JPH0721494B2 - Urine automatic test equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to an automatic urine test for measuring, for example, urobilin (bile pigment produced by reduction of bilirubin by intestinal bacteria), sugar, occult blood, etc. in urine. The present invention relates to an automatic urine test device that loads test strips into a transport tube and automatically transports the test strips one by one by compressed air to a testing unit.

(B) Conventional technology At present, for example, as a urine sugar measuring device for measuring urinary sugar, a test paper piece (a test paper piece impregnated with a reagent is attached to the upper surface of a strip-shaped synthetic resin sheet) is attached to the urine sugar testing section. There is no automatic delivery by compressed air tube.

A conventional urinary sugar meter has a control unit equipped with a CPU (central processing unit) and the like inside a meter body, and an inspection unit equipped with a light emitting element (light emitting diode) and a light receiving element (phototransistor), and has a built-in body. The structure is provided with a test paper piece introduction opening for inserting and arranging the test paper portion of the test paper piece corresponding to the inspection section on the outside.

When measuring urine sugar, the examinee takes out one test strip from the storage box that stores the test strip, drip urine on the test strip, and after a certain period of time passes this test strip on the instrument body. Insert and arrange from the introduction opening to the position corresponding to the inspection unit. Then, light is projected from the light emitting element of the inspection unit onto the test paper, the reflected light is received by the light receiving element, and the urine sugar value is detected based on the reaction light amount by the color reaction.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the conventional urine sugar meter, the meter body and the storage box for storing the test strip are separate bodies, and the meter body has a urine collection mechanism for introducing urine. Not deployed. Therefore, at the time of the inspection, it is necessary to take out the test strips one by one from the storage box, and this taking out work is troublesome, and there is a disadvantage that the inspection work takes a long time, especially in a group examination.

In addition, it is necessary for the person to be inspected to attach urine to the surface of the test paper while holding the ejected test paper piece, and to insert it into the instrument inspection unit. There are many disadvantages such as the need to wash fingers and the instrument body inspection unit.

The present invention solves the above problems, and when the urine test section is provided, the urine means automatically conveys the test strips one by one through the compressed air tube, which is hygienic and quick in measurement. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic urine test apparatus with improved operability and convenience.

(D) Means and Actions for Solving Problems In order to achieve this object, the urine automatic examination device of the present invention has the following configuration.

The urine automatic inspection device comprises a urine collecting means, a urine testing means arranged in the urine collecting means, a test strip container storing a plurality of test strips stacked therein, and one end of a test strip transport tube as the urine collecting means. The test sheet strips are arranged correspondingly, and the other end portion is provided correspondingly to the test strip storage cassette, and the test sheet strips pressure-feeding means having a compressed air supply mechanism are provided at appropriate places.

In the urine automatic inspection device having such a configuration, the test strip transforming means provided with the compressed air supply mechanism (compressor) between the urine collecting means for disposing the urine testing means and the test strip storage cassette for storing the test strip. (Test strip transport tube) is installed. That is, the test strips are automatically loaded one by one from the test strip storage cassette into the test strip transport tube,
Further, the high-pressure air discharged from the compressor is conveyed to the urine collecting means. Then, the test paper surface is impregnated with urine by the urine collecting means, and the urine is measured by an inspection unit provided in the urine collecting means.

Therefore, in the urine measurement, the subject does not have to take out the test strip from the separate test strip storage box. Further, all the troublesome work such as the work of draining urine on the surface of the test paper while holding the taken-out test paper piece and the operation of inserting and placing the test paper piece with urine in the inspection section of the instrument main body are eliminated, and it is hygienic. Accuracy and speed of urinalysis are achieved.

(E) Embodiment FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a specific embodiment of the urine automatic inspection apparatus according to the present invention.

The urine automatic inspection apparatus comprises a toilet bowl 1 in which a urine collecting means 2 is provided, and a carrier body 4a which is a separate body from the toilet bowl 1 and which internally houses a test strip cassette 5, a test strip pressure feeding means 4 and the like.

