JP3711097B2 - Specimen supply device and urine inspection device using the same - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  The present invention relates to an apparatus for taking out one test piece from a case containing a plurality of test pieces, and an apparatus for inspecting urine by bringing the test piece taken out from the case into contact with urine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
  An apparatus for inspecting a test piece in contact with urine needs to take out one test piece from a large number of test pieces placed in a case and bring it into contact with urine. The test piece is in the form of an elongated sheet with a reagent attached to the tip. It is not easy to put many test pieces of this shape in a case and take out one of them. This is because the test piece faces in various directions within the case.
[0003]
  A mechanism for taking out test pieces oriented in various directions and arranging them in a specific direction is described in JP-A-5-133960 and JP-A-6-148201. The test piece take-out mechanism described in these publications includes a cylindrical container 70 into which the test piece is placed, as shown in FIG. The cylindrical container 70 is rotated to provide a guide 71 therein and a through groove 72 that penetrates the cylindrical container 70 in order to take out one test piece. The through-groove 72 is opened to a size that can pass through the test piece.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
  The apparatus described in the above publication can take out one test piece in a normal state. However, if the test piece becomes a bridge between the guide and the inner surface of the cylindrical container, it cannot be reliably discharged. In addition, the problem is that this situation cannot be resolved when it becomes a bridge. For this reason, once a bridge is generated, it is necessary to stop the apparatus and inspect the inside in order to eliminate this state. For this reason, there is a drawback that it cannot be used stably without a failure in a maintenance-free state. Furthermore, in order to reliably take out one test piece without failure, there are disadvantages that adjustment is extremely difficult and the structure is complicated.
[0005]
  The present invention has been developed for the purpose of solving this drawback. An important object of the present invention is to provide a test strip supply device that can reliably take out one test strip without a bridge with a simple structure, and an inspection device using the test strip supply device.
[0006]
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  Main departureClear claims1The test strip supply apparatus accommodates a plurality of test strips 3 and has a test strip case 32 provided on the inner surface with an insertion groove 34 extending in the axial direction for disposing the test strip 3 at the take-out position. The drive for moving the test piece 3 to the insertion groove 34 by moving the single case 32 in a horizontal or inclined posture with the central axis being horizontal or inclined with the inner surface provided with the insertion groove 34 being the lower side. The mechanism 33, an adsorption mechanism 41 that adsorbs the test piece 3 guided by the insertion groove 34, and the test piece case 32 is moved in the vertical direction in a state in which the test piece 3 is adsorbed by the adsorption mechanism 41. The test piece 3 that is outside and not adsorbed is dropped, and the tilting mechanism 46 that places the test piece 3 of the insertion groove 34 at the protruding position relative to the other test pieces 3 and the test piece 3 at the protruding position are tested. Equipped with a takeout mechanism 4 for taking out from one case 32 That.
[0008]
  In the test strip supply apparatus of the present invention, the test strip case 32 can be provided with a front / back detection sensor 38 for detecting the front and back of the test strip 3 disposed in the fitting groove 34. The test piece case 32 can be provided with a notch 35 at the upper end opening edge, and the notch 35 can be positioned at the upper end of the insertion groove 34. The drive mechanism 33 reciprocates the test piece case 32 so as to move the insertion groove 34 in the horizontal direction, or rotates the test piece case 32 forward and backward so as to move the insertion groove 34 in the horizontal direction. Alternatively, the specimen case 32 can be vibrated.
[0009]
[0010]
  Further claims of the present invention5The urine inspection apparatus includes a test strip supply device 31 that removes the test strip 3 from the test strip case 32 and makes contact with urine, a color sensor 5 that identifies the color of the test strip 3 in contact with urine, and a color sensor 5. And calculating means 6 for calculating the test item from the output signal. The test strip supply device 31 accommodates a plurality of test strips 3, and a test strip case 32 provided on the inner surface with an insertion groove 34 extending in the axial direction for disposing the test strip 3 at the take-out position; The test piece case 32 is moved in a posture in which the central axis is horizontal or inclined with the inner surface provided with the insertion groove 34 being downward or in a horizontal or inclined posture to move the test piece 3 to the insertion groove 34. The drive mechanism 33, an adsorption mechanism 41 that adsorbs the test piece 3 guided in the insertion groove 34, and the test piece case 32 is moved in the vertical direction in a state in which the test piece 3 is adsorbed by the adsorption mechanism 41, so that the insertion groove 34 is obtained. The tilting mechanism 46 that drops the test piece 3 that is outside and is not adsorbed to place the test piece 3 of the insertion groove 34 in the protruding position relative to the other test pieces 3, and the test piece 3 in the protruding position. The take-out mechanism 4 to be taken out from the specimen case 32; Provided.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment shown below exemplifies the test piece 3 supply device 31 and the inspection device for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention includes the supply device 31 and the inspection device as follows. Not specified.
