Patent ID: 7382461

Claim:
An analysis method utilizing attenuated total reflection, comprising the steps of: i) preparing an analysis chip, which is provided with a dielectric material block transparent with respect to a light beam having been produced by a light source, a thin film layer formed on one surface of the dielectric material block, and a sample support section for supporting a sample on a surface of the thin film layer, ii) irradiating the light beam, which has been produced by the light source, to the dielectric material block so as to have a predetermined beam width with respect to an interface between the dielectric material block and the thin film layer and at various different incidence angles such that a total reflection condition is satisfied at the interface between the dielectric material block and the thin film layer, and iii) measuring a position of a dark line in the light beam, which has been totally reflected from the interface between the dielectric material block and the thin film layer, wherein the measurement of the position of the dark line is performed with a process comprising: a) detecting an image of the light beam, which has been totally reflected from the interface between the dielectric material block and the thin film layer, with photo detecting means and as a two-dimensional image constituted of a plurality of pixels arrayed in two-dimensional directions composed of a beam width direction and an incidence angle direction, which are perpendicular to each other, b) extracting an abnormal pixel row, which contains a pixel represented by abnormal pixel data, from among pixel rows, which output pixel data that represent light intensity distribution profiles that indicate the light beam totally internally reflected at the interface and the dark line within the light beam, and each of which extends in the incidence angle direction, in the array of the pixels constituting the two-dimensional image and in accordance with an output obtained from the photo detecting means, which has detected the two-dimensional image with respect to the sample having been supported by the analysis chip, and c) calculating the position of the dark line with respect to the sample and in accordance with the pixel data corresponding to the pixel rows other than the abnormal pixel row, which has been extracted.