Sensor Release Mechanism for a Test Meter

• US 20090042305A1
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Micinski, Russell J., Creaven, John P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,545,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/45
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/111666 Utilizing a centrifuge or compartmented rotor

Abstract

A sensor-dispensing instrument adapted to handle a sensor pack containing a plurality of sensors and to perform a test using one of the sensors. The sensor dispensing instrument includes an outer housing and a mechanical mechanism contained therein for rotating the sensor pack and ejecting one of the sensors from the sensor pack and through a sensor slot on the housing. The sensor dispensing instrument also includes a rotational-release wheel that is disposed on the outer housing of the sensor-dispensing instrument that is turnable to remove a sensor disposed in the sensor slot.

Claims

1. A sensor-dispensing instrument adapted to handle a sensor pack containing a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors being disposed in a sensor cavity on the sensor pack and enclosed by a protective covering, the sensor-dispensing instrument further adapted to perform a test using one of the plurality of sensors, the sensor-dispensing instrument comprising:

an outer housing having a front end and a rear end, the outer housing further having a sensor slot through which one of the sensors is disposed to conduct the test;

mechanism disposed generally within the outer housing, the mechanism including an indexing disk for supporting and rotating the sensor pack, an indexing support for rotating the indexing disk, an ejecting mechanism for ejecting one of the sensors from the sensor cavity and through the sensor slot, and a puller handle for moving the indexing support and the ejecting mechanism;

an electronics assembly generally disposed in the outer housing, the electronic assembly adapted to perform the test and to display test results;

a sensor actuator disposed generally adjacent to the sensor slot, the sensor actuator adapted to engage with a sensor disposed in the sensor slot, to connect to contacts on the sensor, and to transmit electrical signals between the sensor and the electronics assembly; and

a rotational-release wheel being turnable to remove the sensor disposed in the sensor slot.

2. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, wherein an axle connects the rotational-release wheel to the housing.

3. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 2, wherein the axle is mounted to a lower case of the outer housing.

4. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 3, wherein the axle is mounted to a latch connecting an upper case to the lower case of the outer housing.

5. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, wherein the puller handle is moveable between a testing position adjacent to the rear end of the outer housing and an extended position spaced outwardly from the rear end of the outer housing, and wherein the puller handle is moved from the testing position to the extended position to rotate the indexing disk, and is moved from the extended position to the testing position to puncture the protective covering and eject one of the sensors from the sensor cavity and through the sensor slot.

6. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, wherein the mechanism further comprises a movable disk-drive pusher, the indexing support and the ejecting mechanism being mounted on the disk-drive pusher, and the puller handle being affixed to a rear end of the disk-drive pusher.

7. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, wherein the sensor actuator is fixed within the outer housing.

8. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, wherein the ejecting mechanism is a knife-blade assembly, the knife-blade assembly further assisting in puncturing the protective covering.

9. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, wherein the rotational-release wheel projects outwardly from the surface of the outer housing, the rotational-release wheel being rotated to remove the sensor disposed in the sensor slot.

10. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, wherein the rotational-release wheel and the sensor actuator are adapted to secure the sensor disposed in the sensor slot.

11. A method of operating a sensor-dispensing instrument adapted to handle a sensor pack containing a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors being disposed in a sensor cavity on the sensor pack and enclosed by a protective covering, and the sensor-dispensing instrument further adapted to perform a test using one of the plurality of sensors, the method comprising the acts of:

providing a sensor-dispensing instrument including an outer housing, a mechanism for moving the sensor pack and a rotational-release wheel, the outer housing having a sensor slot through which one of the sensors is disposed to conduct the test, the mechanism being disposed generally within the outer housing, the mechanism including an indexing disk for supporting and rotating the sensor pack and an indexing support for rotating the indexing disk, an ejecting mechanism for ejecting one of the sensors from the sensor cavity and through the sensor slot, and a puller handle for moving the indexing support and the ejecting assembly, the puller handle being moveable between a testing position, an extended position being spaced outwardly from the housing and a stand-by position being located between the testing position and the extended position;

pulling the puller handle from the stand-by position to the extended position so as to cause the indexing support to rotate the indexing disk;

pushing the puller handle from the extended position to the testing position so as to cause the ejecting mechanism to eject one of the sensors from the sensor cavity and through the sensor slot;

performing the test by using the sensor disposed in the sensor slot; and

turning the rotational-release wheel to remove the sensor from the sensor slot.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the turning the rotational-release wheel comprises rotating the rotational-release wheel about an axle secured in the outer housing.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein an axle connects the rotational-release wheel to the housing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the axle is mounted to a lower case of the outer housing.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the axle is mounted to a latch connecting an upper case to the lower case of the outer housing.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the ejecting mechanism is a knife-blade assembly, the knife-blade assembly further assisting in puncturing the protective covering.

17. A method of operating a sensor-dispensing instrument adapted to handle a sensor pack containing a plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors being disposed in a sensor cavity on the sensor pack and enclosed by a protective covering, and the sensor-dispensing instrument further adapted to perform a test using one of the plurality of sensors, the method comprising the acts of:

providing a sensor-dispensing instrument including an outer housing, a mechanism for moving the sensor pack, an electronics assembly, a sensor actuator and a rotational-release wheel, the outer housing having a sensor slot through which one of the sensors is disposed to conduct the test, the mechanism being disposed generally within the outer housing, the mechanism including an indexing disk for supporting and rotating the sensor pack and an indexing support for rotating the indexing disk, an ejecting mechanism for ejecting one of the sensors from the sensor cavity and through the sensor slot, and a puller handle for moving the indexing support and the ejecting assembly, the puller handle being moveable between a testing position, an extended position being spaced outwardly from the housing and a stand-by position being located between the testing position and the extended position, the electronics assembly generally disposed in the outer housing, the electronic assembly adapted to perform the test and to display test results, the sensor actuator being disposed generally adjacent to the sensor slot, the sensor actuator being adapted to engage with a sensor disposed in the sensor slot, to connect to contacts on the sensor, and to transmit electrical signals between the sensor and the electronics assembly;

pulling the puller handle from the stand-by position to the extended position so as to cause the indexing support to rotate the indexing disk;

pushing the puller handle from the extended position to the testing position so as to cause the ejecting mechanism to eject one of the sensors from the sensor cavity and through the sensor slot;

performing the test by using the sensor disposed in the sensor slot; and

turning the rotational-release wheel to remove the sensor from the sensor slot.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the turning the rotational-release wheel comprises rotating the rotational-release wheel about an axle secured in the outer housing.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the rotational-release wheel and the sensor actuator are adapted to secure the sensor disposed in the sensor slot.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the ejecting mechanism is a knife-blade assembly, the knife-blade assembly further assisting in puncturing the protective covering.