The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 09, 1998
Filed:
Dec. 19, 1996
Yosuke Tanaka, Kobe, JP;
Hiroyuki Seshimo, Kobe, JP;
Hidetoshi Nishimoto, Kakogawa, JP;
Yasuhiro Ooyama, Kobe, JP;
TOA Medical Electronics Co., Ltd., Hyogo, JP;
Abstract
A sample apparatus includes a sampling valve having a sample inlet through which a sample such as urine is introduced from the outside of the sampling valve to the inside thereof; a sample outlet through which the sample is sent from the inside of the sampling valve to the outside thereof; and a sampling passage for setting apart a predetermined amount of the sample between the sample inlet and sample outlet. It further includes a first electrode section located close to the sample inlet so that the sample can come into contact with the first electrode section, a second electrode section located close to the sample outlet so that the sample can come into contact with the second electrode section, and a sensor circuit for measuring the impedance between the first and second electrode sections and for using the measured impedance to determine whether or not the sampling passage contains a predetermined amount of the sample. Preferably, the first and second electrode sections each include a pair of electrodes separated from each other, wherein one of each of the electrodes of the electrode sections is connected to the sensor circuit while the other electrodes are short-circuited to each other.