Patent ID: 6599749
Filing Date: 2003-07-29
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of conveying a sample rack supplied from a rack supply device through a main conveyance line to at least one of a plurality of analysis units, causing the sample rack to be subjected to a pipetting process for a sample held thereby, in the analysis unit to which the sample rack is conveyed, and conveying the sample rack subjected to the pipetting process to a rack housing device through the main conveyance device, the method comprising:(1) controlling transferring operations of ordinary sample racks so that when a first ordinary sample rack which starts to be transferred by the main conveyance line needs to be received by a specific analysis unit and a second ordinary sample rack which starts to be transferred by the main conveyance line after the first ordinary sample rack starts to be transferred thereby does not need to be received by the specific analysis unit, the second ordinary sample rack bypasses the specific analysis unit to be transferred towards the rack housing device while the first sample rack is received by the specific analysis unit, and (2) controlling transferring operations of control sample racks and ordinary sample racks so that when an ordinary sample rack starts to be transferred by the main conveyance line after a control sample rack holding a control sample starts to be transferred thereby, the following ordinary sample rack is housed by the rack housing device after the preceding control sample rack is housed thereby.