WO2004031772A1 - Device for the quantitative determination of an analyte in a sample, and measuring chip for said device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a measuring chip (2) for a device (1) which quantitatively determines an analyte in a sample by means of a luminescence reaction with a base plate (3), a measuring chip (2) that is embodied so as to be connected to the base plate or is integrated therein, and an optical detector (4) that detects light signals of the measuring chip (2). The invention also relates to a device which quantitatively determines an analyte in a sample by means of a luminescence reaction and comprises a base plate (3), a measuring chip (2), and an optical detector (4) that detects light signals of the measuring chip (2). In order to create a device and a measuring chip which correspond to the type described above, allow the liquids required for the reaction to be handled in a simple manner, have small dimensions, and in which the intensity of the emitted light is very high such that the amount of emitted light can be easily and accurately detected, the inventive measuring chip (2) is provided with a reaction area (24) across which a fluid can flow. Said reaction area (24) encompasses at least one elevation (36) or recess and is configured such that the luminescence reaction can be carried out on said area.

Description

Device for the quantitative determination of an analyte in a sample and measuring chip therefor

The present invention relates to a device for the quantitative determination of an analyte in a sample using a luminescence reaction. The device has a base plate, a measuring chip and an optical detector for detecting light signals from the measuring chip. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a measuring chip for such a device.

Measuring devices of the type mentioned are mainly used in chemical, biochemical, clinical and environmental analysis, in particular for studies in which a high sensitivity and selectivity for the substances to be detected is desired. The detection of analytes is based on the detection of light which was generated by chemiluminescence or fluorescence depending on the amount of analyte present. A commonly used chemiluminescent reaction is the reaction of luminol and hydrogen peroxide with the enzyme peroxidase, preferably horseradish peroxidase. Depending on the type of measurement method, the peroxidase is covalently linked to an antibody directed against the analyte or to a derivative of the analyte. One speaks of an enzyme tracer.

Examples of analytes which are suitable for detection with a device according to the invention are contaminations of TNT (trinitrotoluene) or atrazine in soils and waters. A contaminated sample is contacted with specific immobilized antibodies against the analyte, and the analyte contained in the sample is then bound by the antibodies. The analyte and enzyme tracer can be added and incubated either in succession and / or together. The enzyme tracer, for example a derivative of the analyte coupled with horseradish peroxidase, and the analyte from the sample or the standard compete for the binding sites of the antibodies. The unbound molecules are removed by washing with buffer and the luminescence reaction is carried out in a further step. In the case of horseradish peroxidase as an enzyme coupled to the tracer, a mixture of luminol and hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ 0 ₂ ) is applied to the antibodies. The light emitted during the chemiluminescence reaction taking place is detected by the optical detector, and conclusions about the amount of analyte are drawn from the amount of light detected.

Since the chemical substances involved are generally in liquid form, the handling of the chemicals is very complex. In addition, the chemicals used for the detection are at least partially perishable, so that in the known measuring devices, intensive use must be carried out after use, which cannot be carried out outside the laboratory. There have therefore been isolated measuring devices in which the sample, a Tracer and a suitable reagent are successively applied to a flat reaction surface, for example a slide on which antibodies have been immobilized. Although this considerably simplifies the handling of the chemical reaction, in particular the separation of the antibodies from the substances, the accuracy of these measuring devices is, however, very low due to the low density of the antibodies on the flat measuring surface. In order to detect the radiation emitted by these measuring devices at all with acceptable accuracy, a very sensitive light detection system is required which, due to the necessary high-precision adjustment, cannot be transported, so that the use of this method in mobile measuring devices is ruled out.

The known measuring devices are also generally only suitable for the detection of a very specific analyte. If another analyte is to be detected with the same measuring device, at least the antibodies and the tracer have to be exchanged, which requires a complex conversion of the measuring device.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a device and a measuring chip of the type mentioned at the outset which allow easy handling of the liquids required for the reaction, have small dimensions and in which the emitted light intensity is very high, so that the emitted light Amount of light can be easily detected with high accuracy.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a device for the quantitative determination of an analyte in a sample using a luminescence reaction, which has a base plate, a measuring chip and an optical detector for detecting light signals from the measuring chip, the measuring chip having a reaction surface over which fluid can flow which is designed for carrying out the luminescence reaction on the surface and has at least one elevation or one depression.

