Abstract: A plasma- or serum-collecting device with simple structure and easy to handle is provided. The device comprises a vacuum blood-drawing tube accommodating a blood-filtering unit, wherein the vacuum tube contains a space above the blood-filtering unit to preserve blood to be filtered and a partition wall under the blood-filtering unit to keep a backspace at reduced pressure, and the blood-filtering unit contains a communicating needle to break the partition wall at the bottom.

Abstract: The immunoassay element for quantitatively analyzing an antigen by determining the change in enzymatic activity of an enzyme-labelled antigen or antibody caused by an immunological reaction. The immunoassay element comprises a substrate layer containing a non-diffusible substrate which forms a diffusible material in the presence of the labelling enzyme, and a reagent layer containing a fragmenting enzyme for further fragmenting the diffusible material into a lower molecular weight product. As the non-diffusible substrate, a substrate capable of reacting solely with the lebelling enzyme and incapable of reacting the fragmenting enzyme is utilized. When an endo-active glucosidase is used as the labelling enzyme, and an exo-active glucosidase is used the fragmenting enzyme in the reagent layer, the non-diffusible substrate of the substrate layer is preferred to be an endo type selectively reactive substrate, which means a substrate having a reactivity specific to endo-active glucosidase.

Abstract: A method for conducting a receptor-ligand association reaction includes the steps of forcibly feeding a reaction solution containing a ligand labeled with a labeling substance from one side of a biochemical analysis unit formed with a plurality of absorptive regions spaced apart from each other and containing receptors toward the other side thereof so as to cut through the absorptive regions of the biochemical analysis unit and forcibly feeding the reaction solution from the other side of the biochemical analysis unit toward the one side thereof via at least one check valve, thereby selectively associating the ligand contained in the reaction solution with the receptors contained in the absorptive regions. According to this method, it is possible to efficiently associate a ligand with receptors fixed in the absorptive regions of the biochemical analysis unit and produce biochemical analysis data having an excellent quantitative characteristic with good repeatability.

Abstract: This invention relates to a dry analytical element using a water-soluble indicator which improves measuring accuracy, which comprises a water-impermeable support, a water-permeable layer and a spreading layer having a function to spread a liquid uniformly, wherein a water-soluble indicator for colorimetry is incorporated into the s preading layer.

Abstract: An agglutination assay method for quantitatively determination of an analyte in a liquid sample using particles bearing an anti-analyte. A non-fluid substance which retains the particles while suppressing the diffusion of the particles therein is used as a medium which is to be a place where the agglutination of the particles takes place. Upon analysis, a solation agent is added to the non-fluid substance medium to increase the fluidity of the non-fluid substance, thereby the particles bearing the anti-analyte can diffuse in the medium to cause the agglutination with the analyte. Preferably, the solation agent is added to the non-fluid medium together with the sample. The non-fluid substance medium containing the particle-labeled anti-analyte can be stored with a higher stability in the dry state. A dry analysis element for enabling such analysis method is also provided.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for the determination of bicarbonate ion existing in liquid using phosphenolpyruvate carboxylase and malate dehydrogenase as conjugate enzyme wherein thioNAD(P)H is used as substrate of malate dehydrogenase. The use of the thioNAD(P)H enables the measurement with visible light, and enables the simple and accurate determination of bicarbonate ion concentration of biological liquid sample in the clinical test.

Abstract: A dry analytical element free from unevenness of concentration of a reagent supplied by coating on a spreading layer made of a polyester fabric or unevenness of coloring density is provided. Said dry analytical element consists of at least one water-permeable layer and a spreading layer made of polyester having a function of spreading liquid uniformly laminated on a water-impermeable transparent support in this order, characterized in that the surface of fiber composing the polyester spreading layer is coated with an organic solvent.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for the determination of bicarbonate ion existing in liquid using phosphenolpyruvate carboxylase and malate dehydrogenase as conjugate enzyme wherein thioNAD(P)H is used as substrate of malate dehydrogenase. The use of the thioNAD(P)H enables the measurement with visible light, and enables the simple and accurate determination of bicarbonate ion concentration of biological liquid sample in the clinical test.

Abstract: An agglutination assay method for quantitatively determination of an analyte in a liquid sample using particles bearing an anti-analyte. A non-fluid substance which retains the particles while suppressing the diffusion of the particles therein is used as a medium which is to be a place where the agglutination of the particles takes place. Upon analysis, a solation agent is added to the non-fluid substance medium to increase the fluidity of the non-fluid substance, thereby the particles bearing the anti-analyte can diffuse in the medium to cause the agglutination with the analyte. Preferably, the solation agent is added to the non-fluid medium together with the sample. The non-fluid substance medium containing the particle-labeled anti-analyte can be stored with a higher stability in the dry state. A dry analysis element for enabling such analysis method is also provided.

