SAMPLE FLUID TESTING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ANALYZING A SAMPLE FLUID

• US 20090095641A1
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Roe, Steven N., List, Hans, Marquant, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,685,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/775
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3273 Devices therefor, e.g. test element readers, circuitry details not specific to biochemical electrodes G01N33/4875
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 39/64 Devices for uninterrupted current collection

Abstract

The invention refers to a sample fluid testing device for analyzing a sample fluid, comprising a test media tape (1) comprising a tape (2) and a plurality of test media portions (3), each test media portion (3) containing a sensor field (7) for producing electrical signals, when the sample fluid is applied and at least two electrodes (4), the at least two electrodes (4) being positioned in the sensor field (7) and being electrically connected to at least two contact fields (5). The sample fluid testing device contains at least one roller with a surface (17), which contains at least one contact zone (14), the at least one roller (12, 13) being in rolling engagement with the test media tape (1) with its surface (17) in order to successively electrically contact the test media portions (3) via at least one contact field (5) with the at least one contact zone (14), the at least one contact zone (14) on the at least one roller (12, 13) being electrically connected to a meter for measuring the electrical signals.

Claims

1. A sample fluid testing device for analyzing a sample fluid, comprising a test media tape comprising a tape and a plurality of test media portions, each test media portion containing a sensor field for producing electrical signals when the sample fluid is applied and at least two electrodes, the at least two electrodes being positioned in the sensor field and being electrically connected to at least two contact fields on the test media portion, characterized by at least one roller with a surface, which contains at least one contact zone, the at least one roller being in rolling engagement with the test media tape with its surface in order to successively electrically contact the test media portions via at least one contact field with the at least one contact zone, the at least one contact zone on the at least one roller being electrically connected to a meter for measuring the electrical signals.

2. The sample fluid testing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one contact zone of the at least one roller is electrically connected to the meter by a sliding contact.

3. The sample fluid testing device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one contact zone is an electrically conducting annular zone arranged on the circumference of the surface of the roller.

4. The sample fluid testing device according to claim 1, wherein the contact fields are arranged in at least two rows, the rows being arranged in a transverse direction of the test media tape and the contact fields within two different rows being shifted to one another in the transverse direction.

5. The sample fluid testing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one counter roll is arranged on one side of the test media tape for producing a contact pressure of the test media tape against at least one roller on the other side of the test media tape.

6. The sample fluid testing device according to claim 1, wherein the test media tape is housed in a cassette.

7. The sample fluid testing device according to claim 6, wherein the cassette comprises a supply portion for storing unused test media tape, the supply portion having a port for withdrawing test media tape from the supply portion and said supply portion further having sealing means for closing said port in a first position of the sealing means and for opening said port in a second position of the sealing means.

8. The sample fluid testing device according to claim 7, wherein the cassette comprises a waste portion for receiving test media tape that is contaminated with the sample fluid.

9. A method for analyzing a sample fluid, wherein the sample fluid is analyzed on a test media tape, the test media tape comprising a plurality of test media portions, each test media portion containing a sensor field for producing electrical signals when the sample fluid is applied and at least two electrodes, the at least two electrodes being positioned in the sensor field and being electrically connected to at least two contact fields of the test media portion, characterized by applying a sample fluid to the test field of a test media portion and rolling at least one roller with a surface, which contains at least one contact zone, along the test media tape, in order to electrically contact the contact fields of the test media portion with the at least one contact zone and measuring the electrical signals produced within the sensor field with a meter, which is electrically connected to the at least one contact zone of the roller.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the test media tape is advanced by a drive means, rolling the roller along the test media tape, the drive means advancing the test media tape until the at least one contact zone of the at least one roller electrically contacts certain contact fields on a test media portion.