Such an elevation or a depression, which can be designed in any manner, increases the reaction area while the base area remains the same. The result of this is that a larger number of antibodies, for example, can be applied to the same base area, which in turn has the consequence that the light intensity, that is to say the number of photons emitted during the luminescent reaction, is increased per base area. The inventive design of the reaction surface therefore increases the light intensity of the emitted light, as a result of which light detection can be carried out more easily and the device can even be designed as a portable device.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reaction surface has a plurality of elevations and / or depressions with essentially the same shape, which are preferably arranged periodically. In other words, the surface of the measuring insert can, for example, have a knob-like or corrugated structure. In principle, all kinds of increases are possible and / or deepening possible. As a result of the large number of elevations and / or depressions in the reaction surface, as is also the case with an elevation or depression, the surface is greatly enlarged while the base area remains the same, so that a higher light intensity is achieved.

In numerous experiments, it has been found that the elevation or the depression advantageously the elevations (36) or depressions are polyhedral and preferably pyramid-shaped, truncated pyramid-shaped, tetrahedral, wedge-shaped, obelisk-shaped, conical or truncated-conical, since a very high luminous efficiency is then achieved can be. In principle, all polyhedron shapes are possible. However, preference is given to conical shapes or tapering shapes, at least in sections, since these can be produced more easily. In addition, these shapes and in particular the pyramid shape have the additional advantage that a larger proportion of the photons generated by the luminescence reaction are emitted in the direction of the detector.

In a further particularly preferred embodiment, the reaction surface has a number of rows of pyramid-shaped elevations or depressions. In other words, the reaction surface consists of a multiplicity of pyramid-shaped elevations arranged directly next to one another.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the elevations are pyramid-shaped with a square base. The ratio of the height to the side length of the base area (aspect ratio) is more than 0.25 and is preferably between 0.5 and 3 and particularly preferably between 1.75 and 2.5. Because of the relatively large aspect ratio, the surface becomes the same as the base area of the measuring insert further increased, so that there is an increased light intensity. In addition, this arrangement has shown that a larger proportion of the photons or light signals generated is emitted in the direction of the detector. The surface structure of the reaction surface therefore acts like an optical funnel, so that a large part of the photons generated by the luminescence reaction are emitted directly in the direction of the detector.

Since burrs often occur in the manufacture of the pyramid-shaped structure, it is proposed according to the invention for an alternative embodiment that the shape of truncated pyramids is used instead of pyramid-shaped elevations.

In a particularly expedient embodiment, the sides of the rectangular, preferably square base area of the pyramid-shaped elevations are oriented such that they form an angle with the main flow direction of the fluid over the reaction area between 1 ° and 89 °, preferably between 30 ° and 60 °, particularly preferably between Include 40 ° and 50 °. It has been shown that the accuracy of the measuring device can be increased if care is taken to ensure that the sample and the chemical liquids necessary for the detection of the analyte are passed as evenly as possible over the entire reaction area. Surprisingly, it has been found that the pyramid-shaped design of the measuring insert surface favors the uniform overflow of the measuring insert. It is particularly expedient if the pyramids are not arranged in such a way that the “valleys” formed between two adjacent rows of pyramids are oriented in the direction of the main flow direction of the fluid, so that the fluid can flow directly along these “valleys”. The “valleys” are therefore advantageously arranged obliquely and particularly preferably diagonally, ie at an angle of approximately 45 °, to the main flow direction, so that a flushing of the pyramidal elevations is ensured which is as uniform as possible.

The reaction surface is particularly preferably formed on a base body which consists of a polymer, preferably of polymethylvinyl and particularly preferably of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The reaction surface is advantageously coated at least in sections with a metal, preferably with gold. Optionally, chrome or titanium, preferably titanium, can advantageously be used as an adhesion promoter between the gold layer and the measuring insert. The gold layer not only supports the immobilization of the antibodies on the reaction surface, but also provides for a reflection of the photons emitted by the luminescence reaction, so that the proportion of emitted photons that reach the optical detector is increased. The reaction area therefore represents an optical funnel for the photons generated by the luminescence reaction.

Another particularly preferred embodiment provides that a fluid supply channel or a fluid discharge channel is provided in front of and behind the reaction surface in the direction of fluid flow. This has the advantage, among other things, that the measuring chip is easily replaceable and e.g. can be designed as a disposable measuring chip. After completion of the measurement, the measuring chip together with the pyramid-shaped measuring insert layer with perishable antibodies can be removed from the device and replaced by another measuring chip. A complex cleaning, as is necessary in the prior art, is therefore not necessary.

