Toilet-bowl-mounted urinalysis unit
First Claim
1. A toilet bowl-mounted urinalysis unit for sampling and analysis of urine at a toilet equipped with a standard water closet bowl fixture having a bowl and a flushing water supply section located rearwardly of the bowl, said urinalysis unit comprising:
- a housing designed to be mounted in use on the upper surface of said standard bowl fixture between said bowl and said flushing water supply section thereof;
a toilet seat hinged to said housing for swinging movement between a horizontal operative position in which said seat rests upon said bowl fixture and an upright inoperative position;
a urine sampling device, including a movable urine sampling vessel, mounted to said toilet seat for swinging movement conjointly therewith for sampling, in mid-air within the inner space of said bowl, a quantity of urine excreted into said bowl;
a urinalysis device arranged in said housing;
fluid transfer means, including a fluid pump arranged in said housing, for transferring urine sample from said sampling vessel to said urinalysis device;
output means for outputting the results of urinalysis by said urinalysis device; and
,control means for controlling said urine sampling device, said fluid transfer means, said urinalysis device and said output means in such a manner that, upon urination into the toilet bowl, urine is sampled and transferred to said urinalysis device and is subjected to urinalysis with the results thereof being output by said output means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A toilet bowl-mounted urinalysis unit (14) adapted to be readily mounted to a standard water closet bowl fixture (12) for sampling and analysis of urine at a toilet. The unit (14) includes a substantially self-contained housing (22) which is designed to be mounted on the upper surface of the standard bowl fixture (12) between the bowl (16) and the flushing water supply section (18). Hinged to the housing (22) is a toilet seat (24) to which is mounted a urine sampling device (26) designed such that urine excreted into the bowl (16) is sampled in mid-air within the inner space of the bowl. The housing (22) receives a urinalysis device (50) with a polarographic flow cell and a syringe pump (52) for transferring a urine sample to the flow cell together with a carrier liquid. The polarographic flow cell has a working electrode supporting an enzyme. In one embodiment, a reservoir for the carrier liquid is received within the housing (22). In another embodiment, the carrier liquid reservoir (402) is mounted to a toilet lid. A method for reforming a toilet equipped with a standard bowl fixture (12) into a toilet equipped with a urinalysis function is also provided wherein a prefabricated toilet seat assembly (28) having the urine sampling device (26) incorporated in advance into the toilet seat (24) is used.
-
Citations
79 Claims
-
1. A toilet bowl-mounted urinalysis unit for sampling and analysis of urine at a toilet equipped with a standard water closet bowl fixture having a bowl and a flushing water supply section located rearwardly of the bowl, said urinalysis unit comprising:
-
a housing designed to be mounted in use on the upper surface of said standard bowl fixture between said bowl and said flushing water supply section thereof; a toilet seat hinged to said housing for swinging movement between a horizontal operative position in which said seat rests upon said bowl fixture and an upright inoperative position; a urine sampling device, including a movable urine sampling vessel, mounted to said toilet seat for swinging movement conjointly therewith for sampling, in mid-air within the inner space of said bowl, a quantity of urine excreted into said bowl; a urinalysis device arranged in said housing; fluid transfer means, including a fluid pump arranged in said housing, for transferring urine sample from said sampling vessel to said urinalysis device; output means for outputting the results of urinalysis by said urinalysis device; and
,control means for controlling said urine sampling device, said fluid transfer means, said urinalysis device and said output means in such a manner that, upon urination into the toilet bowl, urine is sampled and transferred to said urinalysis device and is subjected to urinalysis with the results thereof being output by said output means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A toilet with urinalysis function, comprising:
-
a standard water closet bowl fixture having a bowl and a flushing water supply section located rearwardly of the bowl; a housing mounted on the upper surface of said standard bowl fixture between said bowl and said flushing water supply section thereof; a toilet seat hinged to said housing for swinging movement between a horizontal operative position and an upright inoperative position; an electrically operated urine sampling device, including a movable urine sampling vessel, mounted to said toilet seat for swinging movement conjointly therewith for sampling, in mid-air within the inner space of said bowl, a quantity of urine excreted into said bowl; a urinalysis device arranged in said housing; fluid transfer means, including a fluid pump arranged in said housing, for transferring urine sample from said sampling vessel to said urinalysis device; output means for outputting the results of urinalysis by said urinalysis device; and
,control means for controlling said urine sampling device, said transfer means, said urinalysis device and said output means in such a manner that, upon urination into the toilet bowl, urine is sampled and transferred to said urinalysis device and is subjected to urinalysis with the results thereof being output by said output means.
