Apparatus and method for measuring specimen

A method for measuring a specified substance in a specimen by flocculation of carrier particles in a reaction liquid of the specimen, with the carrier particles carrying a substance that specifically binds with the specified substance, comprising the steps of:

• flowing the reaction liquid into a container having a first opening with a spacing larger than a diameter of the individual carrier particles and a second opening opposite the first opening with a spacing smaller than a diameter of the individual carrier particles, wherein an interior clearance portion extending along a vertical direction of said container connects the first and second openings, with said interior clearance portion having either one of a tapered shape with spacing continuously decreasing or a stepwise shape with spacing decreasing in step-by-step increments form the first opening toward the second opening, wherein the reaction liquid enters from the first opening and a flocculate of the carrier particles is trapped in a space along the interior clearance portion corresponding to a size of the flocculate, wherein the carrier particles have a different specific gravity than the reaction liquid;
• moving the carrier particles by using the difference of the specific gravity in a direction in which the spacing of the clearance portion decreases;
• and
• detecting a position where the flocculates of carrier particles in the reaction liquid have been trapped in the clearance portion.

An apparatus for measuring a specified substance in a specimen by flocculation of carrier particles in a reaction liquid of the specimen, with the carrier particles carrying a substance that specifically binds with the specified substance, comprising:

• a container having a first opening with a spacing larger than a diameter of individual carrier particles, with
• said container having a second opening provided opposite to the first opening with a spacing smaller than a diameter of the individual carrier particles, with
• said container having an interior clearance portion extending along a vertical direction of said container connecting the first and second openings and having either one of a tapered shape with spacing continuously decreasing or a stepwise shape with spacing decreasing in step-by-step increments from the first opening toward the second opening, with
• said container having a liquid accumulation room connected to the second opening for accumulating the reaction liquid therein, the liquid accumulation room having a volume greater than that of the clearance portion, wherein
• the reaction liquid enters from the first opening and exits through the second opening to the liquid accumulation room, and a flocculate of the carrier particles in the reaction liquid is trapped in a space along the interior clearance portion corresponding to a size of the flocculate.