Analytical chip, analytical-chip unit, and analysis apparatus

1. An analytical chip comprising:

a flow channel ( 5 ), whose section is in a closed shape and through which a fluid sample (Fs) is made to flow, for carrying out analysis regarding the fluid sample (Fs) based on interaction between a predetermined substance and a specific substance ( 61 ), which is fixed facing said flow channel ( 5 ); and

a projection member ( 9 b ) attached to said flow channel ( 5 ).

2. An analytical chip as defined in claim 1 , wherein said flow channel ( 5 ) is formed as a sheet-shaped space.

3. An analytical chip as defined in claim 2 , further comprising:

an injection port ( 21 ) connected to the upstream end of said flow channel ( 5 ), through which port the fluid sample (Fs) is to be injected; and

a drain port ( 22 ) connected to the downstream end of said flow channel ( 5 ), through which port the fluid sample (Fs) is to be drained.

4. An analytical chip as defined in claim 2 , wherein

said projection member ( 9 b ) is in the form of one or more partition members ( 9 b ) dividing said flow channel ( 5 ) across the width directions, and

said flow channel ( 5 ) has two or more inner flow channels ( 9 a ) divided by said one or more partition members ( 9 b ).

5. An analytical chip as defined in claim 4 , further comprising:

a basal plate ( 4 );

a cover member ( 2 ); and

at least one intermediate plate ( 8 , 9 ) being interposed between said basal plate ( 4 ) and said cover member ( 2 ) and, together with at least either of said basal plate ( 4 ) and said cover member ( 2 ), defining a sheet-shaped space that has said flow channel ( 5 ).

6. An analytical chip as defined in claim 5 , wherein

one or more inner openings ( 9 a ) are formed through said intermediate plate ( 9 ), and

said cover member ( 2 ) is overlaid on said basal plate ( 4 ) with said intermediate plate ( 9 ) between in such a manner that the inner openings ( 9 a ) form said inner flow channels ( 9 a ).

7. An analytical chip as defined in claim 6 , wherein the surface of said intermediate plate ( 9 ) on the side opposite to said basal plate ( 4 ) is made from a material having a lower affinity for a fluid containing the specific substance than that of at least either of the wall surface of the inner openings ( 9 a ) in said intermediate plate ( 9 ) and the surface of said basal plate ( 4 ) on the side facing said flow channel ( 5 ).

8. A method of making an analytical chip, wherein a specific substance ( 61 ) is placed on an analytical chip as defined in claim 7 to thereby make an analytical chip with a fixed specific substance ( 61 ), comprising the steps of:

fixing the intermediate plate ( 9 ) on the basal plate ( 4 );

dropping a fluid containing the specific substance on the basal plate ( 4 ) through the inner openings ( 9 a ) of the intermediate plate ( 9 ) to thereby fix the specific substance ( 61 ) on the basal plate ( 4 ) as spots; and

fixing the cover member ( 2 ) on the intermediate plate ( 9 ).

9. An analytical chip as defined in claim 4 , further comprising:

a basal plate ( 4 ); and

a cover member ( 2 ) being disposed so as to face said basal plate ( 4 ) and, together with said basal plate ( 4 ), defining a sheet-shaped space that has said flow channel ( 5 ).

10. An analytical chip as defined in claim 9 , wherein

said cover member ( 2 ) is overlaid on said basal plate ( 4 ), and

said inner flow channels ( 4 a ) are formed on at least either of the confronting surfaces of said basal plate ( 4 ) and said cover member ( 2 ).

11. An analytical chip as defined in claim 4 , wherein each of said inner flow channels ( 10 a ) has a contraction part ( 10 c ) on the downstream end, in which part each said inner flow channel ( 10 a ) contracts gradually.

12. An analytical chip as defined in claim 4 , wherein said inner flow channels ( 10 a ) extend from said injection port ( 11 ) to said drain port ( 12 ).

13. An analytical chip as defined in claim 4 , wherein

said partition members ( 9 b ) are in the form of partition walls ( 9 b ),

said inner flow channels ( 9 a ) are slit-form flow channels ( 9 a ) divided from each other by said partition walls ( 9 b ) around a middle part of said flow channel ( 5 ) along a flow direction, and

said analytical chip further comprises a flow-channel confluence part ( 81 , 82 ) disposed at each of the upstream and downstream ends of said flow channel ( 5 ) along the flow direction, in which part the fluid sample (Fs) flows unitedly.

14. An analytical chip as defined in claim 13 , wherein

the flow-channel confluence part ( 81 ) at the upstream end is formed in such a manner as to become gradually broad from said injection port ( 21 ) toward the middle part, and

the flow-channel confluence part ( 82 ) at the downstream end is formed in such a manner as to become gradually narrow from the middle part toward said drain port ( 22 ).

15. An analytical chip as defined in claim 14 , wherein the flow-channel confluence part ( 21 , 22 , 43 , 44 ) at each of the upstream and downstream ends is formed on either of said basal plate ( 4 ) and said cover member ( 2 ).

