Patent Document ID: 9135487
Application ID: 13733427
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A sample information detection apparatus comprising: a conveyer unit configured to hold a sample container in a standing state and convey the sample container along a predetermined conveyer path, the sample container being configured to contain a sample; a reflection unit comprising a V-shaped mirror configured to reflect an image of the sample container, the V-shaped mirror including a plurality of reflection faces disposed on one side of the conveyer path along a standing direction of the sample container, the plurality of reflection faces facing a side face of the sample container and inclined with respect to each other; an image acquisition unit comprising an imaging unit disposed on another side of the conveyer path facing the reflection unit with the sample container interposed between the imaging unit and the reflection unit, the imaging unit being configured to image an imaging range covering images reflected by the reflection unit, the image acquisition unit being configured to acquire the image of the sample container that is reflected by the reflection unit; and a sample information detection unit configured to detect information displayed on a side portion of the sample container based on the acquired image, wherein the information is sample information indicated by a barcode attached to the side face of the sample container, the reflection mirror is disposed on one side of the sample container conveyed in a standing state, the reflection mirror being configured to reflect an image of a side portion of the sample container on the side face, the imaging unit is disposed on another side of the sample container in alignment with a periphery of the sample container, the imaging range covering another side portion of the sample container on the another side and a reflection face of the reflection mirror, the image acquisition unit is configured to acquire an image including the image of the side portion of the sample container that is reflected by the reflection mirror and an image of the another side portion of the sample container directly imaged by the imaging unit, by the imaging of the imaging range, and the sample information detection unit is configured to obtain the sample information based on at least one of the images included in the acquired image.