Patent Description:
In a sample analysis system for clinical examination, a sample such as blood, plasma, serum, urine, or other body fluids is tested for an instructed analysis item. In the sample analysis system, devices with a plurality of functions are connected to each other, and steps can be automatically performed. That is, in order to streamline operation in a laboratory, analysis units in a plurality of analysis fields such as biochemistry and immunization and a pretreatment unit that performs a treatment necessary for analysis are connected by a transport line to operate as one system.

A transport line used in a sample analysis system according to the related art is mainly driven by a belt. In the case of being driven by the belt, when transport is stopped due to certain abnormality in the middle of the transport, a sample cannot be supplied to a device downstream of a location where the transport is stopped. Therefore, it is necessary to pay sufficient attention to abrasion of the belt.

In recent years, the importance of a sample treatment has been increased due to advancement of medical care and progress of an aging society. Therefore, in order to improve analytical processing capabilities of the sample analysis system, high-speed transport, mass simultaneous transport, and transport in a plurality of directions of a sample are desired. An example of a technique for implementing such transport includes a technique described in PTL <NUM>.

PTL <NUM> describes a lab sample delivery system including: plural container carriers (<NUM>) each including at least one magnetic active device, preferably at least one permanent magnet, and adapted to carry a sample container containing a sample; a transport plane adapted to carry a plurality of container carriers; plural electromagnetic actuators disposed at rest below the transport plane, and adapted to move the container carrier on the transport plane by applying a magnetic force to the container carrier; and at least one transfer device that transfers a sample article between the transport plane and a lab station, preferably a pre-analysis station, an analysis station, and/or a post-analysis station, in which the sample article is a container carrier, a sample container, a part of the sample, and/or the entire sample. PTL <NUM> discloses a laboratory sample distribution system in which a sample container carrier can be centered at a specific position. PTL <NUM> discloses a device in which a conveyed material, to which a permanent magnet is attached, is placed on a support table equipped with venting holes, and is allowed to be floated by air and moved by means of magnetic attraction.

The technique described in PTL <NUM> described above states that the electromagnetic actuator is started in a stepwise manner in accordance with a position of the container carriers.

When a minute position of the permanent magnet is to be changed from a stationary state, there is a frictional force larger than the thrust, the frictional force changes from static friction to dynamic friction, and the accuracy of the minute position of the permanent magnet may be hardly obtained.

In view of the above circumstances, the invention provides a sample transport device, a sample analysis system, and a sample pretreatment device, which have high positional accuracy when stopping a sample and can adjust a minute position when stopping the sample.

The above cited problems are solved in accordance with the appended set of claims. Specifically, according to a first aspect of the invention to solve the above-described problems, there is provided a sample transport device including: a sample provided with a permanent magnet; a transport path through which the sample is to be transported via the permanent magnet; a plurality of coils provided on a surface of the transport path opposite to a surface on which the sample is to be transported; and a drive circuit configured to cause a current to flow through the coils, in which the drive circuit is configured to: adjust a force applied to the permanent magnet in a vertical direction by a current flowing through a first coil immediately below a position at which the permanent magnet is to be stopped, and adjust a force applied to the permanent magnet in a horizontal direction by a current flowing through a second coil adjacent to the first coil, and adjust a stop position of the permanent magnet.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a sample analysis system including the sample transport device of the invention described above.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a sample pretreatment device including the sample transport device of the invention described above.

A more specific configuration of the invention is described in the claims.

According to the invention, a sample transport device, a sample analysis system, and a sample pretreatment device can be provided, which have high positional accuracy when stopping a sample, and can adjust a minute position when stopping the sample.

Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of embodiments.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a transport device, a sample analysis system, and a sample pretreatment device according to the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<FIG> is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a transport device according to a first embodiment, and <FIG> are cross-sectional views showing the schematic configuration of the transport device according to the first embodiment. As shown in <FIG>, a sample transport device 1a in the present embodiment includes a sample (not shown) provided with a permanent magnet <NUM>, a transport path <NUM> (<FIG>) through which the sample is to be transported via the permanent magnet <NUM>, a plurality of coils provided on a surface of the transport path <NUM> opposite to a surface on which the sample is to be transported, and a drive circuit (not shown) for causing a current to flow through the coils. The permanent magnet <NUM> is provided in a sample container or the like that is a transport object, and the sample moves along the transport path <NUM> together with the permanent magnet <NUM>. The coils each include a core <NUM> made of a magnetic material and a winding <NUM> wound around an outer periphery of the core <NUM>.

