Test system

• US 3,907,503 A
• Filed: 01/21/1974
• Issued: 09/23/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cleo Elmer Betts, John Kendall Marsh
• Original Assignee: Cleo Elmer Betts, John Kendall Marsh
• Inventors: Betts, Cleo Elmer, Marsh, John Kendall
• Primary Examiner(s): Serwin, R. E.
• Application Number:
  US05/435,001
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 23/23R,253R,259,253TP 235/151.13,151.3,151.35
• US Class Current: 422/67
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00039 Transport arrangements specific to flat sample substrates, e.g. pusher blade
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00118 for multiple tests
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00772 mechanical or optical code other than bar code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1025 Fluid level sensing
• 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 35/00029 provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides G01N35/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00594 Quality control, including calibration or testing of components of the analyser
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00693 Calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers

Abstract

A test system for the semi-automatic analysis of chemical constituents in a test fluid which comprises test devices having test reagents and code means associated therewith and an instrument which receives the test devices and is programmed by the device code means for automatically reading the particular test reagents associated with the particular test device being used. Preferably the test reagents are in a dry form, immobilized in or on a carrier member which upon contact with the test fluid can be manually presented to the instrument. Another preferable embodiment of the present device comprises the use of the code means to calibrate the instrument each time a test device is introduced thereto.

Claims

1. A SEMI-AUTOMATIC TEST SYSTEM FOR DETERMINATION OF CEMICAL CONSITUTRNTS IN A FLUID COMPRISING A CARRIER MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF TEST REAGENTS ON SAID CARRIER MEMBER IN PREDETERMINED RELATION EACH OF SAID TEST REAGENTS BEING RECTABLE WITH A SPECIFIC CONSTITUENT IN A FLUID AND CODE MEANS ON SAID CARRIER MEMBER FOR USE IN IDENTIFYING THE TEST REAGENTS LOCATION ON SAID CARRIER MEMBER, CODE SENSING MEANS FOR SENSING SAID CODE

2. A test system as in claim 1 wherein the carrier member comprises a strip of transparent plastic film.

3. A test system as in claim 1 wherein said test reagents are incorporated with bibulous matrices which are attached to the carrier member.

4. A test system as in claim 2 wherein the code means is an opaque area positioned on the carrier member a predetermined distance from one test reagent.

5. A test system as in claim 1 wherein the code means is one of a plurality of different indicia, each respectively representing a different combination of said test reagents.

6. A test system as in claim 1 wherein said reaction sensing means is initially responsive to said code means to provide an output signal to said readout means for calibration of the latter.

7. A semi-automatic test system for determination of chemical constituents in a fluid, comprising a test device comprising a strip of transparent plastic film, a plurality of test reagents on said strip in predetermined spaced relation, each of said test reagents being reactable with a specific constituent in a fluid, and an opaque area on said strip at a predetermined location relative to the test reagents;

movable, transparent table means adaptable to receive said test device;

a light source for directing a light beam toward said table means, movement of said table means with said test device thereon causing said opaque area and said test reagents to be moved through positions in which they successively interrupt said light beam;

light responsive code sensing means positioned to receive said light beam when not so interrupted;

reaction sensing means operable responsive to reactions of said test reagents when said test reagents are respectively in interrupting relation to said light beam to provide output signals;

function means connected to said code sensing means and operative to interpret the relative positions of the opaque area and the test reagents; and

readout means cooperable with said function means and responsive to the output signal from said reaction sensing means.

8. A test device for determination of chemical constituents in a fluid and which is adapted for use with an instrument responsive to code means on the test device, said test device comprising a carrier member, a plurality of test reagents on the carrier member in predetermined relation, each of said test reagents being reactable with a specific constituent in a fluid, and code means on said carrier member for indicating to an instrument the particular test reagents which are on said carrier member.

9. A test device as in claim 8 wherein the carrier member comprises a strip of transparent plastic film.

10. A test device as in claim 8 wherein said test reagents are incorporated with bibulous matrices which are attached to the carrier member.

11. A test device as in claim 9 wherein the code means is an opaque area positioned on the carrier member in a predetermined position with respect to said test reagents.

12. A test device as in claim 8 adapted for use with a calibratable instrument, the code means of said test device indicating to the instrument the amount of calibration adjustment therein necessary when said test device is used with said instrument.

13. A test instrument for reading any selected one of a plurality of test devices each of which comprises a carrier member, a plurality of test reagents on said carrier member, each of said test reagents being reactable with a specific constituent in a fluid, and code means on said carrier member specific for the respective test device;

said instrument comprising code sensing means for sensing the code means of a test device presented thereto, reaction sensing means operable responsive to reactions of test reagents on such test device to give output signals, and readout means controlled by said code sensing means and responsive to the outPut signal of said reaction sensing means.

14. A test instrument for reading any selected one of a plurality of test devices each of which comprises a carrier member in strip form to which are affixed code means and one or more test reagents at predetermined spaced intervals, said instrument comprising movable table means adapted to receive a test device to be read, reaction sensing means adjacent said table means and responsive to reactions of the reagents of a test device on said table means with constituents to be detected in a fluid, code sensing means adjacent said table means for sensing predetermined spaced intervals on a test device on said table means to identify said test device, and readout means responsive to said reaction sensing means and said code sensing means to provide an indication of reaction of test reagents with particular constituents in a fluid as a test device is carried by said table means past said code sensing means and said reaction sensing means.

15. In a test instrument for reading test devices each of which comprises a transparent carrier member to which code means in the form of an opaque block and one or more test reagents are affixed at spaced intervals, a movable transparent table member adapted to receive a test device to be read, a light source on one side of said table member for directing a light beam through said table, a photosensitive element on the side of said transparent table member opposite said light source, which element is positioned to receive said light beam and gives an output signal in response thereto, said light beam being interrupted by the opaque block and test reagents respectively on a test device carried therethrough on said table member, and function means connected to said photosensitive element and operable to identify a particular test device on the table member responsive to output signals received from said photosensitive element as said test device is moved through said light beam on said table member.

16. A test system as in claim 1 wherein the output signals provide quantitative indications of the reactions of said test reagents.

17. A test system as in claim 2 wherein said test reagents are incorporated with bibulous matrices which are attached to said carrier member and said code means is an opaque area.

18. A test system as in claim 3 wherein said bibulous matrices are paper.

19. A semi-automatic test system as in claim 7 wherein the output signals provide quantitative indications of particular constituents in a fluid.

20. A test device as in claim 8 wherein said code means is in a predetermined position with respect one test reagent.

21. A test device as in claim 10 wherein said matrices are paper.

22. In combination, a dip-and-read type test device comprising a carrier member, a plurality of test reagents on said carrier member, each of said test reagents being reactable with a specific constituent in a fluid, and code means on said carrier member;

code sensing means responsive to said code means to give a code output signal;

reaction sensing means responsive to reaction of said test reagents to provide reaction output signals;

table means for receiving said test device, said table means and said code sensing and reaction sensing means being mounted for relative motion along a given path such that said code means and said test reagents of a test device on said table means are presented to said code sensing means and said reaction sensing means respectively in predetermined order; and

readout means responsive to said code output signal and said reaction output signals.

23. A combination as in claim 22 wherein said test reagents are incorporated with bibulous matrices which are attached to said carrier member.

24. A combination as in claim 23 wherein said bibulous matrices are paper.

25. A combination as in claim 22 wherein said carrier member is a transparent plastic film.

26. A combination as in claim 25 wherein said code means is an opaQue area.

27. A combination as in claim 26 where in said test reagents are each incorporated with a bibulous paper matrix which is attached to said carrier member.

28. A combination as in claim 27 wherein said opaque area is in a predetermined spaced relation with respect to one of said test reagents.

29. A combination as in claim 25 wherein at least the portion of said table means adjacent the code means and the test reagents of a test device thereon is transparent.

30. A combination as in claim 29 wherein said code sensing means includes a photosensitive element and said reaction sensing means includes a photosensitive element, and there is a light source for directing a light beam through said table means toward said code sensing photosensitive element, said reaction sensing photosensitive element being positioned to receive light reflected from the code means or a test reagent of a test device on said table means when said code means or test reagent is in interrupting relation to said light beam.

31. A test system for determination of chemical constituents in a fluid comprising a carrier member, at least one test reagent on said carrier member reactable with a specific constituent in a fluid, code means on said carrier member at a predetermined distance from said at least one test reagent, code sensing means for sensing the predetermined distance between said code means and said at least one test reagent, reaction sensing means responsive to reaction of said at least one test reagent to provide an output signal, and readout means controlled by said code sensing means and responsive to the output signal from said reaction sensing means.

32. A test system as in claim 31 wherein said at least one test reagent is incorporated with a bibulous paper which is attached to said carrier member.

33. A test system as in claim 31 wherein said carrier member is transparent.

34. A test system as in claim 33 wherein said code means is an opaque area.

35. A test system as in claim 31 wherein said readout means is calibratable and wherein said reaction sensing means is responsive to said code means to provide a calibrate output signal to said readout means for calibration of the latter.

36. A test device for determination of a chemical constituent in a fluid and which is adapted for use with an instrument responsive to code means on the device, said device comprising a carrier member, at least one test reagent on said carrier member, said at least one test reagent being reactable with a specific constituent in a fluid, and code means on said carrier in a predetermined spaced relation with respect to said at least one test reagent for indicating to an instrument by such spaced relation the particular at least one test reagent on said carrier member.

37. A test device as in claim 36 wherein said carrier is transparent.

38. A test device as in claim 37 wherein said code means is an opaque area.