Patent Description:
A specimen processing system that automatically analyzes a biological sample such as blood and urine includes, in general, a specimen pre-processing apparatus that performs charging, opening of a plug, centrifugal separation, divided injection, labeling and the like of a specimen such as blood sampled for inspection, and an automatic analyzer that analyzes the specimen that is processed by the specimen pre-processing apparatus. These processing and analysis are versatile in kinds and hence, each processing or each analysis is formed of a plurality of units. The specimen is transported between the units by connecting the respective units using a transport line.

A bar code label for identifying an individual is attached to a specimen container such as a blood collecting container, and a bar code reader reads the bar code label. In such a configuration, a specimen holder that holds the specimen container has a circular horizontal section for smoothly transporting the specimen holder and hence, it is difficult to identify the position of the bar code label in a circumferential direction. Accordingly, reading of the bar code label is performed by rotating the specimen holder or the specimen container using a dedicated rotating apparatus.

For example, Patent Literature <NUM> discloses "A bar code scanning unit scans a bar code label during the rotational movement of the rotating apparatus. " (paragraph <NUM>).

Patent Literature <NUM>
<CIT>
Further, <CIT> discloses a specimen transport apparatus from which the pre-characterising part of claim <NUM> starts out. Related art is disclosed in <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

However, as described in Patent Literature <NUM>, in a case where the rotating apparatus is additionally provided on the transport line and the specimen holder is rotated each time scanning is performed, the apparatus becomes large-sized or processing ability is lowered.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a specimen transport apparatus capable of reading a specimen identifier while suppressing large-sizing of the apparatus and lowering of processing ability of the apparatus.

To overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention provides a specimen transport apparatus as defined in the appended claim.

According to the one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a specimen transport apparatus capable of reading a specimen identifier while suppressing large sizing of the apparatus and lowering of processing ability of the apparatus.

Specimen transport apparatuses according to embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a schematics view illustrating a specimen transport apparatus according to an embodiment. The specimen transport apparatus according to this embodiment is applicable to a transport line that is connected between a pre-processing apparatus and an analyzer, a transport line that is connected between respective units in a pre-processing apparatus and the like. In such a configuration, the pre-processing apparatus is an apparatus that performs pre-processing such as a centrifugal operation, opening of a plug, divided injection with respect to a biological sample (specimen) that is sampled from a patient to a blood collecting container. The analyzer is an apparatus that performs analytical processing of a specimen to which the pre-processing is already applied.

As shown in <FIG>, the specimen transport apparatus according to the embodiment includes: a specimen holder <NUM> that holds a specimen container <NUM> and that is provided with a transport magnetic body <NUM>; and a plurality of electromagnets <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> that are arranged under a transport surface <NUM> to transport the specimen holder <NUM> by attracting or repelling the transport magnetic body <NUM>. Each of electromagnets <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> is formed of a core and a wiring wound around an outer periphery of the core. When an electric current is supplied to the wiring, a magnetic field is generated on the transport surface <NUM>.

A bar code label <NUM> is attached to a side surface of the specimen container <NUM>. A bar code that forms an identifier in which specimen identification information is contained as a code is printed on the bar code label <NUM>. An object to be attached to the specimen container <NUM> is not limited to a bar code, and other identifiers such as a two-dimensional code or RFID may be attached to the specimen container <NUM>. The specimen holder <NUM> is configured such that one specimen container <NUM> can be mounted on the specimen holder <NUM>, and the specimen holder <NUM> has a plurality of magnetic bodies. Although a permanent magnet such as neodymium or ferrite is desirable as a magnetic body, other magnets or soft magnetic bodies may also be used.

<FIG> is a schematic view illustrating an arrangement of the magnetic body provided in the specimen holder <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the specimen holder <NUM> according to the embodiment has a circular horizontal section, and the transport magnetic body (magnet) <NUM> and a positioning magnetic body (magnet) <NUM> are mounted on the bottom surface of the specimen holder <NUM>. A magnetic flux center of the transport magnetic body <NUM> is eccentric with respect to a center of the specimen holder <NUM>, that is, a position of a central axis of the specimen container <NUM>. On the other hand, a magnetic flux center of the positioning magnetic body <NUM> approximately agrees with the position of the central axis of the specimen container <NUM>. In this embodiment, the center of the transport magnetic body <NUM> is spatially displaced from the central axis of the specimen container <NUM>. However, even when the center of the transport magnetic body <NUM> spatially agrees with the central axis of the specimen container <NUM>, there is no problem provided that the position of the magnetic flux center of the transport magnetic body <NUM> is located at the position magnetically displaced from the central axis of the specimen container <NUM>.

