Apparatus and method for specimen inspection

A slide specimen extracted from a cassette at a receiving position is carried to a holding position for waiting by a carrier along a carrying pass. While at the holding position, a previously inspected specimen that has been observed through a microscope is placed on the carrying pass at a specimen replacing position. Thereafter the specimen that has been held at the holding position is carried to the replacing position by the carrier, while at the same time the specimen that has just been placed at the replacing position is moved along the carrying pass by the carrier. The specimen then placed in the replacing position is picked up by a pair of holding arms and carried to an observing position of the microscope. The specimen is retained by vacuum adsorption and by specimen retainers which resiliently hold it by means of springs in contact with the vacuum adsorption surface. In the meantime, the specimen that has already been observed and shifted toward the specimen feeder is moved the rest of the way to the specimen feeder and replaced into the original cassette from which it was extracted. After replacing the specimen, a new specimen is extracted and carried to the holding position as the process is repeated until all of the slide specimens have been observed.