Dispensing instrument for fluid monitoring sensors
First Claim
1. A sensor dispensing instrument for handling of a plurality of fluid sensors comprising:
- an outer housing;
a sensor pack having a plurality of sensor retaining means, each of which sensor retaining means being adapted to accommodate one of said plurality of fluid sensors and is at least partially enclosed by enclosure means;
indexing means mounted in said housing, said sensor pack being disposed on said indexing means so as to be advanced as said indexing means is advanced such that one of said sensor retaining means is disposed in a feed position;
a driver means disposed in said housing and movable between a first position and a second position, said driver means having a cutting means pivotally mounted thereon and riding on a cam track disposed in said housing as said driver means is moved from said first position towards said second position whereby said cutting means travels along said cam track so as to pivot towards one of said plurality of sensor retaining means to thereby pierce said enclosure means to enter into said one of said plurality of sensor retaining means that is in said feed position and to engage said sensor to advance said sensor from said sensor retaining means into a testing position;
indexing drive means associated with said driver means and said indexing means to advance said indexing means as said driver means is returned to said first position so as to position another one of said plurality of sensor retaining means in said feed position as said driver means is being returned to said first position; and
lifting means disposed in said housing relative to said cam track for lifting said cutting means away from said sensor pack as said driver means is being returned towards said first position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor dispensing instrument is adapted to receive a generally circular sensor pack containing a plurality of blood glucose sensors. Each of the sensors are disposed in sensor cavities, each of which is in fluid communication with a corresponding desiccant cavity and has a support wall that assists in directing the sensor as its being ejected from the cavity. The sensor pack is loaded on an indexing disk in the instrument such that when a slide actuator on the instrument is moved toward a testing position, a feed mechanism engaged by the slide actuator moves a knife blade thereon toward one of the sensor cavities. The knife blade pierces a portion of a foil covering the sensor cavity and engages the sensor disposed in the cavity to thereby eject the sensor from the sensor cavity. The continued sliding of the slide actuator toward its testing position results in the sensor being completely ejected from the sensor cavity and disposed in a testing position with a testing end of the sensor projecting from the instrument. Once the blood analyzing test is completed, the slide actuator is moved in the opposite direction towards its standby position. As the slide actuator is moved away from its testing position, the indexing disk with the sensor pack thereon is rotated so that the next one of sensor cavities is positioned so that the sensor therein can be used for the next blood glucose test that is to be performed. The instrument includes circuitry to obtain test data from the sensor pack and to display testing data.
564 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A sensor dispensing instrument for handling of a plurality of fluid sensors comprising:
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an outer housing; a sensor pack having a plurality of sensor retaining means, each of which sensor retaining means being adapted to accommodate one of said plurality of fluid sensors and is at least partially enclosed by enclosure means; indexing means mounted in said housing, said sensor pack being disposed on said indexing means so as to be advanced as said indexing means is advanced such that one of said sensor retaining means is disposed in a feed position; a driver means disposed in said housing and movable between a first position and a second position, said driver means having a cutting means pivotally mounted thereon and riding on a cam track disposed in said housing as said driver means is moved from said first position towards said second position whereby said cutting means travels along said cam track so as to pivot towards one of said plurality of sensor retaining means to thereby pierce said enclosure means to enter into said one of said plurality of sensor retaining means that is in said feed position and to engage said sensor to advance said sensor from said sensor retaining means into a testing position; indexing drive means associated with said driver means and said indexing means to advance said indexing means as said driver means is returned to said first position so as to position another one of said plurality of sensor retaining means in said feed position as said driver means is being returned to said first position; and lifting means disposed in said housing relative to said cam track for lifting said cutting means away from said sensor pack as said driver means is being returned towards said first position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A sensor dispensing instrument for handling of a plurality of fluid sensors comprising:
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an outer housing including first and second case portions pivotable with respect to each other between open and closed states; a sensor pack having a plurality of sensor retaining means, each of which sensor retaining means being adapted to accommodate one of said plurality of fluid sensors and is at least partially enclosed by enclosure means, said sensor pack being disposed in said first case portion of said housing such that one of said sensor retaining means is disposed in a feed position; a driver means disposed in said housing, having a cutting means and movable between a first position and a second position such that said cutting means is moved towards one of said plurality of sensor retaining means that is in said feed position as said driver means is moved towards said second position in order for said cutting means to pierce said enclosure means, engage said sensor disposed in said sensor retaining means and advance said sensor from said sensor retaining means into a testing position as said driver means is moved from said first position toward said second position; label means on said sensor pack having data thereon; circuit means disposed in said first case portion of said housing; calibration means disposed in said second case portion of said housing for contacting said label means in order to obtain data therefrom; and an elastomeric connector that is disposed in a serpentine configured channel for connecting said circuit means to said calibration means when said first and second case portions are in said closed state, said connector being maintained in said channel when said first and second case portions are in said open state and is compressed between said circuit means and said calibration means when said first and second case portions are in said closed state. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification