Patent Publication Number: US-2023152299-A1

Title: Test strip container and test strip discharging mechanism

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-185193, filed on Nov. 12, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a test strip container and a test strip discharging mechanism. 
     Related Art 
     In order to carry out measurement continuously by using test strips that are used to measure a predetermined item included in a sample of urine or the like, a mechanism is used that inserts plural test strips into a device, and takes the inserted test strips out one-by-one. A specimen is applied to the test strip that is taken out by the mechanism, and the predetermined item is measured. 
     For example, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. H05-264540, an “in-drum claw portion” is provided at a drum container. While the drum container is rotatingly driven, testing papers that are stored therein catch on this “in-drum claw portion” one-by-one, and are dropped onto a sorter rack. Further, for example, in the automatic urine testing device disclosed in JP-A No. H05-5736, even if a reagent portion 20a on a urine testing paper deteriorates by absorbing humidity of an allowable amount or more, in order to solve the problem that the automatic urine testing device cannot sense the deterioration of the reagent portion 20a, a reagent portion for sensing intermediate deterioration of the urine testing paper is provided, and detecting means for optically detecting the deterioration of the reagent portion for urine testing is provided. 
     In order to discharge test strips out to the exterior of a container as in the technique of JP-A No. H05-264540, an opening portion must be provided at the container. However, while the opening portion is open, outside air that includes water vapor flows into the container interior from the container exterior, and therefore, there is the concern that the test strips will deteriorate. Further, in a case of providing a reagent portion for sensing intermediate deterioration of a urine testing paper as in the technique of JP-A No. H05-5736, the cost of the urine test strip increases. Moreover, even if a reagent portion for sensing intermediate deterioration of the urine testing paper is provided, it cannot at all resist deterioration of the urine test strip due to humidity. Note that, in both of the techniques of JP-A No. H05-264540 and JP-A No. H05-5736, measures are taken at the test strip containers such that as little as possible outside air enters into the interior of the accommodating member. However, in these techniques, outside air cannot be prevented from entering into the accommodating member from the opening portion at the time of discharging a test strip from the accommodating member. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a mechanism that can discharge a test strip while preventing entry of outside air into a container that accommodates test strips. 
     A test strip container of an aspect of the present disclosure has an accommodating member, a moving member, a door member, a door accommodating portion, and a discharge opening. A test strip is accommodated at the interior of the accommodating member. The moving member moves the test strip at the interior of the accommodating member. The door member is provided so as to be able to open and close at the side surface of the accommodating member, in order to discharge the test strip, which has been moved by the moving member, to the exterior of the accommodating member. Moreover, at a time of being closed, the door member cuts the interior and the exterior of the accommodating member off from each other. The door accommodating portion covers the door member from the outer side of the accommodating member. The door member can open and close at the interior of the door accommodating portion. The discharge opening, at a time of being closed, cuts the interior and the exterior of the door accommodating portion off from each other. The discharge opening is provided at the door accommodating portion so as to be able to open and close, in order to discharge the test strip, which has been discharged to the exterior of the accommodating member, to the exterior of the door accommodating portion. Further, the discharge opening is configured so as to be able to open in the state in which the accommodating member is closed by the door member. 
     Because the aspect of the present disclosure is structured as described above, there is provided a mechanism that can discharge a test strip while preventing entry of outside air into a container that accommodates test strips. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
         FIG.  1    illustrates a test strip container of an exemplary embodiment in a front view; 
         FIG.  2    illustrates the test strip container of  FIG.  1    in a front perspective view; 
         FIG.  3    illustrates, in a front perspective view, a state in which a cap has been removed from the test strip container of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  4    illustrates the test strip container of  FIG.  1    in a rear perspective view; 
         FIG.  5    illustrates, in a cross-section along line D-D′ of  FIG.  1   , a cylindrical surface that is the inner periphery of an accommodating member at the test strip container of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  6 A  illustrates a test strip in a perspective view; 
         FIG.  6 B  illustrates the test strip in a front view; 
         FIG.  6 C  illustrates the test strip in a side view; 
         FIG.  7    illustrates, in a front perspective view, a rotating member that is accommodated in the test strip container of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  8    illustrates the rotating member of  FIG.  5    in a rear perspective view; 
         FIG.  9    is an outer perspective view of a door member; 
         FIG.  10    is an inner perspective view of the door member; 
         FIG.  11    is a cross-sectional view along line C-C′ of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  12    illustrates a pushing piece and a sorting piece in an enlarged manner; 
         FIG.  13    is a functional block drawing of a test strip holding mechanism; 
         FIG.  14    is a block drawing illustrating hardware structures of a control section of  FIG.  13   ; 
         FIG.  15 A  is a flowchart illustrating an overview of test strip discharging processing; 
         FIG.  15 B  is a flowchart illustrating an overview of test strip discharging processing; 
         FIG.  16 A  illustrates a state of holding the test strip, in a cross-sectional view; 
         FIG.  16 B  illustrates a state of holding the test strip, in a cross-sectional view; 
         FIG.  16 C  illustrates a state of holding the test strip, in a cross-sectional view; 
         FIG.  16 D  illustrates a state of holding the test strip, in a cross-sectional view; 
         FIG.  16 E  illustrates a state in which the test strip is discharged, in a cross-sectional view; 
         FIG.  16 F  illustrates a state in which the test strip is discharged, in a cross-sectional view; 
         FIG.  16 G  illustrates a state in which the test strip is discharged, in a cross-sectional view; and 
         FIG.  17    illustrates a modified example of the exemplary embodiment in a cross-sectional view. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described hereinafter with reference to the drawings. Note that reference numerals that are used in common in the respective drawings indicate the same objects even if not stated in the following descriptions of the respective drawings. 
