Abstract: A test piece transfer apparatus includes a transfer mechanism for transferring a test piece in a transfer direction. The transfer mechanism is provided with a test piece holder for holding the test piece, and with a driving portion. The test piece transfer apparatus further includes a test piece adjusting mechanism cooperating with the transfer mechanism for adjusting the direction of a test piece being transferred. The test piece holder includes a lower surface holding portion, an upstream holding portion and a downstream holding portion. The lower surface holding portion comes into contact with the lower surface of the test piece. The upstream holding portion is arranged on an upstream side of the test piece in the transfer direction. The downstream holding portion is arranged on a downstream side of the test piece in the transfer direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a technique of measuring a protein based on a degree of coloring in a liquid sample mixed with a protein measurement indicator. In the present invention, information reflecting creatinine concentration in the liquid sample is obtained, and then an influence quantity caused by creatinine to the protein concentration measurement is eliminated based on the information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an analyzer (1) including a photometry mechanism (6) for photometrically analyzing a reagent pad of an analytical tool to which a sample is applied, and a table (4) including a placing portion (41) at which the analytical tool is to be placed. The light emitting surface (68) or the light incident surface (68) of the light from the light emitting elements (66) of the photometry mechanism (6) is cleaned, with a cleaning tool (22) placed at the table (4). The present invention further provides a cleaning tool (22) for cleaning the photometry mechanism (6) of the analyzer (1).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an analytical tool (X1) to be mounted to an analytical apparatus (1) which includes a plurality of terminals (11, 12) and an analysis circuit (13). The analytical tool includes a plurality of electrodes (21, 22) coming into contact with the plurality of terminals (11, 12) when mounted to the analytical apparatus (1). In the analytical tool (X1), at least one (12) of the electrodes (21, 22) serves as a disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode to which disturbing noise is more likely to come in comparison with the other electrodes (11) than the above-mentioned electrode (12).

Abstract: The present invention provides an immunoassay analyzer capable of discriminating between normal coloring due to a specific immunoreaction and abnormal coloring due to a cause other than the specific immunoreaction in a measurement region of a sample analysis tool. An immunoassay analyzer 1 of the present invention includes an optical detection unit 4 and a determination unit 5. The optical detection unit 4 includes an optical signal measurement unit for measuring an optical signal at each of two or more different wavelengths including a main wavelength for detecting color change due to the specific immunoreaction and a sub-wavelength(s) other than the main wavelength. The determination unit 5 includes a discrimination unit for comparing the respective optical signals at the two or more different wavelengths and discriminating between the color change due to the specific immunoreaction and color change due to a cause other than the specific immunoreaction based on a comparison criterion determined previously.

Abstract: A sample stirring device of the present invention includes a driving roller and two follower rollers for coming into contact with a sample container including a cylindrical portion for containing a sample to be stirred. The driving roller is driven for rotation to stir the sample contained in the sample container. The two follower rollers have rotation axes inclined with respect to an axial direction of the cylindrical portion. This arrangement allows the sample container such as a blood collection tube to be rotated stably.

Abstract: A primer set for amplifying a region including sites to be detected of SULT1A1*2 and SULT1A1*3 in the SULT1A1 gene by a gene amplification method is provided, wherein the primer set can amplify the region specifically. A pair of primer set is used including a forward primer consisting of the base sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7 as well as a reverse primer consisting of the base sequence of SEQ ID NO: 18. The use of this primer set makes it possible to specifically and efficiently amplify a region including both sites where two types of polymorphisms (SULT1A1*2 and SULT1A1*3) of the SULT1A1 gene are generated.

Abstract: A lancet device is configured for performing a puncture by mounting a lancet including a puncture needle to the tip of a puncture body holder. The lancet device has a simple configuration that makes it possible to strengthen the retaining force for retaining the lancet when the lancet is used. In the lancet device, an insertion portion of a puncture body that is inserted into a mounting portion of the puncture body holder is retained by means of the frictional force. A fastening member provided in a main body side makes contact with the outer peripheral portion of the mounting portion of the puncture body holder and inwardly fastens the mounting portion when the fastening member is moved in the puncture direction relative to the puncture body holder.

Abstract: A transport apparatus for transporting a sample as an analysis objective in a state of being accommodated in a sample container comprises a judging unit which judges whether or not the sample container is positioned at each of first and second collection positions for collecting the sample from the sample container in order to perform each of first and second analysis processes and which outputs each of judgment results thereof as first and second collection position data; and a sample container identification unit which performs individual identification of the sample container in a transport route for the sample container and which outputs an identification result thereof as individual identification data.

Abstract: An optical crystal includes a first non-linear optical crystal that generates terahertz waves corresponding to a difference frequency component in incident light with two different wavelengths by a difference frequency generation, and a second non-linear optical crystal that generates terahertz waves corresponding to a difference frequency component in incident light with two different wavelengths by a difference frequency generation, the second non-linear optical crystal being different in material from the first non-linear optical crystal, and the first non-linear optical crystal and the second non-linear optical crystal being disposed in contact or close together.

Abstract: Depletion of an analyte on a surface of an electrode is restrained by increasing a quantity of supply of the analyte to the surface of the electrode. An electrochemical sensor includes a substrate, an electrode provided on the substrate, an external layer film provided on the substrate to cover the electrode, and a groove formed in at least a part of the substrate in a direction of the electrode of the substrate.

Abstract: A sample analyzer includes a first measurement unit, a second measurement unit, a detection section which detects information about an amount of a sample in a sample container before the first measurement unit aspirates the sample in the sample container, and a control section. Based on a detection result by the detection section and based on information about a predetermined sample amount necessary for performing both in the first measurement unit and the second measurement unit, when the control section has determined that the amount of the sample in the sample container is insufficient for the predetermined sample amount, the control section controls the first measurement unit and the second measurement unit so as not to aspirate the sample in the sample container.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nucleic acid collection device that can estimate the nucleic acid collection amount when collecting nucleic acids from a biological sample containing nucleic acids. The nucleic acid collection device comprises a sucking and discharging unit for sucking in and forcing out a sample containing nucleic acids, a collector for collecting the nucleic acids by sucking in and forcing out the sample using the sucking and discharging unit, a pressure measurer for measuring a discharging pressure when forcing out the sample and a sucking pressure when sucking in the sample, and measuring a differential pressure that is the difference between the discharging pressure and the sucking pressure, and an estimator for estimating the collection amount of nucleic acids collected based on the differential pressure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microchip 1 having a translucent member 11, a flow channel 10 or a cell formed at a side of the translucent member 11 where light enters, and an aperture 16 formed at a position corresponding to the flow channel 10 or the cell at a side of a translucent member 10 where light goes out. The aperture 16 has a light go-through surface 17 which causes light flux being emitted from the flow channel 10 or the cell to go through and a light reflective surface 18 that totally reflects the incident light flux. A width size W1 of the light go-through surface 17 is smaller than a width size W2 of the flow channel 10 or the cell.

Abstract: Provided is a substrate modification method that enables improvement of reproducibility in measurement with use of capillary electrophoresis. The substrate modification method includes immobilizing, to a substrate surface, at least two types of modification groups selected from three types of modification groups that are a type of a modification group having one functional group, a type of a modification group having two to nine functional groups, and a type of a modification group having ten or more functional groups.

Abstract: Provided are an analytical instrument and an analytical method that allow for the direct analysis of a target substance in an undiluted specimen by a transmission photometry in a tightly closed cell container space. An analytical instrument is an analytical instrument for analyzing a target substance contained in a specimen flown in the tightly closed cell container by utilizing an oxidative color-developing agent and an oxidative enzyme reaction, in which an upper substrate and a lower substrate are arranged facing each other and at least a part of the upper substrate and/or at least a part of the lower substrate are/is made of a material transmitting light used for the analysis and having oxygen transmission properties.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an analytical tool 1 which includes a flow path for moving a sample, and a working electrode 15 and a counter electrode 16 including active portions 15c, 16c, 16d for coming into contact with the sample supplied to the flow path and which is mounted in use to an analytical apparatus. The active portions 16c, 16d of the counter electrode 16 include a first active portion 16c and a second active portion 16d divided within the flow path. The working electrode 15 and the counter electrode 16 include contact ends 15a, 16a for coming into contact with terminals of an analytical apparatus when the analytical tool 1 is mounted to the analytical apparatus. At least one of the working electrode 15 and the counter electrode 16 includes a first electrode portion 16B which includes the contact end 16a and the first active portion 16c and a second electrode portion 16C which includes the second active portion 16d.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a flow rate sensor 52 which causes a gas 80 included in a liquid 81 to travel in a piping 56, and which measures a flow speed of a sample by detecting the gas 80. The flow rate sensor 52 is configured to maintain a contact area of the gas with respect to the piping 56 at constant or at substantially constant.

Abstract: Provided is a protein concentration assay method that uses a protein indicating reagent and that enables highly accurate assay. The protein concentration assay method includes: optically analyzing a color exhibited after a sample to be assayed and a protein indicating reagent are brought into contact with each other; measuring pH of the sample to be assayed; and assaying a concentration of protein in the sample based on the result of the optical analysis, the measured value of pH, and data for protein concentration assay, wherein the protein indicating reagent is a protein indicating reagent whose color varies with pH and a concentration of protein, and the data for protein concentration assay include information indicating a way to assay the result of the optical analysis corresponding to the measured value of pH.

Abstract: A modified pyrroloquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase that exhibits a high selectivity for glucose is provided. A modified pyrroloquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase is disclosed in which the amino acid residue G at Position 99 of a pyrroloquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase (PQQGDH) represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or the amino acid residue G at Position 100 of the pyrroloquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase (PQQGDH) represented by SEQ ID NO: 3, is substituted by the amino acid sequence TGZN (where Z is SX, S, or N and X is any amino acid residue). The modified PQQGDH of the present invention may additionally comprise one or more mutations selected from the group consisting of Q192G, Q192A, or Q192S; L193X; E277X; A318X; Y367A, Y367F, or Y367W; G451C; and N452X (where X is any amino acid residue).