BLOOD TEST DEVICE

• US 20100168615A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Amano, Yoshinori, Fujiwara, Masaki, Nishida, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,556,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/583
• 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 5/150175 Adjustment of penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15019 Depth adjustment mechanism using movable stops located inside the piercing device housing and limiting the travel of the drive mechanism mechanisms using distal end caps A61B5/150183, mechanisms at the piercing element carrier proximal end A61B5/150198
• 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 5/150519 Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the single-ended needle to a piercing device or sampling device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150916 by blocking components, e.g. piston, driving device or fluid passageway
• 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 5/15113 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 5/15123 comprising magnets or solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1513 comprising linear sliding guides comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15194 fully automatically retracted, i.e. the retraction does not require a deliberate action by the user, e.g. by terminating the contact with the patient's skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood

Abstract

A blood test device by which the amount of plumped skin at a puncture site for conducting a blood test or collecting the blood can be controlled at a constant amount so that a blood component can be accurately measured. Namely, a blood test device comprising: a housing; an inner tube provided in one side of the housing; a reciprocating unit which reciprocates within the inner tube; a blood collection needle connected to the reciprocating unit; a blood sensor facing to the blood collection needle and being located at the tip of the inner tube; a measurement circuit to which a signal is fed from the blood sensor; and a negative pressure unit driven by the measurement circuit; which further has an outer tube that is a tube covering the inner tube, having an opening in the tip side of the inner tube, being capable of relatively moving to the inner tube, and being provided so as to return to a definite relative position. The negative pressure unit as described above can apply a negative pressure to the inside of the outer tube.

Claims

1. A blood test apparatus comprising:

a housing which forms a chassis;

an internal cylinder body which is formed at one side of the housing;

a reciprocating section that moves back and forth inside the internal cylinder body;

a blood collection needle which is connected to the reciprocating section;

a blood sensor to which the blood collection needle is directed and provided at a tip part of the internal cylinder body;

a measuring circuit to which a signal of the blood sensor is supplied;

a negative pressure section which can be driven depending on the measuring circuit; and

an external cylinder body which covers the internal cylinder body and comprises an opening part at a tip side of the internal cylinder body, and is provided so as to be able to move relative to the internal cylinder body and return to a predetermined relative position,

wherein the negative pressure section can create a negative pressure inside the external cylinder body.

2. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external cylinder body covers the whole of the housing.

3. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first fixing section that fixes a position of the external cylinder body relative to the internal cylinder body.

4. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tip part of the internal cylinder body is in front of the opening part of the external cylinder body in the predetermined relative position.

5. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tip part of the internal cylinder body is behind the opening part of the external cylinder body in the predetermined relative position.

6. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reciprocating section is driven by an elastic force of an elastic body.

7. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reciprocating section is driven by an electromagnetic force.

8. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second fixing section that fixes the reciprocating section to the external cylinder body or to the housing.

9. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a move detecting sensor that detects the relative move of the external cylinder body, or a skin contact detecting sensor that detects a contact between a tip part of the external cylinder body and a skin.

10. The blood test apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the move detecting sensor is a micro switch.

11. The blood test apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the move detecting sensor is an optical sensor.

12. The blood test apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the skin contact detecting sensor comprises two or more electrical conductors provided on the opening part of the external cylinder body.

13. The blood test apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the negative pressure section stops when the move detecting sensor detects a return of the external cylinder body to the predetermined relative position to the internal cylinder, or when the skin contact detecting sensor detects a non-contact state of the skin.

14. The blood test apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the measuring circuit controls the negative pressure section based on output of the move detecting sensor or the skin contact detecting sensor.

15. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a material of part or whole of the opening part of the external cylinder body is an elastic body.

16. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a material of part or whole of the opening part of the external cylinder body has low thermal conductivity.

17. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a timer and a display section that are connected to the measuring circuit.

18. The blood test apparatus according to claim 17, wherein:

the timer measures a predetermined driving time of the negative pressure section; and

the display section displays that puncturing is allowed, after the predetermined driving time has passed.

19. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the blood collection needle and the blood sensor are integrated in a holder to configure a blood sampling cartridge; and

the blood sampling cartridge is attached to the internal cylinder body removably.

20. The blood test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the blood sensor comprises:

a base plate;

a storing part which is provided in the base plate and which collects blood from a skin punctured with the blood collection needle;

a supply channel, one end of which is connected to the storing part, and into which the blood in the storing part flows by capillary action;

an air hole provided at the other end of the supply channel;

a detecting section provided inside the supply channel;

a plurality of detection electrodes which configure the detecting section; and

each of a plurality of connection electrodes provided on an outer periphery of the base plate is derived from each of the plurality of detection electrodes.

21. The blood test apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the storing part of the blood sensor communicates with a negative pressure chamber provided inside the external cylinder body.

22. A method for examining blood using the blood test apparatus according to claim 9, comprising

a negative pressure starting step of starting driving the negative pressure section based on a signal from the move detecting sensor or the skin contact detecting sensor depending on the measuring circuit.

23. A method for examining blood using the blood test apparatus according to claim 9, comprising:

a negative pressure starting step of starting driving the negative pressure section based on a signal from the move detecting sensor or the skin contact detecting sensor depending on the measuring circuit;

a first fixing step of fixing the position of the external cylinder body relative to the internal cylinder body by fixing section; and

a puncturing step of the puncturing the skin with the blood collection needle.

24. A method for examining blood using the blood test apparatus according to claim 9, comprising a negative pressure stopping step of stopping the negative pressure section based on a signal from the move detecting sensor or the skin contact detecting sensor.

25. A method for examining blood using the blood test apparatus according to claim 20, comprising a negative pressure stopping step of stopping the negative pressure section based on signals from the detection electrodes.

26. A method for examining blood using the blood test apparatus according to claim 8, comprising:

a step of attaching the blood collection needle to the reciprocating section to fix the reciprocating section to the external cylinder body or to the housing by the second fixing section; and

a step of puncturing the skin with the blood collection needle.