<FIG> shows an example of a transport device in which five coils each obtained by providing the winding <NUM> around the core <NUM> made of a magnetic material are disposed. The permanent magnet <NUM> provided in the sample is transported by a magnetic pole generated by a current flowing through the winding <NUM>. That is, a magnetic pole is generated in the core <NUM> in a desired movement direction (traveling direction), and the permanent magnet <NUM> is pulled by the magnetic pole, so that the transport object is transported in the traveling direction.

In the present embodiment, the five cores <NUM> are magnetically coupled by a yoke <NUM> made of a magnetic material on a side (-Z-axis direction side) opposite to a side on which the sample <NUM> on the permanent magnet <NUM> in the transport object is mounted. In this way, there are advantages that the plurality of cores <NUM> can be held, the accuracy of positions of the cores <NUM> can be obtained, and at the same time, a magnetic flux acting on the permanent magnet <NUM> can also be increased. In the present embodiment, the five cores <NUM> are arranged in a cross shape, and the permanent magnet <NUM> can be moved in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction. The number of the cores <NUM> in the present embodiment is five, and the number of the cores <NUM> is not limited to five. The cores <NUM> spread over a desired transport region, so that transport can be performed over a wide range.

In <FIG>, the permanent magnet <NUM> faces the core <NUM> in the Z-axis direction of the core <NUM>, and is moved on the transport path. The permanent magnet <NUM> is moved to a position by causing a current to flow through the winding <NUM> in a desired travelling direction, and causing the core <NUM> in the desired travelling direction to generate a magnetic pole that attracts a magnetic pole of the permanent magnet <NUM>. In the present embodiment, the flat plate-shaped transport path <NUM> is disposed on a permanent magnet side of the core <NUM>. The permanent magnet <NUM> provided in the transport object is moved on a transport surface in a sliding manner.

A method for stopping the permanent magnet <NUM> in a case where the permanent magnet <NUM> is moved from a position A to a position B in the X-axis direction, and is stopped at the position B is described using <FIG>. The transport path is not shown in this figure. For example, in a case where a robot or the like tries to hold a sample at the position B for dropwise addition of a reagent or dispensing work, or in a case where dropwise addition of a reagent or dispensing is performed on a transport surface, the sample or a test liquid may spill out, or in certain cases, an opened sample may collapse, and the sample may spill on the transport surface when a position of the sample or the like serving as a transport object varies. That is, a work error occurs due to a variation in positional accuracy on the transport surface.

An object of the invention is to accurately stop a sample at a target position of the cores <NUM>. When the permanent magnet <NUM> is to be stopped at the position B, an attractive force acts, in a vicinity of the position B in the X direction, between the permanent magnet <NUM> and a core 20B immediately below the permanent magnet <NUM>. That is, a force is generated in the -Z direction for the permanent magnet <NUM>. The force generated in the -Z direction is a force for pressing the permanent magnet <NUM> against the transport surface, and is a frictional force generated when the permanent magnet <NUM> is moved. Therefore, the force in the -Z direction can be reduced by causing a current to flow through a winding wire 30B wound around the core 20B immediately below the permanent magnet <NUM> to generate a magnetic pole that repels the magnetic pole of the permanent magnet <NUM>.

<FIG> is a graph showing a force acting in the Z-axis direction in the vicinity of the position B. <FIG> shows a current in the winding 30B for generating a magnetic pole that repels the magnetic pole of the permanent magnet <NUM> and a force in the Z direction that acts on the permanent magnet <NUM>. With an increase in the current for generating the repulsive magnetic pole, the force in the Z direction decreases, and the force in the Z direction can be close to <NUM> at a current of about <NUM> A to <NUM> A (a force acting in the Z direction when the permanent magnet <NUM> is located at the position <NUM> in <FIG> which is the position B). Here, when the current for generating the repulsive magnetic pole does not flow through the winding 30B, a force of <NUM> N or more is generated in the -Z direction, which generates a frictional force that presses the permanent magnet <NUM> against the transport surface.

