This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-270585 filed on Oct. 21, 2008. The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-270585 is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a blood testing device.
2. Background Art
As shown in
A finger 3a that is to be punctured is inserted into the insertion hole 4. The cartridge 5 is provided so as to come into contact with the finger inserted in the insertion hole 4. The cartridge 5 is equipped with a sensor (not shown) and a holder (not shown) in which the sensor is mounted. The cartridge 5 is disposed at the front of the laser emission device (on the finger side).
As shown in
Prior art such as this is discussed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2008-67743, for example.
A blood testing device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a main body including a puncture component configured to puncture a finger, a finger contact component arranged to contact a finger to be punctured during puncture by the puncture component, a sensor receptacle arranged to be mounted with a blood sensor, and a measurement component that measures a concentration of a component in the blood held in the blood sensor; and at least one main body support that has a first space into which a finger other than the finger to be punctured is inserted, and that is provided to the main body directly or via another member.
Referring now to the attached drawings, which form a part of this original disclosure:
Selected embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
As shown in
As shown in
The casing 19 is the outer shell of the main body 11. The casing 19 has a flat, elliptical shape, and is the right size to fit in one hand. A puncture hole 12 is provided to a first end (the upper end in
Two grooves 18f and 18g are formed on the outer face of the casing 19, on the face (rear face) on the opposite side from the face where the display component 14 is provided. As shown in
Horizontal parts 18a are provided at the upper ends of the grooves 18f and 18g (of the two ends of the groove 18f, the end near the puncture hole 12). As shown in
As shown in
Inside the casing 19, a puncture switch 25d is provided at a location that is below the finger contact component 13 and does not interfere with the elastic member 71. When the finger contact component 13 is pressed down, the puncture switch 25d is switched on. When the pressing of the finger contact component 13 is released, and the finger contact component 13 returns to its original position, the puncture switch 25d is switched off.
The finger contact component 13 has a structure that allows a blood sensor 30 to be mounted and removed (sensor receptacle 70) (see
The display component 14 is provided to the front face of the main body 11. The display component 14 is a liquid crystal display panel.
The cap 15 is mounted at the upper end of the main body 11, so that it can slide up and down. The sliding of the cap 15 will be discussed below.
The blood testing device 10 is equipped with two main body supports (a first main body support 16f and a second main body support 16g). As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
A convex member 16e is installed in one of the screw holes 16d. In
The specific disposition of the main body supports 16f and 16g is as follows. As shown in
The shape of the second main body support 16g is symmetrical with the shape of the first main body support 16f with respect to the center vertical line of the main body 11 (a straight line extending up and down in
The main body supports 16f and 16g are provided so that they rotate in conjunction with the sliding of the cap 15. The movement of the main body supports 16f and 16g will be described below.
As discussed above, the cap 15 is provided so that it slides up and down. Thus, the user can slide the cap 15 up when a finger is to be punctured, and slide the cap 15 down otherwise.
In
In
As shown in
As shown in
The main body supports 16f and 16g change from the state in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The main body supports 16f and 16g change from the state in
As shown in
The convex members 16e move the horizontal parts 18a outward (laterally) upon moving to the upper ends of the grooves 18. Thus, when the convex members 16e are disposed in the horizontal parts 18a, they are prevented from moving below the cap 15 under their own weight.
The latching prongs 16c are biased outward and rotatably mounted at the lower part of the cap 15. Therefore, in a state in which the convex members 16e are fitted into the horizontal parts 18a, the main body supports 16f and 16g are biased outward, which prevents them from moving below the cap 15 under their own weight.
The spacing between the puncture hole 12 and the support holes 17 can be varied according to the position of the convex members 16e.
For example, as shown in
In
As discussed above, the spacing between the puncture hole 12 and the support holes 17 can be adjusted. That is, the spacing between the puncture hole 12 and the support holes 17 is adjusted according to the size of the user's hand 3. Also, since the fingers 3b and 3c (fingers that are not to be punctured) adjacent to the finger 3a (to be punctured) are inserted into the support hole 17 of the first main body support 16f and the support hole 17 of the second main body support 16g, respectively, the finger contact component 13 is stably attached to the finger 3a.
