The present invention relates to a diagnostic strip and a diagnostic system using the same.
Since existing test strips are only strip products, a collected body fluid such as blood is applied to a test strip, and a separate measuring instrument analyzes the composition of blood by using the test strip. Existing test strips only serve as carriers which provide a body fluid such as blood applied thereto to a separate measuring instrument, or existing test strips only provide inexact analysis results. Therefore, in some cases, such as when a body fluid is contaminated with an external material before carried and provided to a measuring instrument, it is not possible to ensure accuracy of measurement.
The present invention is directed to providing a strip and a diagnostic system for quantitatively testing a body fluid by using a portable terminal immediately after collecting the body fluid and checking test results.
One aspect of the present invention provides a diagnostic strip for reacting with a target for diagnosis, the diagnostic strip including: a connector configured to be connected to a power providing unit and provide a driving power to the diagnostic strip; an entry path configured to transfer a body fluid including the target; a reaction unit configured to react with the target and whose electrical characteristic is changed by the reaction; and a display unit configured to receive the driving power and whose display state is changed according to the changed electrical characteristic of the reaction unit.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a diagnostic system including: a diagnostic strip including a reaction unit whose electrical characteristic is changed by a reaction to a target included in a body fluid, a display unit configured to display a code whose display state is changed to correspond to the changed electrical characteristic, and a connector configured to be electrically connected to a power providing unit and receive a driving power; and the power providing unit configured to be electrically connected to the diagnostic strip through the connector and provide the driving power to the diagnostic strip.
According to the diagnostic strip and the diagnostic system, a body fluid is put in an entry path, and electric power is provided by a power providing unit such that a detection result can be immediately checked.
Hereinafter, a diagnostic strip according to an exemplary embodiment and a diagnostic system 1 using the same will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The reaction unit 200 may include a first reaction unit 210 which reacts with a target for detection and a second reaction unit 220 which reacts with a body fluid. The first reaction unit 210 may further include a reactive material which reacts with the target for detection and whose electrical resistance value is changed. Except that the reactive material reacting with a target material is further formed in the first reaction unit 210, the first reaction unit 210 and the second reaction unit 220 may be formed of the same material or similar materials.
According to an exemplary embodiment, when the target for detection is glucose, the first reaction unit 210 may include, as the reactive material, a glucose oxidase whose electrical resistance value is changed by forming hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a result of an oxidation reaction with the glucose included in a body fluid. The first reaction unit 210 may react not only with the target in the body fluid but also with the body fluid such that an electrical characteristic may be changed. When the second reaction unit 220, which is identical or similar to the first reaction unit 210, is provided to calculate a difference between a reaction occurring at the first reaction unit 210 and a reaction occurring at the second reaction unit 220, it is possible to exclude a result of a reaction between the body fluid and the reaction unit and detect a change in electrical characteristic caused by a reaction between the target and the reactive material.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the reaction unit 200 may be formed by performing a printing process. As the printing process for forming the reaction unit, it is possible to use a transfer printing process in which printing is performed after a material for forming the reaction unit is applied to a mold, an inkjet printing process in which a material for forming the reaction unit is discharged from a nozzle, a gravure printing process in which a roller is used to print a material for forming the reaction unit, and a roll-to-roll printing process. Also, during the process of printing the reaction unit 200, one or more of the reaction unit 200, the display unit 300, and a power providing unit 400 may be formed.
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
According to an exemplary embodiment, the display unit 300 may include a variable code display unit 310 whose displayed information is changed by a reaction between a body fluid and the reaction unit 200 and a fixed code display unit 320 whose displayed information is not changed even when a reaction occurs between a body fluid and the reaction unit 200.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the code displayed by the display unit 300 is a quick response (QR) code, which is changed according to a reaction result and displays information resulting from the reaction. In an exemplary embodiment not shown in the drawings, a code displayed by the display unit is a barcode. In another exemplary embodiment not shown in the drawings, a code displayed by the display unit may be a display bar whose color can be changed according to a quantitative value.
In an exemplary embodiment, the variable code display unit 310 may include a light emitting device, such as a light-emitting diode (LED) or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), which may or may not emit light due to a voltage provided by a reaction between the target and the reaction unit 200, thereby changing a code displayed by the variable code display unit 310.
In another exemplary embodiment, the variable code display unit 310 may include a variable color device. In an example, the variable color device may be implemented as a device in which colloid particles are distributed and locations of the colloid particles are changed by a voltage provided to the device such that a color displayed to the outside is changed.
In another example, the variable color device may be implemented as an electrochromic device. The electrochromic device denotes a device including an electrochromic material whose color is changed by an electrochemical oxidation-reduction reaction when a voltage is provided. The electrochromic device is changed in color when a voltage is provided.