     (1) Exemplary Embodiment 
       FIG.  1    illustrates a test strip container  10  of a present exemplary embodiment in a front view.  FIG.  2    illustrates the test strip container  10  in a front perspective view.  FIG.  3    illustrates, in a front perspective view, a state in which a cap  21  has been removed from the test strip container  10 .  FIG.  4    illustrates the test strip container  10  in a rear perspective view. Note that, in the following description, the direction in which the cap  21  ( FIG.  1   ,  FIG.  2   ,  FIG.  4   ) is provided at the test strip container  10  is referred to as the front side, and the direction in which a connecting portion  20 C is provided at the test strip container  10  is referred to as the rear side. 
     The test strip container  10  of the present exemplary embodiment has an accommodating member  20  whose side surface is cylindrical and in whose interior test strips  90  (see  FIG.  6 A  to  FIG.  6 C ) are accommodated. Accordingly, the length of the accommodating member  20  in the longitudinal direction is the same as or longer than the length of the test strip  90 . As illustrated in  FIG.  1   ,  FIG.  2    and  FIG.  4   , the cap  21  that is shaped as a short cylinder is attached to one end side of the accommodating member  20 . A door accommodating portion  27  that is shaped as a cylinder and projects outward is provided at the side surface of the accommodating member  20 . The door accommodating portion  27  is a shape in which a portion of a solid cylinder, whose diameter is smaller than the accommodating member  20  and whose length in the longitudinal direction is greater than or equal to the length of the test strip  90 , projects outward from the accommodating member  20 . Further, a discharge opening  28 , which is an opening of the same length or longer than the test strip  90 , is provided along the longitudinal direction of the door accommodating portion  27 . The discharge opening  28  communicates the interior and the exterior of the door accommodating portion  27  at the lower side of the door accommodating portion  27 . 
     A door member  40 , which is the shape illustrated in an outer perspective view in  FIG.  9    and in an inner perspective view in  FIG.  10   , is accommodated in the door accommodating portion  27 . The door member  40  has a shape that is substantially crescent-shaped in cross-section, as if a portion of the side surface of a solid cylinder has been hollowed out at the concavely curved surface of a cylindrical surface  22  of the accommodating member  20 . The convexly curved surface of this side surface is referred to as a cutting-off portion  45 , and the concavely curved surface is referred to as an inclined surface  44 . Cut-out portions  42  that are rectangular are formed in two places of the lower edge of the inclined surface  44 . This lower edge is divided, by these cut-out portions  42  that are at two places, into three scooping portions  43  that are shaped as tongue pieces. Door shafts  41 , which are provided on an axial center of the solid cylinder of the door member  40 , project out from the both ends of the door member  40 . 
     The front side of the door accommodating portion  27  is connected to a bearing  20 B that is cylindrical and has a smaller diameter than the door accommodating portion  27  and bulges out from the side surface of the accommodating member  20 . One of the door shafts  41  is accommodated in this bearing  20 B. Further, sensing windows  26  that are rectangular are formed at two places in a vicinity above the door accommodating portion  27 . The door member  40  is provided at the side surface of the accommodating member  20  in a direction running along the longitudinal direction of the accommodating member  20 . 
     On the other hand, a driving shaft accommodating portion  20 A, which is cylindrical and bulges outward and is connected to the door accommodating portion  27 , is provided at the another end side of the accommodating member  20 . As illustrated in  FIG.  4   , a door driving shaft  46  is accommodated in this driving shaft accommodating portion  20 A. The door driving shaft  46  and the door shafts  41  have the same axial centers. The door driving shaft  46  is held by an opening/closing operation device  4  (see  FIG.  13   ). Due to the door driving shaft  46  rotating around the axial center, the door member  40  rotates. Moreover, the connecting portion  20 C that is cylindrical and has a slightly smaller diameter projects out at the another end side of the accommodating member  20 . This connecting portion  20 C is connected to a rotation driving device  3  (see  FIG.  13   ) when the test strip container  10  is attached to a test strip discharging mechanism  1 . A rotation driving shaft  36  of a rotating member  30  ( FIG.  7   ,  FIG.  8   ) can be seen from an opening provided in the center of the connecting portion  20 C. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  5    that shows the cross-section along line D-D′ of  FIG.  1   , the entire inner periphery of the accommodating member  20  is the cylindrical surface  22  that has a cylindrical shape. Moreover, plural inner peripheral grooves  23  are formed in the cylindrical surface  22  along the peripheral direction. Note that the inner peripheral grooves  23  do not have to be formed in the cylindrical surface  22 . The central axis of the cylinder formed by the cylindrical surface  22  is central axis  15  of the accommodating member  20 . 
     The test strip  90  that is elongated and illustrated in  FIG.  6 A  to  FIG.  6 C  is held at the interior of the accommodating member  20  of the test strip container  10 . The test strip  90  in the present exemplary embodiment has the property that the quality thereof easily changes due to the humidity of the outside air or the like. An example is a urine testing paper or a biosensor for blood glucose level measurement, or the like. A reagent that reacts to humidity, i.e., moisture, is used at this test strip. For example, the test strip contains a component that changes color by reacting with moisture, or a component that dissolves due to moisture. Therefore, the test strip container  10  is structured such that outside air does not enter into the interior of the accommodating member  20 . A drying agent such as silica gel or the like is placed in the interior of the accommodating member  20  as needed. Namely, even if the amount of outside air that flows in due to temporary opening is small, outside air flows in each time that the test strip  90  is discharged from the accommodating member  20 , and therefore, the test strips  90  that stay a long time within the accommodating member  20  deteriorate due to humidity. As described hereinafter, the test strip container  10  of the present exemplary embodiment is structured such that outside air substantially does not enter at all into the accommodating member  20 . 
     In the present exemplary embodiment, a urine test strip for measuring the concentration of or the absence or presence of a physical characteristic or a specific component within urine, is given as an example of the test strip  90 . As illustrated, the test strip  90  is a structure in which plural reagent pads  93  are disposed on a strip-shaped substrate  94 . A grasping portion  95  that is grasped within an unillustrated measuring device is provided at one end of the substrate  94 , and the other region of the substrate  94  is a reagent pad placement region  96  (see  FIG.  6 C ). The plural reagent pads  93  are disposed at the reagent pad placement region  96  in series along the longitudinal direction with a fixed interval therebetween. 
     The material of the substrate  94  is not particularly limited, and examples thereof are resin, metal, glass and the like. The color of the substrate is not particularly limited, and may be any of white, grey, black, a chromatic color, or transparent. The size of the substrate  94  is not particularly limited, and is determined appropriately in accordance with the items to be tested, the standards of the analyzing device that is used, and the like, and can be, for example, a length of 50˜150 mm, a width of 2˜10 mm, and a thickness of 0.1˜1.0 mm. In the present exemplary embodiment, the length in the long-length direction of the test strip  90 , i.e., the length of long side  92 , is L 2  ( FIG.  6 B ), and the length in the short-length direction, i.e., the length of short side  91 , is Y ( FIG.  6 B ). Accordingly, the length of the accommodating member  20  in the longitudinal direction is greater than or equal to the length of the test strip. In this way, the size of the test strip  90  that is suitable for the test strip container  10  of the present exemplary embodiment is limited. 
     Examples of the material of the reagent pad  93  are filter paper, glass-fiber filter paper, knit fabric, woven fabric, non-woven fabric, a membrane filter, a porous resin sheet, a plastic film, and the like. Further, the shape of the reagent pad  93  is not particularly limited, and is square, rectangular, circular, oval or the like. The size of the reagent pad  93  is not particularly limited, and, when the shape thereof is rectangular, for example, the size can be made to be a length and width of 2˜10 mm and a thickness of 0.05˜1.0 mm. In the present exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the thick-walled portion is X ( FIG.  6 C ). At the time of forming the reagent pad  93 , the reagent pad may be molded into a predetermined shape after the reagent is suffused into the above-described pad material, or the reagent may be suffused after the pad material is molded into a predetermined shape. The suffusing of the reagent can be carried out by, for example, immersing the pad material in a reagent solution and drying the pad material. Further, for example, an adhesive or a tackifier can be used in disposing the reagent pads  93  at the substrate  94 . For example, polyurethane, acrylic, vinyl chloride, epoxy, nylon, hot melt, cyanoacrylate, rubber or the like can be used as the adhesive or the tackifier. 
     Note that thickness X of the test strip  90  is the distance of the thickest portion of the test strip used in the test strip container  10 , and, at the above-described test strip  90 , is the thickness of the reagent pad  93 . If the test strip  90  has a portion that is thicker than the reagent pad  93 , the thickness of that place is X. 
     At the test strip discharging mechanism  1  that is described later, the test strip container  10  is attached such that the direction of the imaginary central axis  15  ( FIG.  1   ) of the accommodating member  20  is the horizontal direction. However, the direction of this central axis  15  is not limited to the horizontal direction, and the test strip  90  may be held provided that the direction is a direction that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction (in other words, is not the vertical direction). Namely, of the angles formed by the direction of the central axis  15  and the vertical direction, the magnitude of the angles that are less than or equal to 90° is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°, and preferably greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 90°, and more preferably greater than or equal to 45° and less than or equal to 90° , and even more preferably greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 90°, and most preferably 90°, i.e., the horizontal direction. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  3    that shows a state in which the cap  21  has been removed from the test strip container  10 , an insertion opening  25  for inserting the test strip  90  into the accommodating member  20  is formed in the center of the front side of the accommodating member  20 . 
     The rotating member  30  that is accommodated in the accommodating member  20  at the test strip container  10  is illustrated in the front perspective view of  FIG.  7    and the rear perspective view of  FIG.  8   . The rotating member  30  has a front plate  30 A that is circular and positioned at the front side, and a rear plate  30 B that is circular and is the same diameter as the front plate  30 A and is positioned at the rear side so as to be apart from the front plate  30 A by a distance that is longer than the length L 2  of the long side of the test strip. Moreover, the rotating member  30  has a structure in which plural, and specifically, three, moving members  31  are disposed between the front plate  30 A and the rear plate  30 B. The moving members  31  are respectively provided so as to be apart by a distance that is longer than length Y of the short side  91  of the test strip. The diameters of the front plate  30 A and the rear plate  30 B are the same as the diameter of the cylinder formed by the cylindrical surface  22  of the accommodating member  20 . The front plate  30 A and the rear plate  30 B are fixed by the moving members  31  such that the central axis of the circle of the front plate  30 A and the central axis of the circle of the rear plate  30 B coincide. 
     In other words, the central axis of the front plate  30 A and the central axis of the rear plate  30 B coincide, and this is the rotation axis  15  of the rotating member  30 . The rotation driving shaft  36  projects out toward the rear side along the central axis of the rear plate  30 B from the center of the circle of the rear plate  30 B ( FIG.  8   ). When the rotating member  30  is accommodated such that the outer peripheral surface of the front plate  30 A and the outer peripheral surface of the rear plate  30 B of the rotating member  30  contact the cylindrical surface  22  of the accommodating member  20 , the central axis  15  of the accommodating member  20  and the central axis  15  of the rotating member  30  coincide because the diameter of the cylinder formed by the cylindrical surface  22 , and the diameter of the front plate  30 A and the diameter of the rear plate  30 B, are the same. 
     The rotation driving shaft  36  is connected to the rotation driving device  3  that is described later. Due to rotational force from the rotation driving device  3  being transmitted, the entire rotating member  30  rotates in the direction of the arrows shown in  FIG.  7    and  FIG.  8   . Thereby, the moving members  31  rotate within the accommodating member  20  around the rotation axis  15  that coincides with the central axis  15 , and thereby, the test strips  90  are moved at the interior of the accommodating member  20 . Namely, the moving members  31  are formed as bodies separate from the accommodating member  20 , and rotate with respect to the accommodating member  20 . In other words, the moving members  31  rotate around the central axis  15  of the accommodating member  20  while maintaining a predetermined distance from the central axis  15 . 
     A circular opening is provided in the front plate  30 A at the center of the circle of the front plate  30 A ( FIG.  8   ), and a cylinder of the same outer diameter as this opening is fit therein ( FIG.  7   ). The cylinder projects out forward from the front plate  30 A. When the rotating member  30  is accommodated in the accommodating member  20 , the cylinder is connected to the insertion opening  25  of the accommodating member  20 . Accordingly, the test strip  90  that is inserted in the insertion opening  25  of the test strip container  10  is held between the front plate  30 A and the rear plate  30 B. 
     The moving members  31  are members that are substantially plate-shaped and are provided along the direction of the rotation axis  15 . The moving members  31  are mounted between the circular surface at the inner side of the front plate  30 A and the circular surface at the inner side of rear plate  30 B, so as to be apart from the rotation axis  15 . The moving member  31  has an outer peripheral surface that faces in the direction of the outer side of the rotating member  30 , an inner peripheral surface that faces in the direction of the rotation axis  15 , a first side surface that is parallel to the central axis  15  and faces in the rotating direction, and a second side surface that is parallel to the central axis  15  and faces in the direction of the side opposite the rotating direction. The inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface are curved surfaces whose centers are the rotation axis  15 . The first side surface and the second side surface are surfaces connecting the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface, and are flat surfaces that expand from the outer peripheral surface in the direction toward the central axis. Plural sliding projections  35  are disposed at the outer peripheral surface, along the edge between the outer peripheral surface and the first side surface. The sliding projections  35  are projections that fit into the inner peripheral grooves  23  provided at the cylindrical surface  22 , at the time when the rotating member  30  is accommodated in the accommodating member  20 . The sliding projections  35  shaped as truncated cones whose bottom surfaces are square and that become pointed toward the outer side of the rotating member  30 . The surfaces at the rotating direction sides of the sliding projections  35  are flat surfaces that expand toward the rotation axis  15 , and form portions of the first side surface of the moving member  31 . The first side surface, which includes the rotating direction side surfaces of the sliding projections  35 , is a distal end edge  32  of the moving member  31 . 
     Each of the moving members  31  has the distal end edge  32  that corresponds to the distal end portion in the rotating direction and is parallel to the central axis. Two pushing pieces  33 , which are rectangular parallelepiped and have predetermined lengths in the longitudinal direction, project out in parallel in the rotating direction from the distal end edge  32  by a predetermined distance D (see  FIG.  12   ) that is longer than at least distance B. The number of the pushing pieces  33  is not limited to two. It suffices for the pushing pieces  33  to be able to hold the test strip  90  even during rotation, and the number thereof may be one or may be three or more. Further, the positions of the pushing pieces  33  in the longitudinal direction are not particularly limited, provided that they can hold the test strip  90  even during rotation. Moreover, a sorting piece  34  that is rectangular parallelepiped projects out from the distal end of the pushing piece toward the outer side, i.e., toward the cylindrical surface  22  ( FIG.  5   ). The plural sliding projections  35  are disposed at the outer peripheral surface of the moving member  31  in rows along the distal end edge  32  and a rear end edge  32 A respectively, toward the cylindrical surface  22  ( FIG.  5   ). The sliding projections  35  provided at the outer peripheral surface of the moving member  31 , and the inner peripheral grooves  23  ( FIG.  5   ) provided at the cylindrical surface  22  of the accommodating member  20 , are formed as a structure of projections and indentations that mesh with each other. The pushing pieces  33  and the sorting pieces  34  are both fixed to the moving member  31  that rotates around the central axis  15  of the accommodating member  20  while maintaining a predetermined distance from the central axis  15 . Therefore, the pushing pieces  33  and the sorting pieces  34  also rotate around the central axis  15  while maintaining a predetermined distance from the central axis  15 . 
       FIG.  11    is a cross-sectional view along line C-C′ of  FIG.  1   . The cylindrical surface  22  of the accommodating member  20  has a cross-section that is a substantially circular cross-section, and the inner peripheral surface of the door member  40 , which is provided at an opening portion  24  that communicates the accommodating member  20  and the door accommodating portion  27 , is a circular arc shape that is flush with the cylindrical surface  22  of the accommodating member  20 . Further, the three moving members  31  have cross-sectional shapes that are approximately circular arc shaped, and are disposed uniformly with respect to the central axis  15 . Note that the moving members  31  do not absolutely have to be disposed uniformly, and the number thereof is not limited to three. However, the number of the test strips  90  that can be held in one round of the rotating member  30  increases in accordance with the number of the moving members  31 , and it is preferable that plural moving members  31  be provided in order to improve the speed of taking out the test strips  90  from the test strip container  10 . On the other hand, the greater the number of moving members  31 , the narrower the interval between the front and rear moving members  31 , and the higher the probability of rotation without being able to hold the test strips  90 . Therefore, the number of moving members  31  is preferably three to five. Moreover, the sliding projections  35  that are provided at both the distal end side and the rear end side of the moving member  31  fit in the inner peripheral grooves  23  of the cylindrical surface  22 , and slide along the inner peripheral grooves  23  in the rotating direction that is shown by the arrows in the drawings. Note that, provided that two or more of the sliding projections  35  are provided, the test strip  90  becoming bitten-in between the moving member  31  and the cylindrical surface  22  can be inhibited even if the sliding projections  35  and the inner peripheral grooves  23  are not meshing together as indentations and projections. 
     Note that central line  24 A that is shown by a dashed line in the drawings is an imaginary line that bisects the opening portion  24  along the longitudinal direction. Here, the central line  24 A is at a position that is at the lower side in the rotation direction, with respect to an uppermost position  31 A that the moving member  31  at the interior of the accommodating member  20  reaches. Assuming that the rotational angle of this uppermost position  31 A is 0°, the central line  24 A is preferably at a position of a rotational angle of greater than or equal to 45° and less than or equal to 90°, and more preferably is at the position of 90°. 
     The moving members  31  rotate and move the test strips  90 , which are accommodated in the accommodating member  20 , along the cylindrical surface  22  that is the inner peripheral surface of the accommodating member  20 . The door member  40  is provided at the side surface of the accommodating member  20  so as to be able to open and close, in order to discharge the test strip  90  to the exterior of the accommodating member  20 . When closed, the door member  40  cuts the interior and the exterior of the accommodating member  20  off from each other. The door accommodating portion  27  covers the door member  40  from the outer side of the accommodating member  20 . The door member  40  can open and close by rotating at the interior of the door accommodating portion  27 . 
     The discharge opening  28  is provided in order to discharge, to the exterior of the door accommodating portion  27  (i.e., the exterior of the test strip container  10 ), the test strip  90  that has been discharged to the exterior of the accommodating member  20 , i.e., into the door accommodating portion  27 . The discharge opening  28  can be opened and closed with respect to the exterior by the door member  40  that rotates within the door accommodating portion  27 . Namely, when the discharge opening  28  is closed, the interior and the exterior of the door accommodating portion  27  are cut off from each other. On the other hand, when the discharge opening  28  is open, the door member  40  closes the opening portion  24  of the accommodating member  20  as will be described later. Namely, the test strip container  10  of the present exemplary embodiment is structured such that the discharge opening  28  can be opened in the state in which the accommodating member  20  is closed by the door member  40 . For example, such a structure is made possible by a locking mechanism of a physical structure or an electric locking mechanism that, in a case in which the accommodating member  20  is opened by the door member  40 , locks the discharge opening  28 , and, in a case in which the accommodating member  20  is closed by the door member  40 , releases the locking and enables opening of the discharge opening  28 . 
     The inclined surface  44  of the door member  40  is the inner peripheral surface that is shaped as a concave surface and is flush with the cylindrical surface  22  that is the inner side surface of the accommodating member  20 , at the time when the door member  40  is closed as illustrated in  FIG.  11   . The cutting-off portion  45  that is at the side opposite the inclined surface  44  is shaped as a cylindrical, convex surface that corresponds to the cylindrical, concave surface of the interior of the door accommodating portion  27 . At the time when the door member  40  is closed as illustrated in  FIG.  11   , the cutting-off portion  45  closes both the opening portion  24  and the discharge opening  28 . On the other hand, at the time when the discharge opening  28  is open as described later, the cutting-off portion  45  cuts the interior of the accommodating member  20  off from the exterior. 
     The positional relationships between the cylindrical surface  22  and the pushing piece  33  and the sorting piece  34  of the moving member  31  are shown in the enlarged sectional view of  FIG.  12   . Namely, the distance between the cylindrical surface  22  and the position nearest to the cylindrical surface  22  at the distal end edge  32  of the moving member  31  (i.e., the distal end of the sliding projection  35 ) is set to be less than the thickness X of the test strip  90  ( FIG.  6 C ). Thereby, the test strip  90  becoming bitten-in between the moving member  31  and the cylindrical surface  22  is inhibited, and the distal end edge  32  can push the test strip  90  in the rotating direction as the moving member  31  rotates. Further, distance A between the cylindrical surface  22  and the position of the sorting piece  34  that is nearest to the cylindrical surface  22  is set to be greater than or equal to the thickness X of the test strip  90  and less than two times X. 
     Namely, the distance A is a distance such that one of the test strips  90  can enter in between the sorting pieces  34  and the cylindrical surface  22 , but two or more of the test strips cannot enter in. Thereby, two or more of the test strips  90  overlapping and simultaneously entering in between the pushing pieces  33  and the cylindrical surface  22  is inhibited. Note that, from the standpoints of tolerating errors in manufacturing of the test strips  90  and ease of entry of the test strips  90 , the distance A is preferably greater than or equal to 1.1 times the thickness X of the test strip  90 , and more preferably greater than or equal to 1.2 times. Further, because the reagent pad  93  at the test strip  90  such as that described above is formed of a material such as filter paper or the like, there are cases in which, due to the reagent pad  93  being pressed, the thickness X becomes thinner than X. Accordingly, the distance A is preferably less than 1.8 times the thickness X of the test strip  90 , and more preferably less than 1.6 times. 
     Further, the distance B from the distal end edge  32  of the moving member  31  to the sorting piece  34 , with respect to the length Y ( FIG.  6 B ) in the short-length direction of the test strip  90 , is set to be greater than or equal to Y and less than two times Y. Namely, the distance B is a distance that is such that one of the test strips  90  can enter-in in the rotating direction between the cylindrical surface  22  and the pushing pieces  33  that are disposed between the distal end edge  32  and the sorting pieces  34 , but two or more of the test strips  90  cannot enter-in. Thereby, two or more of the test strips  90  being held so as to be lined up in the rotating direction between the pushing pieces  33  and the cylindrical surface  22  is inhibited. Note that, from the standpoints of tolerating errors in manufacturing of the test strips  90  and ease of entry of the test strips  90 , the distance B is preferably greater than or equal to 1.1 times the length Y of the test strip  90 , and more preferably greater than or equal to 1.2 times. Further, there is the concern that two or more of the test strips will enter in if the test strips  90  stand up. Therefore, the distance B is preferably less than 1.8 times the length Y of the test strip  90 , and more preferably less than 1.6 times. 
     Moreover, length C of the portion which projects out from the pushing piece  33  toward the cylindrical surface  22  at the sorting piece  34  is set to be greater than or equal to 0.5 times the thickness X of the test strip  90 , and less than 1.5 times X. Namely, the length C is a distance that is such that the one test strip  90  that has entered in between the cylindrical surface  22  and the pushing pieces  33  disposed between the distal end edge  32  and the sorting pieces  34  can be held, but two or more of the test strips  90  cannot be held. Due to these conditions of the distance B and the length C, even if the moving member  31  (the pushing pieces  33 ) rotates while holding two or more of the test strips  90 , immediately after the pushing pieces  33  reach the uppermost position  31 A (i.e., when the pushing pieces  33  reach the position at which the vertically-downward vector is small), only the test strip  90  that is at the pushing pieces  33  side from the moving member  31  is held at the inner sides of the projecting portions of length C of the sorting pieces  34 , and the test strips  90  other than that cannot be held by the sorting pieces  34 , and therefore, fall down. Note that length C being greater than or equal to 0.5 times the thickness X of the test strip  90  and less than 1.0 times X is more preferable from the standpoint that the test strips that are other than the one test strip  90  that is held do not at all contact the inner sides of the projecting portions of length C of the sorting pieces  34 , and therefore, can reliably be made to drop down. 
     Further, distance E (see  FIG.  12   ), which is the length of the sorting piece  34  in the rotating direction, with respect to the length Y of the test strip  90  in the short-length direction, is set to be less than Y, and preferably is less than 0.5 times the length Y of the test strip  90 . Due to this condition of the distance E, the test strip that is held between the sorting pieces  34  and the cylindrical surface  22  can fall down immediately after the uppermost position  31 A is reached. Note that the distance E is substantially the same length as the distance obtained by subtracting the distance B from the distance D. 
     A functional block drawing of the test strip discharging mechanism  1  is illustrated in  FIG.  13   . The test strip discharging mechanism  1  is structured as a measuring apparatus that measures, by the test strip  90  to which a specific reagent has been applied, the concentration of or the absence or presence of a physical characteristic or a specific component of a biological specimen such as, for example, a urine sample. 
