Abstract: A specimen conveying system includes a plurality of conveying mechanisms arranged to convey a specimen-contained container in given positions, each of the conveying mechanisms including a belt-conveyor type conveying lane, a motor-vehicle guide laid between first and second conveying mechanisms of the plurality of conveying mechanisms, and a motor vehicle guided and self-propelled by the motor-vehicle guide. The motor vehicle includes a first coupling section provided at a front of a main body of the motor vehicle and coupled to one end of the first conveying mechanism, a second coupling section provided at a rear of the main body of the motor vehicle and coupled to one end of the second conveying mechanism, and a belt-conveyor type conveying lane formed on a top surface of the motor-vehicle body and selectively connected to the belt-conveyor type conveying lanes of the first and second conveying mechanisms, thereby transferring the specimen-contained container.

Abstract: A test tube holder includes a test tube insertion adapter having an adapter body and an elastic ring. The adapter body includes a flange section which contacts an opening of the cylindrical hollow, an annular section which ranges with the flange section and is fitted on the inner surface of the opening, a plurality of flat spring sections whose proximal end portions are arranged at regular intervals along the circumference of the annular section and connected to the annular section and whose distal end portions extend inward in the cylindrical hollow and bent toward the axis of the adapter body, and contact sections which are formed on the inner surfaces of distal end portions of the flat spring sections. The elastic ring is provided to bind the flat spring sections together while surrounding the outer surfaces of the flat spring sections.

Abstract: A portable electrocardiogram monitor according to the present invention includes an electrode piece fixed in contact with the surface of a body of a user, for receiving an electrical signal corresponding to a bioelectric current generated by contraction of heart muscles, a signal amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal, a processor for processing the amplified signal to acquire electrocardiogram waveform data, a display for displaying an electrocardiogram based on the electrocardiogram waveform data, a memory for storing electrocardiogram waveform data of the user who is in good health, as standard data, a comparator for comparing the electrocardiogram waveform data with the standard data, a determination unit for determining one of presence and absence of abnormality according to whether a difference between the electrocardiogram waveform data and the standard data exceeds a permissible range, and an alarm generator for raising an alarm when the determination unit determines the presence of abnormalit

Abstract: A blood-collecting tube setting system includes an information collecting unit which collects information of a blood donor accepted at a reception desk, a sheet-issuing unit which issues a pair of identification sheets having the same recording contents corresponding to the collected information, a sheet-sticking unit which sticks one of the issued identification sheets on an unused blood-collecting tube, a sheet-attaching member which attaches the other of the issued identification sheets to the blood donor, a first reading unit which reads an information item of a blood-collecting tube identification sheet, a second reading unit which reads an information item of a blood donor identification sheet, a comparison/determination unit which compares the read two information items and determines whether both the information items are matched or not, and an informing unit which informs an operator of results of comparison and determination.

Abstract: The present invention provides a specimen processing system for centrifuging a specimen such as blood and then dispensing the specimen. This system comprises a dispense error specimen removing unit for removing a specimen in which a dispense error has been caused due to a fibrin in a dispense process, a feedback unit for injecting fibrin-decomposing beads into the specimen removed by the dispense error specimen removing unit and feeding the specimen containing the beads back to a centrifuge process, a reprocess control unit for causing the specimen fed back to the centrifuge process by the feedback unit to be centrifuged again, and a system controller for automatically controlling the dispense error specimen removing unit, the feedback unit, and the reprocess control unit.

Abstract: A specimen conveying system according to the present invention selectively supplies specimens, which are carried in by a specimen carry-in line having conveyor-belt type conveying lane, to a plurality of specimen processing lines each having a conveyor-belt type conveying lane which perform respective specific processes for the specimens. The supply of the specimens to the specimen processing lines is performed using a motor vehicle whose running is controlled by running control means including means for transmitting a command given from a host computer. The configuration of the whole system is simplified to lower the costs, and an operating passage, which crosses the conveying line, is secured to improve the efficiency of the entire specimen processing operation.