In a further particularly preferred embodiment, the measuring chip has a sample storage chamber. Furthermore, it can be provided that the measuring chip has a storage chamber for a tracer, for example an enzyme tracer, which preferably has an inlet and an outlet channel. In particular, the provision of the pantry for a tracer, which is also generally perishable, is of great advantage. By exchanging the measuring chip in this case all tracer residues are exchanged at the same time, so that the cleaning of the device after a measurement is further simplified. Since the tracer may be in a form that is not easily flowable, a feed and a discharge channel are preferably provided. For example, a buffer solution could be introduced into the tracer storage chamber via the supply channel, which rinses the tracer out of the storage chamber via the discharge channel. The tracer can then be passed together with the buffer solution over the measuring insert surface.

Experiments have shown that the storage chamber for the tracer advantageously has a meandering section, since then an optimal rinsing of the tracer out of the storage chamber is possible.

The storage chamber for the tracer is advantageously dimensioned in such a way that it can absorb exactly the amount of tracer that is necessary for a single quantitative determination of an analyte.

In order to fill the measuring chip with the amount of tracer and possibly with the sample material before the measurement, it is proposed according to the invention that at least one supply or at least one discharge channel is closed with the aid of a seal, preferably a silicone seal or a septum. It is therefore easily possible to insert the tracer into the corresponding storage chamber with a syringe. Since the storage chamber is well closed due to the seal, the perishable tracer is guaranteed to be extremely durable. The tracer material only comes into contact with other chemicals immediately before the chemical detection method is used and is removed from the device together with the measuring chip immediately after the chemical detection reaction.

According to the invention, the measuring chip is preferably removable and exchangeable from the base plate. Due to the inventive arrangement of the storage chamber for the tracer and the reaction surface on which, for example, antibodies directed against the analyte to be determined are immobilized, the measuring chip can also simply be against a measuring chip with a reaction surface which contains antibodies directed against another analyte to be determined, and a pantry filled with another tracer. Thus, a plurality of analytes can be quickly detected with the same device only by exchanging the chip.

In a preferred embodiment, the base plate has storage containers and / or connections for reagents and buffer solutions. For example, a storage container or a supply connection for both luminol and for hydrogen peroxide and a buffer solution could be provided. The appropriate chemical can then be transferred to the measuring chip from the various storage containers by appropriate control as required. It has been shown that a mixer is advantageously arranged on the base plate. This has the advantage that reagents can be mixed immediately before the addition to the reaction surface. Optimal mixing and precise metering of the amount of the mixture is possible, which is particularly advantageous in the case of mixtures which are perishable or in which phase separation occurs after a certain time.

A photomultiplier is preferably used as the optical detector.

Further advantages, features and possible uses of the present invention will become clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the associated figures. Show it:

1 and 2 each show an exploded view of an embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged illustration of the base plate of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in an exploded view,

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged illustration of the measuring chip of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in an exploded view,

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of the measuring chip with the cover plate raised,

6 shows a perspective sectional view of the measuring chip, FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of the measuring chip,

FIG. 8 shows an enlarged detail of the measuring cell or measuring insert, and

Figures 9-13 are schematic representations of the fluid flow in the device for different operating states.

1 and 2 each show an exploded view of an embodiment of the device for atrazine detection according to the invention. The essential elements of the device are the base plate 3 for fluid distribution, which is equipped with micromagnetic valves 45, the measuring chip 2 and the detector 4 with the detector shield 5, 6, 7, 8.

In the embodiment shown, the detector 4 is a miniaturized photomultiplier. Extensive measurements have shown that commercially available simple detectors, such as those offered for chemiluminescence measurements, are not sensitive enough for the measurement task at hand. However, the highly sensitive photomultiplier 4 used must be encapsulated in a light-tight manner since it is damaged by the influence of daylight. For this purpose, the detector 4 is arranged within a box which is formed by the side parts 5, 6, 7, 8 and the base plate 3.

The entire device is compact and therefore portable. The measuring chip 2 is designed as a disposable chip that contains the most sensitive and perishable components, that is, the biological ones active substances, such as B. the antibodies and an enzyme tracer, already tightly sealed in defined amounts for each measurement and thus contains storable.

