ANALYTICAL STRIP READING APPARATUS WITH A REMOVABLE FIRMWARE DEVICE

• US 20100140341A1
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Actherm Inc.
• Original Assignee: Actherm Inc.
• Inventors: KUO, Chien-Chih, HSIEH, Wen-Pin
• Granted Patent: US 7,784,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8494 Measuring or storing parameters of the band
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00673 of reagents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00891 Displaying information to the operator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0097 monitoring reactions as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/255 including use of a solid sorbent, semipermeable membrane, or liquid extraction

Abstract

A detecting strip reader with a removable firmware device, comprising a detecting strip reader and a firmware device. The firmware device comprises a first electrical connecting end, a database module, and an operation module, the firmware device being removably electrically connected to a second electrical connecting end in the detecting strip reader via the first electrical connecting end, wherein the characteristic of detecting strip reader is in that: a plurality of light reaction equations of detecting strips are saved in the database module, and when the first electrical connecting end of the firmware device receives an input signal from the second connecting end, the operation module selects one specific light reaction equation from the plurality of light reaction equations saved in the database module and performs the operation of the specific light reaction equation.

Claims

1. An analytical strip reading apparatus, comprising a housing and a monitor provided on the housing, a delivering device for supporting an analytical strip and moving the analytical strip into or out of the housing, a barcode reader provided in the housing for reading barcode information of the analytical strip, a reaction signal reader provided in the housing for reading reaction signal emitted from the analytical strip, and a mother board provided in the housing for being electrically connected to the monitor, the delivering device, the barcode reader, and the reaction signal reader, the analytical strip reading apparatus being characterized by:

further comprising an keyboard provided on the housing and a firmware device provided on the mother board, an identification code being inputted via the keyboard for the firmware device to perform detection, wherein the firmware device includes a database sub-module for saving optical reaction equation of a plurality of types of analytical strips, and a process sub-module, selecting one specific optical reaction equation from the database sub-module according to barcode information on the analytical strip and performing process according to the reaction signal provided by the reaction signal reader to come out a test result of the assay.

2. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein barcode information of the analytical strip includes:

type of analytical strip, manufacturing date, manufacturing lot number, expiration date, or calibration data recording different manufacturing lot numbers.

3. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification code can be selected from the group consisting of:

IC Card number, NHI IC Card number, Social Security Number, or anamnesis number.

4. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said database sub-module is a write once memory.

5. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said database sub-module is composed of non-volatile memory.

6. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said non-volatile memory is selected from the group consisting of OTP-ROM, flash memory, EPROM, and EEPROM.

7. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an interface provided on one lateral side of the housing.

8. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said interface can be selected from the group consisting of:

printer port, USB port, RS232 port, Bluetooth port, ZigBee port, and Wireless USB port.

9. A analytical strip reading apparatus with a removable firmware device, comprising an analytical strip reading apparatus and a firmware device, the firmware device comprising a first electrical connecting terminal, a database sub-module, and a process sub-module, said firmware device being removably electrically connected to the second electrical connecting terminal of the analytical strip reading apparatus via the first electrical connecting terminal, wherein the analytical strip reading apparatus is characterized in that:

the database sub-module saves optical reaction equations of a plurality of analytical strips, and after the first electrical connecting terminal of the firmware device acquires an input signal from the second electrical connecting terminal, the process sub-module selects one specific optical reaction equation from the plurality of optical reaction equations saved in the database sub-module and performs process of the specific optical reaction equation.

10. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said database sub-module is a write once memory.

11. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said database sub-module is composed of non-volatile memory.

12. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said non-volatile memory is selected from the group consisting of OTP-ROM, flash memory, EPROM, and EEPROM.

13. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the input signal includes a barcode information and a specific reaction signal.

14. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an interface provided on one lateral side of the housing.

15. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said interface can be selected from the group consisting of:

printer port, USB port, RS232 port, Bluetooth port, ZigBee port, and Wireless USB port.

16. An analytical strip reading apparatus with a removable firmware device, comprising a housing and a monitor provided on the housing, a delivering device for supporting a analytical strip and moving the analytical strip into or out of the housing, a barcode reader provided in the housing for reading barcode information of the analytical strip, a reaction signal reader provided in the housing for reading photoreaction signal of the analytical strip, a mother board provided in the housing for being electrically connected to the monitor, the delivering device, the barcode reader, and the reaction signal reader, one end of the mother board being provided with a first electrical connecting terminal, and a firmware device, the firmware device comprising a second electrical connecting terminal, a database sub-module, and a process sub-module, the firmware device being removably electrically connected to the first electrical connecting terminal of the mother board via the second electrical connecting terminal, wherein the analytical strip reading apparatus is characterized in that:

the database sub-module saves optical reaction equations of a plurality of analytical strips, and after the second electrical connecting terminal acquires an input signal from the first electrical connecting terminal, the process sub-module selects one specific optical reaction equation from the plurality of optical reaction equations saved in the database sub-module and performs process of the specific optical reaction equation.

17. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said database sub-module is a write once memory.

18. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said database sub-module is composed of non-volatile memory.

19. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said non-volatile memory is selected from the group consisting of OTP-ROM, flash memory, EPROM, and EEPROM.

20. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the input signal includes a barcode information provided by the barcode reader and a specific reaction signal provided by the reaction signal reader.

21. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising an interface provided on one lateral side of the housing.

22. The analytical strip reading apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said interface can be selected from the group consisting of:

printer port, USB port, RS232 port, Bluetooth port, ZigBee port, and Wireless USB port.