Sensor cartridge, sensor feeder, and measuring instrument

• US 20030013992A1
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Original Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Inventors: Kusaka, Yasuhide, Fukuoka, Takao, Hamamoto, Katsumi, Uchigaki, Takatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,470,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/584
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0825 Test strips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/52 Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48757 Test elements dispensed from a stack

Abstract

A sensor cartridge (1) for use on a sensor feeder includes a cartridge body (10) and a mold (12). The cartridge body (10) has an upper surface (10a), a front (10c) extending continously from the upper surface, and a plurality of sensor-holding slots (11). Each of the sensor-holding slots (11) includes a first opening formed in the upper surface (10a) and a second opening formed in the front (10c) and communicating with the first opening. The mold (12) closes the first opening and second openings in case sensors are charged in the sensor-holding slots (11).

Claims

1. A sensor cartridge attached in use to a main body of a sensor feeder, the cartridge comprising:

a cartridge body and a sealing member;

the cartridge body including an upper surface, a front surface connected to the upper surface, and a plurality of sensor retaining grooves, each of the sensor retaining grooves including a first opening formed at the upper surface and a second opening formed at the front surface for communication with the first opening, the sealing member closing the first opening and the second opening with a sensor loaded in the sensor retaining groove.

2. The sensor cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the sensor retaining groove includes a sensor accommodating portion for accommodating the sensor, and a pusher receiving portion for receiving a pusher contained in the main body of the sensor feeder, the sensor accommodating portion communicating with the first opening and the second opening, the pusher receiving portion communicating with the first opening while being connected to the sensor receiving portion at a location opposite to the second opening.

3. The sensor cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the sensor retaining groove includes a sensor accommodating portion for accommodating the sensor, and a cutter receiving portion for receiving a cutter contained in the main body of the sensor feeder, the sensor accommodating portion and the cutter receiving portion communicating with the first opening and the second opening while being connected to each other.

4. The sensor cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the cutter receiving portion is deeper than the sensor accommodating portion in thicknesswise of the sensor cartridge.

5. The sensor cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the front surface is connected to the upper surface via a rounded portion.

6. The sensor cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a rear surface opposite to the front surface, the rear surface being formed with feed grooves for engaging a pin included in the main body of the sensor feeder and for advancing the sensor cartridge by a predetermined pitch in response to one reciprocal movement of the pin.

7. The sensor cartridge according to claim 6, wherein each of the feed grooves includes a first groove portion extending in thicknesswise of the sensor cartridge and a second groove portion extending between an intermediate portion of the first groove portion and an upper end of an adjacent first groove portion.

8. The sensor cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the intermediate portion of the first groove portion is provided with a projection for guiding the pin moving upward within the first groove portion toward the second groove portion.

9. The sensor cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the second groove portion is provided with a projection for preventing the pin from entering the second groove portion from the upper end of the first groove portion.

10. The sensor cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of sensor retaining grooves are arranged at said predetermined pitch.

11. A sensor feeder comprising:

a sensor cartridge including a cartridge body and a sealing member for accommodating a plurality of sensors; and

a pusher movable vertically and back and forth for pushing one of the plurality of sensors;

the cartridge body including an upper surface, a front surface connected thereto, and a plurality of sensor retaining grooves, each of the sensor retaining grooves including a first opening formed at the upper surface and a second opening formed at the front surface for communication with the first opening, the sealing member closing the first opening and the second opening with a sensor loaded in the sensor retaining groove;

the sensor retaining groove including a sensor accommodating portion for accommodating the sensor, and a pusher receiving portion for receiving the pusher, the sensor accommodating portion communicating with the first opening and the second opening, the pusher receiving portion communicating with the first opening while being connected to the sensor receiving portion at a location opposite to the second opening.

12. The sensor feeder according to claim 11, further comprising a cutter for breaking the sealing member, the sensor retaining groove including a cutter receiving portion for receiving the cutter, the cutter receiving portion communicating with the first opening and the second opening while being connected to the sensor accommodating portion.

13. The sensor feeder according to claim 12, further comprising a pin, the cartridge body including a rear surface opposite to the front surface, the rear surface being formed with feed grooves for engaging the pin and for advancing the sensor cartridge by a predetermined pitch in response to one reciprocal movement of the pin.

14. The sensor feeder according to claim 13, further comprising an operation member which is movable vertically and back and forth, the pusher, the cutter and the pin being movable vertically in response to the vertical movement of the operation member, the pusher being movable back and forth in response to the back-and-forth movement of the operation member.

15. The sensor feeder according to claim 14, further comprising a spring for biasing the operation member upward.

17. The measuring instrument according to claim 16, further comprising a cutter for breaking the sealing member, the sensor retaining groove including a cutter receiving portion for receiving the cutter, the cutter receiving portion communicating with the first opening and the second opening while being connected to the sensor accommodating portion.

18. The measuring instrument according to claim 16, further comprising a pin, the cartridge body including a rear surface opposite to the front surface, the rear surface being formed with feed grooves for engaging the pin and for advancing the sensor cartridge by a predetermined pitch in response to one reciprocal movement of the pin.

19. The measuring instrument according to claim 18, further comprising an operation member which is movable vertically and back and forth, and a movable member which is movable vertically together with the operation member, the pin being provided at the movable member.

16. A measuring instrument comprising:

a plurality of sensors each of which includes an analyte applying portion, a reacting portion, and a base end provided with a sensor terminal;

a sensor cartridge including a cartridge body and a sealing member for accommodating the plurality of sensors;

a pusher movable vertically and back and forth for pushing one of the plurality of sensors; and

an arithmetic circuit including a circuit terminal for performing computation based on a current generated at the reacting portion;

the cartridge body including an upper surface, a front surface connected thereto, and a plurality of sensor retaining grooves, each of the sensor retaining grooves including a first opening formed at the upper surface and a second opening formed at the front surface for communication with the first opening, the sealing member closing the first opening and the second opening with the sensor loaded in the sensor retaining groove;

the sensor retaining groove including a sensor accommodating portion for accommodating the sensor, and a pusher receiving portion for receiving the pusher, the sensor accommodating portion communicating with the first opening and the second opening, the pusher receiving portion communicating with the first opening while being connected to the sensor receiving portion at a location opposite to the second opening;

the sensor being accommodated in the sensor accommodating portion so that the analyte applying portion faces the second opening;

the circuit terminal being so provided as to contact the sensor terminal of the sensor when the analyte applying portion is pushed by the pusher for exposure to the outside of the instrument.

20. A sensor cartridge comprising:

a cartridge body having an upper surface and a plurality of sensor retaining grooves each having an opening formed at the upper surface; and

a sealing member for closing the opening;

each of the sensor retaining grooves including a sensor accommodating portion for accommodating the sensor, and a cutter receiving portion for receiving a cutter for breaking the sealing member, the sensor accommodating portion and the cutter receiving portion communicating with the opening while being connected to each other.