Patent ID: 7670854
Filing Date: 2010-03-02
Classification: B01L,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of measuring, using a chip, the amount of an antigen to be measured that is contained in a sample solution, wherein the chip comprises a reaction chamber, a solvent retaining chamber, an effluent chamber, and an injection port for injecting the sample solution, the injection port and the reaction chamber are connected to each other through a first channel, the injection port and the solvent retaining chamber are connected to each other through a second channel, the solvent retaining chamber and the reaction chamber are connected to each other through a third channel, the reaction chamber and the effluent chamber are connected to each other through a fourth channel, a measuring reagent is disposed between the injection port and the reaction chamber, said measuring reagent being disposed in one of the second channel, the solvent retaining chamber and the third channel, the method comprises steps, in a following order, of: injecting the sample solution from the injection port and dividing the sample solution into the reaction chamber and the solvent retaining chamber through the first channel and the second channel, respectively; obtaining an antigen-antibody complex by allowing an antigen to be measured that is contained in the sample solution to bind to an antibody that specifically binds to the antigen to be measured, in the reaction chamber; separating the antigen-antibody complex and the antibody that has not bound to the antigen to be measured from each other by transferring the sample solution in the reaction chamber to the effluent chamber through the fourth channel to leave one selected from: i) the antigen-antibody complex; and ii) the antibody that has not bound to the antigen to be measured, in the reaction chamber and to move the other into the effluent chamber; injecting, together with the measuring reagent, the sample solution retained in the solvent retaining chamber A1) into the reaction chamber through the third channel, or B1) into the effluent chamber through the third channel and the fourth channel; measuring the amount of the antibody that has not bound to the antigen to be measured or the antigen-antibody complex, either one of them that have been A2) remained in the reaction chamber, or B2) transferred to the effluent chamber; and calculating the amount of the antigen to be measured that is contained in the sample solution, from the amount measured in the step of measuring.