Patent Publication Number: US-2013243668-A1

Title: Liquid analysis container

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority benefit of China application serial no. 201210069772.1, filed on Mar. 16, 2012. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     1. Field of the Disclosure 
     The invention relates to a container, and more particularly, to a liquid analysis container. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In clinical examinations of blood components, various types of blood analysis apparatuses may be used to analyze the blood. One way to analyze the blood is to use a dropper and a dispenser to inject the blood into a liquid analysis container or directly drop the blood into the liquid analysis container and then place the liquid analysis container into a liquid analysis equipment to analyze the blood in the liquid analysis container. Parameters required may be obtained by analyzing the blood. For patients under complex medical treating procedures such as operations and patients under special care for serious diseases, to determine the parameters of these patients is especially important. The parameters provide medical staff with important information regarding statuses of the patients and allow the medical staff to provide proper and complete treatments to the patients. 
     In a process of injecting the blood into the liquid analysis container, the blood is easy to remain around an injection hole of the liquid analysis container or on other places outside of the liquid analysis container. The blood remaining on the liquid analysis container tends to cause pollution to the liquid analysis container, such as polluting a barcode of the liquid analysis container, which influences optical reading and recognition, causes an analytic accuracy to decrease, and makes regular cleaning and maintenance and changes of consumptive materials necessary for the analysis equipment. In addition, if the remaining blood is infective, the medical stuff will be under a danger of infection when contacting the remaining blood directly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The invention provides a liquid analysis container which prevents an under-testing liquid from remaining on an outside of the liquid analysis container. 
     The invention provides a liquid analysis container including a main body and a barrier device. The main body includes an accommodating space and a first opening. The barrier device is disposed on the main body and covers the first opening. An accommodating cavity is formed between the barrier device and the main body. The accommodating cavity is connected to the accommodating space through the first opening. The barrier device has a second opening. The accommodating cavity is connected to an external environment through the second opening. An opening diameter of the second opening is larger than an opening diameter of the first opening. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, when a dropper is inserted into the accommodating space, there is a gap between the dropper and an inner edge of the second opening. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the first opening is located in an orthographic projection of the second opening on the main body. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, an inner diameter of the accommodating cavity is larger than an opening diameter of the second opening. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the main body has a third opening covered by the barrier device. The accommodating cavity is connected to the accommodating space through the third opening. The under-testing liquid in the accommodating cavity flows to the accommodating space through the third opening. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the accommodating space is partitioned into a first subspace and a second subspace. The first subspace is connected to the accommodating cavity through the first opening. The main body further has a third opening covered by the barrier device. The second subspace is connected to the accommodating cavity through the third opening. The under-testing liquid in the accommodating cavity flows to the second subspace through the third opening. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the main body further has a channel and a chamber. The chamber is connected to the accommodating space through the channel. The chamber is for containing an agent. The under-testing liquid is for flowing to the chamber through the channel. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, the barrier device includes an annular body and a cover. The annular body is disposed on the main body and surrounds the first opening. The cover covers the annular body, wherein the second opening is formed on the cover. The accommodating cavity is formed among the cover, the annular body, and the main body. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, a surface of the main body has a concave. The first opening is formed at a bottom of the concave, and the barrier device is embedded in the concave. 
     Based on the above, the barrier device of the invention covers the first opening of the main body, and the opening diameter of the second opening of the barrier device is larger than the opening diameter of the first opening of the main body. When a user uses the dropper to inject the under-testing liquid into the accommodating space through the second and the first openings, the under-testing liquid remaining around the first opening is limited within the accommodating cavity by the barrier device. In addition, the dropper is unlikely to contact the inner edge of the second opening with a larger opening diameter, so that the under-testing liquid does not remain around the second opening. In this way, the under-testing liquid is prevented from remaining on the outside of the liquid analysis container and polluting the analysis equipment, so that the accuracy of liquid analysis is ensured, and a probability that the user becomes infected owing to contacting the under-testing liquid is lowered. 
