Testing system
A testing system collects a specimen from a subject and measures the collected specimen to test the specimen, and includes a first unit to collect and receive the specimen, a second unit to be connected to the first unit and to preprocess the specimen before measurement, a third unit to be connected to the second unit and to measure the preprocessed specimen, and a robot provided in at least one of the first unit, the second unit, or the third unit to process the specimen.
1 . A testing system to collect a specimen from a subject to perform measurement to complete testing of the specimen, the testing system comprising:
a box comprising a freight container provided on a mobile body, the box comprising an integrated plurality of unit portions arranged in a row and configured to allow: specimen collection by a first robot of a first processing unit for collecting and receiving the specimen; preprocessing for processing the collected specimen before measurement by a second robot of a second processing unit; and specimen measurement by a third robot of a third processing unit for measuring the preprocessed specimen, the specimen collection, preprocessing and specimen measurement to be performed within the integrated plurality of unit portions; wherein the integrated plurality of unit portions comprises:
a first unit portion in which the first robot is configured to perform the specimen collection from the subject;
a second unit portion connected to the first unit portion, and in which the third robot is configured to perform measurement of the preprocessed specimen;
a third unit portion connected to the second unit and configured to perform output of the results of the measurement of the preprocessed specimen;
a fourth unit portion forming an examination room, the examination room provided for examining the subject to collect the specimen from the subject, the fourth unit portion provided separately from the first, second, and third unit portions so as to prevent or reduce entry of pathogens present in the air; and
a conveyance section to connect the first processing unit, the second processing unit, and the third processing unit to each other and to facilitate movement of the specimen between the first processing unit, the second processing unit, and the third processing unit, wherein
the second processing unit is located in either the first unit portion or the second unit portion,
the fourth unit portion is positioned adjacent to the first unit portion such that the first robot is configured to open a door to an access opening and collect the specimen from the subject in the fourth unit portion through the access opening and place the collected specimen on the conveyance section,
the conveyance section enables:
the specimen collected from the subject by the first robot in the first processing unit through the access opening and placed on the conveyance section, to be transferred to the second processing unit,
the specimen transferred by the conveyance section from the first processing unit to the second processing unit to be picked from the conveyance section in the second processing unit by the second robot and preprocessed therein, and placed on the conveyance section and transferred to the third processing unit, and
the preprocessed specimen transferred by the conveyance section from the second processing unit to the third processing unit to be picked from the conveyance section in the third processing unit by the third robot and measured therein.
2 . The testing system according to claim 1 , placed at a moving base for getting on and off a mobile body.
3 . The testing system according to claim 1 , wherein the first processing unit is operable to collect and receive a saliva or nasal specimen.
4 . The testing system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first processing unit includes a first robot corresponding to the robot operable to process the specimen; and
the first robot is operable to sterilize an inside of the first unit portion including the first processing unit with an ultraviolet irradiator.
5 . The testing system according to claim 4 , wherein the first processing unit further includes a disinfectant bath to disinfect an outer surface of a specimen collection container containing the collected specimen.
6 . The testing system according to claim 4 , wherein the first unit portion further includes a subject area in which at least a portion of subject is placed through the access opening, a robot area in which the first robot, the robot area being partitioned from the subject area, and a specimen collection container conveyance section to transport a specimen collection container containing the collected specimen from the subject area to the robot area.
7 . The testing system according to claim 6 , wherein the first unit portion further includes an air conditioner to adjust an air flow in the subject area.
8 . The testing system according to claim 4 , wherein the first processing unit further includes a sterilizer to sterilize the first robot operable to collect the specimen.
9 . The testing system according to claim 1 , wherein
the second robot is configured to dispense a diluted specimen onto a plate having a plurality of wells; and
the second processing unit includes a plate conveyance section to transport the plate over a predetermined period of time to inactivate the specimen on the plate.
10 . The testing system according to claim 9 , wherein the second processing unit further includes a storage including a first placement section to store, for a predetermined period of time, a specimen collection container containing the collected specimen, from which a portion of the specimen has been dispensed onto the plate and in which a remaining portion of the specimen has been contained.
11 . The testing system according to claim 10 , wherein the second robot comprises a moving robot configured to move the specimen collection container into the storage.
12 . The testing system according to claim 10 , wherein the storage is provided between a dispenser to dispense the specimen and a centrifuge to perform centrifugal separation.
13 . The testing system according to claim 10 , wherein the storage includes a second placement section on which the specimen collection container is placed before the specimen is dispensed from the specimen collection container.
14 . The testing system according to claim 9 , wherein the second processing unit further includes:
a cabinet having an interior space in which the diluted specimen is dispensed onto the plate by the second robot;
a chute to discard a tip for dispensing the diluted specimen; and
a third robot, as the robot, to supply the plate to a dispensing position.
15 . The testing system according to claim 9 , wherein the second robot comprises a dispensing robot configured to dispense a reagent onto the plate.
16 . The testing system according to claim 1 , wherein the third processing unit includes:
a reagent preparation room to prepare a reagent for measuring the specimen;
a measurement room to measure the specimen; and
an open state detector to detect that a lid of a multiple-connected tube including a row of tubes operable to accommodate a plurality of specimens to be measured is open;
the reagent preparation room is under a positive pressure; and
the measurement room is under a negative pressure.
17 . The testing system according to claim 1 , wherein the third processing unit is operable to measure the specimen by a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test.
18 . The testing system according to claim 1 , wherein the third robot comprises a fourth robot configured to perform processing to measure the specimen.