The base plate 3 is shown enlarged in FIG. 3 in an exploded view. The base plate 3 consists of two parts 8, 9. The upper part 8 of the base plate is made of transparent PMMA, the lower part 9 of black PMMA. This has the advantage that laser welding can be used to connect the two plates and to seal the fluid channels. In the upper part 8 of the base plate 3, a recess 10 for receiving the measuring chip 2 is shown. A passage 11 is also provided for the detector. Various fluid channels are milled into the lower part 9 of the base plate 3, the function of which will be explained below. The base plate also carries the bores 22 for the assembly of the microvalves 45.

The reactant - also called substrate - that is used in this process consists of two liquids (luminol and an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution). These must be mixed immediately before the detection reaction because the shelf life of the mixture is very limited. In order to make this possible and to ensure optimal mixing of the two components, a micromixer 16 is accommodated on the base plate 3.

FIG. 4 shows the measuring chip 2 designed as a disposable chip. As already mentioned, the most sensitive components, namely the perishable, biologically active components, are already tightly sealed in defined amounts for one measurement each and are therefore stored in the measuring chip. The measuring chip 2 consists of a base part 23, an upper transparent cover plate 27 and a lower cover plate 34 for closing the sample storage chamber.

The essential components of the measuring chip 2 are the sample storage volume 35, which is filled from the rear and is closed with the lower cover plate 34, the meandering structure 26 in which the enzyme tracer is stored, and the measuring cell, which in turn is made up of the reaction surface 24 a base body 47 is arranged and on which antibodies are immobilized, and the fluidic supply and discharge system 31, 32 exists.

In the assembled state, the upper cover plate 27 of the measuring chip 2 lies on the surface of the recess 10 of the base plate 3. In this way, on the one hand, the storage space for the tracer is closed and, on the other hand, a reaction space is formed above the reaction surface 24, through which the various fluids flow during the detection method. The cover plate 27 is transparent so that the light signals emitted on the reaction surface 24 can leave the reaction space or the measuring chip in the direction of the optical detector 4.

The sample storage chamber 35, the meander 26 for the enzyme tracer and the measuring cell are closed by means of laser-welded cover plates. The sample storage chamber 35 is conical shapes to allow complete emptying. All fluid inlets and outlets 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 are closed by special silicone sealing disks 25, which allow simple and air-free filling of the enzyme tracer storage space 26 and the measuring cell by means of needle syringes. The chip 2 is then mounted on the base plate 3 by means of dowel pins. The fluidic connections are made via injection needles, which are mounted in the base plate.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the measuring chip 2, the base body 47 with the reaction surface 24 and the seals 25 having already been inserted. To illustrate the exact structure of the measuring chip 2, a perspective sectional view and a sectional view through the measuring chip 2 are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Here the storage space 35 for the sample can be clearly seen, which is closed by the lower cover plate 34. The sample can be removed through the passage 28, which is closed by the seal 25. The meandering storage space 26 for the enzyme tracer has an entrance 29 and an exit 30. If the enzyme tracer is to be removed from the storage space 26, a buffer solution can for example be fed in via the inlet 29, which flows through the meandering storage space 26 and is removed again at the outlet 30.

In the same way, the so-called measuring cell consists of the base body 47 with the reaction surface 24 and a feed channel 31 and a discharge channel 32. The two channels 31, 32 are each closed by a seal 25. A desired fluid can be passed over the reaction surface 24 by an injection needle penetrating through the seal 25 of the inlet 31 of the measuring cell and dispensing the fluid, while at the same time via a further injection needle passing through the bore in the cover plate 27 and through the seal 25 in the drain channel 32 penetrates, the fluid can drain again.

FIG. 8 shows an enlarged illustration of the measuring cell including the base body 47 with the reaction surface 24. The reaction surface 24 has a square base, which was selected such that it corresponds exactly to the optical input of the photomultiplier 4. The reaction surface 24 has a multiplicity of pyramids 36 arranged in rows with a square base area. These rows are not arranged in the direction of the main flow direction 38 of the measuring cell, but diagonally to it. In other words, the sides of the square base of the individual pyramids are oriented such that they enclose an angle with the main direction of flow 38 of the fluid over the surface loaded with antibodies, preferably between 30 ° and 60 °, particularly preferably between 40 ° and 50 ° ,

In addition, three flow breakers 39 are arranged in the fluid supply, which have a trapezoidal cross section and serve to evenly distribute the fluid. In the preferred embodiment, the pyramids have an aspect ratio of about 2, that is, the height of the pyramid is about twice the length of the sides of the square base area. It has been shown that this aspect ratio leads to a maximum value of the light emission. This is mainly due to the significantly larger surface area in relation to the constant base area. On the other hand, this is also due to the fact that pyramids with an aspect ratio of 2 have suitably inclined side faces, so that they contribute to the fact that the luminescent light on the reflectively coated side faces of the pyramids are predominantly reflected in the direction of the optical detector.

The exact sequence of the method becomes clear on the basis of the schematic flow diagrams in FIGS. 9 to 13. The arrangement shown in FIGS. 9 to 13 corresponds to the course of the fluid channels in the base plate 3, which is shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 shows a first possible setting in which the fluid channels in the base plate 3 can be rinsed with buffer solution. For this purpose, the valves 40, 42, 43 and 44 are closed, while the valves 41 and 45 are opened. As a result, buffer solution can flow through the valve 14 to the valve 45 and to the waste water outlet 15 via the fluid inlet for buffer 14.

After the fluid channels have been pre-cleaned accordingly, the actual measuring process can begin. For this purpose, the valves 41 and 45 are closed and, shortly thereafter, the valves 42 and 44 are opened. The result of this is that the fluid sample flows from the sample storage space 35 via the valve 42 and the valve 44 through the measuring cell and in particular via the reaction surface 24 in the direction of the waste water outlet 15. Since the reaction surface in this embodiment has immobilized antibodies, the analyte to be detected will bind to the antibodies. This situation is shown in Figure 10.

After a certain time, as shown in FIG. 11, the valve 42 is closed and the valves 41, 43 and 44 are opened, if appropriate after a repeated rinsing process, as shown in FIG. 9. This causes the buffer solution to penetrate into the meandering storage space of the enzyme tracer via the valve 41 and the valve 43, rinse it out of the storage space and pass it via the valve 44 into the measuring cell and there via the reaction surface 24 before the enzyme tracer in the direction of the waste water outlet 15 is directed. The enzyme tracer binds to the still unbound antibodies that are immobilized on the reaction surface 24.

In the next step, which is illustrated in FIG. 12, the valves 41 and 43 are closed again and the valve 40 is opened. The result of this is that the two reactants, which in the embodiment shown consist of luminol and hydrogen peroxide, flow via the two inlets 12 and 13 into the micromixer 16, are mixed there appropriately and the resulting one Mixture is then passed via valve 40 and valve 44 into the measuring cell. There the mixture flows over the reaction surface 24 and then leaves the measuring cell in the direction of the waste water outlet 15. If the enzyme tracer has bound to the antibodies on the reaction surface 24, there is a chemiluminescence reaction between the luminol and the enzyme tracer. I.e. light signals are generated which leave the reaction surface 24 through the transparent cover plate 27 and through the through hole 11 in the base plate 3 in the direction of the detector 4 and are detected there. The amount of light detected is directly proportional to the number of antibodies to which no analyte is bound.

After the reaction has ended, any sample residue still remaining in the sample chamber 34 can be dispensed by closing the valves 40 and 44 and opening the valves 42 and 45 via the waste water outlet 15 (FIG. 13).

The device according to the invention provides a highly miniaturized, simple and inexpensive to manufacture portable measuring device. In particular, by using a reaction surface 24 with depressions and / or elevations, the measuring sensitivity is significantly increased.

In addition, an essential aspect of the invention is to design the measuring chip as a disposable chip, with those chemical components that are sensitive, that is to say perishable, already being included in the corresponding predosed amount in the measuring chip.

It is therefore understood that the design of the measuring chip according to the invention as a disposable chip, ie with a storage chamber for a tracer and / or with a reaction surface which is designed or prepared for immobilizing antibodies or on which it is already against the analyte to be determined Directed antibodies are immobilized, can also be used advantageously in devices that do not have a reaction surface with at least one elevation or depression, but instead have, for example, a flat reaction surface.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 measuring device

