Patent ID: 8216511

Claim:
A specimen rack configured to hold at least one specimen container, each specimen container configured to contain a specimen, the specimen rack comprising: a luminous body disposed in or above an upper surface of the specimen rack, and configured to notify information detected by a sensor to outside the specimen rack by emitting a color selected from a set of colors and an emission mode selected from a set of emission modes, the information concerning a specimen contained in the at least one specimen container held on a specimen rack, the information including a status of progress in analyzing a specimen and/or a specimen condition; a communication unit configured to transmit information to and receive information from outside the specimen rack, the information being necessary for the luminous body; wherein the specimen rack is configured to be removable from a specimen carrier system at an input position or an unloading position of the specimen carrier system, the specimen rack including at least one of: (1) the communication unit being further configured to communicate in a wired or wireless manner with a communication unit provided in the specimen carrier system, or with a communication unit that is provided separately from the specimen carrier system and that is adapted to mount therein an input position and an unloading position after being removed from the specimen carrier system, and (2) a unit configured to receive electric power in a wired or wireless manner from the specimen carrier system, or to receive electric power from an electric power supplying unit that is provided separately from the specimen carrier system and that is adapted to mount therein the input position and unloading position after being removed from the specimen carrier system.