Sensor release mechanism for a meter

• US 8,101,126 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Flora, Bruce A., Creaven, John P., Micinski, Russell J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, In Suk
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pregler, Sharon
• Application Number:
  US11/918,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20090209040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,100 Days
• Field of Search: 436/35, 436/43, 436/149, 436/150, 436/183, 422/58, 422/64, 422/50, 422/51, 422/52, 422/53, 422/60, 422/61, 422/62, 422/63, 422/68.1
• US Class Current: 422/63
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4875 Details of handling test elements, e.g. dispensing or storage, not specific to a particular test method test-elements per se B01L, automatic analysers G01N35/00, in-vivo analysis on the human body for medical diagnosis A61B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis

Abstract

A sensor-dispensing instrument (10) adapted to handle a sensor pack containing a plurality of sensors and to perform a test using one of the sensors. The sensor-dispensing instrument includes an outer housing (12) and a mechanical mechanism contained therein for rotating the sensor pack and ejecting one of the sensors from the sensor pack and through a sensor slot on the housing. The sensor-dispensing instrument also includes a sensor actuator to engage with a sensor disposed in the sensor slot, and a sensor release (66) that is movable to disengage the sensor actuator from the sensor disposed in the sensor slot and permit the discharge of the sensor the sensor release additionally activating a sensor release mechanism that has a sensor release aid arm, a mounting block, and a pivot pin that connects the sensor release aid arm to the mounting block, wherein the sensor release aid arm is adapted to contact the sensor disposed in the sensor slot to assist removal of the sensor from the sensor slot.

Claims

1. A sensor-dispensing instrument adapted to handle a plurality of sensors, the sensor-dispensing instrument further adapted to perform a test using one of the plurality of sensors, the sensor-dispensing instrument comprising:

an outer housing having a front end and a rear end, the outer housing further having a sensor slot through which one of the sensors is disposed to conduct the test;

an electronics assembly generally disposed in the outer housing, the electronic assembly adapted to perform the test and to display test results;

a sensor actuator generally disposed adjacent to the sensor slot, the sensor actuator adapted to engage with a sensor disposed in the sensor slot, to connect to contacts on the sensor, and to transmit electrical signals between the sensor and the electronics assembly; and

a sensor release generally disposed on a surface of the outer housing, the sensor release being movable to disengage the sensor actuator from the sensor disposed in the sensor slot, the sensor release activating a sensor-release mechanism having a sensor-release aid arm, a mounting block, and a pivot pin connecting the sensor-release aid arm to the mounting block, the sensor release including one or more portions configured to engage the sensor-release aid arm to cause the sensor-release aid arm to rotate about the pivot pin and to contact the sensor disposed in the sensor slot to cause the sensor to be removed from the sensor slot.

2. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, wherein the pivot pin connecting the sensor-release aid arm to the mounting block is spring loaded.

3. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, wherein the sensor release comprises a button that projects outwardly from the surface of the outer housing, the button being depressed to disengage the sensor actuator from the sensor disposed in the sensor slot.

4. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is disposed in a sensor cavity enclosed by a protective covering.

5. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 4, further comprising an ejecting mechanism for ejecting one of the sensors from the sensor cavity and through the sensor slot.

6. The sensor-dispensing instrument of claim 5, further comprising a mechanism disposed generally within the outer housing, the mechanism including an indexing disk for supporting and rotating the sensor pack, an indexing support for rotating the indexing disk, and a puller handle for moving the indexing support and the ejecting mechanism.

7. A sensor-release system for a sensor-dispensing instrument, the sensor-dispensing instrument including an outer housing, a sensor slot adapted to receive a test sensor, and an electronics assembly, the sensor-release system comprising:

a sensor actuator generally being disposed adjacent to the sensor slot, the sensor actuator being adapted to engage with a sensor disposed in the sensor slot, to connect to contacts on the sensor, and to transmit electrical signals between the test sensor and the electronics assembly;

a sensor-release button being generally disposed on a surface of the outer housing, the sensor-release button being movable to disengage the sensor actuator from the sensor disposed in the sensor slot; and

a sensor-release mechanism having a sensor-release aid arm, a mounting block, and a pivot pin connecting the sensor-release aid arm to the mounting block,

wherein the sensor release button includes one or more portions configured to engage the sensor-release aid arm thereby causing the sensor-release aid arm to rotate about the pivot pin to contact the sensor disposed in the sensor slot to cause the sensor to be removed from the sensor slot, and wherein the sensor release button is movable to activate the sensor-release mechanism.

8. The sensor-release system of claim 7, wherein the pivot pin connecting the sensor-release aid arm to the mounting block is spring loaded.

9. The sensor-release system of claim 7, wherein the sensor release button projects outwardly from the surface of the outer housing, the button being depressed to disengage the sensor actuator from the sensor disposed in the sensor slot.

10. A method of removing a sensor from a sensor-dispensing instrument, the method comprising the acts of:

providing a sensor-dispensing instrument including an outer housing, a sensor release button, and a sensor-release mechanism, the outer housing having a sensor slot through which one of the sensors is disposed to conduct the test, the sensor release button being disposed generally on a surface of the outer housing, the sensor-release mechanism including a sensor-release aid arm, a mounting block, and a pivot pin connecting the sensor-release aid arm to the mounting block, the sensor release button including one or more portions for engaging the sensor-release aid arm; and

activating the sensor-release button such that the one or more portions of the sensor release button to contact the sensor-release mechanism so as to cause the sensor-release aid arm to rotate about the pivot pin thereby contacting the sensor disposed in the sensor slot and causing the sensor to be removed from the sensor slot.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the activating the sensor-release button comprises depressing the button.