Patent ID: 7939020

Claim:
An automatic analyzing apparatus, comprising: a control section operatively connected so as to control operations of the analyzing apparatus; a transfer line for transferring sample racks; an analysis section connected to said transfer line by a rack pickup mechanism, for receiving sample racks from said transfer line and examining sample extracted from sample vessels accommodated in said sample racks; a rack ejection mechanism in said analysis section connected to said transfer line for transferring said sample racks from said analysis section back to said transfer line after extraction of said samples; a rack stationing section connected to said transfer line downstream from said analysis section for stationing sample racks which have a possibility of being subjected to reexamination; a rack collecting section connected to said rack stationing section for accommodating the sample racks with which the examination has been finished; a return line along which the sample racks that need to be reexamined are returned back to said analysis section, said return line having an inlet for receiving the sample racks from said rack stationing section; a first rack sorting section located downstream from an outlet of said transfer line for receiving said sample racks transferred by said transfer line, said first rack sorting section being connected to said rack stationing section and to said return line, and directing sample racks that have to await determination as to the necessity for the reexamination to said rack stationing section, while directing sample racks that have finished examination to said rack collecting section, said first rack sorting section also receiving sample racks which have already been determined as necessitating the reexamination; and a second rack sorting section connected to said first rack sorting section downstream therefrom by a rack feeding mechanism and connected to said inlet of said return line and to said rack stationing section and said rack collecting section, which selects, from among the sample racks which have been received at said rack stationing section, a sample rack determined as necessitating the reexamination and directs the selected sample rack to said inlet of said return line, said second rack sorting section also directing a sample rack that need not be reexamined to said rack collecting section; and wherein said rack feeding mechanism transfers the sample racks that require reexamination from said first rack sorting section directly to said return line when the sample racks first reach said first rack sorting section and transfers the sample racks that have finished examination from said first rack sorting section to said rack collecting section by a rack accommodation line connected to said first rack sorting section through said second rack sorting section.