Measuring system

• US 7,147,825 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2001
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc, PHC Corporation (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc, Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Kouichi, Watanabe, Masashi, Sato, Yoshiharu, Hirao, Etsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, LYLE
• Application Number:
  US09/958,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20020155030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,122 Days
• Field of Search: 422/58, 422/61, 422/164, 422/169, 422/56, 436/66
• US Class Current: 422/400
• 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 measuring system according to the present invention includes a biosensor 29, a measuring device 54 for assaying a specified component in a biological sample applied to the sensor 29, optional indicating equipment 56 which can be removed from the measuring device 54 and announces a measurement result by the measuring device 54 or the like by voice, and a guide 50 for guiding a target to be measured to the sensor 29. According to this measuring system, it is possible to remove the difficulty of performing locating operations when a blind person or a person having weak eyesight attaches/detached the sensor 29 to/from a connector 13 of the measuring device 54 or applies body fluid such as blood to the end of the sensor 29.

Claims

1. A measuring system comprising:

a sensor for sensing a specified component in a biological sample;

a measuring device for assaying the specified component sensed by said sensor, said sensor being detachably connected to said measuring device so as to project outwardly from said measuring device in a projecting direction; and

a V-shaped guide having a pair of guide pieces each projecting outwardly from said measuring device farther than an end portion of said sensor in a respective outward direction relative to the projecting direction of said sensor, said pair of guide pieces being arranged to define a space therebetween, said space extending outwardly from said measuring device in the projecting direction of said sensor such that said end portion of said sensor is located within said space when said sensor is connected to said measuring device and such that said pair of guide pieces guide a target toward said sensor.

2. The measuring system of claim 1, wherein said pair of guide pieces comprises a pair of guide arms projecting outwardly at opposite sides of said sensor.

3. The measuring system of claim 2, wherein said guide further has a base portion attached to said measuring device, said guide arms projecting outwardly from said base portion of said guide, said sensor being attached to said measuring device.

4. The measuring system of claim 1, wherein said pair of guide pieces comprises a pair of guide arms projecting outwardly from said measuring device so that a tip portion of each of said guide arms is located farther from said measuring device than said end portion of said sensor with respect to the projecting direction.

5. The measuring system of claim 4, wherein said guide further has a base portion attached to said measuring device, said guide arms projecting outwardly from said base portion of said guide, said sensor being attached to said measuring device.

6. The measuring system of claim 1, wherein said sensor projects from a front side of said measuring device, said guide being attached to said measuring device such that said pair of guide pieces project from said front side of said measuring device at opposite sides of said sensor.

7. The measuring system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a disposable sensor detachably connected to said measuring device.

8. The measuring system of claim 1, wherein said guide projects outwardly from a measurement portion of said sensor so as to guide the target toward said measurement portion of said sensor.

9. The measuring system of claim 1, wherein said guide is retractably attached to said measuring device so as to be pulled from and stored in said measuring device.

10. The measuring system of claim 1, wherein said space defined by said pair of guide pieces of said V-shaped guide comprises a guiding groove extending from an open end of said guide toward said sensor.

11. The measuring system of claim 1, wherein said guide is made of a material having a spring elasticity.

24. The measuring system as defined in claim 1, wherein said space between said pair of guide pieces is narrower at a base end of said guide closest to said measuring device than at a distal end of said guide farthest from said measuring device.

12. A measuring system comprising:

a sensor for sensing a specified component in a biological sample;

a measuring device for assaying the specified component sensed by said sensor, said sensor being detachably connected to said measuring device so as to project outwardly from said measuring device in a projecting direction;

an indicator device for indicating a measured result generated by said measuring device; and

a V-shaped guide having a pair of guide pieces each projecting outwardly from said measuring device farther than an end portion of said sensor in a respective outward direction relative to the projecting direction of said sensor, said pair of guide pieces being arranged to define a space therebetween, said space extending outwardly from said measuring device in the projecting direction of said sensor such that said end portion of said sensor is located within said space when said sensor is connected to said measuring device and such that said pair of guide pieces guide a target toward said sensor.

13. The measuring system of claim 12, wherein said pair of guide pieces comprises a pair of guide arms projecting outwardly at opposite sides of said sensor.

14. The measuring system of claim 13, wherein said guide further has a base portion attached to said indicator device, said guide arms projecting outwardly from said base portion of said guide, said sensor being attached to said measuring device.

15. The measuring system of claim 12, wherein said pair of guide pieces comprises a pair of guide arms projecting outwardly from said measuring device so that a tip portion of each of said guide arms is located farther from said measuring device than said end portion of said sensor with respect to the projecting direction.

16. The measuring system of claim 15, wherein said guide further has a base portion attached to said indicator device, said guide arms projecting outwardly from said base portion of said guide, said sensor being attached to said measuring device.

17. The measuring system of claim 12, wherein said sensor projects from a front side of said measuring device, said measuring device being mounted to said indicator device, and said guide being attached to said indicator device so that said pair of guide pieces project from said front side of said measuring device at opposite sides of said sensor.

18. The measuring system of claim 12, wherein said sensor comprises a disposable sensor detachably connected to said measuring device.

19. The measuring system of claim 12, wherein said indicator device comprises an audio device for indicating the measured result generated by said measuring device by voice.

20. The measuring system of claim 12, wherein said guide is shaped and arranged as a clamp for fixing said measuring device to said indicator device.

21. The measuring system of claim 20, wherein said guide has a portion for contacting an end or a top surface of said measuring device so as to hold said measuring device against said indicator device.

22. The measuring system of claim 12, wherein said guide is retractably attached to said indicator device so as to be pulled from and stored in said indicator device.

23. The measuring system of claim 12, wherein said guide is removably mounted to said indicator device.

25. The measuring system as defined in claim 12, wherein said space between said pair of guide pieces is narrower at a base end of said guide closest to said measuring device than at a distal end of said guide farthest from said measuring device.