Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Takashi Yamada

Hiroshi Takekawa

Takeo Takahashi

Nobutaka Kaneko

Takashi Tabara

Masahiko Sakai

Shirou Ishiwatari

Sinya Matsuyama

A sample solution is dripped on an injection region with a pipette. The sample solution immediately spreads in a reaction region by a capillary phenomenon. The sample solution is left for a predetermined period of time to bind a biological associated material in the sample solution with a specific affinity material bound on the inner surface of the reaction region. After the reaction, the outer surface portion of a support member is pushed against a reaction vessel main body to deform the support member, thereby bringing the sample solution into contact with a water absorbent member at a removal region. The sample solution is absorbed by the water absorbent member and is removed from the reaction region. A cleaning solution is dripped on the injection region in an appropriate amount to perform B/F separation and is allowed to spread in the reaction region. The cleaning solution is absorbed and removed by the water absorbent member. The biological associated material bound to the reaction region is assayed.

Reaction vessel for conducting an immunological assay

A syringe is depressurized to suck a slight amount of air into the tip portion of a probe of a probe assembly, forming an air layer. Then, the syringe is depressurized again to suck into the probe assembly a sample to be discharged into a reaction container. Accordingly, the target sample to be discharged, the air layer and extruding water are placed into the probe assembly in the named order from the tip portion of the probe.

Sample distributing method

Method for generating an automatic chemical analyzer for measuring given substances in samples in accordance with an enzyme-immunoassay including a turntable rotated intermittently at a given pitch and holding a number of reaction tubes arranged equidistantly along a periphery of the turntable to define a circular reaction line; a carrier supply device for supplying carriers into reaction vessels one by one at a given position in the reaction line, the carrier having given antibody or antigen fixed thereto; a sample delivery device for pouring given amounts of samples into reaction vessels at a given position in the reaction line; a washing device for washing reaction vessels and carriers contained therein to effect B-F separation; a color reagent delivery device for pouring given amounts of a color reagent into reaction vessels to form test liquids; a colorimeter for photometering the test liquids; and a carrier discharge device for removing carriers out of reaction vessels. For respective samples, a reaction vessel is passed through the washing device by a plurality of times to perform a plurality of washing operations including the B-F separation.

Method for effecting heterogeneous immunological analysis

A method for analyzing antigen or antibody contained in a sample by introducing a first end surface of at least one measuring light guide member and a second end surface of at least one reference light guide member in the sample. Each of said measuring and reference light guide members being coated with a protection layer except for said first and second end surfaces and an other end surface of respect light guides. Only on said first end surface of the measuring light guide member being fixed an antigen or antibody which is specifically reactive with the antigen or antibody contained in the sample to effect an antigen-antibody reaction. Photoelectrically detecting optical properties of said first and second end surfaces of the measuring and reference light guide members, respectively, by transmitting light through the meauring and reference light guide members to derive detection signals as a measure of antigen or antibody in the sample. Further, when first and second measuring light guide members having A-type antibody and B-type antibody fixed onto one end surfaces thereof are used, a blood type of a blood sample can be determined by detecting the optical condition of the one end surfaces of the first and second measuring light guide members.

Method of effecting immunological analysis and apparatus for carrying

A carrier transporting apparatus for use in an automatic chemical analyzer for measuring given substances in samples in accordance with an enzyme-immuno-assay includes a carrier supply device for supplying the predetermined number of carriers from a carrier container into successive reaction vessels and a carrier discharge device for discharging the carriers from the reaction vessels, in a simple and accurate manner. Moreover, the carrier container from which the carriers can be put out one by one in an accurate manner is also disclosed.

Carrier transporting apparatus and carrier container for use in an

An automatic chemical analyzer for measuring given substances in samples in accordance with an enzyme-immuno-assay includes a turntable rotated intermittently at a constant pitch and holding a number of reaction tubes arranged equidistantly along a periphery of the turnable to define a circular reaction line; a carrier supply device for supplying carriers into reaction vessels one by one at a given position in the reaction line, said carrier having given antibody or antigen fixed thereto; a sample delivery device for pouring given amounts of samples into reaction vessels at a given position in the reaction line; a washing device for washing reaction vessels and carriers contained therein to effect B-F separation; a color reagent delivery device for pouring given amounts of a color reagent into reaction vessels to form test liquids; a colorimeter for photometering the test liquids; a carrier discharge device for removing carriers out of reaction vessels; and a control device for controlling on and off operation of said washing device such that different reaction time periods for various test items can be set.

Method and apparatus for effecting immunological analysis

In a colorimeter for use in a biochemistry field, an amount of transmitted light impinging upon a light receiving device is decreased corresponding to an absorbance of a reagent to be used by arranging a light adjusting device in the optical path. The amount of light transmitted through a blank cuvette is made substantially equal to an amount of light transmitted through the reagent. Therefore, even when the analysis is performed for an item using a high absorbance reagent, the deviation of the amount of transmitted light does not affect measured absorbance values, and thus it is possible to perform the color measurement in an accurate manner regardless of the reagent absorbance.

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Sagamihara, Japan

Takashi Yamada