<FIG> is a graph showing thrusts (forces acting in the X direction) at positions in a case where a permanent magnet is moved from the position A to the position B. <FIG> shows a force (thrust) in the X direction acting on the permanent magnet <NUM> when a position of the permanent magnet <NUM> in the X direction is shifted from A (position -<NUM>) to B (position <NUM>) in a case where a current for attracting the permanent magnet <NUM> is caused to flow through the winding 30B. In the method according to the related art, when the movement of the permanent magnet <NUM> is to be stopped at the target position, a current is caused to flow through the winding wire 30B at the position B so as to generate an attractive magnetic pole at the core 20B when the permanent magnet <NUM> is at the position A, so that the permanent magnet <NUM> is pulled and stopped at the position B. However, regarding the characteristics of the thrust and the position in this case, the thrust gradually increases once as the permanent magnet <NUM> moves from the position A to the position B, but decreases from a vicinity exceeding the middle, and the thrust is substantially zero at the position B. That is, when the permanent magnet <NUM> approaches the vicinity of the target position B, the thrust by which the permanent magnet <NUM> can be moved in the X direction is substantially zero. Therefore, the positioning accuracy in the vicinity of the target position B deteriorates.

As shown in <FIG>, the force in the -Z direction acting on the permanent magnet <NUM> does not change greatly, and thus the frictional force becomes relatively large with respect to the thrust. The thrust overcoming the frictional force cannot be generated, and thus the permanent magnet <NUM> is less likely to stop at the position B accurately. permanent magnet <NUM> stops at a position deviated from the target position B, a static frictional force is generated, and a sufficient thrust for moving the permanent magnet <NUM> again cannot be generated, or even when the permanent magnet <NUM> is pulled by an adjacent core, the transport object is rapidly moved at a timing when the static friction is changed to the dynamic friction, and thus minute positioning is hardly performed.

Therefore, by providing at least two coils and causing currents to flow through a first coil (the first winding 30B wound around the core 20B) located at a position facing the permanent magnet at the position where the permanent magnet is stopped and a second coil (a winding 30C wound around a core 20C) adjacent to the winding 30B as the first coil wound around the core 20B, the force in the Z direction (frictional force) is mainly adjusted by the first coil (the first winding 30B), and the force in the X direction (thrust) is mainly adjusted by the second coil (the second winding) 30C, so that the influence of the frictional force can be reduced, and the positioning accuracy can be improved. When currents flow through the windings, forces in both the X direction and the Z direction are generated, and the thrust is smaller than the attractive force in a case where the first winding 30B immediately below the permanent magnet <NUM> is excited, and the thrust is larger than the attractive force in a case where the second winding 30C adjacent to the first winding 30B is excited. Therefore, by simultaneously causing the current to flow through at least two windings, the thrust and the attractive force can be adjusted, and the accuracy of stopping at the target position is improved.

<FIG> is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a transport device according to a second embodiment. The basic configuration of a sample transport device 1b according to the sixth embodiment is the same as that of the sample transport device 1a shown in <FIG>.

A distance from a center of the core 20B in the X-axis direction, which is a target stop position of the permanent magnet <NUM>, to the permanent magnet <NUM> is set as x1. Here, a diameter of the permanent magnet <NUM> is set as D, and a diameter of the core 20B is set as d.

When the distance x1 between the center of the core as the desired stop position and the permanent magnet <NUM> is smaller than the radius D/<NUM> of the permanent magnet <NUM> and the radius d/<NUM> of the core 20B, the permanent magnet <NUM> and the core 20B face each other with the transport path <NUM> interposed therebetween. When the facing area increases, the force in the -Z direction increases. That is, the frictional force between the permanent magnet <NUM> and the core 20B increases. Therefore, within this range, a magnetic pole that repels the permanent magnet <NUM> is generated in the first coil (the winding 30B wound around the core 20B), so that the frictional force can be reduced. At this time, a magnetic pole for attracting the permanent magnet <NUM> is generated in <NUM> of the second coil located ahead in a transport direction of the permanent magnet <NUM>, or the permanent magnet <NUM> is transferred in the X direction by an inertial force of the permanent magnet <NUM>. That is, in a section of x1 ≤ (D/<NUM> + d/<NUM>), a current for generating a magnetic flux that repels a polarity of the permanent magnet is caused to flow through the first winding 20B, so that the frictional force can be reduced and the positioning accuracy can be improved.

