MULTI-ORIENTATION TEST STRIPE

• US 20150177175A1
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Elder, David, Setford, Steven, Faulkner, Allan, Walsh, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 9,500,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/307 Disposable laminated or multilayered electrodes G01N27/3272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3272 Test elements therefor, i.e. disposable laminated substrates with electrodes, reagent and channels optical biosensors G01N33/52

Abstract

A test strip having conductive surfaces separated by a spacer layer, wherein the spacer layer is comprised of sections forming a plurality of sample chambers that enable the test strip to be inserted into a test meter in a number of possible orientations. The test strip also includes electrical contact pads on opposing sides thereof such that the test meter may separately engage the contact pads depending on the insertion orientation.

Claims

1. A multi-orientation test strip comprising:

a first layer having a first conductive surface;

a second layer having a second conductive surface, the second conductive surface facing the first conductive surface; and

a spacer layer disposed between the first and second layers, the spacer layer comprising a plurality of spacer sections arranged to form a plurality of adjacent sample chambers having a plurality of corresponding sample chamber inlets formed at exterior edges of the test strip, each of the sample chamber inlets in fluid communication with a corresponding one of the sample chambers.

2. The multi-orientation test strip of claim 1, wherein the spacer layer is adhered to the first and second conductive surfaces.

3. The multi-orientation test strip of claim 1, wherein the sample chambers extend between an exterior edge and an interior edge of the test strip.

4. The multi-orientation test strip of claim 3, wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the spacer layer are each polygonal shaped and of a substantially similar size to form a substantially polygonal test strip.

5. The multi-orientation test strip of claim 4, wherein the sample chamber inlets are each disposed at an exterior edge of one of the four sides.

6. The multi-orientation test strip of claim 4, wherein a plurality of corners of the first layer are truncated, and a plurality of corners of the second layer are truncated that are not adjacent to the truncated corners of the first layer, and wherein each of the corners of the spacer layer are truncated, such that each of the first and second conductive layers comprise exposed corners when the test strip is assembled.

7. The multi-orientation test strip of claim 4, wherein the first layer comprises a transparent polyester layer, and wherein the sample chambers are visible through the first polyester layer.

8. The multi-orientation test strip of claim 4, wherein the sample chambers each extend from a sample chamber inlet at a corner of the test strip toward a center of the test strip.

9. The multi-orientation test strip of claim 4, wherein a plurality of sides of the first layer each comprise a notch, a plurality of sides of the second layer each comprise a notch that is not aligned with any notch in the first layer, and wherein a plurality of sides of the spacer layer each comprise two notches each aligned with only one notch in the first layer or in the second layer, such that each of the first and second layers comprises conductive surface regions that are exposed by the notches of the other layer when the test strip is assembled.

10. The multi-orientation test strip of claim 3, wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the spacer layer are each substantially circular in shape and in which the layers are assembled to form a substantially circular test strip.

11. The multi-orientation test strip of claim 10, wherein the sample chamber inlets are each equally spaced along an exterior edge of the test strip.

12. The multi-orientation test strip of claim 11, wherein the first layer comprises a central opening of a first diameter, the second layer comprises a plurality of curved openings delineating a circular pattern, the circular pattern having a second diameter larger than the first diameter, and wherein the spacer layer comprises a plurality of portions disposed radially at the outside edge of the test strip to form the sample chamber inlets, such that the first conductive layer is exposed through the plurality of curved openings in the second layer, and the second conductive layer is exposed through the central opening in the first layer, when the test strip is assembled.

13. A method of performing an analyte measurement using a test strip and a test meter, the method comprising:

providing a test strip comprising a plurality of sample chambers each for receiving a sample therein, the test strip configured to be inserted into the test meter in any one of a plurality of different orientations;

receiving the test strip in the test meter in one of said plurality of orientations;

receiving the sample in one of the plurality of sample chambers; and

performing the analyte measurement in response to receiving the sample.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising rendering accessible to receiving the sample said one of the plurality of sample chambers and rendering inaccessible to receiving the sample at least one other of the plurality of sample chambers.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of providing the test strip includes providing a test strip having first and second electrodes in electrical communication with the plurality of sample chambers.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of providing the test strip includes providing a test strip shaped as a polygon having a number of sample chambers equal to a number of sides of the polygon.

17. An analyte measurement system comprising:

a test strip comprising a first contact pad on a top side of the test strip and a second contact pad on a bottom side of the test strip; and

a test meter having a strip port connector, the strip port connector including;

a first set of electrical contacts configured to make operable contact with the first contact pad when the test strip is inserted into the strip port connector in a first orientation, and to make operable contact with the second contact pad when the test strip is inserted into the strip port connector in a second orientation; and

a second set of electrical contacts configured to make operable contact with the second contact pad when the test strip is inserted into the strip port connector in the first orientation, and to make operable contact with the first contact pad when the test strip is inserted into the strip port connector in the second orientation.

18. The test strip and strip port connector system of claim 17, wherein the test strip further comprises a first sample chamber accessible to receive a sample when the test strip is inserted into the strip port connector in the first orientation, and a second sample chamber accessible to receive the sample when the test strip is inserted into the strip port connector in the second orientation.

19. The test strip and strip port connector system of claim 18, wherein the first sample chamber is inaccessible to receive the sample when the test strip is inserted into the strip port connector in the second orientation, and the second sample chamber is inaccessible to receive the sample when the test strip is inserted into the strip port connector in the first orientation.

20. The test strip and strip port connector system of claim 17, wherein the first and second orientations are offset by ninety degrees or less.

21. (canceled)

21-1. (canceled)