Patent ID: 8716008

Claim:
A detection system, comprising: a channel type sensor chip in which a sensor portion is arranged in a microchannel formed in a channel member, where a liquid specimen is to flow through the microchannel, and the sensor portion includes an immobilization layer bonded to a labeled binding material comprising an attached label which emits light when irradiated with excitation light; a pump which controls a flow rate of a fluid over said sensor portion; an optical-signal detection device, including: an excitation-light irradiation optical system for irradiating said sensor portion with excitation light; and an optical detector for detecting a signal based on light emitted from said sensor portion; and a signal processing controller being connected to said pump and said optical-signal detection device, wherein the signal processing controller comprises a program installed therein to control said pump and said optical-signal detection device, the program comprising instructions for: bonding the labeled binding material to the immobilization layer in an amount corresponding to a quantity of a target material contained in said liquid specimen, by causing the liquid specimen to flow through the microchannel; determining a constant flow rate for said fluid over said sensor portion so that bonds between the labeled binding material and the immobilization layer are not broken, and said signal can be detected with a greater magnitude when the fluid flows at the constant flow rate than when the fluid exists over the sensor portion at rest; flowing the fluid over the sensor portion at said constant flow rate; and detecting the quantity of the target material by detecting a signal based on light emitted from the attached label existing in an evanescent field or an enhanced optical field which is produced over a surface of the sensor portion when the sensor portion is irradiated with the excitation light while the fluid over said sensor portion flows at said constant flow rate.