Device for Testing a Fluid

• US 20080247910A1
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Prins, Menno Willem Jose, Weekamp, Johannes Wilhelmus, Immink, Albert Hendrik Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,955,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/82.05
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0051 for taking saliva or sputum samples devices for receiving spittle A61J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0009 Testing for drug or alcohol abuse
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0825 Test strips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/065 sliding valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5029 using swabs

Abstract

A device (1) for testing a fluid comprises an elongated carrier (3); two foam members (5a, 5b) for absorbing the fluid, which are arranged at an end (4) of the carrier (3); a positioning member (6) comprising a sleeve (7) which is slidably arranged on the carrier (3); and a diagnostic device (2), which is arranged in the positioning member (6), and which comprises a sensor die (40) adapted to detecting at least one property of the fluid and means for supplying the fluid to a sensitive surface of the sensor die (40). After the fluid has been supplied to the foam members (5a, 5b), the positioning member (6) is moved towards the end (4) of the carrier (3) where the foam members (5a, 5b) are located. When the diagnostic device (2) comes into contact with one of the foam members (5a, 5b), the fluid is squeezed from the foam member (5a) and supplied to the sensitive surface of the sensor die (40), through the fluid supplying means of the diagnostic device (2).

Claims

1. Device for testing a fluid, comprising:

a carriers;

a member for receiving the fluid, which is arranged on the carrier;

a positioning member which is slidably arranged on the carrier; and

a diagnostic device, which is arranged in the positioning member, and which comprises sensor means adapted to detecting at least one property of the fluid.

2. Testing device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic device further comprises means adapted to supplying the fluid from the fluid receiving member to a sensor surface of the sensor means.

3. Testing device according to claim 2, wherein the fluid supplying means of the diagnostic device are adapted to taking in the fluid from the fluid receiving member when an inlet side of the fluid supplying means contacts the fluid receiving member and the fluid supplying means and the fluid receiving member are moved with respect to each other.

5. Testing device according to claim 2, wherein the fluid supplying means of the diagnostic device comprise a plate having a pattern of channels for conducting the fluid, which is present at one side of the plate.

6. Testing device according to claim 2, wherein the diagnostic device comprises at least one reagent, and wherein the fluid supplying means are adapted to putting the fluid into contact with the at least one reagent.

8. Testing device according to claim 1, wherein the positioning means comprise a sleeve which is slidably arranged around the carrier.

11. Testing device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic device comprises at least one electrically conductive connection pad for connection of the diagnostic device to another electric device, and wherein the positioning means comprise at least one for providing access to the at least one connection pad.

12. Testing device according to claim 1, further comprising displaying means for generating a visual representation of output provided by the sensor means during operation of the testing device.

13. Testing device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic device comprises at least one processor die for processing output provided by the sensor means during operation of the testing device.

14. Testing device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic device comprises a body member having a recess in which the sensor means are arranged, wherein a pattern of electrically conductive connection pads and electrically conductive tracks is arranged on the body member, at the side where the recess is present, wherein the sensor means are connected to at least one of the connection pads and wherein the body member has at least one hole providing access to the sensor means from another side than the side where the recess and the electrically conductive pattern are present.

15. Testing device according to claim 14, wherein the body member of the diagnostic device comprises at least one other recess which arranged at another side of the body member than the recess in which the sensor means are present, and wherein at least one hole providing access to the sensor means is present at a bottom of the at least one other recess.

24. Use of the testing device according to claim 1 for the purpose of determining a presence and/or a quantity of a compound of a fluid that is supplied to the testing device.

4. Testing device according to claim, wherein the fluid supplying means of the diagnostic device are adapted to conveying the fluid on the basis of capillary forces.

7. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. Testing device according to claim 9, wherein the positioning member is adapted to enclosing both fluid receiving members.

16. Device for storing and testing a fluid, comprising:

a carrier;

two members for receiving the fluid, which are arranged on the carrier;

a positioning member which is slidably arranged on the carrier;

a diagnostic device which is arranged in the positioning member, and which comprises sensor means adapted to detecting at least one property of the fluid.

18. Testing device according to claim 16, further comprising means which are adapted to enclosing at least one of the fluid receiving member, and wherein the positioning member is adapted to enclosing at, least one of the fluid receiving members.

17. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. Device for testing a fluid, comprising:

a substrate having at least one hole;

sensor means adapted to detecting at least one property of the fluid, which are arranged at one side of the substrate, wherein at least a sensor portion of the sensor means is accessible from another side of the substrate, through the hole in the substrate;

means for receiving the fluid;

a microfluidic plate having a pattern of recesses for conveying the fluid from the fluid receiving means to the sensor portion of the sensor means, which is present at one side of the plate, and which comprises a number of grooves extending next to each other.

21. Testing device, according to claim 20, wherein the substrate and the microfluidic plate are at least partially transparent, and wherein mutual positions and orientations of the grooves are adapted to forming a Fresnel lens.

22. Testing device according to claim 20, wherein the pattern of recesses comprises a reagents chamber in which at least one reagent is stored.

23. Method of determining a progress of a fluid along a path extending from the fluid receiving means to the sensor portion of the sensor means of the testing device according to claim 21, comprising the steps of letting light pass through the grooves;

and measuring a change of a focusing of the light.