FLUID TRANSFER SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110077480A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: IntelliDx, Inc.
• Inventors: Taylor, Stuart, Donlon, Edward Paul, Vivolo, Joseph Anthony, Shea, Laurence R., Bloom, Daniel, Jensen, Morten J., Nelson, Nicholas A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,753,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15003 for venous or arterial blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150213 Venting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150221 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150229 Pumps for assisting the blood sampling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150236 Pistons, i.e. cylindrical bodies that sit inside the syringe barrel, typically with an air tight seal, and slide in the barrel to create a vacuum or to expel blood
• 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 5/150755 Blood sample preparation for further analysis, e.g. by separating blood components or by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150793 Electrical or magnetic identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150809 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150824 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15087 short range, e.g. between console and disposable using implanted devices A61B5/150877
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150946 Means for varying, regulating, indicating or limiting the speed or time of blood collection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150961 Means for the detection of the presence or absence of a module, a component or an abnormal condition; detection of leaks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150992 Blood sampling from a fluid line external to a patient, such as a catheter line, combined with an infusion line; blood sampling from indwelling needle sets, e.g. sealable ports, luer couplings, valves tubing connectors and couplings A61M39/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1535 comprising means for indicating vein or arterial entry A61B5/1545 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/155 Devices specially adapted for continuous or multiple sampling, e.g. at predetermined intervals devices loaded with multiple lancets simultaneously A61B5/15146
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6866 Extracorporeal blood circuits, e.g. dialysis circuits

Abstract

Devices and methods for automatic monitoring of fluid of a patient are disclosed, comprising a patient line, a transfer disk which receives the fluid and controllably transfers the fluid to test substrates, and a sensor disk which houses the test substrates. The sterile transfer disk may be configured to maintain the sterility of the patient sampling assembly while transferring samples to non-sterile components, such as the sensor disk.

Claims

1. A fluid sensor device, comprising:

at least one transfer reservoir, each transfer reservoir comprising an inlet, an outlet, and a cavity comprising a displaceable region and a light-reflecting structure; and

at least one alignment structure associated with each transfer reservoir.

2. The fluid sensor device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of transfer reservoirs located in a transfer housing.

3. The fluid sensor device of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of test substrates located outside of the transfer housing.

4. The fluid sensor device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of test substrates are located in a sensor housing.

5. The fluid sensor device of claim 4, wherein the sensor housing is configured to attach to the transfer housing.

6. A fluid sensor device, comprising:

a plurality of transfer reservoirs, each transfer reservoir comprising an optically transmissive material, an inlet opening, an outlet opening, and a cavity comprising a deformable wall and a light-reflecting structure; and

a plurality of alignment structures, wherein at least one alignment structure is associated with each transfer reservoir.

7. The fluid sensor device of claim 6, wherein the deformable walls of the plurality of transfer reservoirs are deformable membranes.

8. The fluid sensor device of claim 6, wherein the cavities of the plurality of transfer reservoirs further comprise a fixed wall.

9. The fluid sensor device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of transfer reservoirs are located in a circular transfer cartridge and wherein the inlet openings of the plurality of transfer reservoirs are located on the outer circumferential surface of the circular transfer cartridge.

10. The fluid sensor device of claim 6, further comprising a sensor cartridge interface.

11. The fluid sensor device of claim 10, wherein the sensor cartridge interface comprises an alignment structure and at least one locking structure.

12. The fluid sensor device of claim 11, wherein the sensor cartridge interface further comprises a plurality of sensor substrate access apertures.

13. The fluid sensor device of claim 11, further comprising a sensor cartridge comprising a transfer cartridge interface complementary to the sensor cartridge interface of the transfer cartridge.

14. The fluid sensor device of claim 13, wherein the sensor cartridge further comprises a plurality of test strips.

15. The fluid sensor device of claim 13, wherein the sensor cartridge further comprises a plurality of fluid sample receiving regions, a plurality sensor substrates and a plurality of sensor electrode contacts.

16. The fluid sensor device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of fluid sample receiving regions are oriented to correspond to the outlet openings of transfer reservoirs when the transfer cartridge and sensor cartridge are attached.

17. A fluid monitoring system, comprising:

a patient access interface configured to receive fluid from a patient;

a fluid pump configured to transfer fluid in the patient access interface;

a valve coupled to the patient access interface and the fluid pump and comprising a fluid dispensing opening, wherein the valve is configured to dispense a fluid sample at the fluid dispensing opening; and

a fluid inlet blocking structure adjacent to the fluid dispensing opening.

18. The fluid monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the patient access interface, fluid pump, valve and fluid inlet blocking structure are coupled to a patient line housing.

19. The fluid monitoring system of claim 17, further comprising an external fluid access interface configured to receive fluid from an external fluid source.

20. A method of performing fluid monitoring in a patient, comprising:

withdrawing fluid from a patient into a first housing coupled to a fluid monitoring system;

transferring a fluid sample from the withdrawn fluid in the first housing to a second housing;

changing the orientation of the second housing relative to the first housing;

pumping the fluid sample from the second housing to a test substrate.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein pumping the fluid sample from the second housing to the test substrate comprises pumping the fluid sample across an air gap between a fluid opening of the second housing and the test substrate.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein pumping the fluid sample from the second housing to the test substrate comprises pumping the fluid sample from the second housing to a third housing, wherein the test substrate is located in the third housing.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising wiping a dispensing region of the second housing.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising blocking an opening of the second housing using the first housing.

25. A method for performing fluid monitoring in a patient, comprising:

transferring fluid along a first fluid pathway from a patient to a fluid dispenser;

transferring a fluid sample from the fluid dispenser to a transfer reservoir along a second fluid pathway;

severing the second fluid pathway by displacing the transfer reservoir;

actively transferring at least a portion of the fluid sample from the transfer reservoir to a test substrate along a third fluid pathway.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising crossing an air gap between the transfer reservoir and the test substrate with the fluid sample.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein at least portion of the cross-sectional shape of the fluid sample is unrestrained in a transverse plane along a movement axis of the third fluid pathway.

28. A method for performing blood monitoring of a patient, comprising:

withdrawing blood from a patient into a fluid control system;

dispensing a blood sample from the sterile fluid control system to a sterile transfer reservoir;

transferring the blood sample from the sterile transfer reservoir to an non-sterile test substrate.

29. The method of claim 28, moving the sterile transfer reservoir with respect to the fluid control system after dispensing the blood sample.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein moving the sterile reservoir occurs before transferring the blood sample.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein transferring the blood sample comprises pumping the blood sample from the sterile transfer reservoir to a non-sterile test substrate.