Analyzer

• US 20070229085A1
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Original Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Inventors: Kawai, Takuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,357,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/450
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48771 Coding of information, e.g. calibration data, lot number
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54366 Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing

Abstract

The present invention relates to an analyzer (1) to be used with an analytical tool (2) mounted thereto and used for analyzing a particular component contained in a sample supplied to the analytical tool (2). The analyzer (1) includes at least one detection terminal pair (11, 12) including a first and a second detection terminals (11A, 11B, 12A, 12B) which are capable of selecting a mutually contacting state and a non-contacting state, a detector (15) for detecting the state of contact of the first and the second detection terminals (11A, 11B, 12A, 12B), and an abnormality detector (16) for detecting an abnormality of the at least one detection terminal pair (11, 12) based on the detection result by the detector (15).

Claims

1. An analyzer to be used with an analytical tool mounted thereto and used for analyzing a particular component contained in a sample supplied to the analytical tool, the analyzer comprising:

at least one detection terminal pair including a first detection terminal and a second detection terminal which are capable of selecting a mutually contacting state and a non-contacting state;

a detector for detecting a state of contact of the first detection terminal and the second detection terminal; and

an abnormality detector for detecting an abnormality of said at least one detection terminal pair based on detection result by said detector.

2. The analyzer according to claim 1, wherein, in normal conditions, the first and the second detection terminals are in contact with each other when the analytical tool is not mounted and separate from each other in a process of mounting the analytical tool.

3. The analyzer according to claim 2, wherein, in the process of mounting the analytical tool, the abnormality detector determines that there is no abnormality in the detection terminal pair when shifting of the first and the second detection terminals from a mutually contacting state to a non-contacting state is confirmed and determines that there is an abnormality in the detection terminal pair when shifting of the first and the second detection terminals from the mutually contacting state to the non-contacting state is not confirmed.

4. The analyzer according to claim 2, wherein the detector detects a state of contact of the first detection terminal and the second detection terminal after converting an analog electrical signal obtained by utilizing the first and the second detection terminals into a digital electrical signal;

and

wherein the abnormality detector determines that there is no abnormality in the detection terminal pair when level of the digital electrical signal is higher than a predetermined threshold and determines that there is an abnormality in the detection terminal pair when the level of the digital electrical signal is lower than the predetermined threshold.

5. The analyzer according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second detection terminals is in a form of a leaf spring.

6. The analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the analytical tool to be used is provided with a recognition target portion which includes at least one predetermined detection target region and to which intended information is applied by selecting whether or not a through-hole is to be formed at the detection target region;

wherein the first and the second detection terminals are located at a position corresponding to the detection target region when the analytical tool is mounted and utilized for recognizing information applied to the recognition target portion.

7. The analyzer according to claim 6, wherein information as to the analytical tool is applied to the recognition target portion of the analytical tool to be used.

8. The analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the analytical tool to be used is an electrochemical sensor.

9. The analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the analytical tool to be used is configured to analyze a particular component contained in blood.

10. The analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising a controller for withholding analysis of the particular component in the sample when the abnormality detector determines that there is an abnormality in the detection terminal pair.