Measurement device

Abstract

To facilitate insertion of a sensor into a measurement device while protecting the sensor.SOLUTION: A measurement device 10A measures a specimen by using a sheet-like sensor 12, and includes: a housing 20; a measurement unit 50 provided in the housing 20 and executing measurement related to the specimen; a connector 52 provided in the housing 20 and connecting the measurement unit 50 and the sensor 12; and a guide groove 30 that is formed in the housing 20 so as to be opened in an insertion direction X and a width direction SW of the sensor 12, having a pair of inner walls 32 facing both surfaces of a sheet surface 14 of the sensor 12, and guiding the sensor 12 to the connector 52.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a measurement device that measures a sample attached to a sensor with the sensor inserted therein. [Background technology]

[0002] Measuring devices are widely used in which a disposable sheet-like sensor is inserted into the measuring device to measure components of a sample attached to the sensor, etc. In such measuring devices, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example, a configuration is adopted in which the tip of the sensor (the side on which the sample is not applied) is inserted into an insertion port. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-232170 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6455425 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the sensor insertion port of a miniaturized measuring device is small and can be difficult to insert. In addition, if the tip of the sensor hits the wall around the insertion port, the sensor may bend, which may affect the measurement.

[0005] In consideration of the above, the present disclosure aims to facilitate insertion of a sensor into a measurement device while protecting the sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The measurement device of the first aspect of the present disclosure is a measurement device that measures a sample using a sheet-like sensor, and includes a housing, a measurement unit provided within the housing that performs measurements on the sample, a connector provided within the housing that connects the measurement unit and the sensor, and a guide groove formed in the housing with openings in the insertion direction and width direction of the sensor, having a pair of inner walls facing both sides of the sheet surface of the sensor, and guiding the sensor to the connector.

[0007] The measuring device of the second aspect is the measuring device of the first aspect, further comprising a bottom wall provided on the opposite side of the guide groove from the widthwise opening, and guiding one of the side surfaces along the thickness direction of the sensor.

[0008] A measuring device of a third aspect is the measuring device of the first or second aspect, wherein the length of the guide groove in the insertion direction is equal to or greater than half the length of the sensor in the insertion direction.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the measuring device is the measuring device of any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a viewing window that makes the connection portion between the connector and the sensor visible from outside the housing.

[0010] A fifth aspect of the measuring device is the measuring device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the boundary portion between the inner wall and the outer surface of the housing has a curved shape that is convex toward the outside of the housing.

[0011] A sixth aspect of the measuring device is a measuring device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the housing has an upper surface and a bottom surface forming an outer surface opposite the upper surface, and the guide groove is formed to open into the upper surface. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the measurement device of the present disclosure, it is possible to easily insert the sensor into the measurement device while protecting the sensor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic external view of a measurement device and a sensor according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2A is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a sensor, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of an upstream portion seen from a direction indicated by arrow II. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the measuring device as viewed from the opening side of the guide groove in the side surface portion. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic external view of a measurement device according to a first embodiment and a sensor inserted into the measurement device. [Figure 6A] 1 is a partially cutaway top view showing a state in which a sensor is inserted into the measurement device of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6B] 6B is a top view, partially cut away, showing a state in which the sensor has been ejected from the state shown in FIG. 6A. FIG. [Figure 7A] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a schematic appearance of a measurement device and a sensor (before the sensor is inserted) of a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 7B] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a schematic appearance of a measurement device and a sensor (after insertion of the sensor has been completed) according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a schematic external view of a measurement device and a sensor according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The measuring device of this embodiment is a measuring device that measures a sample using a sheet-like sensor, and includes a housing, a measuring unit provided within the housing that performs measurements on the sample, a connector provided within the housing that connects the measuring unit and the sensor, and a guide groove formed in the housing with openings in the insertion direction and width direction of the sensor, having a pair of inner walls facing both sides of the sheet surface of the sensor, and guiding the sensor to the connector.

[0015] The specimen here is, for example, a body fluid collected from a living body, and specific examples include blood and urine. The measurement is, for example, the measurement of a component contained in the specimen, and when the specimen is blood, examples include the measurement of blood glucose, hemoglobin, or HbA1c, and when the specimen is urine, examples include urinary sugar, bilirubin, or urinary protein.

