Method and apparatus for lighted test strip

• US 8,765,482 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Joseph, Abner D., Heald, Brian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, Lyle
• Application Number:
  US13/795,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20130190579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 436/63, 436/95, 436/164, 436/86, 422/404, 422/410, 422/82.05
• US Class Current: 436/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0045 Devices for taking samples of body liquids devices for taking blood samples A61B5/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/006 for glucose
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0068 Medical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/10 in the liquid or fluent state burettes, pipettes B01L3/02; sampling of ground water E02D1/06; metering by volume of fluids or fluent solid material G01F11/00, G01F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48785 Electrical and electronic details of measuring devices for physical analysis of liquid biological material not specific to a particular test method, e.g. user interface or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/49 Blood chemical methods for determining blood cell populations G01N33/5094; chemical analysis of blood groups or blood types G01N33/80
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/52 Use of compounds or compositions for colorimetric, spectrophotometric or fluorometric investigation, e.g. use of reagent paper and including single- and multilayer analytical elements immunological elements G01N33/54386; involving labelled immunochemicals G01N33/58; for haemoglobin or occult blood G01N33/72
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/66 involving blood sugars, e.g. galactose
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/144444 Glucose

Abstract

A test strip with a sample chamber is secured to a meter. The sample chamber in the portion of the test strip that extends out of the meter is illuminated by transmitting light from a light source inside the meter internally through the test strip towards the sample chamber. By way of analogy, the test strip acts in a fashion similar to a fiber optic cable or optical wave guide by transmitting the light from the meter to the remotely located sample chamber that extends outside the meter. The user is then able to easily see the sample chamber of the test strip in dark conditions so that the user is able to readily align the sample chamber with the drop of fluid on the skin as well as view the sample chamber in order to ensure proper filling. The light also illuminates a test strip slot into which the test strip is inserted.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

illuminating a test strip slot in a meter with a light source located inside the meter;

inserting a test strip in the illuminated test strip slot with a sampling end of the test strip extending outside the meter, the test strip having an intermediate portion adjacent the sampling end, the intermediate portion including a light source opening; and

illuminating the sampling end of the test strip extending outside the meter by transmitting light from the light source into the light source opening.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retaining the test strip in the meter by inserting the light source into the light source opening in the test strip.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

pulling the test strip away from the meter to disengage the light source from the light source opening in the test strip and remove the test strip from the meter.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the test strip has a spacer layer made of light transmissive material that at least in part defines a sample chamber at the sampling end of the test strip; and

said illuminating the sampling end of the test strip includes shining the light through the spacer layer to light the sample chamber.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

wherein the sampling end of the test strip includes a sample chamber;

drawing body fluid into the sample chamber; and

detecting fill sufficiency of the body fluid in the sample chamber by looking at the sample chamber illuminated by the light source.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the test strip including a cover layer covering the sample chamber, the cover layer being clear for visualization of the sample chamber.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the sampling end includes fluorescent material; and

said illuminating the sampling end of the test strip including fluorescing the fluorescent material with the light from the light source.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

emitting a first color from the light source during said illuminating the test strip slot; and

emitting a second color that is different from the first color during said illuminating the sampling end of the test strip.

9. A method, comprising:

loading a test strip in a test strip slot of a meter with a sampling end of the test strip extending outside the meter, the test strip having an intermediate portion adjacent the sampling end, the intermediate portion including a light source opening;

illuminating the sampling end of the test strip extending outside the meter by transmitting light from a light source inside the meter into the light source opening; and

retaining the test strip in the meter by inserting the light source into the light source opening in the test strip.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

wherein the sampling end of the test strip includes a sample chamber;

drawing body fluid into the sample chamber; and

detecting fill sufficiency of the body fluid in the sample chamber by looking at the sample chamber illuminated by the light source.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

removing the test strip from the meter by disengaging the light source from the light source opening in the test strip; and

illuminating the test strip slot in the meter with the light source located inside the meter.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

wherein the test strip includes a lancet to form an integrated disposable;

aiming the lancet by shining the light from the sampling end of the test strip onto tissue; and

forming an incision in tissue by firing the lancet while the light source holds the test strip in place.

13. A method, comprising:

lighting a test strip slot in a meter with a light source;

emitting a first color from the light source during said lighting the test strip slot;

inserting a test strip in the test strip slot with a sampling end of the test strip extending outside the meter during said emitting the first color, the test strip having an intermediate portion adjacent the sampling end, the intermediate portion including a light source opening;

illuminating the sampling end of the test strip that extends outside the meter by transmitting light from the light source inside the meter internally through the light source opening of the test strip to the sampling end of the test strip; and

emitting a second color that is different from the first color during said illuminating the sampling end of the test strip.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

retaining the test strip in the meter by inserting the light source into a light source opening in the test strip.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

wherein the test strip includes a lancet to form an integrated disposable;

aiming the lancet by shining the light from the sampling end of the test strip onto an incision site; and

cutting an incision at the incision site by firing the lancet while the light source holds the test strip in place.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

emitting a third color that is different from the first color to indicate the test strip is improperly inserted in the test strip slot.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

removing the test strip from the test strip slot; and

emitting the first color from the light source during the removing the test strip.