JP2001050956A - Urine testing device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To ensure that a subject can freely adjust the position of urine collection with a simple configuration and that the sensor be reliably washed after use so that the sensor can be used repeatedly. Can be attached to the toilet bowl. SOLUTION: A subject holds a gripping part 20 provided with a sensor 2 at one end which generates an output signal correlated with the concentration of a specific component contained in urine by hand, and the position of the sensor is set to the urine falling position. It is possible to adjust and collect urine. By mounting the sensing means 18 on the mounting means 21, the cleaning means 25 provided in the mounting means cleans the sensor, so that repeated measurement is possible.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a urinalysis apparatus for examining urine released from a human, and more particularly to an apparatus for quantitatively analyzing a specific urine component contained in urine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Urine is an important source of information on the health of individuals, and various functional disorders can be examined by quantitative analysis of urine components. Therefore, when an individual urinates on a daily basis, a proposal has been made to add a function of analyzing a urine component to a toilet at home or at work in order to detect a functional disorder at an early stage by analyzing the urine. I have.

[0003] For example, an example described in JP-A-60-85133 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 is a toilet seat body, 2 is a biosensor, which is drivably attached to the toilet seat body 1 via an arm 3 and a rotary solenoid 4, and is provided so as to be able to come and go in a toilet bowl. With this configuration, at the time of measurement (at the time of urination), the biosensor 2 is made to protrude into the toilet bowl and comes into contact with urine.
Is to return to the back side of the toilet seat body 1. However, in general, if the biosensor is not a one-time use disposable, it must be sufficiently washed after use to maintain its measurement performance. When not in use, it is preferable to keep it in contact with a preservative solution.

[0004] For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
There is an example disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 8677, which will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 5 denotes a urine collection container, which is moved to a preset location in the toilet when urine analysis is started, and urine is accumulated by urinating the subject. Numeral 6 is rotated by a rotor. First, the pump chamber 8 of the syringe pump 7 is connected to the urine collection container 6, and the piston 9 is driven downward to suck urine. Next, the pump chamber 8 is connected to the discharge line 10 to drive the piston 9 upward to discharge a part of the sucked urine and air into the bowl of the toilet bowl, and then to the polarographic cell 11 to drive the piston 9 upward. Conveys night soil. Here, urine is driven into the transport tube 12. Next, the pump chamber 8 is connected to the cistern 13 and the piston 9 is driven downward to suction the cleaning water into the pump chamber, and then connected to the discharge line 10 to drive the piston 9 upward to clean the pump chamber 8. .

[0005] Next, the pump chamber 8 is connected to the buffer solution tank 14 to suck the buffer solution (preservation solution).
The urine and the buffer are mixed in the transport tube 12 by being connected to and transported to the cell 11, and the urine is diluted and passes through the polarographic cell 11, and further transports the buffer to form the polarographic cell 11. The inside of the transfer tube 12 is filled with fresh buffer. The polarographic cell 11 contains a biosensor. The biosensor is washed with washing water, and when not measured, is in contact with the buffer solution, so that measurement can be repeated. Reference numeral 15 denotes a calibration liquid tank, which is used instead of urine and transported to a polarographic cell so that calibration of the biosensor can be performed periodically.

An example disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-170512 will be described with reference to FIG. A urine reservoir 16 is formed on the toilet bowl surface, and urine discharged from an individual flows in and accumulates. The sensor 2 is detachably attached to the arm 3, and the arm 3 is attached slidably up and down along the slider 17. The slider 17 is rotatably mounted at the upper end. Reference numeral 14 denotes a storage liquid container, and these driving mechanisms and the storage liquid are stored in a box provided on the upper surface of the toilet. With this configuration, at the time of measurement, the slider 17 rotates and tilts to a predetermined angle, then the arm 3 descends, and the sensor 2 moves to the urine collecting section 16.
The urine component is analyzed when it is immersed in the urine. Thereafter, the sensor 2 is drained to wash the sensor 2, and the arm 3 is raised and rotated to maintain the vertical state, and then the arm 3 is lowered to insert the sensor 2 into the storage liquid container 14. Even in this configuration, the sensor 2 is washed with the wastewater for washing the toilet, and when not in use, is in contact with the preservative solution, so that measurement can be repeated.

[0007]

However, each of the above-mentioned conventional urinalysis devices has a problem. JP-A-60-8
In the examples shown in Japanese Patent No. 5133 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-198677, the urine collecting portion is driven and brought into the toilet. The places where urine falls are very different from person to person, and if a person collects urine at a predetermined point, some people may have to take an extremely unnatural posture. For this purpose, there is a method of swinging the place to collect urine within a predetermined range, but the driving means has a complicated configuration.

In order to solve this problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-170
In the example disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 512, there is no problem because the structure naturally flows into the urine pool of the toilet, but it is not a toilet commonly used at home but a dedicated toilet for attaching a urine testing device. There is a problem that must be. In addition, although the driving means is attached to the upper part of the toilet bowl, in a general toilet bowl, this part has a cistern, which is a place where it is difficult to install, and must be a dedicated toilet.

The example disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-198677 also has a problem that the configuration is complicated. In order to transfer urine and washing water to the sensor, a syringe pump and a rotary valve for switching a transfer path are required. Since the syringe pump and the rotary valve are exposed to urine, it is necessary to ensure sealing without corrosion, and it is also difficult to ensure reliability.

The present invention solves the above problems, that is, in a urine test apparatus for analyzing urine components, a subject can freely adjust the urine collecting position with a simple configuration, and after use, the sensor can be repeatedly used. Washing thoroughly,
Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to mount the device on an existing toilet which is generally used in homes.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a sensor for generating an output signal correlated with the concentration of a specific component contained in urine, and the sensor provided at one end. The sensing means is provided with a grip for holding by hand, a cleaning means for cleaning at least the sensor of the sensing means, and a mounting means for mounting the sensing means with the cleaning means.

According to the above invention, the subject holds the grip portion provided at one end with a sensor for generating an output signal having a correlation with the concentration of a specific component contained in urine, and the position of the sensor is determined by the urine. Urine can be collected by adjusting to the falling position. By mounting the sensing means on the mounting means, the cleaning means provided in the mounting means cleans the sensor, so that the measurement can be repeated.

[0013]

A urine test apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a sensor for generating an output signal correlated with the concentration of a specific component contained in urine, and the sensor provided at one end. The sensing means is provided with a grip for holding by hand, a cleaning means for cleaning at least the sensor of the sensing means, and a mounting means for mounting the sensing means with the cleaning means.

[0014] The subject holds a gripping part provided at one end with a sensor for generating an output signal correlated with the concentration of a specific component contained in urine by hand, and adjusts the position of the sensor to the urine falling position. You can then collect urine. By mounting the sensing means on the mounting means, the cleaning means provided in the mounting means cleans the sensor, so that the measurement can be repeated.

[0015] The urine test apparatus according to claim 2 of the present invention comprises:
The mounting means was composed of a housing having a mounting port for mounting the sensing means, a water inlet for introducing tap water for cleaning, and a drain port for discarding the cleaning water.

The sensing means can be mounted on the mounting means from the mounting port, the sensor can be washed with tap water introduced from the water suction port, and the waste water after the cleaning is discarded from the drain port. Therefore, the sensor is washed with tap water instead of water in which a fragrance or the like may enter, such as cistern, so that the washing is highly reliable and the measurement can be repeated.

A urine test apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention comprises:
The mounting means had a toilet mounting portion for mounting to the toilet, and drainage from the drain port was allowed to flow out to the toilet.

[0018] The mounting means can be attached to the toilet by means of the toilet mounting portion, and a urine test can be performed without using a dedicated toilet, and the drainage after washing flows out from the drain port to the toilet, so that the usability of the subject is improved. improves.

A urine test apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention comprises:
The drain is located higher than the rim of the toilet, and the water intake is located higher than the drain.

The drainage port is located higher than the rim portion of the toilet bowl, and the water intake port is located higher than the drainage port, so that the washing drainage flows out to the toilet bowl by natural fall, thereby simplifying the configuration.

[0021] The urine test apparatus according to claim 5 of the present invention comprises:
The mounting means is provided with a mounting detecting means for detecting that the sensing means is mounted.

The provision of the mounting detecting means for detecting that the sensing means is mounted on the mounting means makes it possible to automate various operations such as washing.

The urine test apparatus according to claim 6 of the present invention comprises:
The mounting means has cleaning water control means for controlling the supply and stop of the cleaning water, and the cleaning water control means detects the switching from the non-mounting state to the mounting state by a signal of the mounting detecting means to supply the cleaning water. It was configured to start.

Then, the washing water control means detects the switching from the non-wearing state to the wearing state by the signal of the wearing detecting means and starts supplying the washing water, so that the start of the washing can be automated and the usability of the subject is improved. .

The urine test apparatus according to claim 7 of the present invention is
The mounting detecting means was constituted by a magnet provided in the sensing means and a magnetic detecting means provided in the mounting means.

Since the mounting of the sensing means is detected by the magnet provided in the sensing means and the magnetic detection means provided in the mounting means, the configuration is simple.

[0027] The urine test apparatus according to claim 8 of the present invention comprises:
The sensor was configured to generate an output correlated with the sugar concentration.

Since the sensor generates an output having a correlation with the sugar concentration, it is possible to measure the sugar concentration contained in urine.

[0029]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a urine test apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 18 denotes a sensing means, which comprises a planar enzyme sensor 2, an insertion portion 19 for holding the enzyme sensor 2, and a grip portion 20 to be held by hand.
The grip portion 20 is thicker than the insertion portion 19.

Numeral 21 denotes a mounting means for storing various components in a housing 22, which is mounted on a rim of the toilet by a toilet mounting portion 23 and fixed to the toilet. The housing 22 is provided with a mounting port 24 for mounting the sensing means 18 by inserting the insertion portion 19 and cleaning water for cleaning the sensor 2 when the sensing means 18 is mounted is introduced from the tap water. A water intake port 25 and a drain port 26 for discharging washing wastewater are provided. The drain 26 is located lower than the water inlet 25,
In this configuration, the washing water introduced from the water inlet 25 is
Is discharged from the drain port 26 by natural fall.

Numeral 27 denotes storage liquid immersion means which is stored in the housing 22. The storage liquid immersion means 27 includes a storage liquid container 28 in which a storage liquid is stored, and a storage liquid driving means 29 for moving the storage liquid container up and down. The storage liquid container 28 is driven upward when the sensing means 18 is mounted on the mounting means 21, and has an opening 30 into which the insertion portion 19 is inserted. The opening diameter of the opening 30 and the outer diameter of the insertion portion 19 are The storage solution containers are substantially sealed while the sensor 2 is immersed in the storage solution. The storage liquid drive means 29 is a motor having a helical groove on its rotating shaft, and can raise or lower the storage liquid container 28 depending on the rotation direction of the motor.

Reference numeral 31 denotes a shielding plate for preventing washing water from flowing into the storage solution container, and one end 32 is fixed to the housing 22 so as to be rotatable. In this configuration, when the storage liquid container 28 is lowered to the lowermost position, the shielding plate 31 is on the storage liquid container 28 and covers the opening 30 as shown in FIG.
The washing water does not flow into the storage solution container 28. When the storage liquid container 28 is lifted, the shielding plate 31 is pushed up by the storage liquid container 28 and pivots around one end 32 so as not to cover the opening 30 so that the storage liquid container 28 can receive the sensor 2.

The mounting means 21 has a mounting detecting means 33 for detecting whether the sensing means 18 is mounted. The mounting detecting means 33 is a magnetic detecting means such as a reed switch or a Hall IC, and the sensing means 1
By detecting the magnet 34 embedded in the sensor 8, it is possible to detect whether the sensing unit 18 is mounted.

Numeral 35 denotes washing water control means for controlling the outflow and stop of the washing water, and is constituted by an electromagnetic valve. When the solenoid valve 35 is in the open state, the washing water flows out to wash the sensor 2, and when the solenoid valve 35 is closed, the washing water stops. With this configuration, when the mounting detection unit 33 detects that the sensing unit 18 is mounted on the mounting unit 21, the electromagnetic valve 35 is opened to start cleaning the sensor 2, and after cleaning for a predetermined time, the electromagnetic valve 35 is closed. The washing can be stopped.

The sensing means 18 has a CP inside.
U and a signal processing means 36 composed of an electronic circuit and a transmitting part 37 composed of a light emitting element. The signal of the sensor 2 is processed by the signal processing means 36 to calculate the concentration of a specific component contained in urine, and transmitted. The signal is wirelessly transmitted from the unit 37. Mounting means 2
1 has a receiving unit 38 composed of a light receiving element,
7, the signal processing result is displayed by the display means 39, for example, the density is displayed, or a warning such as to receive a doctor's diagnosis is displayed.

