Technical Field

This invention relates to a urine sample color analysis system that allows visual tests to be carried out using a camera in order to find out current medical condition of an individual from the urine samples.

Prior Art

By analyzing the urine samples, many diseases or present medical condition can be diagnosed. These diagnoses extend to identification of kidney problems from blood clot in the urine or diagnosing cancer with identification of a certain protein as well as finding out that the body is dehydrated.

Currently, the urine color analysis is performed in two main ways. The first and most common of these is that after the sample is transferred to a container by a patient, the analysis is performed in a laboratory environment with various devices. As an example, the Japanese patent application no. JP2009229213 can be examined.

The patent documents JPH085631A and KR20190095720 can be examined which relate to taking urine samples directly with the help of toilet or urinal without sending them to the laboratory environment.

In the patent examples known in the literature, imaging of urine while flowing in the air or while being still in a container is performed. Both systems have disadvantages compared to each other. After taking the image during the flow in air, ambient lighting and flow pattern have a great effect on obtained data. Imaging inside the container requires unhygienic transfer processes to be done by the personnel.

Brief Description of the Invention This invention includes the development of a urine sampling system that allows taking the urine sample without the intervention of the personnel or the patient for performing the visual analysis of the urine. Each cases where the urine sample is bright-dark-light yellow, pink, brown, orange, blue, green, purple, and where it is cloudy and/or foamy, are considered as a biomarker

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SUBSTITUTE SHEETS (RULE 26) for a different disease diagnosis. The main subjects of this invention are the camera which can determine these biomarkers and the system that passes the urine through the camera.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The urine sample color analysis system performed to achieve the objects of the invention is shown in the attached drawings, in these drawings;

Figure 1 - The front view of the urinal embodiment of the urine sample color analysis system of the invention.

Figure 2 - The rear view of the urinal embodiment of the urine sample color analysis system of the invention. Figure 3 - The perspective view of internal parts of the urine sample color analysis system of the invention that can be used in urinals or toilets.

Figure 4 - The perspective view of the imaging unit of the urine sample color analysis system of the invention.

Figure 5 - The exploded perspective view of the imaging unit of the urine sample color analysis system of the invention.

Figure 6 - The cross-sectional view of the imaging unit of the urine sample color analysis system of the invention.

Figure 7 - The side view of the urine sample color analysis system of the invention which shows the sectional area of the imaging unit. The parts in the drawings are enumerated and equivalents of numbers are given below.

1. Urine sample color analysis system

2. Collection container

3. Load cell

4. Urine suction line 5. Pump

6. Monitoring line 7. Imaging unit

8. Upper body

9. Lower body

10. Flow line 11. Control card

12. Lens

13. Camera

14. Lightning

The urine sample color analysis system (1) of present invention essentially comprises a monitoring line (6) that allows the urine sample conveyed to a monitoring line (6) to be passed through an imaging unit (7) with a camera (13). The imaging unit (7) is an enclosed box so that it does not receive light from outside. The urine sample conveyed to the monitoring line (6) located inside this box is monitored with the camera (13). At the same time, it is required that no air bubbles remain in the monitoring line (6) for accurate measurement. For this, the urine must be pumped inside rapidly such that it pushes the air inside.

In the urine sample color analysis system (1), urine pumping is performed by the pump (5). The urine sample is drawn from the collection container (2) where the urine is collected. The collection container (2) allows that the air bubbles inside rise to the surface and the pump (5) only draws the urine by way of keeping the urine for a while. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the whole system operates according to a certain automation scenario to allow that the urine sample can be monitored with the camera (13) without operator and/or user touching it. This scenario begins when the person who will undergo the urine measurement/imaging notifies the urine sample color analysis system (1) that they will urinate. For initialization, it is sufficient for the user to show a QR code, a bar code image, to the reader or to approach to the system and show his/her hand to the reader. After this stage, the urine will be collected in the sample collection container (2) with the user urinating in a urinal or toilet type apparatus. The urine amount collected in the collection container (2) is instantly followed by a load cell (3). By means of the load cell (3), not only the start and end time of the urination process will be tracked, but also the amount of the urine collected can be acquired before the urine is sent to the imaging unit (7). The load cell (7) can determine if the amount of the urine is below the lower limit value required for the imaging. In this case, the user will be notified that it is not possible to carry out the imaging process before the measurement starts.

If the urine which is above the respective limit is collected in the collection container (2), the pump (5) will vacuum the urine in the collection container (2) through the urine suction line (6) and pump it to the monitoring line (6) according to the scenario. The monitoring line (6) is a space between the upper body (8) and the lower body (9), and the flow line (10) passes through this space.

The urine reaches the monitoring line (6) immediately after the pump (5) operates. Thus, the control card (11) will allow to record the photographs of the urine color with the operation of the pump (5) and operation of the camera (13) at the same time. To acquire accurate data, images taken by the camera (13) should not be affected by ambient light and each image should be recorded under the same conditions. For this, the monitoring line (6) will be illuminated before each recording by the lightning (14) inside the imaging unit (7). The components of this lightning (7) system can not only provide lightning in different wavelengths (400nm-700nm) to create white light, but also provide lightning in ultraviolet (100nm-400nm) or infrared (700nm- lmm) wavelengths to identify specific biomarkers in the urine.

Images obtained from the monitoring line (6) by means of the camera (13) using the lightning (14) at different wavelengths are recorded by the control card (11). These images will be recorded regardless of whether the camera (13) records at visible wavelength or spectrometrically. From the images obtained, it can be determined whether the owner of the urine has one of the disease biomarkers, and what the content is from the liquid and solid food residues constituting the urine composition.

In another embodiment of the invention, the urine directed directly by gravity from the urine collection bowl of the urinal or toilet can be passed through the monitoring line (6). At the same time, data based on the urine color can be processed without the collection container (2), the load cell (3), and the pump (5) by means of detecting the image with the most intense urine through the software from a series of photographs taken with the camera (13).

The urine sample color analysis system (1), depending on the use, may smell in a certain period of time due to residues as well as causing deterioration in image definition due to contamination of interior of the flow line (6). For this purpose, it is important to clean all components after each use. The cleaning process will be carried out by the user starting from the urine discharge stage until the end with clean water, soapy water, chemical-added water or a different fluid. At the same time, all of the collection container (2), the pump (5) and the monitoring line (6) will be cleaned.

If the system only has a water connection, it is sufficient for the system to warn personnel to pour the additive fluids such as alcohol, soap, bleach directly into the bowl of the urinal or toilet.

On the other hand, in order to allow the cleaning with all of them, the urine sample color analysis system (1) which cleans itself with high-pressure mains water after each use, can add the additive to this water itself. For this purpose, depending on the pressure of the mains, a certain amount of cleaning chemical will be autonomously provided to the system continuously via a venturi connection to be added behind an inlet valve that opens and closes the mains water. Depending on the amount of the respective cleaning chemical, the open time of the mains water valve will be monitored by the urine sample color analysis system (1), and will warn the operator to carry out refilling when it is almost empty.

The urine sample color analysis system (1) will be able to perform the urine temperature measurement as well as the color analysis and biomarker control. The urine coming directly from the bladder is at internal body temperature. Therefore, it can be immediately determined from the temperature of the urine whether the user is suffering from an inflammatory disease. In another embodiment of the invention, it is possible to access information about the color of the urine by using a color sensor instead of the camera (13). Thus, a cost-efficient system can be achieved which responds fast by requiring less processor power.