BLOOD TEST DEVICE

• US 20090318834A1
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyoshi, Koji, Amano, Yoshinori, Nadaoka, Masataka, Matsumoto, Toshiki, Fujiwara, Masaki, Hamanaka, Kenichi, Akiyama, Toshihiro, Horikawa, Kiyohiro, Nishida, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,414,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/583
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1486 using enzyme electrodes, e.g. with immobilised oxidase
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150076 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150099 by negative pressure, other than vacuum extraction into a syringe by pulling on the piston rod or into pre-evacuated tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150145 by negative pressure, e.g. suction, vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150213 Venting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150259 Improved gripping, e.g. with high friction pattern or projections on the housing surface or an ergonometric shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150954 Means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. by temperature sensitive sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15138 provided with means to ensure the protection of the user, e.g. to avoid laser light entering the eyes of a user
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood

Abstract

A blood test device using a laser as a puncture means. More specifically, it is intended to provide a blood test device using a laser as a puncture means by which the skin can be fixed at a definite position by raising up the punctured skin under negative pressure and thus bringing it into close contact with a blood sensor and in which the laser is focused into the vicinity of the blood sensor face. Thus, it is possible to provide a blood test device of the laser puncture type whereby the skin can be surely punctured while giving little pain to a patient.

Claims

1. A blood test apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body;

a blood sensor that analyzes blood;

a holder that holds the blood sensor;

a puncturing section that punctures skin;

a negative pressure section that is provided inside the apparatus body and that creates a negative pressure in a negative pressure chamber near the blood sensor; and

an electrical circuit section that is connected to the blood sensor, wherein;

the blood sensor forms a blood sensor unit in an integrated manner with the holder, and the blood sensor unit can be attached to and removed from the apparatus body;

the puncturing section comprises a laser emitting apparatus and a lens, and laser light emitted from the laser emitting apparatus is focused by the lens and is irradiated to the skin through the blood sensor unit; and

the negative pressure section can suck in the skin in contact with the holder and lift the skin to a predetermined position.

2. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined position is a surface of the blood sensor where the skin is placed, or a surface of the blood sensor unit where the skin is placed.

3. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laser light emitted from the laser emitting apparatus is focused near the blood sensor.

4. The blood test apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the laser light emitted from the laser emitting apparatus is focused closer to the laser emitting apparatus than a surface of the blood sensor, on the surface of the blood sensor, or closer to an opposite side of the laser emitting apparatus than the surface of the blood sensor.

5. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the negative pressure chamber is partitioned by a wall that is provided closer to the blood sensor than to the laser emitting apparatus, inside the apparatus body.

6. The blood test apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the wall inside the apparatus body is integrated with the focus lens.

7. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the blood sensor unit comprises:

a holder that opens upward and downward;

an attaching part that is formed inside the holder and that can divide an interior of the holder into an upper part and a lower part; and

the blood sensor that is attached to the attaching part.

8. The blood test apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a guide part matching the holder of the blood sensor unit is provided in a part where the blood sensor unit of the apparatus body is attached.

9. The blood test apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the blood sensor is attached to an upper part of the attaching part.

10. The blood test apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the blood sensor is attached to a lower part of the attaching part.

11. The blood test apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the holder is slimmer below the attaching part than above the attaching part.

12. The blood test apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a deodorizing section that is provided in the upper part of the attaching part.

13. The blood test apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a blood pool that is provided in the upper part of the attaching part.

14. The blood test apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a first skin contact sensor that is provided in a lower end of the holder of the blood sensor unit.

15. The blood test apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the laser light is not emitted from the laser emitting apparatus unless the first skin contact sensor detects a contact with the skin.

16. The blood test apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lower end of the holder of the blood sensor unit comprises a contact part to contact in line with the skin.

17. The blood test apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a second skin contact sensor that is provided in the lower part of the attaching part of the blood sensor unit.

18. The blood test apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the laser light is not emitted from the laser emitting apparatus unless the second skin contact sensor detects a contact with the skin.

