Analysis instrument

• US 20060042943A1
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Original Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Inventors: Shiraki, Yasunori, Kobayashi, Taizo, Kusada, Yasuhide
• Granted Patent: US 8,460,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/403.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3272 Test elements therefor, i.e. disposable laminated substrates with electrodes, reagent and channels optical biosensors G01N33/52

Abstract

The present invention relates to an analytical tool (X1) to be mounted to an analytical apparatus (1) which includes a plurality of terminals (11, 12) and an analysis circuit (13). The analytical tool includes a plurality of electrodes (21, 22) coming into contact with the plurality of terminals (11, 12) when mounted to the analytical apparatus (1). In the analytical tool (X1), at least one (12) of the electrodes (21, 22) serves as a disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode to which disturbing noise is more likely to come in comparison with the other electrodes (11) than the above-mentioned electrode (12).

Claims

1. An analytical tool to be mounted to an analytical apparatus which includes a plurality of terminals and an analysis circuit, the analytical tool including a plurality of electrodes coming into contact with the plurality of terminals when mounted to the analytical apparatus;

wherein, at least one of the electrodes serves as a disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode to which disturbing noise is more likely to come in comparison with the other electrodes than said at least one of the electrodes.

2. The analytical tool according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes include a first electrode to be connected to the analysis circuit and a second electrode for applying voltage to a target portion in cooperation with the first electrode, and

wherein the second electrode serves as the disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode.

3. The analytical tool according to claim 2, wherein the second electrode is not electrically connected to the analysis circuit when the analytical tool is mounted to the analytical apparatus.

4. The analytical tool according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of terminals of the analytical apparatus include a ground connection terminal connected to ground, and

wherein the second electrode comes into contact with the ground connection terminal when the analytical tool is mounted to the analytical apparatus.

5. The analytical tool according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes include a first electrode to be connected to the analysis circuit, a second electrode for applying voltage to a target portion in cooperation with the first electrode, and a third electrode which is not involved in the voltage application to the target portion, and

wherein the third electrode serves as the disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode.

6. The analytical tool according to claim 5, wherein the third electrode is not electrically connected to the analysis circuit when the analytical tool is mounted to the analytical apparatus.

7. The analytical tool according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of terminals of the analytical apparatus include a ground connection terminal connected to ground, and

wherein the third electrode comes into contact with the ground connection terminal when the analytical tool is mounted to the analytical apparatus.

8. The analytical tool according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes include a first electrode to be connected to the analysis circuit, a second electrode for applying voltage to a target portion in cooperation with the first electrode, and a third electrode which is not involved in the voltage application to the target portion, and

wherein the second and the third electrodes serve as the disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode.

9. The analytical tool according to claim 8, wherein the third electrode is not electrically connected to the analysis circuit when the analytical tool is mounted to the analytical apparatus.

10. The analytical tool according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of terminals of the analytical apparatus include a ground connection terminal connected to ground, and

wherein the third electrode comes into contact with the ground connection terminal when the analytical tool is mounted to the analytical apparatus.

11. The analytical tool according to claim 1, further comprising a flow path for moving a sample, and an air vent for discharging air from the flow path.

12. The analytical tool according to claim 11, wherein the disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode includes an input portion to which disturbing noise coming through the air vent is inputted.

13. The analytical tool according to claim 12, wherein the input portion is at least partially exposed via the air vent.

14. The analytical tool according to claim 13, wherein the input portion is provided directly below the air vent and partially covered by an insulating film, and

wherein the insulating film includes an opening for partially exposing the input portion.

15. The analytical tool according to claim 12, further comprising a substrate on which the plurality of electrodes are formed, and a cover which is bonded to the substrate and in which the air vent is formed,

wherein, in plan view, the input portion includes a part located at a periphery of the air vent.

16. The analytical tool according to claim 15, wherein, in plan view, the input portion surrounds the air vent.

17. The analytical tool according to claim 1, wherein the disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode surrounds at least one of the plurality of electrodes except the disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode.

18. The analytical tool according to claim 1, further comprising a substrate on which the plurality of electrodes are formed,

wherein the disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode is formed along a periphery of the substrate.

19. The analytical tool according to claim 1, wherein when the analytical tool is mounted to the analytical apparatus, the disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode comes into contact with a corresponding one of the terminals of the analytical apparatus earlier in comparison with the other electrodes than the disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode.

20. The analytical tool according to claim 19, further comprising a substrate on which the plurality of electrodes are formed,

wherein the disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode includes a portion located on the substrate at a position closer to an insertion edge of the substrate than the other electrodes of the plurality of electrodes except the disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode.

21. The analytical tool according to claim 1, further comprising a pinch portion which is utilized in mounting the analytical tool to the analytical apparatus or detaching the analytical tool from the analytical apparatus.

22. The analytical tool according to claim 21, wherein the disturbing-noise countermeasure electrode is covered by an insulating film expect for an exposed portion adjacent to the pinch portion.

23. The analytical tool according to claim 22, wherein the pinch portion comprises a recess which is inwardly sunk in a plan view of the analytical tool.