JP2002148186A - Polarized light measuring method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus capable of measuring polarized light in a short time and with good accuracy and with high sensitivity. SOLUTION: This measuring apparatus 100 is provided with a reaction part installing part 142 for holding a reaction part 120 and a reaction part temperature control part 144 for controlling the temperature of the reaction part 120. The reaction part 120 is a closed cell, which has a space for storing a tested material and a reactive solution containing a reagent or the like and a penetrating hole for putting the reactive solution in the space. The measuring apparatus 100 is further provided with a light source part 102 for emitting a light beam toward the reaction part 120, a polarizer 104, an analyzer 106, and a photo detector 108 for detecting light transmitted through the analyzer 196. The light source part 102 and the polarizer 104 are disposed so that the optical axis makes a designated angle to the surface of the reaction part 120. Similarly, the analyzer 106 and the photo detector 108 are disposed so that the axis makes the same angle to the surface of the reaction part 120.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for measuring the polarization of a specific analyte using a biological material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, polarization measurement is a technique for measuring a film thickness and an optical constant after forming a film. An example in which this is applied to a biological material is disclosed in JP-A-5-203565. In this example, a specific analyte is measured by measuring the presence or absence of a formed film after the antigen-antibody reaction.

[0003]

However, the conventional device has the following disadvantages. For example, when the polarization measurement of the immune antigen-antibody reaction is performed, the thickness of each sample support surface varies, so it is basically necessary to measure twice before and after the reaction and to subtract both data. In order to perform the measurement twice precisely, the inclination of the sample stage must be strictly adjusted. In addition, it is necessary to settle down after the reaction, and at this time, it is necessary to detect the film thickness at the angstrom level. Therefore, it becomes very difficult to select a cleaning method, a cleaning solution, and control the cleaning solution.
In addition, since measurement is performed after the reaction and washing, it takes time to obtain a result.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus capable of measuring the polarization of a specific analyte with high accuracy in a short time. To provide.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention, in one aspect, is a method for polarimetrically measuring a particular analyte using a biological material, comprising: providing a reaction section having a reflective reaction liquid support; The method includes a step of arranging a reaction solution containing a biological material and a specific reagent, and a step of continuously performing polarization measurement after arranging the reaction solution in a reaction section holding the reaction solution.

[0006] In one aspect, the present invention is an apparatus for measuring the polarization of a specific analyte using a biological material, comprising a reaction section installation section for holding the reaction section, and a control section for controlling the temperature of the reaction section. Temperature control unit, a light source unit that emits a light beam toward the reaction unit, a polarizer that allows only a specific polarization component to enter the reaction unit, and a light source that reflects the light reflected by the reaction unit. And a photodetector for detecting light transmitted through the analyzer.The reaction section has a space for accommodating a reaction solution containing a test substance and a reagent. The reaction section temperature control section gives a predetermined temperature cycle to the reaction section, whereby the nucleic acid amplification reaction is performed inside the reaction section. The reaction unit includes, for example, a biological material that specifically reacts with the test substance immobilized on a surface that comes into contact with the reaction solution.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment] As shown in FIG. 1, a polarization measuring apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has a reaction section installation section 142 for holding the reaction section 120, and a temperature of the reaction section 120. Temperature control unit 14 for controlling the temperature
4 is provided.

The reaction section installation section 142 can securely fix the reaction section 120 by air suction or pressing.

The reaction section temperature control section 144 includes the reaction section 120.
Can be maintained at a desired constant temperature, or a desired temperature cycle can be applied to the reaction section 120. Reaction unit temperature control unit 14
Reference numeral 4 denotes heating by a Peltier element, a resistor, a lamp, or the like, and cooling by heat radiation, water cooling, or air cooling.

