Magazine for holding test elements

• US 7,566,419 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Mueller, Josef, Schulat, Jochen, Braendle, Hansjoerg
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin; Walter D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramdhanie; Bobby
• Application Number:
  US11/439,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20070007183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 422/68.1
• US Class Current: 422/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48757 Test elements dispensed from a stack

Abstract

A portable analysis appliance includes a housing and a magazine for holding test elements. A delivery device is provided for delivering the test elements from a first position in the interior of the magazine to a second position lying at least partially outside the magazine and inside the housing. The delivery of the test elements including a first movement out of the interior of the magazine and a second movement by means of a guide into a presentation position.

Claims

1. A portable analysis appliance, including:

a housing;

a magazine having an interior configured to hold test elements; and

a delivery device configured to deliver the test elements from a storage position in the interior of the magazine to a presentation position lying at least partially outside the magazine and at least partially inside the housing, the presentation position being a position where the test element is presented to a user ready for use;

wherein the delivery of the test elements from the magazine includes a first movement out of the interior of the magazine and a second movement by means of a guide into the presentation position, each test element, during movement of the test element in a transportation direction, being rotated about a longitudinal axis which is substantially parallel to the transportation direction.

2. The portable analysis appliance of claim 1, wherein the test elements are substantially upright relative to horizontal when in the storage position.

3. The portable analysis appliance of claim 1, wherein the test elements are in an inclined orientation relative to horizontal when in the storage position.

4. The portable analysis appliance of claim 1, wherein the test elements are in a substantially horizontal position at an output opening of the housing when in the presentation position.

5. The portable analysis appliance of claim 1, wherein the second movement is a rotary movement.

6. The portable analysis appliance of claim 1, wherein the delivery device includes a ram which can be actuated manually via a grip element and, when the ram is driven in an advance movement relative to the magazine, a test element is pushed out of this magazine.

7. The portable analysis appliance of claim 1, wherein the magazine has an engagement structure against which a transport pawl engages for controlling movement of the magazine in an advance direction inside the housing.

8. The portable analysis appliance of claim 7, wherein the transport pawl has catches which are arranged with an offset relative to one another.

9. The portable analysis appliance of claim 7, wherein the engagement structure extends substantially parallel to the advance direction and includes a plurality of teeth having run-in bevels and contact faces.

10. The portable analysis appliance of claim 9, wherein the run-in bevels and the contact faces are formed on long sides of the engagement structure.

11. The portable analysis appliance of claim 6, wherein the guide imparts a turning movement to the ram as the ram is guided axially by the guide.

12. The portable analysis appliance of claim 11, wherein the guide at least partially encloses the ram and has a curved section which imparts the turning movement to the ram after the test element is pushed out of the magazine.

13. The portable analysis appliance of claim 6, wherein the ram includes an end remote from the magazine, the end having a bent portion.

14. The portable analysis appliance of claim 6, wherein the ram includes a receiving opening configured to engage the test element.

15. The portable analysis appliance of claim 14, wherein the receiving opening is formed as a slit in the ram.

16. The portable analysis appliance of claim 11, wherein the ram imparts the turning movement to the test element during movement of the test element from the storage position in a receiving space of the magazine to the presentation position, the turning movement extending through approximately 90 degrees.

17. The portable analysis appliance of claim 7, wherein the transport pawl is coupled to a grip element at least during an initial phase of a forward stroke of the grip element.

18. The portable analysis appliance of claim 1, wherein the magazine further includes elastic sealing elements configured to seal off the interior of the magazine against entry of air moisture both in an unused state of the magazine and after removal of a test element.

19. The portable analysis appliance of claim 18, wherein the elastic sealing elements include sealing lips which seal off receiving spaces for the test elements in the magazine and seal against the test elements as the test elements are moved from the magazine.

20. The portable analysis appliance of claim 1, wherein the test elements are held in the magazine by a spring.

21. The portable analysis appliance of claim 1, wherein the guide is positioned inside the housing and includes bodies which lie opposite one another and define at least one gap width.

22. The portable analysis appliance of claim 21, wherein at least one of the bodies is mounted resiliently in the housing.

23. The portable analysis appliance of claim 21, wherein at least one of the bodies has a run-in bevel configured as a guide surface.

24. The portable analysis appliance of claim 21, wherein the bodies define a run-in funnel for the test elements.

25. The portable analysis appliance of claim 21, wherein each body has a side facing the other body, at least one of the sides having a rounded part configured as a guide surface for the test elements.

26. The portable analysis appliance of claim 1, wherein the magazine includes a side that is sealed off against entry of air moisture by one of a film seal and a layer of sealing lacquer.

27. A portable analysis appliance, including:

a magazine having an interior configured to hold each of a plurality of test elements in a storage position;

a delivery device having a ram configured to move a test element in a transportation direction from the storage position to a presentation position, the presentation position being a position where the test element is presented to a user ready for use; and

a guide having a surface that interacts with one of the test element and the ram to cause rotation of the test element about a longitudinal axis of the test element that is substantially parallel to the transportation direction during movement from the storage position to the presentation position.

28. The portable analysis appliance of claim 27, wherein the test element is held at an angle relative to horizontal when in the storage position and is held in a substantially horizontal orientation when in the presentation position.

29. The portable analysis appliance of claim 27, wherein the ram is manually movable into the magazine to push the test element out of the magazine along an axis of movement.

30. The portable analysis appliance of claim 29, wherein the guide causes rotation about the axis of movement of the test element during movement from the storage position to the presentation position.

31. The portable analysis appliance of claim 27, further including a transport pawl configured to engage an engagement structure of the magazine to control advancement of the magazine in an advance direction.

32. The portable analysis appliance of claim 27, wherein the guide includes a pair of opposed bodies that define a gap for receiving the test strip.

33. The portable analysis appliance of claim 32, wherein each body includes a bevel, the bevels together defining a run-in funnel configured to rotate the test strip from the storage position to the presentation position.

34. A portable analysis appliance, including:

a housing;

means disposed in the housing for holding each of a plurality of test elements in a storage position;

means for moving the test elements in a transportation direction from the storage position to a presentation position, the presentation position being a position where one of the test elements is presented to a user ready for use; and

means for guiding the test elements through a rotational movement about a longitudinal axis of the test elements substantially parallel to the transportation direction during movement from the storage position to the presentation position.