen container positioned at the second position from the specimen imaging apparatus; transport the specimen container containing the imaged specimen plate from the second position to the first position by the specimen container transport mechanism; take out the imaged specimen plate from the specimen container at the first position by the specimen transport mechanism; and insert the imaged specimen plate into the selected rack supplied at the specimen storage position by the specimen transport mechanism, wherein the specimen storage position and the first position are the same position.