Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Tsutomu Horiuchi

Yuzuru Iwasaki

Toru Miura

Michiko Seyama

Tsuneyuki Haga

Tsuyoshi Hayashi

Jun-ichi Takahashi

Serge Camou

Katsuyoshi Hayashi

Nobuaki Matsuura

Osamu Niwa

Emi Tamechika

Suzuyo Inoue

Jyunichi Takahashi

Masao Morita

Yuko Ueno

Takashi Morimoto

Jun-Ichi Takahashi

Hisao Tabei

In step S, a specimen containing blood plasma and a coagulation activating agent are introduced into a flow channel, with the coagulation activating agent being positioned ahead, in a state in which portions arrayed in series in the extending direction of the flow channel flow in contact with each other. In step S, in the process in which the coagulation activating agent, the contact region between the coagulation activating agent and the specimen, and the specimen pass through a measurement portion provided midway along the flow channel in the order named, the refractive indices of the coagulation activating agent and the contact region are measured in a time-series manner. In step S, the blood coagulation ability of the specimen is measured by comparing the first refractive index value which is the refractive index of the coagulation activating agent with the second refractive index value which is the minimum refractive index of the contact region.

Blood coagulation test method

A flow cell () includes a plate-shaped bodythat is almost rectangular in a plan view, an introduction portion () that is made of a concave portion formed in the upper surface of the body (), a channel () that is formed inside the body () and has one end connected to the lower end of the introduction portion (), and a delivery portion () that is made of a concave portion formed in the body () and has the lower end connected to the other end of the channel (). The introduction portion () is formed to cause the meniscus of a liquid introduced from an opening to apply, to the liquid, a positive pressure or a negative pressure whose absolute value is smaller than that of a negative pressure applied to the liquid introduced into the channel () by the meniscus of the liquid. The channel () is formed to cause the meniscus of the liquid introduced into the channel () to apply a negative pressure to the liquid. This invention provides a flow cell and a liquid feed system capable of more easily controlling feed of a trace amount of liquid.

Flow cell and liquid feed system

A flow rate measurement apparatus includes a light oscillator; a thin metallic film which causes surface plasmon resonance by light output from the light oscillator; a focusing unit which fixes the thin metallic film and converts the output light of the light oscillator into incident light having a plurality of incident angles to focus the incident light at a location of a focal line in a straight line shape on the thin metallic film; a measurement part having antibody fixed areas to which an antibody is fixed and reference areas to which an antibody is not fixed, the antibody fixed areas and the reference areas being alternately arranged at a location along the focal line location on the thin metallic film; a light receiver which receives reflected light, at the focal line location, of the output light by surface plasmon resonance occurring at the focal line location, at each of the plurality of incident light angles; an SPR angle calculator which obtains a temporal change of an SPR angle in each of the antibody fixed areas and the reference areas in the measurement part; and a flow rate operation unit which calculates the flow rate of the sample flowing in the flow cell based on the temporal change of the SPR angle obtained by the SPR angle calculator.

Flow rate measurement apparatus, antigen concentration measurement apparatus, flow cell, flow rate measurement method, and antigen concentration measurement method

An object of the present invention is to provide an element for SPR measurement without the need of a mechanical solution-sending mechanism. The scope of the present invention is defined by a sensor element for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurement utilizing an SPR effect, wherein the sensor element comprises a transparent substrate, a gold thin film formed on at least a part of the transparent substrate, and a thin film with affinity for a sample provided on the transparent substrate having the gold thin film formed on at least a part thereof, and the thin film with affinity for a sample has a measurement region (region A), a sample introduction section (region B) and a sample absorption section (region C) provided with the region A therebetween, the region A is provided with a sample measurement section containing a molecule-recognizing film, an introduction port is formed on the film with affinity for a sample in the region B, an absorption pad is provided on the film with affinity for a sample in the region C so that the whole region C should be covered, and a point in the region B, a point in the region A, and a point in the region C exist in one straight line on the thin film with affinity for a sample.

Sensor element for SPR measurement

The present invention relates to a chip for optical analysis. In particular, the present invention relates to an optical sensor handling a liquid sample, which is a chip for analysis that can be used for selectively measuring a biologically-relevant substance or a chemical substance such as an environmental pollutant or a health affecting substance in a liquid to be measured. The chip for optical analysis of the present invention is characterized in that (1) an adsorption region (filter region) is provided between a sample introduction section and the observation section in a passage of the chip for analysis, (2) a bypass passage is provided in the passage (main passage) of the chip for analysis, and a time lag is generated between samples passed through the main passage and passed through a bypass passage, and (3) a measurement region and a reference region are provided in the observation section of the chip for analysis. In the present invention, the aspects (1) to (3) can be achieved individually or two or more thereof can be combined.

