Dispensing instrument for fluid monitoring sensors

• US 5,738,244 A
• Filed: 06/10/1996
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Slomski, Dennis, Schumann, Matthew A., Miller, Anne T., Moulton, Joseph L., Charlton, Steven C., Wogoman, Frank W.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, KENNETH W
• Application Number:
  US08/660,874
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 221/30, 221/31, 221/32, 221/13, 221/26, 221/15, 221/7, 221/2, 206/828, 206/569, 206/486, 206/461, 206/305
• US Class Current: 221/26
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00089 Magazines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4875 Details of handling test elements, e.g. dispensing or storage, not specific to a particular test method test-elements per se B01L, automatic analysers G01N35/00, in-vivo analysis on the human body for medical diagnosis A61B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/828 Medicinal content

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.

Claims

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, said sensor pack being disposed in said housing such that one of said sensor retaining means is disposed in a feed position;

a feed means disposed in said housing and movable between a first position and a second position, said feed means piercing said enclosure means to enter one of said plurality of sensor retaining means that is in said feed position and advancing said sensor from said sensor retaining means into a testing position as said feed means is moved from said first position toward said second position; and

holding means to maintain said sensor in said testing position.

2. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing includes an upper case and a lower case with said upper and lower cases being pivotable with respect to each other so that said sensor pack can be disposed in said housing.

3. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 2 including a drive actuator means disposed on said housing and connected to said feed means to move said feed means between said first and second positions and wherein said drive actuator means includes a slide that moves along said upper case such that said feed means is moved between said first and second positions as said slide is moved along said upper case of said housing.

4. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 1 wherein said feed means includes a driver means and a cutting means mounted thereon, said cutting means pierces said enclosure means and engages said sensor to advance said sensor to said testing position as said driver means is moved from said first position towards said second position.

5. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 4 wherein said cutting means is pivotally mounted on said driver means and rides on a cam track disposed in said housing such that said cutting means is moved towards said sensor retaining means as said driver means is moved towards said second position in order for said cutting means to pierce said enclosure means and engage said sensor disposed in said sensor retaining means.

6. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 5 wherein said cutting means further severs said enclosure means after engaging said sensor and forces said sensor through said enclosure means from said sensor retaining means, said sensor being guided into said testing position by guide means disposed within said housing.

7. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 6 wherein said sensor includes sensor contacts, said holding means includes contact means, and said feed means includes cam means engaging said holding means as said sensor is disposed in said testing position such that said sensor is maintained in said testing position with said contact means being coupled to said sensor contacts.

8. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 7 wherein said sensor dispensing instrument includes data processing means coupled to said contact means through said holding means to process data obtained from said sensor.

9. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 5 including lift spring means and wherein said cutting means rides on said lift spring means as said driver means is being returned towards said first position so that said cutting means is moved away from said sensor pack as said feed means is being returned toward said first position.

10. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said sensor retaining means includes a sensor cavity and a desiccant cavity, said desiccant cavity of each of said sensor retaining means being in fluid communication with said sensor cavity of said sensor retaining means.

11. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 10 including desiccant material in each of said plurality of desiccant cavities so that each of said plurality of sensor retaining means is maintained in a desiccate state.

12. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sensor pack includes a generally circular shaped base portion in which said sensor retaining means are formed and said enclosure means is a foil that is heat sealed on said base portion about the outer peripheral edge of said base portion and about each of said sensor retaining means to seal said sensor retaining means with said sensors therein.

13. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 12 wherein each of said sensors has a biased, pointed front edge to sever said foil about said sensor retaining means as said sensor is being advanced from said sensor retaining means.

14. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 12 wherein each of said sensor retaining means includes a sensor cavity and a desiccant cavity in fluid communication with said sensor cavity of said sensor retaining means, said sensor cavity having a support wall on which said sensor is disposed that extends in a radial direction from adjacent the peripheral edge of said base portion toward a center of said base portion, said support wall having a sloped portion that is sloped toward said foil in a direction toward said peripheral edge of said base portion.

15. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 14 wherein said sensor is advanced along said sloped portion of said support wall of said sensor retaining means as said sensor is forced through said foil so that said sensor avoids said heat seal of said foil to said base portion as said sensor is advanced out of said sensor retaining means.

16. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 1 including label means on said sensor pack having data thereon and calibration means in said housing for contacting said label means in order to obtain data therefrom.

17. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 16 including circuit means disposed in a first case portion of said housing and wherein said calibration means is disposed in a second case portion of said housing, said first and second case portions being pivotable with respect to each other between open and closed states, and including somewhat flexible connector means for connecting said circuit means to said calibration means when said first and second case portions are in said closed state.

18. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 17 wherein said connector means is an elastomeric connector that is disposed in a serpentine configured channel whereby said connector means is 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.

19. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 18 wherein said channel includes alternating opposed ridges extending inwardly from opposite side edges of said channel.

20. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 1 including label mode selector means to selectively place said sensor dispensing instrument in a display mode or in a testing mode.

21. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 20 including display means visible through said housing for displaying data when said sensor dispensing instrument is in said display mode.

22. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 21 including input actuating means for controlling said display means and inputting data for said sensor dispensing instrument.

23. 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 feed means disposed in said housing and movable between a first position and a second position, said feed means piercing said enclosure means to enter one of said plurality of sensor retaining means that is in said feed position and advancing said sensor from said sensor retaining means into a testing position as said feed means is moved from said first position toward said second position; and

indexing drive means associated with said feed means to advance said indexing means as said feed means is returned to said first position so as to position another one of said plurality of sensor retaining means in said feed position.

24. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 23 wherein said housing includes an upper case and a lower case with said upper and lower cases being pivotable with respect to each other so that said sensor pack can be disposed on said indexing means in said housing.

25. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 23 wherein said feed means includes a driver means and a cutting means mounted thereon, said cutting means pierces said enclosure means and engages said sensor to advance said sensor to said testing position as said driver means is moved from said first position towards said second position.

26. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 25 wherein said cutting means is pivotally mounted on said driver means and rides on a first portion of a cam track disposed in said housing such that said cutting means is moved towards said sensor retaining means as said driver means is moved towards said second position in order for said cutting means to pierce said enclosure means and engage said sensor disposed in said sensor retaining means.

27. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 26 wherein said cutting means severs said enclosure means after engaging said sensor and forces said sensor through said enclosure means from said sensor retaining means, said sensor being guided into said testing position by guide means disposed within said housing.

28. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 27 wherein said sensor includes sensor contacts, said sensor dispensing instrument includes contact means with positioning means thereon, and said feed means includes a cam means engaging said contact means as said sensor is disposed in said testing position such that said positioning means is forced against said sensor to maintain said sensor in said testing position and assures said contact means are coupled to said sensor contacts.

29. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 28 wherein said sensor dispensing instrument includes data processing means coupled to said contact means to process data obtained from said sensor.

30. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 26 including lift spring means and wherein said cutting means rides on said lift spring means as said driver means is being returned towards said first position so that said cutting means is moved away from said sensor pack as said feed means is being returned toward said first position.

31. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 23 wherein said indexing means is generally circular in shape and includes a plurality of first grooves extending radially from a peripheral edge of said indexing means and a plurality of second grooves, one of said second grooves being associated with each of said first grooves, said second grooves extending curvilinearly with respect to said first groove with which it is associated, said feed means having a pack drive means that travels along one of said first grooves as said feed means is moved from said first position to said second position and travels along said second groove associated with said first groove to thereby rotate said indexing means as said feed means is returned toward said first position from said second position.

32. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 31 wherein each of said first grooves includes a ramp means, said pack drive means travels along said ramp means as said feed means is moved from said first position toward said second position, said ramp means preventing said pack drive means from traveling along said first groove as said feed means is being returned towards said first position from said second position.

33. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 23 wherein said indexing means is rotatably mounted in said housing and includes pack holding means along its outer peripheral edge and said sensor pack includes sensor holding means adapted to engage said pack holding means to maintain said sensor pack on said indexing means such that said sensor pack will rotate with said indexing means.

34. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 33 wherein said sensor holding means includes notches along the outer peripheral edge of said sensor pack into which notches said pack holding means are disposed when said sensor pack is disposed on said indexing means, said notches are positioned on said sensor pack with respect to each of said plurality of sensor retaining means such that one of said plurality of sensor retaining means is positioned in said feed position when said feed means is returned to said first position.

35. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 34 wherein said notches and said sensor retaining means are equally spaced on said sensor pack.

36. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 23 wherein each of said sensor retaining means includes a sensor cavity and a desiccant cavity, said desiccant cavity of each of said sensor retaining means being in fluid communication with said sensor cavity of said sensor retaining means.

37. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 36 including desiccant material in each of said plurality of desiccant cavities so that each of said plurality of sensor retaining means is maintained in a desiccate state.

38. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 23 wherein said sensor pack includes a generally circular shaped base portion in which said sensor retaining means are formed and said enclosure means is a foil that is heat sealed on said base portion about the outer peripheral edge of said base portion and about each of said sensor retaining means to seal said sensor retaining means with said sensors therein.

39. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 38 wherein each of said sensor retaining means includes a sensor cavity and a desiccant cavity in fluid communication with said sensor cavity of said sensor retaining means, said sensor cavity having a support wall on which said sensor is disposed that extends in a radial direction from adjacent the peripheral edge of said base portion toward a center of said base portion, said support wall having a sloped portion that is sloped toward said foil in a direction toward said peripheral edge of said base portion.

40. A sensor dispensing instrument as set forth in claim 39 wherein said sensor is advanced along said sloped portion of said support wall of said sensor retaining means as said sensor is forced through said foil so that said sensor avoids said heat seal of said foil to said base portion as said sensor is advanced out of said sensor retaining means.