Disposable cassette

• US 7,384,409 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Inventors: Fischer, Michael, Lapp, Uwe, Frey, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Del Sole; Joseph S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERDICHEVSKY, AARTI
• Application Number:
  US10/879,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 604/34, 604/30, 604/408, 604/409, 604/410, 422/102, 424/70, 4174772-47714, 417/478, 417/479
• US Class Current: 604/30
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/026 Fluid interfacing between devices or objects, e.g. connectors, inlet details
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/10 Integrating sample preparation and analysis in single entity, e.g. lab-on-a-chip concept
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/148 Specific details about calibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0633 with moving parts
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502 with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures centrifugal-type cuvettes G01N21/07; analysis by separation into components G01N30/00; automatic analysers G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/505 flexible containers not provided for above

Abstract

A disposable cassette that is configured as a replaceable component of an analysis instrument has integrated therein a sample inlet and fluid paths. At least one container with a liquid, for example a calibration fluid, and at least one waste container are integrated in the disposable cassette.

Claims

1. A disposable cassette as a replaceable component of an analysis instrument, comprising an integrated configuration of least one sample inlet port, at least one membrane pump, valves, a measurement path and fluid paths, at least one container with a liquid, at least one waste container, and a flushing passage in communication with the liquid container and the waste container via the fluid paths, the flushing passage having an inlet opening at a proximal end of the sample inlet port.

2. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cassette includes at least two containers with calibration fluid.

3. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sample inlet port is closable by a slider.

4. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 3, wherein the sample inlet port is closable via a plastic flap which is hinged via a film hinge and which can be pressed sealingly with a rim of the port via the slider.

5. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 1, wherein an interior of the sample inlet port is lined with a flexible plastic material.

6. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sample inlet port has a passage which broadens slightly conically, adjoins a first fluid path leading into the cassette that is a passage with a narrow lumen, and is adjoined by a cylindrical connection that is configured to communicate with a luer connector.

7. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 1, further comprising actuators that are arranged in a region of the fluid paths.

8. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 7, wherein the actuators are membrane pumps or valves.

9. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cassette includes all fluid paths required for multiple measurements.

10. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cassette has no outlets.

11. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 1, wherein the disposable cassette is flushable.

12. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 11, wherein the flushing is effected through the flushing passage inlet opening.

13. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 1, wherein the liquid is a calibration fluid.

14. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 1, wherein the containers are pouches.

15. The disposable cassette in accordance with claim 14, wherein the pouches are constructed of multilayer aluminum foil.

16. A disposable cassette that is a replaceable component of an analysis instrument, comprising an integrated configuration of a sample inlet port having a cylindrical connection that is configured to receive a luer connector, a membrane pump, a valve, a measurement path, a plurality of fluid paths, a calibration fluid container, a waste container, and a flushing passage in communication with the waste container via the fluid paths, the sample inlet port being closable in a liquid-tight manner and the flushing passage having an inlet opening that is adjacent the sample inlet port and that is in communication with the cylindrical connection.

17. The disposable cassette according to claim 16, wherein the sample inlet port is closable by a hinged plastic flap that is configured to be sealingly pressed onto a surface of the sample inlet port.