Patent ID: 8641969

Claim:
A sample testing apparatus comprising: a plurality of testing units, each of the plurality of testing units being for aspirating the sample from the sample container, and for performing a test on the aspirated sample; a plurality of transport units corresponding to the plurality of testing units, each of the plurality of transport units having: a feeding section for feeding a sample container to a first position; a transport mechanism for transporting the sample container on a path in a first transport direction from the first position to a third position through a second position to serve the sample container to the testing unit, wherein the transport mechanism is also configured to be capable of transporting the sample container on said path in a second transport direction opposite to the first transport direction; a receiving section for receiving the sample container from the third position; and a transport line for transporting the sample container to another transporting unit, and which is connected to the feeding section and the receiving section, a determination result obtainer for obtaining one of a first determination result indicating that a second test is required for the sample and a second determination result indicating that the second test is not required for the sample, based on a test result of a first test on the sample; and a transport controller for controlling the transport unit so as to transport the sample container positioned between the second position and the third position back to the second position on said path in the second transport direction, the sample container containing the sample on which the first test has been performed, if the determination result obtainer has obtained the first determination result on the sample, wherein the sample container is not transported beyond the third position from the second position side before the determination result obtainer has obtained any one of the first and the second determination result on the sample.