1. A labeled particle, wherein a fragmented antibody is immobilized to a labeling substance via a chemical bond.
2. The labeled particle according to claim 1, wherein the fragmented antibody is an Fab fragment andor an Fab\u2032 fragment andor an F (ab\u2032)2 fragment.
3. The labeled particle according to claim 2, wherein the fragmented antibody is directly bound to the labeled particle, or is bound to the labeled particle via a hydrophilic polymer.
4. The labeled particle according to claim 3, wherein the hydrophilic polymer contains an ethylene glycol group in at least a portion thereof.
5. The labeled particle according to claim 4, wherein the polymer containing an ethylene glycol group in at least a portion thereof is at least one type selected from among polyethylene glycol and derivatives thereof.
6. The labeled particle according to claim 1, wherein the fragmented antibody is bound to the labeled particle via an SH group of an antibody.
7. The labeled particle according to claim 1, wherein the labeling substance is a metal colloid.
8. The labeled particle according to claim 7, wherein the metal colloid is a gold colloid, a silver colloid, or a platinum colloid.
9. A sandwich immunochromatographic method which comprises developing a complex formed of an analyte and a labeled particle for the analyte on a porous carrier and capturing the analyte and the labeled particle at a reaction site on the porous carrier that has a second antibody against the analyte so as to detect the analyte, wherein the labeled particle is the labeled particle of claim 1.
10. The immunochromatographic method according to claim 9, wherein a labeling substance having an average particle size of 1 \u03bcm or more and 20 \u03bcm or less is detected.
11. The immunochromatographic method according to claim 9, wherein an analyte is detected via sensitization using a silver-containing compound and a reducing agent for silver ions.
12. The immunochromatographic method according to claim 9, wherein the reaction time for sensitization using the silver-containing compound and the reducing agent for silver ions is within 7 minutes.
13. The immunochromatographic method according to claim 9, wherein the number of the labeling substance at a detection site is 1\xd7106mm3 or less.
14. The immunochromatographic method according to claim 9, wherein the labeling substance is a metal colloid.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for maintaining a recording head which has a nozzle opening in a nozzle-defining surface thereof and ejects, from the nozzle, a droplet of an ink toward a recording medium, in a state in which the recording head is separate from a remaining portion of a recording device, the apparatus comprising:
a cover member which is adapted to air-tightly contact the recording head to cover the nozzle-defining surface of the recording head such that a space is formed between the cover member and the nozzle-defining surface; and
selectively communicating mean which can selectively take (a) a first state thereof in which the selectively communicating means allows said space to communicate with an atmosphere so that substantially no difference is produced between an air pressure in said space and an atmospheric pressure, when the cover member is air-tightly contacted with the recording head, and (b) a second state thereof in which the selectively communicating means shuts off a communication between said space and the atmosphere, and thereby air-tightly closes said space, after the cover member is air-tightly contacted with the recording head.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selectively communicating means comprises at least one communication hole which is formed through a thickness of the cover member to establish the first state; and air-tightly closing means for air-tightly closing said at least one communication hole to establish the second state.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one holding member which holds the cover member and the recording head such that the cover member is kept in pressed contact with the nozzle-defining surface of the recording head and such that the recording head is separable from said at least one holding member.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3, comprising a plurality of said holding members including a first holding member which holds the cover member, and a second holding member which cooperates with the first holding member to hold the recording head, wherein the first and second holding members are engaged with each other so as to keep the cover member in pressed contact with the nozzle-defining surface of the recording head.
5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the selectively communicating means comprises at least one communication hole which is formed through a thickness of the cover member to establish the first state; and air-tightly closing means for air-tightly closing said at least one communication hole to establish the second state, wherein said at least one holding member includes a wall which covers one of opposite surfaces of the cover member which is opposite to an other of the opposite surfaces thereof which is opposed to the nozzle-defining surface of the recording head, and wherein the wall has at least one opening which allows said at least one communication hole of the cover member to communicate with the atmosphere outside said at least one holding member, and additionally allows the air-tightly closing means to be applied to said at least one communication hole so as to close said at least one communication hole.
