TEST STRIP EJECTOR FOR MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20140219712A1
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Hanson, James R., Bishop, Will A., Trese, Joyce A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,494,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 403/322.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0295 Strip shaped analyte sensors for apparatus classified in A61B5/145 or A61B5/157
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00108 Test strips, e.g. paper
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00138 Slides
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3273 Devices therefor, e.g. test element readers, circuitry details not specific to biochemical electrodes G01N33/4875
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4875 Details of handling test elements, e.g. dispensing or storage, not specific to a particular test method test-elements per se B01L, automatic analysers G01N35/00, in-vivo analysis on the human body for medical diagnosis A61B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/591 having operating mechanism

Abstract

A system for receiving and ejecting a fluid testing device test strip includes a strip connector having first and second guide rails, and divider walls each having a channel. A sled has first and second legs connected to a cross member. Each leg has a contact leg extending inwardly from a chamfered end. The first and second legs when positioned parallel to the guide rails have the contact leg captured in the divider wall channels retaining the sled in sliding contact with the guide rails for motions in loading and ejection directions. A mechanism assembly is movably connected to the fluid testing device. The cross member is coupled so operation in a first direction displaces the sled in the loading direction positioning the sled in a test strip test position, and opposite operation positions the contact legs in direct contact with and ejects the test strip.

Claims

1. A test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device, the system comprising:

a strip connector including first and second guide rails, and first and second divider walls between the first and second guide rails, each of the first and second divider walls having a channel;

a sled having parallel first and second legs connected to a cross member, each of the legs having a contact leg extending inwardly from a chamfered end, the first and second legs when positioned in an orientation parallel to the first and second guide rails having the contact leg of each of the first and second legs captured in the channel of one of the first or second divider walls acting to retain the sled in sliding continuous contact with the first and second guide rails for sled motion in each of a loading direction and an ejection direction; and

a mechanism assembly movably connected to the fluid testing device, the cross member of the sled coupled to the mechanism assembly such that operation of the mechanism assembly in a first direction displaces the sled in the loading direction to position the sled in a test strip test position, and opposite operation of the mechanism assembly in a second direction displaces the sled in the ejection direction away from the test strip test position and to position the contact legs in direct contact with the test strip to eject the test strip from the fluid testing device by sled travel toward a test strip ejection position.

2. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 1, wherein the guide rails each include a guide rail planar portion upon which the sled is disposed in sliding contact.

3. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 2, wherein the contact legs are individually and oppositely angularly oriented with respect to the planar portion of one of the guide rails, thereby each defining an angle beta.

4. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 3, wherein the angle beta ranges from approximately 20 to approximately 70 degrees.

5. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second legs includes a leg planar portion aligned parallel with and in sliding contact with the guide rail planar portion of one of the first or second guide rails.

6. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 1, wherein to allow the contact leg of each of the first and second legs to be received in the recessed portion of the guide rails the legs are outwardly displaceable away from each other with the legs angularly oriented with respect to guide rails and the chamfered end abutting the guide rails.

7. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 1, wherein the legs each include a convex portion transitioning into a concave portion, the concave portion capturing a guide rail bottom side of one of the first and second guide rails allowing retention of the sled with respect to the first and second guide rails.

8. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 6, wherein the first contact leg is oppositely directed with respect to the convex portion of the first leg and the second contact leg is oppositely directed with respect to the convex portion of the second leg.

9. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 1, wherein the fluid testing device includes a printed circuit board having the mechanism assembly connected thereto.

10. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 9, wherein the mechanism assembly includes:

a mounting pin connected to the printed circuit board;

a button body having an elongated slot receiving the mounting pin allowing the button body to slide inwardly and outwardly with respect to the fluid testing medical device; and

an actuator arm rotatably coupled to the mounting pin and rotatably connected to each of the button body and the cross member of the sled such that inward sliding motion of the button body induces axial rotation of the actuator arm and displacement of the sled in the ejection direction.

11. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 1, wherein the mechanism assembly includes an actuator arm having an engagement post extending from the actuator arm;

and the cross member of the sled includes an elongated slot, the engagement post positioned in the elongated slot such that rotation of the actuator arm with respect to a longitudinal axis slidably displaces the sled.

12. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 11, wherein the mechanism assembly further includes a button body disposed to slide inwardly and outwardly with respect to the fluid testing medical device, the button body rotatably coupled to the actuator arm such that sliding displacement of the button body causes rotation of the actuator arm with respect to the longitudinal axis.

13. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 1, wherein the mechanism assembly includes a mounting pin having a first pin portion and a second pin portion, the second pin portion having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first pin portion such that a pin shoulder is created between the first and second pin portions.

14. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 13, wherein the mechanism assembly further includes a button body having an elongated slot receiving the first portion of mounting pin allowing the button body to slide inwardly and outwardly with respect to the fluid testing medical device, the button body supported on the pin shoulder of the mounting pin.

15. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 13, wherein the mechanism assembly further includes an actuator arm rotatably coupled to the second pin portion of the mounting pin permitting only rotational motion of the actuator arm with respect to a longitudinal axis extending longitudinally through the mounting pin, the actuator arm coupled to the cross member of the sled such that rotational motion of the actuator arm induces sliding displacement of the sled.

19. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 13, wherein the free end of the first and second legs of the sled is chamfered defining an angle with respect to a planar surface of each of the first and second guide rails when the sled is coupled in sliding contact with the first and second guide rails.

16. A test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device, the system comprising:

a strip connector including first and second guide rails, and first and second divider walls positioned between the first and second guide rails, each of the first and second divider walls having a channel;

a sled having parallel first and second legs connected to a cross member, the cross member received in a cavity between the first and second guide rails, each of the legs having a contact leg extending inwardly from a free end, the first and second legs when positioned in an orientation parallel to the first and second guide rails having the contact leg of each of the first and second legs captured in the channel of one of the first or second divider walls thereafter retaining the sled in sliding continuous contact with the first and second guide rails for sled motion in each of a loading direction and an ejection direction; and

a mechanism assembly movably connected to the fluid testing device, the cross member of the sled coupled to the mechanism assembly such that operation of the mechanism assembly in a first direction displaces the sled in the loading direction to position the sled in a test strip test position, and opposite operation of the mechanism assembly in a second direction displaces the sled in the ejection direction away from the test strip test position and to position the contact legs in direct contact with the test strip to eject the test strip from the fluid testing device by sled travel toward a test strip ejection position.

17. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 16, wherein the cross member includes first and second spaced apart flanges acting to stiffen the cross member, the first and second flanges positioned entirely within the cavity between the first and second guide rails.

18. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 17, wherein the strip connector includes multiple insulator members, and the first flange is aligned with and contacts the insulator members thereby defining a travel stop for the sled in the ejection direction.

20. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 16, wherein the strip connector includes a test strip receiving port for slidable receipt of the test strip, the channel of each of the first and second divider walls aligned in parallel with the test strip receiving port.

21. A test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device, the system comprising:

a strip connector including first and second guide rails and first and second divider walls positioned between the first and second guide rails, each of the first and second divider walls having a channel;

a sled having parallel first and second legs connected to a cross member separating the first and second legs by an initial spacing, each of the legs having a chamfered end and a contact leg extending inwardly from the chamfered end, the legs initially displaced outwardly with respect to the initial spacing with the chamfered end positioned parallel with respect to the guide rails such that the contact leg of each of the first and second legs is received in the channel of one of the first or second divider walls, the first and second legs subsequently when rotated to an orientation parallel to the first and second guide rails allowing the legs to spring back to the initial spacing thereby capturing the contact leg of each of the first and second legs in the channel to retain the sled in sliding continuous contact with the first and second guide rails for sled motion in each of a loading direction and an ejection direction;

a member movably connected to the fluid testing device, the cross member of the sled coupled to the member such that member movement in a first direction displaces the sled in the loading direction to position the sled in a test strip test position, and opposite member movement in a second direction operates to displace the sled in the ejection direction away from the test strip test position and to position the contact legs in direct contact with the test strip to eject the test strip from the fluid testing device by sled travel toward a test strip ejection position.

22. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 21, wherein the first and second legs are oriented in mirror image to each other, and each includes a convex portion transitioning into a concave portion, the concave portion adapted to capture a guide rail bottom side.

23. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 21, further including an elongated slot created in the cross member, wherein a post extending from the member is slidably received and rotatable in the elongated slot.

24. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 21, wherein the strip connector further includes multiple insulator members contacted by the cross member of the sled to stop sliding displacement of the sled in the ejection direction.

25. The test strip ejector system for receiving and ejecting a test strip of a fluid testing medical device of claim 24, further including first and second flanges extending transversely from the cross member, the first flange contacting the multiple insulator members to stop the sled.