Application No. 12/810,391
`Reply to Final Office Action dated 2/27/2013
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`Amendments to the Claims:
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`Thislisting of claims will replace all prior versions, andlisting, of claims in the
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`application.
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`1. (Currently Amended)
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`A sehitien specimen measurement methodin which a sehittern
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`specimen to be tested is temporarily stored in a sehatiern-specimen storage portion of a test piece
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`after the sehitier-specimenis addedto the test piece, the sekitien-specimenis transferred from
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`the sehitien-specimen storage portion to a developmentlayer of the test piece and is developed
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`on the developmentlayer, the development layer having an immobilizing portion at which the
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`sehitier-specimen is to be measured, and an amountof a substance to be measured in the
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`sehitien-specimen is calculated by measuring an optical property of the sehitiesa-specimen at the
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`immobilizing portion,
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`the method comprising:
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`obtaininga first image of the specimen storage portion showing[[of]] a first amount of
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`sehitien-specimen stored in the sehitten-specimen storage portion of the test piece;
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`obtaining a second image of the specimen storage portion showing [[of]] a second
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`amountof sehatien-specimen stored in the sekitien-specimen storage portion, wherethe first
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`amountof sehitien-specimen is greater than the second amount of sehitten-specimen;
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`measuring an area difference between the first and second imagesto calculate a reduction
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`of sehitien-specimen in the sehitier-specimen storage portion;
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`comparing the reduction of selatten-specimen in the sehitten-specimen storage portion
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`with a predetermined valuevehime;
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`measuring the optical property of the sehittes-specimen at the immobilizing portion if the
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`reduction of sehitien-specimenin the sehitien-specimen storage portion reachesthe
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`predetermined valuevehune; and
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`calculating the amount of the substance to be measured in the sehitien-specimen, based
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`on a measuredvalue,
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`wherein the sehitiern-specimen storage portion includes a capillary space, and
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`wherein the specimen is blood or plasma.
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`Application No. 12/810,391
`Reply to Final Office Action dated 2/27/2013
`
`2. (Currently Amended)
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`The sehitien-specimen measurement method accordingto claim 1,
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`further comprising:
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`measuring a flowing time from addition of the sehitien-specimento the test piece to the
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`reduction of the sehutiern-specimen in the sehitien-specimen storage portion to the predetermined
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`amountor less;
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`waiting a time period corresponding to the flowing time after the sehition-specimen in the
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`sehitier-specimen storage portion reduces to the predetermined amountor less; and
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`calculating the amountof the substance to be measured in the selitien-specimen,after the
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`time period and based on the measured value of the portion to be measured.
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`3. (Currently Amended)
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`A sehitier-specimen measurement method in which a selutien
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`specimento be tested is temporarily stored in a sehatien-specimen storage portion ofa test piece
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`after the sehitten-specimen is addedto the test piece, the sehitien-specimenis transferred from
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`the sehitien-specimen storage portion to a developmentlayer ofthe test piece and is developed
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`on the developmentlayer, the development layer having an immobilizing portion at which the
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`sehatien-specimen is to be measured, and an amountof a substance to be measured in the
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`sehitiern-specimen is calculated by measuring an optical property of the sehatiern-specimen at the
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`immobilizing portion,
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`the method comprising:
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`measuring an initial storage amountof the sehutiesn-specimen in the sehatier-specimen
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`storage portion of the test piece, when the sehitiern-specimen is added to the test piece mounted at
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`a predetermined mounting location or whenthe test piece on which the sehitien-specimen has
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`been added is mounted at the predetermined mounting location;
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`measuring a storage amountof the sehitien-specimen storage portion also after the
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`sehitien-specimen is added;
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`calculating a reduction of the sehitiern-specimen in the sehitien-specimen storage portion
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`by comparingthe initial storage amountof the sehutien-specimen with the storage amountof the
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`sehitiern-specimen after the sehrtien-specimen is added;
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`measuring the optical property of the sekitien-specimen at the immobilizing portion if the
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`reduction of the sehitien-specimen in the sehitien-specimen storage portion reaches a
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`predetermined amount; and
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`Application No. 12/810,391
`Reply to Final Office Action dated 2/27/2013
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`calculating, based on a measured value, the amountof the substance to be measured in
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`the sehitiern-specimen;
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`wherein the sehitien-specimen storage portion includes a capillary space, and
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`wherein the specimen is blood or plasma.
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`4. (Currently Amended)
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`The sehitien-specimen measurement method according to claim 3,
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`further comprising:
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`measuring a flowing time from addition of the sehitier-specimen to the test piece to the
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`reduction of the sehitien-specimen in the sehitien-specimen storage portion by the predetermined
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`amount;
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`waiting a time period corresponding to the flowing time after the reduction of the sehitiern
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`specimen in the selutien-specimenstorage portion by the predetermined amount; and
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`calculating the amountof the substance to be measured in the selatien-specimen,after the
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`time period and based on the measured value of the sehttien-specimen at the immobilizing
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`portion.
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`5. (Currently Amended)
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`The sehitien-specimen measurement method according to claim 1,
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`further comprising:
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`measuring an initial storage amountof the sehitien-specimen in the sehitien-specimen
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`storage portion of the test piece, when the sehitten-specimenis addedto the test piece mountedat
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`a predetermined mounting location or whenthe test piece on which the sehitten-specimen has
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`been added is mounted at the predetermined mounting location; and
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`performingat least one of a measurement terminating operation and a warning operation
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`whentheinitial storage amountof the sehitien-specimenis smaller than predeterminedinitial
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`storage setting.
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`6. (Currently Amended)
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`The sehitien-specimen measurement methodaccordingto claim 1,
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`wherein the test piece is a test piece for chromatography.
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`7. (Withdrawn- Currently Amended) A sehitien-specimen measurementapparatus in which a
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`sehitien-specimento be tested is temporarily stored in a sehitten-specimen storage portion of a
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`Application No. 12/810,391
`Reply to Final Office Action dated 2/27/2013
`
`test piece after the sehitien-specimen isaddedto thetest piece, the sehatien-specimenis
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`transferred from the sehitier-specimen storage portion to a developmentlayerofthe test piece
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`and is developed on a developmentlayer, and an amountof a substance to be measured in the
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`sehitien-specimen is calculated by measuring an optical property of the sehitien-specimenat a
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`predeterminedportion of the developmentlayerof the test piece,
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`the sehitier-specimen measurement apparatus comprising:
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`an imaging device for imaging the sekitien-specimenat the predetermined portion and
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`the sohitien-specimen storage portion of the test piece;
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`a selatienspecimen amountdetector for detecting, based on imaging information, an
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`amountof the sehatien-specimen in the sehatien-specimen storage portion; and
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`a controller for measuring the sekitien-specimen at_the predeterminedportion, in
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`responseto a reduction of the seh#tien-specimen to a predetermined amountorless in the
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`sehitien-specimenstorage portion or a reduction of the sehitien-specimen by the predetermined
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`amountor more in the sehitten-specimenstorage portion, and calculating, based on a measured
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`value, the amount of the substance to be measured in the sehitien-specimen,
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`wherein the sehitien-specimen storage portion includes a capillary space, and
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`wherein the specimen is blood or plasma.
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`8. (Withdrawn-Currently Amended) The sehitien-specimen measurement apparatus according to
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`claim 7, further comprising an illuminator for illuminating the test piece with measurementlight;
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`and a light receiver for receiving reflected light of the measurementlight having illuminated the
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`test piece.
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`9. (Withdrawn-Currently Amended) The sehitien-specimen measurementapparatus accordingto
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`claim 8, wherein the illuminator is one of an LED, an LD, and a lamp.
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`10. (Withdrawn-Currently Amended)
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`The sehitien-specimen measurement apparatus
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`according to claim 8, wherein the light receiver is an image sensor.
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`11. (Withdrawn-Currently Amended)
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`The sehitien-specimen measurementapparatus
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`according to claim 7, wherein the test piece is a test piece for chromatography.
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`Application No. 12/810,391
`Reply to Final Office Action dated 2/27/2013
`
`12. (Currently Amended)
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`The sehitien-specimen measurement methodaccordingto claim 3,
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`further comprising:
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`measuring aninitial storage amountof the sehitien-specimen in the sehitier-specimen
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`storage portion of the test piece, when the sehutien-specimen is added to the test piece mounted at
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`a predetermined mounting location or whenthe test piece on which the sehitten-specimen has
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`been added is mounted at the predetermined mounting location; and
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`performingat least one of a measurement terminating operation and a warning operation
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`whentheinitial storage amountof the sehatien-specimenis smaller than predetermined initial
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`storage setting.
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`13. (Currently Amended)
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`The sehitien-specimen measurement method accordingto claim 3,
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`wherein thetest piece is a test piece for chromatography.
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`14. (Currently Amended)
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`The sehitien-specimen measurement methodaccording to claim 3,
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`wherein measuring an initial storage amount of the sehkities-specimenin the selutten-specimen
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`storage portion of the test piece includes: obtainingafirst image of sehatien-specimen stored in
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`the sehitien-specimen storage portion of the test piece; and
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`measuring a storage amountof the sehitten-specimen storage portion after the selitier
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`specimenis added includes: obtaining a second image of sehitiern-specimen stored in the selutien
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`specimen storage portion of the test piece.
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