First, an operation for transporting the specimen holder <NUM> to a predetermined position is described. For example, in a case where the specimen holder <NUM> is disposed on the electromagnet <NUM>, the specimen transport apparatus supplies an electric current to the wiring of the electromagnet <NUM> disposed adjacently to the electromagnet <NUM> toward the predetermined position, and generates a magnetic field that attracts the transport magnetic body <NUM> on the transport surface <NUM>. Then, when the specimen holder <NUM> reaches the electromagnet <NUM>, the specimen transport apparatus further supplies an electric current to a wiring of the neighboring electromagnet <NUM> disposed adjacently to the electromagnet <NUM>, and generates a magnetic field that attracts the transport magnetic body <NUM>. By repeating such steps, the specimen holder <NUM> can be transported to the predetermined position. A propulsion force of the specimen holder <NUM> may be obtained by using a repelling force of an electromagnet disposed at a transport source in addition to an attraction force of the electromagnet disposed at a transport destination.

In this manner, in transporting the specimen holder <NUM>, the transport magnetic body <NUM> is attracted or repelled by a magnetic field on the transport surface <NUM> so that the transport magnetic body <NUM> is constantly located at the position closer to the transport destination than the center of the specimen holder <NUM>. Accordingly, even when the specimen holder <NUM> has a circular horizontal section, a side surface of the specimen holder <NUM> on which the transport magnetic body <NUM> is positioned can be constantly positioned in a direction of a head of the transport direction. That is, specimen it is possible to set the direction of the specimen holder <NUM> at the time of finishing the transportation to the fixed direction.

For example, in a case where a bar code reader (identifier reading apparatus) not illustrated in the drawing is located at a position further ahead in a transporting direction, the specimen container <NUM> is arranged in advance with respect to the specimen holder <NUM> such that the bar code label <NUM> is positioned on a side where the transport magnetic body <NUM> is disposed. As a result, when the transportation of the specimen holder <NUM> to the predetermined position is completed, a brought state is brought about where a surface of the specimen container <NUM> to which the bar code label <NUM> is attached is directed toward the bar code reader. Accordingly, even when a rotating apparatus is additionally provided so as to rotate the specimen holder <NUM> or the like, a bar code is readable and hence, large sizing of the apparatus and lowering of processing ability can be suppressed.

The bar code reader reads specimen information that the bar code has by irradiating light from the light source to the bar code label <NUM> attached to the specimen container <NUM> and detects information on the light obtained from the bar code. However, a reading method is not particularly limited. For example, both a CCD method and a laser method can also be used.

Next, the operation of the specimen transport apparatus when the specimen holder <NUM> is rotated is described with reference to <FIG> is a schematic view of a horizontal section illustrating the specimen holder <NUM> and the electromagnets around the specimen holder <NUM>. In this embodiment, the case is estimated where the specimen holder <NUM> is disposed on the electromagnet <NUM>.

First, when an electric current is supplied to a wiring of the electromagnet <NUM> and the positioning magnetic body <NUM> is attracted by a generated magnetic field, the specimen holder <NUM> is fixed such that the center of the specimen holder <NUM> is positioned in the vicinity of a position right above the electromagnet <NUM>. In such a state, when an electric current is supplied also to a wiring of the electromagnet <NUM> that is one of the electromagnets disposed adjacently to the electromagnet <NUM> so that an attraction force is applied to the transport magnetic body <NUM>, a surface of the specimen holder <NUM> on which the transport magnetic body <NUM> is mounted faces toward a side where the electromagnet <NUM> is disposed in a state where the specimen holder <NUM> maintains its center position. Further, when an electric current is supplied to a wiring of the electromagnet <NUM> that is one of the electromagnets disposed adjacently to the electromagnets <NUM>, <NUM> while maintaining the attraction of the positioning magnetic body <NUM> by the electromagnet <NUM>, in the same manner, the surface of the specimen holder <NUM> on which the transport magnetic body <NUM> is mounted faces toward a side where the electromagnet <NUM> is disposed. Then, substantially the same operation as described above is sequentially repeated with respect to the electromagnets <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> so that the specimen holder <NUM> is rotated on the electromagnet <NUM>.