Chip for optical analysis

A flow cell includes: a flow channel through which a sample solution flows; an inlet section which communicates with the flow channel and to which the sample solution is supplied; a transfer section which includes a plurality of opening sections, one end side of which communicates with the flow channel and an other side of which opens to outside air, and which communicates with the flow channel, and draws in and guides the sample solution supplied into the inlet section to the flow channel; a detecting section which faces the sample solution in the flow channel; and a sealing member which unsealably seals at least either one of the opening section or the inlet section.

Flow cell and liquid delivery method

An object of the invention is to provide various flow cells and a method for manufacturing the same, in which formation of a groove on a substrate and formation of components such as an electrode, auxiliary parts such as a pump are not necessary. The inventive flow cells are capable of realize complicated chemical analysis or synthesis or the like. A channel of a porous member provided on a sample-incompatible substrate is formed; the porous member is composed of an air non-contact region having a network structure and an air contact region covering the air non-contact region and having a lower pore density than the air non-contact region; in which a capillary force to be generated within the porous member is a drive force for pumping a liquid.

Flow cell and method for manufacturing the same

A measuring chip installation/removal device of the present invention secures and removes a measuring chip to and from the top surface of an SPR measurement device that measures a specimen in the measuring chip by surface plasmon resonance. The measuring chip installation/removal device includes: a chip carrier on which the measuring chip is mounted; a chip carrier guide that guides the chip carrier on the top surface; and a first magnet provided in the chip carrier, and a second magnet is provided in the chip carrier guide. Orientation of a magnetic force received by the first magnet from the second magnet is reversed by displacing the chip carrier guide, so that the chip carrier is secured to or removed from the top surface.

Measuring chip device using magnets for installation/removal

In a capillary pump unit, a capillary pump including a plurality of through portions making a first point and a second point of an approximately flat-plate-shaped base communicable with each other are formed in the base, and a sample liquid is transferred from the first point to the second point by capillary force by the through portions.

Capillary pump unit and flow cell

A surface plasmon resonance measuring device includes a light source () which irradiates, with condensed light, a sample cell () having the characteristic structure of the reflectance of light that is formed in advance as a code from at least either of a substance film to be measured and a substance film different from the substance film to be measured, from a surface opposite to one on which the substance film to be measured is immobilized to a metal thin film, a CCD camera () which detects light reflected by the sample cell (), and a data processing device () which extracts the identification code of the sample cell () from the feature of an image sensed by the camera ().

Surface plasmon resonance measuring device, sample cell, and measuring method

Ends (-) of projections () do not contact a first substrate (), forming a gap between the ends (-) and the first substrate (). The internal capacity of a suction pump () can be increased by an amount by which the projections () are shortened, compared to a conventional structure in which pillars are formed to connect the ceiling and bottom of the cavity of a capillary pump. The capacity of the suction pump () can be increased without enlarging the planar shape. Further, the ends (-) of the projections () do not contact the first substrate (), forming a gap between them. An impurity can pass through the gap, and clogging of the inside of the suction pump () with the impurity can be prevented, realizing a stable operation.

Flow cell

A measurement fluidic channel () is formed at almost the center of a flow cell (). In general, the measurement region of a measurement apparatus is set to focus on almost the center of a measurement chip. When the flow cell () is mounted in the measurement apparatus, the focus of the measurement region is positioned just above the measurement fluidic channel (). The measurement apparatus can more reliably measure a sample solution flowing through the measurement fluidic channel (). A suction pump () is formed in regions around the measurement fluidic channel (). When the flow cell has the same planar shape as a conventional one, the amount of sample solution which can be supplied can be increased, compared to a conventional structure in which components are formed in line. The time during which a sample solution flows through the fluidic channel can be prolonged, the amount of sample solution can be increased, and the measurement time can also be prolonged. A sample solution flowing through the fluidic channel can be measured more reliably.

A micro-fluidic cell for optical detection of gases provided according to the present invention includes a concentration cell and a detection cell, and increases the sensitivity of optical detection of gases, selectivity of components, and accuracy of quantitative determination, and also achieves a low electric power consumption and a small-sized, light-weight configuration of the entire apparatus.

Micro-fluidic cell for optical detection of gases and method for producing same

In an electrochemical detection method using an apparatus including a first vessel and a second vessel, a reference electrolytic solution in the second vessel, first and second closely spaced working electrodes immersed in a sample solution for measurement in the first vessel, a stripping electrode immersed in the reference electrolytic solution, and an ionic conductor arranged between the first vessel and the second vessel, the reference electrolytic solution contains an electrolyte which can be deposited and dissolved by an electrochemical reaction by applying a potential to the stripping electrode. In a first stage, a pre-electrolysis potential is applied to the first working electrode with the stripping electrode being connected to the second working electrode to deposit the electrolyte in the reference electrolytic solution on the stripping electrode. In a second stage, after the second working electrode is disconnected from the stripping electrode, the potential of the stripping electrode is swept to measure a current generated when the electrolyte deposited on the stripping electrode in the first stage is dissolved from the stripping electrode, and the concentration of an analyte exiting in the sample solution for measurement is determined from the measured stripping current.

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Atsugi, Japan

Tsutomu Horiuchi