Lancet-integrated sensor, measuring device for lancet-integrated sensor, and cartridge

• US 7,841,993 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tokuno, Yoshinobu, Kojima, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOEKSTRA, JEFFREY GERBEN
• Application Number:
  US12/267,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20090093694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 600/583, 600/576, 600/347, 600/365, 606/167, 606/181, 606/182, 606/185, 604/6.15, 604/6.16, 604/117, 604/136
• US Class Current: 600/583
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0295 Strip shaped analyte sensors for apparatus classified in A61B5/145 or A61B5/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150259 Improved gripping, e.g. with high friction pattern or projections on the housing surface or an ergonometric shape
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150412 Pointed piercing elements, e.g. needles, lancets for piercing the skin blade-like piercing elements A61B5/150442
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150519 Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the single-ended needle to a piercing device or sampling device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150564 Protectors removed by pulling or pushing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150717 manually removed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150725 removal procedure linked to further actions, e.g. cocking of the piercing device, which indicate that the piercing device is used or tempered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15113 Manually triggered, i.e. the triggering requires a deliberate action by the user such as pressing a drive button
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15117 comprising biased elements, resilient elements or a spring, e.g. a helical spring, leaf spring, or elastic strap
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1513 comprising linear sliding guides comprising tooth-shaped elements A61B5/15132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15194 fully automatically retracted, i.e. the retraction does not require a deliberate action by the user, e.g. by terminating the contact with the patient's skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood

Abstract

A sensor and a lancet are integrated with each other. A thin strip-shaped sensor and a lancet are integrated so that the lancet moves in parallel, along a longitudinal direction of the sensor. A measuring device to which an integrated lancet and sensor is attached is provided with a function of driving the attached lancet.

Claims

1. A biosensor cartridge for housing a plurality of biosensors, each biosensor of the plurality of biosensors having a reagent layer for detecting a specific component in a bodily fluid of a subject and an electrode for outputting an electric signal indicating that the reagent layer detects the specific component, said biosensor cartridge comprising:

a cartridge body having a plurality of slits that are each shaped so as to conform to a front end of the biosensor, a rear end of the biosensor extending from the front end in a direction of insertion of the biosensor into a measuring device;

wherein said plurality of slits are formed in said cartridge body so as to be parallel with each other such that the plurality of biosensors will be arranged in said slits so as to be parallel to each other and so as to extend perpendicularly from said cartridge body upward in the direction of insertion into the measuring device;

wherein said plurality of slits are spaced at intervals such that an insertion slot of the measuring device for a target biosensor in one of said plurality of slits can cover the target biosensor and capture and pick up the target biosensor without touching biosensors in said plurality of slits adjacent to the target biosensor;

wherein said cartridge body has a lid portion that covers an upper surface of said cartridge body;

wherein said cartridge body has a hinge portion supporting a shaft of said lid portion so that said lid portion is rotatable at one end of said upper surface of said cartridge body;

wherein said cartridge body is a rectangular parallelepiped in shape;

wherein a pair of bearings that project outwardly in a longitudinal direction of said cartridge body from an end of said upper surface of said cartridge body, each of said bearings having an elongate bearing hole;

wherein a pair of axial projections at an end of said lid portion engaged with said pair of bearings in said bearing hole thereof, said axial projections serving as fulcra upon rotation of said lid portion relative to said cartridge body;

wherein a peripheral edge formed at the periphery of said upper surface of said cartridge body, said peripheral edge extending in a direction that is perpendicular to side walls of said cartridge body, and said peripheral edge having a plurality of notches therein;

wherein reverse L-shaped projections that are formed on the periphery of an opening of said lid portion in the same plane as side walls of said lid portion and so as to be in positions that correspond to said plurality of notches, respectively, when said lid portion is rotated to cover said upper surface of said cartridge body; and

wherein an elastic sealing member on an upper surface of said peripheral edge for sealing with said lid portion.

2. The biosensor cartridge of claim 1, wherein said lid is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped in shape and has an opening at a portion thereof that is opposed to said upper surface of said cartridge body.

3. The biosensor cartridge of claim 1, wherein said lid portion is rotatable from an open position to a closed position, said reverse L-shaped projections are positioned to be received in said plurality of notches when said lid portion is rotated to said closed position, each of said pair of bearings is linearly movable in said bearing hole so that said lid portion can be slid in the longitudinal direction after said reverse L-shaped projections have engaged with said plurality of notches, and said cartridge body is hermetically sealed by said elastic sealing member upon said lid portion being slid.

4. The biosensor cartridge of claim 1, wherein the biosensor to which said plurality of slits that are each shaped so as to conform to a front end thereof has a semicircular shape at the front end thereof.