16. An analytical chip as defined in claim 13 , wherein each of said slit-form flow channels ( 9 a ) has a cross sectional area of 5 mm 2 or smaller.

17. An analytical chip as defined in claim 16 , wherein the cross section of each said slit-form flow channel has an aspect ratio of between 0.005 and 100.

18. An analytical chip as defined in claim 4 , wherein the specific substance ( 61 ) is fixed as a plurality of spots, which are arranged with regular intervals, in such a manner as to face said inner flow channels ( 9 a ).

19. An analytical chip as defined in claim 1 , wherein said projection member ( 9 b ) is in the form of a prop member ( 9 b ) interposed between the confronting interior surfaces of said flow channel ( 5 ).

20. An analytical chip as defined in claim 19 , further comprising:

a basal plate ( 4 );

a cover member ( 2 ); and

at least one intermediate plate ( 8 , 9 ) being interposed between said basal plate ( 4 ) and said cover member ( 2 ) and, together with at least either of said basal plate ( 4 ) and said cover member ( 2 ), defining a sheet-shaped space that has said flow channel ( 5 );

wherein, in said flow channel ( 5 ) of the sheet-shaped space, said prop member ( 9 b ) is interposed between the confronting surfaces of said intermediate plate ( 8 ) and at least either of said basal plate ( 4 ) and said cover member ( 2 ).

21. An analytical chip as defined in claim 20 , wherein

the sheet-shaped space is defined by the floor surface, the ceiling surface, the left-side surface, the right-side surface, the upstream-end surface, and the downstream-end surface of said flow channel ( 5 ), and

said prop member ( 9 b ) is interposed at least either of between the left-side and right-side surfaces and between the upstream-end and downstream-end surfaces.

22. An analytical chip as defined in claim 19 , wherein said prop member ( 9 b ) adjoins directly each of the confronting surfaces.

23. An analytical chip as defined in claim 19 , wherein

a part of said prop member ( 10 b ) adjoins directly one of the confronting surfaces, and

the opposite end of said prop member ( 10 b ) is joined by a fluid (Fs) with the other of the confronting surfaces when the fluid (Fs) is made to flow through said flow channel ( 5 ).

24. An analytical chip as defined in claim 23 , wherein an adhesion-reducing layer ( 10 t ) is formed on the surface of said prop member ( 10 b ).

25. An analytical chip as defined in claim 19 , further comprising:

a basal plate ( 4 ); and

a cover member ( 2 ) being disposed so as to face said basal plate ( 4 ) and, together with said basal plate ( 4 ), defining a sheet-shaped space that has said flow channel ( 5 );

wherein, in said flow channel ( 5 ) of the sheet-shaped space, said prop member ( 4 b ) is interposed between the confronting surfaces of said basal plate ( 4 ) and said cover member ( 2 ).

26. An analytical chip as defined in claim 1 , wherein said flow channel ( 5 ) has a first affinity part ( 5 y ) and a second affinity part ( 5 x ), whose affinity for the fluid sample (Fs) is lower than that of the first affinity part ( 5 y ).

27. An analytical chip as defined in claim 26 , wherein the specific substance ( 61 ) is fixed to a part of the surface of said flow channel ( 5 ), and

both of the first affinity part ( 5 y ) and the second affinity part ( 5 x ) are disposed upstream, along the flow direction, of the part to which the specific substance ( 61 ) is fixed.

28. An analytical chip as defined in claim 26 , wherein each of the first affinity part ( 5 y ) and the second affinity part ( 5 x ) is in a belt shape that spreads along a line crossing the flow direction of said flow channel ( 5 ).

29. An analytical chip as defined in claim 26 , wherein more than one first affinity part ( 5 y ) and more than one second affinity part ( 5 x ) are provided and arranged alternately.

30. An analytical chip as defined in claim 26 , wherein the first affinity part ( 5 y ) is a hydrophilic part, and the second affinity part ( 5 x ) is a hydrophobic part.

31. An analytical chip as defined in claim 26 , wherein the first affinity part ( 5 y ) is a rough-surfaced part, and the second affinity part ( 5 x ) is a smooth-surfaced part.

32. An analytical chip as defined in claim 1 , wherein

said flow channel ( 5 ) has an area to which the specific substance ( 61 ) is fixed, and

said area has

a diffraction grating ( 42 ) that can generate an evanescent wave upon light irradiation, and

a metal layer ( 41 ) along which a surface plasmon wave can be induced.

33. An analytical chip as defined in claim 1 , wherein said analytical chip is made from a material having a Young's modulus that is not lower than 60GPa and not higher than 1000 GPa.

34. An analytical chip as defined in claim 25 , wherein

the sheet-shaped space is defined by the floor surface, the ceiling surface, the left-side surface, the right-side surface, the upstream-end surface, and the downstream-end surface of said flow channel ( 5 ), and

said prop member ( 9 b ) is interposed at least either of between the left-side and right-side surfaces and between the upstream-end and downstream-end surfaces.