Abstract: A dry analytical element for colorimetric or turbidity analysis comprising a water-impermeable sheet that comprises an analyte storable area containing a necessary reagent for a designed analysis in dry state, wherein a specimen containing an analyte develops to the whole planar directions in substantially equal volume when it is supplied on the sheet.

Abstract: A plasma- or serum- collecting device with simple structure and easy to handle is provided. The device comprises a vacuum blood-drawing tube accommodating a blood-filtering unit, wherein the vacuum tube contains a space above the blood-filtering unit to preserve blood to be filtered and a partition wall under the blood-filtering unit to keep a backspace at reduced pressure, and the blood-filtering unit contains a communicating needle to break the partition wall at the bottom.

Abstract: A plasma-collecting devise comprises a blood-filtering element having a blood-drawing needle and a communicating needle, a vacuum blood-drawing tube, and a contracting and expanding element connecting the blood-filtering unit and the vacuum blood-drawing tube. The device enables blood drawing from blood vessel and blood filtering continuously to obtain plasma.

Abstract: A composite ion selective electrode comprising a calcium ion selective electrode member and a hydrogen ion selective electrode member which is characterized in that a calcium ion selective membrane of the calcium ion selective electrode member has a thickness of 5 to 30 &mgr;m, and the hydrogen ion selective membrane of the hydrogen ion selective electrode member contains tri-n-dodecyl-amine and trisethylhexyl trimellitate. Each of the calcium ion selective electrode member and the hydrogen ion selective electrode member can be employed singly.

Abstract: This invention provides a dry analytical element without any spreading layer wherein the upper surface of water impermeable support is partitioned by water impermeable frame body, and wherein reagent necessary for analysis is contained in the frame, and also provides a dry analytical element comprising water impermeable support and mesh layer which is applied on the water impermeable support, and this invention discloses the dry analytical element of the above description wherein hydrophilic polymer layer is provided between the water impermeable support and the mesh layer.

Abstract: An analytical element for quantitative analysis of glucose, cholesterol, or lactic acid in whole blood, composed of a porous layer which has a void volume of 30 to 80% and containing peroxidase, a leuco dye which gives coloring having an absorption peak in the region of 600 to 700 nm, and an oxidase such as glucose oxidase, cholesterol oxidase, or lactate oxidase, respectively. The porous layer can be placed on a transparent support sheet via an adhesive layer in the form of dots or lines, or a hydrophilic adhesive layer.

Abstract: This invention provides a reagent composition for the determination of bicarbonate ion capable of measuring in a wide determination range in visible light region which comprises a combined substrate of thioNAD(P)H and NAD(P)H for a coupled enzymes of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and malate dehydrogenase.

Abstract: A hemoglobin derivative-containing sample is treated with a treating reagent containing 2-butanol and then immunologically analyzed to determine the quantity of the hemoglobin derivative. By the treatment with 2-butanol, the immunological determination for the hemoglobin derivative, particularly HbA.sub.1c, can be attained with high sensitivity by a simple procedure. Since 2-butanol-containing treating reagent does not affect the enzymatic activity, the homogeneous enzyme immunoassay with high sensitivity is realized.

Abstract: A method for presentation of information of a recorded television program for allowing user to seize easily and quickly content/composition thereof, and an easily manipulable interface therefor. Picture signal of a television program currently being recorded by a VTR or the like is converted into a frame-based picture signal. Frames indicating inter-shot transitions are detected and stored as shot-representative pictures for thereby generating a digest picture file composed of a set of the shot-representative pictures substantially simultaneously with recording operation of the VTR. In a digest picture display, the shot-representative pictures are displayed in a temporally sequential order in which they were generated in such a form that a predetermined number of shot-representative pictures are displayed in each of predetermined time zones in a uniform array, for facilitating comprehension of the contents of the television picture as recorded.

Abstract: A dry analytical element comprising at least one water-permeable reagent layer and a porous spreading layer laminated in this order on a support, wherein at least one layer which is the water-permeable reagent layer, the porous spreading layer or an optional water-permeable layer contains a water-soluble polybasic amino carboxylic acid which is an ampholyte. By applying an analytical element of the invention, an analyte can be measured at a high sensitivity using a small amount of an enzyme, etc., and shelf file can be extended.

Abstract: A method for correcting an instrumental error due to wavelength error of a spectroscope of an optical analyzer for measuring an optical density reflected from or transmitted through a dry analysis element. One standard color plate having a standard optical density OD.sub.ST is measured by an optical analyzer to be corrected to obtain an measured value OD.sub.M. A measured optical density OD.sub.S of the element applied with a sample through the optical analyzer to be corrected is corrected by using a ratio of OD.sub.M /OD.sub.ST to obtain a corrected measured value OD.sub.C of the sample. The standard color plate to be used contains an indicator dye contained in the non-reacted dry analysis element or a dye having an absorption spectrum same as or similar to that of the indicator dye in the measurement wavelength range. Another correction method in consideration of a layer coefficient of a dry analysis element is also provided.