The reaction section installation section 142 includes a reaction section temperature control section 1
44 functions may be included. As shown in the figure,
When the reaction section installation section 142 and the reaction section temperature control section 144 are separate bodies, the reaction section installation section 142 may be made of a material having high thermal conductivity, for example, a metal such as copper, gold, brass, or aluminum. .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the reaction section 120 is a closed cell having a reaction solution support 122, a side plate section 124, and an upper plate section 126. And a space 130 for accommodating a reaction solution containing a reagent and the like. Here, it is preferable that the space 130 has a volume capable of accommodating a sufficient amount of the reaction solution, and a capillary force is generated in a part or the whole of the space 130 when a small amount of the reaction solution is measured. The size may be set to a degree. The reaction section 120 includes a reaction solution support 122 and an upper plate section 126.
Are preferably arranged so as to be parallel to the horizontal plane, but they may be appropriately inclined or installed perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

The upper plate 126 is formed with a through hole 128 for allowing the reaction solution to enter the space 130.
The through hole 128 may be formed anywhere as long as the position is not irradiated with the measurement light. The illustrated reaction unit 120 has one through hole 128, but may have a plurality of through holes to facilitate supply and / or discharge of the liquid to the space 130. Further, a liquid injection protrusion (not shown) may be connected to the through-hole 128 in order to easily put a reaction solution.

The reaction solution support 122, the side plate portion 124 and the upper plate portion 126 are made of glass containing alkali ions such as borosilicate glass. For cost reduction, it may be made of a colorless and transparent plastic such as polystyrene, polypropylene, or polyethylene. In particular, it is desirable that the upper plate portion 126 has high transparency.

The reaction solution support 122 and the side plate 124 are joined by anodic bonding or an adhesive. Side plate 124
The upper plate part 126 is also joined by anodic bonding or an adhesive. The reaction liquid support 122 and the side plate portion 124 or the side plate portion 124 and the upper plate portion 126 may be formed integrally.

On the upper surface of the reaction solution support 122, a coating such as a silicon film (not shown) is applied by CVD or the like to totally reflect light.

Further, on the upper surface of the reaction solution support 122,
A biological material as a specific affinity binding reagent (not shown) that specifically reacts with an antibody to a test substance, a target DNA, or the like is physically or chemically bound. The biological material may be bonded to the lower surface of the upper plate 126 instead of the upper surface of the reaction solution support 122, and may be attached to both the upper surface of the reaction solution support 122 and the lower surface of the upper plate 126. They may be combined. Of course, the biological material may also be bonded to the inner surface of the side plate portion 124. In addition, the binding of the biological material may be performed by reversible binding, and after measurement, may be replaced with an unreacted specific affinity binding reagent for the same or a different measurement item. In addition, the shape of the reaction part 120 and / or the space part 130 is not necessarily limited to a flat rectangular shape as shown in the figure, and may have a surface on which a measurement light beam can be reflected under a specific polarization condition. For example, other shapes such as a flat circular or elliptical shape and an elongated tube shape may be used. Instead of forming a through hole, an opening may be provided at one or more positions of the side plate portion 124 to supply and / or discharge the liquid from the side. When the opening is provided on the side, the opening does not interfere with the optical path of the measurement light.
Also has the advantage that can be made smaller.

Further, a biological material for the test substance may be fixed to a sensor chip (support having a probe) (not shown) and embedded in the reaction section 120. The type in which such a sensor chip is embedded has an advantage that a manufacturing space can be reduced and mass production is easy. Further, the type that does not use a sensor chip has an advantage that the cost can be reduced because the structure is simple.

As shown in FIG. 1, a polarization measuring device 10
0 is a light source unit 102 that emits a light beam toward the reaction unit 120; a polarizer 104 that causes only a specific polarization component to enter the reaction unit 120; And a photodetector 108 for detecting light transmitted through the analyzer 106.

The light source unit 102 includes a light source, for example, a solid laser, a gas laser, a semiconductor laser, a xenon lamp, a halogen lamp, and the like. The light source unit 102
In the case where a light source of a semiconductor laser is provided, a collimator lens for collimating the emitted light is preferably further provided.

The photodetector 108 is connected via a cable 110 to a data processing unit 112 such as a computer.

The polarizer 104 includes the light source unit 102 and the reaction unit 1
The analyzer 106 is disposed between the reaction unit 120 and the photodetector 108.

The polarizer 104 and the analyzer 106 are both optimally a Glan-Thompson prism in terms of the extinction ratio, but may be other optical elements such as a polarizing plate, a polarizing beam splitter, and a Glan laser prism. .

The polarizer 104 is fixed so as to transmit linearly polarized light having a polarization plane inclined at −45 ° with respect to the plane of incidence with respect to the reaction section 120. As used herein, the term “incident surface” is a plane determined by an incident ray and an incident normal, and more specifically, a wavefront normal of light incident on the reaction section and a normal set on the surface of the reaction section. Include plane. The polarizer 104 may be held rotatably around the optical axis so that the angle direction around the optical axis can be changed.

The analyzer 106 is fixed so as to transmit linearly polarized light having a polarization plane inclined at −45 ° with respect to the plane of incidence with respect to the reaction section 120. More preferably, the analyzer 106 is rotatably held around the optical axis so that the angle direction around the optical axis can be changed.

The photodetector 108 includes a photoelectric conversion element, for example, a photodiode, an avalanche photodiode, a photomultiplier, a CCD camera, a SIT camera, and the like.

The light source unit 102 and the polarizer 104 are arranged such that the optical axis forms a predetermined angle with respect to the surface of the reaction unit 120. Similarly, the analyzer 106 and the photodetector 108
Are arranged such that the optical axis forms the same angle with the surface of the reaction section 120.

Next, the procedure for measuring the nucleic acid amplification reaction will be described.

First, a reaction solution is prepared by mixing a biological material (test substance) and a specific reagent. Next, after a sufficient amount of the reaction liquid is put into the space 130 of the reaction section 120 through the through hole 128, the reaction section 120 is installed in the reaction section installation section 142. After the reaction section 120 is installed in the reaction section installation section 142, a sufficient amount of the reaction solution may be put into the space 130 of the reaction section 120 through the through hole 128.

The reaction section 1 is controlled by the reaction section temperature control section 144.
20 is given a predetermined temperature cycle, for example, a temperature cycle of heating to 95 ° C., cooling to 55 ° C., and heating to 72 ° C. to amplify the nucleic acid by PCR. By this nucleic acid amplification reaction, a film of the amplification product is formed, and its thickness increases with the progress of the reaction. The change in the thickness of the amplification product is detected by measuring the change in the bias of light passing through the film of the amplification product.

In FIG. 1, a light beam emitted from the light source unit 102 passes through a polarizer 104,
The beam is converted into a linearly polarized beam inclined at −45 ° with respect to the incident surface of the reaction unit 120, and is reflected by the reaction unit 120 fixed to the reaction unit installation unit 142. The reflection converts the linearly polarized beam into an elliptically polarized beam according to the optical properties of the film of the amplification product.

The light beam reflected by the reaction unit 120 is
Directed to analyzer 106. Since the analyzer 106 transmits only the specific axis component of the elliptically polarized light, only the beam of the specific axis component of the elliptically polarized light passes through the analyzer 106 and reaches the photodetector 108. The analyzer 106 may have its transmission axis fixed in a specific direction during the measurement, or may be rotated around the optical axis. A λ / 4 plate set at 45 ° may be added between the polarizer 104 and the reaction unit 120. In this case, during the DNA reaction, the polarization analysis may always be performed from the angle of the polarizer and / or the analyzer. It is also possible to extinguish only the initial time of the sample and analyze the change with time of the output. However, when rotating the polarizer, in order to keep the output of the light passing through the polarizer constant, a light source that directly outputs polarized light rotates in synchronization with the polarizer, or changes to random polarized light, non-polarized light, or circularly polarized light. There is a need to.

The light entering the photodetector 108 is photoelectrically converted. The electric signal output from the photodetector 108 is transmitted via a cable 110 to a data processing unit 11 such as a computer.
2 and subjected to a predetermined arithmetic processing. As a result, for example, measurement data of the optical characteristics of the film of the amplification product is obtained.

As can be seen from the above description, the reaction section 12
0 is always placed on the reaction section setting section 142 even during nucleic acid amplification. In other words, the polarization measuring device 1
The nucleic acid amplification is performed while the nucleic acid is still placed on the substrate. That is, the reaction unit 120 is not removed from the polarization measurement device 100 and remains at a predetermined position. Therefore, the nucleic acid amplification reaction can be continuously measured. Further, the angle adjustment of the reaction unit 120 is required only once.
Therefore, the polarization measurement of a specific test substance can be performed with high accuracy and in a short time. Also, the reaction solution supports 1 parallel to each other
By filling the reaction solution between the upper plate portion 22 and the upper plate portion 126, not only can the solution amount be constant and the reaction result can be accurately measured, but also the optical conditions of incidence and reflection of measurement light, which are important for polarization measurement. Can be maintained with high accuracy, and fluctuations in reaction conditions due to evaporation or spilling of the reaction solution and contamination to the outside can be effectively avoided.

