A method of testing for discerning substitution of carbohydrate ester includes the step of providing a predetermined amount of a solution. Further, the method also includes adding ammonium hydroxide and sodium borohydride to the solution. The method also includes the step of transferring the solution to an ammonium ion exchange cartridge and collecting the eluate from the cartridge. Also included in the method is the step of analyzing the sample in a mass spectrometer to produce a mass spectrum. Further, the method includes calculating the amu of phosphate and sulfate substitution of the ion and comparing it to the actual amu of the found ion.

An improved quality assurance system and method for point-of-care testing are disclosed. The present invention provides quality assurance for laboratory quality tests performed by a blood analysis system or the like at the point of patient care without the need for running liquid-based quality control materials on the analysis system. Quality assurance of a quantitative physiological sample test system is performed without using a quality control sample by monitoring the thermal and temporal stress of a component used with the test system. Alert information is generated that indicates that the component has failed quality assurance when the thermal and temporal stress exceeds a predetermined thermal-temporal stress threshold. Alternatively, the present invention provides quality assurance for laboratory quality tests performed by a blood analysis system or the like at the point of patient care by minimizing the need for running liquid-based quality control materials on the analysis system.

A production line monitoring device that identifies a cause of a production defect, reduces the amount of analysis data and computation, and performs real-time processing, is provided. The production line monitoring device includes a defect indication detection unit that detects an indication of a production defect of a production line, and a defect cause identification unit that identifies a cause of the production defect. The defect indication detection unit collects measurement information measured by an inspection apparatus for each reference that identifies a position on products, and detects an indication of the production defect from the change with time of the measurement information at the references. The defect cause identification unit performs stratified analysis based on production information related to the reference when the defect indication detection unit detects an indication of a production defect, and identifies a cause of a production defect from a result of the analysis.

A microchip includes a cell accepting section, a lysis solution chamber and a lysis reaction chamber. The cell accepting section accepts cells obtained from a subject. The lysis solution chamber stores lysis solution for lysis of the cells. The lysis reaction of the cells is executed in the lysis reaction chamber.

In a method for comparative analysis, the expression levels of the target miRNAs in each body fluid sample are corrected using the expression level(s) of a correcting endogenous miRNA(s) that is/are simultaneously measured with the expression levels of the target miRNAs in the sample. As the correcting endogenous miRNA(s), one or more miRNAs selected from specific 10 kinds of correcting endogenous miRNAs is/are used. Comparative analysis of target miRNAs among body fluid samples can be carried out more accurately than by conventional techniques.

A micro liquid transfer structure includes a plurality of micro projections arranged at intervals causing a capillary action, wherein the plurality of micro projections form periodically arranged unit rows, wherein each of the unit rows comprises the micro projections arranged in one row; and liquid transfer paths that are gaps between the micro projections, wherein at least one of the liquid transfer paths is a low flow resistance liquid transfer path having a flow resistance lower than flow resistances of the other liquid transfer paths, and wherein the low flow resistance liquid transfer path is disposed along a predetermined liquid transfer direction.

The present invention is intended to provide a method and a device for detecting a biomolecule with high sensitivity and high throughput over a wide dynamic range without requiring concentration adjustments of a sample in advance. The present invention specifically binds charge carriers to a detection target biomolecule, and detects the detection target biomolecule one by one by measuring a current change that occurs as the conjugate of the biomolecule and the charge carriers passes through a micropore. High-throughput detection of a biomolecule sample is possible with an array of detectors.

The present invention is intended to provide a method and a device for detecting a biomolecule with high sensitivity and high throughput over a wide dynamic range without requiring concentration adjustments of a sample in advance. The present invention specifically binds charge carriers to a detection target biomolecule, and detects the detection target biomolecule one by one by measuring a current change that occurs as the conjugate of the biomolecule and the charge carriers passes through a micropore. High-throughput detection of a biomolecule sample is possible with an array of detectors.

According to one embodiment, a production support system includes: a production information storage unit; a manufacturing apparatus information storage unit; an inspection/measurement apparatus information storage unit; a planned lot number calculation unit; a first control mode calculation unit. The first control mode calculation unit is configured to calculate an appropriate control mode from the number of products to be subjected to the control of the final quality, a relationship between fluctuation of the final quality and a number of products when performing a predetermined feedback type/feedforward type combined APC, fluctuation of the final quality when performing a feedforward type APC, and fluctuation of the final quality when not performing the feedback type/feedforward type combined APC.

A fluid handling device has an introduction port, a first flow channel which is connected to the introduction port and in which a droplet can move when a fluid including the droplet is caused to flow therein, a first chamber for capturing the droplet moving through the first flow channel, and a second chamber through which the droplet captured by the first chamber can move via the first flow channel. The liquid handling device is capable of switching between a first state in which a droplet moving through the first flow channel is captured by the first chamber, and a second state in which the droplet captured by the first chamber moves to the second chamber via the first flow channel.