Reference numeral 40 denotes control means, and the mounting means 21
And performs various controls of the mounting means 21. In the control, when a signal indicating that the sensing means 18 is mounted is received from the mounting detection means 33, an open signal is output to the solenoid valve 35, and a closing signal is output to the solenoid valve 35 after a predetermined time has elapsed. Further, a signal for raising or lowering the storage liquid container 28 is output to the storage liquid driving means 29. When the signal of the density is received from the receiving section 38, the display section 39 outputs a display signal.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where the mounting means 21 described above is mounted on a toilet. That is, the mounting means 21 is mounted on the rim side of the toilet 41 at the toilet mounting portion 23. On the upper surface of the mounting means 21, a mounting port 24 and a display means 39 are provided. The figure shows a state where the toilet seat 42 is set up. The drain port 26 is located above the toilet mounting portion 23, and when the toilet seat 42 is folded down, the toilet mounting portion 23,
The drain port 26 enters the gap between the toilet 41 and the toilet seat 42 and does not hinder urination. Further, a pipe is connected to a water supply (not shown) from the water inlet 25.

The structure of the planar enzyme sensor 2 will be described with reference to the sectional view of FIG. This is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 304330, which discloses a polyimide film (PI film) 43, a pair of metal electrodes 44 as hydrogen peroxide electrodes, a polymer film 45 composed of two layers, An immobilized enzyme film 46 composed of: a polymer adhesive film 47;
Polycarbonate film coated with polymer film 48 (PC
Film 49).

The pair of metal electrodes 44 formed on the PI film 43 captures an increase or decrease in oxygen or hydrogen peroxide accompanying an enzyme reaction in the enzyme film 46 as a change in oxidation current. Polymer film 46 formed on metal electrode 44
Is formed by coating the metal electrode 44 and heating it further. By this heat treatment, the permeability of the electrode interfering substance can be sufficiently restricted while maintaining the permeability of hydrogen peroxide as compared with the case of only the coating, and the inherent properties of the material are improved. Therefore, even if urine comes into direct contact with the enzyme sensor 2, urine components can be analyzed.

As the immobilized enzyme film 46 formed on the polymer film 45, glucose oxidase is used. In this case, the enzymatic reaction becomes Glucose + O ₂ → gluconic acid + H ₂ O ₂ , and along with the decomposition of glucose, oxygen is consumed to generate hydrogen peroxide and gluconic acid.

The hydrogen peroxide generated here is applied to the metal electrode 44.
Is decomposed into water and oxygen while emitting electrons by the catalytic action of. By measuring the emitted electrons as a current, the sugar concentration in urine can be measured. According to this planar enzyme sensor, it is possible to limit the permeation of the electrode interfering substance while maintaining the permeability of hydrogen peroxide, and it is possible to measure with high reliability even if the sensor directly receives urine droplets of a urinator. Glucose concentration and diabetes are closely related, and measurement of glucose concentration is also valuable for early detection of diabetes.

Next, the operation of the control means 40 of the mounting means 21 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Normally, in the non-use state, the sensing means 18 is mounted on the mounting means 21 and left unattended. At this time, the preservation liquid container 28 is at the raised position, and the sensor 2 is immersed in the preservation liquid. The subject first stands in front of the toilet 37 (mainly male) or sits on the toilet seat (mainly female), holds the grip 20 of the sensing means 18 by hand, and removes it from the mounting means 21. When the sensing means 18 is pulled out, the magnet 34 moves away, so that the mounting detection means 33 can detect it.
Here, the control means 40 outputs a signal to the storage liquid driving means 29 to lower the storage liquid container 28 to the lowest position.

The subject urinates such that urine drops are applied to the sensor 2. Thereafter, the subject causes the insertion portion 19 of the sensing means 18 to pass through the mounting opening 24 of the mounting means 21. Here, the attachment detection unit 33 detects the magnetism emitted from the magnet 34 of the sensing unit 18, thereby detecting that the sensing unit 18 is attached to the attachment unit 21.
When this attachment is detected, the electromagnetic valve 35 is opened, and the sensor 2 is washed from the insertion portion 19 with tap water. At the same time, a timer for counting the cleaning time is started.

On the other hand, at this time, in the sensing means 18, the signal processing means 36 calculates the sugar concentration based on the electric signal from the sensor 2, and transmits information from the transmitting section 37 in a pulse train. This signal can be received by the receiving unit 38 and displayed on the display means 39 based on the received signal. This display may be a sugar concentration or a warning.

Next, a timer counting the cleaning time is monitored, and the elapse of a predetermined time is waited. Generally 30 seconds ~
One minute may be set as the predetermined time. Then, when a predetermined time has elapsed, the electromagnetic valve 35 is closed to complete the cleaning. When the cleaning is completed, the control means 40 outputs a signal to the storage liquid driving means 29 to drive the storage liquid container 28 up. Then, the sensor 2 is immersed in the storage solution to maintain this state, and returns to the initial state to wait for the next time the sensing means 18 is removed from the mounting means 21. Each time the sensing means 18 is removed from the mounting means 21, the above control is repeated.

