TEST PIECE MAGAZINE, MAGAZINE HOLDER, AND TEST PIECE ATTACHMENT APPARATUS

• US 20090151448A1
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sousei Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sousei Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Nishina, Rintaro
• Granted Patent: US 7,661,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/431
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/22 using chemical indicators G01N31/02 takes precedence

Abstract

A test piece attachment apparatus includes a test piece magazine having an inner space storing a plurality of specimen component test pieces aligned in a predetermined direction and a feed outlet via which the specimen component test pieces can be successively extruded, a magazine holder exchangeably holding the test piece magazine, a torsion spring generating a bias force to press the specimen component test pieces aligned in the test piece magazine toward the feed outlet, and a cylindrical casing. The cylindrical casing includes a recessed groove that allows the magazine holder to move in its axial direction and an extrusion projection disposed at a position where the extrusion projection can push one specimen component test piece positioned at the feed outlet and can extrude the specimen component test piece out of the test piece magazine in accordance with a movement of the magazine holder.

Claims

1. A test piece magazine capable of storing a plurality of specimen component test pieces aligned in a predetermined direction under an external bias force and extruding a specimen component test piece via a feed outlet under an external extrusion force, comprising:

a boxlike casing having an inner space storing a plurality of specimen component test pieces aligned in a thickness direction;

an aperture formed in at least a rear side surface portion of the boxlike casing to which a rear side surface of a biasing plate faces, and supplying a bias force to the biasing plate;

a test piece outlet formed at an upper surface portion of the boxlike casing via which a foremost specimen component test piece can be extruded in an up-and-down direction; and

a slit provided in a front side surface portion of the boxlike casing to which the specimen component test pieces are pressed, the slit extending over a full length of the front side surface portion from a lower surface portion of the boxlike casing to the upper surface of the boxlike casing with a uniform width for supplying an extrusion force to extrude the specimen component test piece upward,

wherein, at the lower surface portion of the boxlike casing, the slit has an extrusion length in the thickness direction of the specimen component test piece, the extrusion length being equivalent to the sum of the thickness of the front side surface portion of the boxlike casing and the thickness of the specimen component test piece,

on the upper surface portion of the boxlike casing, the slit is connected to the test piece outlet and has a length corresponding to the extrusion length in the thickness direction of the specimen component test piece, and

the external extrusion force can be applied to the specimen component test piece using an extrusion surface defined by the extrusion length and the slit width.

2. The test piece magazine according to claim 1, wherein the length of the inner space of the boxlike casing in an alignment direction of the specimen component test pieces is equivalent to the following equation:

(maximum number of the specimen component test pieces storable in the inner space)×

(thickness of one of the specimen component test pieces)+(thickness of the biasing plate),

3. The test piece magazine according to claim 1, wherein the biasing plate is disposed in the inner space of the boxlike casing, with one side face of the biasing plate contacting a rearmost specimen component test piece and the other side surface of the biasing plate receiving the bias force applied to the specimen component test pieces in the alignment direction.

4. The test piece magazine according to claim 3, wherein the biasing plate has an outer shape and dimensions similar to those of the specimen component test piece, such that the biasing plate can be extruded via the feed outlet when the external extrusion force is applied to the biasing plate.

5. The test piece magazine according to claim 1, wherein a marking is provided on a rearmost specimen component test piece which is finally extruded to enable a user to discriminate the rearmost specimen component test piece from other specimen component test pieces when the boxlike casing stores the plurality of specimen component test pieces aligned in the thickness direction.

15. The test piece magazine according to claim 3, wherein a marking is provided on a rearmost specimen component test piece which is finally extruded to enable a user to discriminate the rearmost specimen component test piece from other specimen component test pieces when the boxlike casing stores the plurality of specimen component test pieces aligned in the thickness direction.

6. A magazine holder configured to exchangeably hold a test piece magazine that can store a plurality of specimen component test pieces aligned in a predetermined direction under an external bias force, comprising:

a framed casing that guides and supports side surfaces of the test piece magazine and has a storage space for exchangeably storing the test piece magazine;

an urging member that presses the specimen component test pieces stored in the test piece magazine in a predetermined direction; and

an installation portion provided on the framed casing for mounting the urging member.

7. The magazine holder according to claim 6, wherein the installation portion is provided on a bottom surface portion of the framed casing, and the urging member is a torsion spring that has a proximal end portion fixed to the installation portion and a distal end portion that can transmit the bias force to the specimen component test pieces stored in the test piece magazine.