[0012]
  Further, in this specification, in order to facilitate understanding of the scope of claims, the numbers corresponding to the members shown in the embodiments are referred to as “claims” and “means for solving the problems”. It is added to the member shown by. However, the members shown in the claims are not limited to the members in the embodiments.
[0013]
  The test strip supply apparatus shown in FIG. 2 includes a test strip case 32 that houses a plurality of test strips 3, a drive mechanism 33 that moves the test strip case 32 and guides the test strip 3 to an extraction position, A take-out mechanism 4 for taking out the test piece 3 from the test piece case 32 is provided.
[0014]
  The test piece case 32 has a cylindrical shape and is provided with an insertion groove 34 on the inner surface. A cross-sectional view of the test piece case 32 is shown in FIG. 3, and a perspective view is shown in FIG. Although the test piece case 32 in these figures is cylindrical, the test piece case may be elliptical or polygonal. As shown by a chain line in the figure, the fitting groove 34 provided on the inner surface is provided with the test piece 3 placed in the take-out position and extended in the axial direction of the test piece case 32. The lateral width of the fitting groove 34 is slightly wider than the lateral width of the test piece 3 so that one test piece 3 can be inserted. The insertion groove 34 is deeper than the thickness of the test piece 3 so as to guide one test piece 3, for example, 0.3 to 3 mm. Since the test piece case 32 shown in the drawing adsorbs the test piece 3 guided to the insertion groove 34 with air from the outside, the depth of the insertion groove 34 can be set to allow a plurality of test pieces 3 to be inserted. it can. This is because a plurality of test pieces 3 are inserted, the test pieces 3 are sucked from the outside and the test piece case 32 is moved to a vertical posture, and the non-adsorbed test pieces 3 can be discharged to the outside through the fitting grooves 34.
[0015]
  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the test piece case 32 is provided with a notch 35 at the upper opening edge so that the test piece 3 guided to the insertion groove 34 can be reliably taken out by the take-out mechanism 4. The notch 35 is provided so as to be positioned at the upper end of the insertion groove 34. In the test piece case 32, the holder 16 of the take-out mechanism 4 is inserted into the notch 35, and the test piece 3 at the take-out position can be reliably taken out. In the illustrated test piece case 32, a stopper 36 is provided at the lower end of the fitting groove 34. The stopper 36 causes the test piece 3 guided to the insertion groove 34 to be protruded from the other test pieces 3 which are housed in the test piece case 32 and are not guided to the insertion groove 34. The test piece case 32 shown in the drawing is provided with a projecting portion so as to project on the inner surface to serve as a stopper 36. The stopper can also be provided so that the fitting groove does not extend to the bottom of the test piece case.
[0016]
  The test piece case 32 closes the opening at the upper end with an upper lid 37 having a through hole 37A for taking out the test piece 3. The through hole 37 </ b> A is provided in the notch 35. The holder 16 of the take-out mechanism 4 that holds and discharges the test piece 3 at the take-out position is inserted into the through hole 37A.
[0017]
  The test piece 3 has a reagent attached to one side. For this reason, it is necessary to identify the front and back and carry it to a predetermined position. In order to detect the front and back of the test piece 3, the test piece case 32 in the figure is provided with a front and back detection sensor 38 for detecting the front and back of the test piece 3 disposed in the fitting groove 34. The front / back detection sensor 38 is provided with a through hole 39 so as to be connected to the insertion groove 34. The front / back detection sensor 38 irradiates the test piece 3 with light and receives reflected light to detect the front and back of the test piece 3. Since the test piece 3 has different light reflectivities on the surface on which the reagent is adhered and the back surface on which the reagent is not present, the front and back detection sensor 38 can detect the front and back from the light reflectivity. The front / back detection sensor 38 transmits a front / back signal to the control circuit 13. The control circuit 13 determines whether or not the test piece case 32 is rotated 180 degrees about the central axis based on the front and back signals of the test piece 3. For example, the control circuit 13 does not rotate the test piece case 32 when the test piece 3 is placed in the insertion groove 34 face up, and the reversing motor 40 when the test piece 3 is placed face down. The test piece case 32 is rotated 180 degrees so that all the test pieces 3 have a predetermined orientation. The take-out mechanism 4 stores in advance a take-out position for taking out the test piece in the front direction and a take-out position for taking out the test piece in the reverse direction. Based on the front and back signals, the holder 16 is moved to the take-out position of the test piece 3. The take-out mechanism 4 holds the test piece 3 arranged in a predetermined direction with the holder 16 and transfers it to the test position in a predetermined posture.
[0018]
  The drive mechanism 33 moves the test piece case 32 to guide the test piece 3 to the fitting groove 34. The drive mechanism 33 moves the test piece 3 in a horizontal or inclined posture with the inner surface provided with the insertion groove 34 on the lower side, with the central axis of the test piece case 32 being horizontal or inclined. Move to. The inclination angle at which the drive mechanism 33 inclines the specimen case 32 is set to 0 to 60 degrees, preferably 0 to 30 degrees, more preferably 0 to 15 degrees, and optimally 2 to 5 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. . The driving mechanism 33 shown in the figure moves the test piece case 32 in a horizontal posture, but the test piece case 32 can be moved in a tilting posture to move the test piece 3 to the fitting groove 34. The drive mechanism 33 shown in FIG. 2 includes a reversing motor 40 fixed to the bottom of the test piece case 32. The reversing motor 40 is a stepping motor whose rotation angle is controlled by the control circuit 13. The drive mechanism 33 which is the reversing motor 40 rotates the test piece case 32 forward and backward so as to move the insertion groove 34 in the lateral direction, and guides the test piece 3 to the insertion groove 34. A drive mechanism that vibrates the test piece case and guides the test piece to the insertion groove can also be used. In addition, the test piece case can be guided in the insertion groove by reciprocating in the horizontal direction so as to move the insertion groove in the horizontal direction in a posture in which the test piece case is horizontally or inclined without rotating the test piece case. it can.
[0019]
  Furthermore, the supply device 31 shown in the figure includes an adsorption mechanism 41 that adsorbs the test piece 3 in the insertion groove 34. The suction mechanism 41 includes a suction nozzle 42 provided in the test piece case 32, and a vacuum source 45 connected to the suction nozzle 42 via an opening / closing valve 43 and a hose 44. The suction nozzle 42 is provided with a suction opening 50 having an opening at the tip opened at the bottom of the insertion groove 34. In the suction mechanism 41, when the opening / closing valve 43 is opened, the suction nozzle 42 sucks air and sucks the test piece 3 in the insertion groove 34 to the suction nozzle 42.
[0020]
  Furthermore, the supply device can also provide the suction mechanism 41 having the structure shown in FIG. 5 to suck the test piece 3 into the suction port 50 of the insertion groove 34. The suction mechanism 41 shown in the figure has a suction case 51 disposed along the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical test piece case 32. As shown in the cross-sectional perspective view of FIG. 6, the suction case 51 has a circular opening 51 </ b> A that follows the outer shape of the test piece case 32, and the test piece case 32 passes through the circular opening 51 </ b> A. Yes. The suction case 51 is in close contact with the test piece case 32 without a gap, but is connected so that the test case 32 can be rotated along the opening 51A. Further, the suction case 51 is provided with a ring groove 52 along the outer periphery of the test piece case 32 on the inner surface of the circular opening 51A. The suction case 51 forms a suction duct 53 by the ring groove 52 and the test piece case 32. The suction case 51 is disposed so that the ring groove 52 faces the rotation locus of the suction port 50 of the rotating test piece case 32. This is because the suction port 50 communicates with the suction duct 53 to suck air from the suction port 50 regardless of the position of the test piece case 32 that rotates relative to the suction case 51. The suction duct 53 is connected to the suction nozzle 42, and the air in the suction duct 53 is sucked by the suction nozzle 42. The suction mechanism 41 is sucked from the suction port 50 via the suction duct 53 by the suction nozzle 42 and sucks the test piece 3 in the fitting groove 34 to the suction port 50. As described above, the structure in which the suction is performed from the suction port 50 of the test piece case 32 through the suction case 51 smoothly when the test piece case 32 is rotated without the hose 44 connected to the suction nozzle 42 being entangled. There is a feature that can be rotated. Furthermore, when the test piece case 32 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions by the reversing motor 40, the test piece case 32 can be stably rotated with the suction case 51 as a guide.
[0021]
  Further, the supply device 31 shown in the figure includes a tilting mechanism 46 that tilts the test specimen case 32 fixing the reversing motor 40 from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture or from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture. The tilt mechanism 46 includes a tilt motor 47 that is rotated forward and backward. The tilting motor 47 fixes an arm 48 to the rotation shaft, and connects the arm 48 to the reversing motor 40 to tilt the reversing motor 40 and the test piece case 32 as a unit. The tilt motor 47 is a motor whose rotation angle is controlled by the control circuit 13. The tilting mechanism 46 rotates the tilting motor 47 in the forward and reverse directions to tilt the test specimen case 32 in a vertical, horizontal, and tilting posture.
[0022]
  The take-out mechanism 4 takes the test piece 3 arranged at the take-out position of the test piece case 32 from the test piece case 32 and moves it to the test position where it comes into contact with urine. The take-out mechanism 4 includes a holder 16 that holds the upper end of the test piece 3 with a structure such as clamping or adsorbing, and a moving mechanism 17 that moves the test piece 3 to the test position by moving the holder 16. With.
[0023]
  FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a urine inspection apparatus including a test piece extraction mechanism 4. The inspection apparatus shown in this figure includes a container holder 2 for holding a container 1 filled with urine, and a test piece taken out from a test piece case 32 into urine filled in the container 1 held by the container holder 2. 3, a color sensor 5 for identifying the color of the test piece 3 in contact with urine, and a calculation means 6 for calculating test items from the output signal of the color sensor 5.