As the toilet bowl 1, a toilet seat type toilet bowl is used in the embodiment, and the urine collecting means 2 is provided inside the toilet bowl opening (urine urine receiving and receiving surface portion) 11. The urine collecting means 2 is continuous with one end portion (tip portion) of a test strip transport tube 41 which constitutes a test strip transporting means 4 described later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the urine collecting means 2 is formed in a flat hollow casing 21 having a substantially semicircular planar shape, and the straight end wall 22 of the hollow casing 21 and the central portion of the curved portion 23 are opened, Toilet bowl 1
The passage for introducing urine flowing through the urine collecting and receiving surface 11 and the passage for flushing water of the toilet are configured. Further, the hollow housing 21 is fitted with a tip end portion of a test strip transport tube 41, which will be described later, from the side of the straight end wall (opening portion) 22, and the open end surface of the tube 41 faces the center of the curved portion (opening portion) 23. I'm putting it out.

Further, a notch hole portion 42 communicating with a urine collection introducing passage (also a toilet flush water passage) of the urine collecting means (hollow housing 21) is opened on both side walls of the tip end portion of the test strip conveying pipe 41. A conductive sensor 24 is provided inside the urine collecting means (hollow housing 21) 2, that is, in correspondence with both side wall openings (notched holes) 42 of the test strip conveying tube 41. The conductive sensor 24 detects that the test paper piece 51 is impregnated with urine, and activates the urine test means 3 described later.

The urine test means 3 is arranged on the upper surface of the hollow housing 21 of the urine collection means 2. The urine testing means 3 is formed in a photoelectric unit 31 having a light receiving element / light emitting element inside, and the upper surface of the hollow housing 21 and a test strip conveying tube corresponding to a reflection sensor (light receiving / light receiving element) in the unit box. 41 on the top,
A window hole communicating with each of them is opened so that the reflection sensor can receive and emit light. Further, an electromagnetic solenoid 32 is provided at a position corresponding to the tip of the unit box 31, that is, the tip (advance) opening of the test strip conveying tube 41, and a rod-shaped stopper capable of appearing and retracting in the electromagnetic solenoid 32.
33 are deployed. When the stopper 33 is moved up and down, the test strip 51 that is pressure-fed through the test strip transport tube 41 stops corresponding to the receiving / light-emitting portion of the inspection unit 3, and the toilet flush water flowing after the inspection completes the test strip 51. Is set to be drained to the waste water treatment pipe of the toilet 1.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the inside of the transporter main body 4a, that is, the test strip feeding means 4.

In addition to the test strip pressure feed means 4, the transporter main body 4a contains a test strip storage cassette 5, a test strip ejection mechanism 6 and a test strip transfer mechanism 7. Then, the test strip transport tube 41 of the test strip transporting mechanism 4 is projected outward from the transporter body 4a, and the tip of the pipe 41 is connected to the urine collecting means 2.

The test paper strip storage cassette 5 is a rectangular parallelepiped case corresponding to the width length of the test paper strip 51, and a large number of test paper strips 51 are stacked and stacked inside the case. Test strip 51
Has a structure in which one or a plurality of test papers 51b impregnated with a reagent are attached to the upper surface of a flat sheet 51a, but in the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. A pressure receiving portion 51c for receiving compressed air is provided at the base end of the test strip 5
1 is set so that the carrier pipe 41 can be efficiently carried. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the pressure receiving portion 51c bends the base end of the seat 51a at a right angle, and in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a pleated piece 51c is attached to the base end of the seat 51a to expand when it receives wind pressure. I am configuring.

An opening for taking out the test paper piece 51 is opened on the bottom surface of the test paper piece cassette case, and an opening / closing lid plate 52 is provided corresponding to the opening. This test paper piece storage cassette 5
Is fixed to a cassette holding member 53 having a U-shaped cross section, and an elevating mechanism 54 is provided on the cassette holding member 53.

The elevating mechanism 54 includes a rack 57 attached to one end wall of the cassette holding member 53, a pinion 56 including a drive motor 55 that meshes with the rack 57, and a guide bar 58 fitted into a side wall portion of the cassette holding member 53. The test strip cassette 5 is set so as to move up and down together with the cassette holding member 53.

The test strip removing mechanism 6 is arranged between the test strip cassette 5 and a guide rail 71 of a test strip transferring mechanism 7 described later.

The test strip removing mechanism 6 includes an endless belt 65 wound around an integral pulley 63, 64 equipped with a drive motor 62, a slider 66 fixed at the center of the length of the belt 65, and a slider.
A moving chamber 67 having a lower portion of the slider 66 is fitted into a guide bar 68, and the slider 66, that is, the suction chamber 61 is set to be reciprocable. There is.