In an example, the electrochromic device may include WO3, Nb2O5, MoO3, and TiO3, which are cathodic coloration materials which become colorless in an oxidized state, as electrochromic materials. In another example, the electrochromic device may include V2O5, IrO2, and NiO, which are anodic coloration materials displaying a color in an oxidized state, as electrochromic materials.
Therefore, the code displayed by the variable code display unit 310 is changed according to a voltage provided by a reaction between the target and the reaction unit 200.
In another exemplary embodiment, the variable code display unit 310 may be implemented as an electronic (e)-ink. E-ink includes a capsule and pigments which are injected into the capsule and charged with different electrical charges. When a voltage generated by a reaction between the target and the reaction unit 200 is provided between one side and another side of the capsule, the charged pigments move according to a level and a polarity of the voltage and change the code displayed by the variable code display unit 310.
The fixed code display unit 320 displays a determined code irrespective of a reaction between the target and the reactive material. Since the displayed content is not changed, the fixed code display unit 330 may be printed and displayed. As an example, when the code displayed by the display unit 300 is a QR code, the variable code display unit 310 encodes the reaction information according to QR code rules and displays the encoded reaction information, and the fixed code display unit 320 displays an element which indicates a directionality of the QR code. As another example, when the code displayed by the display unit 300 is a barcode, the fixed code display unit 320 may be a guard bar which is displayed on the left and right and at the center of the barcode so that the reaction information may be recognized. The variable code display unit 310 may be positioned in the fixed code display unit 320 and may encode the reaction information into a combination of bars having different thicknesses and display the encoded reaction information.
The power providing unit 400 provides power to the diagnostic strip 10. According to an exemplary embodiment, the power providing unit 400 may include an inductive coupling device, which is inductively coupled to the terminal and receives power. For example, the inductive coupling device may include a rectenna which collects and rectifies a radio wave provided by the terminal and outputs a rectified radio wave. The rectenna may include an antenna 410, which is formed as a coil to receive power wirelessly transmitted by the terminal 20, and a rectification device 420 which rectifies a received signal. In an exemplary embodiment not shown in the drawings, the power providing unit 400 may further include a capacitor which smooths a pulse wave output by the rectenna and stores energy. In an exemplary embodiment, as described above, the power providing unit 400 may be formed through a printing process for forming the reaction unit 200 and the display unit 300.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the power providing unit may include a button cell or a coin cell and enable a user to use the button cell or the coin cell together with the inductive coupling device.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the power providing unit may include an energy conversion device and an electric energy storage device. The energy conversion device is a device which converts provided mechanical energy into electrical energy. A user provides mechanical energy to the energy conversion device, and the energy conversion device converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy and outputs the electrical energy to the electric energy storage device. In an example, the energy conversion device may be a piezoelectric device which converts mechanical energy provided by a user pressing the energy conversion device into electrical energy. In another example, the energy conversion device may be a device which converts mechanical energy caused by friction into electrical energy.
The diagnostic strip 10 may be driven by using energy stored in the electric energy storage device.
Operation of the diagnostic system 1 will be described below.
In an exemplary embodiment, the terminal 20 may be inductively coupled to the diagnostic strip 10, thereby providing driving power to the diagnostic strip 10. In another exemplary embodiment, the diagnostic strip 10 may be provided with driving power from a primary cell embedded therein. A process of providing the driving power to the diagnostic strip 10 may be performed, in an example, after the process of providing a body fluid to the diagnostic strip 10, and in another example, before the process of providing a body fluid to the diagnostic strip 10.
The diagnostic strip 10 provided with the driving power may display a code corresponding to a reaction result on the display unit 300, and the terminal 20 may read the code and provide the reaction result to a user (S200). According to an exemplary embodiment, the display unit 300 may obtain a difference between a reaction result of the first reaction unit 210 and a reaction result of the second reaction unit 220 and generate a code corresponding to the difference, thereby displaying the code.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the terminal 20 may save the result of reading to a server through a communication network. According to another exemplary embodiment, the terminal 20 may store the result of reading therein. When it is necessary to monitor reaction results for a long time period, the terminal 20 may depict and provide the stored information to the user in the form of a graph.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the application may provide power while a distance between the portable terminal 20 and the diagnostic strip 10 is maintained at a predetermined distance. When the distance between the portable terminal 20 and the diagnostic strip 10 is short, the portable terminal 20 may provide a voltage which is unnecessarily high to the diagnostic strip 10, and when the distance between the portable terminal 20 and the diagnostic strip 10 is long, the portable terminal 20 may not provide a voltage sufficient to drive the display unit 300.