[0024]
  The container 1 is a cup that can be filled with urine. For example, a paper cup or a plastic cup can be used. The container holder 2 brings the test piece 3 and urine into contact with each other in a posture in which the container 1 is inclined so that the tip of the test piece 3 can be brought into contact with a small amount of urine for a long time. As shown in the plan view of FIG. 8, the container holder includes a pair of holding arms 7 that sandwich and hold the container 1 from both sides, and a rotation mechanism 8 that rotates the holding arms 7. The holding arm 7 has a container sandwiching portion 9 that is curved in a shape along the container 1 at the tip.
[0025]
  The rotation mechanism 8 moves the holding arm 7 in the direction approaching each other to sandwich the container 1 and moves it in the opposite direction to release the sandwiched state of the container 1. As shown in the schematic plan view of FIG. 9, the rotating mechanism 8 is mounted with a sandwiching cylinder 10 that reciprocates the pair of holding arms 7 in the sandwiching direction of the container 1 and the opposite direction, and this cylinder. A tilting motor 12 that rotates the frame 11 to tilt the container 1, a control circuit 13 that controls the rotation of the tilting motor 12, and a rising cylinder (not shown) that moves the tilting motor 12 up and down are provided. Yes. The tilting motor 12 is a stepping motor whose rotation angle is controlled by the control circuit 13.
[0026]
  A rotating mechanism 8 shown in FIG. 9 is a sandwiching cylinder 10 and reciprocates a pair of holding arms 7 in the sandwiching direction of the container 1 and the opposite direction. The control circuit 13 controls the rotation of the tilting motor 12 and tilts the container 1 sandwiched between the holding arms 7 to a predetermined angle as shown in FIG. The control circuit 13 stores a first tilt angle for tilting the container 1 filled with urine and discharging excess urine, and a second tilt angle that is closer to the vertical than the first tilt angle. In a state in which the container 1 filled with urine is sandwiched between the holding arms 7, the control circuit 13 first tilts the container 1 to the first inclination angle to discharge excess urine, and then the second inclination. Tilt to the corner. The container holder 2 that tilts the container 1 in this state can prevent the urine from leaking from the container 1 at the second tilt angle by tilting the container 1 from the first tilt angle to the second tilt angle. Preferably, the second inclination angle is 2 to 10 degrees with respect to the horizontal of the container lower surface 1A. When the second inclination angle is more horizontal than 2 degrees, the amount of urine from which most of the urine has been discharged from the container 1 becomes too small. On the contrary, when the second inclination angle is larger than 10 degrees, A considerable amount of urine is required to attach urine to all test areas 23.
[0027]
  The test strip supply device 31 moves the test strip 3 taken out from the test strip case 32 by the take-out mechanism 4 to the test position and contacts the urine in the container 1. In the illustrated apparatus, the test piece 3 is inserted into the container 1 and brought into contact with urine, so the test position of the test piece 3 is inside the container 1. The take-out mechanism 4 inserts the test piece 3 into the container 1 so as to tilt the container 1 or inserts the test piece 3 into the container so as to stand the container 1, and then tilts the container 1. As shown in FIG. 10, the test piece 3 is brought into contact with urine. Furthermore, the urine test apparatus of the present invention does not insert the test piece 3 into the container 1 but moves the test piece 3 to a specific test position and tilts the container 1 to the test piece 3 at the test position. The urine can be discharged and contact can be made. It is also possible to inhale the urine in the container into the test piece at the test position with something like a spoid, and discharge the spur urine to the test piece at the test position so that the test piece comes into contact with urine.
[0028]
  In the inspection apparatus of FIG. 7, the moving mechanism 17 of the holder 16 is provided in the take-out mechanism 4 of the supply device 31. The holder 16 is a chuck that clamps the upper end of the test piece 3. The take-out mechanism 4 sandwiches the upper end of the test piece 3 at the take-out position of the test piece case 32, takes it out from the test piece case 32, and moves it to the test position. However, the holding tool can also adsorb and hold the test piece. The holder 16 brings the test piece 3 into contact with urine, inspects it with the color sensor 5, and then moves it to the disposal position to release the pinched state. The holder 16 shown in the figure is a chuck, and the upper end of the test piece 3 arranged at the take-out position of the test piece case 32 is clamped and taken out from the test piece case 32. Since the holding tool can also adsorb and hold the upper end of the test piece with air, the holding tool is not specified as a chuck for clamping the test piece. The holder 16 moves the test piece 3 to the test position to contact the urine, inspects it with the color sensor 5, and then moves it to the disposal position to release the holding state.
