Test-Sensor Packaging

• US 20090178470A1
• Filed: 05/03/2007
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Charlton, Steven C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,191,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/53.10
• 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

A test-sensor cartridge is disclosed. The test-sensor cartridge comprises a plurality of test sensors adapted to assist in determining an analyte concentration of a fluid sample. The test-sensor cartridge further comprises a plurality of walls forming at least one cavity therein, the at least one cavity being adapted to contain the plurality of test sensors. The test-sensor cartridge further comprises at least one opening formed on a surface of the cartridge. The at least one opening is adapted to receive each of at least one projection of a first sensor-dispensing instrument with which the cartridge is compatible. The at least one opening is adapted to receive at least one but less than all of at least one projection of a second sensor-dispensing instrument with which the cartridge is incompatible.

Claims

1. A test-sensor cartridge comprising:

a plurality of test sensors adapted to assist in determining an analyte concentration of a fluid sample;

a plurality of walls forming at least one cavity therein, the at least one cavity being adapted to contain the plurality of test sensors; and

at least one opening formed on a surface of the cartridge,

wherein the at least one opening is adapted to receive each of at least one projection of a first sensor-dispensing instrument with which the cartridge is compatible, and

wherein the at least one opening is adapted to receive at least one but less than all of at least one projection of a second sensor-dispensing instrument with which the cartridge is incompatible.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the test-sensor cartridge is a blister-pack type cartridge.

4. The cartridge of claim 3, wherein the at least one opening is a plurality of openings.

5. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein the plurality of openings is a plurality of notches.

6. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein the plurality of openings is uniformly-spaced.

7. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein the plurality of openings is non-uniformly-spaced.

8. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the amount of the at least one projection of the first sensor-dispensing instrument is the same as or less than the amount of the at least one opening.

9. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the amount of the at least one projection of the second sensor-dispensing instrument is greater than the amount of the at least one opening.

10. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the at least one opening is positioned such that the at least one cavity does not align with an ejection mechanism of the second sensor-dispensing instrument when the cartridge is in an indexed position in the second sensor-dispensing instrument.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the at least one opening is positioned such that the at least one cavity does not align with a sensor-dispensing port of the second sensor-dispensing instrument when the cartridge is in an indexed position in the sensor-dispensing instrument.

12. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one projection of the first sensor-dispensing instrument generally aligns with a corresponding at least one opening.

13. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein at least one but less than all of the at least one projection of the second sensor-dispensing instrument generally aligns with a corresponding at least one opening.

14. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the test-sensor cartridge is a stacked test-sensor cartridge.

2. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. A test-sensor cartridge comprising:

a plurality of test sensors adapted to assist in determining an analyte concentration of a fluid sample;

a plurality of walls forming at least one cavity therein, the at least one cavity being adapted to contain the plurality of test sensors; and

at least one projection formed on a surface of the cartridge,

wherein each of the at least one projection is adapted to be received by at least one opening of a first sensor-dispensing instrument with which the cartridge is compatible, and

wherein at least one but less than all of the at least one projection is adapted to be received by at least one opening of a second sensor-dispensing instrument with which the cartridge is incompatible.

17. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein the plurality of test sensors is electrochemical test sensors.

23. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein the amount of the at least one opening of the first sensor-dispensing instrument is the same as or less than the amount of the at least one projection.

24. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein the amount of the at least one opening of the second sensor-dispensing instrument is greater than the amount of the at least one projection.

18-22. -22. (canceled)

25-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method of determining whether a test-sensor cartridge is compatible with a sensor-dispensing instrument, the method comprising the acts of:

providing a test-sensor cartridge including a plurality of walls forming at least one cavity therein, the at least one cavity being adapted to contain a plurality of test sensors, the plurality of test sensors being adapted to assist in the determination of a concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample, the test-sensor cartridge having at least one opening formed on at least one of the plurality of walls;

providing a sensor-dispensing instrument having at least one projection located therein;

inserting the test-sensor cartridge into the sensor-dispensing instrument; and

determining whether the test-sensor cartridge is compatible with the sensor-dispensing instrument based on whether the at least one opening is adapted to receive each of the at least one projection.

30-41. -41. (canceled)

42. A method of determining whether a test-sensor cartridge is compatible with a sensor-dispensing instrument, the method comprising the acts of:

providing a test-sensor cartridge including a plurality of walls forming at least one cavity therein, the at least one cavity being adapted to contain a plurality of test sensors, the plurality of test sensors being adapted to assist in the determination of a concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample, the test-sensor cartridge having at least one projection formed on at least one of the plurality of walls;

providing a sensor-dispensing instrument having at least one opening located therein;

inserting the test-sensor cartridge into the sensor-dispensing instrument; and

determining whether the test-sensor cartridge is compatible with the sensor-dispensing instrument based on whether the at least one opening is adapted to receive each of the at least one projection.

43-52. -52. (canceled)

53. A test-sensor cartridge comprising:

a plurality of walls forming at least one cavity therein, the at least one cavity being adapted to contain a plurality of test sensors, the plurality of test sensors being adapted to assist in the determination of a concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample; and

at least one opening formed on a surface of the cartridge, the at least one opening assisting in indexing the test-sensor cartridge,

wherein when the test-sensor cartridge is indexed within a first sensor-dispensing instrument with which the cartridge is compatible, a test-sensor cavity is aligned with an ejection mechanism, and

wherein when the test-sensor cartridge is indexed within a second sensor-dispensing instrument with which the cartridge is incompatible, a test-sensor cavity is not aligned with an ejection mechanism.

54-62. -62. (canceled)