Analyte test strip containers and inserts

• US 8,757,386 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rush, Benjamin M., Sharp, Craig W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ackun, Jacob K
• Application Number:
  US12/895,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20120080330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 206/804, 206/740, 206/738, 206/739, 206/765, 206/761, 206/540, 206/814, 206/817, 206/800, 206/305, 220/527, 220/528, 220/23.9, 422/939, 534/73, 534/75, 534/43
• US Class Current: 206/765
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/24 with moulded compartments or partitions
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/10 Devices to locate articles in containers for protecting articles from mechanical damage B65D81/02
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00092 circular
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00194 square or rectangular with curved sides B65D2543/00101
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00277 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00296 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00537 on the outside, or a part turned to the outside of the mouth of the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00842 outside of the lid
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/162 the container, the lid and the hinge being made of one piece B65D43/161 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/08 for dispensing thin flat articles in succession towel dispensers intended for re-use A47K10/24; dispensers for surgical scalpel blades A61B17/3215

Abstract

In some aspects of the present disclosure, analyte test strip containers, and methods of manufacturing the same, are provided. The analyte test strip containers may include an interior side of a base that varies in height. In some aspects of the present disclosure, inserts are provided. The inserts serve to provide the cavity floor with a varying height with respect to a longitudinal axis of the container. In some aspects of the present disclosure, analyte test strip container systems, and methods of making the same, are provided. The analyte test strip container systems include a container and insert that situates within the container to provide a cavity floor that varies in height.

Claims

1. An analyte test strip container system comprising:

a container having a base, one or more sidewalls extending from the base, a cavity having an opening at a distal end and the base at the proximal end, and a cap at the distal end, wherein the cap fits over the opening to close the container and provide a sealed environment inside the container;

an insert comprising a proximal end and an interior side, wherein the insert is sized to fit within the opening and to situate within the cavity such that the proximal end of the insert is adjacent the base and the interior side of the insert forms a cavity floor that varies in height with respect to a longitudinal axis extending through the base and the opening of the container; and

a plurality of analyte test strips each having a distal end and a proximal end, placed inside the container, wherein the proximal end of the plurality of analyte test strips is in contact with the cavity floor, wherein the cavity floor holds at least one of the analyte test strips so that the distal end of the analyte test strip is at a different height with respect to the distal end of another analyte test strip of the plurality of analyte test strips, and wherein the plurality of analyte test strips are of the same length, wherein the distal end of the plurality of analyte test strips does not extend beyond the distal end of the cavity.

2. The analyte test strip container system of claim 1, wherein the cavity floor comprises a first supporting surface to support a first analyte test strip of the plurality of analyte test strips and a second supporting surface to support a second analyte test strip of the plurality of analyte test strips.

3. The analyte test strip container system of claim 2, wherein the interior side of the insert forms all of the cavity floor and comprises the first and second supporting surfaces.

4. The analyte test strip container system of claim 3, wherein the first supporting surface and second supporting surface are longitudinally offset in height with respect to the longitudinal axis.

5. The analyte test strip container system of claim 4, wherein the first supporting surface and second supporting surfaces are planar and level.

6. The analyte test strip container system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first supporting surface and the second supporting surface is planar and angled.

7. The analyte test strip container system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first supporting surface and the second supporting surfaces are non-planar.

8. The analyte test strip container system of claim 4, wherein the second supporting surface is circular shaped and raised with respect to the first supporting surface, and wherein the first supporting surface is ring shaped concentrically around the second supporting surface.

9. The analyte test strip container system of claim 4, wherein the second supporting surface comprises a ring shaped surface that is raised with respect to the first supporting surface.

10. The analyte test strip container system of claim 4, wherein the second supporting surface comprises a polygonal shaped surface that is raised with respect to the first supporting surface.

11. The analyte test strip container system of claim 4, wherein the base is circular and the container is a cylindrical shaped vial with one sidewall.

12. The analyte test strip container system of claim 4, wherein the longitudinal offset is at least 4 mm.

13. The analyte test strip container system of claim 1, wherein the interior side of the insert forms all of the cavity floor, and wherein the interior side of the insert comprises a first supporting surface to support a first analyte test strip of the plurality of analyte test strips and a spacer to provide a latitudinal offset for a second analyte test strip of the plurality of analyte test strips that are adjacent to the spacer, the latitudinal offset with respect to a latitudinal axis, the latitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

14. The analyte test strip container system of claim 1, wherein the interior side of the insert forms all of the cavity floor, and wherein the interior side of the insert comprises:

a first supporting surface to support a first analyte test strip of the plurality of analyte test strips;

a second supporting surface to support a second analyte test strip of the plurality of analyte test strips; and

a spacer to provide a latitudinal offset for the first analyte test strip and the second analyte test strip that are adjacent to the spacer, the latitudinal offset with respect to a latitudinal axis, the latitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

15. A method comprising:

providing an analyte test strip container having a base, one or more sidewalls extending from the base, a cavity having an opening at a distal end and the base at the proximal end, and a cap at the distal end, wherein the cap fits over the opening to close the container and provide a sealed environment inside the container;

situating a solid insert comprising a proximal end and an interior side within the cavity such that the proximal end of the insert is adjacent the base and the interior side of the insert forms a cavity floor having a varying height with respect to a longitudinal axis extending through the base and the opening of the container; and

placing a plurality of analyte test strips, each having a distal end and a proximal end, inside the container, wherein the proximal end of the plurality of analyte test strips is in contact with the cavity floor, wherein the cavity floor holds at least one of the analyte test strips so that the distal end of the analyte test strip is at a different height with respect to the distal end of another analyte test strip of the plurality of analyte test strips, and wherein the plurality of analyte test strips are of the same length, wherein the distal end of the plurality of analyte test strips does not extend beyond the distal end of the cavity.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cavity floor comprises a first supporting surface to support a first plurality of analyte test strips and a second supporting surface to support a second plurality of analyte test strips.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the interior side of the insert forms all of the cavity floor and comprises the first and second supporting surfaces.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first supporting surface and second supporting surface are longitudinally offset in height with respect to the longitudinal axis.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first supporting surface and second supporting surfaces are planar and level.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the insert covers a portion of an interior side of the base leaving an uncovered portion of the interior side of the base, the interior side of the base comprising a first supporting surface, and wherein the interior side of the insert comprises a second supporting surface.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first supporting surface and second supporting surface are longitudinally offset in height with respect to the longitudinal axis.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first supporting surface and second supporting surfaces are planar and level.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second supporting surface is circular shaped and raised with respect to the first supporting surface, wherein the first supporting surface is ring shaped concentrically around the second supporting surface.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the second supporting surface is circular shaped and raised with respect to the first supporting surface, wherein the first supporting surface is ring shaped concentrically around the second supporting surface.