The present invention relates to a blood test apparatus that can be used easily by people with vision problems such as diabetes patients and old people.
Conventionally, a blood test apparatus is known that has a blood sensor and a blood test apparatus body to which the blood sensor is detachably attached (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
As shown in
The operation of blood test apparatus 1 will be explained. Preparation for blood test is arranged by inserting sensor 3 in attaching part 4 provided in side surface 2a of blood test apparatus 1. After preparation is finished, the patient punctures skin 8 of the patient. As shown in
Among diabetes patients, there are patients with complications suffering diabetes and diabetic retinopathy together, and old patients with poor sight. In other words, these patients have vision problems. Nevertheless, a conventional blood test apparatus was not easy to operate for these patients with vision problems That is, if the color of the sensor attaching part of the blood test apparatus and the color of the housing are similar, it is not easy for patients with vision problems to recognize the location of the sensor attaching part and insert the sensor in the sensor attaching part.
Recently, blood test apparatuses are reported in which the color near the attaching part is different from the surface color of the housing (see http://www.abbott.co.jp/medical/product/adc/index.as p?r=1). However, the surface color of these blood test apparatuses is selected taking the design alone into account and is not selected by taking into account simplicity for recognizing the location of the attaching part easier.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a blood test apparatus that solves such a problem and that can be used easily by diabetic retinopathy patients and old patients with poor sight.
The inventors have made the present invention by focusing upon that, if the surface colors of parts that need to be operated frequently in a blood test apparatus have higher color values than the color value of the surface color of the housing and have a color that can be identified by eyes with impaired blue cones, even patients with vision problems can operate the parts easily.
That is, the present invention relates to the blood test apparatus explained below.
According to the blood test apparatus of the present invention, the surface color of the attaching part of the sensor has a higher color value than the surface color of the housing and has a color that can be identified by eyes with impaired blue cones. Preferably, the blood test apparatus of the present invention has operation buttons and, similar to the sensor attaching part, the operation buttons have higher color values than the surface color of the housing and have a color that can be identified by eyes with impaired blue cones. (Hereinafter, the attaching part of the sensor and the operation buttons will also be referred to as “input section” collectively.) Consequently, diabetic retinopathy patients and old people can identify the input section easily and consequently operate the blood test apparatus easily every time. Therefore, the blood sugar level can be controlled easily, so that it is possible prevent (or delay) the progress of various complications including diabetic retinopathy.
The blood test apparatus according to the present invention has: (1) a housing; (2) an electrical circuit section that is built in the housing; and (3) an attaching part that is provided in the surface of the housing to attach a blood sensor. Preferably, the blood test apparatus further has (4) operation buttons that are provided in the surface of the housing and that connects with the electrical circuit section.
Preferably, the blood sensor attached to the attaching part is detachable from the apparatus body and is replaced every blood test. Further, the blood sensor may be inserted from outside the blood test apparatus in the attaching part every test (see, for example,
Features of the blood test apparatus of the present invention lie in the surface color of attaching part 14 or operation button 16. That is, the present invention includes features that the surface color of the attaching part or operation button has the color that is readily recognized by diabetic, retinopathy patients and the like. The surface of attaching part 14 means at least one of upstanding wall surface 14b, horizontal surface 14c and vertical surface 14d of attaching part 14 in
The human retina has two kinds of photoreceptor cells including the rods that function when it is dark and the cones that function when it is bright. As shown in the spectroscopic characteristic diagram of
However, because diabetic retinopathy problems damage the cones, the number of cone cells to function decreases. The number of blue cones in particular is originally less than the red cones and the green cones, and accounts for only several percents in the total number of cone cells. Accordingly, the blue cones are susceptible to the influence of the retina problem of the early period and the symptoms of blue color blindness and blue color weakness are likely to develop.
A human with no impaired cones recognize colors in the range from bluish purple, blue, bluish green, green to yellowish green as the blue color, and so the range of the wavelength recognized as the blue color is relatively wide. Accordingly, patients with impaired cones have difficulty in recognizing the green color, and recognizes the yellow color as a similar, whitish color of lower chroma.