8. The magazine holder according to claim 7, wherein the framed casing includes a locking member that holds the test piece magazine guided to the storage space and, if engagement by the locking member is released, the test piece magazine is extruded out of the storage space under a resilient force of the torsion spring.

9. A test piece attachment apparatus operable to attach a specimen component test piece to a portable specimen analyzer that has a distal end portion configured into a test piece holding portion for holding the specimen component test piece, the test piece attachment apparatus comprising:

a test piece magazine having an inner space storing a plurality of specimen component test pieces aligned in a predetermined direction and a feed outlet via which the specimen component test pieces can be successively extruded;

a magazine holder holding the test piece magazine in an exchangeable manner;

a test piece urging member generating a bias force to press the specimen component test pieces aligned in the test piece magazine toward the feed outlet; and

an extrusion mechanism capable of adjusting the position of the feed outlet to accord with the position of the test piece holding portion of the portable specimen analyzer and extruding one specimen component test piece positioned at the feed outlet to the test piece holding portion,

wherein the extrusion mechanism includes;

a guide casing that allows the magazine holder to move in an extrusion direction of the specimen component test piece positioned at the feed outlet; and

an extrusion portion provided on the guide casing at a position where the extrusion portion can push the specimen component test piece positioned at the feed outlet of the test piece magazine and can extrude the specimen component test piece positioned at the feed outlet out of the test piece magazine in accordance with a movement of the magazine holder.

10. The test piece attachment apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the magazine holder includes a distal end guide portion into which a distal end portion of the portable specimen analyzer can be inserted, and a positional relationship between the feed outlet of the specimen component test piece and the distal end guide portion is determined such that the specimen component test piece extruded from the feed outlet can be received by the test piece holding portion when the distal end portion of the portable specimen analyzer is inserted into the distal end guide portion.

11. The test piece attachment apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the guide casing guides the magazine holder between an extruded position where the specimen component test piece can be pushed by the extrusion portion and an ordinary position where the specimen component test piece does not contact with the extrusion portion.

12. The test piece attachment apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the guide casing has a cylindrical body capable of holding an outer surface of the magazine holder and allowing the magazine holder to slide in the longitudinal direction, with an engaging portion provided at an upper portion of the cylindrical body for holding the magazine holder at the ordinary position and a stopper portion provided at a lower portion of the cylindrical body for holding the magazine holder at the extruded position.

13. The test piece attachment apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the extrusion mechanism includes a holder urging member that presses the magazine holder from the extruded position toward the ordinary position.

14. A test piece attachment apparatus operable to attach a specimen component test piece to a portable specimen analyzer that has a distal end portion configured into a test piece holding portion for holding the specimen component test piece, the test piece attachment apparatus comprising:

a test piece magazine having an inner space storing a plurality of specimen component test pieces aligned in a predetermined direction and a feed outlet via which the specimen component test pieces can be successively extruded;

a magazine holder exchangeably holding the test piece magazine;

a test piece urging member generating a bias force to press the specimen component test pieces aligned in the test piece magazine toward the feed outlet;

a distal end guide portion provided on the magazine holder into which a distal end portion of the portable specimen analyzer can be inserted, and a positional relationship between the feed outlet of the specimen component test piece and the distal end guide portion is determined such that the specimen component test piece extruded from the feed outlet can be received by the test piece holding portion when the distal end portion of the portable specimen analyzer is inserted into the distal end guide portion; and

an extrusion mechanism capable of adjusting the position of the feed outlet to accord with the position of the test piece holding portion of the portable specimen analyzer and extruding one specimen component test piece positioned at the feed outlet to the test piece holding portion, wherein the extrusion mechanism comprising;

a guide casing that allows the magazine holder to move in an extrusion direction of the specimen component test piece positioned at the feed outlet and guides the magazine holder between an extruded position where the specimen component test piece can be pushed by the extrusion portion and an ordinary position where the specimen component test piece does not contact with the extrusion portion, the extrusion portion provided on the guide casing at a position where the extrusion portion can push the specimen component test piece positioned at the feed outlet of the test piece magazine and can extrude the specimen component test piece positioned at the feed outlet out of the test piece magazine in accordance with a movement of the magazine holder; and

a holder urging member that presses the magazine holder from the extruded position toward the ordinary position,

wherein the extrusion portion extrudes one specimen component test piece out of the test piece magazine via the feed outlet and sends the extruded test piece to the test piece holding portion of the portable analyzer when a user inserts the distal end portion of the portable specimen analyzer into the distal end guide portion of the magazine holder in the ordinary position and pushes the portable analyzer against the distal end guide portion such that the magazine holder reaches the extruded position.