Biological sample measurement device

• US 9,453,832 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Uenosono, Kaoru, Okada, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Larkin, Daniel S
• Application Number:
  US14/125,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20140123735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 73/614.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48785 Electrical and electronic details of measuring devices for physical analysis of liquid biological material not specific to a particular test method, e.g. user interface or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/49 Blood chemical methods for determining blood cell populations G01N33/5094; chemical analysis of blood groups or blood types G01N33/80

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a biological sample measurement device, which is intended to be easier to use. To achieve this object, the present invention comprises a main body case (1) having a sensor insertion opening into which a sensor for measuring biological samples is inserted, a connection terminal (20) provided within the main body case (1) behind the sensor insertion opening, (5) and a shutter 7 that is provided within the main body case (1) between the sensor insertion opening (5) and the connection terminal (20) and that opens and closes the sensor insertion opening (5). This configuration makes the device easy to use.

Claims

1. A biological sample measurement device, comprising:

a main body case having a sensor insertion opening into which a sensor for measuring biological samples is inserted;

a connection terminal provided within the main body case and behind the sensor insertion opening;

a shutter that is provided within the main body case and between the sensor insertion opening and the connection terminal and that opens and closes the sensor insertion opening; and

a sensor ejection mechanism for ejecting the sensor mounted to the connection terminal to the outside of the main body case from the sensor insertion opening,

wherein the shutter is driven open by the sensor ejection mechanism during sensor ejection by the sensor ejection mechanism.

2. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 1,

wherein the shutter has:

a rotation component that is equipped with shaft components disposed on both sides of the sensor insertion opening, an opening and closing plate provided between the shaft components on both sides, and a manipulated component that is manipulated during opening drive by the sensor ejection mechanism, and that rotates around the shaft components by manipulation of the sensor ejection mechanism during sensor ejection by the sensor ejection mechanism; and

a spring that biases the rotation component in the direction of closing the sensor insertion opening by the opening and closing plate.

3. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 2,

wherein the sensor insertion opening is formed wider than it is tall in the main body case, and

the width of the opening and closing plate in the lateral direction is greater than the width of the sensor insertion opening in the lateral direction.

4. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 2,

wherein the opening and closing plate has an opening and closing component disposed opposite the sensor insertion opening so as to block off the sensor insertion opening when the sensor insertion opening is closed, and

the manipulated component is provided on the opposite side of the opening and closing plate from the opening and closing component with respect to the shaft components.

5. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 4,

wherein the opening and closing component of the opening and closing plate has an inclined face that is inclined toward the inside of the sensor insertion opening.

6. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 2,

wherein the spring is a coil spring, and

the coil spring is mounted around the outer periphery of the shaft component of the shutter.

7. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 6,

wherein the opening and closing plate and the shaft components are formed from a synthetic resin, and

the coil spring is formed from metal.

8. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 7,

wherein a metal face appears at the surface of the coil spring.

9. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 6,

wherein shaft supports that support the shaft components of the shutter are provided on the outside of coil spring mounting components of the shaft components.

10. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a shutter drive mechanism that is provided inside the main body case and that opens and closes the shutter; and

a manipulation body insertion component into which a manipulation body that drives the shutter drive mechanism is inserted from outside the main body case,

wherein the manipulation body insertion component has an opening formed in the surface of the main body case, and

the opening is covered by a portion of the manipulation body disposed outside the main body case when the manipulation body is inserted into the manipulation body insertion component.

11. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 10,

wherein the manipulation body insertion component is a cylindrical jack into which is inserted an external power transmission pin used as the manipulation body.

12. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 11,

wherein the shutter drive mechanism has a manipulated component that is manipulated by the manipulation body and is disposed behind the jack.

13. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 10,

wherein the shutter drive mechanism has a biasing body that biases the shutter in the direction of opening up the sensor insertion opening.

14. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 13,

wherein the biasing body is a coil spring.

15. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 14,

wherein the coil spring extends during manipulation of the shutter drive mechanism by the manipulation body.

16. The biological sample measurement device according to claim 13,

wherein the shutter drive mechanism has a driver that holds down the shutter in order to determine a stroke in the opening and closing direction of the shutter, and

the distal end side of the driver is formed in a shape that is inclined from below the main body case to above the main body case, and from the rear of the main body case toward the front of the main body case.