When the permanent magnet <NUM> is moving at a certain speed, the movement in the X direction is performed by the inertial force of the transport object, and a repulsive force is generated by the winding 20B immediately below the permanent magnet <NUM> only in the section of x1 ≤ (D/<NUM> + d/<NUM>), so that the frictional force can also be reduced.

<FIG> is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a transport device according to a third embodiment. The basic configuration of a sample transport device 1c according to the seventh embodiment is the same as that of the sample transport device 1a shown in <FIG>.

In <FIG>, a diameter of the permanent magnet <NUM> is set as D, and a diameter of the core 20B is set as d. When a center of the permanent magnet <NUM> is within a range of ±d/<NUM> relative to the center of the core 20B located at a position facing the permanent magnet at the position where the permanent magnet is stopped, the force acting on the permanent magnet <NUM> in the -Z direction by the core. 20B increases, and the frictional force rapidly increases. Further, since an amount of change in an amount of inflow of current from the permanent magnet <NUM> to the core 20B does not greatly change and the thrust is determined by an amount of change in a magnetic flux, the above-described range is a region in which the thrust is also small. Therefore, in this region, the frictional force increases and the thrust decreases. A current for generating a magnetic flux that repels the polarity of the permanent magnet <NUM> is caused to flow through the first winding 20B, so that a ratio of the thrust acting on the permanent magnet <NUM> to the frictional force, that is, the thrust/frictional force, can be increased. Therefore, the effective thrust is improved, and the accuracy of the stop position is improved.

<FIG> and <FIG> are cross-sectional views showing a schematic configuration of a transport device according to a fourth embodiment. The basic configuration of a sample transport device 1d according to the eighth embodiment is similar to that of the transport device <NUM> shown in <FIG>.

In <FIG>, a diameter of the permanent magnet <NUM> is set as D, and a diameter of the core 20B is set as d. In <FIG>, the diameter D of the permanent magnet <NUM> is larger than the diameter d of the core 20B at a position facing the permanent magnet <NUM> at a position where the permanent magnet <NUM> is stopped. In this case, when a center of the permanent magnet <NUM> is within a range of ±(D - d)/<NUM> relative to a center of the core located at the position facing the permanent magnet <NUM> at the position where the permanent magnet <NUM> is stopped, the core 20B on a small diameter side always faces the permanent magnet <NUM>, the facing area also increases, and the change in the facing area is small during the movement within the range. That is, the above-described range is a range in which the force in the -Z direction between the permanent magnet <NUM> and the core 20B is large, and the thrust is small. At this time, a current for generating a magnetic flux that repels the polarity of the permanent magnet <NUM> is caused to flow through the first winding 20B, the thrust acting on the permanent magnet <NUM> can be increased, and the frictional force can be reduced.

Here, shapes of the permanent magnet <NUM> and the core <NUM> are not limited to a cylindrical shape, and the same effect may be obtained.

In <FIG>, a diameter of the permanent magnet <NUM> is set as D, and a diameter of the core 20B is set as d. In <FIG>, the diameter D of the permanent magnet <NUM> is smaller than the diameter d of the core 20B at a position facing the permanent magnet <NUM> at a position where the permanent magnet <NUM> is stopped. In this case, when a center of the permanent magnet <NUM> is within a range. of ± (d - D)/<NUM> relative to a center of the core located at the position facing the permanent magnet <NUM> at the position where the permanent magnet <NUM> is stopped, the core 20B on a small diameter side always faces the permanent magnet <NUM>, the facing area also increases, and the change in the facing area is small during the movement within the range. That is, the above-described range is a range in which the force in the -Z direction between the permanent magnet <NUM> and the core 20B is large, and the thrust is small. At this time, a current for generating a magnetic flux that repels the polarity of the permanent magnet <NUM> is caused to flow through the first winding 20B, the thrust acting on the permanent magnet <NUM> can be increased, and the frictional force can be reduced.

<FIG> is a schematic view showing shapes of the permanent magnet <NUM> and the core <NUM>. In the present embodiment, an example of the shapes of the permanent magnet <NUM> and the core <NUM> provided in the sample will be described. (a), (b), (c), and (d) of <FIG> are views in which the permanent magnet <NUM> and the core <NUM> are projected onto the transport surface (XY plane).

