Cuvette

• US 4,873,993 A
• Filed: 07/13/1987
• Issued: 10/17/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Personal Diagnostics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Personal Diagnostics, Inc.
• Inventors: Palmieri, Thomas, Meserol, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lacyk, J. P.
• Application Number:
  US07/069,505
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 128/760, 128/762, 128/763, 128/770, 128/633, 422/102, 356/244, 356/246, 356/39-42
• US Class Current: 600/573
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• 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 5/150519 Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the single-ended needle to a piercing device or sampling device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150549 Protectors removed by rotational movement, e.g. torsion or screwing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150633 Protective sleeves which are axially extensible, e.g. sleeves connected to, or integrated in, the piercing or driving device; pivotable protective sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15105 Purely manual piercing, i.e. the user pierces the skin without the assistance of any driving means or driving devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1513 comprising linear sliding guides comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15144 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for retracting the piercing unit into the housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15194 fully automatically retracted, i.e. the retraction does not require a deliberate action by the user, e.g. by terminating the contact with the patient's skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0378 Shapes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/03 Cuvette constructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/0303 Optical path conditioning in cuvettes, e.g. windows; adapted optical elements or systems; path modifying or adjustment G01N21/031 - G01N21/15 take precedence

Abstract

Cuvette with or without a lancet secured thereto and extending therefrom for producing skin puncture to produce body fluid of interest, the cuvette is made of optically transparent material and is provided with a shape and a plurality of optical elements such as integrally formed optical elements for causing a light beam to pass therethrough by total internal reflectance and for causing the beam of light to be reflected back along a line different from the direction of the line of entry of the beam of light into the cuvette such as back along a line generally parallel to the line of entry of the beam of light into the cuvette and in the opposite direction to the direction of entry of the beam of light into the cuvette.

Claims

1. A combination lancet and cuvette apparatus, comprising:

cuvette providing a cavity for receiving an optically transparent medium including a reagent test system for reacting with a sample portion of a fluid of interest;

said cuvette made of optically transparent material and provided with a shape and optical elements for causing a beam of light to pass therethrough and through said medium by total internal reflectance and for causing said beam of light to be reflected back along a line different from the direction of the line of entry of said light beam into said cuvette;

a lancet provided on and extending from said cuvette and including a rearward portion and a forward tip for producing skin puncture to produce said body fluid of interest;

said cuvette comprising a cuvette body member including a generally funnel-shaped upper portion including a bottom and an inwardly extending generally spherical surface providing a depression, and a closed wall portion formed integrally with said upper portion and extending downwardly therefrom, said closed wall including opposed wall portions provided with integrally formed opposed angular portions providing said optical elements with each optical element including flat outer and inner surfaces for being disposed perpendicular to said beam of light and an outer angular surface for being disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to one of said flat surfaces;

said lancet comprising a lancet support member including a resilient rearward portion and a forward portion, said rearward and forward portions of said lancet support member cooperatively providing an internal chamber for slidably receiving said lancet with said forward tip of said lancet extending outwardly out of said lancet support member through an opening formed in said forward portion of said lancet support member and with said rearward portion of said lancet secured to said resilient rearward portion of said lancet support member, upon sufficient force being applied externally to said resilient rearward portion of said lancet support member said resilient rearward portion being bowed inwardly to advance said lancet sufficiently forward to cause said forward tip of said lancet to produce said skin puncture and provide said body fluid of interest;

said closed wall including a bottom portion and said rearward portion of said lancet support member including a top portion, said bottom and top portions provided with mutually engageable connecting members for securing said lancet support member to the bottom portion of said closed wall and upon said top portion of said rearward portion of said lancet support member being secured to said bottom portion of said closed wall, said top portion of said rearward portion of said lancet support member, said closed wall and said bottom of said generally funnel-shaped upper portion providing in combination said cavity for receiving said medium including a reagent test system;

