Method of transporting rack and sample measurement system

A method of transporting a rack storing containers, the method comprising:

• transporting from a sample rack setting part of a sample setting unit on which a plurality of racks are set, a rack among the plurality of racks, in a first direction by using a first transport path extending from the sample rack setting part of the sample setting unit to one or more of a plurality of sample measurement units in the first direction;
• supplying samples in the containers, stored in the rack transported to the one or more of the plurality of sample measurement units by the first transport path, to at least one of the plurality of sample measurement units;
• transferring the rack from which the samples in the containers have been supplied to the at least one of the sample measurement units, to a second transport path provided at a position different from the first transport path in a height direction and extending from the one or more of the plurality of sample measurement units to a sample rack collecting part of the sample setting unit in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein the sample rack collecting part on which a plurality of racks that have been transported through the second transport path are collected is provided at a position different from the sample rack setting part in the height direction;
• and
• transporting the rack, transferred to the second transport path, in the second direction through the second transport path to the sample rack collecting part, wherein
• the sample rack setting part is provided at a height substantially the same as that of the first transport path,
• the sample rack collecting part is provided at a height substantially the same as that of the second transport path, and
• the sample setting unit includes a cart including an upper stage and a lower stage, wherein the upper stage forms one of the sample rack setting part and the sample rack collecting part and the lower stage forms the other of the sample rack setting part and the sample rack collecting part.