Hitachi, Ltd.

Toshiyuki Ikeda

Katsushi Takahashi

Hitoshi Tokieda

Susumu Kai

Yuji Miyahara

Satoshi Ozawa

Mikio Komata

Kootaroo Yamashita

A rack transportation assembly having a projecting member projecting forward is fixed onto a floor by a plurality of adjusters so that its rack transportation surface is brought to a desired level. The projecting member has a first reference surface facing upward. A treatment unit structure having a rack transferring area has a second reference surface in its lower surface. The treatment unit structure is pushed toward the rack transportation assembly under a condition that the second reference surface is lifted upward using height-adjustable casters so as to not become higher than the first reference surface. Then, the treatment unit structure is lowered so that the second reference surface is mounted onto the first reference surface, and a height in the front side of the treatment unit structure is adjusted using the plurality of adjusters.

Sample rack handling system

A sample handling system comprising: a transportation line including a combination of plural partitive line units; and a plurality of handling units, wherein each of the plural partitive line units and each of the plurality of handling units form a pair, and each handling unit is installed removably from its corresponding partitive line unit. Each handling unit transmits inoperative information to the transportation line when it becomes inoperative. The transportation line transmits this inoperative information to the central controller. The central controller monitors handling units at which the sample rack can stop over. The sample rack avoids stopover at the inoperative handling unit, but is allowed to advance to the subsequent handling unit passing through the partitive line unit which makes a pair with the inoperative handling unit.

Sample handling system

An automatic processing system and method which has high flexibility, extendibility and failure resistance. An automatic processing system and method that provides for the decentralized control of processings of plural samples. The invention combines a plurality of processing instruments and makes use of sample containers for each sample. Each sample container includes an information processing mechanism, a memory mechanism and a communication mechanism. The sample container has stored therein an abstract processing procedure, and determines, based on information concerning the processing instruments obtained from the processing instruments and the abstract processing procedure, a processing procedure for processing the sample. Thereafter, the processing instruments process the sample based on the processing procedure determined by the sample container. The processing procedure of each sample container can allow for performing priority, and cooperative and concerted operations among the processing instruments and the sample containers.

Automatic processing system

Growing community of inventors

Hitachinaka, Japan

Toshiyuki Ikeda