Test piece coloration comparative decision unit

• US 5,160,980 A
• Filed: 02/08/1991
• Issued: 11/03/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Boehringer Mannheim Corporation
• Inventors: Sierra, George H., Herpichboehm, Bernd G., Summers, Robert B., Watlington, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): EVANS, FANNIE L
• Application Number:
  US07/652,486
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 356/42, 356/421-425, 434/98, 434/101, 364/413.09, 364/413.11
• US Class Current: 356/423
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0181 Memory or computer-assisted visual determination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/293 with colour charts, graduated scales or turrets

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for making color comparisons between a test sample and a plurality of color samples. The color samples are arranged on a circle on a rotatable member and are successively moved into position adjacent a test sample. When an operator determines that a color sample adjacent the test sample is closest in color to the test sample he operates a switch which causes a stored numerical value associated with that sample to be read out and displayed on a display device.

Claims

1. A colorimeter for converting a color output to an electrical signal comprising a color chart having a plurality of reference colors for comparing to a color which is to be converted, means for generating an electrical signal which corresponds to a favorable comparison of the color which is to be converted to the reference colors on the color chart;

and means for locating the color chart with respect to the means for generating an electrical signal so that the means for generating can generate an electrical signal corresponding to said favorable comparison.

2. A colorimeter comprising a case, a display means mounted on said case, means for mounting a color chart on said case, means for generating an electrical signal which corresponds to a favorable comparison of a color on a reagent test strip to said color chart, means for locating the color chart with respect to the means for generating an electrical signal so that the means for generating an electrical signal can generate an electrical signal when the color on the reagent test strip approximates a color on the chart, whereby said display means provides a reading corresponding to the electrical signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the color chart comprises multiple color specimens to which a color of the reagent test strip can be comparted, and the means or generating an electrical signal comprises at least one electrical switch providing a signal representative of said approximation and means for coupling said at least one electrical switch to the display means, said coupling means being responsive to state changes of said at lest one switch to cause said display means to display the reading.

4. A colorimeter comprising a case, a display means mounted on said case, means for mounting a color chart on said case in a manner which enables a specimen to be located in close proximity to the various colors of the color chart, means for indicating which color on the color chart th color of the specimen most closely approximates, the means for coupling the indicating means to the display means to drive the display means to display an indication of the color on the color chart which most closely approximates the color of the specimen.

5. A meter for measuring the color to which a chemical test piece has turned after being contacted with a test specimen, the meter comprising a color chart, a case including means for permitting the test piece to be located adjacent the color chart, means for mounting the color chart relative tot eh case, the chart containing colors which the chemical test piece may assume after being contacted with the test specimen, means or generating an electrical signal corresponding to a color on the chart to which the test piece has turned, a display, and means for coupling the means for generating an electrical signal to the display to provide a meter readout related to the color to which the test piece has turned.

6. An apparatus for providing an electrical signal representing the result of a comparison of a color sample with a plurality of reference colors comprising;

a color reference device containing a plurality of reference colors, each of which can be viewably associated with a color sample;

means for generating respective electrical signals corresponding to each of said plurality of reference colors; and

operator manipulable means for causing said generating means to generate one of said electrical signal, which is associated with a reference color deemed by an operator to compare favorably with the color of said color sample.