At one end of the slider 66, a hoisting mechanism (motor 69a, gear 69b) 69 for hoisting the suction chamber 61 is provided,
The slider 66 supported by the rotating shaft 69c of the gear 69b.
By tilting the central part of the suction chamber 61, the suction chamber 61 can be set up and down (see FIG. 4). Also suction chamber
71 is connected to a suction pump via a suction tube 61a.

The test strip transporting mechanism 7 is provided between the test strip storage cassette 5 and a test strip pressure feeding means 8 described later, and a guide rail 71 on which the test strip 51 is placed and the guide rail 71.
And a slider 74 having a pusher 73 that reciprocates above.

The guide rail 71 is formed to have a U-shaped cross section in which both sides of the flat plate portion are bent upward, and the test paper piece 51 is placed between the bent opposing walls. And the guide rail 71
A slit hole 72 is opened in the flat plate portion, and the pusher 73 of the slider 74 and the suction chamber 61 are set to move in the slit hole 72. Slider
The reciprocating motion of 74 is fixed at one end to the pulley of the drive motor 75,
A belt 76 having the other end fixed to one end of the slider 74 and a guide bar 78 into which a moving element 77 of the slider 74 is fitted makes the slider 74 reciprocable.

The pusher 73 of the slider 74 is an electromagnetic solenoid.
It is set to appear in 79. In the normal state, pusher
73 is located above the guide rail (slit hole 72) 71,
The suction chamber 61 is set so as not to interfere with the reciprocating movement, and is lowered only when the test strip 51 is transferred.

A feature of the present invention is that the test strip 51 taken out from the test strip cassette 5 is pressure-fed to the urine collecting means (inspection means 3) 2 of the toilet 1 through the guide rail 71.

The test strip transporting means 4 uses a test strip transport tube 41 arranged corresponding to the end of the guide rail 71. The test strip conveying tube 41 has a base end portion corresponding to the guide rail 71 and a front end portion continuous with the urine collecting means 2 in the toilet bowl 1. At the base end of the test paper piece transport tube 41, a receiving plate 44 having a groove portion 43 at the upper and lower portions is provided, and the in-plane central portion of the receiving plate 44 is provided as a recess.
The opening end surface of the test strip conveying pipe 41 is exposed in this recess, and the packing 45 is attached to the outer periphery of the recess (see FIG. 5).

Further, the receiving plate 44 is a lid plate that is slidably fitted in the groove 43.
46 is provided, and the lid plate 46 is slidably fitted to the receiving plate 44, so that the opening end surface of the test strip conveying tube 41 is set to be hermetically sealed. An air blow tube 47 is attached to the cover plate 46, and the end of the tube 47 is a solenoid valve 48.
It is connected to a compression supply mechanism 48 that incorporates a, a flow control valve 48b and a compressor 48c. When the cover plate 46 is fitted to the receiving plate 44, the base end of the tube 47 is positioned corresponding to the end surface of the test strip conveying tube 41.

The lid plate 46 is provided with a slide mechanism 49 including a rotary plate 49b attached to the drive shaft of the drive motor 49a and a link 49c attached to the rotary plate 49b.
The lid plate 46 is fixedly attached to the lid plate 46 so that the lid plate 46 is linearly moved back and forth by the rotation of the rotary plate 49b.

When performing a urine test using the urine automatic inspection apparatus having such a configuration, the measurer turns on the measurement switch 4b provided on the carrier body 4a. As a result, the elevating mechanism (driving motor 55) of the test strip cassette 5, the test strip taking-out mechanism (driving motor 62), the test strip transporting mechanism (driving motor 75), the compressed air supply mechanism (compressor 48c) and the urine testing means 3 are provided. To drive. That is, although not shown, the motors are electrically connected to each other and are drive-controlled.

Now, when the measurement switch 4b is turned on, the test strip cassette 5
The open / close lid plate 52 of is opened and the test paper piece 51 of the lowermost layer is exposed. At this time, the suction chamber 61 of the test strip removing mechanism 6 is located below the test strip 51, while the test cassette 5 is lowered by the drive motor 55. Here, the test paper piece 51 is adsorbed by the suction chamber 61, and the test paper piece 51 is placed on the guide rail 71 by the movement of the slider 66. Suction chamber
After placing the test paper piece 51 on the guide rail 71, the reference numeral 61 retracts and returns to the original position in a state of being laid down by the drive motor 69.

