A method and an apparatus for automatic measurement of the results of agglutination tests, e.g., in a spectrophotometer, adsorption photometer, fluorometer, or nephelometer. Samples of agglutination tests are incubated in reaction vessels, such as cuvettes or set of cuvettes, so as to inactivate the samples before measurement. During incubation of the samples, the reaction vessels are placed, either by sufficient inclination of the reaction vessels or by using reaction vessels specifically designed for the purpose, in which reaction vessels the bottom construction of the reaction vessel has a recess that is positioned lower than the point of passage of the measurement beam, i.e. the measurement window, in the bottom part of the reaction vessel, into such a position that, when no agglutination has taken place, the non-agglutinated particles are assembled or heaped in the reaction vessels into their parts or recesses placed at the lowest level, outside the route of passage of the beam of measurement. When agglutination takes place, it is formed in the reaction vessels at the position through which the beam of measurement passes.

A simple, sensitive, reliable and safe method and device for detecting pregnancy. The test involves concentration in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone by ultrafiltration of a sample of urine or serum from a subject; followed by determining the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin or of its .beta.-subunit in the concentrated sample.