Blood analyzer and pricking device for use in blood analysis

• US 20060178600A1
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tower Square Capital Partners (Barings LLC (Private Equity)), Facet Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Tower Square Capital Partners (Barings LLC (Private Equity))
• Inventors: Robbins, Avi M., Ostertag, Wolfgang, LeVaughn, Richard W., Ruf, Christopher J., Kennedy, Gwenn E., Heath, Jason R., Lohrengel, Armin, Stohr, Herbert, Campbell, Stephanie J.
• Application Number:
  US10/505,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20060178600A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/584
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0295 Strip shaped analyte sensors for apparatus classified in A61B5/145 or A61B5/157 disposable multilayered or laminated electrodes G01N27/307; details of handling chemical test elements G01N33/4875
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1411 by percutaneous method, e.g. by lancet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1486 using enzyme electrodes, e.g. with immobilised oxidase
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150183 Depth adjustment mechanism using end caps mounted at the distal end of the sampling device, i.e. the end-caps are adjustably positioned relative to the piercing device housing for example by rotating or screwing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150259 Improved gripping, e.g. with high friction pattern or projections on the housing surface or an ergonometric shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150412 Pointed piercing elements, e.g. needles, lancets for piercing the skin blade-like piercing elements A61B5/150442
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150503 Single-ended needles hollow piercing element tip design A61B5/150396, needle sets for catheters A61M25/06, needles for bringing media into the body A61M5/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150519 Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the single-ended needle to a piercing device or sampling device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150564 Protectors removed by pulling or pushing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150572 Pierceable protectors, e.g. shields, caps, sleeves or films, e.g. for hygienic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150618 Integrally moulded protectors, e.g. protectors simultaneously moulded together with a further component, e.g. a hub, of the piercing element
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150702 fully automatically removed, i.e. the removing does not require any action by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150725 removal procedure linked to further actions, e.g. cocking of the piercing device, which indicate that the piercing device is used or tempered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150969 Low-profile devices which resemble patches or plasters, e.g. also allowing collection of blood samples for testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15113 Manually triggered, i.e. the triggering requires a deliberate action by the user such as pressing a drive button
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15117 comprising biased elements, resilient elements or a spring, e.g. a helical spring, leaf spring, or elastic strap
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1513 : comprising linear sliding guides comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15146 : Devices loaded with multiple lancets simultaneously, e.g. for serial firing without reloading, for example by use of stocking means. multiple simultaneous cutting or piercing A61B5/150977
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15151 : Each piercing element being stocked in a separate isolated compartment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15153 : Multiple piercing elements stocked in a single compartment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15161 : Characterized by propelling the piercing element in a radial direction relative to the disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15163 : Characterized by propelling the piercing element in an axial direction relative to the disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15176 : Stocking means comprising cap, cover, sheath or protection for aseptic stocking
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 : Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 : Wristwatch-type devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a blood analyzer (2) that comprises a device (6) for taking a blood sample, equipped with pricking elements (8, 114, 122, 232), and test means (10) for receiving a minimum amount of blood. Said test means (10) and the pricking elements (8, 114, 122, 232) are disposed on a support (50) which can be rotated with respect to the housing base (4) and can be inserted in the analyzer along with said support. The test means (10) and the pricking elements (8, 114, 122, 232) can be brought into working positions (32, 34) relative to the housing base that are different from one another by rotating the support (50).

Claims

1. A blood analyzer comprising a device body with a blood sampling device which has a pricking element, with a testing means for accommodating a minimal quantity of blood, having an analyzer device which comprises an electronic analyzer and having a display device, together forming a complete system that can be handled as a single device, whereby the device body has a pricking position which is assigned to the working position of the pricking element for coming in contact with a skin surface of a user and a charging position designed at another location on the body of the device for charging a minimal quantity of blood coming from the previously pricked skin surface onto a testing means, whereby a plurality of testing means and pricking elements can be inserted into the device and can be brought one after the other into a working position for performing multiple measurements, whereby when a pricking element is positioned in its working position, the pricking element can be inserted into the skin surface of a user which is brought into the pricking position and blood coming from the skin surface can be charged to a testing means by being brought in contact with the skin surface in the charging positions, said testing means being in a working position of the testing means, characterized in that the testing means and the pricking elements are arranged on a carrier which is rotatable with respect to the body of the device and can be inserted together with it into the device, and by rotating the carrier the testing means and the pricking elements can be brought into different working positions with respect to the body of the device.

2. A blood analyzer according to claim 1, characterized in that the pricking elements and the testing means are arranged on the same carrier, which can be handled manually.

3. A blood analyzer according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier comprises a first carrier part for the testing means and a second carrier part for the pricking elements.

4. A blood analyzer according to claim 3, characterized in that the two carrier parts can be assembled to form a manually operable unit.

5. A blood analyzer according to claim 3, characterized in that the carrier parts can be linked together in a rotationally fixed manner.

6. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that the carrier has a central recess within which a drive device for the blood sampling device is provided.

7. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that the carrier is designed in the form of a ring and is rotatable about the center of the ring.

8. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that a drive device for the carrier includes internal gearing.

9. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that the pricking elements are arranged on the carrier in such a way that when they are in the working position, they execute a pricking movement in the radial direction with respect to the rotatability of the carrier.

10. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that the pricking elements are arranged on the carrier in such a way that when they are in the working position, they execute a pricking movement in the axial direction with respect to the rotatability of the carrier.

11. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that the pricking elements are surrounded by a sterility barrier on the carrier before execution of a pricking operation.

12. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that before execution of a pricking operation, a particular pricking element is arranged in a sleeve means, forming a cylindrical space, and is held by a plunger means which is movable in the sleeve means.

13. A blood analyzer according to claim 12, characterized in that the pricking element forms an injection part of the plunger means designed as a plastic syringe part.

14. A blood analyzer according to claim 12, characterized in that a sterility barrier is formed by the sleeve means that is closed on all sides and by the plunger means.

15. A blood analyzer according to claim 12, characterized in that the sleeve means is covered by a film on its end facing away from the plunger means.

16. A blood analyzer according to claim 12, characterized in that the plunger means has a sealing means with respect to a wall of the cylinder space.

17. A blood analyzer according to one of claim 12, characterized in that multiple sleeve means are joined together in the form of a strip and the ends of the strips are joined together to form a circular shape.

18. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized by multiple recesses in the carrier in each of which is arranged a pricking element.

19. A blood analyzer according to claim 18, characterized in that a wall which borders the recess is designed to be deformable so that it can be deflected by a driving device of the blood sampling device to execute the pricking procedure.

20. A blood analyzer according to claim 18, characterized in that a wall which borders the recess has weakened zones to facilitate the deformability.

21. A blood analyzer according to claim 18, characterized in that the recess is designed like a trough or like a half shell.

22. A blood analyzer according to claim 18, characterized in that the sterility barrier is formed by a film-like covering means which covers the recess.

23. A blood analyzer according to claim 1, characterized in that the pricking elements carry a safety cap means on their free end before executing a pricking operation.

24. A blood analyzer according to claim 23, characterized in that the safety cap means is releasable from the pricking element immediately before execution of the pricking operation.

25. A blood analyzer according to claim 24, characterized in that the respective safety cap means can be removed from the path of movement of the pricking element and brought into a receptacle space after being released from the respective pricking element.

26. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that the test means are arranged on the carrier in such a way that they are axially oriented with respect to the rotatability of the carrier.

27. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that the carrier has a carrier part for the test means, the carrier part in particular being in the form of a ring disk, the plane of the carrier part being oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the carrier.

28. A blood analyzer according to claim 1, characterized in that the test means are provided in recesses of the carrier part, in particular in the form of a ring disk.

29. A blood analyzer according to claim 1, characterized in that the charging position can be covered by a movable cover part when it is not needed.

30. A blood analyzer according to claim 29, characterized in that a drive device for the pricking element can be activated by moving the covering part in the direction of releasing the charging position.

31. A blood analyzer according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive device for the pricking element can be activated by clamping a spring means.

32. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that a manually movable control element is provided and is connected to the drive device for the pricking element and to the rotatable carrier, so that when there is a movement of the control element, the drive device for the pricking element is activated and there is a rotational movement of the carrier.

33. A blood analyzer according to claim 32, characterized in that during a first phase of the movement in a first actuating direction, the control element can be brought into a drive connection with the carrier, and during a second phase of the movement, it can be brought out of the drive connection by moving it in the direction opposite the actuator direction.

34. A blood analyzer according to claim 22, characterized in that a gear drive is provided for coupling the control element to the carrier.

35. A blood analyzer according to claim 32, characterized in that the drive mechanism for the pricking element comprises a bending spring, and the control element acts on a receptacle for the bending spring and pivots this receptacle into the plane of bending of the bending spring.

36. A blood analyzer according to claim 35, characterized in that the bending spring can be clamped into a stable clamped position across a dead point.

37. A blood analyzer according to one of claims 32 through claim 32, characterized in that the manually movable control element is formed by the covering part.

38. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that a triggering device for the drive device for the pricking element can be operated by contact of the skin surface with the pricking position.

39. A blood analyzer according to claim 38, characterized in that the triggering device is formed by a key provided in the pricking position.

40. A blood analyzer according to claim 38, characterized in that the deployment device is provided in the pricking position and has a recess for the passage of the pricking element for execution of the pricking operation.

41. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that a retraction mechanism is provided by means of which a particular pricking element can be retracted directly following the pricking operation.

42. A blood analyzer according to claim 41, characterized in that a spring means is provided for retracting a particular pricking element from the skin surface of the user.

43. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that the particular pricking elements pass through a particular spring means.

44. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized by a safety device which allows deployment of the pricking operation only when the device is being handled properly.

45. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that the number of test means that can be handled as one unit amounts to 5 to 15.

46. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that the device has an outside contour that is essentially in the form of a circular disk.

47. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a time display device.

48. A blood analyzer according to one or more of the claim 1, characterized in that the housing body can be worn on the wrist of a user by means of a strip that can be attached to it.