In an example, as shown in
In another example, as shown in
Therefore, the user may adjust the distance between the portable terminal 20 and the diagnostic strip 10 so that the portable terminal 10 may provide an appropriate driving voltage to the diagnostic strip 10.
According to another exemplary embodiment, the application may control the terminal to wirelessly transmit power when the user runs the application. According to an exemplary embodiment, the portable terminal 20 may provide power to the diagnostic strip 10 by using a method such as near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), and the like.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the power providing unit 300 may further include a Zener diode (not shown) which clamps a level of provided voltage. When the distance between the portable terminal 20 and the diagnostic strip 10 is short, a voltage equal to or higher than a voltage required for driving may be provided to the diagnostic strip 10. When a voltage equal to or higher than the voltage required for driving is provided, the Zener diode may clamp the voltage.
When the driving power is provided from the portable terminal 20 to the diagnostic strip 10, the display unit 300 may display a target detection result. When a user intends to detect the amount of a target in a body fluid, the reactive material, which is included in the first reaction unit 210 and reacts with the target, reacts with the target, and an electrical resistance value thereof is changed. Also, the first reaction unit 210 may react with a component other than the target, and the electrical resistance value may be changed. However, due to the second reaction unit 220, it is possible to compensate for influence of the reaction to the component other than the target.
In an exemplary embodiment for detecting glucose in blood, blood put in the entry path 100 may be provided to the first reaction unit 210 and the second reaction unit 220. A change in electrical characteristic exhibited by the first reaction unit 210 is the sum of a change made by a reaction between glucose in the blood and the first reaction unit 210 and a change made by a reaction between the blood excluding glucose in the blood and the first reaction unit 210. Since glucose oxidase which reacts with glucose is not included in the second reaction unit 210, the second reaction unit 220 may react with components of blood other than glucose such that an electrical characteristic thereof may be changed.
As shown in
The display unit 300 may include a resistor array RA. The resistor array RA includes resistors having different resistance values. In
Voltages provided to both ends of equivalent resistors of the variable code display unit 310 correspond to resistance ratios between the resistors included in the resistor array and the equivalent resistors of the variable code display unit 310. For example, Ra1, Ra2, Ra3, Ra4, and Ra5 included in the resistor array may be respectively 0.5Ω, 1Ω, 1.5Ω, 2Ω, and 2.5Ω, Rd1 to Rd5 are all 1Ω, voltages provided to the display devices modeled as Rd1 to Rd5 may be respectively V1, V2, . . . , and V5, and the display devices modeled as Rd1 to Rd5 may be turned on at a voltage of 1.3 V or above.
When a voltage provided to the display unit 300 according to a change in resistance made by a reaction between the target in the body fluid and the reactive material is 3 V, the both-end voltages V1 to V5 of Rd1 to Rd5 which are obtained through voltage dividing are approximately 2 V, 1.5 V, 1.2 V, 1 V, and 0.86 V, respectively. Since both V1 and V2 are equal to or high than the turn-on voltage, it is possible to see that the display devices modeled as Rd1 and Rd2 are turned on and the other display devices are turned off.
As another example, when the voltage provided to the display unit 300 is 6 V, the both-end voltages V1 to V5 of Rd1 to Rd5 which are obtained through voltage dividing are approximately 4 V, 3 V, 2.4 V, 2 V, and 1.71 V, respectively. Since all the both-end voltages V1 to V5 are equal to or high than the turn-on voltage, the display devices modeled as Rd1 to Rd5 may be turned on.
Therefore, the code displayed by the variable code display unit 310 may be changed by a voltage formed according to a change in resistance made by a reaction between the target and the reactive material, and the display unit 300 may display codes accordingly corresponding to a target concentration in the body fluid, whether the target exists in the body fluid, and the like.
The portable terminal 20 may read the codes displayed by the display unit 300 and display results of reading on the screen. Referring to
According to another exemplary embodiment of the diagnostic strip 10, the diagnostic strip 10 may further include an overview display unit which schematically displays a reaction result between the target and the reaction unit to a user.
As shown in another example in
Like the variable code display unit 310, the overview display unit 500 may be implemented with a light emitting device, such as an LED, an OLED, etc., a variable color device, an electrochromic device, an e-ink, and the like whose display states are changed to correspond to an electrical characteristic which is changed by a reaction between the reaction unit and the target.
Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of a diagnostic strip and a diagnostic system using the diagnostic strip will be described. For brief and clear description, descriptions which are identical or similar to the above description may be omitted.