[Second Embodiment] As shown in FIG. 4, a polarization measuring apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment has a reaction section installation section 242 for holding the reaction section 220, and a temperature of the reaction section 220. Temperature control unit 24 for controlling the temperature
4, a target reaction section installation section 262 for holding the target reaction section 280, and a target reaction section temperature control section 264 for controlling the temperature of the target reaction section 280. The target reaction unit 280 is used as a comparison target with respect to the reaction unit 220 during the polarization analysis processing.

Both the reaction section 220 and the target reaction section 280
This is the same structure as the reaction unit 120 described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 in relation to the first embodiment. The reaction section 220 contains a reaction solution containing a test substance, a reagent, and the like. The target reaction section 280 contains a solution in which only the test substance is removed from the solution contained in the reaction section 220.

The reaction section installation section 242 and the target reaction section installation section 2
Reference numeral 62 denotes the same structure, and the reaction unit 220 and the target reaction unit 280 can be reliably fixed to each other by air suction or pressing.

The reaction section temperature control section 244 and the target reaction section temperature control section 264 are the same functional body, and maintain the reaction section 220 and the target reaction section 280 at a desired constant temperature, respectively, A desired temperature cycle can be applied to the reaction section 280. Reaction unit temperature control unit 24
4 and the target reaction unit temperature control unit 264 perform heating by a Peltier element, a resistor, a lamp, or the like, and perform cooling by heat radiation, water cooling, or air cooling.

The reaction section installation section 242 and the target reaction section installation section 2
62 may include the functions of the reaction section temperature control section 244 and the target reaction section temperature control section 264, respectively. As shown in the figure, the reaction section installation section 242 and the reaction section temperature control section 24
4. Target reaction unit installation unit 262 and target reaction unit temperature control unit 2
In the case where 64 is a separate body, the reaction section installation section 242 and the target reaction section installation section 262 may be made of a material having high thermal conductivity, for example, a metal such as copper, gold, brass, or aluminum.

The positions of the reaction section 220 and the target reaction section 280 may be interchanged. That is, the reaction section installation section 242
The positions of the target reaction unit installation unit 262 and the target reaction unit installation unit 262 may be exchanged with each other. Such exchange has no effect on the optical properties or the measurement results.

The measuring device 200 includes a light source unit 202 for emitting a light beam toward the target reaction unit 280,
Polarizer 2 for allowing only a specific polarization component to enter 80
04, a folding prism 270 that folds the light beam reflected by the target reaction unit 280 in parallel at intervals and directs the light beam to the reaction unit 220, and a detection prism for extracting a specific polarization component from the light reflected by the reaction unit 220. Photon 206 and photodetector 20 for detecting light transmitted through analyzer 206
8 is provided.

The light source section 202 includes a light source, for example, a solid laser, a gas laser, a semiconductor laser, a xenon lamp, a halogen lamp, and the like. The light source unit 202
In the case where a light source of a semiconductor laser is provided, a collimator lens for collimating the emitted light is preferably further provided.

The photodetector 208 is connected via a cable 210 to a data processing unit 212 such as a computer.

From another point of view, the polarization measuring device 200
Are a first optical path or an outgoing optical path extending from the light source section 202 to the return prism 270 via the target reaction section 280, and a second optical path extending from the return prism 270 to the photodetector 208 via the reaction section 220. Alternatively, it has a return optical path, both of which extend in parallel at an interval and are connected via a folding prism 270.

The polarizer 204 is disposed between the light source unit 202 and the target reaction unit 280 on the outgoing optical path.
6 is the reaction unit 220 and the photodetector 208 on the return optical path.
It is located between.

The polarizer 204 and the analyzer 206 are both optimally a Glan-Thompson prism in terms of the extinction ratio, but may be other optical elements such as a polarizing plate, a polarizing beam splitter, or a Glan laser prism. . Both are
The polarizer 204 and the analyzer 206 are arranged so that the planes of polarization of linearly polarized light passing therethrough are orthogonal to each other. That is, the polarizer 204 and the analyzer 206 are arranged so as to satisfy the crossed Nicols with each other.

