CONTAINER FOR DISPENSING A SINGLE TEST STRIP

• US 20110204079A1
• Filed: 02/22/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Chan, Frank A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,550,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/232
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00089 Magazines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48757 Test elements dispensed from a stack

Abstract

The test strip containers accurately dispense one test strip for easy removal. One test strip container includes a slider with a slot that catches a single test strip therein from a stack positioned inside the container. The slider retaining the single test strip moves across the container while the single test strip rides along a ramp or track on the exterior of the container until the single test strip extends above the container. Another test strip container includes inner and outer cylinders. The inner cylinder defines an opening through which a test strip from a stack is dispensed and an external ramp or track. As the outer cylinder rotates about the inner cylinder, a recessed slot in the outer cylinder captures a single test strip, and continued rotation of the outer cylinder causes the test strip to ride along the ramp or track to extend above the cylinders for removal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing test strips, comprising:

a container configured to store a stack of the test strips, the container defining a test strip opening sized to allow passage of the stack of test strips, the container having an external track;

an external member positioned over the external track on the container, the external member configured to retain a single test strip from the stack of test strips; and

the external member configured to travel over the container to dispense the single test strip, wherein an edge of the single test strip rides directly on the external track.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external member defines a recessed slot sized to retain the single test strip from the stack of test strips.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external member is a slider.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the container further includes a top rail and a bottom rail;

and

the slider includes a first lip and a second lip, the first lip positioned on the slider to engage the top rail and the second lip positioned on the slider to engage the bottom rail when the slider is assembled with the container.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the container includes a notch, and the slider and the notch define a test strip dispensing opening when the slider is in a fully dispensed position, the test strip dispensing opening configured to dispense the single test strip.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

wherein the external track defines a groove;

the slider defines a pin slot; and

a pin is configured to ride in the groove and the pin slot, wherein the single test strip rests on the pin.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the track includes an angled ramp, and the single test strip directly rides along the angled ramp for dispensing the test strips one at a time.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external member is an outer cylinder and the container is an inner cylinder, the outer cylinder being rotatable about the inner cylinder.

9. An apparatus for dispensing test strips, comprising:

an inner container configured to house a stack of the test strips, the inner container including a ramp positioned on an external surface of the inner container; and

an exterior element configured to retain a single test strip from the stack of test strips, the exterior element configured to move about the inner container to force an edge of the single test strip to ride on the ramp to dispense the single test strip.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the inner container is an inner cylinder and the exterior element is an outer cylinder, the outer cylinder being rotatable relative to the inner cylinder.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the inner cylinder defines a test strip opening sized to allow the single test strip from the stack of test strips to pass through.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the outer cylinder defines a recessed slot sized to retain the single test strip.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a biasing mechanism for biasing the stack of test strips towards the test strip opening.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

the ramp defines a groove;

the outer cylinder defines a pin slot; and

a pin configured to ride in the groove and the pin slot, wherein the single test strip rests on the pin.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a desiccant material stored in the inner container.

16. A method of dispensing test strips, comprising:

positioning a stack of the test strips in a container;

moving an external member along an exterior surface of the container to capture a single test strip from the stack of test strips in a recessed slot defined in the external member; and

moving the captured single test strip in a transverse direction along the exterior surface of the container to dispense the single test strip.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the exterior surface includes an exterior ramp;

and

the moving the captured single test strip includes riding an edge of the captured single test strip on the exterior ramp.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

wherein the container is an inner cylinder and the external member is an outer cylinder;

nesting the inner cylinder in the outer cylinder; and

rotating the outer cylinder about the inner cylinder to dispense the single test strip.