Apparatus for measuring concentration of test substance in liquid

• US 5,228,972 A
• Filed: 05/30/1989
• Issued: 07/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sankyo Company Limited (Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Tanaka, Harumi, Mukai, Toji, Osaka, Tatsuhiko, Terawaki, Hiroshi, Yamasaki, Koichi, Hamada, Yoichi, Nakaoka, Sadaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): TUNG, TA HSUNG
• Application Number:
  US07/358,424
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 204/403, 204/415, 204/435, 204/153.18
• US Class Current: 204/415
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4875 Details of handling test elements, e.g. dispensing or storage, not specific to a particular test method test-elements per se B01L, automatic analysers G01N35/00, in-vivo analysis on the human body for medical diagnosis A61B

Abstract

A disk-shaped thin plate or a long-sized thin plate having a roll appearance housed in a casing in which openings for penetration of test substance are formed and on which diffusion-limiting membranes are adhered to cover each openings. Also a driving mechanism for moving the thin plate is provided with the casing. The casing thus houses the thin plate and is provided with the driving mechanism and is positioned in a test apparatus body having a concentration measuring electrode therein. Multiple measurments of concentration of a test substance are carried out by moving the thin plate by the driving mechanism to position the diffusion-limiting membrane having the test solution deposited thereon to the position available to contact with the concentration measuring electrode, while keeping the casing placed in the test apparatus body. As a result, a plurality of measurements of concentration of the test substance is carried out easily.

Claims

1. An assistant apparatus for measuring a concentration of a test substance in a liquid comprising:

a thin plate having a plurality of openings through which a test substance to be measured is penetrated, and a diffusion limiting membrane covering each of said plurality of openings such that a separate diffusion limiting membrane covers each of said plurality of openings;

or, alternatively, a plurality of thin plates, each thin plate having an opening through which a test substance to be measured is penetrated, and a diffusion limiting membrane covering said opening;

wherein the diffusion-limiting membrane limits diffusion of said test substance,

a casing for housing said thin plate or plates, and

a driving mechanism for moving said thin plate or plates by a predetermined distance,

whereby said assistant apparatus is removably installed in a predetermined position of a test apparatus having a concentration measuring electrode therein such that the concentration measuring electrode can contact said diffusion limiting membrane covering one of said openings.

2. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thin plate or plates is a single disk-shaped thin plate having a plurality of openings, the openings being spaced apart a predetermined distance at an edge portion of the thin plate, wherein the casing is further provided with an opening for dropping a test solution and a through hole for inserting the concentration measuring electrode, and wherein the driving mechanism further includes a rotary supporting member for rotatably supporting the thin plate.

3. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the plate further includes through holes for inserting the concentration measuring electrode located between adjacent openings.

4. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the openings and through holes are formed in the thin plate, one after the other.

5. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the through holes are formed in the thin plate after every predetermined number of openings.

6. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the thin plate further includes calibrating standard solution housing members for housing a standard solution for calibration, said standard solution having an established concentration of the test substance, wherein there is one calibrating standard solution housing member corresponding to every other opening.

7. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the thin plate includes calibrating standard solution housing members for housing a standard solution for calibration, said standard solution having an established concentration of the test substance, wherein there is one calibrating standard solution housing member corresponding to every predetermined number of openings.

8. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thin plate or plates is a single elongated thin plate having a plurality of openings therein, the openings being formed at every predetermined distance in a center portion of the thin plate, wherein the casing has a supply chamber, a receiving chamber and a bridging member, said supplying chamber housing a part of said thin plate including one end thereof in a rolled state, said receiving chamber housing a part of said thin plate including another end thereof in a rolled state, said bridging member interconnecting said supplying chamber and said receiving chamber, and wherein the driving mechanism further includes a rotary shaft for winding said thin plate and a rotary engaging mechanism for transmitting a rotary force to said rotary shaft such that said thin plate is moved toward said receiving chamber.

9. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein the bridging member is of a sufficient length for positioning two or more openings simultaneously.

10. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein the bridging member further includes an opening for dropping test solution to the thin plate at a position in a direction toward the supplying-chamber.

11. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

a moving mechanism for moving the thin plate toward the supplying chamber, said moving mechanism including a rotary shaft for receiving said thin plate and a rotary engaging mechanism for transmitting a rotary force to said rotary shaft.

12. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein the thin plate further includes through holes for passing the concentration measuring electrode between adjacent openings, and the bridging member further includes a through hole for passing said concentration measuring electrode therethrough.

13. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein the openings and through holes are formed in the thin plate in an alternating manner.

14. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein the through holes are formed in the thin plate after every predetermined number of openings.

15. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein the thin plate further includes calibrating standard solution housing members for housing a standard solution for calibration, said standard solution having an established concentration of the test substance, wherein there is one calibrating standard solution housing member corresponding to every other opening.

16. An assistant apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein the thin plate further includes calibrating standard solution housing members for housing a standard solution for calibration, said standard solution having an established concentration of the test substance, wherein there is one calibration standard solution housing member corresponding to every predetermined number of openings.

17. An assistant apparatus for measuring a concentration of a test substance in a liquid comprising:

a plurality of thin plates, each having one opening through which a test substance to be measured is penetrated,

a diffusion limiting membrane for limiting diffusion of said test substance adhered to each of said thin plates for covering said opening on the thin plates, such that each thin plate has one diffusion limiting membrane,

a casing for housing said thin plates, and

a driving mechanism for moving said thin plates by a predetermined distance,

whereby said assistant apparatus is removably installed in a predetermined position of a test apparatus having a concentration measuring electrode therein such that the concentration measuring electrode can contact said diffusion limiting membrane, wherein the thin plates are strips, the opening on each plate being formed at a predetermined position on each thin plate, wherein the casing houses the thin plates therein in a piled up state, said casing further including an opening for sending out one strip of thin plate, and wherein the driving mechanism slides only one sheet of thin plate outwardly through the opening.

18. A test apparatus for measuring a concentration of a test substance in a liquid comprising:

an assistant apparatus having a thin plate with a plurality of openings through which a test substance to be measured is penetrated, and a diffusion limiting membrane covering each of said plurality of openings such that a separate diffusion limiting membrane covers each of said plurality of openings;

or alternatively, said assistant apparatus having a plurality of thin plates, each thin plate having an opening through which a test substance to be measured is penetrated, and a diffusion limiting membrane covering said opening;

wherein the diffusion-limiting membrane limits diffusion of said test substance,

a casing for housing said plate or plates;

a driving mechanism for moving said plate or plates, wherein said driving mechanism is provided at least partially with said casing;

a test apparatus body for positioning said assistant apparatus removably therein, and

a concentration measuring electrode provided with said test apparatus body,

whereby said assistant apparatus is positioned in said test apparatus body and said thin plate or plates are moved by said driving mechanism to a position where one of said diffusion-limiting membranes can contact said concentration measuring electrode.