JP3513981B2 - Toilet-mounted urine analyzer - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Object of the Invention]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toilet-installed urine analyzer capable of performing urine analysis by sampling urine excreted by an individual at home, office, or other toilet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Toilet-installed urine analyzers have been proposed which are capable of sampling and analyzing urine by utilizing toilets in homes, offices and the like to support personal health checks.

For example, JP-A-59-217844 and JP-A-63-18
No. 4057, JP-A-63-290961, JP-A-1-178866, JP-A-4-191660, a urine collecting portion is formed on the bowl surface of a Western-style toilet bowl, and urine excreted on the bowl surface is collected in the urine collecting portion. It is proposed to collect and sample. The collected urine sample is designed to be analyzed by a liquid chromatographic method, a test strip method, or a polarographic method (voltammetric method).

The difficulty of these devices is that they require a special urine-sampling toilet with a urine collecting portion formed on the bowl surface. Such a special toilet bowl must be specially manufactured separately from the standard toilet bowl, and thus it is difficult to reduce the cost by mass production, so that it is too expensive to spread to general households, workplaces and offices. Also, when modifying an existing toilet equipped with a standard bowl-shaped toilet bowl, it is necessary to first remove the existing toilet bowl and then install a special toilet bowl dedicated to urine analysis. It requires a great deal of expense and labor, and leads to the disposal of existing equipment. Further, after the toilet bowl is washed, the wash water remains in the urine collecting portion on the bowl surface and dilutes new urine to be sampled, so that a good sample may not be sampled.
Also, since the urine collecting part is formed on the bowl surface, the urine sample is contaminated with old urine and other excrement.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-30764 discloses a urine analyzer which samples urine while rotating a movable arm carrying a urine collection container in a bowl of a toilet bowl. In this sampling method, since urine is sampled in the air in the bowl space of the toilet bowl, there is an advantage that a special toilet bowl is not required and a good urine sample can be collected using an ordinary standard toilet bowl.

[0006]

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-30764, the urine sample sampled by the urine collecting device is weighed by the automatic collecting device 30 composed of the automatic collecting syringe 12 or 13. The mixture is mixed with the reaction liquid at a predetermined ratio and then sent to the absorptiometer 27 of the measuring unit 34 by the pump 24.

In this embodiment, the pump 2 for conveying the reaction liquid is used.
In addition to 4, a syringe pump 12 or 13 for metering the sample is required. As described above, since two pumps have to be arranged in the measuring section 34, the analyzer becomes large and complicated.

It is preferable that the urine analyzer be as small and compact as possible so as not to interfere with daily use and cleaning of the toilet. In particular, when a bidet device, a deodorizing device, a bowl ventilation device, and the like are installed in a toilet, the space available for arranging the urine analyzer is very limited.

An object of the present invention is to provide a small and compact urine analyzer capable of performing urine analysis using a standard toilet bowl.

[0010]

[Constitution of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Means for Solving the Problem and Outline of Action The present invention has a urine sampling device for collecting urine excreted in a toilet bowl in the air in a bowl space, and a urine analyzing means for analyzing a urine sample. In a toilet-installed urine analyzer equipped with a weighing and transporting means for weighing a urine sample and transporting it to the analyzing means, the weighing and transporting means is composed of a single electric syringe pump, and the syringe pump is in a housing attached to a toilet bowl. It is characterized by being housed in a vertical position.

As described above, since the urine sample is weighed and conveyed by the single electric syringe pump, the housing of the device can be downsized. Further, since this syringe pump is accommodated in the housing in a vertically long manner, the horizontal dimension of the housing can be reduced, and daily use and cleaning of the toilet can be facilitated.

In a preferred embodiment, when not in use, the syringe pump plunger is stopped at a position slightly retracted from its top dead center. By stopping at such a position, it is possible to prevent the plunger and its seal member from sticking to the cylinder or the lead screw for driving the plunger and the nut from being caught when not in use.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a toilet 10 is a toilet bowl 1.
2, a toilet seat 14, a toilet lid 16 and a cistern 18. A housing 22 of the urine analyzer 20 is attached to the toilet bowl 12, and a control unit 24 of the urine analyzer 20 is provided in the housing 22. Toilet seat 14 and toilet lid 16 are housing 2
It is attached to 2 so that it can rotate.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 22 contains a syringe pump module 26 composed of a syringe pump and a rotary valve, a urine analysis flow cell 28, a carrier liquid tank 30, and a calibration liquid tank 32. I am doing it. As the flow cell 28, a polarographic flow cell having a working electrode coated with a glucose oxidase-immobilized film and outputting an electric signal according to the concentration of glucose in a urine sample can be used. In order to make the toilet multifunctional, a bidet device known by the name of Washlet (registered trademark), a hot air drying device, and a deodorizing device (not shown) may be further arranged in the housing 22.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the toilet seat 14 incorporates a urine sampling device 34. The urine sampling device 34 includes a frame 36, which is appropriately attached to the lower surface of the toilet seat with screws or the like. A swing arm 38 is rotatably supported on the frame 36, and is swingable by a motor 40 such as a stepping motor and a belt 42.