[0016] A guide groove is formed in the housing of the measuring device to guide the sensor to the connector. The guide groove is formed to open in the insertion direction and width direction of the sensor, and has a pair of inner walls that face both sides of the sheet surface of the sensor. The sensor is inserted into the measuring device by a user holding the other insertion end side of the sensor (the side opposite to the insertion tip side), inserting the side part along the thickness direction of the sensor into the guide groove, and moving the sensor toward the connector. In this way, the sensor moves while being sandwiched between the pair of inner walls that face both sides of the sheet surface, and is guided to the connector, making it possible to easily insert the sensor into the measuring device while protecting the sensor.

[0017] It is preferable that the guide groove further includes a bottom wall on the side opposite the widthwise opening thereof for guiding one of the sides along the thickness direction of the sensor. By providing the bottom wall, the sensor can be guided to the connector while being positioned in the width direction.

[0018] The length of the guide groove in the insertion direction is preferably at least half the length of the sensor in the insertion direction. By ensuring the length of the guide groove in the insertion direction in this manner, the sensor can be easily held between the inner walls of the guide groove.

[0019] It is preferable that the housing has a viewing window that allows the connection between the connector and the sensor to be viewed from the outside of the housing, making it easy to check whether the sensor is connected to the connector through the viewing window.

[0020] The boundary between the inner wall and the outer surface of the housing is preferably curved to be convex toward the outside of the housing, so that the sensor can be easily inserted into the guide groove by smoothly moving the side wall in the thickness direction of the sensor along the curved shape of the boundary in a state in which the side wall is in contact with the outer surface of the housing.

[0021] The housing has a top surface and a bottom surface forming an outer surface opposite to the top surface, and the guide groove is preferably formed opening to the top surface. Since the top surface is easily visible to a user, having the guide groove open at this position makes it easier to insert the sensor.

[0022] First Embodiment Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. In addition, the dimensional ratios of the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0023] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a measuring device 10A and a sensor 12 according to this embodiment. When the sheet-like sensor 12 is inserted into the measuring device 10A, for example, when the sample is a patient's blood, the measuring device can be used as a measurement system, such as a portable blood glucose measuring device or a blood glucose meter such as a self-measurement blood glucose meter. The insertion direction of the sensor 12 into the measuring device 10A is shown by an arrow X. In this embodiment, as an example, a case where the measuring device 10A is a portable blood glucose meter will be described.

[0024] The sensor 12 is in the form of a long sheet, and has a pair of sheet surfaces 14, a pair of sensor side surfaces 16, and a pair of sensor end surfaces 18. The sheet surface 14 is the front surface 14A and the back surface 14B of the sheet-like sensor 12. The sensor side surfaces 16 are surfaces along the longitudinal direction formed at both ends of the sensor 12 in the width direction. The sensor end surfaces 18 are surfaces along the width direction formed at both ends of the sensor 12 in the longitudinal direction. The length of the sensor 12 in the width direction is SW, the length in the thickness direction is ST, and the length in the longitudinal direction is SL. The width direction, thickness direction, and longitudinal direction of the sensor 12 are respectively referred to as the width direction SW, the thickness direction ST, and the longitudinal direction SL.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2(A)(B), the sensor 12 has an electrode layer formed of, for example, a metal material such as gold (Au) or a carbon material such as carbon formed on a substrate 12h formed of, for example, a synthetic resin (plastic). A spacer 12i having a rectangular cutout as a covering area, and a synthetic resin cover 12j having an air hole 12e formed thereon are laminated on the electrode layer. A space having a specimen supply port 12d formed by the cutout of the spacer 12i is formed by laminating the substrate 12h, the spacer 12i, and the cover 12j, and this space becomes the flow path 12a. The specimen supply port 12d is formed at the upstream end (rear end of insertion) of the sensor 12, and the air hole 12e is formed near the downstream end of the flow path 12a. The downstream end (front end of insertion) of the sensor 12 is not covered by the cover 12j and is an area where the electrodes are exposed.

[0026] In the exposed portion, the electrode layer is divided into a plurality of electrodes, each of which is connected to a terminal provided on a connector 52 of the measurement unit 50, which will be described later. The region on the downstream end side of the sensor 12 that is inserted into a measurement insertion port 38, which will be described later, of the measurement device 10A is the insertion region 12f, which includes not only the measurement region 12c but also the lower end portion of the cover 12j.

[0027] The measuring device 10A includes a housing 20. The housing 20 has a rectangular shape with both long sides that are convex outward in an arc shape when viewed from above, and has a top surface portion 22, a bottom surface portion 24, and a side surface portion 26. The housing 20 is formed with a guide groove 30 cut out of the top surface portion 22 and the side surface portion 26 corresponding to one side of the arc shape of the top surface portion 22. The guide groove 30 is formed in the center of the housing 20 in the short dimension direction, extending linearly along the long dimension direction of the housing 20, when viewed from above.

[0028] 3, the groove width W of the guide groove 30 at the bottom is wider than the thickness ST of the sensor 12, and the groove depth D of the guide groove 30 at a portion corresponding to a flat wall portion 32B described later is set deeper than the width SW of the sensor 12. The side surface portion 26 is cut out at a portion of the groove width W × groove depth D, and the top surface portion 22 is cut out at a portion of the groove width W × groove length L. In this embodiment, the width (height) of the side surface portion 26 is equal to the groove depth D. The sensor 12 is inserted such that the width direction SW is the direction of the groove depth D and the longitudinal direction SL is the direction of the groove length L. The guide groove 30 is open in the width direction SW and the insertion direction X of the inserted sensor 12.

[0029] The length of the guide groove 30 in the insertion direction X (groove length L) is preferably equal to or greater than half the length SL of the sensor 12 in the insertion direction X. By thus ensuring the groove length L of the guide groove 30, the sensor 12 can be easily held between the inner walls 32 of the guide groove 30.

[0030] The guide groove 30 is defined by a pair of inner walls 32 and a bottom wall 34. The pair of inner walls 32 are formed continuously from the upper surface portion 22 and the side surface portion 26. The pair of inner walls 32 are flat on the bottom surface portion 24 side from a measurement insertion opening 38 described later. The pair of inner walls 32 are also formed flush with no steps, and have a smoothly curved shape (R shape) that is convex toward the outside of the housing 20 (having a R center within the housing 20) on the upper surface portion 22 side from a measurement insertion opening 38 described later. Hereinafter, this curved portion is referred to as the "curved wall portion 32A" and the flat portion is referred to as the "flat wall portion 32B".

[0031] The pair of flat wall portions 32B are connected to the bottom surface portion 24. The bottom wall 34 is formed by a part of the bottom surface portion 24 of the housing 20 that corresponds to the guide groove 30.

[0032] 4, a connector 52 and a measuring unit 50 are provided inside the housing 20. The connector 52 is formed at a position continuing from the end portion of the guide groove 30. The connector 52 has a plurality of terminals (not shown) provided at positions that allow connection with electrodes on the surface 14A of the sensor 12. Each terminal of the connector 52 is connected to each part of the measuring unit 50.

[0033] A measurement insertion opening 38 is formed between the guide groove 30 and the connector 52 (see Figs. 3 and 4). The measurement insertion opening 38 is shaped to conform to the outer shape of the sensor 12 when viewed from the insertion direction X, and is slightly larger than the sensor 12. The electrodes of the sensor 12 and the terminals of the connector 52 are electrically connected by inserting the entire insertion region 12f of the sensor 12 closer to the connector 52 than the measurement insertion opening 38. In this embodiment, the connector 52 faces toward the back (left side) of Fig. 1, and is oriented so that the electrodes on the surface 14A of the sensor 12 are arranged and connected toward the front side.

[0034] The measurement unit 50 is provided with a voltage applicator (not shown) that supplies a predetermined voltage signal to the sensor 12, receives a current signal indicating the measurement result from the sensor 12, and performs A / D conversion. The measurement unit 50 is also provided with a control unit (not shown) that is configured, for example, by a microprocessor and controls each unit of the measurement device 10A. The control unit causes the voltage applicator to supply a predetermined voltage signal to the sensor 12, and generates measurement data indicating the measurement value based on the current value from the sensor 12 in response to the supply of the voltage signal. The measurement data obtained by the measurement unit 50 is recorded in a recording unit (not shown). The measurement data obtained by the control unit is recorded in the recording unit in association with the measurement time or a patient ID, etc.

[0035] A viewing window 36 is provided at the end portion of the guide groove 30. The viewing window 36 is disposed across the measurement insertion port 38 in the insertion direction X, and is formed of a transparent member so that it can be visually confirmed whether the insertion region 12f of the sensor 12 is inserted closer to the connector 52 than the measurement insertion port 38.

[0036] An ejector 21 for ejecting the sensor 12 and an external connector 23 for data communication with an external device are provided on a side portion 26 of the housing 20. This external connector 23 is configured to transmit and receive data such as measurement data, measurement time, and patient ID between the external device, such as a mobile device such as a smartphone or a personal computer. That is, the measuring device 10A is configured to be able to transfer measurement data or measurement time to an external device through the external connector 23, and to receive a patient ID, etc. from an external device and associate it with the measurement data, etc.

[0037] As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the ejector 21 has an operating part 21B provided in a recess 21A formed in the side surface part 26, and a pressing part 21C. The operating part 21B is provided so as to be slidable along the insertion direction X within the recess 21. One end of the pressing part 21C is fixed to the operating part 21B, and the other end extends to a position corresponding to the measurement insertion port 38. By sliding the operating part 21B from the position in Figure 6A to the opposite side to the insertion direction X of the sensor 12, the pressing part 21C presses the end surface 18 of the sensor 12 and moves to the position in Figure 6B, making it possible to eject the sensor 12.

[0038] A display screen for displaying the measurement data may be provided in the housing 20. Also, a control unit in the housing 20 may be provided at an end of the sensor 12, and the measurement data may be generated on the side of the sensor 12. Also, the measuring device 10A may be provided with a user interface including an input unit such as a button or a touch panel for a user such as a patient to input data.

[0039] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0040] When the user inserts the sensor 12 into the measuring device 10A, the user first holds the upstream side of the sensor 12 with the seat surface 14 and end surface 18 of the sensor 12 facing up and down, and with the front surface 14A of the sensor 12 facing the connector 52 (facing the viewer in FIG. 1). Next, the sensor 12 is made to access the guide groove 30 from the top of the upper surface portion 22, and the side surface 16 is inserted into the guide groove 30 along the curved wall portion 32A of the inner wall 32, and the side surface 16 is brought into contact with the bottom wall 34. As a result, the front surface 14A and back surface 14B of the sensor 12 are positioned between the pair of flat wall portions 32B, and the insertion posture is secured.

[0041] Next, the sensor 12 is moved toward the measurement insertion opening 38, and the entire insertion region 12f is inserted closer to the connector 52 than the measurement insertion opening 38, and the electrodes of the measurement region 12c are connected to the terminals of the connector 52 (see FIG. 5). During this movement, the sensor 12 is maintained in its position by the pair of flat wall portions 32B and the bottom wall 34, so that it can be smoothly inserted into the measurement insertion opening 38. Furthermore, the user can visually check through the viewing window 36 whether the insertion region 12f of the sensor 12 has been inserted through the measurement insertion opening 38.

[0042] When the sensor 12 is inserted into the measurement insertion port 38 without the guide groove 30, the tip of the sensor 12 may hit the housing wall surface around the measurement insertion port 38, causing the sensor 12 to buckle in the thickness direction. On the other hand, in the measuring device 10A of the present embodiment, the sensor 12 is inserted into the guide groove 30 from the side surface 16, and the tip of the sensor 12 is inserted into the measurement insertion port 38 while being guided by the guide groove 30. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a strong force from acting on the tip of the sensor 12.

[0043] In addition, in this embodiment, a curved wall portion 32A is formed on the inner wall 32, so that the side surface 16 of the sensor 12 can be smoothly moved along the curved wall portion 32A into the guide groove 30 while in contact with the outer surface of the housing 20, and the sensor 12 can be easily inserted into the guide groove 30.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by providing the bottom wall 34, the sensor 12 can be guided to the connector 52 while being positioned in the width direction.

[0045] When ejecting sensor 12, operation portion 21B of ejector 21 disposed at the position shown in Fig. 6A is moved to the position shown in Fig. 6B, and pressing portion 21C presses end face 18 of sensor 12 to eject it. By using ejector 21, the user can easily eject sensor 12 without directly touching sensor 12. The ejector 21 may be biased by a spring provided inside the housing 20 so that the ejector 21 automatically returns from the position shown in FIG. 6B to the position shown in FIG. 6A.

[0046] It is also possible to light an indicator light before the insertion of the sensor 12 and after the insertion of the sensor 12 is completed. In this case, as an example, the light emitting unit 35A and the light emitting unit 35B are provided on the pair of flat wall parts 32B of the guide groove 30 and the bottom surface part 24 of the housing 20. Then, before the insertion of the sensor 12, as shown in FIG. 7A, the light emitting unit 35A is turned on to indicate the position of the guide groove 30 to the user, and after the insertion of the sensor 12 is completed (after the terminal of the connector 52 and the electrode of the measurement area 12c of the sensor 12 are connected), as shown in FIG. 7B, the light emitting unit 35A is turned off and the light emitting unit 35B is turned on to indicate the completion of the insertion of the sensor 12 to the user. The light emitting units 35A and 35B can be formed, for example, by providing an LED in a transparent member.

[0047] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the measuring device according to the present disclosure will be described. In this embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0048] In the measuring device 10B of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, the upper surface 22 of the housing 20 is formed of a transparent material. Moreover, the housing 20 is formed with a guide groove 40 instead of the guide groove 30. The guide groove 40 is formed in the center of the short dimension of the side surface 26 of the housing 20, extending linearly along the long dimension of the housing 20. The groove width W and groove depth D of the guide groove 40 are set in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The side surface 26 is cut out at a portion of the groove width W x groove depth D when viewed from the insertion direction X, and is cut out at a portion of the groove width W x groove length L when viewed from a side perpendicular to the insertion direction X.

[0049] The sensor 12 is inserted so that the width direction SW corresponds to the direction of groove depth D and the longitudinal direction SL corresponds to the direction of groove length L. The guide groove 40 is open in the width direction SW and the insertion direction X of the inserted sensor 12.

[0050] The guide groove 40 is defined by a pair of inner walls 42 and a bottom wall 44. The pair of inner walls 42 are formed continuously from the side surface portion 26. The pair of inner walls 42 are connected to the bottom wall 44. The bottom wall 44 is disposed at the groove bottom of the guide groove 40.

[0051] A connector 56 and a measuring unit 50 are provided inside the housing 20. The connector 56 is formed at a position continuing from the end portion of the guide groove 40. In this embodiment, the connector 56 is oriented downward in FIG. 8 and is adapted to be connected to the electrodes on the surface 14A of the sensor 12 from above.

[0052] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0053] When the user inserts the sensor 12 into the measuring device 10B, first, the user holds the upstream side of the sensor 12 so that the seat surface 14 and end surface 18 of the sensor 12 are oriented along the upper surface 22 of the measuring device 10B and with the front surface 14A of the sensor 12 facing upward so as to be connected to the connector 56. Next, the sensor 12 is made to access the guide groove 40 from the side, and the side surface 16 is inserted into the guide groove 40 with the side surface 16 aligned with the inner wall 42, and the side surface 16 is brought into contact with the bottom wall 44. As a result, the front surface 14A and the back surface 14B of the sensor 12 are positioned between the pair of inner walls 42, and the insertion posture is secured.

[0054] Next, the sensor 12 is moved toward the measurement insertion opening 38, and the entire insertion region 12f is inserted closer to the connector 56 than the measurement insertion opening 38. During this movement, the sensor 12 is maintained in its position by the pair of inner walls 42 and the bottom wall 44, so that it can be smoothly inserted into the measurement insertion opening 38. In addition, the user can visually check from the top surface portion 22 side formed of a transparent member whether the insertion region 12f of the sensor 12 has been inserted from the measurement insertion opening 38.

[0055] In the measuring device 10B of this embodiment, the tip of the sensor 12 is also inserted into the measurement insertion opening 38 while being guided by the guide groove 40. Therefore, the application of a strong force to the tip of the sensor 12 can be suppressed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10A, 10B measuring device 12 Sensors 14 Seat surface 30, 40 Guide groove 32, 42 Inner wall 32A Curved Wall 32B Flat wall section 34 Bottom Wall 36 Viewing window 38 Measurement Insertion Hole 40 Guide groove 42 Inner wall 44 Bottom wall 50 Measuring part 52, 56 Connectors

Claims

1. A measurement device that measures a sample using a sheet-like sensor, A housing and a measurement unit provided in the housing and configured to perform a measurement on the sample; a connector provided in the housing and connecting the measurement unit and the sensor; a guide groove formed in the housing so as to open in an insertion direction and a width direction of the sensor, the guide groove having a pair of inner walls facing both sides of a seat surface of the sensor, the guide groove guiding the sensor to the connector; A measuring device comprising:

2. The measuring device according to claim 1 , further comprising a bottom wall provided on an opposite side of the guide groove from the opening in the width direction, the bottom wall guiding one of the side surfaces along the thickness direction of the sensor.

3. The length of the guide groove in the insertion direction is equal to or greater than half the length of the sensor in the insertion direction.

2. The measuring device of claim 1.

4. A viewing window is provided to allow a connection portion between the connector and the sensor to be viewed from the outside of the housing.

2. The measuring device of claim 1.

5. The measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein a boundary portion between the inner wall and the outer surface of the housing has a curved shape that is convex toward the outside of the housing.

6. The housing has a top surface and a bottom surface forming an outer surface opposite to the top surface, The measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the guide groove is formed to open to the upper surface portion.

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