In this way, patients with impaired cones can recognize the limited range of colors. Therefore, if the surface colors of parts (the parts which need to be operated will also be referred to as “input section” below) that need to be operated frequently in the blood test apparatus, are not appropriately selected, it is difficult to learn the locations of the parts. Accordingly, the operation of the apparatus becomes difficult, thereby making the blood test complicated.
Examples of the parts (i.e. input section) that need to be operated frequently in the blood test apparatus according to the present invention include the attaching part in which the blood sensor is inserted and the operation buttons for inputting an electrical signal to the electrical circuit section. These parts need to be operated every blood test.
The inventors have focused upon that, if the surface color of the input section is made identifiable for eyes with impaired cones and the color value of the surface color of the input section is made higher than the color values of the surface colors of surrounding parts, patients with impaired cones readily recognize the input section easily.
The color value is an indication of the brightness of a color. There is the Munsell color system as a means for converting color values into numerical values.
For example, the surface color of housing 12 of the blood test apparatus shown in
A hue refers to the tinge of each color, not including black and white, and red, blue and yellow are the three elements of hues. The hue is represented by the wavelength of the spectrum monochromatic color. Preferably, the surface color of the input section of the apparatus according to the present invention is in the range from an orange color to a red color, and the wavelengths of an orange color to a red color are in the range from 600 to 700 nanometers. The orange color to the red color are identifiable or readily identified by eyes with impaired cones. Further, preferably, the surface color of the attaching part in which the sensor of the input section is inserted is the orange color (the wavelength of 600 to 675 nanometers) rather than the red color. This is because there are cases where blood adheres to the attaching part of the blood sensor and, if the attaching part is red, adhered blood is hard to see.
By contrast with this, the surface color near the input section (for example, the housing) is not limited in particular but preferably is different from the surface color of the input section. Further, preferably, the surface color near the input section is in the range from a purple color, a blue color to a green color, and, the wavelength of the surface color in the range from the purple color, the blue color to the green color is in the range from 400 to 550 nanometers.
The diabetic retinopathy patients recognize light of the wavelength of 400 to 550 nanometers as a color in the range from the purple color, the blue color to the green color, and recognize this light as a (dark) color of a low color value. Further, these patient recognize light of the wavelength of 600 to 700 nanometers as a color in the range from the orange color to the red color, and recognize this light as a (light) color of a high color value. That is, patients can feel the difference in the hue and the difference in the color value.
For example, the surface color of housing 12 of the apparatus shown in
As explained above, the orange color has high chroma and can distract attention of retinopathy patients, so that attaching part 14 can be identified easily. Accordingly, diabetic retinopathy patients and old people can identify attaching part 14 easily and use blood test apparatus 11 easily. Consequently, the blood sugar level can be controlled easily, so that it is possible to prevent (or delay) the progress of retinopathy.
Further, blood test using the blood test apparatus is not always performed in sufficiently bright environment. There may be cases where test is performed outside in a dim environment e.g., the toilet, bathroom, etc. Accordingly, a fluorescent coating material or phosphorescent coating material may be applied to attaching part 14 and operation button 16 of apparatus 11 shown in
At the location retired into the apparatus from side surface 12a of attaching part 14, there is inlet 14a for allowing sensor 13 to enter inside the apparatus. That is, inlet 14a is a gap between horizontal surface 14c and vertical surface 14d. Inlet 14a is coupled to passage 12c of sensor 13. A connector is provided deep inside passage 12c. Inlet 14a looks black (i.e. dark) due to the shade. Consequently, when the surface color of attaching part 14 is made the orange color, it is possible to identify the location of attaching part 14 easily thanks to the contrast between inlet 14a and attaching part 14.
Preferably, upstanding wall surface 14b (see
In attaching part 14 of blood test apparatus 11 shown in
In the blood test apparatus, a cartridge formed by stacking a plurality of blood sensors 13 may be stored. Blood sensors 13 are let out from inside the apparatus one by one every test. According to apparatus 11 shown in
Detecting section 23 is formed by detecting electrodes 18 to 20 of substrate 17, and reagent 24 is placed on detecting section 23. The reagent is appropriately selected depending on the kind of blood components to measure. For example, reagent 24 for measuring the blood sugar level can be made by dropping and drying the reagent solution, which is prepared by adding and dissolving PQQ-GDH and potassium ferricyanide.
