Method and apparatus for detecting urinary constituents
First Claim
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1. A method of investigating urinary constituents with a measuring device, comprising the steps of:
- collecting urine in a urine collection chamber of a toilet bowl defined by a housing having an open end for receiving the urine, a partition member positioned to divide the housing into said urine collection chamber and a water chamber, said partition member having an opening for receiving a piston, said piston being slidably and sealingly mounted in said opening, said piston having a cross section smaller than the cross section of the urine collection chamber, a lower end of said piston having water tight sealing means in engagement with said water chamber;
diluting the collected urine by moving said piston into the collection chamber to expel a portion of the collected urine, withdrawing the piston from the collection chamber, and adding diluting liquid from said water chamber to the remaining portion of the collected urine, said water chamber having inlet and outlet means for receiving and discharging water, conduit means for delivering and discharging water from said water chamber, means in said conduit means for controlling the flow of water to the inlet and outlet means of said water chamber, said conduit means being operatively connected to an inlet in said urine collection chamber, said urine collection chamber having an outlet means for delivering the urine sample;
forcing the diluted urine into a conduit to supply the urine to the measuring device;
injecting gas into the urine contained in the conduit to divide the urine into plural aliquots which are separated from each other by intervening gas; and
introducing the aliquots successively into the measuring device to investigate constituents of the aliquots.
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for measuring the concentration values of constituents of urine collected in a toilet bowl. A conduit extends from the urine-collecting portion of the bowl to a concentration-measuring device. A gas injector is mounted beside the conduit to intermittently inject gas into the conduit, for dividing the urine contained in the conduit into aliquots. The concentration values of urinary constituents of each aliquot are measured.
257 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of investigating urinary constituents with a measuring device, comprising the steps of:
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collecting urine in a urine collection chamber of a toilet bowl defined by a housing having an open end for receiving the urine, a partition member positioned to divide the housing into said urine collection chamber and a water chamber, said partition member having an opening for receiving a piston, said piston being slidably and sealingly mounted in said opening, said piston having a cross section smaller than the cross section of the urine collection chamber, a lower end of said piston having water tight sealing means in engagement with said water chamber; diluting the collected urine by moving said piston into the collection chamber to expel a portion of the collected urine, withdrawing the piston from the collection chamber, and adding diluting liquid from said water chamber to the remaining portion of the collected urine, said water chamber having inlet and outlet means for receiving and discharging water, conduit means for delivering and discharging water from said water chamber, means in said conduit means for controlling the flow of water to the inlet and outlet means of said water chamber, said conduit means being operatively connected to an inlet in said urine collection chamber, said urine collection chamber having an outlet means for delivering the urine sample; forcing the diluted urine into a conduit to supply the urine to the measuring device; injecting gas into the urine contained in the conduit to divide the urine into plural aliquots which are separated from each other by intervening gas; and introducing the aliquots successively into the measuring device to investigate constituents of the aliquots. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15)
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7. An apparatus for investigating urinary constituents, comprising:
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a toilet bowl having a urine-collecting portion, said urine-collecting portion comprised of a water chamber having inlet and outlet means for receiving and discharging water and a urine collection and dilution chamber defined by a housing having an open end for receiving the urine, a partition member positioned to divide the housing into said urine collection and dilution chamber and said water chamber, said partition member having an opening for receiving a piston, said piston being slidably and sealingly mounted in said opening, said piston having a cross section smaller than the cross section of the urine collection and dilution chamber, a lower end of said piston having water tight sealing means in engagement with said water chamber, wherein said water chamber further comprises conduit means for delivering and discharging water from said water chamber, means in said conduit means for controlling the flow of water to the inlet and outlet means of said water chamber, said conduit means being operatively connected to an inlet in said urine collection and dilution chamber, said urine collection and dilution chamber having an outlet means for delivering the urine sample; a measuring device for detecting constituents of urine; a conduit for forcing urine from the urine-collecting portion into the measuring device; and an injection means for injecting gas into the conduit such that the injected gas divides the urine contained in the conduit into aliquots. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for measuring urinary constituents, comprising:
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a toilet bowl having a urine-collecting portion, said urine-collecting portion comprised of a water chamber having inlet and outlet means for receiving and discharging water and a urine collection and dilution chamber defined by a housing having an open end for receiving the urine, a partition member positioned to divide the housing into said urine collection and dilution chamber and said water chamber, said partition member having an opening for receiving a piston, said piston being slidably and sealingly mounted in said opening, said piston having a cross section smaller than the cross section of the urine collection and dilution chamber, a lower end of said piston having water tight sealing means in engagement with said water chamber, wherein said water chamber further comprises conduit means for delivering and discharging water from said water chamber, means in said conduit means for controlling the flow of water to the inlet and outlet means of said water chamber, said conduit means being operatively connected to an inlet in said urine collection and dilution chamber, said urine collection and dilution chamber having an outlet means for delivering the urine sample; a constituent analyzer for analyzing the urinary constituents; a conduit for forcing the urine collected in the urine-collecting portion into the constituent analyzer; a processing unit for storing output data from the analyzer, reading stored data and processing data in a desired manner; and a display means for displaying the results of data processing delivered from the processing unit.
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22. An apparatus for measuring urinary constituents, comprising:
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a toilet bowl having a lower portion in which a device for investigating urinary constituents is mounted, the device including a water chamber having inlet and outlet means for receiving and discharging water and a urine collection and dilution chamber defined by a housing having an open end for receiving the urine, a partition member positioned to divide the housing into said urine collection and dilution chamber and said water chamber, said partition member having an opening for receiving a piston, said piston being slidably and sealingly mounted in said opening, said piston having a cross section smaller than the cross section of the urine collection and dilution chamber, a lower end of said piston having water tight sealing means in engagement with said water chamber, wherein said water chamber further comprises conduit means for delivering and discharging water from said water chamber, means in said conduit means for controlling the flow of water to the inlet and outlet means of said water chamber, said conduit means being operatively connected to an inlet in said urine collection and dilution chamber, said urine collection and dilution chamber having an outlet means for delivering the urine sample; a processing unit for storing output data from the device, reading stored data and processing data in a desired manner; and a display means for displaying the results of data processing delivered from the processing unit.
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Specification