Thus, the position of the blood testing device 10 with respect to the hand 3 is stably fixed. Therefore, the blood 8 that seeps out after puncture is reliably provided to the blood sensor 30. As a result, accurate blood testing is accomplished. Also, when the non-puncture fingers 3b and 3c are inserted in the support holes 17 provided adjacent to the puncture hole 12, the main body 11 is stably held by the hand 3. This keeps the blood testing device 10 from being dropped from the hand 3.
As shown in
The blood sensor 30 is a member that can be installed in and removed from the blood testing device 10. Thus, the blood sensor 30 may be considered not to be included in the blood testing device 10, or may be considered to be part of the blood testing device 10.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The supply path 35 is a gap (capillary) provided by the spacer 32 between the substrate 31 and the cover 33. The first end of the supply path 35 leads to the reservoir 34. The supply path 35 guides the blood 8 held in the reservoir 34 to the detector 37 by capillary action. The second end of this supply path 35 is linked to the air hole 38. In this aspect, the volume of the reservoir 34 is 0.904 μL, and the volume of the supply path 35 is 0.144 μL. However, the volumes here are not limited to these values, as long as enough blood for the test is guided from the reservoir 34 to the detector 37.
The air hole 38 is a hole that goes through the cover 33 and the spacer 32. That is, the air hole 38 leads from the upper face of the cover 33 to the supply path 35.
As shown in
The reagent 40 is placed on the detector 37. This reagent 40 is formed by adding and dissolving PQQ-GDH (0.1 to 5.0 U/sensor), potassium ferricyanide (10 to 200 mM), maltitol (1 to 50 mM), and taurine (20 to 200 mM) in a 0.01 to 2.0 wt % CMC aqueous solution to prepare a reagent aqueous solution, putting a drop of this on detecting electrodes 41 and 43 (see
The detecting electrodes 41 to 45 and connecting electrodes 41a to 45a are formed on the upper surface of the substrate 31. The detecting electrode 41 and the connecting electrode 41a, the detecting electrode 42 and the connecting electrode 42a, the detecting electrode 43 and the connecting electrode 43a, the detecting electrode 44 and the connecting electrode 44a, and the detecting electrode 45 and the connecting electrode 45a are each formed by continuous conductive layers. In other words, the connecting electrodes 41a to 45a are connected to the respective detecting electrodes 41 to 45.
The connecting electrode 46a and the identifier 46 are formed on the upper face of the substrate 31. As shown in
The detecting electrodes 41 to 45, the identifier 46, and the connecting electrodes 41a to 46a can be formed by laser working a conductive layer formed by sputtering or vapor deposition, using a material such as gold, platinum, or palladium.
The layout of the electrodes is as follows. The detecting electrode 44 connected to the connecting electrode 44a, the detecting electrode 45 connected to the connecting electrode 45a, the detecting electrode 43 reconnected to the connecting electrode 43a, the detecting electrode 41 connected to the connecting electrode 41a, and the detecting electrode 42 connected to the connecting electrode 42a are provided in the lengthwise direction along the supply path 35 in that order, going from the reservoir 34 toward the air hole 38. The reagent 40 (see
A controller 26g (discussed below) can determine whether or not the blood sensor 30 has been mounted to the sensor receptacle 70 from whether or not there is electrical conduction between the connecting electrode 43a and the connecting electrode 46a. Specifically, when this blood sensor 30 is placed in the sensor receptacle 70, if electrical conduction is detected between the connecting electrode 43a and the connecting electrode 46a, it is determined that the blood sensor 30 has been properly mounted on sensor receptacle 70.
It is also possible to store information about a calibration curve that is used, or to store manufacturing information, by varying the electrical resistance of the identifier 46 with the controller 26g. Therefore, this information can be used to conduct a more precise blood test.