The polarizer 204 is fixed so as to transmit linearly polarized light having a polarization plane inclined at −45 ° with respect to the plane of incidence with respect to the target reaction section 280. The polarizer 204 may be held rotatably around the optical axis so that the angle direction around the optical axis can be changed.

The analyzer 206 is fixed so as to transmit linearly polarized light having a polarization plane inclined at + 45 ° with respect to the plane of incidence with respect to the reaction section 220. The analyzer 206 may be held rotatably around the optical axis so that the angular direction around the optical axis can be changed.

The photodetector 208 includes a photoelectric conversion element, for example, a photodiode, an avalanche photodiode, a photomultiplier, a CCD camera, a SIT camera, and the like.

The folding prism 270 internally reflects the incident light beam four times and emits the emitted light beam in parallel with the incident light beam at a predetermined interval. Such a folded prism 270 is made, for example, by combining two right-angle prisms.

The light source unit 202, the polarizer 204, and the analyzer 20
6 and the photodetector 208 are both arranged so that the optical axis forms a predetermined angle with respect to the surfaces of the reaction section 220 and the target reaction section 280. Similarly, folded prism 270
Are arranged so that the optical axis forms the same angle with respect to the surfaces of the reaction section 220 and the target reaction section 280.

The measurement is performed in the same procedure as in the first embodiment. That is, first, a test solution and a specific reagent are mixed to prepare a reaction solution, a sufficient amount of the reaction solution is charged into the reaction unit 220, and then the reaction unit 220 is installed in the reaction unit installation unit 242. Also, a solution exactly the same as the above-mentioned reaction solution was prepared except that it did not contain a test substance,
After putting a sufficient amount into 0, the target reaction unit 280 is set in the target reaction unit setting unit 262.

The reaction section 2 is controlled by the reaction section temperature control section 244.
20 is given a predetermined temperature cycle to amplify the nucleic acid by PCR. By this nucleic acid amplification reaction, a film of the amplification product is formed, and its thickness increases with the progress of the reaction. The change in the thickness of the amplification product is detected by measuring the change in the bias of light passing through the film of the amplification product. At this time, by controlling the temperatures of the target reaction unit 280 and the reaction unit 220 to be the same, the target reaction unit 280 and the reaction unit 220 are controlled.
The effects of changes in the optical properties (for example, the refractive index) depending on the temperature of the solution in the inside can be excluded.

In FIG. 4, the light beam emitted from the light source unit 202 passes through the polarizer 204,
The beam is converted into a linearly polarized beam inclined at −45 ° with respect to the incident surface of the target reaction unit 230, and reflected by the target reaction unit 280 fixed to the target reaction unit installation unit 262. By reflection
The linearly polarized beam is changed to an elliptically polarized beam according to the optical characteristics of the film of the amplification product.

The elliptically polarized beam is reflected by the folding prism 2.
By 70, it is folded back in parallel at intervals. The beam of light turned back from the turning prism 270 is
As a result of being reflected four times inside the folding prism 270,
With respect to the elliptically polarized light before being folded, the elliptically polarized light has the same magnitude and the same direction (for example, the major axis) of the major axis component and the minor axis component but has the opposite rotation direction.

The light beam turned back from the turning prism 270 is applied to the reaction section 2 fixed to the reaction section installation section 242.
The light is reflected at 20 and directed to the analyzer 206. Analyzer 2
Since 06 transmits only the short-axis component of elliptically polarized light, only the beam of the short-axis component of elliptically polarized light passes through the analyzer 206 and reaches the photodetector 208.

The light entering the photodetector 208 is photoelectrically converted. The electric signal output from the photodetector 208 is transmitted via a cable 210 to a data processing unit 21 such as a computer.
2 and is subjected to predetermined arithmetic processing. As a result,
For example, measurement data such as optical characteristics of a film of an amplification product can be obtained.

If the target reaction section 280 and the reaction section 220 are exactly the same, the effects of the two on the light beam cancel each other out, so that the light detector 208 is in a quenching state in which no light is detected.

