Abstract:
Cuvette with or without a lancet (12) secured thereto and extending therefrom for producing skin puncture to produce body fluid of interest, the cuvette (10) is made of optically transparent material and is provided with a shape and a plurality of optical elements such as integrally formed optical elements for causing a light beam to pass therethrough by total internal reflectance and for causing the beam of light to be reflected back along a line different from the direction of the line of entry of the beam of light into the cuvette such as back along a line generally parallel to the line of entry of the beam of light into the cuvette and in in the opposite direction to the direction of entry of the beam of light into the cuvette.
Abstract:
The combination of a cuvette for receiving a medium undergoing change in optical characteristics which change modifies the energy level of a ray of energy passing through the medium and wherein the cuvette is provided with integrally formed first and second ray modifying optical means, such as collimating and collecting lens, wherein the first ray modifying optical means receives and modifies the ray in a first manner, such as by collimation, and transmits the ray into the medium and wherein the second ray modifying optical means receives and modifies the ray in a second manner, such as by collection, upon the ray passing through the medium and transmits the ray from the cuvette; and an electrical circuit including photoemissive and photosensitive means, such as a photoemitter and photodetector, wherein the photoemissive means is in intimate optical contact with the first ray modifying optical element of the cuvette and wherein the photosensitive means is in intimate optical contact with the second ray modifying means.
Abstract:
Cuvette with or without a lancet (12) secured thereto and extending therefrom for producing skin puncture to produce body fluid of interest, the cuvette (10) is made of optically transparent material and is provided with a shape and a plurality of optical elements such as integrally formed optical elements for causing a light beam to pass therethrough by total internal reflectance and for causing the beam of light to be reflected back along a line different from the direction of the line of entry of the beam of light into the cuvette such as back along a line generally parallel to the line of entry of the beam of light into the cuvette and in in the opposite direction to the direction of entry of the beam of light into the cuvette.
Abstract:
An optical analyzer for determining an analyte in a fluid of interest such as a body fluid of interest satisfying the foregoing need and embodying the present invention may include a housing (12); combination optically transparent cuvette and lancet (16) mounted removably in the housing (12), the cuvette (17) may receive an optically transparent reagent test system for reacting with the body fluid to produce a change in at least one optical transmissive characteristic of the system indicative of the analyte; a cuvette carrier (14) mounted slidably in the housing and for removably receiving the cuvette (17); a spring actuator (40) mounted in the housing and connected to the cuvette carrier (14), the spring actuator may be compressed and released to advance the carrier and thereby advance the lancet (16) into engagement with a portion of a body to produce the body fluid, and the spring actuator (40) retract the lancet (16) within the housing (12) after the advancement; depth control apparatus (70, 72) for controlling the depth of penetration of the lancet into the body portion; an electro-optical system (34, 36, 38) mounted in the housing in optical engagement with the cuvette (17) and for passing a light beam through the cuvette and the reagent system and for receiving the light beam modified by the change in optical transmissive characteristic of the system and for transmitting computation signals indicative of the analyte to a computer (22); a computer mounted in the housing for receiving the computation signals and for comparing the computation signals against predetermined data to produce display signals indicative of the analyte; a display (24) mounted in the housing and for receiving the display signals and for providing a visible display indicative of the analyte; and control switches (26) mounted in the housing and connected to the computer (22) for controlling the operation of the computer (22).
Abstract:
An optical analyzer for determining an analyte in a fluid of interest such as a body fluid of interest satisfying the foregoing need and embodying the present invention may include a housing (12); combination optically transparent cuvette and lancet (16) mounted removably in the housing (12), the cuvette (17) may receive an optically transparent reagent test system for reacting with the body fluid to produce a change in at least one optical transmissive characteristic of the system indicative of the analyte; a cuvette carrier (14) mounted slidably in the housing and for removably receiving the cuvette (17); a spring actuator (40) mounted in the housing and connected to the cuvette carrier (14), the spring actuator may be compressed and released to advance the carrier and thereby advance the lancet (16) into engagement with a portion of a body to produce the body fluid, and the spring actuator (40) retract the lancet (16) within the housing (12) after the advancement; depth control apparatus (70, 72) for controlling the depth of penetration of the lancet into the body portion; an electro-optical system (34, 36, 38) mounted in the housing in optical engagement with the cuvette (17) and for passing a light beam through the cuvette and the reagent system and for receiving the light beam modified by the change in optical transmissive characteristic of the system and for transmitting computation signals indicative of the analyte to a computer (22); a computer mounted in the housing for receiving the computation signals and for comparing the computation signals against predetermined data to produce display signals indicative of the analyte; a display (24) mounted in the housing and for receiving the display signals and for providing a visible display indicative of the analyte; and control switches (26) mounted in the housing and connected to the computer (22) for controlling the operation of the computer (22).
Abstract:
A gel body (12, 12A) is provided with a reagent system which interacts with a sample portion (39) which diffuses into the gel (12, 12A) to change the transmissive properties of the gel (12,12A). The gel body (12, 12A) is used in an assay for various analytes, and preferably has a shape and index of refraction whereby a beam of light (21, 21A) can be transmitted through the gel body (12, 12A) by total internal reflectance.
Abstract:
Self-sufficient incubation assembly (10) for the in vitro cultivation of microorganisms such as bacteria and for being energized by a self-contained energy source, including a heater (10) for heating means, such as culture growth dish assembly (60) or a cuvette (170), for receiving a culture growth medium seeded with microorganisms, to a physiological temperature to cultivate the microorganisms, and electrical circuitry which interconnects the heater with the energy source (36) and which includes a temperature control element in intimate physical contact with the seeded culture growth receiving means to cause the temperature of the control element to be substantially the same as the temperature of the medium; the electrical circuit in operation produces heat and due to its intimate physical contact with the means for receiving the seeded culture growth medium supplements the heating of the medium by the heater and the supplementation reduces the total energy required to be supplied by the energy source to cultivate the microorganisms below that which would be required were the electrical circuitry not to be in intimate physical contact with the culture growth receiving means; and optical means are included to provide an external indication of the growth of the microorganisms within the interior of the assembly.