Since the blood sensor 30 is constituted as above, the blood 8 adhering to the reservoir 34 is guided by capillary action through the supply path 35, passing through the detecting electrodes 45 and 43 in that order, to the top of the detecting electrode 42. Once the blood 8 has reached the detecting electrode 42, enough blood 8 for measurement reaches the detecting electrodes 41 and 43. This is because the detecting electrodes 41 and 43 are disposed closer to the reservoir 34 than the detecting electrode 42. The blood 8 reacts with the reagent 40. After this reaction, a specific voltage is applied to the electrodes 41 and 43, which generates a tiny current. This current flows to the connecting electrodes 41a and 43a.
1-7-a. Laser Unit 25
The laser unit 25 is an example of a puncture component. The laser unit 25 is disposed at a location opposite the finger contact component 13 inside the casing 19.
As shown in
A total reflection film 25g is formed at the end face of the laser rod 25c that is on the opposite side from the end face on the laser emission side. A partial transmission film 25h is formed at the end face of the laser rod 25c on the laser emission side.
A total reflection mirror may be disposed in place of the total reflection film 25g, and a partial transmission mirror instead of the partial transmission film 25h.
The reflectivity of a total reflection mirror is at least 99.5%. A total reflection mirror is, for example, a mirror coating of aluminum with a protective film, or a coating of a low-absorption, dielectric, multilayer film. Meanwhile, the reflectivity of a partial reflection mirror is 80 to 95%. A partial reflection mirror is, for example, a coating of a low-absorption, dielectric, multilayer film. Either type of mirror may be a multilayer film in which layers of SiO2 are alternated with ZrO2.
The blood testing device 10 may also be equipped with a puncture component that punctures the finger 3a with a needle, instead of the laser unit 25.
1-7-b. Measurement Circuit 26
As shown in
The switching circuit 26a is connected to the connecting electrodes 41a to 45a (
The output terminal of the controller 26g is connected to the high voltage generating circuit 27, the control terminal of the switching circuit 26a, the computer 26d, and the transmitter 26e. The input terminal of the controller 26g is connected to the puncture switch 25d, the timer 26k, and the contact member 29f. The contact member 29f is connected to the connecting electrode 46a.
1-7-c. High Voltage Generating Circuit 27
The high voltage generating circuit 27 supplies high voltage to the laser unit 25.
As shown in
The booster circuit 27a is connected to the battery 28. The capacitor 27b is connected to the output terminal of the booster circuit 27a. The trigger switch 27c is connected to the capacitor 27b. The trigger circuit 27d is connected to the output terminal of the trigger switch 27c.
The two terminals of the capacitor 27b are connected to the two electrodes (pair of main electrodes) of the lamp 25b of the laser unit 25. The output terminal of the trigger circuit 27d is connected to the trigger electrode of the lamp 25b. The electrostatic capacity of the capacitor 27b is 200 to 450 μF, and the voltage resistance is 200 to 400 V. The trigger switch 27c is an IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor). This trigger switch 27c is switched on and off by the output of the puncture switch 25d shown in
In
1-8-a. Steps 51 to 55
As shown in
Then, as shown in
The user then presses the finger contact component 13 with the puncture finger 3a (step 55). Pressing the finger contact component 13 switches on the puncture switch 25d.
1-8-b. Steps 56 to 58
Before step 56, the supply of voltage from the battery 28 is commenced at the point when the puncture switch 25d of the blood testing device 10 is switched on. The voltage supplied from the battery 28 is boosted by the booster circuit 27a, and charges the capacitor 27b. The operation of the booster circuit 27a is controlled by the controller 26g, and this controls the charging voltage. The depth of puncture is controlled by the level of the charging voltage.
The voltage charged to the capacitor 27b is supplied to the electrodes of the lamp 25b. When the finger contact component 13 is pressed with the finger 3a (when the puncture switch 25d is pressed) in a state in which this voltage has been boosted to a predetermined level, 0.5 second later light is emitted from the lamp 25b. This time is measured by the timer 26k. The emission of light from the lamp 25b causes the laser beam 25e to be emitted from the laser rod 25c. The laser beam 25e passes through the lens 25f and the blood sensor 30 and punctures the skin 3d of the puncture finger 3a (step 56). The blood 8 seeps out of the skin 3d.
When the skin 3d is punctured, the blood 8 seeps out. This blood 8 is captured in the blood sensor 30. The blood sensor 30 generates a current corresponding to the glucose concentration in the blood, and sends this current as an electrical signal (measurement signal) to the measurement circuit 26.
More specifically, at a command from the controller 26g, the switching circuit 26a connects the detecting electrode 41 to the current/voltage converter 26b. Also, the switching circuit 26a connects the detecting electrode 42 to the reference voltage supply 26f. The detecting electrode 42 detects the inflow of the blood 8. A specific voltage is applied between the detecting electrodes 41 and 42.
In this state, when the blood 8 flows in, current flows between the detecting electrodes 41 and 42. This current is converted into voltage by the current/voltage converter 26b, and the voltage value thereof is converted into a digital value by the A/D converter 26c. This value is outputted to the computer 26d. The computer 26d determines that enough of the blood 8 has flowed in once this digital value exceeds a specific value.
Next, the concentration of glucose (blood sugar value), which is a blood component, is measured. First, at a command from the controller 26g, the switching circuit 26a connects the detecting electrode 41 to the current/voltage converter 26b. The switching circuit 26a connects the detecting electrode 43 to the reference voltage supply 26f. A specific voltage is applied between the detecting electrodes 41 and 43. In this blood sugar value measurement, the detecting electrode 41 functions as a working electrode, and the detecting electrode 43 functions as a counter electrode.
The current flowing between the detecting electrodes 41 and 43 is converted into voltage by the current/voltage converter 26b. This voltage value is converted into a digital value by the A/D converter 26c. This digital value is outputted to the computer 26d. The computer 26d converts this digital value into a glucose concentration.
The blood sugar value is thus calculated by the measurement circuit 26 (step 57). The calculated result is displayed on the display component 14 in step 58.
The measurement of the blood sugar value was used as an example above, but if the component of the reagent 40 is changed, the blood testing device 10 can also be applied to the measurement of lactic acid or cholesterol in the blood, instead of measuring glucose.
Of the members shown in the drawings referred to below, those that have the same function as in the first embodiment will be numbered the same and may not be described again.
As shown in
With the blood testing device 60, the main body supports 63 are stowed between the main body 61 and the cap 62. That is, when not being used, the main body support 63 does not stick out from the cap 62. The user can put the blood testing device 60 in his pocket, etc., when carrying around the blood testing device 60. Since the blood testing device 60 does not snag on the pocket here, it is easier to carry.
In
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The adjustment hole 65a is provided in the center of the cap 62 in the horizontal direction in
As shown in
The adjustment protrusion 66a is provided above the puncture hole 12, and is provided in the center of the main body 61 with respect to the horizontal direction in
As shown in
In a state in which the cap 62 is closed (
When the cap 62 is slid down, the latching state changes in the reverse order.
Also, the adjustment holes 65 may instead be provided to the main body 61, and the adjustment protrusions 66 to the cap 62.
As shown in
On the rear face, the two main body supports 63f and 63g are mounted at the upper part of the main body 61. As shown in
Therefore, when the cap 62 is slid upward, the main body supports 63f and 63g slide outward while in contact with the ends 62a and 62b of the cap 62. Specifically, the spacing between the left and right support holes 64 varies according to the vertical position of the cap 62.
In
In
Thus, the distance between the puncture hole 12 and the support holes 64 varies with the vertical position of the cap 62.
Furthermore, when the cap 62 is lowered as far as it will go (when not being used; see
If the number of adjustment protrusions and adjustment holes is increased, the spacing between the main body support 63f and the main body support 63g can be adjusted with greater flexibility.
Those members that have the same function as the members described above will be numbered the same and will not be described again.
(3-1)
In
The main body 61 in
With both of the constitutions shown in
(3-2)
The main body 61 in
With both of the aspects in
With both of the aspects in
As shown in
Furthermore, a single main body support 63 may be formed from one continuous member, with just one end of the main body support 63 fixed to the main body 61, and the other end not fixed.
