INTEGRATED-TESTING SYSTEM

• US 20100081967A1
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• 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 8,956,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/583
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1411 by percutaneous method, e.g. by lancet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15029 for driving devices, i.e. means for driving the piercing element
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150305 Packages specially adapted for piercing devices or blood sampling devices kits for diabetes A61M5/003; packaging in general B65D
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150412 Pointed piercing elements, e.g. needles, lancets for piercing the skin blade-like piercing elements A61B5/150442
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150503 Single-ended needles hollow piercing element tip design A61B5/150396, needle sets for catheters A61M25/06, needles for bringing media into the body A61M5/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15113 Manually triggered, i.e. the triggering requires a deliberate action by the user such as pressing a drive button
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15117 comprising biased elements, resilient elements or a spring, e.g. a helical spring, leaf spring, or elastic strap
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15126 Means for controlling the lancing movement, e.g. 2D- or 3D-shaped elements, tooth-shaped elements or sliding guides
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15128 comprising 2D- or 3D-shaped elements, e.g. cams, curved guide rails or threads comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1513 comprising linear sliding guides comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15192 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for retracting the lancet unit into the driving device housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15194 fully automatically retracted, i.e. the retraction does not require a deliberate action by the user, e.g. by terminating the contact with the patient's skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An integrated-testing system includes a meter, a lancing device and a storage case. The meter includes a housing, a display and a processor. The storage case holds the meter and the lancing device in a relatively fixed position to each other. The meter and the lancing device are maintained in the storage case in the relatively fixed position until a fluid sample is desired, at which time a first portion of the lancing device is advanced to a position external to the storage case to obtain the fluid sample and a second portion of the lancing device remains relatively fixed in the storage case while the fluid sample is obtained.

Claims

1. An integrated-testing system for determining information related to an analyte in a fluid sample, the integrated-testing system comprising:

a meter including a housing, a display and a processor;

a lancing device for obtaining the fluid sample;

a storage case for holding the meter and the lancing device in a relatively fixed position to each other; and

wherein the meter and the lancing device are maintained in the storage case in the relatively fixed position until a fluid sample is desired, at which time a first portion of the lancing device is advanced to a position external to the storage case to obtain the fluid sample and a second portion of the lancing device remains relatively fixed in the storage case while the fluid sample is obtained.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage case comprises a relatively rigid base portion.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the relatively rigid base portion includes polymeric material.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage case includes attaching features to maintain the relative positions of the meter and lancing device, the attaching features include pins, guides, clips, elastomeric attachments or combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage case includes a relatively flexible material portion to assist in allowing access to the meter and lancing device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the relatively flexible material includes a fabric material.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the meter includes a test-sensor opening, the test sensor opening being accessible when the meter resides in the storage case.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the lancing device includes a cocking lever, the cocking lever assisting in keeping the second portion of the lancing device stationary in the storage case while the first portion of the lancing device is moved to the position external to the storage case.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first portion of the lancing device is retracted to a position inside of the storage case after a fluid sample is taken.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the lancing device includes a pressure-sensitive device to initiate lancing of the user'"'"'s finger.

11. The system of claim 1 further including a storage case.

12. A method for determining information relating to an analyte in a fluid sample, the method comprising the acts of:

providing a storage case, the storage case including a meter and a lancing device, the storage case holding the meter and the lancing device in a relatively fixed position to each other;

moving a first portion of the lancing device to a position external to the storage case while maintaining a second portion of the lancing device in the storage case;

lancing to obtain the fluid sample while the first portion of the lancing device remains external to the storage case and the second portion of the lancing device remains within an interior of the storage case;

applying the fluid sample to the test sensor; and

determining information relating to the analyte in the fluid sample when the meter is located in the storage case and the test sensor is located in the test-sensor opening.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising after the lancing, retracting the first portion of the lancing device to a position inside of the storage case.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the applying of the fluid sample to the test sensor occurs after the inserting of the test sensor into the meter.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the lancing device includes a button to initiate the lancing to obtain the fluid sample.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the storage case includes a relatively rigid base portion and a relatively flexible material portion.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the relatively flexible material includes a fabric material.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the lancing device includes a cocking lever, the cocking lever assisting in keeping the second portion of the lancing device stationary in the storage case while the first portion of the lancing device is moved to the position external to the storage case.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the first portion of the lancing device is retracted to a position inside of the storage case after a fluid sample is taken.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the lancing device includes a pressure-sensitive device to initiate lancing of the user'"'"'s finger.