6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the air-tightly closing means comprises at least one plug which air-tightly closes said at least one communication hole of the cover member.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the air-tightly closing means further comprises at least one flexible arm which is connected, at an end thereof, to said at least one plug and is connected, at an other end thereof, to the cover member.
8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the selectively communicating means comprises at least one communication hole which is formed through a thickness of the cover member to establish the first state; and air-tightly closing means for air-tightly closing said at least one communication hole to establish the second state, and wherein the air-tightly closing means comprises at least one plug which air-tightly closes said at least one communication hole of the cover member; and at least one flexible arm which is connected, at an end thereof, to said at least one plug and is connected, at an other end thereof to said at least one holding member.
9. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the air-tightly closing means comprises a packing material which air-tightly closes said at least one communication hole of the cover member.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is formed of an elastic material.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the cover member includes an annular lip portion which surrounds the nozzle of the recording head and has at least one inner space providing said space between the nozzle-defining surface and the cover member.
12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the selectively communicating means comprises an elasticity of the cover member; and at least one through-hole which is formed through a thickness of the cover member by at least one tubular member which is caused to penetrate the cover member and keep said at least one through-hole open to allow said space to communicate, therethrough, with the atmosphere and then is pulled out of the cover member to close said at least one through-hole owing to the elasticity of the cover member.
13. A method of maintaining a recording head which has a nozzle opening in a nozzle-defining surface thereof and ejects, from the nozzle, a droplet of an ink toward a recording medium, in a state in which the recording head is separate from a remaining portion of a recording device and a cover member covers the nozzle-defining surface such that a space is formed between the cover member and the nozzle-defining surface, the method comprising:
keeping, when the cover member is air-tightly contacted with the recording head, a communication between said space and an atmosphere so that substantially no difference is produced between an air pressure in said space and an atmospheric pressure, and
shutting off, after the cover member is air-tightly contacted with the recording head, the communication between said space and the atmosphere, so that said space is air-tightly closed during a time period in which the cover member is air-tightly contacted with the recording head.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said keeping comprises:
preparing the cover member which has at least one communication hole through which said space communicates with the atmosphere, and
causing, in a state in which said at least one communication hole is open, the cover member to be air-tightly contacted with the recording head to cover the nozzle-defining surface thereof, and
wherein said shutting comprises air-tightly closing, with a closing member, said at least one communication hole.
15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said keeping comprises:
preparing the cover member which has at least one communication hole through which said space communicates with the atmosphere, and
causing, in a state in which said at least one communication hole is open, the cover member to be air-tightly contacted with the recording head to cover the nozzle-defining surface thereof, and
wherein said shutting comprises air-tightly closing, with a packing material, said at least one communication hole.
16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the cover member is formed of an elastic material
wherein said keeping comprises:
penetrating, with at least one tubular member, the cover member to form at least one through-hole and allow said space to communicate with the atmosphere through said at least one tubular member, and
causing, in a state in which said space communicates with the atmosphere through said at least one tubular member, the cover member to be air-tightly contacted with the recording head to cover the nozzle-defining surface thereof, and
wherein said shutting comprises pulling said at least one tubular member out of the cover member so as to close said at least one through-hole owing to an elastic restoring deformation of the cover member.
17. The method according to claim 13, wherein said keeping comprises steps of:
first holding, with at least one holding member, the cover member, and
second holding, with said at least one holding member, the recording head such that the cover member is kept in pressed contact with the recording head to cover the nozzle-defining surface thereof, in a state in which said space communicates with the atmosphere, and
wherein said shutting follows said second holding.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said first holding comprises holding the cover member, with a first holding member as one of a plurality of said holding members, and
wherein said second holding comprises:
holding the recording head, with the first holding member, such that the cover member held by the first holding member is kept in contact with the recording head to cover the nozzle-defining surface thereof, in the state in which said space communicates with the atmosphere, and
causing a second holding member as an other of the holding members to engage the first holding member and thereby press the cover member against the recording head.
19. A method of maintaining, with the apparatus according to claim 1, a recording head which has a nozzle opening in a nozzle-defining surface thereof, and ejects, from the nozzle, a droplet of an ink toward a recording medium, in a state in which the recording head is separate from a remaining portion of a recording device and a cover member covers the nozzle-defining surface such that a space is formed between the cover member and the nozzle-defining surface.