Test element analysis system with contact surfaces coated with hard material

• US 20070202007A1
• Filed: 08/21/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Dreibholz, Joerg, Augstein, Manfred, Riebel, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 8,673,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/26 by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4875 Details of handling test elements, e.g. dispensing or storage, not specific to a particular test method test-elements per se B01L, automatic analysers G01N35/00, in-vivo analysis on the human body for medical diagnosis A61B

Abstract

The invention concerns a test element analytical system for the analytical examination of a sample, especially a body fluid, comprising at least one test element with one or more measuring zones and contact areas located on the test element, in particular electrodes or conductor paths, the sample to be examined being brought into the measuring zone to carry out an analysis in order to determine a characteristic measured quantity for the analysis, and an evaluation instrument with a test element holder for positioning the test element in a measuring position and a measuring device for measuring the characteristic change, the test element holder containing contact elements with contact areas which enable an electrical contact between the contact areas of the test element and the contact areas of the test element holder, characterized in that one of these contact areas is provided with an electrically conductive hard material surface.

Claims

1. A test element analytical system for the analytical examination of a sample comprising:

a test element having at least one measuring zone and electrically conductive contact areas, the sample to be examined being brought into the measuring zone for the analytical examination, and

an evaluation instrument having a test element holder for positioning the test element containing the sample and a measuring device for measuring a change in the measuring zone that is characteristic for the analyte, the test element holder containing contact elements with contact areas which enable an electrical contact between the contact areas of the test element and the contact areas of the test element holder, wherein one of these contact areas has an electrically conductive hard material surface.

2. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the contact areas of the contact elements of the test element holder comprise an electrically conductive hard material surface.

3. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the contact area opposite to the hard material surface comprises a material which is different than the material of the hard material surface.

4. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the contact area opposite to the hard material surface comprises a material having a lower hardness than the material of the hard material surface.

5. The test element analytical system of claim 4, wherein the contact area opposite to the hard material surface comprises a material comprising a noble metal or an alloy containing a noble metal.

6. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the contact elements of the test element holder are in the form of plug-in contacts, spring contacts or clip contacts.

7. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the hard material surface comprises a metallic nitride.

8. The test element analytical system of claim 7, wherein said metallic nitrite is selected from titanium nitride, titanium aluminium nitride, chromium nitride, zirconium nitride, and combinations thereof.

9. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the hard material surface is produced by coating a base material with an electrically conductive hard material.

10. The test element analytical system of claim 9, wherein additional intermediate layers are present between the base material and the hard material surface.

11. The test element analytical system of claim 10, wherein said intermediate layers comprise bonding layers or protecting layers.

12. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive hard material surface comprises a hard material coating having a layer thickness of less than about 2 μ

m.

13. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive hard material surface comprises a hard material coating having a layer thickness of less than about 1 μ

m.

14. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive hard material surface comprises a hard material coating having a layer thickness of less than about 500 nm.

15. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the electrical transition resistance between the contact areas of the test element and the contact areas of the test element holder is less than about 50 Ohm.

16. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the analyte is determined using electrical methods.

17. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the analyte is determined using electrochemical methods.

18. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the sample is a body fluid.

19. The test element analytical system of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive contact areas comprise electrodes and/or conductor paths.