At the lower end of the swing arm 38, a urine collection container 4 is provided.
4 is provided. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the urine collection container 44 has a shallow ship bottom shape, and a urine reservoir 46 is formed at the bottom thereof. The urine collecting container 44 is provided with an L-shaped urine collecting tube 48 that opens toward the bottom of the urine reservoir 46, and sucks the urine collected in the urine reservoir 46. A pair of urine detection electrodes 50 are arranged in the urine collection container 44 so as to face the urine reservoir 46, and it is detected whether or not urine has accumulated in the urine reservoir 46 to a desired level by monitoring the electrical resistance of the fluid. It is supposed to do.

The L-shaped urine collecting tube 48 is connected to a flexible urine suction tube 52 extending inside the hollow of the swing arm 38, and the other end of the suction tube 52 is connected to the syringe pump of the syringe pump module 26. Has been done. Similarly, the lead wire 54 of the urine detection electrode 50 extends the inside of the swing arm and is connected to the control unit 24. The inlet opening of the urine collection container 44 is covered with a metal net 56 made of stainless steel or the like to prevent foreign matter from entering the urine collection container.

As can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 5, the frame 36 is formed with a channel-shaped storage / washing chamber 60 that opens downward toward the bowl 58 of the toilet bowl 12, and holds the urine collection container 44 when not in use. It is designed to be stored. As shown in FIG. 5, by swinging the swing arm 38 to move the urine collection container 44 in the bowl space 58, urine is collected in the urine collection container 44. A spray nozzle 62 is directed to the storage / washing chamber 60, and pressure water is sprayed toward the urine collection container 44 returned to the storage / washing chamber 60 after use to wash the urine collection container and the swing arm. . Pressure water is supplied to the injection nozzle 62 from a hose 64 connected to a water pipe via an electromagnetic valve.

The urine sample collected by the urine collection container 44 is sent to the flow cell 28 by the syringe pump module 26 together with the carrier liquid added with the buffer solution,
For example, it is subjected to quantitative analysis of urine glucose.

Referring to FIGS. 6-8, in the illustrated embodiment, the syringe pump module 26 integrally incorporates an electric syringe pump 66 and an electric rotary valve 68 to form a compact module. ing. However, the syringe pump 66 and the rotary valve 68 may be formed separately.

The syringe pump 66 has a main body 72 in which a cylinder hole 70 is formed, and a plunger 76 having a seal ring 74 is slidably fitted in the cylinder hole, and the volume of the pump chamber is variable. Forming 78. The plunger 76 is reciprocally driven by converting the rotation of the stepping motor 80 into a linear movement by a lead screw mechanism.

Therefore, a lead screw 82 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 80, and a nut 84 is fitted to the lead screw. A pair of diametrically opposed detent pins 86 pass through the skirt of the plunger 76, and the tips of these pins 86 are fitted with nuts 84.
Is screwed into. The detent pin 86 engages in a pair of axial slots 88 formed in the body 72. Therefore, when the motor 80 is rotated in any direction, the plunger 76 is driven up and down together with the nut 84 to suck the liquid into the pump chamber 78 or deliver the liquid from the pump chamber. The pump chamber 78 leads to a central port 90 through which liquid enters and leaves the rotary valve 68.

The rotary valve 68 is provided with a disk-shaped rotor 94 which is rotationally driven by a stepping motor 92 having a reduction gear. The rotor 94 is precisely rotatably mounted in a cylindrical recess 96 formed in the head of the main body 72. It is fitted. The lower surface of the rotor 94 and the bottom surface of the recess 96 are precisely machined to be flat, and the rotor 94 is biased to the bottom surface of the recess 96 by the coil spring 98, so that the bottom surface of the rotor 94 is liquid-tight to the bottom surface of the recess 96. It comes in contact. The rotor 94 is provided with a central port 100 that is aligned and opposed to the central port 90 of the syringe pump 66, and is formed with an outer port 102 that is offset radially outward from the central port 100. And 102 are connected to each other by a horizontal internal passage 104.

On the bottom surface of the recess 96, for example, six ports 106A are equally spaced in the circumferential direction at the same radial offset distance as the outer port 102 of the rotor 94.
~ 106F are open and these ports 106A
~ 106F is the internal passage 10 formed in the module head.
8A to 108F communicate with the nipples 110A to 110F, respectively. These nipples 110A-110
As will be described later with reference to FIG. 10, hoses and conduits extending from the components of the urine analyzer 20 are connected to F.

Since the rotary valve 68 has such a structure, by driving the motor 92, the rotor 94 is rotated until the outer port 102 of the rotor 94 is aligned with any one of the ports 106A to 106F. The pump chamber 78 of the nipple 110A ~ 110
It is connected to either F. If the syringe pump 66 is operated at this position, the liquid can be sucked from any of the ports 106A to 106F or the liquid can be delivered to any of the ports.

Syringe pump 66 and rotary valve 68
Since the syringe pump module 26 consisting of the above is formed in such a vertically long shape, it can be easily housed in a vertically elongated space as shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the configuration of the control section 24. The control unit 24 includes a programmed microcomputer (hereinafter, microcomputer) 120 and a urine analysis start button 12
2, various input switches 124, a liquid crystal display panel 126 for displaying instructions to the user and urine analysis results, a printer unit 128 for outputting urine analysis results and data trends, and a flash memory for storing urine analysis data. (EEPROM) 130 or the like.

The output of the polarographic flow cell 28 is amplified by the amplifier circuit 132 and then input to the A / D conversion circuit of the microcomputer 120. The signal of the current flowing between the urine detection electrodes 50 is also input to the A / D conversion circuit. Through the respective drivers, the microcomputer 120 causes the swing arm driving stepping motor 40, the rotary valve driving motor 92, the motor 80 for driving the plunger of the syringe pump 66, and the urine collection container cleaning nozzle 62.
The solenoid valve 134 that controls the supply of cleaning water to the valve is driven.

Next, with reference to the schematic view of FIG. 10 and the flowchart of FIG. 11, the mode of use and operation of the urine analyzer 20 will be described.

When the urine analysis start switch 122 is pressed, the swing arm drive motor 40 is driven to position the urine collection container 44 at an appropriate urine collection position in the bowl space of the toilet bowl. “Please urinate” on the display panel 126
Is displayed and urination is urged. The subject urinates into the urine collection container 44, and the urine reservoir 4 in the urine collection container 44
When the urine detection electrode 50 detects that urine has accumulated in 6, the urine collection container 44 is connected to the syringe pump 66 by driving the rotary valve 68, for example, about 3 m.
The l urine sample is sucked by the syringe pump 66 from the urine collection container.

Next, the syringe pump 66 is attached to the discharge line 13.
6 and raise the plunger of the syringe pump 66 to discard a portion of the urine sample (eg, about 2 ml) in the toilet bowl. Since the syringe pump 66 is arranged vertically, the bubbles sucked into the pump chamber 78 together with the urine are accumulated in the upper part of the pump chamber and discharged from the central port 90. As a result, the air is removed from the syringe pump 66, and the air bubbles sucked together with the urine are absorbed by the polarographic flow cell 28.
To be sent to.

Again, the rotary valve is driven, and the syringe pump 66 communicates with the flow cell 28.
8 is connected. At this position, the plunger of the syringe pump 66 is further raised to drive about 10 μl of the urine sample into the transport line 138. The rotary valve is driven again to connect the syringe pump 66 to the discharge conduit 136, and the plunger is raised to the top dead center to discard the excess urine in the syringe pump 66 into the toilet bowl. Next, the syringe pump 66 is connected to the systern 18, the syringe pump 66 is operated to wash the pump chamber of the syringe pump 66 with washing water, and the washing water is discarded in the toilet bowl.

Next, the syringe pump 66 is connected to the carrier liquid tank 30, and the carrier liquid is sucked by the syringe pump 66. Next, the syringe pump 66 is attached to the carrier line 13.
8 and the plunger of the syringe pump is raised to inject about 2 to 4 ml of carrier liquid into the flow cell 28. As a result, about 10 μl of the urine sample that had been previously injected into the transfer conduit 138 is sent to the polarographic flow cell 28 while being mixed and diluted with the carrier liquid in the transfer conduit, while the mixture passes through the flow cell 28. It is discharged from the discharge hose 140 into the bowl of the toilet bowl. The injection rate of the carrier liquid can be selected so that the urine sample is diluted at least about 30 times before passing through the flow cell.

As the mixture of the urine sample and the carrier liquid passes through the flow cell 28, the flow cell outputs an electric signal according to the concentration of urine glucose in the mixture, and this signal is amplified by the amplification circuit 132 and the microcomputer 120 outputs. A
It is input to the / D conversion circuit and converted into a digital value.
The microcomputer 120 calculates the urine sugar value based on this data. The urine sugar value is displayed on the display panel 126, and
It is stored in the flash memory 130 and is used for trend calculation as necessary. The analysis result and the trend can be output from the printer unit 128.

