System for automatically testing a fluid specimen

• Main Authors: LAPPE MURRAY I, PATTEN KEITH, WHITFORD BILL, BIRKNER DAVID A, GOODIN JOHN W
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 15.11.2005
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CALCULATING; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE; COMPUTING; COUNTING; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS; HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONTECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING ORPROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA; INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTEDFOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECOGNITION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; TESTING; TRANSPORTING

A system for automatically testing a fluid specimen, e.g., urine, to indicate the presence of specified chemical components in the specimen. The system preferably utilizes an assaying device comprised of a collection cup and a cap which carries at least one test strip. The device includes an integrated aliquot delivery mechanism actuatable to wet the test strip with an aliquot delivered from the fluid specimen. The assaying device is configured to operate in conjunction with an electronic reader device capable of actuating the aliquot delivery mechanism and reading the reaction of the test strip. A preferred reader device defines a keyed receptacle for accommodating a complementary shaped cup housing in a particular orientation. The reader device is comprised of a camera for capturing the image of a test strip, an actuator for actuating an aliquot delivery mechanism, and a microprocessor/controller for (1) controlling the camera and actuator and (2) processing the image.