Sensor strip storage-type apparatus for measuring urine glucose levels and vascular elasticity

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sensor strip storage-type device for measuring urine glucose levels and vascular elasticity, wherein the sensor strip storage-type device is capable of measuring urine glucose levels in a non-invasive manner, quantitatively measuring glucose levels through a digitized sensor, being capable of being conveniently carried by means of sealing and storing a plurality of sensor strips that can be used multiple times, and measuring vascular elasticity during use.

Description

Sensor strip storage-type urine glucose and vascular elasticity measuring device

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for measuring urine glucose and vascular elasticity, and more particularly, to a sensor strip storage-type urine glucose and vascular elasticity measuring device that measures urine glucose in a bloodless manner, quantitatively measures the glucose level through a digitalized sensor, is easy to carry through sealed storage of a plurality of sensor strips that can be used multiple times, and can measure vascular elasticity during use.

[0002] Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by insufficient insulin secretion or abnormal insulin function. It causes various symptoms and signs due to hyperglycemia, which is a rise in blood glucose concentration, and leads to glucose excretion in the urine. It is known that environmental factors such as a Westernized diet high in calories, fat, and protein, lack of exercise, and stress play a significant role in the development of diabetes. Not only is it difficult to cure, but it also causes numerous problems for patients, their families, and society due to various side effects and complications. Therefore, regular glucose monitoring is essential for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

[0003] Traditionally, glucose levels are diagnosed through blood tests, and the measured blood sugar levels are basic data for diagnosing and managing diabetes in daily life. Therefore, monitoring sugar levels through continuous testing is very important, especially for treatment.

[0004] Recently, with the development of biosensors that can quickly quantify the concentration of various physiologically active substances, blood glucose levels can be measured by measuring glucose in the blood, which allows diabetic patients to receive effective treatment such as diet, exercise, insulin injections, and oral medication. As the number of diabetic patients increases worldwide, the market for glucose measurement for early diagnosis of diabetes has also grown significantly.

[0005] Conventional blood glucose meters typically require patients to invasively collect blood by pricking a part of the body with a small tool such as a lancet to measure blood sugar levels, which causes pain and inconvenience in continuously checking and monitoring blood sugar levels.

[0006] Accordingly, a measurement method using urine was being considered, but there was the inconvenience of requiring separate carrying and storage of a strip sensor for measurement, and sealing work was required due to the nature of the enzyme used.

[0007] The present invention was created to solve the above problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a sensor strip storage type urine glucose and vascular elasticity measuring device that can quantitatively measure the sugar level in urine through a digitalized sensor, has a storage unit for sealing and storing a plurality of sensor strips that can be used multiple times, is integrated with the device, and is easy to carry, and can prevent and manage various cardiovascular diseases through measuring vascular elasticity during use.

[0008] For the above purpose, the present invention provides a device for measuring urine glucose and vascular elasticity, comprising: a sensor strip based on an electrochemical biosensor, comprising: a first sensor section having an enzyme electrode that reacts with a target substance for determining diabetes in urine; and a first terminal section electrically connected to the first sensor section; an insertion section having the sensor strip inserted on one side thereof and a second terminal section electrically connected to the first terminal section formed on the inside thereof; a first body having a display section for outputting processing and control information and an input section for inputting a control signal formed on the upper side thereof, a first analysis section for analyzing an electrochemical signal according to a reaction between the target substance and the enzyme electrode to calculate a concentration of the target substance; and a control section for performing control according to a control signal of the input section and outputting the control information and the calculated concentration of the target substance through the display section; a second body having a storage section formed on the upper side thereof with a plurality of storage grooves for accommodating the sensor strip, and coupled to a lower side of the first body to form a sealed structure of the storage section; It is characterized by comprising an opening / closing portion configured to open / close between the first body and the second body so that the sensor strip can be inserted / extracted into the storage portion.