Abstract: A serum/clot separation surface determination apparatus includes a test tube formed of a non-magnetic material containing a blood sample which is separated into a serum and a clot by a silicon separating medium, a detection coil fitted on an outer surface of the test tube, a measurement signal supply unit which supplies a measurement signal having a given frequency to the detection coil, a drive control unit which variably controls a relative position between the detection coil and the test tube in a longitudinal direction of the test tube by moving at least one of the detection coil and the test tube, a signal level detector which detects a level of the measurement signal that varies with the relative position, and a determination unit which determines a position of a sample separation surface obtained by the silicon separating medium, based on the level of the detected measurement signal.

Abstract: A specimen-conveying conveyor includes a holding roller mechanism including a roller unit having a plurality of holding rollers, which are arranged in a horizontal direction so as to form a valley region in which a test tube is laid down and held, along a conveyance path, a rotation driving mechanism which simultaneously rotates the holding rollers of the roller unit of the holding roller mechanism in a first direction and thus rotates the test tube laid down and held in the valley region in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a slide driving mechanism which slides the test tube laid down and held in the valley region in a direction along an axis of each of the holding rollers.

Abstract: A specimen conveying system includes a plurality of conveying mechanisms arranged to convey a specimen-contained container in given positions, each of the conveying mechanisms including a belt-conveyor type conveying lane, a motor-vehicle guide laid between first and second conveying mechanisms of the plurality of conveying mechanisms, and a motor vehicle guided and self-propelled by the motor-vehicle guide. The motor vehicle includes a first coupling section provided at a front of a main body of the motor vehicle and coupled to one end of the first conveying mechanism, a second coupling section provided at a rear of the main body of the motor vehicle and coupled to one end of the second conveying mechanism, and a belt-conveyor type conveying lane formed on a top surface of the motor-vehicle body and selectively connected to the belt-conveyor type conveying lanes of the first and second conveying mechanisms, thereby transferring the specimen-contained container.

Abstract: A urine cup carry-in apparatus according to the present invention includes a casing set close to a urine cup carrying line, a carry-in mechanism set inside the casing and including a urine cup holder which holds a urine cup, the urine cup holder being movably provided such that the urine cup is allowed to be automatically carried into the urine cup carrying line, and an information message display device and a voice guide device arranged adjacent to each other to present an operation guide to an operator including at least means for setting a urine cup containing urine into the urine cup holder and means for starting a carry-in operation of the urine cup holder which holds the urine cup.

Abstract: A specimen processing system according to the present invention includes a plurality of specimen processing units each having flat sides and a specimen operating surface and operated singly. The specimen processing units have at least the same depth dimension, and the specimen operating surfaces of the specimen processing units have the same height dimension. The system further includes a coupling section for closely coupling the right and left sides of the specimen processing units to each other and a single driving control unit for controlling a related operation of all of the specimen processing units coupled to each other by the coupling section and a single operation of a designated one of the specimen processing units.

Abstract: A specimen-inspection preprocessing apparatus according to the present invention includes a desk-type housing and a plurality of specimen processing units arranged on the desk-type housing, and at least some of the plurality of specimen processing units each include a rotary conveying mechanism having a turntable.

Abstract: An opener for a specimen container includes a first chuck mechanism placed in a specific position of a transfer lane for transferring the specimen container, for chucking and fixing the specimen container which is transferred to the specific position and whose opening is stopped with a stopper, a second chuck mechanism for chucking the stopper, which stops the opening of the specimen container chucked and fixed by the first chuck mechanism, from two directions perpendicular to an axis of the specimen container, a rotation driving mechanism for rotating the second chuck mechanism around the axis of the specimen container, and a pull-out mechanism for moving the second chuck mechanism away from the opening of the specimen container along the axis of the specimen container in synchronization with a rotating operation of the rotation driving mechanism.

Abstract: A test tube holder according to the present invention includes a holder body having a cylindrical body having a cylindrical hollow formed to a given depth from the top to the bottom along the axis of the holder body and designed to hold a test tube, a tightening ring mounting small-diameter section formed on the outer surface and near the top of the cylindrical body, and an engagement section formed on the outer surface and near the bottom of the cylindrical body and engaged with a guide rail for conveyance.