-
-
28. A urinalysis unit for use with a toilet bowl fixture comprising:
-
a urine sampling device including a collecting portion positionable in an inner space of a toilet bowl fixture for receiving a quantity of urine excreted into the bowl; a urinalysis device; fluid transfer means fluidly connecting the urine sampling device and the urinalysis device for transferring urine from the urine sampling device to the urinalysis device; a support adapted to be mounted on the toilet bowl fixture, the support including an open seating area and means for supporting the urine sampling device, the urinalysis device, and the fluid transfer means. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
-
-
69. A toilet bowl fixture and urinalysis unit comprising
a toilet bowl fixture; -
a urine sampling device including a collecting portion positionable in an inner space of the toilet bowl fixture for receiving a quantity of urine excreted into the bowl; a urinalysis device; fluid transfer means fluidly connecting the urine sampling device and the urinalysis device for transferring urine from the urine sampling device to the urinalysis device; a support mounted on the toilet bowl fixture, the support including an open seating area and means for supporting the urine sampling device, the urinalysis device, and the fluid transfer means. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72)
-
-
73. A method of collecting and analyzing a urine sample comprising the steps of:
-
positioning a urine sampling device into a predetermined urine sampling position in an inner space defined by a toilet bowl, said urine sampling device mounted to a toilet fixture and in fluid communication with a urinalysis device mounted to the toilet fixture, wherein a frame mounts to an underside of a toilet seat and a housing fixedly mounts to said toilet bowl, said housing for containing said urinalysis device, said urine sampling device being connected to said frame; collecting a urine sample excreted into said urine sampling device; detecting the presence of said urine sample within said urine sampling device; transferring said urine sample from said urine sampling device to the urinalysis device mounted to the toilet fixture; and analyzing the contents of said urine sample by said urinalysis device. - View Dependent Claims (74)
-
-
75. A method of collecting and analyzing a urine sample comprising the steps of:
-
positioning a urine sampling device into a predetermined urine sampling position in an inner space defined by a toilet bowl, said urine sampling device mounted to a toilet fixture and in fluid communication with a urinalysis device mounted to the toilet fixture, wherein a frame mounts to an underside of a toilet seat and a housing fixedly mounts to said toilet bowl, said housing for containing said urinalysis device, said urine sampling device being connected to said frame; collecting a urine sample excreted into said urine sampling device; transferring said urine sample from said urine sampling device to the urinalysis device mounted to the toilet fixture; and analyzing the contents of said urine sample by said urinalysis device, wherein the analyzing step includes the substep of generating an electric signal in response to constituents of said urine sample, said electric signal being generated by a polarographic cell within the urinalysis device. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78)
-
-
79. A method of collecting and analyzing a urine sample comprising the steps of:
-
positioning a urine sampling device into a predetermined urine sampling position in an inner space defined by a toilet bowl, said urine sampling device mounted to a toilet fixture and in fluid communication with a urinalysis device mounted to the toilet fixture; collecting a urine sample excreted into said urine sampling device; detecting the presence of said urine sample within said urine sampling device; transferring said urine sample from said urine sampling device to the urinalysis device mounted to the toilet fixture; generating an electric signal in response to constituents of said urine sample, said electric signal being generated by a polarographic cell within said urinalysis device; and analyzing the contents of said urine sample by said urinalysis device, wherein the transferring step occurs in response to the detection of said urine sample within said urine sampling device, and the analyzing step is performed by data processing means within said urinalysis device.
-
Specification