Device for determining a substance contained in a body fluid

• US 6,558,897 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Care Diagnostica Produktions-Und VertriebsGmbH
• Original Assignee: Care Diagnostica Produktions-Und VertriebsGmbH
• Inventors: Scheuringer, Kim
• Primary Examiner(s): Leary, Louise N.
• Application Number:
  US09/866,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20010053531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 435/4, 435/23, 435/7.1, 435/283.1, 435/287.7, 435/287.1, 435/287.2, 422/68.1, 422/50
• US Class Current: 435/4
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/52 Use of compounds or compositions for colorimetric, spectrophotometric or fluorometric investigation, e.g. use of reagent paper and including single- and multilayer analytical elements immunological elements G01N33/54386; involving labelled immunochemicals G01N33/58; for haemoglobin or occult blood G01N33/72
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/521 Single-layer analytical elements

Abstract

A device for determining a substance contained in a body fluid is provided. An indicator member has a testing zone that changes the color based on the concentration level of the substance contained in a body fluid applied to the testing zone. The indicator member is rotatably mounted on a basic carrier. A set of differently colored color fields is provided on the basic carrier along the circumference of a circle having a radius from the center of said basic carrier. The indicator member rotates about the center of said basic carrier. The changed color of said testing zone of said indicator member is compared to said differently colored color fields on the basic carrier.

Claims

1. A device for determining a substance contained in a body fluid, said device comprising:

a basic carrier, and

an indicator member,

said basic carrier mounting said indicator member for rotation movement around the center of rotation of said basic carrier, and said basic carrier being provided with differently colored color fields arranged along the circumference of a circle having a radius about said center of rotation, wherein each color field indicates a concentration level of the substance contained in the body fluid, and

said indicator member having a testing zone having testing substance coated thereon, wherein said testing zone is capable of changing the color according to the concentration level of the substance contained in the body fluid to determine the contained substance.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said indicator member is shaped like a hand of a clock.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said basic carrier is disc-shaped.

4. The device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said basic carrier is circular-disc-shaped.

5. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said color fields are provided along the rim of said circular-disc-shaped basic carrier.

6. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said indicator member is shaped like a hand of a clock and has a length substantially corresponding to the radius of said circular-disc-shaped basic carrier.

7. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein two color fields of testing substances capable of differently changing their colors are provided on said basic carrier for each concentration of said body-fluid-contained substance, two testing zones with testing substances accordingly capable of differently changing their colors for a respective concentration being provided on said indicator member.

8. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said testing substance provided on said indicator member is a testing substance for a blood sugar content determination.

9. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said testing substance provided on said indicator member is a testing substance for a protein test.

10. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said testing substance provided on said indicator member is a testing substance for determining antibodies.

11. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said testing substance provided on said indicator member is a testing substance for determining antigens.

12. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said testing substance provided on said indicator member is a testing substance for a pregnancy test.

13. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said testing substance provided on said indicator member is a testing substance for a fertility test.

14. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said basic carrier is made of cardboard coated with a transparent film of a synthetic material.

15. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said indicator member is made of a synthetic material.

16. A method of determining a substance contained in a body fluid according to the concentration level of the substance in the body fluid by means of a device including a basic carrier having different color fields provided about its circumference and associated concentration indications, and an indicator member rotatably mounted on said basic carrier about the center of rotation of said basic carrier, said indicator member including a testing zone capable of changing its color according to the concentration level of the substance contained in the body fluid applied to said testing zone, said method comprising:

applying said body fluid to said testing zone of said indicator member so as to change the color of said testing substance in said testing zone according to the concentration level of substance contained in the body fluid; and

subsequently rotating said indicator member about said center of rotation of said basic carrier to compare the changed color of said testing zone to one of said color fields on said basic carrier to read the associated concentration indication of the color field on said basic carrier corresponding to said changed color of said testing substance.