Patents by Inventor Tomoyuki Asahara

Tomoyuki Asahara has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10197550
    Abstract: A sample processing system comprising: a plurality of sample processing units; and a transport apparatus for transporting a sample to any of the plurality of sample processing units, wherein the transport apparatus comprises a communication section for communicating with an apparatus external to the transport apparatus and a controlling section for setting the transport apparatus in a start-up state when the communication section have received a start-up command signal from the external apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroo Tatsutani, Tomoyuki Asahara
  • Patent number: 10161950
    Abstract: A reagent preparing device capable of supplying a predetermined reagent, which includes a first liquid and a second liquid different from the first liquid, to a measurement section for measuring a specimen using the reagent, comprising: a pressure generator for generating pressure to transfer liquid; a reagent preparing section for executing a preparation operation of the predetermined reagent using the pressure generated by the pressure generator; and a controller configured for performing operations comprising: determining whether or not the reagent preparing section is executing the preparation operation, and controlling the generation of the pressure by the pressure generator according to the determination result, is disclosed. A reagent preparing method and a specimen processing system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Okubo, Noriyuki Nakanishi, Masahiko Oguro, Tomoyuki Asahara, Takayuki Nakajima
  • Patent number: 10101346
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, a transport mechanism transports a first sample container to a sample aspiration position. A setting part may set a second sample container, that accommodates a sample to be measured, with priority over a measurement of a sample in a first sample container. A nozzle may be capable of moving a sample from a first sample container at a sample aspiration position, and aspirating the sample from the second sample container. A detector may detect components of the sample. A controller may control a transport mechanism such that the first sample container moves to a position distant from the sample aspiration position, when the first sample container has been transported and when sample aspiration of the second sample container is required. A controller may execute control to move the nozzle above the sample aspiration position in state in which the first sample container is distant from the sample aspiration position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Koike, Yousuke Matsui, Go Senda, Hiroo Tatsutani, Yuichiro Ohmae, Atsushi Kumagai, Tomoyuki Asahara
  • Patent number: 9829497
    Abstract: A sample analysis system includes a first measurement unit, a second measurement unit arranged to a downstream side of the first measurement unit, and an information processing section which obtains a measurement result of a sample. The information processing section determines, based on the measurement result of the sample measured by the first measurement unit, whether or not a retest of the sample by the first measurement unit is necessary. When the retest by the first measurement unit is necessary, the information processing section causes the sample container to be transported to a first sample supply position for the first measurement unit and causes the first measurement unit to perform measurement of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroo Tatsutani, Tomoyuki Asahara, Keisuke Kuwano
  • Publication number: 20160349279
    Abstract: Transport part transports first sample container to sample aspiration position. Setting part is set second sample container that accommodates sample to be measured with priority over measurement of the sample in first sample container. Nozzle is capable of moving for aspirating sample from first sample container at sample aspiration position, and aspirating the sample from second sample container set in setting part. Detector detects components of the sample aspirated by nozzle. Controller controls transport part such that first sample container moves to position distant from sample aspiration position, when first sample container has been transported to sample aspiration position and when the sample aspiration from the second sample container using the nozzle is required. Controller executes control such that nozzle that has aspirated the sample from second sample container moves above sample aspiration position in state in which first sample container is distant from sample aspiration position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Applicant: SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki KOIKE, Yousuke MATSUI, Go SENDA, Hiroo TATSUTANI, Yuichiro OHMAE, Atsushi KUMAGAI, Tomoyuki ASAHARA
  • Patent number: 9377480
    Abstract: A specimen storage device capable of easily identifying a specific specimen plate stored in a rack is proposed. The specimen storage device for storing a tested specimen plate in a rack capable of storing a plurality of specimen plates, the specimen storage device including specimen storage section configured to store the specimen plate in the rack, and a control section configured to control the specimen storage section to store a specific specimen plate, whose test result satisfies a predetermined condition, in the rack in a manner distinguishable from a one or more specimen plate, whose test result does not satisfy the predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Asahara
  • Patent number: 9316660
