BLOOD INSPECTION DEVICE

• US 20100168534A1
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumura, Keisuke, Matsumoto, Toshiki, Fujiwara, Masaki, Akiyama, Toshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/309
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14535 for measuring haematocrit
• 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 5/150229 Pumps for assisting the blood sampling
• 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 5/150755 Blood sample preparation for further analysis, e.g. by separating blood components or by mixing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31525 Dosing burettes, pipettes B01L3/02

Abstract

A blood inspection device using laser as puncture means. The blood inspection device has an electric power source control circuit for controlling electric power supply of an electric power source section including an electric power source for driving an electric circuit for measurement and also including an electric power source for driving a laser emission device. When a battery is used as the electric power source, the circuit measures the remaining level and voltage of the battery to control the power source so that electric power shortage does not disenable measurement.

Claims

1. A blood test apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body;

a blood sensor that is attached to the apparatus body and that analyzes blood;

a puncturing section that is provided inside the apparatus body and that punctures skin of a patient through the blood sensor; and

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

the puncturing section comprises a laser emitting apparatus; and

the blood test apparatus comprises a power supply control circuit that controls a supply of power from a power supply section including a power supply for driving the electrical circuit section and a power supply for driving the laser emitting apparatus.

2. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply section comprises one or more battery power supplies.

3. The blood test apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the battery is a primary battery or a secondary battery.

4. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply section comprises a battery power supply and a connection terminal for an emergency power supply.

5. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply control circuit can control separately the power supply for driving the laser emitting apparatus and the power supply for the electrical circuit section including a measuring circuit.

6. The blood test apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a battery level measuring circuit that measures a remaining battery level of at least one of the one or more batteries; and

a comparing section that compares a value of the measured battery level and a predetermined value of a battery level, wherein

the power supply control circuit controls the supply of power based on an output result of the comparing section.

7. The blood test apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a battery voltage measuring circuit that measures a battery voltage of at least one of the one or more batteries; and

a comparing section that compares a value of the measured battery voltage and a predetermined value of a battery voltage, wherein

the power supply control circuit controls the supply of power based on an output result of the comparing section.

8. The blood test apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the power supply section comprises two or more battery power supplies; and

the blood test apparatus further comprises a battery level measuring circuit that measures a remaining battery level of each of the two or more batteries, or a battery voltage measuring circuit that measures a battery voltage of each of the two or more batteries.

9. The blood test apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a comparing section that compares the value of the remaining battery level measured in the battery level measuring circuit and a predetermined value of a battery level, or that compares the battery voltage measured in the battery voltage measuring circuit and a predetermined value of a battery voltage, wherein

the power supply control circuit controls the supply of power based on an output result of the comparing section.

10. The blood test apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a display section that displays a test result of a blood test, wherein,

when the value of the measured battery level is determined to be equal to or less than the predetermined value of the battery level in the comparing section, the display section displays a result of the determination and

the power supply control circuit stops the supply of power to the laser emitting apparatus.

11. The blood test apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a display section that displays a test result of a blood test, wherein,

when the value of the measured battery voltage is determined to be equal to or less than the predetermined value of the battery voltage in the comparing section, the display section displays the a result of the determination;

and

the power supply control circuit stops the supply of power to the laser emitting apparatus.

12. The blood test apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising an input section for supplying power to the laser emitting apparatus even when the value of the measured battery voltage is determined to be equal to or less than the predetermined value of the battery voltage in the comparing section.

13. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a holder that holds the blood sensor, wherein

the blood sensor is integrated with the holder to form a blood sensor unit, and the blood sensor unit can be attached to and removed from the apparatus body.

14. The blood test apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

the blood sensor unit further comprises a skin sensor; and

a laser light is not emitted from the laser emitting apparatus unless the skin sensor detects a contact with the skin.

15. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a negative pressure section inside the apparatus body,

wherein the negative pressure section creates a negative pressure near the blood sensor.

16. The blood test apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a negative pressure control circuit that controls the negative pressure section, wherein

the power supply control circuit controls a supply of power to the negative pressure control circuit.

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

the power supply section comprises a battery power supply built in the apparatus body, and an external power supply; and

the power supply control circuit controls switching between the battery power supply and the external power supply to enable parallel use of battery power supply and external power supply, and, when the external power supply is connected, the external power supply is preferentially used.

18. The blood test apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, when the external power supply is connected, the power supply control circuit does not allow the battery to output.

19. The blood test apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, when the external power supply is connected, the power supply control circuit makes the battery be charged and the power supply control circuit does not allow the battery to output.

20. A control method for controlling the blood test apparatus according to claim 6, comprising the steps of:

a pre-operation battery level measuring step of measuring a battery level of the battery after a power supply of the apparatus body is started;

a post-operation battery level measuring step of measuring a battery level of the battery after the pre-operation battery level measuring step is performed and a laser light is emitted from the laser emitting apparatus; and

a step of measuring battery consumption level from a difference between the battery level measured in the pre-operation battery level measuring step and the battery level measured in the post-operation battery level measuring step.

21. A control method for controlling the blood test apparatus according to claim 10, comprising the steps of:

a battery level measuring step of measuring a battery level of the battery;

a step of comparing the measured battery level and a battery threshold which is a predetermined battery level; and

a display step of displaying a message to encourage a change of the battery on the display section when the measured battery level is equal to or less than the battery level threshold.

22. A control method for controlling the blood test apparatus according to claim 12, comprising the steps of:

a battery voltage measuring step of measuring a battery voltage of the battery;

a step of comparing the measured battery voltage and a voltage threshold which is a predetermined battery voltage;

a display step of displaying that normal charging is not possible on the display section when the measured battery voltage is equal to or less than the voltage threshold, and displaying a message to request a user to input a command to the input section when puncturing is necessary; and

a charging step of charging a laser emitting apparatus with a lower current than charging when the battery voltage exceeds the voltage threshold, when the command is inputted to the input section in a predetermined time after the display step, or

a stopping step of stopping a supply of power to the laser emitting apparatus when the command is not inputted to the input section in the predetermined time after the display step.

23. A control method for controlling the blood test apparatus according to claim 6, comprising the steps of:

a pre-operation battery level measuring step of measuring a battery level of the battery after a power supply of the apparatus body is started; and

a charge current setting step of setting a charge current to the laser emitting apparatus according to the battery level measured in the pre-operation battery level measuring step.