19. The blood test apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a second skin contact sensor that is provided in the lower part of the blood sensor.

20. The blood test apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the laser light is not emitted from the laser emitting apparatus unless the second skin contact sensor detects a contact with the skin.

21. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the blood sensor comprises a storing part that stores blood flowing out from the punctured skin; and

a ceiling face of the storing part of the blood sensor is closed and is formed with a material that allows the laser light to transmit.

22. The blood test apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the material that allows the laser light to transmit is glass or plastic.

23. The blood test apparatus according to claim 21, wherein:

the blood sensor comprises;

a supply channel that is connected to the storing part; and

a detecting section that is provided on the supply channel; and

the supply channel is more hydrophilic than the storing part.

24. The blood test apparatus according to claim 21, wherein a surface of the blood sensor irradiated with the laser light is water-repellent and is more water-repellent than the storing part.

25. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the blood sensor comprises a storing part that stores blood flowing out from the punctured skin; and

a ceiling face of the storing part of the blood sensor is closed and is to be perforated with the laser light emitted from the laser emitting apparatus.

26. The blood test apparatus according to claim 25, wherein:

the blood sensor comprises;

a supply channel that is connected to the storing part; and

a detecting section that is provided on the supply channel; and

the supply channel is more hydrophilic than the storing part.

27. The blood test apparatus according to claim 26, wherein:

the blood sensor comprises;

a substrate that constitutes the storing part;

a spacer that constitutes the storing part and the supply channel and that is provided on the substrate; and

a cover that constitutes the ceiling face and that is provided on the spacer; and

the substrate, the spacer and the cover are made of the same material.

28. The blood test apparatus according to claim 25, wherein a surface of the blood sensor irradiated with the laser light is water-repellent and is more water-repellent than the storing part.

29. The blood test apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the negative pressure section sucks in the skin in contact with the holder through the hole of the ceiling face perforated with the laser light.

30. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the blood sensor comprises a storing part that stores the blood flowing out from the punctured skin;

the storing part opens both upward and downward; and

the laser light emitted from the laser emitting apparatus passes through the opening part of the storing part.

31. The blood test apparatus according to claim 30, wherein a diameter of the upper opening part of the storing part is smaller than a diameter of the lower opening part.

32. The blood test apparatus according to claim 30, wherein:

the blood sensor comprises;

a supply channel that is connected to the storing part; and

a detecting section that is provided on the supply channel; and

the supply channel is more hydrophilic than the storing part.

33. The blood test apparatus according to claim 30, wherein:

the blood sensor comprises;

a substrate that constitutes the storing part;

a spacer that constitutes the storing part and the supply channel and that is provided on the substrate; and

a cover that constitutes the ceiling face and that is provided on the spacer; and

the substrate, the spacer and the cover are made of the same material.

34. The blood test apparatus according to claim 30, wherein a surface of the blood sensor irradiated with the laser light is water-repellent and is more water-repellent than the storing part.

35. The blood test apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the negative pressure section sucks in the skin in contact with the holder through the opening parts of the storing part.

36. The blood test apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the laser light passes through a position offset farther from the supply channel than a center of the storing part.

37. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply section including a power supply for the laser emitting apparatus and a power supply for an electrical circuit section that is connected to the blood sensor,

wherein the power supply for the laser emitting apparatus and the power supply for the electrical circuit section are controlled independently.

38. A blood sensor that is attached to the blood test apparatus according to claim 21, comprising a storing part that stores the blood flowing out from the punctured skin,

wherein a ceiling face of the storing part is closed and is formed with a material that allows laser light to transmit.

39. A blood test method using the blood test apparatus according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

placing skin in contact with the holder;

sucking in the skin and bringing the skin into close contact with the blood sensor by the negative pressure section;

emitting laser light from the laser emitting apparatus to puncture the skin; and

guiding blood from the punctured skin into the blood sensor.

40. The blood test method according to claim 39, further comprising the step of authenticating a patient having the skin in contact with the holder.