Patent ID: 7105354

Claim:
A method of analyzing a fluid sample or a fluid sample and a fluid reagent and for analyzing a predetermined component in the sample or a mixed fluid of the sample and the reagent, the method comprising: forming a chip at least partially made of an organic polymer and provided with a capillary to allow the fluid sample or the fluid sample and the fluid reagent to flow through the capillary, wherein the forming includes providing a pair of laminated plane plate members, each plate having at least an inner and an outer side, at least one of the plate members comprising a groove on a plate surface and at least one of the plate members being made of an organic polymer, the plate surface comprising the groove formed on the inner side of the at least one of the plate members, wherein the respective inner sides of the laminated plane plate members are fused together to form the chip including the capillary; further providing a photothermal conversion detector including an excitation light and detection light; emitting the excitation light and the detection light from the photothermal conversion detector, such that the detector irradiates the component with the excitation light along a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the fluid sample or the fluid sample and the fluid reagent through the capillary, and measures a change in a thermal lens effect in the component due to a measured change of temperature associated with the fluid sample or the fluid sample and the fluid reagent inside the capillary; and measuring an enlarged thermal lens effect exhibited from the groove that is equivalent to approximately the cross-sectional area of the groove, such that the chip does not substantially cause a photothermal conversion effect by absorbing the excitation light.