<FIG> is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a transport device according to a sixth embodiment. The basic configuration and operation are the same as those of other embodiments, and a shape of the core <NUM> on a side facing the permanent magnet <NUM> is large, and is larger than a core cross-section on an inner side of the winding <NUM> (T shape). In this case, a magnetic flux generated by the current flowing through the winding is increased, and the facing area between the permanent magnet <NUM> and the core <NUM> can also be increased, and thus a peak of the thrust acting on the permanent magnet <NUM> in the transport section can be increased (the peak of the thrust shown in <FIG> increases). However, the thrust becomes zero immediately above the core <NUM>, and thus the thrust becomes substantially zero in a vicinity of the core <NUM> in the X direction. On the other hand, the facing area between the permanent magnet <NUM> and the core <NUM> increases, and the force in the -Z direction, that is, the frictional force increases. In this way, a large peak thrust is obtained by forming the shape of the core <NUM> into a T-shape, and the frictional force immediately above the core <NUM> is reduced, so that a transport device in which the transport capability and thrust for transport are increased and the frictional force is small can be provided.

<FIG> is a schematic view of a sample transport device according to a seventh embodiment. In the present embodiment, a configuration of a periphery of the sample transport devices described in the first to sixth embodiments will be described in more detail. A sample transport device <NUM> according to the seventh embodiment includes three cores 20A, 20B, and 20C, and windings 30A, 30B, and 30C respectively disposed around the cores. The windings are each provided with a drive circuit <NUM>, and a current value of each of the windings can be individually controlled. A position or speed detection unit <NUM> that detects a position of the permanent magnet <NUM> is provided, and the current value is calculated by a current command calculation unit <NUM> based on the information. With such a configuration, the current value of each of the windings is adjusted based on the position of the permanent magnet <NUM>, so that positioning of a minute position is enabled, and the accuracy of the transport position can be improved. Eighth Embodiment.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of a sample analysis system according to an eighth embodiment. In the present embodiment, a sample analysis system including the sample transport device of the invention will be described.

As shown in <FIG>, a sample analysis system 200a is a device that separately dispenses a sample and a reagent into a reaction container and causes a reaction therebetween, and measures the reacted liquid. The sample analysis system 200a includes a carry-in unit <NUM>, an emergency rack loading port <NUM>, a transport line <NUM>, a buffer <NUM>, an analysis unit <NUM>, a storage unit <NUM>, a display unit <NUM>, and a control unit <NUM>.

The carry-in unit <NUM> is a place provided with a sample rack <NUM> for storing a plurality of sample containers <NUM> that contain biological samples such as blood and urine. The emergency rack loading port <NUM> is a place for inputting, into the device, a sample rack (carrier rack) loaded with a standard solution, or the sample rack <NUM> for storing the sample containers <NUM> that contain samples requiring urgent analysis.

The buffer <NUM> holds the plurality of sample racks <NUM> transported by the transport line <NUM> such that a dispensing order of the samples in the sample racks <NUM> can be changed.

The analysis unit <NUM> analyzes a sample transported from the buffer <NUM> via the conveyor line <NUM>. Details thereof will be described later.

The storage unit <NUM> stores the sample rack <NUM> in which the sample container <NUM> holding a sample that was analyzed by the analysis unit <NUM> is stored.

The transport line <NUM> is a line for transporting the sample rack <NUM> disposed in the carry-in unit <NUM>, and has the configuration of the sample transport device of the invention described in the first to sixth embodiments. In the present embodiment, a magnetic material, preferably a permanent magnet, is provided on a back surface side of the sample rack <NUM>.

The analysis unit <NUM> includes the conveyor line <NUM>, a reaction disk <NUM>, a sample dispensing nozzle <NUM>, a reagent disk <NUM>, a reagent dispensing nozzle <NUM>, a cleaning mechanism <NUM>, a reagent tray <NUM>, a reagent ID reader <NUM>, a reagent loader <NUM>, a spectrophotometer <NUM>, and the like.

The conveyor line <NUM> is a line for carrying the sample rack <NUM> in the buffer <NUM> into the analysis unit <NUM>, and has the configuration of the sample transport device of the invention described in the first to sixth embodiments.

