Method and apparatus of handling multiple sensors in a glucose monitoring instrument system
First Claim
1. A sensor dispensing instrument for handling of a plurality of fluid sensors comprising:
- a housing having a magazine opening;
a sensor magazine adapted to be disposed in said magazine opening, said sensor magazine having a plurality of sensor slots each of which sensor slots is adapted to accommodate one of said plurality of fluid sensors;
a feed means;
a pivot means engageable with said sensor magazine when said sensor magazine is disposed in said magazine opening for turning said sensor magazine so that one of said plurality of sensor slots is in alignment with said feed means;
indexing means associated with said pivot means to turn said pivot means as said indexing means turns; and
feed actuator means connected to said feed means for advancing said feed means through said sensor slot in alignment with said feed means so that said sensor in said sensor slot is placed into a testing position, wherein a portion of one end of said sensor protrudes from said instrument for further advancing said feed means so that said sensor is ejected from said instrument, and for returning said feed means to a standby position, said feed actuator means being operatively associated with said indexing means to turn said indexing means as said feed actuator means returns said feed means to said standby position to thereby turn said sensor magazine so that another of said plurality of sensor slots is in alignment with said feed means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor dispensing instrument includes a sensor magazine that contains a plurality of blood glucose sensors disposed in sensor slots. Each of the sensor slots is in fluid communication with a desiccant cavity in which desiccant material is disposed. The front and rear walls of the sensor magazine are sealed with burst foils so as to seal the sensor slots and the desiccant cavities. The sensor instrument has an outer housing with a laterally extending magazine opening adapted to receive the sensor magazine. A pivot rod is moved through the magazine and an indexing wheel into an operating position with a detent arm on the instrument housing engaging a detent groove on the magazine to position the magazine in a sensor feeding position. Once so positioned, a sensor push rod is pushed forward resulting in the push rod piercing the rear burst foil and engaging a sensor in one of the sensor slots to thereby push the sensor out through the front burst foil and into a testing position. Once a test is completed, the push rod is advanced forward further to thereby eject the used sensor from the sensor handling instrument. The push rod then is retracted to a standby position. As the push rod is being retracted, a pin associated with the push rod causes the indexing wheel to rotate so that the pivot rod is rotated until the detent arm engages another detent groove so that another sensor slot is in alignment with the push rod.
495 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A sensor dispensing instrument for handling of a plurality of fluid sensors comprising:
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a housing having a magazine opening; a sensor magazine adapted to be disposed in said magazine opening, said sensor magazine having a plurality of sensor slots each of which sensor slots is adapted to accommodate one of said plurality of fluid sensors; a feed means; a pivot means engageable with said sensor magazine when said sensor magazine is disposed in said magazine opening for turning said sensor magazine so that one of said plurality of sensor slots is in alignment with said feed means; indexing means associated with said pivot means to turn said pivot means as said indexing means turns; and feed actuator means connected to said feed means for advancing said feed means through said sensor slot in alignment with said feed means so that said sensor in said sensor slot is placed into a testing position, wherein a portion of one end of said sensor protrudes from said instrument for further advancing said feed means so that said sensor is ejected from said instrument, and for returning said feed means to a standby position, said feed actuator means being operatively associated with said indexing means to turn said indexing means as said feed actuator means returns said feed means to said standby position to thereby turn said sensor magazine so that another of said plurality of sensor slots is in alignment with said feed means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of handling a plurality of fluid sensors comprising:
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installing a sensor magazine into a magazine opening in a housing of a sensor dispensing instrument, said sensor magazine having a plurality of sensor slots, each of which sensor slots is adapted to accommodate one of said plurality of fluid sensors; positioning said sensor magazine so that one of said plurality of sensor slots is in alignment with a feed means; actuating a feed actuator means to advance said feed means through said sensor slot in alignment with said feed means so that said sensor in said sensor slot is placed into a testing position wherein a portion of one end of said sensor protrudes from said instrument; further actuating said feed actuator means so that said feed means is further advanced to eject said sensor from said instrument; returning said feed actuator means to a standby position so as to return said feed means to a standby position with said feed actuator means causing an indexing wheel in said housing to be rotated as said feed means is returned to said standby position to thereby rotate said sensor magazine so that another one of said plurality of sensor slots is placed in alignment with said feed means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification