Patent ID: 7427509

Claim:
A method for detecting a substance that induces or inhibits formation of a complex between biomolecules using a fluorescence polarization FP measuring apparatus for a microchannel, said method comprising the steps: (1) preparing a fluorescently labeled biomaterial and a biomolecule, (2) injecting the fluorescently labeled biomaterial and the biomolecule into a microchannel in a lab-on-a-chip to form a complex, (3) causing a reaction between the complex and a sample material, (4) irradiating a polarized light to the resultant complex to measure fluorescence polarization FP, (5) quantifying the measured fluorescence polarization FP to determine the extent of fluorescence polarization, and (6) selecting the sample material which changes the flourescence polarization FP; wherein the fluorescence polarization FP measuring apparatus comprises a polarization generation part, a fluorescence polarization FP separation part, and a fluorescence polarization FP measurement part; wherein the polarization generation part includes: a laser source, a first filter that filters light liberated from the laser source, first and second mirrors that control the direction of the light passing through the first filter, a polarizer that polarizes the light reflected by the second mirror, a beam splitter that splits the polarized light passing through the polarizer, and a lens that collimate the polarized light to a sample material in the microchannel; wherein the fluorescence polarization FP separation part includes: a lens that collects fluorescence emitted by excited fluorescently labeled biomaterials by polarized light irradiated from the polarization generation part, a third mirror that controls the direction of the fluorescence passing through the lens, a second filter that filters the fluorescence reflected by the third mirror, and a polarized beam splitter that splits the fluorescence passing through the second filter; and wherein the fluorescence polarization FP measurement part includes: a third filter that filters the fluorescence passing through the polarized beam splitter, vertical and horizontal photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) that measure fluorescence signals of the emitted light passing through the third filter in vertical and horizontal planes, a polarizer installed in front of the horizontal PMT, and an oscilloscope that measures the fluorescence polarization FP passing through the photomultiplier tubes.