Optical analyzer
First Claim
1. Optical analyzer for determining an analyte in a body fluid of interest, comprising:
- housing means;
a combination optically transparent cuvette and lancet mounted removably in said housing means, said cuvette for receiving an optically transparent reagent test system for reacting with said body fluid to produce a change in at least one optical transmissive characteristic of said system indicative of said analyte;
advancing means for advancing said lancet out of said housing and into engagement with a portion of a body to produce said body fluid;
depth control means for controlling the depth of penetration of said lancet into said body portion;
electro-optical means mounted in said housing means in optical engagement with said cuvette and for passing a light beam through said cuvette and said reagent system and for receiving said light beam modified by said change in optical transmissive characteristic of said system and for transmitting computation signals indicative of said analyte to computation means;
computation means mounted in said housing means for receiving said computation signals and for comparing said computation signals against predetermined data to produce display signals indicative of said analyte;
display means mounted in said housing means and for receiving said display signals and for providing a visible display indicative of said analyte;
control means mounted in said housing means and connected to said computation means for controlling the operation of said computation means; and
said advancing means including a spring rotated drive cylinder mounted rotatably in said housing means and having forward and rearward ends, said forward end of said drive cylinder provided with a nutator plate for rotating with said drive cylinder, a pivotally mounted bell crank, a primary drive rod having forward and rearward ends, said forward end of said primary drive rod mounted pivotally to said bell crank and said rearward end of said primary drive rod in engagement with said nutator plate, a first bias spring having forward and rearward ends, said rearward end of said first bias spring connected to said housing means and said forward end of said first bias spring connected to said bell crank and said first bias spring for biasing said bell crank towards said nutator plate to maintain said rearward end of said primary drive rod in engagement with said nutator plate, a secondary drive rod having forward and rearward ends, said rearward end of said secondary drive rod mounted pivotally to said bell crank and said forward end of said secondary drive rod positioned opposite said rearward end of said lancet, upon rotation of said drive cylinder said nutator plate advances said primary drive rod to pivot said bell rank which advances said secondary drive rod to cause said forward end of said secondary drive rod to advance said lancet into said engagement with said portion of said body to produce said body fluid.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical analyzer for determining an analyte in a fluid of interest such as a body fluid of interest satisfying the foregoing need and embodying the present invention may include a housing; combination optically transparent cuvette and lancet mounted removably in the housing, the cuvette may receive an optically transparent reagent test system for reacting with the body fluid to produce a change in at least one optical transmissive characteristic of the system indicative of the analyte; a cuvette carrier mounted slidably in the housing and for removably receiving the cuvette; a spring actuator mounted in the housing and connected to the cuvette carrier, the spring actuator may be compressed and released to advance the carrier and thereby advance the lancet into engagement with a portion of a body to produce the body fluid; depth control apparatus for controlling the depth of penetration of the lancet into the body portion; an electrooptical system mounted in the housing in optical engagement with the cuvette and for passing a light beam through the cuvette and the reagent system and for receiving the light beam modified by the change in optical transmissive characteristic of the system and for transmitting computation signals indicative of the analyte to a computer; a computer mounted in the housing for receiving the computation signals and for comparing the computation signals against predetermined data to produce display signals indicative of the analyte; a display mounted in the housing and for receiving the display signals and for providing a vehicle display indicative of the analyte; and control switches mounted in the housing and connected to the computer for controlling the operation of the computer.
533 Citations
5 Claims
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1. Optical analyzer for determining an analyte in a body fluid of interest, comprising:
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housing means; a combination optically transparent cuvette and lancet mounted removably in said housing means, said cuvette for receiving an optically transparent reagent test system for reacting with said body fluid to produce a change in at least one optical transmissive characteristic of said system indicative of said analyte; advancing means for advancing said lancet out of said housing and into engagement with a portion of a body to produce said body fluid; depth control means for controlling the depth of penetration of said lancet into said body portion; electro-optical means mounted in said housing means in optical engagement with said cuvette and for passing a light beam through said cuvette and said reagent system and for receiving said light beam modified by said change in optical transmissive characteristic of said system and for transmitting computation signals indicative of said analyte to computation means; computation means mounted in said housing means for receiving said computation signals and for comparing said computation signals against predetermined data to produce display signals indicative of said analyte; display means mounted in said housing means and for receiving said display signals and for providing a visible display indicative of said analyte; control means mounted in said housing means and connected to said computation means for controlling the operation of said computation means; and said advancing means including a spring rotated drive cylinder mounted rotatably in said housing means and having forward and rearward ends, said forward end of said drive cylinder provided with a nutator plate for rotating with said drive cylinder, a pivotally mounted bell crank, a primary drive rod having forward and rearward ends, said forward end of said primary drive rod mounted pivotally to said bell crank and said rearward end of said primary drive rod in engagement with said nutator plate, a first bias spring having forward and rearward ends, said rearward end of said first bias spring connected to said housing means and said forward end of said first bias spring connected to said bell crank and said first bias spring for biasing said bell crank towards said nutator plate to maintain said rearward end of said primary drive rod in engagement with said nutator plate, a secondary drive rod having forward and rearward ends, said rearward end of said secondary drive rod mounted pivotally to said bell crank and said forward end of said secondary drive rod positioned opposite said rearward end of said lancet, upon rotation of said drive cylinder said nutator plate advances said primary drive rod to pivot said bell rank which advances said secondary drive rod to cause said forward end of said secondary drive rod to advance said lancet into said engagement with said portion of said body to produce said body fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification