COMBINATION DRIVE FOR A SAMPLING SYSTEM FOR COLLECTING A LIQUID SAMPLE

• US 20100216246A1
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Harttig, Herbert, Konya, Ahmet
• Granted Patent: US 9,017,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/43
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0295 Strip shaped analyte sensors for apparatus classified in A61B5/145 or A61B5/157 disposable multilayered or laminated electrodes G01N27/307; details of handling chemical test elements G01N33/4875
• 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 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• 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 5/15109 Fully automatically triggered, i.e. the triggering does not require a deliberate action by the user, e.g. by contact with the patient's skin
• 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 5/15123 comprising magnets or solenoids
• 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 5/15132 comprising tooth-shaped elements, e.g. toothed wheel or rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15153 Multiple piercing elements stocked in a single compartment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15169 Characterized by a rolled strip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15171 Characterized by propelling the piercing element perpendicular to the direction of movement of the strip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis

Abstract

A sampling system for collecting a liquid sample, having at least one analytic auxiliary means is proposed. The sampling system has a coupling element for coupling onto the analytic auxiliary means and at least one drive unit for driving a movement of the coupling element from a rest position into a deflected position. The drive unit comprises an energy transducer which is designed to generate a rotational movement with different rotational directions. The drive unit furthermore has a coupling device with at least one rotational-direction sensitive element, wherein the coupling device is designed to couple the energy transducer to a first system function in a first rotational direction, and to couple said transducer to a second system function which differs from the first system function in a second rotational direction which differs from the first rotational direction.

Claims

1. A sampling system for collecting a liquid sample, comprising:

an analytic auxiliary means;

a coupling element for coupling to the analytic auxiliary means; and

a drive unit for driving a movement of the coupling element from a rest position into a deflected position, the drive unit comprising;

an energy transducer which generates movement in first and second rotational directions; and

a coupling device comprising a rotational-direction sensitive element for coupling to the energy transducer and for transferring mechanical energy from the energy transducer to different system functions;

wherein, the coupling device couples the energy transducer to a first system function in the first rotational direction and couples the energy transducer to a second system function in the second rotational direction.

2. The sampling system of claim 1, wherein the first system function comprises a function of the sampling system selected from the following group:

a drive for a piercing movement of a lancet of the analytic auxiliary means;

a sampling movement of a test element of the analytic auxiliary means;

a tensioning of a spring element for driving the piercing movement of the lancet;

a transport function of an analytic auxiliary means for providing the analytic auxiliary means in an application position;

a transport function of an analytic auxiliary means for providing the analytic auxiliary means in a measurement position;

a transport function of a cartridge of the sampling system for providing an analytic auxiliary means from a cartridge in an application position;

a transport function of an analysis tape comprising a number of analytic auxiliary means for providing an analytic auxiliary means in an application position; and

a transport function of an analysis disk comprising a number of analytic auxiliary means for providing an analytic auxiliary means in an application position.

3. The sampling system of claim 2, wherein the second system function comprises a function of the sampling system selected from the following group:

a drive for a piercing movement of a lancet of the analytic auxiliary means;

a sampling movement of a test element of the analytic auxiliary means;

a tensioning of a spring element for driving the piercing movement of the lancet;

a transport function of an analytic auxiliary means for providing the analytic auxiliary means in an application position;

a transport function of an analytic auxiliary means for providing the analytic auxiliary means in a measurement position;

a transport function of a cartridge of the sampling system for providing an analytic auxiliary means from a cartridge in an application position;

a transport function of an analysis tape comprising a number of analytic auxiliary means for providing an analytic auxiliary means in an application position; and

a transport function of an analysis disk comprising a number of analytic auxiliary means for providing an analytic auxiliary means in an application position.

4. The sampling system of claim 1, wherein the analytic auxiliary means comprises at least one of a lancet and a test element with a test field for analyzing the liquid sample.

5. The sampling system of claim 4, wherein the analytic auxiliary means comprises an analysis tape having a multiplicity of alternately arranged lancets and test fields.

6. The sampling system of claim 1, wherein the coupling element comprises a drive configured to couple to an analytic auxiliary means arranged in an application position, the drive comprising one of a connecting rod drive and a crank drive.

7. The sampling system of claim 1, wherein the energy transducer comprises an electric motor.

8. The sampling system of claim 1, further comprising a mechanical energy store configured to emit energy for a piercing movement of a lancet of the analytic auxiliary means.

9. The sampling system of claim 8, wherein the mechanical energy store comprises one of a helical spring, a spiral spring, a leaf spring, a cup spring, an elastic element, an elastomeric element and a pneumatic pressure store.

10. The sampling system of claim 8, wherein the drive unit has a toothed transmission configured to charge the mechanical energy store in a first angular position range of the energy transducer and to maintain said store in a charged state, the toothed transmission further configured to release the mechanical energy store in a second angular position range to thereby emit energy for the piercing movement of the lancet.

