Patent ID: 8663557

Claim:
A detection apparatus comprising: an input unit configured for receiving assay information relating to assays of a sample; an assay unit configured for assaying the sample comprising a nucleic acid in accordance with the assay information, the assay unit comprising: a sample container holder for placing a sample container comprising the sample; a reagent container holder for placing a reagent container comprising a reagent; a reaction container holder for placing reaction containers, wherein the reaction container holder comprises a plurality of reaction container placement positions for placing the reaction containers; a plurality of detectors for detecting whether or not a reaction container is placed at a reaction container placement position; and a dispensing mechanism for preparing an assay sample comprising the sample and the reagent in the reaction container placed at the reaction container holder by respectively aspirating the sample from the sample container placed at the sample container holder and the reagent from the reagent container placed at the reagent container holder, and discharging the sample and the reagent into the reaction container; wherein: the assay unit amplifies the nucleic acid in the assay sample in the reaction container placed at the reaction container holder; a display; and a controller programmed to determine a number of reaction containers to be used based on the assay information received by the input unit; determine a reaction container placement position on which a reaction container should be placed based on the determined number of reaction containers to be used and detection results of the detectors; generate a reaction container placement status screen in response to an input provided by at least one of the plurality of detectors, wherein the reaction container placement status screen represents that a reaction container should be placed at the determined reaction container placement position; and control the display to display the reaction container placement status screen.