MICROSCOPIC SUBSTANCE ENCAPSULATION METHOD, MICROSCOPIC SUBSTANCE DETECTION METHOD, AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING MICROSCOPIC SUBSTANCE

摘要

There is provided, as a technique for enclosing a to-be-detected substance such as nucleic acid, protein, virus, and cell by means of a simple operation in droplets of an extremely small volume so as to enable highly sensitive detection, a method of enclosing a microscopic body in at least some of a plurality of cavities formed in the surface of a substrate so as to be separated from each other, where the method includes at least the following step: (1) a first step of arranging an insertion member above the cavity-formed surface of the substrate, determining relative positions of the insertion member and the substrate by a support section provided on the insertion member such that the bottom surface of the insertion member and the cavity-formed surface of the substrate face each other, thereby providing a solution introduction space between the bottom surface of the insertion member and the cavity-formed surface of the substrate, and providing a solution discharge space that is communication with the solution introduction space, the solution discharge space being located above the bottom surface of the insertion member, between the substrate and the insertion member, and within the substrate and/or within the insertion member.