An apparatus for orientating an analytical tool, the mechanism comprising: a guide defining a passage along which a plate-shaped analytical tool can be moved from above to below; a movement block arranged to perform reciprocatory movement in horizontal directions including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, the movement block being arranged to move the analytical tool incoming along the passage in the first direction; wherein, in a condition in which the movement block is directly below an outlet of the passage, the analytical tool from the passage is erected on the movement block with a bottom edge of the analytical tool directed downward and a top edge of the analytical tool directed upward; and wherein the apparatus is configured such that: movement of the movement block in the first direction causes the analytical tool to be tipped over into a first orientation on the movement block in which the bottom edge leads the top edge in the first direction; and movement of the movement block in the second direction causes the analytical tool to be tipped over into a second orientation on the movement block in which the top edge leads the bottom edge in the first direction; the mechanism further comprising determination means that is utilised to determine whether a drop face onto which a drop of sample is dispensed in the analytical tool will be facing in the first direction or the second direction when the analytical tool is erected on the movement block,and wherein the movement block is configured to move in the first direction or to move in the second direction and then in the first direction from the condition in which the analytical tool has been erected, in accordance with the determination result obtained by the determination means, in order to cause the analytical tool to be tipped over into a desired one of the first and second orientations. a guide defining a passage along which a plate-shaped analytical tool can be moved from above to below; a movement block arranged to perform reciprocatory movement in horizontal directions including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, the movement block being arranged to move the analytical tool incoming along the passage in the first direction; wherein, in a condition in which the movement block is directly below an outlet of the passage, the analytical tool from the passage is erected on the movement block with a bottom edge of the analytical tool directed downward and a top edge of the analytical tool directed upward; and wherein the apparatus is configured such that: movement of the movement block in the first direction causes the analytical tool to be tipped over into a first orientation on the movement block in which the bottom edge leads the top edge in the first direction; and movement of the movement block in the first direction causes the analytical tool to be tipped over into a first orientation on the movement block in which the bottom edge leads the top edge in the first direction; and movement of the movement block in the second direction causes the analytical tool to be tipped over into a second orientation on the movement block in which the top edge leads the bottom edge in the first direction; the mechanism further comprising determination means that is utilised to determine whether a drop face onto which a drop of sample is dispensed in the analytical tool will be facing in the first direction or the second direction when the analytical tool is erected on the movement block,and wherein the movement block is configured to move in the first direction or to move in the second direction and then in the first direction from the condition in which the analytical tool has been erected, in accordance with the determination result obtained by the determination means, in order to cause the analytical tool to be tipped over into a desired one of the first and second orientations.