After the urine analysis is completed, the carrier fluid is conveyed to the flow cell 28 to clean the flow cell 28. This completes the fluid transfer cycle of the syringe pump. Next, by reversing the motor 80, the plunger 76 of the syringe pump 66 is slightly lowered from its top dead center and stopped at this position. With this configuration, the plunger 76 and the seal member 74 are not in use.
Does not stick to the cylinder 70, and the male screw of the lead screw 82 and the female screw of the nut 84 do not bite.

At any time after suctioning the urine sample, the microcomputer 120 drives the swing arm 38 to return the urine collection container 44 to the storage / washing chamber 60, and opens the electromagnetic valve 134 to jet the washing water from the jet nozzle 62. The urine collection container 44 and the swing arm 38 are washed. The used wash water falls into the bowl of the toilet bowl.

FIG. 12 shows a second embodiment of the urine analyzer of the present invention. The same components as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. This example
It is characterized in that the urine analyzer 20 is configured to be used by being hooked on the rim 150 of the toilet bowl.

Referring to FIG. 12, the urine analyzer 20 has a housing 152, which can be formed of two upper and lower halves that are snap-fitted together.
Vertical lug 1 acting as a hook on the housing 152
54 is formed so that the housing can be hooked onto the side of the toilet rim 150.

In the housing 152, as in the first embodiment, the syringe pump module 26 including the syringe pump 66 and the rotary valve 68 is vertically arranged. Further, in the housing 152, a carrier liquid tank 30, a polarographic flow cell (not shown),
Calibration liquid tank (not shown), control unit (not shown),
A solenoid valve (not shown) is stored. The analysis start switch 122 and the display unit 126 for displaying the analysis result can be provided on the upper surface of the housing 152.

In this second embodiment, the urine collection container 44
The swing arm 38 carrying the shaft is pivotally supported on the upper part of the housing 152, and is swingable by a motor (not shown) housed in the housing. Since the urine analyzer 20 of the second embodiment is a self-contained unit, it can be attached to the toilet very simply by connecting the wash water supply hose 64 to the water pipe, and can be removed when not in use. Can be stored in a suitable place.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various design changes can be made. For example, although it was explained that a polarographic flow cell having a working electrode coated with a glucose oxidase-immobilized film was used as the urine analysis flow cell 28, a polarographic flow cell having a hydrogen peroxide type electrode or an oxygen type electrode was used. The urine analysis may be carried out by sending a mixture of a urine sample and an enzyme reagent to a flow cell using a. Further, the shape of the housing 22 can be changed appropriately.

[0042]

In the urine analyzer of the present invention, the urine sample is weighed and conveyed by the only syringe pump 66, and this syringe pump is accommodated in the housing 22 or 152 in a vertically long shape. The horizontal dimension of can be reduced. In toilets, there is a considerable distance between the upper surface of the toilet bowl and the floor surface, and there is room for increasing the vertical dimension of the housing. According to the present invention, since the syringe pump is vertically arranged, the housing can have a slim design, and daily use and cleaning of the toilet can be facilitated.

Further, since the syringe pumps are vertically arranged in this manner, the bidet device or the like can be housed in the housing as needed, and the toilet can be made multifunctional.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, when the plunger of the syringe pump is stopped at the position retracted from its top dead center when not in use, the plunger and its seal member are fixed when not in use. It is possible to prevent the lead screw and the nut from being caught.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a urine analyzer according to a first embodiment of the present invention installed in a toilet.

2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a part of the housing shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a urine sampling mechanism of the urine analyzer shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a urine collection container of the urine sampling mechanism shown in FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a syringe pump module.

7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG.

8 is a plan view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a control unit.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a fluid transfer system of the urine analyzer.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the urine analyzer.

FIG. 12 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a second embodiment of the urine analyzer of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

20: Urine analyzer 22/152: Housing 26: Syringe pump module 28: Flow cell for urine analysis (urine analysis means) 34: Urine sampling device 66: Syringe pump (measuring and conveying means) 68: Rotary valve 76: Syringe Pump Plunger

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-6-258316 (JP, A) JP-A-7-35745 (JP, A) JP-A-61-207801 (JP, A) Actual Kaihei 1- 179268 (JP, U) Actual Kaihei 5-30764 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G01N 33/48-33/98

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A urine sampling means for collecting urine excreted in a standard type toilet bowl in the air in a bowl space, a urine analyzing means for analyzing a predetermined component in a urine sample, and the urine sampling means for collecting the collected urine. and the toilet stationary urine analyzer that includes a metering transport means urine sample weighed to the conveying said analyzing means, said metering conveying means standard
A toilet-mounted urine analyzer comprising a single syringe pump housed in a housing attached to a bowl- shaped toilet bowl, the syringe pump being vertically arranged in the housing. 2. The urine analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the syringe pump includes a plunger, and when not in use, the plunger is stopped at a position slightly retracted from its top dead center.