[0009] At this time, it is preferable that the second sensor unit, which is formed on the side of the first body and includes a light-emitting unit that irradiates green light with a user's finger that comes into contact with it, and a light-receiving unit that receives the reflected light of the green light reflected from a blood vessel, and a second analysis unit that analyzes the light-receiving signal of the second sensor unit to calculate blood vessel elasticity, and the control unit is configured to output the blood vessel elasticity through the display unit.

[0010] In addition, it is preferable that the sensor strip further includes an individual case made of antibacterial silicone material that wraps a portion of the sensor strip to block air contact, and that the storage groove is formed to correspond to the shape of the sensor strip to which the individual case is combined.

[0011] In addition, the storage unit is configured to sequentially contact the connected portion when the first body and the second body are combined, and to be sealed so that the air inside can be discharged to the other side, and may be provided with a moisture removal unit containing a moisture absorbent and a valve unit that allows only one-way flow for discharging the air inside.

[0012] In addition, it is preferable that the sensor strip further includes a protrusion protruding from the side of the first terminal portion, and a support portion is formed inside the insertion portion to allow passage of the protrusion portion, but to temporarily fix the sensor strip by contacting and pressing the protrusion portion.

[0013] In addition, it may further include a detection unit that detects a sensor strip accommodated in the storage unit, and a management unit that outputs storage status information of the sensor strip.

[0014] Through the present invention, urine diabetes tests can be accurately performed anytime, anywhere, regardless of age or gender, and the measuring device and sensor strip receiving portion are integrated into one unit, making it easy to carry, thereby eliminating the inconvenience of existing products that require carrying the measuring device and sensor strip separately.

[0015] In addition, it is possible to quantitatively provide sugar levels through a digital sensor, moving away from the fluorescence analysis using paper test strips, which is a urine test method already performed in hospitals, and depending on the enzyme substance used, it is also possible to measure glucose, creatine, insulin, and albumin.

[0016] In addition, through advanced sensor technology and its sealing structure, the sensor strip can be washed with water and used up to 50 times for 6 months with one strip, and blood vessel elasticity can be measured simultaneously while holding the device, enabling the prevention and management of various cardiovascular diseases.

[0017] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a control system and connection relationship according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 is a first perspective view showing the external appearance of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 is a second perspective view showing an open state of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the shape of a sensor strip and individual cases according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 is a structural diagram showing a sensor strip coupling structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 7 is a conceptual diagram explaining the principle of measuring vascular elasticity according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the detailed structure of a storage unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] The structure of the sensor strip storage type urine glucose and vascular elasticity measuring device of the present invention is specifically described with reference to the attached drawings below.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control system and a connection relationship according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a first perspective view showing the exterior of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a second perspective view showing an open state of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is a device that measures urine sugar, i.e., glucose in urine, in a bloodless manner and can quantitatively measure the sugar level through a digitalized sensor, and is mainly composed of a biosensor-based sensor strip (1), a device body that is composed of a first body (2), a second body (3), and an opening and closing part (4) that connects them, and greatly increases portability through sealed storage of a plurality of sensor strips (1) that can be used multiple times, and is configured to enable measurement of vascular elasticity during use.

[0027] The above sensor strip (1) is an electrochemical biosensor, and has a first sensor section (11) formed on one side with an enzyme electrode that reacts with glucose, a target substance for determining diabetes in urine, and a first terminal section (12) electrically connected to the first sensor section (11) to transmit a signal on the other side.

[0028] That is, the user can easily measure urine glucose without blood sampling by combining the sensor strip (1) with the first body (2) while applying urine to the first sensor portion (11) formed on one side of the sensor strip (1) and transmitting a signal. To this end, the first sensor portion (11) is configured with an electrode to which various enzyme substances that react with glucose components in urine are applied. A representative example of such enzyme substances is glucose oxidase (GOX), which reacts with glucose in urine in the air to produce hydrogen peroxide and can calculate the concentration of glucose by detecting the flow of electrons generated in this chemical reaction.

[0029] In addition, various target substances for diabetes diagnosis, such as creatine, insulin, and albumin, can be measured depending on the enzyme substance of the first sensor unit (11).

[0030] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the form of a sensor strip and an individual case according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein an individual case (14) made of an antibacterial silicone material is provided to wrap a part of the sensor strip (1) to block contact with air, thereby preventing oxidation of the enzyme electrode by wrapping the sensor strip (1) during a period of non-use. Normally, the shelf life of the enzyme in the sensor strip (1) exposed to air is about 6 months, and good quality can be maintained during the storage period through sealing with the individual case (14). In addition, the used sensor strip (1) can be washed with water and reused, so that one sensor strip can be used up to 50 times for more than 6 months.

[0031] The first body (2) above has an insertion portion (21) formed on the outside with a configuration in which the sensor strip (1) is electrically connected, a display portion (23), an input portion (24), and a second sensor portion (22) formed on the outside, and a first analysis portion (25), a second analysis portion (26), a control portion (27), a detection portion (28), a management portion (29), etc. are built in.

[0032] The above insertion portion (21) has a groove-shaped structure into which the sensor strip (1) is inserted into one side of the first body (2), and a second terminal portion (211) electrically connected to the first terminal portion (12) is formed on the inside. That is, the flow of electrons resulting from a chemical reaction occurring in the first sensor portion (11) is detected through the second terminal portion (211), and the concentration of glucose is calculated through this, thereby measuring urine sugar.

[0033] Fig. 6 is a structural diagram showing a sensor strip coupling structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Basically, the size of the insertion portion is configured to correspond to the width and thickness of the sensor strip (1), but in order to prevent the sensor strip (1) from being unintentionally separated during the urine sugar measurement process, the sensor strip (1) further includes a protrusion (13) protruding from the side of the first terminal portion (12), and it is preferable that a support portion (212) is formed inside the insertion portion (21) to allow the passage of the protrusion (13) but to temporarily fix the sensor strip (1) by contacting and pressing the protrusion (13).

[0034] The above support portion (212) corresponds to the shape of the above protrusion (13) and is installed so that an action force is applied to push the inserted sensor strip (1) toward the inside of the above insertion portion (21) through an elastic means. At a position where the first terminal portion (12) of the inserted sensor strip (1) comes into contact with the second terminal portion (211) on the inside of the insertion portion (21), the support portion (212) is brought into close contact with the protrusion portion (13), and the sensor strip (1) is temporarily fixed. As the sensor strip (1) is pulled away from the insertion portion (21) with a force that overcomes the action force of the elastic means from the outside, a natural separation of the support portion (212) and the protrusion portion (13) is achieved.

[0035] The above display unit (23) and input unit (24) are formed on the upper side of the first body (2), and are configured to output processing and control information and input control signals, respectively, by including an LCD or LED panel and an input button.

[0036] The above first analysis unit (25) is configured to analyze the electrochemical signal resulting from the reaction between the target substance and the enzyme electrode to calculate the concentration of the target substance. As mentioned above, when glucose in the urine reacts with the GOX enzyme of the first sensor unit (11) and an electron flow is generated, this is detected through the second terminal unit (211) connected to the first terminal unit (12), and this signal is converted through a set algorithm to derive the concentration of the target substance, glucose. Since the biosensor technology for calculating glucose using GOX is a well-known technology, a detailed description thereof is omitted in the present invention to prevent the spirit of the invention from being obscured.

[0037] The above control unit (27) basically performs control according to the control signal of the input unit (24), such as turning the device on / off, and is configured to output control information and the concentration of the target substance calculated through the first analysis unit (25) through the display unit (23).

[0038] The second sensor unit (22) is formed on both sides of the first body (2) and is configured to measure blood vessel elasticity based on PPG, and is composed of a light emitting unit (221) that irradiates green light to the user's finger in contact and a light receiving unit (222) that receives the reflected light of the green light reflected from the blood vessel.

[0039] The second analysis unit (26) analyzes the light reception signal of the second sensor unit (22) to calculate blood vessel elasticity, and in response, the control unit (27) is configured to output the blood vessel elasticity through the display unit (23).

[0040] Fig. 7 is a conceptual diagram explaining the principle of measuring blood vessel elasticity according to an embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates the principle of calculating blood vessel elasticity by using PPG signal characteristics that are different in cases where blood vessel elasticity is high and low.

[0041] The above light emitting unit (221) irradiates green light to the hand holding the first body (2), and the irradiated green light is partially absorbed by the skin and reflected from internal blood vessels to be detected by the light receiving unit (222) made of a photodiode. The signal detected by the light receiving unit (222) is converted into an electrical signal by the second analysis unit (26). At this time, the veins in the skin are not affected by changes in heartbeat, so they become the DC component among the DC+AC signal components, and the arteries become the AC component according to changes in heartbeat. In other words, the amount absorbed in the arterial blood changes periodically, because the amount of blood flowing in the artery changes periodically due to the heartbeat. When a lot of blood flows in the artery immediately after the heartbeat, a larger amount of light is absorbed in the arterial blood, and when a little blood flows in the artery, relatively less light is absorbed in the blood vessels, so that PPG (PhotoPlethysmoGraphy) can be obtained through the trend of this amount of absorption. As shown in the attached Figure 7, the vascular elasticity can be derived by comparing the PPG raw signal and the Accelerated PPG through the difference in the characteristics of t1 and t2 of the PPG signal with high vascular elasticity and the PPG signal with low vascular elasticity.

[0042] The second body (3) is a structure that is coupled to the lower side of the first body (2), and is basically configured so that the upper and lower widths are the same as those of the first body (2), and a storage section (31) having a plurality of storage grooves (311) for accommodating the sensor strips (1) is formed on the upper side so that a plurality of sensor strips (1) can be stored. At this time, a sealed structure of the storage section (31) is formed, and an opening / closing section (4) is configured so that the first body (2) and the second body (3) can be opened / closed so that the sensor strip (1) can be inserted / taken into / out of the storage section (31), so that the user can insert / take out the sensor strip (1) by opening the space between the first body (2) and the second body (3).

[0043] In the embodiment of the present invention, the opening / closing part (4) is formed as a hinge structure that connects the first body (2) and the second body (3) from the right side, so that the user can insert or remove the sensor strip (1) into or from the storage part (31) that is exposed by opening the first body (2) and the second body (3) from the left side. At this time, since the sensor strip (1) is formed so that the width of the first terminal part (12) side is relatively large compared to the width of the first sensor part (11), the direction of the adjacent storage grooves (311) is configured to change by 180 degrees, so that the storage part (31) can be formed efficiently.

[0044] The attached drawing shows a preferred embodiment in which five storage grooves (311) are formed, but it is obvious that the number of storage grooves (311) can be appropriately increased or decreased in accordance with the sizes of the first body (2) and the second body (3).

[0045] At this time, as mentioned above, since the sensor strip (1) can be packaged in an individual case (14), the storage groove (311) is formed corresponding to the shape of the sensor strip (1) to which the individual case (14) is combined, and it is preferable to configure the storage portion (31) with a material that is elastic and sealable, and to provide a sealing portion (32) such as a seal at each edge where the first body (2) and the second body (3) come into contact with each other so that the inflow of air is blocked when the first body (2) and the second body (3) are in contact and closed.

[0046] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a detailed structure of a storage unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the storage unit (31) may be configured to sequentially contact the connected portion when the first body (2) and the second body (3) are combined, and the air inside may be discharged to the other side and sealed.

[0047] That is, the storage portion (31) is inclined downward from the right side where the opening / closing portion (4) is formed to the left side, and a horizontal sealing member that contacts the storage portion (31) is formed on the lower side of the first body (2) so that, in the process of closing the first body (2) and the second body (3), the sealing member on the side of the opening / closing portion (4) first contacts the storage portion (31) and then gradually contacts the opposite side, thereby pushing out the air on the side of the storage portion to the outside, so that internal air can be excluded as much as possible during storage of the sensor strip (1). In the attached drawing, the sealing member is expressed thinly for the purpose of explaining the principle, but by configuring it with an elastic material and increasing the thickness corresponding to the depth of the storage portion (31) and the storage groove (311), the sealing effect mentioned can be sufficiently observed, and correspondingly, the second body (3) is provided with a valve portion (34) that allows only one-way flow for discharging the air inside on the opposite side wall where the opening / closing portion (4) is formed, so that the air is smoothly discharged during the closing process but is prevented from flowing back in, and a moisture removal portion (33) containing a moisture absorbent inside is provided so as to effectively prevent deterioration of the enzyme electrode of the sensor strip (1) contained therein.

[0048] In addition, in the present invention, a configuration of a detection unit (28) and a management unit (29) may be added for effective management of the received sensor strip (1).

[0049] The above detection unit (28) is a sensor that detects the sensor strips received in the storage unit (31), and is configured as a proximity sensor or a contact sensor, so that it can detect each of the plurality of received sensor strips.

[0050] The above management unit (29) is configured to output storage status information of the sensor strip located in the storage unit (31), and is linked with the detection unit (28) to enable confirmation through the display unit (23) whether the sensor strip (1) is stored in the entire storage groove (311) without opening the first body (2) and the second body (3), and a timer circuit is also configured to count the number of times the sensor strip is stored and inserted, i.e., the number of times it is used, for each sensor strip located in the storage groove (311), and this is output through the display unit (23), so that the sensor strip (1) can be effectively managed.

Claims

1. In the urine glucose and vascular elasticity measuring device, A sensor strip based on an electrochemical biosensor comprising a first sensor section having an enzyme electrode that reacts with a target substance for determining diabetes in urine, and a first terminal section electrically connected to the first sensor section; A first body having an insertion part formed on one side with the sensor strip inserted therein and a second terminal part electrically connected to the first terminal part on the inside, a display part for outputting processing and control information and an input part for inputting a control signal formed on the upper side, a first analysis part for analyzing an electrochemical signal according to a reaction between the target substance and an enzyme electrode to calculate the concentration of the target substance, and a control part for performing control according to a control signal of the input part and outputting the control information and the calculated concentration of the target substance through the display part; A second body having a storage portion formed on the upper side with a plurality of storage grooves for accommodating the sensor strip, and coupled to the lower side of the first body to form a sealed structure of the storage portion; A sensor strip storage type urine glucose and vascular elasticity measuring device characterized by comprising: an opening / closing portion configured to open / close between the first body and the second body so that the sensor strip can be inserted / extracted into the storage portion; 2. In paragraph 1, It further includes a second sensor unit formed on the side of the first body and including a light emitting unit that irradiates green light with a user's finger that comes into contact with it and a light receiving unit that receives the reflected light of the green light reflected from a blood vessel, and a second analysis unit that analyzes the light receiving signal of the second sensor unit to calculate blood vessel elasticity. A sensor strip storage-type urine glucose and vascular elasticity measuring device, characterized in that the control unit is configured to output the vascular elasticity through the display unit.

3. In paragraph 1, It further includes an individual case made of antibacterial silicone material that wraps a portion of the above sensor strip and blocks contact with air. A sensor strip storage type urine glucose and vascular elasticity measuring device, characterized in that the above storage groove is formed corresponding to the shape of the sensor strip to which the individual cases are combined.

4. In paragraph 3, A sensor strip storage-type urine glucose and vascular elasticity measuring device characterized in that the storage section is configured to sequentially contact the connected portion when the first and second bodies are combined and to be sealed so that the air inside can be discharged to the other side, and has a moisture removal section containing a desiccant and a valve section that allows only one-way flow for discharging the air inside.

5. In paragraph 1, The above sensor strip further includes a protrusion protruding from the side of the first terminal portion, A sensor strip storage type urine glucose and vascular elasticity measuring device characterized in that a support part is formed inside the insertion part to allow passage of the protrusion part and to temporarily fix the sensor strip by contacting and pressing the protrusion part.

6. In paragraph 1, A sensor strip storage type urine glucose and vascular elasticity measuring device characterized by further comprising a detection unit for detecting a sensor strip accommodated in the storage unit, and a management unit for outputting storage status information of the sensor strip.

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