    Abstract: This reagent preparation apparatus prepares a reagent supplied to a measurement portion measuring a specimen with the reagent. The reagent is prepared from a first liquid and a second liquid different from the first liquid. The reagent preparation apparatus comprises a reagent preparation portion preparing the reagent and a control portion acquiring reagent information related to the reagent prepared by the reagent preparation portion, acquiring supply time information related to a time when the reagent prepared by the reagent preparation portion was supplied to the measurement portion and outputting the reagent information and the supply time information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Asahara, Kouichi Ookubo, Noriyuki Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 9297823
    Abstract: A specimen transporter connected to a specimen imaging apparatus, the specimen transporter including a specimen receiving section that receives a specimen plate and a specimen storage section that stores an imaged specimen plate. Specimen transporting sections transport the specimen plate from the specimen receiving section to the specimen imaging apparatus and from the specimen imaging apparatus to the specimen storage section. A control section controls operations of the specimen transporting sections to transport the specimen plate received by the specimen receiving section to the specimen imaging apparatus and transport the imaged specimen plate received from the specimen imaging apparatus to the specimen storage section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuo Yamasaki, Hidetaka Hayama, Yuichiro Ohmae, Tomoyuki Asahara, Takaaki Nagai
  • Patent number: 9207250
    Abstract: A reagent preparing device for preparing a reagent to be supplied to a measurement section for measuring a specimen; the reagent preparing device comprising: a reagent preparing section for preparing a reagent including a first liquid and a second liquid, different from the first liquid; a reagent storage container, connected to the measurement section, for storing the reagent prepared by the reagent preparing section; and a controller configured for determining whether or not the reagent stored in the reagent storage container is suppliable to the measurement section based on reagent expiration date information related to an expiration date of the reagent stored in the reagent storage container, is disclosed. A reagent preparing method and a specimen processing system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Asahara, Koichi Okubo, Noriyuki Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 9164021
    Abstract: A reagent preparing device capable of supplying a mixed solution, including a first liquid and a second liquid, to a measurement section for measuring a specimen using the mixed solution as a reagent, the reagent preparing device comprising: a first mixed solution container for accommodating the mixed solution; a second mixed solution container for accommodating the mixed solution; and a controller for controlling supply of the first liquid and the second liquid to supply the first liquid and the second liquid to the first mixed solution container, and to supply the first liquid and the second liquid to the second mixed solution container, is disclosed. A specimen processing system, and a reagent preparing method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koichi Okubo, Noriyuki Nakanishi, Masahiko Oguro, Tomoyuki Asahara
  • Patent number: 9157925
    Abstract: A specimen transporter for transporting a specimen plate to a specimen imaging apparatus, where one side of the smearing pate is a smearing surface. The specimen transporter including a specimen transport section that transports the specimen plate to the specimen imaging apparatus. A posture changing section receives the specimen plate from the specimen imaging apparatus with the smearing surface facing upward, and changes the posture of the specimen plate so that one end side in a longitudinal direction of the received specimen plate is positioned above the other end side. A specimen inserting section inserts the specimen plate, having the changed posture, into a plate storage rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: SYSMEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuo Yamasaki, Hidetaka Hayama, Yuichiro Ohmae, Tomoyuki Asahara, Takaaki Nagai
  • Patent number: 8906302
    Abstract: A reagent preparing device for preparing a reagent to be supplied to a measurement device for measuring a specimen, comprising: a first liquid storage unit for storing a first liquid; a reagent storage unit for storing a prepared reagent, including the first liquid and a second liquid different from the first liquid; a first liquid discarding unit for discarding the first liquid stored in the first liquid storage unit; and a controller configured for measuring an accumulated time of the first liquid in the first liquid storage unit; and controlling the first liquid discarding unit to discard the first liquid stored in the first liquid storage unit when the accumulated time reaches a predetermined time is disclosed. A specimen measuring device and a reagent preparing method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Noriyuki Nakanishi, Koichi Okubo, Masahiko Oguro, Tomoyuki Asahara
  • Patent number: 8894932
    Abstract: A reagent preparing device capable of supplying a predetermined reagent, which includes a first liquid and a second liquid different from the first liquid, to a measurement section for measuring a specimen using the reagent, comprising: a reagent preparing section for preparing the predetermined reagent; a characteristic measurement device for measuring characteristic of the reagent prepared by the reagent preparing section; and a controller configured for performing operations comprising, controlling the supply of reagent prepared by the reagent preparing section to the measurement section according to the measurement result by the characteristic measurement device, and calibrating the characteristic measurement device based on a known characteristic value of a standard liquid having the known characteristic value and a measurement result obtained by measuring the characteristic of the standard liquid by the characteristic measurement device, is disclosed. A specimen processing system is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Okubo, Noriyuki Nakanishi, Masahiko Oguro, Tomoyuki Asahara, Takayuki Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8828319