The reaction disk <NUM> includes a plurality of reaction containers. The sample dispensing nozzle <NUM> dispenses a sample from the sample container <NUM> into the reaction container of the reaction disk <NUM> by rotational driving or vertical driving. The reagent disk <NUM> is provided with a plurality of reagents. The reagent dispensing nozzle <NUM> dispenses a reagent from a reagent bottle in the reagent disk <NUM> into the reaction container of the reaction disk <NUM>. The cleaning mechanism <NUM> cleans the reaction containers of the reaction disk <NUM>. The spectrophotometer <NUM> measures the absorbance of a reaction liquid by measuring transmitted light obtained from a light source (not shown) through the reaction liquid in the reaction container.

The reagent tray <NUM> is a member for placing a reagent when the reagent is registered in the sample analysis system 200a. The reagent ID reader <NUM> is a device for acquiring reagent information by reading a reagent ID attached to the reagent placed in the reagent tray <NUM>. The reagent loader <NUM> is a device for carrying the reagent into the reagent disk <NUM>.

The display unit <NUM> is a display device for displaying an analysis result of a concentration of a predetermined component in a liquid sample such as blood and urine.

The control unit <NUM> is implemented by a computer or the like, controls operation of the mechanisms in the sample analysis system 200a, and performs a calculation process for determining a concentration of a predetermined component in a sample such as blood and urine.

The overall configuration of the sample analysis system 200a is described above.

The sample analysis process performed by the sample analysis system 200a as described above is generally executed in the following order.

First, the sample racks <NUM> are disposed in the carry-in unit <NUM> or the emergency rack loading port <NUM>, and are carried, by the transport line <NUM>, in the buffer <NUM> that allows random access.

The sample analysis system 200a carries the sample rack <NUM> having the highest priority among the racks stored in the buffer <NUM> into the analysis unit <NUM> by the conveyor line <NUM> in accordance with the rule of the priority.

The sample rack <NUM> that arrived at the analysis unit <NUM> is further transferred to a sample sorting position near the reaction disk <NUM> by the conveyor line <NUM>, and a sample is dispensed into a reaction container of the reaction disk <NUM> by the sample dispensing nozzle <NUM>. The sample dispensing nozzle <NUM> dispenses the sample a necessary number of times in accordance with an analysis item requested for the sample.

The sample dispensing nozzle <NUM> dispenses samples from all the sample containers <NUM> mounted on the sample rack <NUM>. The sample rack <NUM> for which the dispensing process for all the sample containers <NUM> is completed is transferred to the buffer <NUM> again. Further, the sample rack <NUM> for which all the sample dispensing processes including the automatic retest were completed is transferred to the storage unit <NUM> by the conveyor line <NUM> and the transport line <NUM>.

A reagent used for the analysis is dispensed, by the reagent dispensing nozzle <NUM>, from a reagent bottle on the reagent disk <NUM> to the reaction container to which the sample was previously dispensed. Subsequently, a mixture of the sample and the reagent in the reaction container is stirred by a stirring mechanism (not shown).

Then, the light generated from the light source is transmitted through the reaction container containing the mixed solution after stirring, and the light intensity of the transmitted light is measured by the spectrophotometer <NUM>. The light intensity measured by the spectrophotometer <NUM> is sent to the control unit <NUM> via an A/D converter and an interface. Then, the control unit <NUM> performs calculation to determine a concentration of a predetermined component in a liquid sample such as blood and urine, and the result is displayed on the display unit <NUM> or the like or stored in a storage unit (not shown).

As shown in <FIG>, the sample analysis system 200a does not need to include all the configurations described above, and a unit for pretreatment may be appropriately added, or a part of units or a part of configurations may be deleted. In addition, the analysis unit <NUM> is not limited to biochemical analysis, and may be used for immunoanalysis. Further, the number of the analysis unit <NUM> is not necessarily one, and two or more analysis units <NUM> may be provided. In this case, the transport line <NUM> also connects the analysis unit <NUM> and the carry-in unit <NUM>, and transports the sample rack <NUM> from the carry-in unit <NUM>.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of a sample pretreatment system. In the present embodiment, an overall configuration of a sample pretreatment device <NUM> will be described with reference to <FIG>.

In <FIG>, the sample pretreatment device <NUM> is a device that executes various kinds of pretreatments necessary for analysis of a sample. As shown from the left side to the right side in <FIG>, the sample pretreatment device <NUM> includes a plurality of units including, as basic elements, a closing unit <NUM>, a sample storage unit <NUM>, an empty holder stacker <NUM>, a sample input unit <NUM>, a centrifugal separation unit <NUM>, a liquid volume measurement unit <NUM>, an opening unit <NUM>, a child sample container preparation unit <NUM>, a dispensing unit <NUM>, and a transfer unit <NUM>, and an operation unit PC <NUM> that controls the operations of the plurality of units.