[0029]
  The moving mechanism 17 of FIG. 7 moves the holder 16 up and down, left and right, and moves the test piece 3 from the removal position to the test position. Thereafter, the test piece 3 is moved to the suction holder 18 in front of the color sensor 5, and is moved from the suction holder 18 to the disposal position after the inspection. The moving mechanism 17 includes a cylinder and an electric actuator (not shown) for moving the holder 16 up and down, left and right, and a control means (not shown) for controlling them. The control means controls the cylinder, the electric actuator, etc., and moves the holder 16 to a predetermined position.
[0030]
  Furthermore, the moving mechanism 17 can also have a structure shown in FIGS. The moving mechanism 17 shown in these drawings includes an arm 54 that rotates in a horizontal plane, a drive mechanism 55 that rotates the arm 54, and an upper and lower that is provided at the tip of the arm 54 and moves the holder 16 up and down. A moving mechanism 56. The arm 54 is disposed horizontally, and the holding tool 16 is disposed at the tip via an up-and-down moving mechanism 56. The drive mechanism 55 includes a motor 57 that rotates the arm 54 forward and backward in a horizontal plane, and a rear end of the arm 54 is connected to a rotation shaft of the motor 57. The vertical movement mechanism 56 includes a pole 58 disposed vertically and a drive unit 59 that moves the pole 58 up and down, and the holder 16 is fixed to the lower end of the pole 58. The vertical movement mechanism 56 moves the pole 58 up and down by the drive unit 59 to move the holder 16 up and down. Screw poles and nut members, racks and pinions, etc. can be used for the pole and the drive unit. Further, the vertical movement mechanism can use a cylinder, an electric actuator, or the like.
[0031]
  The moving mechanism 17 rotates the arm 54 with a motor 57 that is a driving mechanism 55 to move a vertical moving mechanism 56 provided at the tip of the arm 54 in a horizontal plane, and the vertical moving mechanism 56 holds the holder 16. Is moved up and down to move the holder 16 up and down and left and right. Therefore, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 12, this apparatus has a supply device 31, a container 1 held in the container holder 2, and a container 1 held on the movement locus of the holder 16 disposed at the tip of the arm 54. A suction holder 18 is provided. This apparatus has a feature that the supply device 31, the container holder 2, and the suction holder 18 are arranged in a rotation range specified by the length and rotation angle of the arm 54, and these can be stored compactly.
[0032]
  The test piece 3 inserted into the container 1 at the test position and brought into contact with urine is transferred by the take-out mechanism 4 to a suction holder 18 disposed in front of the color sensor 5. The suction holder 18 sucks and holds the test piece 3 to which urine is adhered in a fixed position. The suction holder 18 sucks and holds the test piece 3 in a vertical posture, and sucks and removes excess urine adhering to the test piece 3.
[0033]
  The suction holder 18 is shown in FIGS. The suction holder 18 shown in these drawings has a vertical groove 19 for mounting the test piece 3 as shown in the horizontal sectional view of FIG. The longitudinal groove 19 has tapered surfaces whose widths are gradually widened so that the test piece 3 can be smoothly mounted at a fixed position. Further, the longitudinal groove 19 has a plurality of suction passages 21 opened at the bottom for adsorbing the test piece 3 and sucking excess urine. The longitudinal groove 19 shown in the drawing opens suction passages 21 on the bottom surface and both side surfaces, respectively. As shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 14, the suction passage 21 on the bottom surface is located at the center portion of the bottom surface and is open at the center portion of the test region 23. The suction passages 21 on both side surfaces are boundary portions with the bottom surface and open at the four corners of the test region 23. The test piece suction passage 21 is connected to an air suction pump (not shown), sucks air from the bottom of the vertical groove 19, and adsorbs the test piece 3 to the bottom surface of the vertical groove 19 to hold it vertically. At the same time, excess urine adhering to the test piece 3 is sucked out and removed. The adsorption holder 18 having this structure can adsorb and hold the test piece 3 vertically with air and can accurately inspect by removing excess urine. If excess urine adheres to the test piece 3, it flows down along the test piece 3 and decreases the inspection accuracy. This is because the test piece 3 is vertically divided into a plurality of test areas 23 so that a plurality of inspection items can be processed by one sheet.
[0034]
  As shown in FIG. 13, the test piece 3 held in the vertical groove 19 of the suction holder 18 is moved up and down in a vertical posture by the take-out mechanism 4, and the color of the plurality of test areas 23 is changed to the color sensor 5. Is detected. This apparatus has an advantage that the apparatus can be simplified because the take-out mechanism 4 can be used in combination with a mechanism for moving the test piece 3 up and down. However, it is also possible to detect the colors of a plurality of test areas by moving the color sensor up and down without moving the test piece held by the suction holder. Furthermore, the apparatus of the present invention can use any other mechanism that relatively changes the positions of the color sensor and the test piece, and sequentially reads the test area of the test piece and outputs it as a color signal over time. it can.
[0035]
  The color sensor 5 is fixed at a fixed position in front of the suction holder 18. The color sensor 5 is a color television camera with a built-in CCD, and focuses the lens on the test area 23 of the test piece 3 so that a single test area 23 is displayed as one screen. However, the color sensor 5 can simultaneously project a plurality of test areas as one screen. The color sensor 5 sequentially converts the color of each test area 23 into an electrical signal and outputs it. The color sensor 5 which is a color television camera has an advantage that the color of the test area 23 can be easily detected. However, the color sensor does not necessarily need to be a color TV camera, although not shown, a light source that irradiates light to the test area of the test piece, and a sensor that detects light reflected by the test area or transmitted through the test area It can also consist of parts. This color sensor irradiates a test area with light from a light source, and the reflected light or transmitted light is detected by a sensor unit. The sensor unit can detect the wavelength of light and identify the color of the test area.
[0036]
  For example, after the color sensor 5 outputs a color signal of one test area 23 provided in the test piece 3, the test piece 3 is moved upward by the moving mechanism 17, and the test area 23 provided below is output. Outputs a color signal. That is, the color sensor 5 outputs the color signal of each test area 23 provided on the test piece 3 in order from the top to the bottom as a color signal over time.
[0037]
  The calculation means 6 calculates the inspection result from the color signal input from the color sensor 5 with the color of each test area 23. The plurality of test regions 23 provided on the test piece 3 have different color changes depending on the inspection items. Therefore, the calculation means 6 specifies the test item color signal that the color sensor 5 has, and calculates the inspection result from the color signal. That is, the calculation means 6 calculates the inspection result of each test item from both the signal specifying the position of the color sensor 5 and the color signal.
[0038]
  The inspection results of each inspection item calculated by the calculation means 6 are printed and displayed on a printer, stored in a storage circuit, or transmitted to a host computer or the like.
[0039]
  The above automatic urine inspection device is used as follows to inspect urine.
(1) The patient collects urine in the container 1. The container 1 is attached with a bar code or a magnetic card for identifying a patient.
(2) Set the container 1 containing urine on the automatic inspection device. The automatic inspection device is provided with a barcode or magnetic card reading mechanism, which identifies the patient by reading the barcode or magnetic card. However, the container 1 does not necessarily have to be attached with a bar code or a magnetic card, and the automatic inspection apparatus does not necessarily have to include these reading mechanisms.
  Further, preferably, the automatic inspection device is provided with a level sensor for inspecting the minimum level of urine in the container 1. The level sensor detects the urine level by irradiating light from above to the inside of the container 1 mounted at a fixed position. If the urine volume in the container 1 is less than the minimum level, for example, a voice message “Insufficient urine volume” occurs. If the urine volume is insufficient, the patient puts the urine again and sets it in place.
[0040]
(3) The supply device 31 transfers one test piece 3 to the take-out position, and transfers the test piece 3 at the take-out position from the take-out position to the test position by the take-out mechanism 4. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the supply device 31 transfers the test piece 3 to the test position in the following steps.
[1] As shown in FIG. 2, the test piece case 32 is set up vertically. All the test pieces 3 are stored in a posture that stands substantially vertically on the bottom of the test piece case 32. The test piece case 32 has a center tube 49 fixed at the center in order to stand the test piece 3 in a posture close to vertical. The test piece 3 is accommodated in a posture near the vertical between the center tube 49 and the test piece case 32.
[2] The tilting motor 47 of the tilting mechanism 46 tilts the test piece case 32 to bring it into a substantially horizontal posture. At this time, the reversing motor 40 of the drive mechanism 33 is rotated to bring the test piece case 32 into a posture in which the fitting groove 34 is located at the upper part. In this posture, the reversing motor 40 is rotated forward and backward to rotate the test piece case 32 at a predetermined angle. In this state, the whole test piece 3 accommodated in the test piece case 32 can be aligned substantially in parallel.
[3] Further, the tilting motor 47 tilts the test piece case 32 so that the upper end of the test piece case 32, that is, the end portion where the cutout portion 35 for taking out the test piece 3 is provided is positioned downward. The posture is slightly inclined. In this posture, the specimen case 32 is inclined, for example, 5 to 40 degrees with respect to the horizontal. Even in this state, the test piece case 32 is in a posture in which the insertion groove 34 is located at the upper part. In this posture, the reversing motor 40 rotates and vibrates the test specimen case 32 by a predetermined angle. Due to the vibration of the test piece case 32, all the stored test pieces 3 slide down the inner surface of the test tube case 32 to a position where the test piece case 32 comes into contact with the upper lid 37. That is, the tips of the test pieces 3 are aligned. The test piece 3 in this position is guided by the fitting groove 34 and is disposed above the stopper 36 of the test piece case 32.