Spacer 25 made of polyethylene terephthalate is attached on substrate 17 and reagent 24. Slit 25 is formed in spacer 25 from the front end 25a side toward rear end 25b. Slit 25c exposes detecting section 23. Further, depth part 25d of slit 25c exposes connection electrodes 18a to 20a formed in substrate 17.
When cover 27 (explained later) is overlaid, slit 25c forms passage 26. Front end 25a of spacer 25 serves as sampling slot 28 for blood 7. If the inner wall surface of slit 25c is subjected to hydrophilic treatment, drop 7a of blood (see
Cover 27 is attached on spacer 25. Cover 27 may be made of polyethylene terephthalate. By overlaying substrate 17, spacer 25 and cover 27, passage 26 corresponding to slit 25c is formed. Air hole 27a is formed in cover 27. Air hole 27a and passage 26 communicate through depth part 25d of passage 26.
When blood 7 flows in blood sensor 13 shown in
Moreover, the output of controlling section 41 is connected with the control terminal of switching circuit 35, arithmetic operation section 38 and transmitting section 39. The input of controlling section 41 is connected with operation button 16 (see 16a and 16b of
The operation of electrical circuit section 30 will be explained. By pressing operation button 16a, power is supplied to electrical circuit section 30. Power may be supplied automatically by detecting inserted sensor 13.
A signal of sensor 13 is inputted to switching circuit 35 through connection electrodes 18a to 20a and connectors 31a to 33a. Controlling section 41 switches switching circuit 35 and connects detection electrode (see
When blood 7 flows in the detecting section in this state, a current flows between detecting electrode 18 and detecting electrode 20. This current is converted into voltage by current/voltage converter 36 and its voltage value is converted into a digital value by A/D converter 37. The digital value is outputted to arithmetic operation section 38 and arithmetic operation section 38 senses that a sufficient amount of blood 7 has flowed in the detecting section.
Next, the amount of blood components (for example, glucose) is measured. First, switching circuit 35 switches according to a command from controlling section 41, and detecting electrode 20, which serves as an active electrode for measuring the amount of blood components, is connected with current/voltage converter 36. Further, detecting electrode 19, which becomes a counter electrode for measuring the amount of blood components, is connected with reference voltage source 40.
When the blood components and the reagent (for example, oxidation reduction enzyme) are made to react, current/voltage converter 36 and reference voltage source 40 may be turned off for a predetermined period (for example, one to ten seconds). Then, after a predetermined period passes, a certain voltage (0.2 to 0.5V) is applied between detecting electrode 20 and detecting electrode 19 according to a command from controlling section 41. Then, a current flows between detecting electrode 20 and detecting electrode 19. This current is converted into voltage by current/voltage converter 36, and this voltage value is converted into a digital value by A/D converter 37. The digital value is outputted to arithmetic operation section 38. Arithmetic operation section 38 converts the digital value into the amount of glucose components. The amount of glucose components is stored in order in the memory every time measurement is performed. Every time operation button 16b is pressed, the amount of glucose components stored in the memory is displayed in display section 15 in the order the amounts of glucose components are stored.
Further, the amount of blood components may be transmitted from transmitting section 39 to the apparatus that injects insulin. This transmission may be performed using radio waves but may preferably be performed by optical transmission that does not interfere with medical equipment.
The blood test apparatus according to the present invention can be used to measure any blood components and can also be used to measure glucose. Further, by appropriately selecting the reagent in sensor 13, it is possible to measure blood components other than glucose, such as the lactate acid level and cholesterol.
The present invention claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-323398, filed on Nov. 30, 2006. The disclosure including the specification and drawings as filed, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The blood test apparatus according to the present invention can be used every time easily by diabetic retinopathy patients with vision problems and old people with poor sight, and, consequently, is useful as a blood test apparatus used by patients with vision problems.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2006-323398 | Nov 2006 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2007/072969 | 11/28/2007 | WO | 00 | 8/21/2009 |