JPH0678863U - Urine test equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] To provide a urinalysis apparatus that automatically measures the specific gravity of urine collected from a patient and does not deteriorate the measurement accuracy due to the precipitation of inorganic components from the urine. [Structure] A pair of contact electrodes 18 are fixedly hung downward on a movable table 16 and a float 20 is disposed so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. A marker 20a is provided on the movable table portion of the float 20, and an image sensor 28 is provided on the movable table 16 facing the marker 20a. The movable table 16 and the contact electrode 18
Is stopped until it reaches the level of urine and becomes conductive. In this state, the float 20 is adjusted so that
Is read by the image sensor 28 as a change in the boundary position of urine, and the urine specific gravity is calculated from this change.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a urinalysis apparatus for automatically measuring the specific gravity of urine collected from a patient in a hospital or the like.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 In hospitals, etc., it may be necessary to examine the urine excreted by a patient as one of the important clues to know the changes in the patient's medical condition. Therefore, the urine volume and urine specific gravity of the urine collected by the patient or the nurse are measured once, and the total daily urine volume is also measured.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 By the way, as one of the methods for measuring the specific gravity of urine, there is a method in which a float is immersed in urine and the degree of floating of the float is measured by a scale provided on a portion protruding from the liquid surface. Reading this scale is easy if done by a person. However, if this is done automatically by the scale reading means, the change in the liquid level must be within the readable range. Here, the amount of urine excreted at one time by the patient varies greatly from 30 cc or less to 1000 cc or more depending on the disease or medical condition, but in order to measure the urine volume, all the urine excreted at once in one container. The specific gravity of urine is measured in the state where the urine of the urine is input. Along with this drastic change in urine volume, the height of the urine liquid level also changes drastically, and the range that can be read by the scale reading means must be extremely wide.

Further, since the scale reading device is provided near the liquid surface of urine, the visibility is deteriorated by the precipitation of the inorganic component contained in the urine, and the scale reading accuracy is deteriorated. Therefore, frequent cleaning is required and maintenance is complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and measures the specific gravity of urine by using a float, but the measurement accuracy is not adversely affected by deposits from urine. The purpose is to provide.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve such an object, the urinalysis device of the present invention lowers a pair of contact electrodes fixed downward on a movable base that can move up and down until it reaches the liquid surface of urine and becomes conductive. A float immersed in the urine is arranged on the movable table so as to be slidable up and down, a marker is provided on the movable table portion of the float, and an image sensor facing the marker is provided on the movable table. The central processing unit is configured to calculate the specific gravity of the urine in accordance with the obtained vertical relative position of the marker.

[0007] The mark may be formed by separately coating the float of the movable table portion with different brightness at the top and bottom.

[0008]

[Work]

 At the position where the movable electrode is stopped by the contact electrode reaching the liquid surface, the distance from the liquid surface to the movable table is constant. Therefore, the float immersed in urine is substantially constant with respect to the liquid surface, and is slightly moved up and down relative to the movable table according to the specific gravity of urine. Therefore, the slight vertical movement of the float is read by the image sensor as a change in the position of the marker, and the urine specific gravity is calculated from this.

If the signs are formed separately by changing the brightness vertically, the vertical position of the float can be easily determined from the signal obtained by the image sensor based on the difference in brightness.

[0010]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the urinalysis device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the reading unit at the upper and lower positions of the float, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. It is a perspective view.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, a container 10 into which urine is put is formed of a large-diameter cylindrical portion having a vertical axis and a small-diameter portion 10a at a lower portion of the cylindrical portion via a tapered portion. Then, a discharge path in which the pinch valve 12 is interposed is communicated with the lower end of the small-diameter portion 10a, and the opening and closing of the pinch valve 12 causes the urine input into the container 10 to be stored or discharged in the container 10. To be done. Further, a temperature sensor 14 for measuring the temperature of urine is arranged on the side wall of the small diameter portion 10a.

A movable base 16 which is movable in the vertical direction is provided above the container 10, and a pair of contact electrodes 18 are fixedly hung downward from the movable base 16 perpendicularly to the liquid surface. Further, the float 20 is disposed on the movable table 16 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction with the float shaft 22 as a guide. The movable table portion of the float 20 is provided with a marker 20a in which different colors are painted up and down so that the boundary, for example, white and black, can be clearly identified by the difference in brightness. An LED 24 that emits light toward the sign 20 a and an image sensor 28 that receives the reflected light from the LED 20 a via a lens 26 are arranged on the movable table 16. The lower portion of the float 20 has a large diameter so as to obtain a predetermined buoyancy, and is loosely fitted in the small diameter portion 10a of the container 10 with a slight gap left therebetween. Further, the LED 24, the lens 26, and the image sensor 28 form a scale reading means.

