Patent ID: 9304140
Filing Date: 2016-04-05
CPC Classification: G01N

Claim Text:
1. A sample analyzer comprising: a sample dispenser configured to dispense a sample into a reaction container; a sample transporter configured to sequentially transport a plurality of samples along a transporting path; a first processing station configured to perform a separating operation in which a target analyte in the sample is separated from other spurious contents in the reaction container, wherein the first processing station including (a) a first plurality of ports each configured to receive a sample and execute the separating operation on the received sample, the first plurality of ports being each identifiable by an incremental number, and (b) a first transferring section configured to load and unload the sample between the sample transporter and one of the ports in the first processing station; a measuring section configured to analyze the separated target analyte in the sample; and a controller programmed to execute sample processing operations on each of the plurality of samples sequentially at successive regular time intervals each represented by an operation count incremental at the regular time interval, the sample processing operations including: for each of the plurality of samples, execute scheduling of the sample processing operations in which the controller generates incremental start counts and incremental first port identification numbers in pairs and assigns the pairs of generated start counts and first port identification numbers sequentially to each of the plurality of samples so that each sample in the plurality of samples has a start count and a first port identification number both incremental from one sample to a next sample; proceed with the sample processing operations on a sample in the plurality of samples from a count of the operation count equal to the start count assigned to the sample, wherein the sample processing operations for the sample advance, starting from the start count assigned to the sample, from one operation to a next operation in synchronism with an increment of the operation count, and at a scheduled count of the operation count incremented from the start count assigned to the sample, the sample is delivered to one of the ports in the first processing station identified by the first port identification number assigned to the sample; determine whether a trouble has occurred with respect to any one of the ports in the first processing station; continue to proceed with the sample processing operations on the remaining samples in the plurality of samples by starting the sample processing operation on each of the remaining samples, including determining whether a trouble has occurred with respect to any one of the ports in the first processing station, when the operation count is equal to the start count assigned to each sample, wherein the sample processing operations for the sample advance, starting from the start count assigned to the sample, from one operation to a next operation in synchronism with an increment of the operation count, and at a scheduled count of the operation count incremented from the start count assigned to the sample, the sample is delivered to one of the ports in the first processing station identified by the first port identification number assigned to the sample.