Patent ID: 8046175

Claim:
An analytical strip reading apparatus for acquiring reaction signals emitted from reaction zones on an analytical strip by performing an assay for analytes, the analytical strip having at least one reaction zone for presenting the reaction signal and at least one optically readable pattern with identification information of the analytical strip, in which the identification information essentially comprises a type, a lot number and an expiration date of the analytical strip as well as reagent calibration data corresponding to the lot number, the analytical strip reading apparatus essentially comprising a housing and a monitor provided on the housing, the analytical strip reading apparatus being characterized by further comprising: a delivering device for supporting and moving the analytical strip along a preset route so as to deliver the analytical strip into or out of the housing; an optical reader for reading the identification information contained in the optically readable pattern of the analytical strip; a reaction signal reader located inside the housing for acquiring the reaction signal emitted from the analytical strip; and a control module comprising a mother board and a firmware device attached to said mother board, said firmware device including: a database sub-module for storing algorithms corresponding to various types of analytical strips; and a processing sub-module for retrieving the algorithm stored in the database sub-module corresponding to the type of the analytical strip, combining the reagent calibration data corresponding to the lot number of the analytical strip, and comparing the reaction signal from the analytical strip, so as to come out an analysis result of the assay.