Further, the movable base 16 is screwed onto a screw shaft 30 which is vertically arranged and rotatable about its axis, and the screw shaft 30 is drivingly connected to a stepping motor 32 at one end thereof. It Then, the screw shaft 30 is rotated by the rotation driving of the stepping motor 32, and the movable table 16 is moved in the vertical direction. Further, an upper limit switch 34 and a lower limit switch 36 for limiting the ascent and descent of the movable table 16 are arranged at positions where the movable table 16 is operated.

In such a configuration, the stepping motor 32 is rotationally driven from above the container 10 in which urine collected from the patient is put to lower the movable table 16, and the contact electrode 18 reaches the liquid surface of urine. Immediately when it conducts, it stops descending. In this state, the distance L between the movable table 16 and the liquid surface of urine is constant. The float 20 is immersed in urine, and the distance (L + S) from the liquid surface to the boundary of the marker 20a is almost constant although it slightly changes depending on the specific gravity of urine. Therefore, the image sensor 28 only needs to be able to read a slight change in the boundary of the sign 20a, and does not need a wide reading range. Then, based on the position of the boundary of the marker 20a obtained by the image sensor 28 and the temperature from the temperature sensor 14, the urine specific gravity is calculated by a central processing unit (not shown). The relationship between the urine specific gravity and the boundary position of the marker 20a of the float 20 is provided in the central processing unit as preliminary data or as an arithmetic expression, and the urine specific gravity calculated from the boundary position of the marker 20a is appropriately set according to the temperature. Is corrected to.

By the way, in the urinalysis device of the present invention, the floating level of the float 20 is measured above the liquid level of the urine by a distance L, and the reading means of the marker 20a measures the urine inorganic component. The precipitate does not deteriorate the visibility and the reading accuracy. Therefore, frequent cleaning is not necessary, and the maintenance management is easy. Since this device is installed in a hospital, etc., and is managed by staff who are not familiar with machine operation, it is extremely useful in practice for this maintenance to be easy.

Further, since the mark 20a of the float 20 is formed by being separately painted in two colors having the most different brightness of white and black, the position of the boundary read by the image sensor 28 can be clearly discriminated and accurate measurement can be performed. is there.

In the above embodiment, the marker 20a is illuminated by the light emitted from the LED 24. However, the invention is not limited to this. Anything is possible as long as the position of the boundary of the marker 20a can be reliably discriminated by the image sensor 28. It may be a structure. The float 20 may have any structure as long as it can slide in the vertical direction with respect to the movable table 16, and is not limited to the structure of the above embodiment.

[0018]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As described above, since the urine test device of the present invention is configured, the following special effects are obtained.

In the urine test apparatus according to the first aspect, the image sensor arranged at a constant distance from the height of the liquid surface of the urine is used to detect the liquid surface of the marker according to the degree of floating of the float. Since a slight vertical movement is read, the relative movement between the image sensor and the marker on the float is small regardless of the amount of urine, and a wide reading range is not required for the image sensor. The image sensor is located a certain distance above the liquid surface of urine, the visibility is not deteriorated due to the precipitation of inorganic components of urine, etc. Can measure with high accuracy.

Further, in the urine test apparatus according to the second aspect, the boundary position of the float marker is easily discriminated, and the urine specific gravity can be measured with higher accuracy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a urine test device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the reading unit at the upper and lower positions of the float.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 16 movable base 18 contact electrode 20 float 20a sign 22 float shaft 28 image sensor

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A pair of contact electrodes fixed downward on a vertically movable movable base are lowered until they reach the liquid surface of urine and become conductive, and a float immersed in the urine is moved to the movable base. And a marker is provided on the movable table portion of the float, and an image sensor facing the marker is provided on the movable table according to the vertical relative position of the marker obtained by the image sensor. A urine test apparatus, wherein a central processing unit is configured to calculate the specific gravity of the urine. 2. The urine test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the marker is formed by separately coating the float of the movable table portion with different brightness at upper and lower sides.