Arkray, Inc.

Kyoto Daiichi Kagaku Co., Ltd.

Kyouichi Ohshiro

Satoshi Fukunaga

Harumi Uenoyama

Shinya Nakajima

Tokuo Kasai

Takashi Nakagawa

Kazuhiro Ohmiya

Hironori Hasegawa

Atsuko Nanbu

Naoko Izui

The present invention provides an immunoassay analyzer capable of discriminating between normal coloring due to a specific immunoreaction and abnormal coloring due to a cause other than the specific immunoreaction in a measurement region of a sample analysis tool. An immunoassay analyzerof the present invention includes an optical detection unitand a determination unit. The optical detection unitincludes an optical signal measurement unit for measuring an optical signal at each of two or more different wavelengths including a main wavelength for detecting color change due to the specific immunoreaction and a sub-wavelength(s) other than the main wavelength. The determination unitincludes a discrimination unit for comparing the respective optical signals at the two or more different wavelengths and discriminating between the color change due to the specific immunoreaction and color change due to a cause other than the specific immunoreaction based on a comparison criterion determined previously.

Immunoassay analyzer and immunoassay method

An object is to provide an optical measurement apparatus for performing an efficient test by optical measurement without incurring incorrect measurements. To this end, the measurement apparatus utilizes a test instrument mounted thereto and including a carrier with a reagent retaining portion for application of a sample. The measurement apparatus includes a reader for color development at the reagent retaining portion, and a controller for driving control of the reader and for required determination. The controller performs the determination by utilizing the data obtained by reading the color development of the reagent after a reaction completion period Tr-Trdepending on the reagent and starting from the mounting of the test instrument. When detecting that the color development at the reagent retaining portion is completed before the lapse of the reaction completion period Tr-Trafter the mounting of the test instrument, the controller stops the test for the test instrument.

Optical measurement apparatus

Provided is a prozone phenomenon detecting method, by which generation of a prozone phenomenon can be detected even when a conventional specimen analysis tool is used, and examinations using an immunochromatography method and the like can be performed efficiently.

Method for detecting prozone phenomenon, analysis method, device for detecting prozone phenomenon, and analysis device

The present invention provides a method of pretreating a specimen, which allows measurement according to an immunoassay to be carried out on a specimen from nasal secretion while preventing non-specific reactions. According to this method, the specimen from nasal secretion is treated with a protease beforehand and then an immunoassay is performed. As the protease, it is preferable to use semi-alkaline protease (EC 3.4.21.63). Furthermore, it is preferable that a substance to be pretreated by the pretreatment method according to the present invention is an influenza virus contained in the specimen from nasal secretion. The immunoassay preferably is an immunoagglutination assay. Examples of the immunoagglutination assay include a turbidimetric immunoassay, a latex turbidimetric immunoassay, and a latex agglutination assay that is performed on a slide glass.

Method of pretreating specimen and immunoassay using the same

The present invention provides a method by which UTI concentration can be measured easily with high precision and good reproducibility. The measurement is performed by adding free anti-UTI antibodies to a sample and measuring the degree of the resulting agglutination, for example, from the change in absorbance. As shown in FIG. the UTI concentration and the degree of the agglutination (i.e. the change in absorbance) are correlated. The absorbance can be measured by using a general spectrophotometer, preferably at a wavelength of 300 to 400 nm. Polyethylene glycol is preferably added to the reaction solution as an agglutination accelerator. The polyethylene glycol preferably has an average molecular weight of 2,000 to 20,000, and the concentration of polyethylene glycol in the reaction solution is preferably in the range of 2 to 10 weight %.

Method for measuring urinary trypsin inhibitor

This invention provides a method for measuring the concentration of urinary trypsin inhibitors which is excellent in precision and reproducibility, whose operation is simple, and in which a possibility of damaging a plastic cell is eliminated. The method for measuring the concentration of urinary trypsin inhibitors comprises mixing an urine sample, a protease solution containing trypsin, and a buffer solution, adding a substrate solution to the mixture to cause the enzyme reaction, and measuring the activity of the enzyme, wherein the buffer solution is prepared so that it contains at least 0.15 .mu.mol calcium per 1 .mu.g of the trypsin but no more than 100 .mu.mol calcium per 1 ml of the urine sample in the reaction mixture, and wherein the substrate solution is prepared by dissolving the substrate in an organic solvent and diluting the mixture solution with aqueous medium, wherein at least one of an amphoteric surfactant and a nonionic surfactant is added to at least one of the organic solvent and the aqueous medium.

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Kyoto, Japan

Kyouichi Ohshiro