Vial for test strips

• US 7,501,093 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agamatrix Incorporated (AgaMatrix Holdings LLC d/b/a WaveForm Diabetes)
• Original Assignee: Agamatrix Incorporated (AgaMatrix Holdings LLC d/b/a WaveForm Diabetes)
• Inventors: Demelo, Erik, Flaherty, Joseph, Golnik, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman; Bryon P
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRANO, ERNESTO ARTURIO
• Application Number:
  US11/252,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20070084749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 206/83, 206/204, 206/349, 206/438, 206/569, 134/135, 215/206, 435/283, 600/556, 436/92, 436/96, 436/98, 436/99, 422/58, 422/55, 422/61, 422/100, 422/102, 422/56, 422/99
• US Class Current: 422/526
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48778 Containers specially adapted therefor, e.g. for dry storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/141111 Diverse hetero atoms in same or different rings [e.g., alkaloids, opiates, etc.]

Abstract

A diagnostic test strip vial has a container, a lid, and a plurality of diagnostic test strips. The container has a generally annular wall terminating at a base and at an open mouth. The lid has a top and a lifting tray connected to the top by a connector that is sufficiently long that the distance between the top and the lifting tray is at least as long as the length of a diagnostic test strip and sufficiently short that the top may engage the open mouth of the container to close the vial when the lifting tray is engaged with the inner side of the annular wall of the container. The test strips are disposed on the lifting tray which is sized to slidably engage the inner side of the annular wall of the container.

Claims

1. A diagnostic test strip vial comprising a container, a lid, and a plurality of diagnostic test strips, wherein:

the container comprises a generally annular wall terminating at a base and at an open mouth at an end opposite the base,

the lid comprises a top and a lifting tray connected to the top by a connector, wherein;

the lifting tray is sized to slidably engage the inner side of the annular wall of the container,

the connector is sufficiently long that the distance between the top and the lifting tray is at least as long as the length of a diagnostic test strip and sufficiently short that the top may engage the annular wall of the container to close the vial when the lifting tray is engaged with the inner side of the annular wall, and

the test strips are disposed inside the container on the lifting tray,

the test strips are medical diagnostic test strips used in combination with an analyte diagnostic meter for measuring the concentration of glucose in blood.

2. The vial of claim 1, wherein the annular wall of the container is oval.

3. The vial of claim 1, further comprising a seal disposed on one of the lid, the container, or both the lid and container.

4. The vial of claim 3, wherein the seal comprises a raised sealing ridge.

5. The vial of claim 4, wherein the seal further comprises a corresponding depression for snap fit engagement with the raised sealing ridge.

6. The vial of claim 4, wherein the raised sealing ridge is circular.

7. The vial of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a hinge.

8. The vial of claim 7, wherein the hinge is disposed at a position on the connector selected from the group consisting of:

at the junction of the connector and the lifting tray;

between the lifting tray and the top; and

at the junction of the connector and the top.

9. The vial of claim 7, wherein the hinge is a living hinge.

10. The vial of claim 1, wherein the lifting tray is perforated.

11. The vial of claim 10, further comprising a desiccant disposed below the lifting tray in the container.

12. The vial of claim 10, wherein the lifting tray further comprises a desiccant.

13. The vial of claim 10, wherein the top of the lid further comprises a desiccant.

14. The vial of claim 1, herein the base is perforated.

15. The vial of claim 14, wherein the lifting tray further comprises a desiccant.

16. The vial of claim 14, wherein the top of the lid further comprises a desiccant.

17. The vial of claim 1, wherein the top of the lid further comprises a thumb lip disposed on its periphery.

18. The vial of claim 1, wherein the vial further comprises a desiccant comprising a molecular sieve material disposed on a portion selected from one of, or a combination of, the group consisting of the inner side of the annual wall of the container, the base of the container, the top, the lifting tray, and the connector.

19. The vial of claim 1, wherein the annular wall of the container comprises a stopping ridge disposed on its inner side.

20. A diagnostic test strip vial comprising a container, a lid, a desiccant, a snap fit seal, and a plurality of diagnostic test strips, wherein:

the container comprises a generally annular wall terminating at a base and at an open mouth at an end opposite the base,

the lid comprises a top and a perforated lining tray connected to the top by a connector, wherein;

the lifting tray is sized to slidably engage the inner side of the annular wall of the container, and

the connector is sufficiently long that the distance between the top and the lifting tray is at least as long as the length of a diagnostic test strip and sufficiently short that the top may engage the annular wall of the container to close the vial when the lifting tray is engaged with the inner side of the annular wall, and

the test strips are disposed inside the container on the lifting tray,

the test strips are medical diagnostic test strips used in combination with an analyte diagnostic meter for measuring the concentration of glucose in blood,

the desiccant is disposed below the perforated lifting tray in the container, in the lifting tray, in the lid, or any combination thereof, and

the snap fit seal comprises a raised ridge on the annular wall of the container or on the top of the lid and a corresponding depression on the annular wall or the top, wherein when the top is engaged with the container, the snap fit seal seals the lid to the container by the interaction of the raised ridge and the corresponding depression.

21. The vial of claim 20, wherein the connector comprises a living hinge disposed at a position selected from the group consisting of:

the junction of the connector and the lifting tray;

between the lifting tray and the top; and

the junction of the connector and the top.

22. The vial of claim 20, wherein the raised ridge is circular.

23. The vial of claim 20, wherein the annular wall of the container is oval.

24. The vial of claim 20, wherein the annular wall of the container comprises a stopping ridge disposed on its inner side.