JPH09220215A - Body fluid analyzer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to automatically and continuously perform a series of stages necessary for measurement by providing the analyzer with a means for converting the information on the body fluid emitted from the finger to an electric signal, a means for determining a measured value by the electric signal and a display for displaying the measured value determined by the means. SOLUTION: The casing 11 of the body fluid analyzer 1 is provided with a tightening part 2, a pricking part 3, a display part 4, a main switch 51 and a pricking switch 51. The one side of the base body 7 of the pricking part 3 is advanceably and retreatably provided with a pricking blade 71. The pricking blade 71 is advanced by driving of a pricking blade deriving device 9 via an arm member 8. The front end of the advanced pricking blade 71 projects from the base body 7 to arrive at a position ahead of an electrode chip 72. The amt. of the projection of the pricking blade 71 from the electrode chip 72 is capable of pricking the finger to bleed the fluid in the state of mounting the finger at the body fluid analyzer 1 and is merely necessitated to be so set that the emitted body fluid comes into contact with the electrode chip 72.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a body fluid analyzer capable of analyzing a substance to be detected contained in a body fluid such as a blood glucose level, and more particularly to a body fluid analyzer capable of automatically and continuously performing a series of steps. Related to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when measuring a blood sugar level or the like, a finger, upper arm, abdomen, buttocks, etc. are scratched using a puncture device (lancet), blood droplets are squeezed out therefrom, and taken out from a packaging material. This is done by attaching the blood drop to the electrode attached to the sensor. However, it is very troublesome to squeeze out the necessary amount of blood drop for measurement, and if the puncture device and the sensor are separated, there are many operations required by the measurer in performing a series of processes, There is a problem that the measurement is complicated.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a convenient body fluid analyzer capable of automatically and continuously performing a series of steps required for measurement.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems In view of the above problems, as a result of intensive research, the present inventors have made a puncture means, a cuff for ejecting body fluid from a punctured finger, and a pressurizing means thereof, and a fluid. A means for converting information related to body fluid into an electric signal, a means for determining a measured value by the electric signal, an indicator for displaying the determined measured value, etc. in one device and controlling by a computer The present inventors have completed the present invention by discovering that the above step can be carried out automatically and continuously, and the analysis of body fluid can be carried out easily and rapidly.

That is, according to the present invention, puncturing means for puncturing a finger, a compression band (cuff) for compressing the finger, pressurizing means for supplying air to the cuff, and air for the cuff are exhausted. A body fluid analyzer having an exhaust means, a means for converting information about body fluid discharged from a finger into an electric signal, a means for determining a measured value by the electric signal, and a display for displaying the determined measured value. . Further, the present invention is a body fluid analyzer in which a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure of a cuff is further added to the above body fluid analyzer.

[0006]

Puncturing means for puncturing a finger, a cuff for pressing the finger, pressurizing means for supplying air to the cuff, exhaust means for exhausting air from the cuff, and bodily fluid discharged from the finger According to the body fluid analyzer of the present invention having means for converting information about an electrical signal, means for determining a measured value based on the electrical signal, and an indicator for displaying the determined measured value, after puncturing a finger, Then, the finger is pressed by the pressurized cuff to bleed the body fluid, and after the bleeding, the cuff is loosened by evacuation and the finger is opened, and necessary information from the obtained body fluid is converted into an electric signal and the measured value is converted. Since the determination can be made and displayed on the display, a series of steps required for the measurement can be automatically and continuously performed, and the analysis of the bodily fluid can be performed simply and quickly.

By adding a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure of the cuff to the body fluid analyzer, the upper limit of the pressure of the cuff can be set regardless of the thickness of the finger of the measurer, so that the measurer is overcompressed. An appropriate amount of body fluid can be squeezed out from a finger without giving a feeling. Further, by adding a means for fixing with the cuff before puncturing the finger to the body fluid analyzer, the finger can be fixed with a weak pressure of the cuff, and the finger can be punctured in a stable state. .