In the above description, the sensor 2 has been described as a planar enzyme sensor for measuring the sugar concentration, but it is also possible to measure the urine protein concentration by changing this sensor. Further, instead of the enzyme sensor, for example, an optical sensor may be used.

[0047]

As described above, the urine test apparatus of the present invention has the following effects.

According to the urine test apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the subject holds the grip having one end with a sensor for generating an output signal correlated with the concentration of a specific component contained in urine. It is possible to adjust the position of the sensor to the urine falling position and to collect urine. By mounting the sensing means to the mounting means, the cleaning means provided in the mounting means cleans the sensor, so that repeated measurement is possible. In addition, a urine test can be performed without using a dedicated toilet.

According to the urine test apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the sensing means can be mounted on the mounting means from the mounting port, the sensor can be washed with tap water introduced from the water suction port,
Waste water after washing is discarded from the drain. Therefore, the sensor is washed with tap water instead of water in which a fragrance or the like may enter as in cistern, so that the washing is highly reliable and the measurement can be repeated.

According to the urine test apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the mounting means can be attached to the toilet by the toilet mounting portion, so that urine can be inspected even if it is not a dedicated toilet, and drainage after washing is performed. Since the water flows out from the drain to the toilet, the usability of the subject is improved.

According to the urine test apparatus of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the drainage port is located at a position higher than the rim portion of the toilet, and the water intake port is located at a position higher than the drainage port. It can flow out and the configuration can be simplified.

According to the urine test apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the mounting means for detecting that the sensing means is mounted on the mounting means is provided, operations such as washing can be automated. It becomes possible.

According to the urine test apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the washing water control means detects the switching from the non-wearing state to the wearing state based on the signal of the wearing detecting means and starts supplying the washing water. In addition, the start of the washing can be automated, the reliability of the washing can be increased, the measurement can be repeatedly performed with high reliability, and the usability of the subject can be improved.

According to the urine test apparatus according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the mounting of the sensing means is detected by the magnet provided in the sensing means and the magnetic detection means provided in the mounting means, the configuration is simple. The washing can be automated and the certainty of the washing can be increased.

According to the urine test apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the sensor generates an output correlated with the sugar concentration, it is possible to measure the sugar concentration contained in urine.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a urine test apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where the urine test apparatus of the embodiment is attached to a toilet bowl.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the sensor of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a urine test apparatus according to a first conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a urine test apparatus according to a second conventional example.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a urine test apparatus according to a third conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Sensor 18 Sensing means 20 Gripping part 21 Mounting means 22 Housing 23 Toilet fitting part 24 Mounting port 25 Water suction port (washing means) 26 Drain port 33 Magnetic detecting means (mounting detecting means) 34 Magnet (mounting detecting means) 35 Washing water Control means

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Miki Ueda 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. 72) Inventor Hideki Ohno 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture F-term (reference) 2G045 AA15 BB14 CB03 DA31 FA36 HA09 JA07

Claims (8)

[Claims] A sensor for generating an output signal correlated with the concentration of a specific component contained in urine; a sensing means provided with the sensor at one end and a gripper for holding by hand; A urine test apparatus, comprising: a cleaning unit for cleaning at least the sensor of the sensing unit; and a mounting unit including the cleaning unit and mounting the sensing unit. 2. The mounting means comprises a housing having a mounting port for mounting the sensing means, a water suction port for introducing tap water for cleaning, and a drain port for discarding the cleaning water.
A urine test apparatus as described in the above. 3. The urine test apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the mounting means has a toilet mounting portion for mounting to a toilet, and drainage from a drain port is discharged to the toilet. 4. The urine testing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the drainage port is located at a position higher than the rim portion of the toilet bowl, and the water intake port is located at a position higher than the drainage port, and the washing drainage flows out to the toilet bowl by gravity. 5. The urine test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mounting means includes mounting detection means for detecting that the sensing means is mounted. 6. The mounting means has cleaning water control means for controlling supply and stop of the cleaning water. The cleaning water control means detects a switch from a non-mounting state to a mounting state by a signal of the mounting detecting means. The urine test apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the supply of the washing water is started. 7. The urine test apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the mounting detecting means comprises a magnet provided in the sensing means and a magnetic detecting means provided in the mounting means. 8. The urine test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor generates an output having a correlation with the sugar concentration.