2 measuring chips

3 base plate

4 optical detector

5, 6, 7, 46 detector shield

8 upper part of the base plate

9 lower part of the base plate

10 recess

11 passage for the detector

12-13 reactant inlets in the micromixer

14 Fluid inlet for buffers

15 wastewater outlet

16 micromixers

22 holes

23 Base part of the measuring chip

24 measuring insert

25 silicone sealing washers

26 meandering tracer storage room

27 transparent cover plate

28 sample chamber outlet

29 Entrance to the tracer pantry

30 Exit of the tracer pantry

31 Input of the measuring cell

32 Output of the measuring cell

28-32 fluid feed and discharge system

33 recess for measuring insert

34 lower cover plate

35 sample volume

36 pyramid-shaped elevations

38 Main flow direction of the measuring cell

39 flow breakers

40-45 valves

47 basic body

Claims

Patent claims 1. Measuring chip (2) for use in a device (1) for the quantitative determination of a 5 analyte in a sample using a luminescence reaction with a base plate (3), a measuring chip (2), which is designed for a connection to the base plate or is an integral part thereof, and an optical detector (4) for detecting light signals from the measuring chip (2), characterized in that the measuring chip ( 2) has a reaction surface (24) over which fluid flows, which is designed for carrying out the luminescence reaction 10 on the surface and has at least one elevation (36) or depression. 2. Measuring chip (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the reaction surface (24) has a plurality of elevations (36) and / or depressions with substantially the same shape, which are preferably arranged periodically. -15 3. Measuring chip (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the elevations (36) or depressions are polyhedral, preferably pyramid-shaped, truncated pyramid-shaped, tetrahedral, wedge-shaped, obelisk-shaped, conical or frustoconical. 20 4. Measuring chip (2) according to claim 3, characterized in that the reaction surface (24) has a plurality of rows of polyhedral, preferably pyramid-shaped elevations (36) or depressions. 5. Measuring chip (2) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the elevations are pyramid-shaped 25 with a square base. 6. Measuring chip (2) according to claim 5, characterized in that the ratio of the height to the side length of the base area (aspect ratio) is more than 0.25, preferably between 0.5 and 3, particularly preferably between 1.75 and 2.5 lies. 30 Measuring chip (2) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the reaction surface (24) is formed on a base body (47) which consists of a polymer, preferably of polymethyl vinyl and particularly preferably of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). 35 Measuring chip (2) according to claim 7, characterized in that the reaction surface (24) is coated at least in sections with a metal, preferably with gold. 9. Measuring chip (2) according to claim 8, characterized in that chromium or titanium, preferably titanium, is arranged as an adhesion promoter under the metal or gold layer. 10. Measuring chip (2) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that in the fluid flow direction (38) in front of and behind the reaction surface (24) a fluid supply channel (31) or a fluid discharge channel (32) is provided. 11. Measuring chip (2) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the measuring chip (2) has a sample storage chamber (35). 12. Measuring chip (2) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the measuring chip (2) has a storage chamber (26) for a tracer, which preferably has a supply channel (29) and a discharge channel (30). 13. Measuring chip (2) according to claim 12, characterized in that the storage chamber (26) for the tracer has a meandering section. 14. Measuring chip (2) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the storage chamber (26) for the tracer is dimensioned for receiving a quantity of tracer for a quantitative determination of an analyte. 15. Measuring chip (2) according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that at least one supply or at least one discharge channel with a seal (25), preferably a silicone seal or a septum, is closed. 16. Measuring chip (2) according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the reaction surface (24) is designed or prepared for immobilization of antibodies. 17. Measuring chip (2) according to claim 16, characterized in that the reaction surface (24) has immobilized protein A or another reagent which selectively binds antibodies. 18. Measuring chip (2) according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that antibodies directed against the analyte to be determined are immobilized on the reaction surface (24). 19. Measuring chip (2) according to claim 18, characterized in that the antibodies are monoclonal, polyclonal or recombinant antibodies. 20. Device for the quantitative determination of an analyte in a sample with the aid of a luminescence reaction, the base plate (3), a measuring chip (2) according to one of claims 1 to 19 and an optical detector (4) for detecting light signals from the measuring chip (2). 21. The apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that the measuring chip (2) from the base plate (3) is removable and preferably interchangeable. 22. The apparatus according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that the base plate (3) has storage containers and / or connections for reagents and buffer solutions. 23. Device according to one of claims 20 to 22, characterized in that on the base plate (3) fluid mixer and / or valves (40 - 45) and / or pumps is provided. 24. Device according to one of claims 20 to 23, characterized in that the optical detector (4) is a photomultiplier.