Power supply monitor and control for medical instrument
First Claim
1. An instrument for determining a characteristic of a biological fluid or a control, the instrument comprising a radiation-reflective surface, a first source for irradiating the surface, a first detector for detecting radiation reflected from the surface, and means for determining the characteristic based on the detected radiation, and a slide for holding a sample of the biological fluid or control, the characteristic of which is to be determined, the slide having two opposed walls transparent to the radiation, the first source and first detector being adjacent a first one of said two opposed walls and the radiation-reflective surface being disposed adjacent a second of said two opposed walls, a system for supplying power and regulating supplied power from one of multiple power sources to the instrument, the system comprising first and second power sources, first coupling means for selectively coupling the system to the first power source, second coupling means for selectively coupling the system to the second power source, at least one capacitor coupled to the first and second coupling means for storing energy supplied by the first and second power sources, and means for comparing a voltage supplied by the first power source to a voltage supplied by the second power source, and for controlling the first coupling means to decouple the system from the first power source when the voltage supplied by the second power source exceeds the voltage supplied by the first power source.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An instrument for determining a characteristic of a biological fluid or a control comprises a radiation-reflective surface, a first source for irradiating the surface, a first detector for detecting radiation reflected from the surface, and a mechanism for determining the characteristic based on the detected radiation. A slide holds a sample of the biological fluid or control the characteristic of which is to be determined. The slide has two opposed walls transparent to the radiation. The first source and first detector are disposed adjacent a first one of the two opposed walls and the radiation reflective surface is disposed adjacent a second of the two opposed walls. A system is provided for supplying power and regulating supplied power from one of multiple power sources to the instrument. The system comprises first and second power sources, first coupling circuitry for selectively coupling the system to the first power source, second coupling circuitry for selectively coupling the system to the second power source, and circuitry for comparing a voltage supplied by the first power source to a voltage supplied by the second power source and for controlling the first coupling circuitry to decouple the system from the first power source when the voltage supplied by the second power source exceeds the voltage supplied by the first power source.
31 Citations
15 Claims
- 1. An instrument for determining a characteristic of a biological fluid or a control, the instrument comprising a radiation-reflective surface, a first source for irradiating the surface, a first detector for detecting radiation reflected from the surface, and means for determining the characteristic based on the detected radiation, and a slide for holding a sample of the biological fluid or control, the characteristic of which is to be determined, the slide having two opposed walls transparent to the radiation, the first source and first detector being adjacent a first one of said two opposed walls and the radiation-reflective surface being disposed adjacent a second of said two opposed walls, a system for supplying power and regulating supplied power from one of multiple power sources to the instrument, the system comprising first and second power sources, first coupling means for selectively coupling the system to the first power source, second coupling means for selectively coupling the system to the second power source, at least one capacitor coupled to the first and second coupling means for storing energy supplied by the first and second power sources, and means for comparing a voltage supplied by the first power source to a voltage supplied by the second power source, and for controlling the first coupling means to decouple the system from the first power source when the voltage supplied by the second power source exceeds the voltage supplied by the first power source.
- 6. A method for supplying power and regulating supplied power to an instrument for determining a characteristic of a biological fluid or control, the instrument comprising a radiation-reflective surface, a first source for irradiating the surface, a first detector for detecting radiation reflected from the surface, the method comprising providing first and second power sources, providing at least one capacitor, coupling the at least one capacitor to the first and second power sources, comparing a voltage supplied to at least one of the first source and first detector by the first power source to a voltage supplied to at least one of the first source and first detector by the second power source, providing means selectively coupling the at least one of the first source and first detector selectively to the first power source, and decoupling the at least one of the first source and first detector from the first power source when the voltage supplied to the at least one of the first source and first detector by the second power source exceeds the voltage supplied to the at least one of the first source and first detector by the first power source.
- 11. An instrument for determining a characteristic of a biological fluid or a control contained in a slide having first and second opposed walls transparent to radiation, the instrument comprising a radiation-reflective surface disposed adjacent the first wall, , a radiation source disposed adjacent the second wall, a radiation detector disposed adjacent the second wall, a processor coupled to the radiation source and detector for determining the characteristic based on the detected radiation, a first power source selectively coupled to the radiation source and detector, a second power source selectively coupled to the radiation source and detector, at least one capacitor coupled to the first and second power sources for storing energy supplied by the first and second power sources, and a voltage comparator circuit that compares a first voltage supplied by the first power source to a second voltage supplied by the second power source, and decouples the radiation source and detector the first power source when the second voltage exceeds the first voltage.
Specification