     A control section  100  is electrically connected to the test strip discharging mechanism  1 , and controls the respective sections thereof. The control section  100  controls a proximity sensor  2 , the rotation driving device  3 , the opening/closing operation device  4 , and a measuring section  5  by hardware structures described later. When the test strip container  10  is attached to the test strip discharging mechanism  1 , as described above, the rotation driving device  3  is connected to the rotation driving shaft  36  ( FIG.  8   ) of the rotating member  30 , and further, the opening/closing operation device  4  is connected to the door driving shaft  46  ( FIG.  4   ) of the door member  40 . The proximity sensor  2  is structured by, for example, an optical sensor or a proximity sensor or the like, and, through the sensing windows  26  ( FIG.  11   ) of the accommodating member  20 , senses the approach of the moving member  31  to the door member  40 . Note that the proximity sensor  2  may sense the approach of the test strip  90  that is held at the moving member  31 . In accordance with the sensing by the proximity sensor  2 , the control section  100  drives the rotation driving device  3 , and rotates or stops the rotating member  30  (the moving members  31 ). Further, in accordance with the sensing by the proximity sensor  2 , the control section  100  drives the opening/closing operation device  4 , and opens or closes the door member  40 . Further, the control section  100  also controls the measuring section  5  that serves as a measuring apparatus and is structured by various portions and devices. 
     As illustrated by the hardware structures in  FIG.  14   , the control section  100  has a CPU (Central Processing Unit)  101 , a ROM (Read Only Memory)  102 , a RAM (Random Access Memory)  103 , and a storage  104 . These respective structures are connected so as to be able to communicate with one another via bus  109 . 
     The CPU  101  is a central computing processing unit, and executes various programs and controls respective sections. Namely, the CPU  101  reads-out a program from the ROM  102  or the storage  104 , and executes the program by using the RAM  103  as a workspace. The CPU  101  carries out control of the above-described respective structures, and various computing processings, in accordance with programs recorded in the ROM  102  or the storage  104 . 
     The ROM  102  stores various programs and various data. The RAM  103  temporarily stores programs and data as a workspace. The storage  104  is structured by an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive) or a flash memory, and stores various programs, including the operating system, and various data. In the present aspect, programs and various data relating to measurements and judgments are stored in the ROM  102  or the storage  104 . Further, measured data also can be stored in the storage  104 . 
     The control section  100  executes control of the proximity sensor  2 , the rotation driving device  3 , the opening/closing operation device  4  and the measuring section  5  due to, among the above-described hardware structures, the CPU  101  executing the above-described programs. 
     Due to the above-described structure, by control of the control section  100 , when the proximity sensor  2  senses the approach of the moving member  31  to the door member  40 , the rotation driving device  3  can stop the rotation of the moving member  31 , and the opening/closing operation device  4  can close the discharge opening  28  while opening the door member  40 . Further, the control section  100  can also carry out control so as to open the discharge opening  28  at the time when the door member  40  is closed. Moreover, the control section  100  can also carry out control so as to restart movement of the moving member  31  after closing the door member  40  again. The control section  100  can also carry out control such that this operation of the opening/closing operation device  4  is carried out due to the proximity sensor  2  sensing the approach of the moving member  31 . Moreover, the control section  100  can control the stopping of rotation by the rotation driving device  3  due to the proximity sensor  2  sensing the approach of the moving member  31 , and can control the restarting of rotation by the rotation driving device  3  when the opening/closing operation device  4  closes the opening portion  24 . 
     The taking-out of the test strip  90  by the test strip container  10  of the present exemplary embodiment is described next with reference to the flowchart of  FIG.  15 A  (or  FIG.  15 B ) and the cross-sectional views of  FIG.  16 A  to  FIG.  16 G . Note that the cross-sectional views of  FIG.  16 A  to  FIG.  16 G  explain operation focusing on one of the moving members  31 , but, of course, operations at the other two moving members  31  also are executed concurrently. 
     First, when the power of the test strip discharging mechanism  1  is turned on, initial setting of the devices is executed in the step shown in S 100 . This initial setting also includes setting the rotating member  30  at its initial position of rotation due to the control section  100  controlling the rotation driving device  3 . 
     Then, after preparations for measurement have been completed, in the step shown in S 110 , the control section  100  drives the rotation driving device  3  and starts rotation of the rotating member  30 . In the step shown in S 120 , the control section  100  continues the rotation of the rotating member  30  until the proximity sensor  2  senses the moving member  31  through the sensing windows  26 . Note that, in the case of a structure that does not have the proximity sensor  2  and that employs, for example, a step motor as the rotation driving device  3 , in the step shown in S 120 ′ in the flowchart of  FIG.  15 B , the control section  100  can continue the rotation of the rotating member  30  until a predetermined number of steps have passed (e.g., the number of steps needed until the next moving member  31  approaches the opening portion  24  after stoppage of rotation and restarting of rotation). 
     During this time, in  FIG.  16 A , the plural test strips  90  stay at the lower portion of the interior space of the accommodating member  20 . The pushing pieces  33  of the moving member  31  push, in the rotating direction, these plural test strips  90  that are staying there. On the other hand, the door member  40  that is in the closed state closes the opening portion  24  by the inclined surface  44 , and closes the discharge opening  28  by the cutting-off portion  45 . 
     When the moving member  31  continues moving by rotating at the interior of the accommodating member  20  while holding the test strips  90  and comes to a position past the lowermost position in the vertical direction as illustrated in  FIG.  16 B , only one of the test strips  90  that were positioned at the outermost side slips through the gap of width A (see  FIG.  12   ) that is between the sorting pieces  34  and the cylindrical surface  22 , and enters in to a position at which the long side  92  thereof is made to contact the distal end edge  32 . Note that there are cases in which only a portion of another test strip  90  as well enters into the gap between the sorting pieces  34  and the cylindrical surface  22 . The other test strip  90  is raised up by the pushing pieces  33 . 