said bottom of said generally funnel-shaped upper portion provided with a centrally formed access opening extending therethrough and providing access to said cavity for said sample portion and said depression for facilitating wiping of said sample portion of said fluid of interest into and through said access opening and into said cavity; and

upon said beam of light perpendicularly striking said outer flat surface of one of said angular portions of said closed wall, said beam of light entering and passing into said one angular portion substantially without refractance and striking the interface between said outer angular surface of said one angular portion and the surrounding medium at an angle above the critical angle for total internal reflectance and being reflected internally therefrom through said one angular portion and exiting said flat inner surface of said one angular portion substantially without refractance, said beam of light continuing through said cavity, through said optically transparent medium and perpendicularly striking said flat outer surface of said other angular portion and passing into said other angular portion substantially without refraction and striking the interface between said outer angular surface of said other angular portion and the surrounding medium at an angle above the critical angle for total internal reflectance and being reflected internally therefrom through said other angular portion and perpendicularly exiting said outer flat surface of said other angular portion substantially without refractance.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mutually engageable connecting members comprise a plurality of outwardly extending tapered posts provided on one of said bottom portion of said closed wall and top portion of said rearward member and a plurality of inwardly extending tapered holes for receiving said posts in interference fit provided on the other of said bottom portion of said closed wall and said top portion of said rearward portion of said lancet support member.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said apparatus further includes a protective member molded integrally on the forward tip of said lancet, said protective member for being removed by being twisted relative to said forward tip of said lancet prior to said skin puncture.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 4 wherein said apparatus further includes a sealing cap including a bottom surface substantially complementary in shape to said top surface of said generally funnel-shaped upper portion of said cuvette and including a centrally formed, downwardly extending plug member complementary in shape to said access opening formed in the bottom of said generally funnel-shaped upper portion and for being received in an interference fit with said access opening to seal said cavity.

4. Cuvette apparatus, comprising

cuvette providing a cavity for receiving an optically transparent medium including a reagent test system for reacting with a sample portion of a fluid of interest;

said cuvette made of optically transparent material and provided with a shape and optical elements for causing a beam of light to pass therethrough and through said medium by total internal reflectance and for causing said beam of light to be reflected back along a line different from the direction of the line of entry of said light beam into said cuvette;

said cuvette comprising a cuvette body member including a generally funnel-shaped upper portion including a bottom and an inwardly extending generally spherical surface providing a depression, and a closed wall portion formed integrally with said upper portion and extending downwardly therefrom, said closed wall including opposed wall portions provided with integrally formed opposed angular portions providing said optical elements with each optical element including flat outer and inner surfaces for being disposed perpendicular to said beam of light and an outer angular surface for being disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to one of said flat surfaces;

bottom means providing a bottom of said closed wall and said bottom means, said closed wall and said bottom of said generally funnel-shaped upper portion providing in combination said cavity for receiving said medium including a reagent test system;

said bottom of said generally funnel-shaped upper portion provided with a centrally formed access opening extending therethrough and providing access to said cavity for said sample portion and said depression for facilitating wiping of said sample portion of said fluid of interest into and through said access opening and into said cavity; and

upon said beam of light perpendicularly striking said outer flat surface of one of said angular portions of said closed wall, said beam of light entering and passing into said one angular portion substantially without refractance and striking the interface between said outer angular surface of said one angular portion and the surrounding medium at an angle above the critical angle for total internal reflectance and being reflected internally therefrom through said one angular portion and perpendicularly exiting said flat inner surface of said one angular portion substantially without refractance, said beam of light continuing through said cavity and said optically transparent medium and perpendicularly striking said flat inner surface of said other angular portion and passing into said other angular portion substantially without refraction and striking the interface between said outer angular surface of said other angular portion and the surrounding medium at an angle above the critical angle for total internal reflectance and being reflected internally therefrom through said other angular portion and perpendicularly exiting said outer flat surface of said other angular portion substantially without refractance.