Patent ID: 9651571
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: G01N

Claim:
1. A connection unit disposed between first and second specimen processing systems to transport a specimen rack holding a specimen and an empty rack, the connection unit comprising: a first transport line that transports the specimen rack in a first direction from the first specimen processing system toward the second specimen processing system; a second transport line that transports the specimen rack in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a first connection bypass that connects the first transport line and the second transport line to each other and transports the specimen rack in a third direction; a second connection bypass that connects the first transport line and the second transport line to each other and transports the specimen rack in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction; a first empty rack transport line that is disposed in a layer different from that of the first transport line and transports the empty rack in the first direction; a second empty rack transport line that is disposed in the layer different from that of the first transport line that and transports the empty rack in the second direction; a first empty rack connection bypass that connects the first empty rack transport line and the second empty rack transport line to each other and transports the empty rack in the third direction; and a second empty rack connection bypass that connects the first empty rack transport line and the second empty rack transport line to each other and transports the empty rack in the fourth direction, wherein the first specimen processing system, the first transport line, the second transport line, and the first connection bypass constitute a first loop structure, wherein the second specimen processing system, the first transport line, the second transport line, and the second connection bypass constitute a second loop structure, wherein the first specimen transport system, the first empty rack transport line, the second empty rack transport line, and the first empty rack connection bypass constitute a third loop structure, wherein the second specimen transport system, the first empty rack transport line, the second empty rack transport line, and the second empty rack connection bypass constitute a fourth loop structure, wherein the first transport line extends between the first loop structure and the second loop structure, wherein the second transport line extends between the first loop structure and the second loop structure, wherein the first empty rack transport line extends between the third loop structure and the fourth loop structure, wherein the second empty rack transport line extends between the third loop structure and the fourth loop structure, and wherein a connection line is disposed outside of the first loop structure and the third loop structure and connects the second loop structure with the fourth loop structure.