Patent ID: 8372658

Claim:
A chemical analytic method which performs various kinds of processing for chemically analyzing very small droplets, the method comprising the steps of; introducing a droplet containing magnetic ultrafine particles into a first small compartment of a plurality of small compartments separated by plural projecting bulkheads; conveying the droplet containing the magnetic ultrafine particles, through a stationary fluid by a magnetic force, the droplet passing beneath a first projecting bulkhead and into a second small compartment; uniting the droplet containing the magnetic ultrafine particles, with at least another droplet which is stationary within the second small compartment; conveying the united droplet to a from of a second projecting bulkhead by the magnetic force; conveying via the magnetic force the united droplet beneath the second projecting bulkhead, wherein a main portion of the united droplet is unable to pass the second projecting bulkhead and only a peripheral portion of the united droplet that includes the magnetic ultrafine particles is conveyed by the magnetic force into a third small compartment such that the united droplet is separated and divided into a droplet including the magnetic ultrafine particles and a droplet that does not contain the magnetic ultrafine particles; conveying via the magnetic force the divided droplet containing the magnetic ultrafine particles into a fourth small compartment containing at least a further droplet which is stationary within the fourth small compartment; uniting the divided droplet with the magnetic ultrafine particles with the further droplet; conveying via the magnetic force the further united droplet with the ultrafine magnetic particles into a small detection compartment to detect the result of the processing; and discharging the further united droplet with the magnetic ultrafine particles from the small detection compartment.