Here, the slider 74 of the test strip transport mechanism 7 moves to the tip of the guide rail, and the electromagnetic solenoid 79 causes
With the pusher 73 protruding downward, the pusher 73 is moved to the receiving plate 44 side on the guide rail 71. At this time, the lower end of the pusher 73 moves while being inserted into the slit hole 72 of the guide rail 71 to transfer the test strip 51. As a result, the test strip 51
Is loaded into the test strip conveying tube 41 via the receiving plate 44. After the test paper piece 51 is loaded into the transport tube 41, the slider 74
Retreats and returns to its original position. Here, the lid plate 46
Slides directly through the drive motor 49a to close the opening surface of the receiving plate 44. That is, the open end surface of the test strip conveying tube 41 is closed in a closed manner. Next, the compressor 48c of the compressed air supply mechanism 48 operates, and the compressed air is delivered into the test strip conveying tube 41 via the tube 47. Thus, the test paper strip 51 loaded in the test strip transport tube 41 is pressure-fed in the tube 41 by the compressed air and transported to the tip of the urine collecting means 2.

The urine collecting means 2, that is, the test strip 51 transported to the tip of the test strip transport tube 41 is stopped by the stopper 33. In this state, the test paper surface portion of the test paper piece 51 is positioned corresponding to the light receiving / light emitting portion of the inspection means 3.

Here, when the person to be inspected urinates to the urination-flushing surface portion 11 of the toilet 1, the urine flows into the urine collecting means 2, that is, the hollow housing 21 (the opening of the straight end wall 22), and the side wall of the test strip carrier tube 41. From the opening (notched hole 42) to the end opening (stopper) of the transfer pipe 41
The test paper piece (test paper surface) 51 is impregnated while flowing into the (33 side).

Here, the conductive sensor 24 detects the impregnation of the test paper piece 51, causes the light emitting element of the inspection means 3 to emit light, projects light on the test paper surface, receives the reflected light by the light receiving element, and determines the amount of color reaction light. For example, the urine sugar value is detected and displayed on the display unit 4c.

When the inspection is completed, the stopper 33 rises to open the test paper piece 51. Here, when the person to be inspected operates the toilet bowl cleaning operation rod provided in the toilet bowl 1, cleaning water (tap water) is discharged into the toilet bowl 1, and this cleaning water is collected by the urine collecting means (hollow housing).
21) 2. Flow in the test strip transport pipe 41, and the test strip 51 flows out together with the wash water into the waste water treatment pipe of the toilet 1.

By repeating the above operation, the test strip 51 is automatically conveyed to the urine collecting means (inspection unit), and the urine is automatically attached, so that continuous and rapid measurement is achieved.

(F) Effect of the Invention According to the present invention, as described above, the test strips stored in the test strip cassette are taken out one by one, loaded into the test strip transport tube, and compressed by the urine collecting means including the inspection unit. Since it is decided that the test piece is to be conveyed, the test piece is automatically conveyed to the inspection section, and urine is automatically attached.

Therefore, as in the conventional case, the person to be inspected takes out the test strip from the separate storage container, and urine is dropped on the test strip while holding the test strip, and the test strip impregnated with urine is placed on the operation part of the instrument body. All the troublesome work such as loading is eliminated,
Hygienic and quick measurement work can be achieved.

Moreover, in the present invention, the test strips can be blown in the sealed test strip transport pipe by compressed air, so that the test strips cannot be transported very quickly and safely, and the performance of the test strips deteriorates due to moisture during transportation. It has excellent effects of achieving the object of the invention, such as no fear.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the inside of the carrier body, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an urine automatic inspection apparatus according to an embodiment, FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a urine collecting means and an inspection means, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the up-and-down movement of the suction chamber with respect to the guide rail, FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing a part of the test strip transport tube and the compressed air supply mechanism, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the test strip. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing another example of the test strip. 1: toilet bowl, 2: urine collecting means, 3: urine testing means, 4: test strip pressure feeding means, 4a: carrier machine, 5: test strip storage cassette, 6: test strip removal mechanism, 7: test strip transfer mechanism,

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Hitoshi Kitaura, Tateishi Life Science Institute, Inc. 3 Nakamimoncho, Hanazono, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto Prefecture

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A urine collecting means, a urine testing means arranged in the urine collecting means, a test paper piece storage cassette in which a plurality of test paper pieces are stacked and arranged, and one end of a test paper piece conveying tube correspond to the urine collecting means. An automatic urine testing apparatus comprising: a test strip strip pressure-feeding means, which is provided and has the other end corresponding to the test strip strip storage cassette and has a compressed air supply mechanism at a proper position.