Portable digital reader for urinalysis

• US 8,797,536 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Dae Sik, Song, Hyun Woo, Jeon, Byoung Goo, Jung, Moon Youn, Park, Seon Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, HOA Q
• Application Number:
  US13/390,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20120162653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 356432-440, 73/614.8, 73/10.2
• US Class Current: 356/436
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/78 producing a change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8483 Investigating reagent band test-element handling not specific to a test method G01N33/4875; analytical elements specific to chemical analysis of biological material G01N33/52; autometer with reagent band G01N35/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0627 Use of several LED's for spectral resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0631 Homogeneising elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/493 urine

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable digital reader for reading an analysis target chip including a plurality of test areas. The reader comprises: a light emitting section having light emitting elements for radiating light; an integral optical splitter for uniformly distributing the light from the light emitting section to each test area of the analysis target chip; a light receiving section for receiving light reflected from each test area so as to convert the same into electric signals; and a measuring section for measuring concentration according to the electric signals obtained from the light receiving section. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the generation of errors in signal measurement due to optical distribution failure by assembling branch sections of the optical splitter under the control of the number of the branch sections according to the number of test items in a test strip.

Claims

1. A portable digital reader for reading a target chip including a plurality of test regions, the portable digital reader comprising:

a support configured to receive the target chip;

a light emitter including light emitting elements and emitting light;

an integrated light distributor comprising;

a stem part extending from the light emitter in a traveling direction of the light, the stem part being configured to reflect light from the light emitter; and

a plurality of branch parts extending toward the support from the stem part;

wherein a surface of the stem part has a predetermined curvature based on a distance between branch parts to totally reflect the light incident on the stem part toward the branch parts, the light incident on the stem part being distributed to the target chip through a branch part;

a light receiver configured to receive the light, which is reflected from each test region, and convert the received light into an electric signal; and

a measuring part configured to measure a concentration based on the electric signal received from the light receiver.

2. The portable digital reader according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the stem part of the light distributor includes an organic or inorganic material for achieving total reflection.

3. The portable digital reader according to claim 1, wherein a number of the branch parts is equal to a number of the test regions, and wherein each of the branch parts correspond to a test region of the target chip respectively.

4. The portable digital reader according to claim 1, wherein the light distributor is formed of a polymer having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of air.

5. The portable digital reader according to claim 4, wherein the polymer is one selected from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyimide (PI), polycarbonate (PC)), cyclo olefin copolymer (COC), poly ethylene terephthalate (PET), and polypropylene (PP).

6. The portable digital reader according to claim 1, wherein the light emitter includes three-color light emitting diodes.

7. The portable digital reader according to claim 1, wherein the measuring part includes a controller, which controls the light emitter to be driven in a switching mode when the target chip is mounted on the support, receives and stores the electric signal from the light receiver, and performs data analysis.

8. The portable digital reader according to claim 7, further comprising a telecommunication unit configured to send results analyzed by the controller to a remote terminal.

9. The portable digital reader according to claim 7, further comprising a display part configured to display results analyzed by the controller.

10. The portable digital reader according to claim 7, wherein the light emitter includes three-color light emitting diodes, and

wherein, in the switching mode, each of the light emitting diodes operates individually for a predetermined time.

11. The portable digital reader according to claim 1, wherein the light receiver includes a plurality of photodiodes.

12. The portable digital reader according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of photodiodes are separated from one another by sidewalls.

13. The portable digital reader according to claim 1, further comprising a body including an upper portion, a lower portion, and a space therebetween,

wherein the support is provided in the space,

wherein the light distributor is provided in the upper portion of the body and extends over a length of the support, and

wherein the branch parts extend at an angle from the stem part and towards the support.

14. The portable digital reader according to claim 1, wherein the light distributor further includes a compensator configured to compensate for a white or black color, wherein a number of the branch parts is one more than a number of the test regions, and wherein the light incident on the stem part is distributed to each test region of the target chip through a corresponding branch part.