An analyte testing automation system comprising: an imaging unit (3, 6) for capturing an image from the side of a container in which a biological sample is stored; and a control unit having a discrimination unit for discriminating the state of the contents within the container, characterised by: a container type specification unit for obtaining information specifying the type of the container being imaged; and a database having pre-stored therein parameters of each of a number of different container types, including a lifting operation parameter and a threshold parameter of the type of container, wherein the control unit has a processing unit (7b, 7c) for obtaining from the parameters stored in the database the lifting operation parameter and the threshold parameter of the container type specified by the container type specification unit and for processing an image captured by the imaging unit from the container lifted with reference to the lifting operation parameter, on the basis of the obtained threshold parameter, and wherein the discrimination unit is adapted to discriminate the state of the contents within the container on the basis of the processing of the image by the processing unit. an imaging unit (3, 6) for capturing an image from the side of a container in which a biological sample is stored; and a control unit having a discrimination unit for discriminating the state of the contents within the container, characterised by: a container type specification unit for obtaining information specifying the type of the container being imaged; and a database having pre-stored therein parameters of each of a number of different container types, including a lifting operation parameter and a threshold parameter of the type of container, wherein the control unit has a processing unit (7b, 7c) for obtaining from the parameters stored in the database the lifting operation parameter and the threshold parameter of the container type specified by the container type specification unit and for processing an image captured by the imaging unit from the container lifted with reference to the lifting operation parameter, on the basis of the obtained threshold parameter, and wherein the discrimination unit is adapted to discriminate the state of the contents within the container on the basis of the processing of the image by the processing unit. a container type specification unit for obtaining information specifying the type of the container being imaged; and a database having pre-stored therein parameters of each of a number of different container types, including a lifting operation parameter and a threshold parameter of the type of container, wherein the control unit has a processing unit (7b, 7c) for obtaining from the parameters stored in the database the lifting operation parameter and the threshold parameter of the container type specified by the container type specification unit and for processing an image captured by the imaging unit from the container lifted with reference to the lifting operation parameter, on the basis of the obtained threshold parameter, and wherein the discrimination unit is adapted to discriminate the state of the contents within the container on the basis of the processing of the image by the processing unit.