(3-3)
With the aspects shown in
With these aspects, the main body supports 63 have a shape that does not stick out beyond the main body 61. Thus, the blood testing device can have a more compact shape.
(3-4)
With the aspects shown in
The difference between the aspect in
The aspects in
(3-5)
In the aspects shown in
The paired member is fixed to a glove 333 (
When the paired member is mounted on the user's hand, the main body 61 that is gripped in this hand is fixed to the palm. As a result, the position of the main body 61 in the user's hand is stable. This makes it less likely that the blood testing device will be dropped.
The aspect in
(3-6)
The main body supports 63 in the aspects in
The user inserts the finger to be placed on the finger contact component 13 (the finger to be punctured) in the support hole 64 of the main body support 63, and then bends this finger at a right angle to place the tip of the finger on the finger contact component 13.
With this aspect, inserting the finger (the finger to be punctured) into the main body support 63 stably fixes the position of the blood testing device with respect to the user's finger.
The aspect in
(3-7)
With the aspects in
As shown in
When the user wishes to use the device, he puts his hand (the four fingers other than the thumb) between the two main body supports 63. The user then places one of the four fingers (such as the middle finger) against the finger contact component 13. At this point the main body supports 63 grasp the back of the hand and fix it to the main body 61. Rather than putting in the whole hand, a plurality of fingers (such as the index, middle, and ring fingers) may be inserted between the main body supports 63. Thus grasping the fingers or hand with the main body supports 63 allows the blood testing device to be stably held in the hand. As a result, this prevents the blood testing device from being dropped.
The blood testing device in
(3-8)
The blood testing device may be expressed as follows.
The blood testing device has the following (I) and (II).
The various constituent elements are constituted as follows.
The puncture component punctures the skin of a finger or another part of the body, allowing blood to seep out from the user's body. This puncture component may be a needle type or a laser type. The needle type is very well known. In view of this, a laser type of puncture component will be described.
A laser puncture component specifically includes a laser rod, a flash lamp, a lens barrel, and a lens. With a compact type of device that can be held in the hand, as with the blood testing devices in the various embodiments discussed above, a solid-state laser can be used to advantage as the laser.
The laser rod is composed of a material doped with transition metal ions or rare earth ions that will serve as the laser active species, such as erbium (Er), neodymium (Nd), or holmium (Ho). The flash lamp excites the laser active species by irradiating the laser rod with light. The lens barrel efficiently converges the light of the flash lamp onto the laser rod, without letting it leak to the outside. The lens converges the light emitted from the laser rod to a specific location. Examples of solid-state lasers include ruby lasers, glass lasers, and YAG lasers.
During puncture, a YAG laser rod doped with about 50% erbium (Er) is preferable as the laser rod. The rod may be a YAG single crystal, or a YAG ceramic.
If the puncture component is a laser, a circuit for operating the laser or the like may be provided to the main body.
The finger contact component fixes the site to be punctured. The site to be punctured was the skin of a finger in the above embodiments, but may be a site other than a finger.
The shape of the finger contact component is preferably one that will stably hold the finger, and the material and structure are preferably such that deformation will not readily occur when pushed by a finger. The shape of the finger contact component is also preferably such that when the site put in contact with the finger contact component (the skin of a finger, etc.) is pressed toward the finger contact component by the user, this site can be compressed.
The finger contact component has an opening that allows a needle or light to pass through. This needle or light causes blood to seep out from the skin. The opening may be circular or elliptical. The skin contact part of the finger contact component is preferably not sharp, so that it will not cause the user any pain if it is pressed against a part of the body.
Also, the blood testing device may be equipped with a mechanism for applying suction to the site (skin) in contact with the finger contact component. For instance, a mechanism may be provided for applying suction to a finger from inside the opening of the finger contact component. In this case, a member that fits snugly against the skin (such as a gasket) is preferably provided to the portion that touches the skin at the opening of the finger contact component. This mechanism for applying suction to the skin squeezes out the blood that seeps from the skin.
It is preferable if the finger contact component can be easily removed from the blood testing device. This is because the user will more easily be able to clean away any blood or other soil that has adhered to the finger contact component.