    Abstract: A sample rack transport system comprising: a plurality of transport apparatuses which are connected so as to transport a sample rack to a plurality of sample processing apparatuses; and a control apparatus which communicates with the plurality of transport apparatuses and controls the transport of the sample rack by the plurality of transport apparatuses, wherein at least one of the plurality of transport apparatuses includes a transmission switch which is operated by a user to transmit a signal to the control apparatus, and when the transport of the sample rack has stopped due to a trouble which occurred in one of the plurality of transport apparatuses, responsive to an operation of a transmission switch of another transport apparatus, the control apparatus restarts the transport of the sample rack by the plurality of transport apparatuses. Also, a method for transporting a sample rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroo Tatsutani, Tomoyuki Asahara, Nobuyoshi Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 8752440
    Abstract: A sample processing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of sample processing units each configured to process a sample; at least one transport device configured to provide a transport path along which a rack is transported to or from one of the plurality of sample processing units, wherein a rack comprises a plurality of positions configured to hold containers thereat, and at least some of the positions are correlated to at least some of the sample processing units; a controller comprising at least one processor and at least one memory that stores computer programs executed by the at least one processor to: direct the at least one transport device to transport the rack to deliver a container held therein to a sample processing unit correlated to a position of the container at which the container is held in the rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroo Tatsutani, Nobuyoshi Yamakawa, Nobuhiro Kitagawa, Tomoyuki Asahara
  • Patent number: 8731709
    Abstract: A sample processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of sample processing units, each processing a sample contained in a sample container; a transport apparatus that transports a sample rack holding a sample container to at least any one of the plurality of sample processing units; a rack feeding section that receives a sample rack and feeds the received sample rack to a transport line of the transport apparatus; and a controller configured to instruct the transport apparatus, according to a quantity of sample racks received by the rack feeding section, to transport a sample rack fed by the rack feeding section to either (a) a sample processing unit which can accept a subsequent sample rack more rapidly than any other sample processing unit or (b) a sample processing unit having a lower processing load than any other sample processing unit. Also, a sample rack transporting method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroo Tatsutani, Tomoyuki Asahara, Nobuyoshi Yamakawa
  • Publication number: 20140093423
    Abstract: To provide a specimen transporter that can be suitably used by being connected to a specimen imaging apparatus that does not have a function of collecting an imaged specimen plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuo YAMASAKI, Hidetaka HAYAMA, Yuichiro OHMAE, Tomoyuki ASAHARA, Takaaki NAGAI
  • Publication number: 20140093967
    Abstract: A specimen transporter for transporting a specimen plate, one side of which is a smearing surface, to a specimen imaging apparatus, the specimen transporter comprising: a specimen transport section that transports the specimen plate to the specimen imaging apparatus; a posture changing section that receives the specimen plate from the specimen imaging apparatus with the smearing surface facing upward, and changes the posture of the specimen plate so that one end side in a longitudinal direction of the received specimen plate is positioned above the other end side; and a specimen inserting section that inserts the specimen plate, which posture is changed, into a plate storage rack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuo YAMASAKI, Hidetaka HAYAMA, Yuichiro OHMAE, Tomoyuki ASAHARA, Takaaki NAGAI
  • Publication number: 20140093424
    Abstract: A specimen storage device capable of easily identifying a specific specimen plate stored in a rack is proposed. The specimen storage device for storing a tested specimen plate in a rack capable of storing a plurality of specimen plates, the specimen storage device including specimen storage section configured to store the specimen plate in the rack, and a control section configured to control the specimen storage section to store a specific specimen plate, whose test result satisfies a predetermined condition, in the rack in a manner distinguishable from a one or more specimen plate, whose test result does not satisfy the predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyuki ASAHARA
  • Publication number: 20140037502
    Abstract: A sample analysis system includes a first measurement unit, a second measurement unit arranged to a downstream side of the first measurement unit, and an information processing section which obtains a measurement result of a sample. The information processing section determines, based on the measurement result of the sample measured by the first measurement unit, whether or not a retest of the sample by the first measurement unit is necessary. When the retest by the first measurement unit is necessary, the information processing section causes the sample container to be transported to a first sample supply position for the first measurement unit and causes the first measurement unit to perform measurement of the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Sysmex Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroo TATSUTANI, Tomoyuki ASAHARA, Keisuke KUWANO