METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DETECTING AGGLUTINATION REACTION

摘要

PURPOSE:To attain the automatic quantitative analysis of the antigen or antibody of a specimen with high sensitivity, by measuring the variable intensity of light passing through the agglutination precipitate of antigen-antibody from a light source on the straight line connecting the center of the agglutination precipitate to measure the diameter of the agglutination precipitate by a unidimensional image sensor. CONSTITUTION:Recessed parts each having a spherical or conical bottom part are formed to an examination plate comprising a transparent material such as glass and the antibody (antigen) specifically bonded to the antigen (antibody) being the objective component to be analyzed in a specimen is added to the specimen received in each recessed part to form the aglutination precipitate of antigen-antibody. Light from a light source 1 is allowed to be incident to the center line of said precipitate and transmitted light is measured by using a CCD linear image sensor 9. The signal of the sensor 9 is processed through an A/D converter 10 to be displayed on a printer 14. The diameter of the agglutination precipitate is measured on the basis of the width of the output wave form of the sensor when an intermediate voltage value is obtained in the comparison of reference voltage based on negative control with voltage based on a specimen. By this method, the antigen (antibody) in the specimen is measured automatically and accurately with high sensitivity.