As can be seen from the above description, in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the reaction section 220
Is kept at a predetermined position without being removed from the polarization measurement device 200 even during nucleic acid amplification. Therefore, the nucleic acid amplification reaction can be continuously measured. Further, the angle adjustment of the reaction section 220 is required only once.
Therefore, the polarization measurement of a specific test substance can be performed with high accuracy and in a short time.

Although some embodiments have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention. Including all implementations. For example, the reaction units 120 and 220 and / or the target reaction unit 280 may be a plate or a module in which a plurality of units are integrated. Further, the reaction units 120 and 220 and / or
Alternatively, the target reaction unit 280 may be designed in a card type.

The present invention can be summarized as follows.

1. In the method for measuring the polarization of a specific test substance using a biological material, a step of arranging a reaction solution containing a biological material and a specific reagent in a reaction section having a reflective reaction liquid support, A step of continuously performing a polarization measurement on the reaction section holding the reaction liquid after disposing the reaction liquid.

2. In the first aspect, the step of disposing the reaction solution includes covering the reaction solution support with a sufficient amount of the reaction solution for the reaction.
Polarization measurement method.

3. 2. The polarization measurement method according to claim 1, wherein the step of continuously performing the polarization measurement starts the measurement at least a predetermined time after the reaction liquid is placed.

4. In a device for measuring the polarization of a specific test substance using a biological material, a reaction section including a reflective reaction liquid support capable of holding a reaction liquid containing a biological material and a specific reagent is installed. A polarization measuring device, comprising: a reaction section installation means; and a means for continuously performing polarization measurement on a reaction section in which a reaction solution is disposed.

5. 4. The polarimeter according to claim 4, wherein the reaction support totally reflects the incident light.

6. Item 4. The polarization measuring device according to item 4, wherein the reaction section is a closed cell.

7. 4. The polarization measuring device according to claim 4, wherein the reaction section is embedded with a sensor chip.

8. 4. The polarization measuring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the reaction section has an upper plate and a side plate in addition to the reaction solution support.

9. 9. The polarimeter according to claim 8, wherein the reaction section has a biological material that specifically reacts with at least the test substance immobilized on the reaction solution support or the upper plate.

10. 9. The polarization measuring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the upper plate has at least one through hole.

11. 4. The polarization measuring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the means for performing the polarization measurement has means for calculating and simultaneously processing a plurality of reflection data until the end of the reaction.

12. 4. The polarization measuring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the reaction section installation means has temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the reaction section.

13. 13. A polarization measuring apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the temperature control means applies a predetermined temperature cycle to the reaction section.

[0075]

According to the present invention, the reaction part holding the specific analyte remains at a predetermined position without being moved during the specific affinity binding reaction. Also allows for continuous polarization measurements. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus capable of measuring the polarization of a specific analyte in a short time with high accuracy and high sensitivity.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a polarization measuring device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a reaction section shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a reaction section taken along line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a polarization measuring device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Measuring apparatus 102 Light source part 104 Polarizer 106 Analyzer 108 Photodetector 120 Reaction part 142 Reaction part installation part 144 Reaction part temperature control part

Claims (3)

[Claims] In a method for measuring the polarization of a specific test substance using a biological material, a reaction solution containing a biological material and a specific reagent is placed in a reaction section having a reflective reaction liquid support. A polarization measurement method comprising a step of arranging, and a step of continuously performing polarization measurement after arranging a reaction solution in a reaction section holding the reaction solution. 2. A device for measuring the polarization of a specific test substance using a biological material, comprising: a reaction section installation section for holding the reaction section; and a reaction section temperature for controlling the temperature of the reaction section. A control unit, a light source unit that emits a light beam toward the reaction unit, a polarizer that allows only a specific polarization component to enter the reaction unit, and a unit that extracts a specific polarization component from the light reflected by the reaction unit And a photodetector for detecting light transmitted through the analyzer. The reaction unit has a space for accommodating a reaction solution containing a test substance and a reagent. A polarization measuring device in which a temperature control section gives a predetermined temperature cycle to a reaction section, whereby a nucleic acid amplification reaction is performed inside the reaction section. 3. The polarization measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the reaction section has a biological material that specifically reacts with the test substance immobilized on a surface in contact with the reaction solution.