TAPE MAGAZINE WITH REWIND LOCK AND INTEGRATED TAPE RELEASE

• US 20120283528A1
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Konya, Ahmet, List, Hans, Kuhr, Hans-Jürgen
• Granted Patent: US 9,198,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/309
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02035 Determining blood viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14 Devices for taking samples of blood hypodermic syringes A61M5/00; Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration within the blood, pH-value of blood measuring of blood pressure A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1405 Devices for taking blood samples devices for taking samples of other body liquids A61B10/0045
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1411 by percutaneous method, e.g. by lancet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1427 Multiple blood sampling, e.g. at periodic or pre-established intervals
• 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 5/150916 by blocking components, e.g. piston, driving device or fluid passageway
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15115 Driving means for propelling the piercing element to pierce the skin, e.g. comprising mechanisms based on shape memory alloys, magnetism, solenoids, piezoelectric effect, biased elements, resilient elements, vacuum or compressed fluids
• 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 5/15176 Stocking means comprising cap, cover, sheath or protection for aseptic stocking

Abstract

A replaceable magazine for use in an analytic test instrument a plurality of analytic aids on a carrier tape. The analytic aids can be made available in an application position of the magazine by means of the carrier tape. The magazine has a supply reel for holding regions of the carrier tape with unused analytic aids and a take-up reel for holding regions of the carrier tape with used-up analytic aids. The carrier tape can be moved in a spooling direction from the supply reel to the take-up reel. The magazine has a rewind lock of the take-up reel. The magazine has a tape release device, which is configured to make available a take-up reel tape reserve of the carrier tape on the side of the application position facing the take-up reel. The take-up reel tape reserve enables a lifting movement of an analytic aid situated in the application position.

Claims

1. A replaceable magazine for use in an analytic test instrument, comprising:

a carrier tape having a plurality of analytic aids arranged thereon, wherein the analytic aids can be positioned in an application position of the magazine by the carrier tape;

a supply reel for holding regions of the carrier tape with unused analytic aids and a take-up reel for holding regions of the carrier tape with used analytic aids, wherein the carrier tape is movable in a spooling direction from the supply reel to the take-up reel;

the take-up reel comprising a rewind lock; and

a tape release configured to make available a tape reserve of the carrier tape on the side of the application position facing the take-up reel.

2. The magazine of claim 1, wherein the tape release is only provided on the side of the application position facing the take-up reel.

3. The magazine of claim 1, further comprising a gripper configured to fix the analytic aids in the application position.

4. The magazine of claim 1, wherein a lifting movement of an analytic aid situated in the application position has a maximum lift distance of 2 mm to 10 mm, further wherein the take-up reel tape reserve is 0.2 to 0.8 of the maximum lift.

5. The magazine of claim 1, wherein the magazine is configured to make available a supply reel tape reserve of the carrier tape on the side of the application position facing the supply reel, wherein the supply reel tape reserve substantially corresponds to the take-up reel tape reserve.

6. The magazine of claim 1, wherein the tape release is configured to hold the take-up reel tape reserve after the lifting movement of the analytic aid.

7. The magazine of claim 1, wherein the rewind lock is a permanent.

8. The magazine of claim 1, wherein the rewind lock comprises at least one of the following:

a rotational-direction sensitive element connected to the take-up reel, wherein the rotational-direction sensitive element enables a rotation in one direction and at least largely prevents a rotation in another direction;

a freewheel connected to the take-up reel;

a ratchet connected to the take-up reel;

a pawl connected to the take-up reel;

a rotational-direction-dependent brake acting on the carrier tape;

a spring-loaded element acting on the carrier tape;

a spring-loaded flap acting on the carrier tape;

a sealing lip acting on the carrier tape.

9. The magazine of claim 1, further comprising at least one brake, wherein the brake is configured to brake rewinding of the take-up reel and/or winding-on of the supply reel.

10. The magazine of claim 1, wherein the tape release is at least partly integrated into the rewind lock.

11. The magazine of claim 1, wherein the rewind lock comprises a plurality of spaced locking positions, wherein a movement of the carrier tape counter to the spooling direction is possible between adjacent locking positions, whereby the take-up reel tape reserve is at least partly released when the carrier tape moves counter to the spooling direction.

12. The magazine of claim 1, wherein the rewind lock has a rotational-direction sensitive element connected to the take-up reel, the rotational-direction sensitive element enabling a rotation in one direction and at least largely preventing a rotation in another direction, wherein the rotational-direction sensitive element has a dead angle and enables rewinding through the dead angle to release the take-up reel tape reserve.

13. The magazine of claim 1, wherein the rewind lock comprises a spring-loaded element acting on the carrier tape, wherein the analytic aids can pass the spring-loaded element when the carrier tape moves in the spooling direction, wherein the analytic aids and/or the carrier tape jam against the spring-loaded element when the carrier tape moves counter to the spooling direction.

14. The magazine of claim 13, wherein the spring loaded element comprises a spring-loaded flap and/or a sealing lip.

15. The magazine of claim 1, wherein the rewind lock has a roller and the carrier tape is routed through a gap delimited by the roller, wherein the roller undergoes a deformation when the carrier tape moves counter to the spooling direction and the deformation leads to a narrowing of the gap whereby further movement of the carrier tape is impeded.

16. The magazine of claim 1, wherein the tape release operates at least partly independently of the rewind lock.

17. The magazine of claim 16, wherein a moveably mounted tape deflection is provided between the application position and the take-up reel.

18. An analytic test instrument, comprising:

a magazine as claimed in claim 1, the magazine being replaceably receivable in the analytic test instrument; and

a drive for driving the carrier tape of the magazine, the analytic test instrument being configured to carry out a lifting movement of an analytic aid situated in the application position.

19. The analytic aid of claim 18, wherein the lifting movement comprises a piercing movement and/or a sample-taking movement.

20. The analytic test instrument of claim 19, further comprising a sensor for identifying the position of the carrier tape and a control configured to set the take-up reel tape reserve in accordance with the identified position of the carrier tape.

21. The analytic test instrument of claim 20, wherein the rewind lock comprises a plurality of locking positions, the take-up reel tape reserve being released when the carrier tape moves counter to the spooling direction between two of the locking positions, further wherein the control enables onward transport of the carrier tape equal to the take-up reel tape reserve when a predetermined locking position is reached.

22. A method of using a replaceable magazine with an analytic test instrument, the magazine of the type having a carrier tape having a plurality of analytic aids arranged thereon and a supply reel and a take-up reel for the carrier tape, the method comprising:

inserting the magazine into an analytic test instrument;

advancing the carrier tape of the magazine in a spooling direction to position an analytic aid of the carrier tape in an application position;

providing a permanent rewind lock for the take up reel which limits rewinding of the carrier tape to a distance less than a distance between two adjacent analytic aids arranged on the carrier tape;

activating a tape release of the magazine to make available a tape reserve of the carrier tape on the side of the application position facing the take-up reel; and

executing a lifting movement of an analytic aid situated in the application position, whereby the tape reserve is used to accommodate the lifting movement.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the distance the take up reel is rewinded is less than 0.5 times the distance between two adjacent analytic aids arranged on the carrier tape.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein activating the tape release comprises rotating the take-up reel in a direction counter to the spooling direction.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein activating the tape release comprises moving a tape deflector positioned between the application position and the take-up reel.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the lifting movement has a maximum lift distance of 2 mm to 10 mm and the tape reserve is 0.2 to 0.8 of the maximum lift distance.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing the tape reserve only on the side of the application position facing the take-up reel.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising using the tape release to hold the tape reserve after the lifting movement of the analytic aid.