     In order to make the aforementioned features and advantages of the invention more comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings constituting a part of this specification are incorporated herein to provide a further understanding of the invention. Here, the drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a liquid analysis container according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial three-dimensional view of the liquid analysis container of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a dropper inserted into an accommodating space in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the liquid analysis container of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a partial three-dimensional view of a liquid analysis container according to another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a partial three-dimensional view of a liquid analysis container according to another embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial cross-sectional view of a liquid analysis container according to another embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a liquid analysis container according to an embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 2  is a partial three-dimensional view of the liquid analysis container of  FIG. 1 . Please refer to both  FIGS. 1 and 2 . A liquid analysis container  100  according to the present embodiment includes a main body  110  and a barrier device  120 . The main body  110  includes an accommodating space  112  and a first opening  114 . The barrier device  120  is disposed on the main body  110  and covers the first opening  114  of the main body  110 . An accommodating cavity  115  is formed between the barrier device  120  and the main body  110 , and the accommodating cavity  115  is connected to the accommodating space  112  through the first opening  114 . The barrier device  120  has a second opening  122 , and the accommodating cavity  115  is connected to an external environment through the second opening  122 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , an opening diameter of the second opening  122  of the barrier device  120  is larger than an opening diameter of the first opening  114  of the main body  110 . 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a dropper inserted into the accommodating space in  FIG. 1 . Please refer to  FIG. 3 . An user may insert a dropper  50  into the accommodating space  112  of the main body  110  through the second and the first openings  122  and  114  to inject an under-testing liquid into the accommodating space  112 . When the user withdraws the dropper  50 , the under-testing liquid is likely to remain around the first opening  114  of the main body  110 , and the barrier device  120  covering the first opening  114  makes the under-testing liquid which remains around the first opening  114  to be isolated within the accommodating cavity  115 . In addition, the second opening  122  of the barrier device  120  has a larger opening diameter; therefore, when the dropper  50  is inserted into the accommodating space  112 , a gap is formed between the dropper  50  and an inner edge of the second opening  122  and the dropper  50  is unlikely to contact the inner edge of the second opening  122 , so that the under-testing liquid does not remain around the second opening  122 . In this way, the under-testing liquid is prevented from remaining on an outside of the liquid analysis container  100  and polluting an analysis equipment, so that an accuracy of liquid analysis is ensured, and a probability that the user becomes infected owing to contacting the under-testing liquid is lowered. 
     In the present embodiment, the liquid analysis container  100  is applied to a human blood analysis and test, for example. However, in other embodiments, the liquid analysis container  100  may also be applied to analyses and tests of other types of liquid samples, which is not limited in the invention. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 . The main body  110  of the present embodiment further has at least a channel  116  (a plurality of channels are shown) and at least a chamber  118  (a plurality of chambers are shown). The chamber  118  is connected to the accommodating space  112  through the channel  116 , and the chamber  118  is for containing an agent for analysis. The under-testing liquid injected into the accommodating space  112  may flow to the chamber  118  through the channel  116  to mix with the agent so as to facilitate the analysis and test. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2 . In detail, the barrier device  120  according to the present embodiment includes an annular body  120   a  and a cover  120   b.  The annular body  120   a  is disposed on the main body  110  and surrounds the first opening  114 . The cover  120   b  covers the annular body  120   a.  The second opening  122  is formed on the cover  120   b.  The accommodating cavity  115  is formed among the cover  120   b,  the annular body  120   a,  and the main body  110 . The cover  120   b  is fixed on the annular body  120   a  by, for example, adhering to the annular body  120   a,  but the invention is not limited thereto. The cover  120   b  and the annular body  120   a  may be an integrated structure manufactured simultaneously with injection molding. 
     In the present embodiment, an inner diameter of the accommodating cavity  115  is larger than the opening diameter of the second opening  122 , so that the accommodating cavity  115  has adequate space for containing the remaining under-testing liquid to prevent the under-testing liquid from overflowing to an outside of the barrier device  120  through the second opening  122 . 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of the liquid analysis container of  FIG. 2 . Please refer to  FIG. 4 . In the present embodiment, the first opening  114  of the main body  110  is located in an orthographic projection of the second opening  122  of the barrier device  120  on the main body  110 . In this way, the dropper  50  may be inserted into the accommodating space  112  smoothly passing through the second and the first openings  122  and  114  sequentially, and the dropper  50  may be prevented from contacting the inner edge of the second opening  122 . 
       FIG. 5  is a partial three-dimensional view of a liquid analysis container according to another embodiment of the invention. Please refer to  FIG. 5 . In a liquid analysis container  200  of the present embodiment, designs of a first opening  214 , a barrier device  220 , and a second opening  222  are similar to designs of the first opening  114 , the barrier device  120 , and the second opening  122 . Therefore, the descriptions are not repeated herein. Differences between the liquid analysis container  200  of the present embodiment and the liquid analysis container  100  lie in that a main body  210  of the liquid analysis container  200  further has a third opening  216 , and the barrier device  220  covers both the first opening  214  and the third opening  216 , and an accommodating cavity  215  is connected to an accommodating space  212  of the main body  210  through the first and the third openings  214  and  216 . When a dropper  60  injects an under-testing liquid into the accommodating space  212 , the under-testing liquid remaining in the accommodating cavity  215  may flow to the accommodating space  212  through the third opening  216  to undergo subsequent analyses and test together with the under-testing liquid injected into the accommodating space  212 . 
       FIG. 6  is a partial three-dimensional view of a liquid analysis container according to another embodiment of the invention. Please refer to  FIG. 6 . A liquid analysis container  300  of the present embodiment is similar to the liquid analysis container  200 ; differences therebetween lie in that an accommodating space  312  of a main body  310  is partitioned into a first subspace  312   a  and a second space  312   b,  and the first subspace  312   a  is connected to an accommodating cavity  315  through a first opening  314 . The main body  310  further has a third opening  316 . A barrier device  320  covers the third opening  316 . The second subspace  312   b  is connected to the accommodating cavity  315  through the third opening  316 . When a dropper  70  injects an under-testing liquid into the first subspace  312   a  of the accommodating space  312 , the under-testing liquid remaining in the accommodating cavity  315  may flow to the second subspace  312   b  through the third opening  316  to be isolated from the external environment. 
       FIG. 7  is a partial cross-sectional view of a liquid analysis container according to another embodiment of the invention. Similar to a disposition way of the liquid analysis container  100  of  FIG. 2 , in a liquid analysis container  400  shown in  FIG. 7 , a barrier device  420  covers a first opening  414  of a main body  410 , and an opening diameter of a second opening  422  of the barrier device  420  is larger than an opening diameter of the first opening  414  so that the barrier device  420  makes an under-testing liquid which remains around the first opening  414  be limited within an accommodating cavity  415  and makes a dropper unlikely to contact an inner edge of the second opening  422 , so as to prevent the under-testing liquid from remaining around the second opening  422 . Differences between the liquid analysis container  400  of the present embodiment and the liquid analysis container  100  shown in  FIG. 2  lie in that a surface  410   a  of the main body  410  has a concave  410   b,  and the first opening  414  is formed at a bottom of the concave  410   b,  and the barrier device  420  is embedded in the concave  410   b.    
     Based on the above, the barrier device of the invention covers the first opening of the main body, and the opening diameter of the second opening of the barrier device is larger than the opening diameter of the first opening of the main body. When the user uses the dropper to inject the under-testing liquid into the accommodating space through the second and the first openings, the under-testing liquid remaining around the first opening is limited within the accommodating cavity by the barrier device. In addition, the dropper is unlikely to contact the inner edge of the second opening with a larger opening diameter, so that the under-testing liquid does not remain around the second opening. In this way, the under-testing liquid is prevented from remaining on the outside of the liquid analysis container and polluting the analysis equipment, so that the accuracy of liquid analysis is ensured, and the probability that the user becomes infected by contacting the under-testing liquid is lowered. 
     Though the invention has been disclosed above by the embodiments, they are not intended to limit the invention. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that modifications and variations to the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the protecting range of the invention falls in the appended claims.