According to the exemplary embodiment shown in
As an exemplary embodiment, the connector may be a connector conforming to a universal serial bus (USB) standard. As shown in the example of
In an exemplary embodiment, when the connector is a male connector, the connector may be inserted into a female connector formed in the power providing unit and provided with power, and when the connector is a female connector, the connector may be provided with power through a cable connected to the power providing unit, or a male connector of the power providing unit may be inserted into the connector such that power may be provided.
As shown in the drawing, a conductive material wire w is disposed on one surface of the substrate sub according to a connector standard, and the substrate sub and a cover C are cut according to the connector standard such that the connector 410 may be formed. For example, as the conductive material wire w, conductive paste including silver (Ag) may be printed with a printing technique, such as inkjet printing, gravure printing, transfer printing, or the like, according to the connector standard. As an example not shown in the drawing, a connector module conforming to an objective connector standard may be attached to a diagnostic strip.
As an exemplary embodiment, the display unit 300 may be an electrochromic device. As an example, the electrochromic device is formed by stacking a transparent electrode, an anodic coloration material layer or an ion storage layer, an electrolyte layer, a cathodic coloration material, and a transparent electrode between one pair of substrates. When a voltage is provided in one direction between the transparent electrodes, the anodic coloration material layer or the ion storage layer provides positive ions and thus are oxidized and colored, and the cathodic coloration material layer provided with the positive ions through the electrolyte layer are reduced and colored. When a voltage is provided in the reverse direction between the transparent electrodes, the oxidation and reduction reactions occur vice versa, and the anodic coloration material layer or the ion storage layer and the cathodic coloration material layer are decolorized and become transparent.
In an exemplary embodiment, the display unit 300 may be implemented in the form of a display bar as shown in the example of
The reaction unit 200 is a material which reacts with the target to be detected and whose electrical characteristic is changed. In an exemplary embodiment, the reaction unit is a material whose electrical characteristic is changed by an enzyme reaction with the target for detection, or an oxidation-reduction reaction related to the enzyme reaction. For example, the reaction unit may include a glucose oxidizer which reacts with glucose, a cholesterol oxidizer which reacts with cholesterol, and the like.
In another exemplary embodiment, the reaction unit may be a material whose electrical characteristic is changed by an antigen-antibody reaction with the target for detection. For example, the reaction unit may be any one of an anti-influenza antibody which reacts with an avian influenza (AI) virus, anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpiCAM), anti-prostate-specific antigen (PSA), anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and anti-cancer antigen (CA) antibodies which react with cancer cells, and an anti-apolipoprotein B antibody which reacts with lipids in blood.
In another exemplary embodiment, the reaction unit may further include a probe which is complementarily bound with the target to be detected, and may be a material which binds to the target and whose electrical characteristic is changed. For example, the reaction unit may include a probe having an aptamer which binds to protein, which is the target for detection, and a nucleotide marker, and nucleotides having a sequence complementary to the target for detection.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the reaction unit 200 may be manufactured as an electrochemical sensor which uses a reaction to the composition of a specific enzyme and an oxidation-reduction reaction related to the reaction. According to another exemplary embodiment, the reaction unit 200 may be manufactured as a sensor which uses a binding reaction of a receptor.
For example, in a reaction in which an enzyme is used, an electrical change is detected through an oxidation-reduction reaction of an electron transfer mediator. Also, a receptor which selectively binds to viruses, protein, cancer cells, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), etc. is fixed through a specific chemical reaction, and an electrical change caused by the binding reaction with the target is sensed.
The receptor, such as the aptamer, and an antigen may be directly applied to a surface. As another example, graphene oxide, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), gold nanoparticles, etc. may be applied by using an auxiliary device. For example, the reaction unit 200 may be formed with a printing technique, such as inkjet printing, gravure printing, transfer printing, or the like.
As an example, the reaction unit 200 may be a material which reacts with glucose and whose electrical characteristic is changed. As another example, the reaction unit 200 may be a material which reacts with the AI virus and whose electrical characteristic is changed. As another example, the reaction unit 200 may be a material which reacts with cancer cells and whose electrical characteristic is changed. As another example, the reaction unit 200 may be a material which reacts with cholesterol and whose electrical characteristic is changed. As another example, the reaction unit 200 may be a material which reacts with lipids in blood and whose electrical characteristic is changed.