Abstract: An auxiliary apparatus for sampling blood serum according to the invention comprises a disklike flattening member having a flat surface and capable of flattening a separation surface of a blood serum separating medium contained in a sample container by urging the flat surface against the separation surface, a mounting member having a cylindrical shaft for lowering the flattening member through the blood serum contained in the sample container to thereby mount the flattening member in the sample container such that the flat surface of the flattening member horizontally urges the separation surface of the blood serum separating medium, and means for securing a space which permits a sampling/dispensing tip capable of sampling and dispensing the blood serum, to be inserted into the sample container, by detaching the cylindrical shaft from the flattening member and taking the cylindrical shaft out of the sample container, after the flattening member is mounted in the sample container by the mounting member.

Abstract: An auxiliary apparatus for sampling blood serum according to the invention comprises a disklike flattening member having a flat surface and capable of flattening a separation surface of a blood serum separating medium contained in a sample container by urging the flat surface against the separation surface, a mounting member having a cylindrical shaft for lowering the flattening member through the blood serum contained in the sample container to thereby mount the flattening member in the sample container such that the flat surface of the flattening member horizontally urges the separation surface of the blood serum separating medium, and means for securing a space which permits a sampling/dispensing tip capable of sampling and dispensing the blood serum, to be inserted into the sample container, by detaching the cylindrical shaft from the flattening member and taking the cylindrical shaft out of the sample container, after the flattening member is mounted in the sample container by the mounting member.

Abstract: A nozzle apparatus for sampling-dispensing a specimen comprises a nozzle body and an annular elastic bag made of an elastic member and formed to cover the outer circumferential surface at the distal end portion of the nozzle body such that fluid such as air can be sealed in the inner space of the elastic bag. When a specimen sampling-dispensing tip is mounted to the nozzle apparatus, fluid is supplied into the elastic bag, with the distal end portion of the nozzle body kept inserted into a mounting section of the tip, so as to expand the elastic bag such that the outer circumferential surface of the bag is pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the mounting section of the tip so as to ensure a hermetic contact therebetween.

Abstract: The test object container holder of the present invention comprises a holder body having a container storage portion, a first ring groove, and a second ring groove, and an indication ring engaged in the outer circumference of the holder body. The test object container holder conveyer apparatus of the present invention includes a test object container holder including a holder body and an indication ring, holder conveyer, for conveying the test object container holder, a sensor for detecting and notifying the indication ring, a convey pause mechanism operated in response to an output from the sensor, an orientation control mechanism for orienting the paused test object container holder in a predetermined direction, a read device for reading information of the indication ring, and command device for supplying the test object container holder with a necessary command.

Abstract: An automatic vessel supplying and labeling apparatus takes out a desired vessel from racks, supplies it to a predetermined position, supplies a desired label, corresponding to the vessel, to the position, and applies the label to the vessel in the predetermined position. A judging unit checks the label information on the vessel, and judges whether the label is correctly applied to the vessel, and the vessel is sorted into one of two places, one place for collecting vessels with correctly applied labels and the other for collecting vessels with not correctly applied labels in accordance with the result of judgment. The label is applied to the vessel after a sensor detects the label supplied to the predetermined position.

Abstract: A sample-contained container corking-up method of the present invention comprises a first step of holding each stopper supplied from a stopper supply means by a stopper holder and opposing an inserted portion of the stopper to the open top of the container which is supported at its corked-up position, a second step of pushing the inserted portion of the stopper, which has been opposed to the open top of the container by the first step, into it to a first predetermined position, while holding the stopper at a certain state by the stopper holder, a third step of releasing the stopper holder from the stopper and retreating the stopper holder to its waiting position after the stopper pushing operation conducted by the second step, and a fourth step of further pushing the inserted portion of the stopper into the container to a second predetermined position, deeper than the first one, while leaving the stopper holder retreated to the waiting position by the third step.