Patent ID: 8175810

Claim:
A sample processing apparatus comprising: a processing unit configured to process samples and having at least three lines, each line including a plurality of processing sections having individual processing abilities and a waiting section for allowing a sample to be processed by one of the processing sections to temporarily wait, at least three of the plurality of processing sections being capable of independently performing processing operations; a pipette unit configured to transfer liquid from one container to another container placed in different sections; a memory configured to store information on maximum waiting times tolerable for respective samples to be introduced into the plurality of processing sections; a scheduling section programmed to prepare a processing schedule for the samples according to the information on maximum waiting times stored in the memory so that a sample in a waiting section of one line can be transferred to a processing section of another line by means of the pipette unit to maximize the operation efficiency of processing the samples by using the plurality of processing sections without damaging the accuracy of processing results, wherein the scheduling section is further programmed to alter the schedule according to an upper limit of waiting time for a newly added sample, and wherein the alteration of the schedule is performed by evaluating a clock time of releasing a container for each step of the schedule before being altered, along with the upper limit of waiting time for the newly added sample, and by correcting the already prepared processing schedule for the samples based on the evaluation.