Test strips and methods and apparatus for using the same
First Claim
1. A test strip of the type which, after being dipped in a liquid such as urine, will assume a color indicative of a property of the liquid, comprising a transparent backing through which light can freely pass, a color-reaction paper for assuming a given degree of a given color when detecting the intensity of a given property of a liquid in which the paper is immersed, said color-reaction paper being situated on one side of but being spaced from said backing, and fastening means situated between the paper and backing and fastening the paper to the backing, said fastening means having at least the same area as said paper and engaging the latter throughout its entire area which is directed toward the backing, and said fastening means being substantially opaque and non-reflecting with respect to light, so that light will pass freely through said backing at portions thereof not engaged by said fastening means while light will be reflected from said color-reaction paper while remaining substantially uninfluenced by said fastening means and backing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A test strip of the type which is dipped into a liquid such as urine for indicating by color information with respect to the liquid. The test strip has a transparent backing on one side of which is located a color-reaction paper with a fastening layer situated between the paper and the backing for fastening the paper to the backing. The fastening layer is opaque and non-reflecting with respect to light, so that while light can pass freely through the backing it will reflected by the color-reaction paper without passing through the backing. The test strip is moved perpendicularly across an optical axis along which light is directed with the light traveling first through the transparent backing and then being reflected by the color-reaction paper. Signals are generated from the light passing through the backing and the light reflected by the color-reaction paper, with the timing of the signal from the reflected light being controlled by the signal from the light which has passed through the transparent backing. The signal from the light which has traveled through the backing is utilized to initiate a time interval after which the signal from the reflected light is generated so as to assure that the operation of the structure providing the signal from the reflected light takes place when the color-reaction paper intersects the optical axis.
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Citations
18 Claims
- 1. A test strip of the type which, after being dipped in a liquid such as urine, will assume a color indicative of a property of the liquid, comprising a transparent backing through which light can freely pass, a color-reaction paper for assuming a given degree of a given color when detecting the intensity of a given property of a liquid in which the paper is immersed, said color-reaction paper being situated on one side of but being spaced from said backing, and fastening means situated between the paper and backing and fastening the paper to the backing, said fastening means having at least the same area as said paper and engaging the latter throughout its entire area which is directed toward the backing, and said fastening means being substantially opaque and non-reflecting with respect to light, so that light will pass freely through said backing at portions thereof not engaged by said fastening means while light will be reflected from said color-reaction paper while remaining substantially uninfluenced by said fastening means and backing.
- 7. In a method for utilizing a test strip composed of a transparent backing on the side of which there is a color-reaction paper fastened to the backing by a fastening means between the paper and backing which is substantially opaque and non-reflective with respect to liquid with respect to which the color-reaction paper will assume a given color, comprising the steps of directing light along a given optical axis and while maintaining the test strip perpendicular to said axis providing between the light and test strip a movement according to which the light passes first through the backing and then impinges on the color-reaction paper to be reflected thereby, generating a firt signal from the light which passes through said backing, generating from the light which reflects from said color-reaction paper a second signal indicative of the color of the reaction paper, and initiating the generation of said second signal at a given time interval after termination of said first signal by intersection of said color-reaction paper with said optical axis.
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10. In a method for utilizing a test strip having a transparent backing and a color-reaction paper situated on one side of said backing with a fastening means situated between the paper and backing for fastening the paper to the backing with the fastening means being substantially opaque and non-reflective with respect to light, the steps of directing light along a predetermined optical axis, moving the test strip perpendicularly across the optical axis with the backing first intersecting the optical axis and the color-reaction paper then intersecting the optical axis, so that light passes first freely through the backing and then is reflected by the color-reaction paper, generating a pair of signals first with light which has passed through the transparent backing and then with light which is reflected from the color-reaction paper, and utilizing the great difference between these signals for achieving a clear indication of the signal from light reflection by the color-reaction paper.
- 11. In an apparatus for utilizing a test strip having a transparent backing, a color-reaction paper on one side of the backing, and a fastening means between the paper and backing fastening the paper to the backing with the fastening means being substantially opaque and non-reflective with respect to light, optical means for directing light along a predetermined optical axis, transporting means connected with the test strip for transporting the latter perpendicularly across the optical axis in a manner permitting the light traveling along the optical axis first to pass freely through the backing and then to be reflected by the color-reaction paper, a pair of detecting means one of which is situated at the side of the test strip opposite from the optical means to receive light traveling through the transparent backing and the other of which is situated on the same side of the test strip as the optical means for receiving light reflected by the color-reaction paper, whereby each detecting means receives light sharply different from the light received by the other detecting means during an interval different from the interval during which the other detecting means receives light, and electrical means operatively connected with the pair of detecting means for responding to the sharp difference between the light received by the pair of detecting means for providing information with respect to the light reflected by the color-reaction paper.
Specification