In the above embodiments, the blood that seeped from the finger punctured with the puncture component is captured directly in the blood sensor. Thus, the finger contact component is disposed so as to overlap the finger contact component.
The space that includes the finger contact component may be a space that is closed off by a wall or the like, or may be a space that is open enough to allow a finger to be fixed. Specifically, a cover may be provided to the finger contact component. If the puncture component punctures the skin with a laser beam, a cover is preferably provided to the finger contact component. This is because the cover will block the laser beam.
As discussed above, when an opening is provided to the finger contact component, a cap is preferably provided. The cap will prevent dirt and so forth from getting inside the device. The main body supports may also be stowed in the cap.
(iii) Sensor Receptacle
The sensor receptacle holds a blood sensor. If the blood sensor is electrical, the sensor receptacle may be a connector.
In the above embodiments, the sensor receptacle is disposed so that a blood sensor held in the sensor receptacle will overlap the finger contact component. The sensor receptacle preferably has a structure in which the blood sensor will be held without being dropped even if the orientation of the blood testing device should change.
The measurement component processes a signal from the blood sensor and computes the concentration of a blood component, etc., on the basis of a pre-recorded table, calibration line, or the like.
Besides the constitution discussed above, the main body may be constituted as a display component or the like. The measurement result is displayed on the display component. Everything but the display component and the finger contact component of the main body is surrounded by a housing.
The main body support has the auxiliary role of stabilizing the main body in the user's hand during puncture, after puncture, during measurement, and so forth, so that the device is not dropped.
Basically, the main body support is preferably located on both sides of the finger contact component, and should support the main body when fingers other than the finger to be punctured are inserted. The portion of the main body support in which the fingers are inserted may be a closed space or an open space. However, the main body support preferably has a shape with which an inserted finger will not readily come loose, and which allows the main body to be held in the user's hand.
Depending on the shape and size of the main body supports, just one finger may be inserted, or a plurality of fingers may be inserted, or the whole hand may be inserted.
If the main body supports are formed from members with elasticity (plastic, etc.), they can fix the main body to the hand by their elasticity.
Also, the main body support may be constituted by a flexible material, as with a strap.
Also, the main body support may be designed to support the finger to be punctured itself. Specifically, the main body support may be disposed at a position in the main body where the finger placed against the finger contact component passes by. The main body support extends in the direction in which the finger passes, and has a hole through which the finger to be punctured passes.
Also, the main body support may have a shape like a handle with respect to the main body. The portion of this main body support in which the finger is inserted may have a closed shape or an open shape. That is, the space into which the finger is inserted may be a closed space or an open space.
Also, the main body support may be provided integrally with the main body. Specifically, a through-hole large enough for a finger to be inserted may be provided to the main body. This through-hole is used as a main body support by inserting a finger into it. Thus, the main body support may be included in the main body.
When the conventional blood testing device 1 (see
With this blood testing device 1, there are times when the finger 3a inserted into the hole 4 comes out from the finger contact component 5 or out of the hole 4. If the finger 3a moves like this, the required amount of blood may not be captured in the blood sensor. Also, the blood testing device 1 may slip from the user's hand. Therefore, to obtain an accurate test result and to ensure the safety of the device, the blood testing device needs to be held stably with respect to the finger to be punctured.
The blood testing device in the embodiments given above has a main body support. This main body support stably fixes the main body of the blood testing device to the hand of the user. Thus, the device is prevented from being dropped, and more accurate testing is possible.
While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Thus, the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.
As used herein, the following directional terms “forward, rearward, above, downward, vertical, horizontal, below and transverse” as well as any other similar directional terms refer to those directions of a device equipped with the present invention. Accordingly, these terms, as utilized to describe aspects of the present invention, should be interpreted relative to a device equipped with the present invention.
The term “configured” as used herein to describe a component, section or part of a device includes hardware and/or software that is constructed and/or programmed to carry out the desired function.
The term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applied to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including,” “having,” and their derivatives. Also, the term “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member,” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts.
The terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.
While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Thus, the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2008-270585 | Oct 2008 | JP | national |