Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Liquid collection
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-22
2001-07-17
Lacyk, John P. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Liquid collection
C606S180000, C606S181000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261245
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a body-fluid inspection device which draws body fluids (especially, blood) by sticking a needle into the surface of a living body, such as a finger tip, and carries out an inspection, upon inspecting body fluids such as, for example, blood and inter-organ fluids.
Recently, along with an increase in the number of diabetics, it has been proposed that self blood-sugar measurements be carried out by the patients so as to monitor the every-day fluctuation of the blood-sugar value for themselves. At present, in most of the measurements of the blood-sugar value, blood-sugar measuring devices are used in which test paper which changes colors in accordance with the amount of glucose in the blood is prepared, blood is supplied to the test paper so as to be developed therein, and the blood-sugar value is estimated by optically measuring the level of the color that has been developed (measurement of colors). Prior to this type of measurements, the patient has to stick the skin of his or her finger tip by using a sticking tool equipped with a needle or a small knife in order to draw and sample his or her blood; and then the patient has to squeeze blood out by pressing the surrounding area of the stuck portion with the fingers, etc. However, since the sticking tool and the blood-sugar measuring device are separately provided, the patient has to replace the sticking tool in his or her hand with the blood-sugar measuring device while the finger is bleeding; this causes degradation in the operability, and is not preferable from the sanitary point of view.
Here, U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,294 discloses a system in which conventional sticking tool and blood-sugar measuring device are provided as an integral part. In this system, the following means are installed in a housing: a sticking means, a means for transporting blood to a chemical reagent for use in blood and a means for carrying out optical measurements on the chemical reagent for use in blood and for displaying the results thereof. However, in this system, since the amount of blood is not sufficient even if the sticking operation is carried out, the patient has to squeeze blood out by pressing the stuck portion with the fingers, etc. after the sticking operation; this fails to make any improvements in the operability as compared with the conventional devices.
Moreover, another blood-sugar measuring device has been disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 276235 in 1997. In this blood-sugar measuring device, a sticking means, a pressure band for pressing the finger and a means for measuring and displaying the blood ingredients are placed in a housing. However, although this blood-sugar measuring device makes it possible to draw a sufficient amount of blood required by the function of the pressure band, remaining blood on the finger tip tends to adhere to the pressure band at the time of withdrawing the finger from the pressure band after use; this causes the possibility of contagion, etc.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a body-fluid inspection device which can successively carry out sticking, body-fluid (blood) sampling and measuring processes by using simple operations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sticking tool which can be suitably used also in a body-fluid inspection device of the present invention.
According to the present invention, there is provided a body-fluid inspection device, which sticks a skin so as to obtain a fine amount of body fluids and measures ingredients of the body fluids, comprising:
a casing having an opening;
sticking means having a sticking needle that is allowed to protrude from the opening of the casing;
suction means which places at least portion of a space inside the casing in a reduced-pressure state;
reduced-pressure releasing means for releasing the space inside the casing from the reduced-pressure state;
a chip which is detachably attached to the opening of the casing, and provided with test paper for absorbing the body fluids that have been sucked by the body-fluid suction means;
measuring means for measuring ingredients of the body fluids that have been absorbed by the test paper; and
display means for displaying results of measurements made by the measuring means, the display means being placed on one portion of a surface of the casing,
wherein the sticking means, the suction means and the measuring means are installed inside the casing.
In the present invention, a body-fluid inspection device of the present invention may comprise:
a housing having an opening at the tip end thereof;
sticking means including a sticking plunger that is allowed to shift toward the tip end inside the housing with the sticking needle being attached thereto, and a first pressing means for pressing the sticking plunger toward the tip end;
suction means including a suction plunger that is provided with a seal member having an air-sealed property and that brings the housing to a reduced-pressure state upon shifting toward the base end, and a second pressing means for pressing the suction plunger toward the base end;
air-releasing means for releasing the housing which is in a reduced-pressure state to the atmospheric pressure; and
operation means for carrying out at least a sticking process by the sticking needle and a pressure-reducing process on the housing by an operation of the suction plunger, successively in this order or at the same time.
Also in the present invention, a body-fluid inspection device of the present invention may comprise:
a housing having an opening at the tip end thereof;
sticking means including a sticking plunger that is allowed to shift toward the tip end inside the housing with the sticking needle being attached thereto, and a first pressing means for pressing the sticking plunger toward the tip end;
suction means including a suction plunger that is provided with a seal member having an air-sealed property and that brings the housing to a reduced-pressure state upon shifting toward the base end, and a second pressing means for pressing the suction plunger toward the base end;
air-releasing means for releasing the housing which is in a reduced-pressure state to the atmospheric pressure; and
operation means which carries out a sticking process by the sticking needle and a pressure-reducing process inside the housing by an operation of the suction plunger, successively in this order or at the same time, and then allows the housing to be released to the atmospheric pressure.
Further, in the present invention, a body-fluid inspection device of the present invention may comprise:
a housing having a tip end that is opened;
a plunger to which a lancet having a sticking needle extending toward the tip end is attached, the plunger being allowed to slide inside the housing;
a stopper connected in the rear end direction of the plunger;
an adjustment mechanism which contacts the stopper; and
a sticking-use spring for shifting the lancet, the plunger and the stopper toward the tip end of the housing, the sticking-use spring being connected to the plunger or the stopper,
wherein: an engaging section is provided in the inner face of the housing;
a stopping section is formed in at least one of the lancet, the plunger and the stopper, the stopping section being allowed to engage the engaging section so as to stop the lancet, the plunger and the stopper at a first position; and after the lancet, the plunger and the stopper have shifted toward the tip end from the first position by the spring that is released from the engagement between the engaging section and the stopping section, the stopper comes into contact with the adjustment mechanism so that the shift of the lancet, the plunger and the stopper is stopped at a second position.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the in
Kawai Eiji
Nishikawa Hisao
Sonoda Kouichi
Takinami Masao
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Lacyk John P.
Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
Wingood Pamela L
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