Cartridge for packaging a sensor in a fluid calibrant
First Claim
1. A cartridge for packaging a fluid calibrant containing an analyte, comprising:
- an analyte-impermeable container having an opening;
a substantially analyte-impermeable sealing member sealing the opening;
a probe comprising an analyte detecting portion and a connecting portion;
a septum that divides the container into a calibrant compartment that contains the fluid calibrant having a predetermined analyte concentration and an outer compartment that communicates with the opening; and
wherein the probe extends sealingly through the septum such that the analyte-detecting portion of the probe is located in the calibrant compartment and the connecting portion is located in the outer compartment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a cartridge for packaging an analyte-containing fluid calibrant. The cartridge is formed from a container having an opening sealed by a sealing member. A septum divides the container into a calibrant compartment and an outer compartment. A probe is provided comprising an analyte-detecting portion and a connecting portion that allows for operative connection to a device for quantitating or determining the concentration of the analyte. The probe may extend sealingly through the septum such that the analyte-detecting portion is located in the calibrant compartment and the connecting portion is located in the outer compartment. The construction of the cartridge provides ease and reduces the likelihood of error in calibrating the probe. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing the cartridge and a method for calibrating a device for analyte concentration determination and quantitation using the inventive cartridge.
66 Citations
64 Claims
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1. A cartridge for packaging a fluid calibrant containing an analyte, comprising:
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an analyte-impermeable container having an opening;
a substantially analyte-impermeable sealing member sealing the opening;
a probe comprising an analyte detecting portion and a connecting portion;
a septum that divides the container into a calibrant compartment that contains the fluid calibrant having a predetermined analyte concentration and an outer compartment that communicates with the opening; and
wherein the probe extends sealingly through the septum such that the analyte-detecting portion of the probe is located in the calibrant compartment and the connecting portion is located in the outer compartment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 60, 61, 62, 64)
(a) providing the cartridge of claim 1;
(b) removing the sealing member;
(c) connecting the analyte-detecting portion of the probe to a device in need of calibration for quantitating or determining the concentration of the analyte; and
(d) calibrating the device from the predetermined analyte concentration in the fluid calibrant before the analyte concentration deviates from a desired concentration range.
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61. The method of claim 60, wherein cartridge provided in step (a) further comprise a sensor responsive to an analyte, wherein the sensor is contained in the probe, communicates with the calibrant compartment through the analyte-detecting portion of the probe and is operatively connected to the connecting portion of the probe and step (c) results in the operative connection between the sensor and the device.
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62. The method of claim 60, further comprising, after step (b) and before step (c), (b′
- ) inserting a sensor in operative connection with the device into the probe such that the sensor communicates with the calibrant compartment through the analyte-detecting portion of the probe.
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64. A method for calibrating a device for quantitating or determining the concentration of an analyte for use with the cartridge of claim 26, comprising:
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(a) providing the cartridge of claim 26;
(b) removing the sealing member;
(c) inserting a probe having an analyte-detecting portion to extend through the opening of the container and to sealingly pierce through the membrane such that the analyte-detecting portion of the probe is placed in the calibrant compartment, wherein the probe is operatively connected to a device in need of calibration for quantitating or determining the concentration of the analyte; and
(d) calibrating the device from the predetermined analyte concentration in the fluid calibrant before the analyte concentration deviates from a desired concentration range.
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28. A cartridge for packaging a fluid calibrant containing an analyte, comprising:
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an analyte-impermeable container defining a volume and having an opening;
a fluid calibrant containing an analyte within the container;
a probe comprising an analyte-detecting portion, a sealing portion, and a connecting portion; and
wherein the analyte-detecting portion of the probe is located within the container, the sealing portion is adapted to seal the container opening, and the connecting portion allows the probe to be operatively connected to a device external to the cartridge for quantitating or determining the concentration of the analyte while the opening is sealed by the sealing portion of the probe. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 63)
(a) providing the cartridge of claim 28;
(b) connecting the analyte-detecting portion of the probe to a device in need of calibration for quantitating or determining the concentration of the analyte; and
(c) calibrating the device from the predetermined analyte concentration in the fluid calibrant.
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32. A cartridge for packaging a fluid calibrant containing an analyte, comprising:
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an analyte-impermeable container having an opening;
a substantially analyte-impermeable sealing member adapted to seal the opening;
a membrane that divides the container into a calibrant compartment containing the fluid calibrant and an outer compartment that communicates with the opening; and
wherein the cartridge is adapted to allow a probe having an analyte-detecting portion to extend through the opening of the container and to sealingly pierce through the membrane such that the analyte-detecting portion of the probe is placed in the calibrant compartment.
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33. A method for preparing a cartridge containing a calibrant and a probe comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an analyte-impermeable container having an opening;
(b) dividing the container into a calibrant compartment and an outer compartment by a septum having a predetermined analyte permeability, such that the calibrant compartment contains a fluid calibrant and the outer compartment communicates with the opening;
(c) positioning a probe within the container such that the probe extends sealingly through the septum, wherein the probe has an analyte-detecting portion and a connecting portion, the analyte-detection portion is located in the calibrant compartment, and the connecting portion is located in the outer compartment;
(d) filling the container with a sufficient amount of analyte so as to allow the fluid calibrant to stabilize at a predetermined analyte concentration; and
(e) rendering the opening substantially analyte-impermeable. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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Specification