Patent ID: 7833792
Filing Date: 2010-11-16
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for measuring optical characteristics including reflective intensity, transmission intensity, or fluorescent intensity of a test strip that has been immersed in a liquid to be tested and is held by a test strip holder, comprising the steps of: (a) moving a test strip holder having a test strip held thereon in a moving direction at a uniform rate, said test strip having a test line that appears on the test strip after it has been immersed in a liquid to be tested; (b) detecting at a detection position of an optical system including a light receiving portion, optical characteristics of the test strip holder and the test strip during movement of the test strip holder and the test strip in the moving direction; (c) measuring a period of time from a start of the movement of the test strip holder and the test strip to when a forefront end of the test strip in the moving direction is detected at the detection position based on the detected optical characteristics of the test strip holder and the test strip, wherein the period of time represents a distance between the forefront end of the test strip and said detection position at the start of this time measurement; (d) determining a point of time when the test line on the test strip will be detected at the detection position after the test strip holder has started to move in the moving direction or determining a position where the test line on the test strip will be detected, based on the measured period of time obtained in step (c); (e) obtaining a determinant using a difference or ratio between an optical characteristic of a background of the test strip where the test line does not appear and an optical characteristic of the test line when the test line on the test strip is detected at the determined point of time or in the determined position obtained in step (d); and (f) using the obtained determinant to conduct a quantitative measurement of the test line on the test strip.