     When the moving member  31  continues to rotate further, and the pushing pieces  33  reach the uppermost position  31 A as illustrated in  FIG.  16 C , all of the test strips  90  that could not enter into the gap between the sorting pieces  34  and the cylindrical surface  22  fall downward. Then, when the moving member  31  rotates further to the position shown in  FIG.  16 D , the test strip  90 , at which only a portion thereof entered into the gap between the sorting pieces  34  and the cylindrical surface  22 , also falls down ultimately, but the test strip  90 , which entered in up to the point of contacting the distal end edge  32 , is held by the pushing pieces  33  and the sorting pieces  34  and avoids falling down. 
     Namely, due to the distance A between the cylindrical surface  22  and the nearest position of the sorting piece  34  to the cylindrical surface  22  being X≤A≤2X, only one of the test strips  90  is held at a position that is rotated slightly from the uppermost position  31 A due to the moving member  31  rotating. Note that, due to the distance B from the distal end edge  32  of the pushing piece  33  to the sorting piece  34  being Y&lt;B&lt;2Y, and the length C of the portion of the sorting piece  34  that projects out from the pushing piece  33  toward the cylindrical surface  22  being 0.5X&lt;C&lt;1.5X, the moving member  31  can be set in a state of even more reliably holding only the test strip  90  at a position that is rotated slightly from the uppermost position  31 A. 
     Further, when the moving member  31  rotates to the position illustrated in  FIG.  16 E , in the step shown in S 120 , the proximity sensor  2  senses the approach of the moving member  31  (or, in the step shown in S 120 ′, the control section  100  senses passage of the predetermined number of steps), and, in the step shown in S 130 , the control section  100  stops driving of the rotation driving device  3 , and rotation of the moving member  31  stops. Then, in the next step shown in S 140 , the control section  100  drives the opening/closing operation device  4 , and rotates the door member  40  to the state illustrated in  FIG.  16 E  and opens the door member  40 . 
     Namely, due to this rotation of the door member  40 , simultaneously with the cut-out portions  42  reaching the positions of the pushing pieces  33 , the inclined surface  44  of the scooping portions  43  applies impact to the test strip  90  that was held by the pushing pieces  33  and the sorting pieces  34 , and the test strip  90  is discharged to the outer side of the accommodating member  20 . At this time, the inclined surface  44  may be made to collide with the pushing pieces  33  or the test strip  90 . At this time, the test strip  90  that has been discharged and dropped down is led by the inclined surface  44  of the door member  40  to the exterior of the accommodating member  20 . In this state, the door member  40  closes the discharge opening  28  while opening the accommodating member  20 . 
     When the door member  40  rotates further and reaches the state illustrated in  FIG.  16 F , the door member  40  again closes the opening portion  24  and the discharge opening  28  by the cutting-off portion  45 . Then, the test strip  90  that has been discharged falls down along the inclined surface  44 . 
     When the door member  40  rotates further and reaches the state illustrated in  FIG.  16 G , the cutting-off portion  45  opens the discharge opening  28  while closing the opening portion  24 . The test strip  90  that has been discharged is led along the inclined surface  44  to the opened discharge opening  28 . The test strip  90 , which is discharged from the discharge opening  28  to the exterior of the door accommodating portion  27 , is moved by unillustrated conveying means to the measuring section  5 , and is provided to the predetermined measurement thereat. 
     Note that, as in the modified example of the present exemplary embodiment that is illustrated in  FIG.  17   , an opening/closing member  50  that opens and closes the discharge opening  28  may be provided. This opening/closing member  50  can be opened and closed by the opening/closing operation device  4  in the block drawing of  FIG.  13   . 
     In the above-described exemplary embodiment, the door member  40  always closes at least one of the opening portion  24  of the accommodating member  20  and the discharge opening  28  of the door accommodating portion  27 . In other words, because the opening portion  24  and the discharge opening  28  are not open at the same time, the test strips  90  accommodated in the accommodating member  20  can always be cut-off from outside air. Thereby, changes in the quality of the test strips  90  due to humidity of the outside air or the like can be prevented. 
     In addition, only one of the test strips  90  passes through from the gap between the sorting pieces  34  and the cylindrical surface  22 , and the test strips  90  that could not pass through fall down when facing downward while the moving member  31  is rotating. Thereby, merely due to the moving member  31  rotating within the accommodating member  20 , stress due to pushing is not excessively applied to the test strips  90  that could not pass through. Further, only one of the test strips  90  is naturally grasped by the sorting pieces  34  and the pushing pieces  33 , and can be taken out from the opening portion  24 . 
     (2) Other Points 
     The above-described exemplary embodiment is a form in which the moving member  31  rotates and moves within the accommodating member  20  that is cylindrical, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, there may be a form in which the accommodating member  20  is box-shaped, and the moving member  31  that is belt-shaped is bent in the form of bellows and moves at the interior of the accommodating member  20 . 
     Further, the above-described exemplary embodiment is a form in which the door member  40  can open and close by rotating at the interior of the door accommodating portion  27 , but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, there may be a form in which the door member  40  opens and closes like a door.