11. The sampling system of claim 10, wherein the toothed transmission has at least one partly toothed gearwheel which is toothed in at least a first circumferential region and which is not toothed in at least a second circumferential region.

12. The sampling system of claim 11, wherein the gearwheel comprises a lock configured to prevent discharge of the energy store in the first angular position range.

13. The sampling system of claim 11, further comprising a lock for keeping the mechanical energy store in the charged state.

14. The sampling system of claim 1, comprising an element configured to hold a plurality of analytic test elements, the element selected from the following group:

a drum cartridge, a rod cartridge, a row cartridge, a tape cassette, a staggered cartridge, an analysis tape and an analysis disk.

15. The sampling system of claim 1, wherein the drive unit comprises a toothed gear system comprising a transmission element selected from the following group:

a spur gear transmission;

a bevel gear transmission;

a worm gear transmission;

a rack-and-pinion gear transmission;

a spindle gear transmission;

a contrate gear transmission;

a planetary gear transmission.

16. The sampling system of claim 1, wherein the coupling device comprises a first drive wheel coupled to the energy transducer and a first drive element coupled to the first system function and/or the second system function, the first drive wheel and the first drive element being interconnected by the rotational-direction sensitive element, the rotational-direction sensitive element coupling the first drive wheel to the first drive element in the first rotational direction and decoupling the first drive wheel from the first drive element in the second rotational direction.

17. The sampling system of claim 16, wherein the coupling device comprises a second drive element connected to a second drive wheel by a second rotational-direction sensitive element, the first and second rotational-direction sensitive elements having opposing rotational-direction sensitivities and the first and second drive elements respectively being coupled to different system functions.

18. The sampling system of claim 1, wherein the rotational-direction sensitive element comprises a freewheel selected from the following group:

a clamping roller freewheel, a clamping body freewheel, a catch freewheel, a frictional-locking mechanism freewheel and a finger freewheel.

19. The sampling system of claim 18, wherein the freewheel has a freewheel lock for reducing a freewheel dead travel.

20. The sampling system of claim 1, further comprising a first drive wheel coupled to the energy transducer, the first drive wheel being arranged on a first plane in the first rotational direction and coupled to a first drive element, the first drive wheel being arranged on a second plane in the second rotational direction and coupled to a second drive element.

21. The sampling system of claim 1, wherein the energy transducer can, in the first or second rotational directions, simultaneously be coupled to a system function in which a mechanical energy store is charged with energy and to a system function in which a test element is transferred into a deflected position.

22. The sampling system of claim 21, wherein the energy transducer can, in the second rotational direction, be coupled to a system function in which an analytic auxiliary means is provided in an application position.

23. The sampling system of claim 1, wherein during operation the sampling system performs a sequence comprising:

a) a first rotational movement of the energy transducer in the first rotational direction, whereby a mechanical energy store is released and emits energy for a piercing movement of a lancet of the analytic auxiliary means;

b) a second rotational movement of the energy transducer in the second rotational direction whereby a test element with a test field is transferred into the application position;

c) a third rotational movement of the energy transducer in the first rotational direction whereby the mechanical energy store is charged with energy and wherein the test element is transferred into a deflected position; and

d) a fourth rotational movement of the energy transducer in the second rotational direction whereby a lancet is transferred into the application position.

24. The sampling system of claim 23, wherein the sequence further comprises a transport step in which the test element is transferred into a measurement position.

25. The sampling system of claim 24, wherein the transport step is performed between the second and third rotational movements.

26. The sampling system of claim 1, wherein the drive unit comprises a slip coupling.

27. The sampling system of claim 1, further comprising a tape cassette having an analysis tape, a supply reel and a take-up reel for holding the analysis tape and a coupling piece.

28. A method for collecting a liquid sample with a system comprising an analytic auxiliary means, a coupling element, a drive unit for driving a movement of the coupling element from a rest position into a deflected position, and an energy transducer which generates movement in first and second rotational directions, the method comprising:

(a) generating with the energy transducer a movement in the first rotational direction, wherein a mechanical energy store is released and emits energy for a piercing movement of a lancet;

(b) generating with the energy transducer a movement in the second rotational direction, wherein a test element with a test field is transferred into an application position for analyzing the liquid sample;

(c) generating with the energy transducer a second movement in the first rotational direction, wherein the mechanical energy store is charged with energy and wherein the test element is transferred into a deflected position for applying a liquid sample to the test field on the test element; and

(d) generating with the energy transducer a second movement in the second rotational direction, wherein a lancet is transferred into the application position.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising transferring the test element with the liquid sample applied thereon to a measurement position.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the transport step is performed between steps (c) and (d).