Patent EA-002856-B1 (EA)
Title: Densitometer, test piece for the densitometer, biosensor system, and method for forming terminal of the test piece
Inventor: KAWANAKA SHOJI
IPC: C12Q1/00
Filed: 1998-07-15
Abstract: 1. A concentration measuring apparatus (101, 131, 151, 171, 251, 301, 351) to which a test strip (115, 141, 161, 181, 271, 321, 371) is set, the concentration measuring apparatus comprising a positive electrode (102) and a negative electrode (103) to be electrically connected respectively to the positive terminal (117, 273, 323) and the negative terminal (119, 274, 324) of the test strip, which includes on a base material a reaction reagent which is to react with a liquid test, the concentration measuring apparatus characterized by further comprising a type judgement electrode (104, 152, 172, 275-277, 325, 327, 375) for judging a type of the test strip set to the concentration measuring apparatus with the type judgement electrode provided separately from the positive electrode and negative electrode. 2. A concentration measuring apparatus according to Claim 1, which further comprises a first identification device (111) for feeding information corresponding to the test strip (115) for the liquid test sample capable of measuring the specific component based on a fact that the type judgement electrode (104) is connected with the positive electrode (102) only when the test strip capable of measuring the specific component is set to the concentration measuring apparatus (101), and a second identification device (108) for identifying the test strip based on the information fed from the first identification device. 3. A concentration measuring apparatus according to Claim 1, which comprises switches (132, 133) for connecting or disconnecting the type judgement electrode and positive electrode, and for connecting or disconnecting the type judgement electrode and negative electrode, and an identification device (134) for identifying that the test strip (141) for the liquid test sample capable of measuring the specific component is set to the concentration measuring apparatus (131) on the basis of information obtained from a detecting part of the positive electrode consequent to turning ON/OFF of each of switches. 4. A concentration measuring apparatus according to Claim 1, which comprises a potential judge device (153) connected to the type judgement electrode (152) which judges whether or not the type judgement electrode (152) becomes an appropriate test strip set potential which is a potential generated at the type judgement electrode when the test strip (161) for the liquid test sample capable of measuring the specific component is set to the concentration measuring apparatus (151). 5. A concentration measuring apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the type judgement electrode comprises at least two high level electrodes (152a, 152b) set at a high level potential, and a grounding electrode (152c) set at a low level potential, so that at least one of combinations of potentials at the two high level electrodes and the grounding electrode corresponds to the appropriate test strip set potential. 6. A concentration measuring apparatus according to Claim 1, which comprises a change judge device (173, 258, 308, 358) connected to the type judgement electrode (172, 252-254, 302-304, 352-354) which judges whether or not a potential change at the type judgement electrode corresponds to an appropriate test strip set change which is a change generated at the type judgement electrode when the test strip (181) for the liquid test sample capable of measuring the specific component is set to the concentration measuring apparatus (171). 7. A concentration measuring apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the change judge device (258, 308, 358) stores a plurality of calibration curve information for compensating for an error in concentration measurement of the specific component in the liquid test sample, detects a calibration curve information selection change at the type judgement electrode (252-254, 302-304, 352-354) so as to select a required calibration curve information among the plurality of calibration curve information in place of judging the presence/absence of the appropriate test strip set change at the type judgement electrode when the concentration measuring apparatus can measure the concentration of the only one specific component and the test strip having a reaction reagent which is to react to the specific component and capable of measuring the concentration of the specific component by the concentration measuring apparatus is set to the concentration measuring apparatus, and compensates for the error based on the calibration curve information selected in accordance with the detected calibration curve information selection change. 8. A concentration measuring apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the change judge device (258, 308, 358) stores a plurality of calibration curve information for compensating for an error in concentration measurement of the specific component in the liquid test sample, selects a required calibration curve information among the plurality of calibration curve information on the basis of a calibration curve information selection change included in the appropriate test strip set change at the type judgement electrode (252-254, 302-304, 352-354) as well as judges a type of the test strip on the basis of the appropriate test strip set change at the type judgement electrode, and compensates for the error based on the selected calibration curve information. 9. A concentration measuring apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein the change judge device stores the plurality of calibration curve information for every specific component corresponding to the type of the set test strip. 10. A concentration measuring apparatus according to Claim 8 or 9, wherein the type judgement electrode includes:  a first electrode (252, 253, 302, 303, 352, 353) which exhibits the appropriate test strip set change from the high level to low level and from the low level to the high level after the test strip (271, 321, 371) is started to be set to the concentration measuring apparatus (251, 301, 351) before completely set, and the calibration curve information selection change; and a second electrode (254, 304, 354) which alternately generates the high level potential and low level potential synchronously with the potential change at the first electrode so as to detect a timing of the potential change of the first electrode after the test strip is started to be set to the concentration measuring apparatus before completely set. 11. A concentration measuring apparatus according to any one of Claims 7-10, wherein the error in concentration measurement results from a reaction error of the liquid test sample caused by a production error for every production lot of the reaction reagent of the test strip set to the concentration measuring apparatus. 12. A concentration measuring apparatus according to any one of Claims 1-6, 8-11, which measures a concentration of the specific component in the liquid test sample detectable by the reaction reagent of the test strip, correspondingly to the test strip set to the concentration measuring apparatus. 13. A concentration measuring apparatus according to any one of Claims 1-6, 8-11, which measures a concentration of the specific component in the liquid test sample which is measurable with the concentration measuring apparatus only when the test strip having the reaction reagent which is to react to the specific component in the liquid test sample is set to the concentration measuring apparatus. 14. A test strip (115) to be set to the concentration measuring apparatus (101) according to Claim 2, which is characterized by comprising a type judgement terminal (118) which is to be electrically connected to the type judgement electrode and positive electrode, thereby letting the first identification device of the concentration measuring apparatus send out the information corresponding to the test strip for the liquid test sample capable of measuring the specific component. 15. A test strip (161) to be set to the concentration measuring apparatus (151) according to Claim 4, which is characterized by comprising a type judgement terminal (163) which is to be electrically connected to the type judgement electrode (152) and letting the potential judge device (153) judge that the potential at the type judgement electrode is the appropriate test strip set potential. 16. A test strip (161) to be set to the concentration measuring apparatus (151) according to Claim 5, which is characterized by comprising at least two type judgement terminals (163) to be electrically connected at least to the three type judgement electrodes (152), enabling the potential judge device (153) to judge the appropriate test strip set potential through a combination of connections of the type judgement electrodes and the type judgement terminals. 17. A test strip according to Claim 16, wherein the type judgement terminal enabling the potential judge device to judge the appropriate test strip set potential comprises a second terminal (163b) for electrically connecting one of the high level electrodes and the grounding electrode, and a first terminal (163a) to be electrically connected to the remaining high level electrode. 18. A test strip (181) to be set to the concentration measuring apparatus (171) according to Claim 6, which is characterized by comprising a type judgement terminal (183) to be electrically connected to the type judgement electrode and letting the change judge device judge that the potential change at the type judgement electrode corresponds to the appropriate test strip set change, wherein the type judgement terminal (183) is electrically connected to the positive terminal (117), is electrically connected to the type judgement electrode (171) of the concentration measuring apparatus (181) when the test strip (183) is started to be set to the concentration measuring apparatus, and brings about the appropriate test strip set change to the type judgement electrode from the high level to the low level or fr