Patent ID: 9297823
Filing Date: 2016-03-29
CPC Classification: G01N

Claim Text:
1. A specimen transporter connected to a specimen imaging apparatus, the specimen transporter comprising: a specimen receiving section configured to receive a specimen plate from a specimen preparing apparatus configured to prepare a specimen plate of a sample; a specimen transporting section configured to transport the specimen plate received by the specimen receiving section to the specimen imaging apparatus and transport the specimen plate imaged by the specimen imaging apparatus, and a specimen storage section configured to store the imaged specimen plate; wherein the specimen transporting section comprises: a specimen container configured to contain a specimen plate; a specimen container transport mechanism configured to transport the specimen container between a first position and a second position; and a specimen transport mechanism comprising a holder configured to hold and to release a specimen plate in the specimen container positioned at the first position and further comprising a vertical transport mechanism configured to transport the specimen plate only in a up-down position at the first position, wherein the specimen transporting section further includes a controller that is configured to: supply a specimen plate into the specimen container positioned at the first position by the specimen transport mechanism, transport the specimen container by the specimen container transport mechanism from the first position to the second position for providing the specimen plate to the specimen imaging apparatus to be imaged, receive the imaged specimen plate from the specimen imaging apparatus in the specimen container at the second position, transport the specimen container from the second position to the first position the specimen container transport mechanism, take out the imaged specimen plate from the specimen container at the first position by operation of the holder, and store the imaged specimen plate in the specimen storage section by operation of the holder.