As described above, in this embodiment, among the plurality of electromagnets, the specimen holder <NUM> can be rotated by sequentially attracting the transport magnetic body <NUM> with the second electromagnets located around the first electromagnet while attracting the positioning magnetic body <NUM> with the first electromagnet located directly under the positioning magnetic body <NUM>. That is, the specimen holder <NUM> can be rotated even when a rotating apparatus is not additionally provided and hence, large-sizing of the apparatus can be suppressed. The second electromagnets are not limited to the magnets located at positions adjacently to the first electromagnet, and the electromagnets located at positions remote from the first electromagnet may also be used. It may be possible to rotate the specimen holder <NUM> using a force that repels against the transport magnetic body <NUM> besides a force that attracts the transport magnetic body <NUM>. However, the direction that a repelling force acts is uncertain and hence, it is desirable to use an attracting force as a main force.

The transport magnetic body <NUM> and the positioning magnetic body <NUM> may be formed of magnetic bodies having different magnetic forces from each other or magnetic bodies having different polarities from each other. However, in the case where the transport magnetic body <NUM> is used as a main force and the positioning magnetic body <NUM> is used as an auxiliary force, a transport efficiency is enhanced. Accordingly, it is desirable that a magnetic force of the transport magnetic body <NUM> be made higher than a magnetic force of the positioning magnetic body <NUM>. As a method of increasing a magnetic force of the transport magnetic body <NUM>, large-sizing of the shape of the transport magnetic body <NUM>, or the use of a magnetic body having high flux density as the transport magnetic body <NUM> is considered.

<FIG> is a schematic view illustrating a specimen transport apparatus according to Second Embodiment. Unlike First Embodiment, in this embodiment, the specimen transport apparatus is provided with a plurality of transport magnetic bodies <NUM>. Specifically, two transport magnetic bodies <NUM> are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to a positioning magnetic body <NUM>. That is, two transport magnetic bodies <NUM> are disposed at positions opposite to each other with the positioning magnetic body <NUM> sandwiched therebetween.

In this embodiment, in rotating a specimen holder <NUM>, an electric current is supplied to wirings of two electromagnets disposed at positions opposite to each other with the electromagnet located directly under the positioning magnetic body <NUM> of the specimen holder <NUM> sandwiched therebetween. That is, as a force that rotates the specimen holder <NUM>, attraction forces generated by two transport magnetic bodies <NUM> are used. Accordingly, a rotational operation of the specimen holder <NUM> can be made stable. Further, these two attraction forces are applied in the directions opposite to each other with respect to the center of the specimen holder <NUM> and hence, forces in the radial direction cancel each other whereby it is possible to prevent the positioning magnetic body <NUM> from being transported due to a force that exceeds a force of the positioning magnetic body <NUM> for maintaining the center of the specimen holder <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A specimen transport apparatus comprising:
a specimen holder (<NUM>) that holds a specimen container (<NUM>) and that is provided with a transport magnetic body (<NUM>) and a positioning magnetic body (<NUM>); and
a plurality of electromagnets (<NUM>~<NUM>) that are arranged under a transport surface (<NUM>) to transport the specimen holder (<NUM>) by attracting or repelling the transport magnetic body (<NUM>),
characterized in that
a specimen identifier (<NUM>) is attached to the specimen container (<NUM>), and the specimen holder (<NUM>) has a horizontal cross section that is circular, and
the transport magnetic body (<NUM>) has a higher magnetic flux density than the positioning magnetic body (<NUM>) and a magnetic flux center of the transport magnetic body (<NUM>) is eccentric with respect to a central axis of the specimen container (<NUM>) held by the specimen holder (<NUM>) whereas a magnetic flux center of the positioning magnetic body (<NUM>) is located at a position of the central axis of the specimen container (<NUM>) held by the specimen holder (<NUM>), wherein the specimen transport apparatus is configured to rotate the specimen holder (<NUM>) while attracting the positioning magnetic body (<NUM>) with a first electromagnet (<NUM>) located directly under the positioning magnetic body (<NUM>), of the plurality of the electromagnets (<NUM>-<NUM>), by sequentially attracting or repelling the transport magnetic body (<NUM>) with second electromagnets (<NUM>~<NUM>) located around the first electromagnet (<NUM>).