Contamination-free method and apparatus for measuring body fluid chemical parameters
First Claim
1. An apparatus for obtaining a body fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzing comprising:
- a generally cylindrical cartridge having at least two calibrating fluid chambers and a sample chamber, each of said chambers communicating with a respective fluid port opening on a common end-wall of said cartridge at locations that are symmetrically positioned about the axis of said cylindrical cartridge; and
respective calibrating fluids contained in said calibrating fluid chambers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sample of a body fluid, such as blood, is collected in a cartridge having a sample chamber for storing the sample and one or more calibration chambers, each for storing a respective calibration fluid. The fluid sample is drawn ino the sample chamber by placing the sample chamber in fluid communication with a needle inserted into the fluid sample and applying a vacuum to the chamber using either a syringe or internal vacuum. A body fluid sample may also be drawn into the sample chamber from a syringe or capillary tube containing the fluid sample. The cartridge may be either planar or cylindrical. The chambers of a cylindrical cartridge may be either elongated voids symmetrically positioned about the longitudinal axis of the cartridge or axially spaced annular voids. One or more sensors, such as ion-sensitive electrodes, are placed in contact with the fluid sample and calibrating fluids(s) by either placing the sensor(s) in contact with externally accessible chambers or by allowing the fluid sample and calibrating fluid(s) to flow from the chambers past the sensor(s). In the event that the sensor(s) are placed in direct contact with externally accessible chambers, the sensor(s) may be scanned from one chamber to the next by an automatic drive mechanism.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. An apparatus for obtaining a body fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzing comprising:
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a generally cylindrical cartridge having at least two calibrating fluid chambers and a sample chamber, each of said chambers communicating with a respective fluid port opening on a common end-wall of said cartridge at locations that are symmetrically positioned about the axis of said cylindrical cartridge; and respective calibrating fluids contained in said calibrating fluid chambers. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An apparatus for obtaining a body fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed, comprising:
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a cartridge having a sample chamber, first and second calibrating fluid chambers, and first and second drying chambers positioned adjacent said first and second calibrating chambers, respectively; a first calibrating fluid adapted to calibrate an analyzer with which said apparatus is adapted to be used, said first calibrating fluid being contained in said first calibrating fluid chamber; a second calibrating fluid adapted to calibrate said analyzer at a different calibration point from said calibrating fluid, said second calibrating fluid being contained in said second calibrating fluid chamber; a dry, fluid absorbent material contained in said first and second drying chambers; and access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber, said calibrating fluid chambers and said drying chambers. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. An apparatus for obtaining a body fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed comprising:
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a cartridge having a calibrating fluid chamber and a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port; a calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating fluid chamber; a fluid absorbent material contained in said calibrating fluid chamber, said fluid absorbent material being saturated with said calibrating fluid; a reservoir chamber communicating with said calibrating fluid chamber, said reservoir chamber containing a supply of said calibrating fluid to maintain said fluid absorbent material saturated with said calibrating fluid; and access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber and said calibrating fluid chamber.
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6. An apparatus for obtaining a body fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed, comprising:
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a cartridge having a calibrating fluid chamber and a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port; a calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating fluid chamber; access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber and said calibrating fluid chamber; a fitting communicating with said first externally accessible fluid port for attaching said cartridge to a needle so that said needle communicates with said sample chamber tghrough said externally accessible port; and a second externally acessible fluid port communicating with said first externally accessible fluid port through said sample chamber, said second fluid port having a fitting for attaching said cartridge to a syringe so that said syringe can draw said fluid sample into said sample chamber through said needle.
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7. An apparatus for obtaining a fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed comprising:
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a cartridge having a calibrating fluid chamber and a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port; a calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating fluid chamber; access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber and said calibrating fluid chamber; a fitting communicating with said first externally accessible fluid port for attaching said cartridge to a needle so that said needle communicates with said sample champer through said externally accessible port; and a second externally accessible fluid port communicating with said first externally accessible fluid port through a bypass conduit in fluid communication with said sample chamber, said second fluid port having a fitting for attaching said cartridge to a syringe so that said syringe can draw said body fluid sample through said needle and bypass conduit, threby allowing said fluid sample to flow into said sample chamber.
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8. An apparatus for obtaining a fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed, comprising:
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a cartridge having a calibrating fluid chamber and a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port; a calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating fluid chamber; access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber and said calibrating fluid chamber; a vacuum chamber communicating with said first externally accessible fluid port through said sample chamber land; a resilient membrane covering said first fluid to maintain the vacuum in said vacuum chamber and said sample chamber, whereby a body fluid sample may be collected in said sample chamber by puncturing said membrane with a needle that has been placed in contact with said fluid sample. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for obtaining a fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed, comprising:
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a cartridge having a calibrating fluid chamber and a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port; a calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating fluid chamber; access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber and said calibrating fluid chamber; and a tapered needle shield attached to said cartridge adjacent said first externally accessible fluid port, said needle shield flaring outwardly from an aperture communicating with said first fluid port so that a needle mounted on a syringe containing a body fluid sample can be inserted into said first externally accessible fluid port to inject said fluid sample into said sample chamber.
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12. An apparatus for obtaining a fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed, comprising:
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a cartridge having a calibrating fluid chamber and a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port; a calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating fluid chamber; access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber and said calibrating fluid chamber; and a reagent contained within said sample chamber, said reagent being chemically reactive with said body fluid sample to alter the chemical or optical properties of said reagent as a function of a chemical parameter of said fluid sample.
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13. A system for obtaining and analyzing a body fluid sample, comprising:
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a disposable cartridge having a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port through which said body fluid sample may flow into said sample chamber and a calibrating chamber containing a calibrating fluid, said cartridge further including sample means for drawing a body fluid sample into said sample chamber through said first externally accessible fluid port, and access means for allowing external access to the body fluid sample drawn into said sample chamber and the calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating chamber; and an analysis device adapted to temporarily interface with said access means to allow said body fluid sample in said sample chamber to be analyzed, said analysis device having a sensor in fluid communication with said access means to allow said fluid sample and said calibrating fluid to contact said sensor when said access means is temporarily placed in fluid communication with said sensor, said analysis device further including electoronic means connected to said sensor for providing an electrical indication of the results of an analysis of a body fluid sample in contact with said sensor whereby said analysis device can be repetitively used to analyze a large number of body fluid samples contained in respective disposable cartridges using a single reusable sensor contained in said analysis device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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37. A method of collecting and analyzing a body fluid sample, comprising:
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collecting a plurality of body fluid samples in respective cartridges directly from respective patients, temporarily placing each of said cartridges in contact with an analyzer having a sensor and electronic circuitry connected to said sensor to provide an electrical indication of an analysis of a body fluid sample in communication with said sensor, said cartridges being placed in contact with said analyzer so that said sensor is in communication with said body fluid sample in said cartridge while said sample is contained in said cartridge and disposing of said cartridges. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 53, 54, 55)
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Specification