Patent ID: 8354238

Claim:
A method for measuring an analyte in a sample, comprising: (a) mixing the sample, a first specific binding substance and microparticles, wherein the first specific binding substance is a substance that can specifically bind to the analyte and an analog of the analyte, wherein each of the microparticles comprises: an insoluble carrier; the analyte or the analog of the analyte; and a second specific binding substance which is a substance that can specifically bind to the first specific binding substance, wherein the analyte or the analog of the analyte is bound onto the surface of the insoluble carrier and the second specific binding substance is bound onto the surface of the insoluble carrier, wherein the second specific binding substance is a monoclonal antibody against the first specific binding substance; and (b) measuring an agglutination reaction of the microparticles in the mixture obtained in the step (a), thereby determining the amount of the analyte in the sample, wherein the extent of agglutination of the microparticles decreases with an increase in the amount of the analyte in the sample.