SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A SAMPLE FLUID COLLECTION DEVICE

• US 20080264151A1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TearLab Research, Inc. (Tearlab Corp.)
• Original Assignee: OcuSense, Inc. (Tearlab Corp.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Benjamin, Donsky, Eric, Harvey, Erol Craig, Bullock, Graeme John, Knaack, Andreas, Davis, Fred Harry, Chen, Carl Gang, Solomon, Matthew Daniel, Zmina, Steve, Miu, Sasha, Donath, Adam Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 8,020,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/64.47
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0045 Devices for taking samples of body liquids devices for taking blood samples A61B5/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0067 Tear or lachrymal fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 13/04 Investigating osmotic effects

Abstract

A fluid collection device comprising a body comprising a capsule interface, and a capsule configured to interface with the body via the capsule interface and configured to hold a sample receiving chip. The sample receiving chip comprises a substrate that receives an aliquot volume of a sample fluid, wherein the substrate is operatively shaped to receive the aliquot volume of sample fluid through capillary action, and a sample region of the substrate, sized such that the volume of the sample fluid is sufficient to operatively cover a portion of the sample region, whereupon energy properties of the sample fluid can be transduced to produce a sample fluid reading.

Claims

1. A fluid collection device, comprising:

a body comprising a capsule interface; and

capsule configured to interface with the body via the capsule interface and configured to hold a sample receiving chip, the sample receiving chip comprising;

a substrate that receives an aliquot volume of a sample fluid, wherein the substrate is operatively shaped to receive the aliquot volume of sample fluid through capillary action,

a sample region of the substrate, sized such that the volume of the sample fluid is sufficient to operatively cover a portion of the sample region, whereupon energy properties of the sample fluid can be transduced to produce a sample fluid reading.

2. The fluid collection device of claim 1, wherein the capsule comprises tabs configured to hold the sample receiving chip in place.

3. The collection device of claim 1, wherein the capsule interface comprises fluidic connections between the sample receiving chip and the body.

4. The collection device of claim 1, wherein the capsule interface comprises electrical connections between a transduction mechanism included in the sample receiving chip circuitry included within the body.

5. The collection device of claim 4, wherein the body further comprises circuitry configured to produce the sample fluid reading.

6. The collection device of claim 4, wherein the body further comprises a connector configured to interface the body with a processing unit and electrical and fluidic interfaces from the capsule-body interface, through the body and to the connector.

7. The collection device of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a rotational feature that converts a gross rotation of the collection device into a fine linear translation of a tip of the sample receiving chip.

8. The collection device of claim 1, wherein the capsule is further configured to hold the sample receiving chip such that a tip portion of the sample receiving chip extends out beyond the end of the capsule sufficiently to allow the sample receiving chip to receive the aliquot volume of a sample fluid.

9. The collection device of claim 8, wherein the sample fluid is tears collected from the meniscus, and wherein the tip of the sample receiving chip comprises a width and shape sufficient to soften the entrance of the tip into the meniscus during tear collection.

10. The collection device of claim 9, wherein the width of the capsule is approximately 3 millimeters.

11. The collection device of claim 10, wherein the tip extends approximately 0.5 millimeters.

12. The sample receiving chip of claim 1, wherein the substrate is operatively shaped to receive the aliquot volume of sample fluid at the edge of the substrate.

13. The collection device of claim 12, wherein the capsule interface comprises a vent configured to enable the sample receiving chip to receive the aliquot volume of sample fluid at the edge of the substrate.

14. The collection device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is operatively shaped to act as a fluid collection interface.

15. The collection device of claim 1, wherein the sample region includes a plurality of electrodes disposed to contact the sample fluid.

16. The collection device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of electrodes is arranged in a row and column array.

17. The collection device of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of conductive connection lines coupled to the plurality of electrodes, wherein the conductive connection lines provide means for transferring energy to and from the sample fluid.

18. The collection device of claim 1, wherein the sample fluid includes bodily fluid.

19. The collection device of claim 18, wherein the bodily fluid is a tear film.

20. The collection device of claim 1, wherein the sample fluid reading indicates osmolarity of the sample fluid.

21. The collection device of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a visual indicator configured to indicate when the capsule is properly interfaced with the body.

22. The collection device of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a visual indicator configured to indicate when the sample fluid is being transduced.

23. The collection device of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises an audible indicator configured to indicate when the capsule is properly interfaced with the body.

24. The collection device of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises an audible indicator configured to indicate when the sample fluid is being transduced.