Patent ID: 8455256

Claim:
A sample processing apparatus, comprising: a sample processing unit for obtaining a sample from a sample container positioned at a sample obtaining position and performing a predetermined process of the sample; a transport unit for transporting a sample rack holding one or more sample containers through a transport path via the sample obtaining position from a first position at which sample rack enters the transport path to a second position at which the sample rack exits the transport path, the transport unit being configured to perform a transportation of the sample containers in the sample rack to the sample obtaining position; a detector for detecting a residual quantity of at least one of a reagent, cuvettes, and a washing solution a used by the sample processing unit; and a transport controller configured to: suspend the transportation process of the transport unit to cause the sample rack to wait in a transport suspending position between the first and second positions until receiving a restart instruction when the detector detects that the residual quantity is less than a predetermined residual quantity during the transportation process, and restart the transportation process of the transport unit to transport the sample rack from the transport suspending position to the sample obtaining position without returning to the first position when the restart instruction is received.