[4] The reversing motor 40 of the drive mechanism 33 rotates the test piece case 32 so that the insertion groove 34 is disposed on the lower side as shown in FIG. 3, and the tilting motor 47 of the tilting mechanism 46 is tested. The single case 32 is tilted to have a horizontal posture. In this posture, the reversing motor 40 of the drive mechanism 33 vibrates the test tube case 32 by rotating the test tube case 32 forward and backward by a predetermined angle. When the reversing motor 40 rotates the test piece case 32 in the forward and reverse directions and vibrates, the test piece case 32 reciprocates in the lateral direction of the insertion groove 34 and vibrates. By moving in this way, any one of the test pieces 3 stored in the test piece case 32 is inserted into the fitting groove 34.
[5] The tilting motor 47 of the tilting mechanism 46 tilts the specimen case 32 to change from the horizontal position to the vertical position. At this time, the test piece 3 is sucked into the fitting groove 34 by the suction mechanism 41 so that the test piece 3 guided to the fitting groove 34 is not from the fitting groove 34. Further, when the tilting motor 47 tilts the test piece case 32 from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture, the reversing motor 40 of the drive mechanism 33 rotates the test piece case 32 in the forward and reverse directions by a predetermined angle and enters the fitting groove 34. Two or more test pieces 3 are discharged to the outside of the insertion groove 34. When the test piece case 32 is set in a vertical posture in a state where the suction mechanism 41 sucks the test piece 3, one test piece 3 is disposed in the fitting groove 34. The test piece 3 is adsorbed by the adsorbing mechanism 41 and prevented from dropping by the stopper 36, and is accurately arranged at the take-out position.
[0041]
  In the above steps [1] to [5], one test piece 3 is arranged at the removal position almost without exception. However, when the test piece 3 cannot be placed at the removal position for some reason, the steps [1] to [5] are repeated to place the test piece 3 at the removal position. Whether or not the test piece 3 is arranged at the take-out position can be confirmed by arranging a confirmation sensor in the test piece case 32.
[0042]
  When the test piece 3 is placed at the take-out position, the holder 16 of the take-out mechanism 4 is inserted into the through hole 37A of the upper lid 37, and the upper end of the test piece 3 is adsorbed or held by a method such as adsorbing, and the test piece Remove from case 32 and transfer to test position.
[0043]
  In the above apparatus, the test piece 3 in the insertion groove 34 is sucked by the suction mechanism 41 and held in a fixed position. For this reason, there exists the feature which can hold | maintain one test piece 3 firmly in an extraction position. However, the test strip supply apparatus of the present invention does not necessarily need to suck the test piece 3 in the insertion groove 34 by the suction mechanism 41. In the process [5] described above, the test piece case 32 is inclined with the through hole 37A facing upward in a state where the test piece 3 is guided into the fitting groove 34, and the test piece case 32 is driven in this posture. This is because it can be rotated forward and backward by the reversing motor 40 of the mechanism 33 to discharge the extra test piece 3 from the fitting groove 34 and to place one test piece 3 at the take-out position. The insertion groove 34 has a depth at which the excess test piece 3 is discharged when the reversing motor 40 is rotated forward and backward.
[0044]
(5) The test piece 3 is transferred to the test position, and urine is brought into contact with the test area 23 of the test piece 3.
(6) Thereafter, the take-out mechanism 4 holds the test piece 3 with the holder 16 and transfers it from the test position to the suction holder 18. The test piece 3 transferred to the adsorption holder 18 is adsorbed by the adsorption holder 18 with air and excess urine is removed.
[0045]
(7) The color sensor 5 sequentially identifies the color of each test area 23 of the test piece 3 sandwiched between the suction holders 18 and outputs the color signal of each test area 23 to the computing means 6. . The calculation means 6 calculates the inspection result of the inspection item of each test area 23 from the signal specifying the test area 23 and the color signal. The calculated test result of each test item is output by a printer or transmitted to a host computer.
[0046]
【The invention's effect】
  The apparatus of the present invention has an advantage that one test piece can be reliably taken out while preventing the test piece from being clogged with a simple structure. In the test piece case that accommodates a plurality of test pieces, the apparatus of the present invention is provided with an insertion groove on the inner surface extending in the axial direction. This is because the test piece is moved to the insertion groove by moving in an inclined posture, one test piece is moved to the take-out position of the test piece case, and the test piece at the take-out position is taken out by the take-out mechanism. In particular, the present invention moves the cylindrical test piece case in a horizontal or inclined posture and guides the test piece into the fitting groove provided on the inner surface, thereby eliminating the clogging of the test piece as a bridge. And there is a feature that can be taken out reliably.
[0047]
  Furthermore, the present inventionDressIn the mounting, the test piece placed in the insertion groove of the test piece case is adsorbed by the adsorption mechanism, and the test piece case is moved in the vertical direction while adsorbing the test piece, and the excess state is dropped from the insertion groove. For this reason, there is a feature that one test piece can be reliably transferred to the take-out position and taken out.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional specimen take-out mechanism
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a test strip supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a test piece case of the test piece supply apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is in a horizontal posture.
