BLOOD SENSOR AND BLOOD EXAMINING INSTRUMENT INCLUDING SAME

• US 20090318790A1
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Masaki, Hamanaka, Kenichi, Akiyama, Toshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,221,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/347
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14535 for measuring haematocrit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1486 using enzyme electrodes, e.g. with immobilised oxidase
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150099 by negative pressure, other than vacuum extraction into a syringe by pulling on the piston rod or into pre-evacuated tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150213 Venting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150412 Pointed piercing elements, e.g. needles, lancets for piercing the skin blade-like piercing elements A61B5/150442
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150503 Single-ended needles hollow piercing element tip design A61B5/150396, needle sets for catheters A61M25/06, needles for bringing media into the body A61M5/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150954 Means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. by temperature sensitive sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15109 Fully automatically triggered, i.e. the triggering does not require a deliberate action by the user, e.g. by contact with the patient's skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15113 Manually triggered, i.e. the triggering requires a deliberate action by the user such as pressing a drive button
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15117 comprising biased elements, resilient elements or a spring, e.g. a helical spring, leaf spring, or elastic strap
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15136 by use of radiation, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3272 Test elements therefor, i.e. disposable laminated substrates with electrodes, reagent and channels optical biosensors G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/66 involving blood sugars, e.g. galactose

Abstract

A blood sensor (20a) comprises a substrate (21); a spacer (22) attached to the top of the substrate (21); a cover (23) attached to the top of the spacer (22); a blood reservoir portion (24) defined by a substrate hole (21a) formed in the substrate (21), a part of a spacer hole (22a) formed in the spacer (22) and connected to the substrate hole (21a), and a cover hole (23a) formed in the cover (23) and connected to the spacer hole (22a); a supply passage (25) defined by another part of the spacer hole (22a) and communicating with the blood reservoir portion (24); and detection electrodes formed in the supply passage (25). The cover (23) projects from the supply passage (25) toward the inside of the blood reservoir portion (24) farther than the substrate (21) and the spacer (22).

Claims

1. A blood sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a spacer that is attached on an upper surface of the substrate;

a cover that is attached on an upper surface of the spacer;

a blood storing part that is formed of a substrate hole which is formed in the substrate, a part of a spacer hole which is formed in the spacer and which is coupled to the substrate hole, and a cover hole which is formed in the cover and which is coupled to the spacer hole;

a supply channel that is formed of another part of the spacer hole and that communicates with the blood storing part; and

a plurality of detection electrodes formed on the supply channel,

wherein the cover projects from a supply channel side toward an interior of the blood storing part, beyond the substrate and the spacer.

2. The blood sensor according to claim 1, wherein the length of the projection of the cover is greater than the sum of the thickness of the substrate and the thickness of the spacer.

3. The blood sensor according to claim 1, wherein an opening area of the cover hole is equal to or less than an opening area of the substrate hole and is smaller than an opening area of the spacer hole.

4. The blood sensor according to claim 1, wherein the substrate projects from the supply channel side toward the interior of the blood storing part, beyond the spacer to form a space between the substrate and the cover.

5. The blood sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the substrate hole, the spacer hole forming the blood storing part, and the cover hole are round;

the diameter of the cover hole is equal to or less than the diameter of the substrate hole and is shorter than the diameter of the spacer hole; and

the centers of the substrate hole, the spacer hole and the cover hole are provided concentrically.

6. The blood sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the substrate hole, the spacer hole forming the blood storing part, and the cover hole are round;

the diameter of the cover hole is equal to or less than the diameter of the substrate hole and is shorter than the diameter of the spacer hole;

the centers of the cover hole and the spacer hole are provided concentrically; and

the center of the substrate hole is positioned farther away from the supply channel than the center of the spacer hole.

7. The blood sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the substrate hole, the spacer hole forming the blood storing part, and the cover hole are round;

the diameter of the substrate hole is made longer than the diameter of the cover hole and equal to the diameter of the spacer hole;

the centers of the substrate hole and the spacer hole are provided concentrically; and

the center of the cover hole is positioned farther away from the supply channel than the center of the substrate hole.

8. The blood sensor according to claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a projecting part projecting from the supply channel side toward the interior of the blood storing part.

9. The blood sensor according to claim 1, wherein a negative pressure is applied to the blood storing part through the cover hole.

10. The blood sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the substrate, the spacer and the cover form a base plate of a polygon;

electrodes are provided at apexes of the polygon;

the electrodes provided at the apexes are each connected with one of the detection electrodes; and

two of the electrodes provided at the apexes are connected with the same detection electrode.

11. The blood sensor according to claim 10, wherein the base plate is a regular hexagon.

12. The blood sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

an upper surface of the cover is water-repellent;

an inner surface of the supply channel is hydrophilic; and

a ceiling of the blood storing part is less water-repellent than the upper surface of the cover or is less hydrophilic than the inner surface of the supply channel.

13. The blood sensor according to claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the substrate is water-repellent.

14. A blood test apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a cylinder body that is formed at one end of the housing;

a plunger that moves back and forth inside the cylinder body;

a lancet that is held at one end by the plunger detachably and that has at the other end a puncturing needle attached;

a blood sensor that is provided facing the puncturing needle; and

an electrical circuit section that is connected with the blood sensor,

wherein the blood sensor is a blood sensor according to claim 1.

15. The blood test apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

the blood sensor is attached to a cylindrical holder to make a cartridge; and

the cartridge is attached to the cylinder body removably.

16. The blood test apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the holder is formed of a member which is transparent or semitransparent such that an interior can be seen.

17. The blood test apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising negative pressure means that applies a negative pressure near the blood sensor.

18. The blood test apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a skin is punctured with the puncturing needle at a position closer to a supply channel side than the center of a cover hole formed in the blood sensor.

19. A blood test apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a cylinder body that is formed at one end of the housing;

a laser emitting apparatus that is provided inside the cylinder body;

a blood sensor that is provided facing a laser emitting opening of the laser emitting apparatus; and

an electrical circuit section that is connected with the blood sensor,

wherein the blood sensor is a blood sensor according to claim 1.

20. The blood test apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

the blood sensor is attached to a cylindrical holder to make a cartridge; and

the cartridge is attached to the cylinder body removably.

21. The blood test apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the holder is formed of a transparent or semitransparent member such that an interior can be seen.

22. The blood test apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising negative pressure means that applies a negative pressure near the blood sensor.

23. The blood test apparatus according to claim 19, wherein laser light punctures a skin at a position closer to a supply channel side than the center of a cover hole formed in the blood sensor.