# US 10,768,136 B2 · Electrolyte concentration measurement device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,768,136 B2 - Document ID: US10768136B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/319,839 - Filed: 2017-06-13 - Published: 2019-08-29 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-26 - Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation - Applicants: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Atsushi Kishioka; Tetsuyoshi Ono - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768136B2 ## CPC - G01N 27/333: Ion-selective electrodes or membranes (glass electrodes G01N27/36) - G01N 27/4163: {checking the operation of, or calibrating, the measuring apparatus (G01N27/3274, G01N27/4175 and G01N33/0006 take precedence)} - G01N 1/00: Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation - G01N 27/26: by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis - G01N 27/301: {Reference electrodes} - G01N 27/4166: {measuring a particular property of an electrolyte} - G01N 33/487: of liquid biological material - G01N 35/00: Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor - G01N 35/00584: {Control arrangements for automatic analysers} - G01N 35/1009: {Characterised by arrangements for controlling the aspiration or dispense of liquids} - G01N 35/1095: {for supplying the samples to flow-through analysers (for a specific analyser see relevant groups, e.g. under G01N15/00, G01N21/00, G01N27/00, G01N30/00, H01J49/00)} - G01N 33/492: {Determining multiple analytes} - G01N 33/493: urine - G01N 2035/00534: {Mixing by a special element, e.g. stirrer} - G01N 2035/1032: {Dilution or aliquotting} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract An electrolyte concentration measurement device includes a measurement unit that includes an ion selective electrode, a reference electrode and a potential measurement unit; a record and calculation unit that obtains an ion concentration of an internal standard liquid or a specimen; and a concentration value correction/determination unit that determines whether the ion concentration of the internal standard liquid is within a preset value range, and corrects an ion concentration value of the internal standard liquid obtained by the record and calculation unit, in which the measurement unit includes an internal standard liquid bottle storage unit storing a plurality of bottles, and the concentration value correction/determination unit corrects the obtained ion concentration of the internal standard liquid after the bottle is switched, by using information of the ion concentration before the bottle accommodating the internal standard liquid is switched. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrolyte concentration measurement device, comprising: a measurement unit that includes an ion selective electrode, a reference electrode, and a potential measurement unit, and the measurement unit measuring, by the potential measurement unit, a potential difference when an internal standard liquid or specimen is supplied to the ion selective electrode; a reagent supply unit that supplies a reagent containing the internal standard liquid to the measurement unit; a record and calculation processor configured to process information of the potential difference measured by the measurement unit and obtains an ion concentration of the internal standard liquid or the specimen; a concentration value correction/determination processor configured to determine whether the ion concentration of the internal standard liquid, which is obtained by the record and calculation unit, is within a preset value range, and corrects the ion concentration value of the internal standard liquid obtained by the record and calculation unit; an output device configured to output a result determined by the concentration value correction/determination unit; and a controller that controls the measurement unit, the record and calculation processor, the concentration value correction/determination processor, and the output device, wherein the reagent supply unit includes a bottle storage unit that stores a plurality of bottles, each accommodating a reagent such as the internal standard liquid, for each type of reagent, and a bottle switching unit that detects a remaining amount of the reagent in each of the plurality of bottles stored in the bottle storage unit, switches a bottle in which the remaining amount of the reagent is smaller than a preset amount due to supplying the reagent to the measurement unit, to a bottle in which the remaining amount of the reagent is sufficiently larger than the preset amount, by a bottle that is stored in the bottle storage unit and accommodates the same type of reagent, and supplies the reagent to the measurement unit, and the concentration value correction/determination processor corrects the ion concentration of the internal standard liquid or the specimen obtained by the record and calculation processor after the bottle accommodating the same type of reagent is switched, by using information of the ion concentration of the internal standard liquid or the specimen obtained by the record and calculation processor before the bottle is switched, when a bottle supplying a reagent to the measurement unit is switched among a plurality of bottles accommodating the same type of reagent in the reagent supply unit, and the bottle switching unit in the reagent supply unit a remaining amount of the reagent in each of the plurality of bottles, and a flow path switching unit that switches a flow path of the reagent supplying the reagent to the measurement unit among the plurality of bottles accommodating the same type of reagent based on information of the remaining amount of the reagent in the bottle detected. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electrolyte concentration measurement device according to claim 1, further comprising: an alarm that is issued if a reagent bottle to be replaced is not replaced with a new reagent bottle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electrolyte concentration measurement device according to claim 1, wherein a drug substance corresponding to the reagent accommodated in the bottle is supplied by the bottle storage unit, and the electrolyte concentration measurement device further comprises a pure water supply unit that supplies pure water to the bottle, and a stirring mechanism that stirs and mixes the drug substance and the pure water in the bottle in which the drug substance is supplied from the drug substance supply unit and the pure water is supplied from the pure water supply unit. ### Claim 4 An electrolyte concentration measurement device, comprising: a measurement unit that includes an ion selective electrode, a reference electrode, and a potential measurement unit, and the measurement unit measuring, by the potential measurement unit, a potential difference when an internal standard liquid or specimen is supplied to the ion selective electrode; a reagent supply unit that supplies a reagent containing the internal standard liquid to the measurement unit; a record and calculation processor configured to process information of the potential difference measured by the measurement unit and obtains an ion concentration of the internal standard liquid or the specimen; a concentration value correction/determination processor configured to determine whether the ion concentration of the internal standard liquid, which is obtained by the record and calculation unit, is within a preset value range, and corrects the ion concentration value of the internal standard liquid obtained by the record and calculation unit; an output device configured to output a result determined by the concentration value correction/determination unit; and a controller that controls the measurement unit, the record and calculation processor, the concentration value correction/determination processor, and the output device, wherein the reagent supply unit includes a bottle storage unit that stores a plurality of bottles, each accommodating a reagent such as the internal standard liquid, for each type of reagent, and a bottle switching unit that detects a remaining amount of the reagent in each of the plurality of bottles stored in the bottle storage unit, switches a bottle in which the remaining amount of the reagent is smaller than a preset amount due to supplying the reagent to the measurement unit, to a bottle in which the remaining amount of the reagent is sufficiently larger than the preset amount, by a bottle that is stored in the bottle storage unit and accommodates the same type of reagent, and supplies the reagent to the measurement unit, and the concentration value correction/determination processor corrects the ion concentration of the internal standard liquid or the specimen obtained by the record and calculation processor after the bottle accommodating the same type of reagent is switched, by using information of the ion concentration of the internal standard liquid or the specimen obtained by the record and calculation processor before the bottle is switched, when a bottle supplying a reagent to the measurement unit is switched among a plurality of bottles accommodating the same type of reagent in the reagent supply unit, a reagent bottle replacement mechanism by which a device operator can replace the other reagent bottle with a new reagent bottle while an electrolyte concentration measurement is implemented by using a reagent in one reagent bottle. ### Claim 5 An electrolyte concentration measurement device, comprising: a measurement unit that includes an ion selective electrode, a reference electrode, and a potential measurement unit, and the measurement unit measuring, by the potential measurement unit, a potential difference when an internal standard liquid or specimen is supplied to the ion selective electrode; a reagent supply unit that supplies a reagent containing the internal standard liquid to the measurement unit; a record and calculation processor configured to process information of the potential difference measured by the measurement unit and obtains an ion concentration of the internal standard liquid or the specimen; a concentration value correction/determination processor configured to determine whether the ion concentration of the internal standard liquid, which is obtained by the record and calculation unit, is within a preset value range, and corrects the ion concentration value of the internal standard liquid obtained by the record and calculation unit; an output device configured to output a result determined by the concentration value correction/determination unit; and a controller that controls the measurement unit, the record and calculation processor, the concentration value correction/determination processor, and the output device, wherein the reagent supply unit includes a bottle storage unit that stores a plurality of bottles, each accommodating a reagent such as the internal standard liquid, for each type of reagent, and a bottle switching unit that detects a remaining amount of the reagent in each of the plurality of bottles stored in the bottle storage unit, switches a bottle in which the remaining amount of the reagent is smaller than a preset amount due to supplying the reagent to the measurement unit, to a bottle in which the remaining amount of the reagent is sufficiently larger than the preset amount, by a bottle that is stored in the bottle storage unit and accommodates the same type of reagent, and supplies the reagent to the measurement unit, and the concentration value correction/determination processor corrects the ion concentration of the internal standard liquid or the specimen obtained by the record and calculation processor after the bottle accommodating the same type of reagent is switched, by using information of the ion concentration of the internal standard liquid or the specimen obtained by the record and calculation processor before the bottle is switched, when a bottle supplying a reagent to the measurement unit is switched among a plurality of bottles accommodating the same type of reagent in the reagent supply unit, a drug substance corresponding to the reagent accommodated in the bottle is supplied by the bottle storage unit, and the electrolyte concentration measurement device further comprises a pure water supply unit that supplies pure water to the bottle, and a stirring mechanism that stirs and mixes the drug substance and the pure water in the bottle in which the drug substance is supplied from the drug substance supply unit and the pure water is supplied from the pure water supply unit an ion selective electrode used for prepared reagent concentration determination that measures the reagent when the drug substance and the pure water are finished to be added in the reagent bottle at a constant time interval, and determines whether the reagent is prepared in a uniform concentration.