4 is a perspective view of the test piece case shown in FIG. 3. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a test strip supply apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a suction case of the test strip supply apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a urine test apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a plan view of a container holder of the urine test apparatus shown in FIG.
9 is a schematic plan view of the container holder shown in FIG.
10 is a vertical sectional view showing a state in which the container holder shown in FIG. 8 tilts the container.
FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of a urine test apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a plan view of the urine test apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 13 is a partial sectional side view of the suction holder.
14 is a partially enlarged front view of the suction holder shown in FIG.
15 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the suction holder shown in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
    1 ... Container 1A ... Container bottom
    2 ... Container holder
    3. Test piece
    4 ... Removal mechanism
    5. Color sensor
    6 ... Calculation means
    7 ... Holding arm
    8 ... Rotation mechanism
    9 ... Container clamping part
  10 ... Clamping cylinder
  11 ... Frame
  12 ... Tilt motor
  13 ... Control circuit
  16 ... retainer
  17 ... Movement mechanism
  18 ... Suction holder
  19 ... Vertical groove
  21 ... Inhalation route
  23 ... Test area
  31 ... Supply device
  32 ... Specimen case
  33 ... Drive mechanism
  34 ... Insertion groove
  35 ... Notch
  36 ... Stopper
  37 ... Upper lid 37A ... Through hole
  38 ... Front / back detection sensor
  39 ... through hole
  40 ... reversing motor
  41 ... Adsorption mechanism
  42 ... Suction nozzle
  43 ... Open / close valve
  44 ... hose
  45 ... Vacuum source
  46 ... Tilt mechanism
  47 ... Tilt motor
  48 ... arm
  49 ... Center tube
  50 ... Suction port
  51 ... Suction case 51A ... Opening
  52 ... Ring groove
  53 ... Suction duct
  54 ... Arm
  55 ... Drive mechanism
  56. Vertical movement mechanism
  57 ... Motor
  58 ... Paul
  59 ... Drive unit
  70 ... container
  71 ... Guide
  72 ... Through groove

Claims (5)

  A test piece case (32) which accommodates a plurality of test pieces (3) and has an insertion groove (34) arranged in the take-out position extending in the axial direction and provided on the inner surface, and The test piece case (32) is moved in a posture in which the central axis is horizontal or inclined and the inner surface provided with the fitting groove (34) is in a horizontal or inclined posture, and the test piece (3) is moved. The drive mechanism (33) that moves to the insertion groove (34), the adsorption mechanism (41) that adsorbs the test piece (3) guided by the insertion groove (34), and the test piece (3) by the adsorption mechanism (41) The test piece case (32) is moved vertically while adsorbing the test piece, and the test piece (3) that is outside the insertion groove (34) and is not adsorbed is dropped to test the insertion groove (34). A test equipped with a tilting mechanism (46) for placing the piece (3) in a protruding position relative to other test pieces, and a take-out mechanism (4) for taking out the test piece (3) in the protruding position from the test piece case (32) Single feeding device. The test strip supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a front and back detection sensor (38) for detecting the front and back of the test strip (3) disposed in the insertion groove (34) is provided in the test strip case (32). The test strip supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the test strip case (32) includes a notch (35) at an upper end opening edge, and the notch (35) is positioned at an upper end of the insertion groove (34). The drive mechanism (33) reciprocates the specimen case (32) so as to move the insertion groove (34) laterally, or the drive mechanism (33) moves the insertion groove (34) laterally. specimen case (32) to rotate in forward and reverse, or alternatively the test strip supply apparatus described specimens casing (32) in claim 1 to vibrate so. The test strip (3) is taken out from the test strip case (32) and brought into contact with urine, the supply device (31) of the test strip (3), and a color sensor (5) for identifying the color of the test strip (3) in contact with urine ) And computing means (6) for computing test items from the output signal of the color sensor (5),
A supply device (31) for the test piece (3) accommodates a plurality of test pieces (3) and extends the insertion groove (34) arranged in the take-out position in the axial direction to extend the inner surface. The test piece case (32) provided in the test piece case (32) is horizontal or inclined with the central axis being horizontal or inclined, and the inner surface provided with the fitting groove (34) is the lower side or A drive mechanism (33) that moves the test piece (3) to the insertion groove (34) by moving in an inclined posture, and an adsorption mechanism (41) that adsorbs the test piece (3) guided by the insertion groove (34) The specimen case (32) is moved in the vertical direction while the specimen (3) is adsorbed by the adsorption mechanism (41), and the specimen (3) outside the fitting groove (34) is not adsorbed. ) Is dropped, and a tilting mechanism (46) for placing the test piece (3) of the insertion groove (34) at a protruding position from the other test pieces, and a test piece (3) at the protruding position as a test piece case ( 32) Urine inspection device comprising an extraction mechanism (4) to be removed from

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