Patent ID: 8277752

Claim:
An optical measurement apparatus to be used with a plurality of elongated test instruments mounted thereto, each of the test instruments including a carrier to which a sample is applied, the carrier being provided with a plurality of reagent retaining portions for retaining a reagent, the reagent retaining portions being spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of each of the test instruments, the optical measurement apparatus comprising: a mount portion for holding the test instruments in a manner such that the test instruments are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; a reader for reading color development at the reagent retaining portions of each test instrument; and a controller for performing driving control of the reader and for making a determination; wherein the controller performs the determination by utilizing data obtained by reading the color development of the reagent of one of the test instruments after the mounting of said one of the test instruments and lapse of a reaction completion period depending on the reagent of said one of the test instruments, wherein when the test instruments are arranged at the mount portion side by side in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the reader moves relative to the mount portion in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and collectively reads the reagent retaining portions of each of the test instruments.