Resistors R are formed in an array and may be connected to unit display devices included in a variable code display unit 310 (see
The cover C may be coupled to the substrate sub and protect the diagnostic strip 10. For example, the cover C may be coupled to the substrate sub in a coupling form, such as projection-recess coupling, screw coupling in which a screw is used, or coupling in which a barb-shaped hook is used, or the cover C and the substrate sub may be bonded to a spacer S and coupled to each other. The spacer S may maintain a distance between the cover C and the substrate sub and prevent an unnecessarily high pressure from being applied to a structure formed on the substrate upon coupling. For example, the cover C and the spacer S may be formed of a synthetic resin, which may be the same material as that of the substrate sub. According to an exemplary embodiment, the cover C is formed of a transparent material and thus transmits content displayed by the display unit 300. According to another exemplary embodiment, the cover C may be formed of an opaque material, but a window may be formed to transmit content displayed by the display unit 300.
In an exemplary embodiment, the conductive material wire w and the resistors R are printed and formed on the substrate sub, the pre-assembled display unit 300 is disposed in the substrate sub, the reaction unit 200 is printed, and the cover C is coupled to the substrate so that the diagnostic strip 10 may be formed. In another exemplary embodiment, a connector module is connected to the substrate sub in which the conductive material wire w, the resistors R, the display unit 300, and the reaction unit 200 are formed, and the cover C is coupled to the substrate so that the diagnostic strip 10 may be formed. In another exemplary embodiment, the conductive material wire w and the resistors R are printed and formed on the substrate sub, the display unit 300 is formed by stacking a transparent electrode, an anodic coloration material layer or an ion storage layer, an electrolyte layer, a cathodic coloration material, and a transparent electrode, and then the diagnostic strip 10 may be formed by printing the reaction unit 200 and coupling the cover C to the substrate.
As described in the above exemplary embodiment, a voltage drop occurring at the resistance R3 is the same as a voltage drop occurring at the resistance R4. Therefore, an electrical characteristic resulting from the reaction unit reacting with the body fluid other than the target may have less influence due to the second reaction unit 220. A voltage component generated by the reaction between the target and the first reaction unit 210 is provided such that the display unit 300 is driven. The provided voltage is divided by a resistor array RA and display devices, and divided voltages are provided to the variable code display unit 310.
It is possible to reduce resistance values of the resistor array to form voltage which is divided and provided to unit display devices connected in such a series and parallel structure. For example, all resistance values of the unit display devices 310a, 310b, 310c, and 310d are 100 kΩ, and values of the resistors Rd, Rc, Rb, and Ra are 250 kΩ, 84 kΩ, 41 kΩ, and 25 kΩ, respectively. When a voltage of 5 V is provided to the both ends of the display unit 300, 4 V, 3 V, 2 V, and 1 V are provided to the both ends of the unit display devices 310a, 310b, 310c, and 310d, respectively.
Considering a structure in which different resistors are connected to the respective unit display devices 310a, 310b, 310c, and 310d and all these pairs of a unit display device and a resistor are connected in parallel, resistance values connected in series with the unit display devices 310a, 310b, 310c, and 310d are respectively 45 kΩ, 126 kΩ, 290 kΩ, and 780 kΩ, and the sum of the resistance values is 1241 kΩ. According to the exemplary embodiment shown in
Referring back to
According to an exemplary embodiment, the diagnostic strip 10 may display a result measured through the environmental sensor 250 on the display unit 300. Although
Since it is possible to measure a hydrogen-ion concentration of the body fluid and a temperature and a humidity of surroundings of the diagnostic strip 10 by using the environmental sensor 250, a reaction result between the target and the first reaction unit may be calibrated with these factors such that an accurate measurement result can be obtained.
A smart strip and a diagnostic strip using the smart strip will be described below with reference to
Referring to
The connector 410 of the smart strip and a connector of the power providing unit are connected such that power is supplied from the power providing unit (S20A). According to the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings, the male connector 410 of the smart strip is inserted into a female connector formed in the portable terminal 20, which is the power providing unit, such that the power providing unit and the smart strip are connected. According to an exemplary embodiment not shown in the drawings, female connectors may be formed in both the smart strip and the power providing unit, and the smart strip and the power providing unit may be connected through a cable having male connectors formed at both ends.
Since power is supplied to the smart strip 10, a voltage corresponding to a reaction between the target and the reaction unit is provided to unit display devices included in the variable code display unit 310, and the display unit 300 displays a result corresponding to the reaction (S30A). According to the exemplary embodiment shown in
Also, as shown in the exemplary embodiment of
Although the present invention has been described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings to aid in understanding, the embodiments are directed for illustration and merely exemplary. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and other equivalent embodiments are possible from the above embodiments. Therefore, the true technical scope of the present invention should be determined by the accompanying claims.
Described above.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2017-0037711 | Mar 2017 | KR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/KR2018/001656 | 2/7/2018 | WO | 00 |