Further, in the above body fluid analyzer, means for converting information on body fluid discharged from a finger into an electric signal by means of an electrode and stopping supply of air to the cuff when the body fluid contacts the electrode. By providing
It is possible to secure a sufficient amount of body fluid for the measurement, and to prevent the finger from being unduly pressed by extra pressure.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a body fluid analyzer according to an example of the present invention. The body fluid analyzer 1 has a rectangular casing 11, and the casing 11 has a tightening portion 2 and
The puncture unit 3, the display 4, the main switch 51, and the puncture switch 52 are provided. A perspective view of a body fluid analyzer according to another example of the present invention is shown in FIG. This body fluid analyzer 1'has substantially the same structure as the body fluid analyzer 1 in FIG. 1, except that a main switch 51 'and a puncture switch 5 are provided.
A fixed switch 53 is provided in addition to 2 '. Hereinafter, each part will be described by taking the body fluid analyzer 1 of FIG. 1 as an example.

The tightening portion 2 has a cylindrical shape so that a finger can be inserted therein. A cuff (compression band) 21 for pressing a finger is provided inside the tightening portion 2. This cuff 21
The finger can be pressed and released by utilizing the injection and exhaust of air by a cuff drive device (not shown). The cuff drive has a pressure sensor, a solenoid valve,
It has a pump and a leak valve, which communicate with the cuff 21 through a rubber tube. The cuff driving device is controlled by a computer (not shown) provided inside the body fluid analyzer 1.

The puncture portion 3 has a sleeve 6 and a plate-shaped base 7 housed in the sleeve 6, as shown in FIG. A puncture blade 71 is provided on one side of the base body 7 so as to be able to move forward and backward (see FIGS. 4 (a) and (b)), and an electrode tip 72 is installed on the other side. Electrode leads 73a, 73 so that they are connected to the terminals of the electrode chip 72
b is provided (see FIG. 4 (c)). Further, leaf springs 74 are provided on both front sides of the base 7 so that the protruding puncture blade 71 can be retracted to the initial position. A perspective view of the base 7 and the puncture blade 71 seen from the rear is shown in FIG. 4 (d).

The puncture blade 71 is provided in consideration of hygiene safety.
It is preferable to use one made of stainless steel,
Commercially available, such as Blo from Feather Safety Razor
od Lancets can be used. Electrode tip 72
An enzyme ink (not shown) is applied to one of the electrodes of the above. Various types of enzyme inks can be selected according to the substance to be detected in the body fluid. For example, when measuring a blood glucose level, an ink composition containing glucose oxidase or the like can be used.

Substrate 7 having piercing blade 71 and electrode tip 72
If the sleeve 6 accommodating the above is made into a cartridge type that can be detached from the body fluid analyzer 1, they can be disposable, which is very advantageous in hygiene.

The puncture blade 71 is moved forward by driving the puncture blade drive device (solenoid in this embodiment) 9 via the arm member 8. The solenoid 9 is driven by turning on the puncture switch 52. The forward end of the puncturing blade 71 protrudes from the base 7 and reaches a position ahead of the electrode tip 72. The amount of protrusion of the puncture blade 71 from the electrode tip 72 can be set such that the finger can be punctured and drained while the finger is mounted on the body fluid analyzer 1, and the discharged body fluid contacts the electrode tip 72. What is necessary is to set so that it may be obtained. Protruding piercing blade 71
Moves to the initial position by the action of the leaf spring 74 provided on the base 7. In this embodiment, the solenoid is used as a method for driving the puncture blade. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the puncture blade can be driven by various methods.

The body fluid analyzer 1'is provided with a fixed switch 53, which will be described later.
By turning on, fix the finger with a weak cuff pressure. By fixing the finger in this way, the finger can be stabilized and punctured.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of the body fluid analyzer. In this body fluid analyzer, the cuff
Numeral 21 communicates with a pressure sensor, an electromagnetic valve, a pump, and a leak valve by a rubber tube, and these constitute an air pressure system. The operation of each member in the body fluid analyzer is controlled by a computer. The computer has a function to turn on / off a solenoid valve, a leak valve and a pump, a function to capture air pressure data detected by a pressure sensor, a function to operate a solenoid, a function to capture an electric signal from an electrode, and a function to calculate an electric signal. It has a function of determining a measured value and a function of outputting the measured value to a display.

This computer is initialized by turning on the main switch 51, and is programmed so that the solenoid 9 is driven by turning on the puncture switch 52 and the pump is driven after a predetermined time. In addition, the pump may be turned off and the solenoid valve and the leak valve may be opened by taking in information that the pressure of the cuff 21 or the body fluid that has been detected by the pressure sensor has come into contact with the electrode, or after a predetermined time has elapsed since the pump was turned on. Command. Electric signals from the electrodes are also taken into the computer, and the measured values determined by the computer are output to the display 4. Note that this circuit configuration is merely an example, and in some cases, the pressure sensor may be omitted or a fixed switch may be added.

An example of the detailed operation of the body fluid analyzer in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Before starting the measurement, the measurer inserts his finger into the cuff. The finger may be any finger and may be a finger on either the left or right hand. When the main switch is turned on, the system is initialized, such as clearing the memory in the computer.

Next, the measurer turns on the puncture switch. When the puncture switch is turned on, the solenoid is driven and the puncture blade projects from the base body via the arm member (step 1). The protruding puncture blade returns to its original position by the action of the leaf spring after injuring the skin of the fingertip. After the puncture blade is projected, the pump is driven (step 2) to pressurize the cuff. The cuff squeezes a finger and squeezes body fluids from the damaged skin.

There are three methods for determining when turning off the pump. First, if the blood pressure reaches a predetermined value (P) due to the pressure of the cuff, for example, the determination is YES.
(FIG. 6: Step 3). The blood pressure that reflects the cuff pressure can be detected by the pressure sensor. The value of P is 120 mmHg
The above is desirable, and the most appropriate amount of liquid can be obtained at about 180 mmHg. According to this first method, the upper limit of the cuff pressure can be set regardless of the thickness of the finger of the measurer,
The body fluid can be squeezed out without giving an excessive feeling of pressure to the measurer.

Secondly, if a predetermined time (T) has elapsed since the pump was turned on, the determination is YES (FIG. 7: step 3 '). The value of T is desirably about 5 to 60 seconds.
The best amount of liquid can be obtained at about 0 seconds.

Third, if the squeezed body fluid comes into contact with the electrodes, the determination is YES (FIG. 8: step 3 "). According to the third method, a necessary and sufficient amount of body fluid can be secured. No excessive pressure is applied to the finger, and the pressure sensor is not necessary when the second method and the third method are applied in this step.

When the operation of the pump is stopped in accordance with the determination by any one of the first to third methods (FIG. 6: step 4), the solenoid valve and the leak valve are opened immediately, and the air in the cuff is quickly exhausted. (Step 5). Although only one valve may be used, by using the electromagnetic valve and the leak valve together, the air in the cuff can be quickly exhausted, and the finger of the measurer can be released from the compressed state.

The squeezed body fluid comes into contact with the electrodes in the electrode tip, information about the body fluid is sent to the computer as an electric signal, and calculation is started (step 6). When the time t has elapsed from the start of the calculation (step 7), the calculation is terminated (step 8). Since a certain time is required for the measured value to stabilize, the value of t greatly depends on the performance of the electrode, but generally requires about 5 to 60 seconds. When the measured value is determined by calculation by the computer, the measured value is displayed on the display (step 9).

Next, an example of the detailed operation of the body fluid analyzer in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The measurer inserts his / her finger in the cuff, turns on the main switch, and then turns on the fixed switch to fix the finger. There are two ways to fix your finger. In the first method, when the fixing switch is turned on, the pump is driven (step 1), and the cuff is pressurized to such an extent that the finger is fixed so as not to move carelessly. Specifically, when the blood pressure value that reflects the pressure of the cuff reaches a predetermined value (p), the determination is YES (step 2) and the driving of the pump is stopped. Most preferably, the value of p is about 180 mmHg. If such a step is provided and the finger is fixed to the cuff with a weak pressure, the finger can be punctured in a stable manner, so that the puncture can be performed reliably and at an appropriate depth.

In the second method, when the fixed switch is turned on, the pump is driven (step 1) to pressurize the cuff, but if a predetermined time (T ') has elapsed after the pump was turned on, the determination is YES (Fig. 10: Step 2 '), stop driving the pump. Most preferably, the value of T'is 5 to 10 seconds. Through this step, it is possible to prevent the finger from inadvertently moving and stabilize the puncture.

When the driving of the pump is temporarily stopped (FIG. 9: step 3), the measurer next turns on the puncture switch. When the puncture switch is turned on, the solenoid is driven and the puncture blade projects from the base body via the arm member (step 4). The protruding puncture blade returns to its original position by the action of the leaf spring after injuring the skin of the fingertip. After the puncture blade is projected, the pump is driven again (step 5) to pressurize the cuff. At this stage, the cuff presses against your fingers enough to squeeze out fluid from the injured skin.

There are three types of determination methods for turning off the pump, which are the same as those described above (FIG. 9 :).
Step 6, Fig. 11: Step 6 ', Fig. 12: Step 6 "). When the drive of the pump is stopped according to the judgment by any method (Step 7), the solenoid valve and the leak valve are immediately opened, and the air in the cuff is opened. (Step 8) The squeezed body fluid comes into contact with the electrodes on the electrode tip, information about the body fluid is sent to the computer as an electric signal, and calculation is started (step 9). When t time has elapsed (step 10), the calculation is terminated (step 11), and the obtained measured value is displayed on the display (step 12).

According to the body fluid analyzer of the present invention described above, a series of operation steps can be reduced and an inspection can be completed very easily. In addition, since this device is provided with all of the puncturing means, the pressurizing means, the means for converting information on the body fluid into an electric signal, the means for determining the measured value, and the display for displaying the measured value, the general user is skilled. Without the need for
Can be used easily and quickly. Further, in the body fluid analyzer of the present invention, by changing the type of the enzyme ink used, not only the blood sugar level but also various substances in the body fluid can be analyzed.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, the device may be applied not only to the finger but also to the wrist, the arm and the like. It is also possible to install a voice guide for the blind and to change the system to a series of systems until listening to the measurement results with a single switch.

[0031]

According to the apparatus of the present invention, a series of steps required for measurement can be performed automatically and continuously, and the analysis of body fluid can be performed simply and quickly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a body fluid analyzer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing another example of the body fluid analyzer of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a sleeve, a base body, a puncture blade, and a puncture blade drive device (solenoid) in the body fluid analyzer of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a substrate, a puncture blade and an electrode tip in the body fluid analyzer of the present invention. (a) is a view seen from the puncture blade side, (b) is a view showing a state where the puncture blade is protruding, (c) is a view seen from the electrode tip installation side, and (d) is a rear view. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a circuit configuration of the body fluid analyzer of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the body fluid analyzer in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of step 3 in the flowchart of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of step 3 in the flowchart of FIG. 6;

9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the body fluid analyzer in FIG.

10 is a diagram showing another example of step 2 in the flowchart of FIG.

11 is a diagram showing another example of step 6 in the flowchart of FIG.

12 is a diagram showing another example of step 6 in the flowchart of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1 '... Body fluid analyzer 11, 11' ... Casing 2, 2 '... Tightening part 21, 21' ... Cuff 3, 3 '... Puncture part 4, 4' ... Indicator 51, 51 '... Main switch 52, 52 '... Puncture switch 53 ... Fixed switch 6 ... Sleeve 7 ... Base 71 ... Puncture blade 72 ... Electrode tips 73a, 73b ... Electrode lead 74 ... Leaf spring 8 ... Arm member 9 ... Solenoid

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A puncture means for puncturing a finger, a compression band for compressing the finger, a pressurizing means for supplying air to the compression band, an exhaust means for exhausting air from the compression band, and A pressure sensor for detecting the pressure of the compression band, a means for converting information about body fluid discharged from a finger into an electric signal, a means for determining a measurement value by the electric signal, and a display for displaying the determined measurement value. Body fluid analyzer having a. 2. The body fluid analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising means for fixing the finger by the compression band before puncturing. 3. A puncture means for puncturing a finger, a compression band for compressing the finger, a pressurizing means for supplying air to the compression band, an exhaust means for exhausting air from the compression band, and a finger. A body fluid analyzer comprising: a unit for converting information on body fluid discharged from the body into an electric signal; a unit for determining a measured value based on the electric signal; and an indicator for displaying the determined measured value. 4. An electrode is used as a means for converting information relating to body fluid discharged from a finger into an electric signal, and air is supplied to the compression zone when the body fluid contacts the electrode. The body fluid analyzer according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising means for stopping the operation.