Patent ID: 7300628

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 samples extracted from sample vessels accommodated in said sample racks; rack ejection means 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 a 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 directing sample racks that have to await determination as to the necessity for reexamination, to said rack stationing section, while directing sample racks that need reexamination, directly to a second rack sorting section connected to said first rack sorting section downstream therefrom by a rack feeding mechanism, said second rack sorting section being connected to an inlet of said return line and to said rack collecting section; wherein said second rack sorting section selects, from among the sample racks which have been received from said first rack sorting section, a sample rack determined as necessitating the reexamination and directs the selected sample rack to said inlet of said return line for return to said analysis section, said second rack sorting section also directing a sample rack that has finished examination to said rack collecting section.