Conventionally, there are known specimen processing systems, which includes plural specimen processing apparatuses such as a specimen analyzing apparatus and a smear preparing apparatus and a transport apparatus for transporting specimens so as to supply the specimen to the specimen processing apparatuses, where the specimens are transported to the specimen processing apparatuses by the transport apparatus and the transported specimens are processed by the specimen processing apparatuses.
JP-A-11-304812 discloses a specimen processing system which includes a rack supply area for supplying racks which are used for accommodating specimens, a transport line for transporting the racks from the rack supply area, a rack storing section for storing the racks transported on the transport line and plural specimen processing apparatuses arranged along the transport line. The specimen processing system described in JP-A-11-304812 is provided with an identification information reading apparatus for reading identification information adhered to a specimen on a rack before transportation to the plural specimen processing apparatuses, a control section for determining whether the identification information is identified by the identification information reading apparatus, a particular rack recovery area for recovering a rack before transportation to the plural specimen processing apparatuses and a rack moving apparatus for moving a rack which cannot be identified by the determination of the control section to the particular rack collect area.
However, in the analysis processing system described in JP-A-11-304812, even if in a rack there is a specimen container having a shape which is not suitable for the specimen measurement of the system or a specimen container accommodating a specimen which cannot be measured because the amount of the specimen is small or the specimen as blood is coagulated, the rack is supplied to the specimen processing apparatus. When such a specimen container is supplied to the specimen processing apparatus, the operation of the specimen processing apparatus is stopped and a problem thus occurs in that the operation of the entire system stops.
In addition, in the specimen processing system described in JP-A-11-304812, a rack which cannot be identified by the determination of the control section can be collected to the particular rack collect area. However, it is necessary to place the recovered rack in the rack supply area again in order to re-put the collected rack into the specimen processing system. Regarding all the specimens accommodated in the rack placed in the rack supply area in this manner, the identification information thereof is re-read by the identification information reading apparatus. Accordingly, a problem occurs in that the next identification information reading operation cannot be started if the re-reading of the identification information on the rack requiring the re-reading has not been completed, and the reading of the identification information on a rack which can be identified and the conveying of the rack to the transport section are delayed by the reading of the identification information on the rack requiring the re-reading.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds