Test piece mounting body, transport unit, and test piece analyzer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017102402-A1
Application number	US-201615287133-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 6, 2016
Priority date	Oct 9, 2015
Publication date	Apr 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A test piece analyzer capable of easily washing a transport device to which the sample (urine sample) has adhered is provided. A test piece analyzer is provided with a transport unit having a transport device to transport a test piece, a drive part to drive the transport device, an imaging unit to image the test piece, and a casing to house the transport unit, imaging unit, and drive part. The transport unit is removable relative to the casing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A test piece analyzer comprising:
a transport unit with a transport device that transports a test piece; a drive part that drives the transport device; an imaging unit that captures an image of the test piece; and a casing that houses the transport unit, the imaging unit, and the drive part; wherein the transport unit is configured to be removable relative to the casing.

2 . The test piece analyzer of claim 1 , wherein
the casing is configured so that part of the casing can be pulled out; and the transport unit is removable relative to the pulled out part of the casing.

3 . The test piece analyzer of claim 1 , wherein
the casing has a first connecting part; the transport unit has a second connecting part that is connectable to the first connecting part; and the transport unit is removably mounted in the casing through the first connecting part and second connecting part.

4 . The test piece analyzer of claim 1 , wherein
the transport unit is configured to transport the test piece by driving a plurality of test piece mounting bodies on which test pieces are mounted.

5 . A test piece mounting body used in a test piece analyzer comprising a transport unit to transport a test piece from a first position to a second position, a drive part to drive the transport unit, and an imaging unit to image the test piece at the second position, the test piece mounting body comprising:
a bottom plate capable of mounting a test piece; wherein a plurality of bottom plate protrusions capable of supporting the test piece are formed on the surface of the bottom plate.

6 . The test piece mounting body of claim 5 , wherein
the plurality of bottom plate protrusions are formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate, and extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate.

7 . The test piece mounting body of claim 5 , wherein
at least three bottom plate protrusions are formed on the surface of the bottom plate.

8 . The test piece mounting body of claim 5 , wherein
the bottom plate protrusions have a tapered width shape in the protrusion direction that is capable of supporting the test piece at the apex.

9 . The test piece mounting body of claim 5 , wherein
a space capable of accommodating the test piece on the side of the bottom plate has a distance in the width direction of the bottom plate that is greater than the width of the test piece.

10 . The test piece mounting body of claim 5 , further comprising:
a pair of side plates protruding in the direction of the surface side of the bottom plate from both side edges of the bottom plate across the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate.

11 . The test piece mounting body of claim 10 , further comprising:
an extension plate that extends outward from the protruding edge of the side plate wherein one or more extension plate protrusions capable of supporting a test piece are formed on the extension plate on the surface of the protrusion direction side of the side plate, and extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate.

12 . The test piece mounting body of claim 10 , wherein
the protruding edge surface of the side plate is an inclined surface facing the opposite direction of the protrusion direction toward the inside.

13 . A transport unit comprising:
the test piece mounting body of claim 5 ; and a transport device to transport the test piece mounting body.

14 . A test piece analyzer comprising:
the drive part; imaging unit; and transport unit of claim 13 .

15 . A transport unit to be used in a test piece analyzer with an imaging unit to image a test piece, the transport unit comprising:
a transport device that transports a test piece from a first position to a second position that is an imaging position of the imaging unit; wherein the transport device comprises a rotating body driven by a drive part, and an endless belt looped around the rotating body, and a plurality of test piece mounting bodies for mounting test pieces are attached independently to the endless belt.

16 . The transport unit of claim 15 , wherein
at least one edge in the width direction of the bottom surface of the test piece mounting body is attached to the endless belt.

17 . The transport unit of claim 15 , wherein
the test piece mounting body is attached to the endless belt at one location.

18 . The transport unit of claim 15 , wherein
the transport device comprises a guide part to regulate positional displacement of the test piece mounting body from the track of the endless belt when the test piece mounting body is transported by the circulatory movement of the endless belt.

19 . The transport unit of claims 15 , wherein
the transport device is removable relative to the drive part.

20 . A test piece analyzer comprising:
the transport unit of claim 15 ; and a casing having a main casing part to house the imaging unit, drive part, and transport unit; wherein the transport unit is removable relative to the main casing part.

21 . The test piece analyzer of claim 20 , wherein
the casing has an opening to expose at least a part of the test piece mounting body when the test piece mounting body is at the first position.

Assignees

• Sysmex Corp

Inventors

• Kusuhara Takashi
• Hayashi Satoshi

Classifications

• G01N2035/1062

  for testing the liquid while it is in the transfer device · CPC title

• G01N33/4875

  Details of handling test elements, e.g. dispensing or storage, not specific to a particular test method (test-elements per se B01L, automatic analysers G01N35/00, in-vivo analysis on the human body for medical diagnosis A61B) · CPC title

• G01N33/493

  urine · CPC title

• G01N35/10 Primary

  Devices for transferring samples {or any liquids} to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices {(G01N35/0099 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N35/021

  having a flexible chain, e.g. "cartridge belt", conveyor for reaction cells or cuvettes · CPC title