Method of effecting immunological analysis and apparatus for carrying out the same

An apparatus for analyzing antigen or antibody contained in a sample comprising:

• at least one measuring light guide member having first and an other end surfaces, said measuring light guide member being coated with a protection layer except for said first and the other end surfaces and on said first end surface of the measuring light guide member being fixed a substance which is selectively reactive with an antigen or antibody in the sample to be analyzed;
• at least one reference light guide member having second and an other end surfaces, said reference light guide member being coated with a protection layer except for said second and the other end surfaces;
• a light source for emitting light which is transmitted through the measuring and reference light guide members;
• and
• a photoelectric detector for detecting light transmitted through the measuring and reference light guide members and modulated by the first and second end surfaces of the light guide members to derive detection signals representing optical

A method of measuring different types of substances contained in a sample, comprising the steps of:

• introducing first end surfaces of at least first and second light guide members into a sample, each of said first and second light guide members being coated with a protection layer except for said first and an other end surfaces and on respective first end surfaces of the first and second light guide members being fixed different substances which are selectively and specifically reactive with different substances in the sample, whereby an antigen-antibody reaction is effected between the substances fixed on the first and second light guide members and the antigen or antibody in the sample;
• detecting optical properties of the first end surfaces of the first and second light guide members to derive first and second at least two detection signals;
• and
• processing said first and second output detection signals to measure the different types of substances in the sample.

An apparatus for determining a blood type of a blood sample comprising first and second light guide members having first and an other end surfaces, each of said light guide members being coated with a protection layer except for said first and the other end surfaces and on the first end surface of the first light guide member being fixed A-type antibody or antigen and on the first end surface of the second light guide member being fixed B-type antibody or antigen;

• a light source for emitting light transmitted through the first and second light guide members;
• first and second light detectors for receiving light transmitted through the first and second light guide members, respectively, to derive first and second detection signals representing optical properties of the first end surfaces of the first and second light guide members;
• and
• a signal processing circuit for determining a blood type of the blood sample in accordance with the first and second detection signals.

A method of determining a blood type of a blood sample which is separated into first and second components comprising the steps of:

• introducing first end surfaces of at least first and second light guide members into said first and second components of the blood sample, respectively, each of said first and second light guide members being coated with a protection layer except for said first and an other end surfaces, and the first end surfaces of the first and second light guide members being fixed with different substances which are specifically reactive with substances in the blood sample, and said first end surfaces of the first and second light guide members being arranged into levels of the first and second components of the blood sample, respectively;
• detecting optical properties of the first end surfaces of the first and second light guide members to derive first and second detection signals;
• and
• processing said first and second detection signals to determine the blood type of the blood sample.