As a transfer destination of the sample treated by the sample pretreatment device <NUM>, the sample analysis system 200a for performing qualitative or quantitative analysis of components in the sample is connected.

The sample input unit <NUM> is a unit for inputting the sample container <NUM> containing a sample into the sample pretreatment device <NUM>. The centrifugal separation unit <NUM> is a unit that performs centrifugal separation on the input sample container <NUM>. The liquid volume measurement unit <NUM> is a unit that measures the liquid volume of the sample contained in the sample container <NUM>. The opening unit <NUM> is a unit that opens a plug of the inputted sample container <NUM>. The child sample container preparation unit <NUM> is a unit that performs preparation necessary for dispensing the sample contained in the input sample container <NUM> into the next dispensing unit <NUM>. The dispensing unit <NUM> is a unit that performs subdivision on the centrifugally separated sample for analysis with a sample analysis system or the like, and attaches a bar code or the like to the sample container <NUM> that is subjected to the subdivision, that is, the child sample container <NUM>. The transfer unit <NUM> is a unit that classifies the child sample container <NUM> into which the sample is dispensed, and prepares for transfer to the sample analysis system. The closing unit <NUM> is a unit that closes the sample container <NUM> or the child sample container <NUM>. The sample storage unit <NUM> is a unit that stores the closed 'sample container <NUM>.

The transport device according to any one of the first to sixth embodiments is used as a mechanism that transports a sample holder or a sample rack that holds the sample container <NUM> between the units or between the sample pretreatment device <NUM> and the sample analysis system 200a.

The sample pretreatment device <NUM> does not need to include all the configurations described above, and a unit may be added, or a part of units or a part of configurations may be deleted.

The sample analysis system in the present embodiment may be a sample analysis system <NUM> including the sample pretreatment device <NUM> as shown in <FIG> and the sample analysis system 200a. In this case, not only an inside of each system but also a system and another system can be connected by the sample transport device according to the first to third embodiments described above, and the sample container <NUM> can be transported.

The sample analysis system 200a according to the seventh embodiment of the invention and the sample pretreatment device <NUM> include the transport device 1a in the first embodiment described above, so that the sample container <NUM> can be transported to a transport destination with high efficiency, and the time until the analysis result is obtained can be shortened. In addition, the transport trouble is reduced, and the burden on the laboratory technician can be reduced.

The present embodiment describes an example of a case in which the sample rack <NUM> holding five sample containers <NUM> containing samples is transported as a transport target. Alternatively, a sample holder holding two sample containers <NUM> can be transported as a transport target, in addition to the sample rack <NUM> holding five sample containers <NUM>.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. The above embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the invention, and the invention is not necessarily limited to those including all the configurations described above.

A part of a configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with a configuration of another embodiment, and a configuration of another embodiment can also be added to the configuration of the one embodiment. In addition, a part of the configurations of the embodiments may be added to, deleted from, or replaced with another configuration.

Claim 1:
A sample transport device, comprising:
a sample provided with a permanent magnet (<NUM>);
a transport path (<NUM>) through which the sample is to be transported via the permanent magnet (<NUM>);
a plurality of coils (<NUM>) provided on a surface of the transport path (<NUM>) opposite to a surface on which the sample is to be transported; and
a drive circuit (<NUM>) configured to cause a current to flow through the coils, wherein
wherein the drive circuit (<NUM>) is configured to:
adjust a force applied to the permanent magnet (<NUM>) in a vertical direction by a current flowing through a first coil immediately below a position at which the permanent magnet (<NUM>) is to be stopped, and
adjust a force applied to the permanent magnet (<NUM>) in a horizontal direction by a current flowing through a second coil adjacent to the first coil, and adjust a stop position of the permanent magnet (<NUM>) by simultaneously applying currents to the first coil and the second coil,
characterized in that
the drive circuit (<NUM>) is configured to adjust the stop position of the permanent magnet (<NUM>) by causing a current generating a magnetic flux that repels a polarity of the permanent magnet (<NUM>) to flow through the first coil.