LOW FORCE ELECTRICAL CONTACT ON METALIZED DEFORMABLE SUBSTRATES

• US 20140273549A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Sauers, Matthew C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,461,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/62
• 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 33/48785 Electrical and electronic details of measuring devices for physical analysis of liquid biological material not specific to a particular test method, e.g. user interface or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/00 Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures printed connections to, or between, printed circuits H05K1/11
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/716 Coupling device provided on the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2442 with a single cantilevered beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/41 by frictional grip in grommet, panel or base
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7039 the coupling part with coding means activating the switch to establish different circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/20 for testing or measuring purposes

Abstract

A system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid includes a test strip for receiving a sample of the biological fluid having multiple contacts formed thereon. A test device includes a circuit board having multiple conducting strips. A connector assembly is fixed to the circuit board and receives the test strip as the test strip moves in an insertion direction to a test position. The connector assembly includes a connector assembly body and multiple conductors. Each of the conductors includes a conductor contact body fixedly connected to the connector assembly body, and a contact arm integrally connected to the conductor contact body and freely extending entirely in the insertion direction. The contact arm is deflected when directly contacted by one of the multiple contacts of the test strip.

Claims

1. A system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid, comprising:

a connector assembly receiving a test strip moved in an insertion direction to a test position, the connector assembly including;

a connector assembly body; and

a conductor having;

a conductor contact body fixedly connected to the connector assembly body; and

a contact arm integrally connected to the conductor contact body and freely extending entirely in the insertion direction.

2. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 1, wherein the connector assembly is mounted to a circuit board thereby defining a circuit board assembly, the circuit board assembly retained in a test device.

3. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 2, further including:

an extending portion of the conductor contact body; and

a conducting strip of the circuit board directly contacted by the extending portion of the conductor contact body.

4. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 1, further including a metal plate connected to the connector assembly body using multiple snap connectors to fasten the metal plate to the connector assembly body.

5. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 4, wherein the metal plate includes a formed end portion angularly oriented with respect to the metal plate to align a test strip with the slot.

6. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 4, further including:

an extending portion of the conductor contact body; and

the connector assembly body includes an elongated slot through which the extending portion freely extends.

7. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 1, further including:

a test strip for receiving a sample of the biological fluid having a contact formed thereon; and

the contact arm aligned to directly contact the contact of the test strip.

8. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 7, wherein the contact arm defines a beam trailing along the contact as the test strip moves in the insertion direction.

9. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 1, wherein the conductor includes coined edges defining bi-directionally curved surfaces minimizing a surface area of the conductor in contact with the test strip.

10. A system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid, comprising:

a test strip for receiving a sample of the biological fluid having multiple contacts formed thereon; and

a test device having;

a circuit board having multiple conducting strips; and

a connector assembly fixed to the circuit board and receiving the test strip as the test strip moves in an insertion direction to a test position, the connector assembly including;

a connector assembly body; and

multiple conductors, each having;

a conductor contact body fixedly connected to the connector assembly body; and

a contact arm integrally connected to the conductor contact body and freely extending entirely in the insertion direction, the contact arm initially deflected during insertion of the test strip and directly in contact with one of the contacts of the test strip in a test strip installed position.

11. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 10, wherein the conductor contact body of each of the multiple conductors includes an extending portion that extends freely outside of the connector assembly and directly contacts one of the conducting strips of the circuit board.

12. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 11, wherein each of the conductors further includes an engagement body integrally connected to the conductor contact body and oppositely directed with respect to an end face of the extending portion.

13. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 12, wherein the engagement body is fixed in a receiving cavity created in the connector assembly body.

14. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 12, wherein the engagement body includes at least one engagement rib extending outwardly away from the engagement body to provide additional surface area for frictional contact and retention of the engagement body.

15. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 10, wherein the connector assembly body includes multiple elongated slots each receiving one of the multiple conductors thereby sequentially spacing the conductors from each other at a spacing equaling a spacing between successive ones of the test strip contacts.

16. A system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid, comprising:

a test strip for receiving a sample of the biological fluid and having a contact formed thereon; and

a fluid analysis test device having a connector for receiving the test strip as it moves in an insertion direction, the connector including;

a beam created from a flat sheet aligned to directly contact a surface of the contact, the beam trailing along the contact as the test strip moves in the insertion direction; and

coined edges of the beam each defining a bi-directionally curved surface minimizing a pressure area of a portion of the conductor in contact with the test strip.

17. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 16, wherein the fluid analysis test device further includes a circuit board having multiple conducting strips.

18. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 17, further including a connector assembly having a connector assembly body mounted to the circuit board with the beam positioned in the connector assembly body.

19. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 18, wherein the beam includes a conductor contact body fixedly connected to the connector assembly body.

20. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 19, wherein the beam is integrally connected to the conductor contact body and the beam extends entirely in the insertion direction, the beam deflected when in direct contact with the test strip contact.

21. The system for measuring an analyte of interest in a biological fluid of claim 18, wherein the connector assembly body includes a slot receiving the test strip as the test strip moves in an insertion direction to a test position defined when the test strip is positioned partially within the connector assembly body.