The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 18, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 10, 1998
Katsushi Takahashi, Hitachinaka, JP;
Mikio Komata, Hitachinaka, JP;
Toshiyuki Ikeda, Hitachinaka, JP;
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
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.