Test strip card

• US 8,808,639 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2013
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akers Biosciences, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Akers Biosciences, Inc.
• Inventors: Andrelczyk, Susan, Schluter, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hyun, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/847,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20130217042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 422/401, 422/408, 422/409, 422/419, 422/420, 422/425, 436/165, 436/169
• US Class Current: 422/409
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/028 Graduation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0825 Test strips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5023 with a sample being transported to, and subsequently stored in an absorbent for analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/78 producing a change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/22 using chemical indicators G01N31/02 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a test strip for determining and/or quantifying a property of a sample, such as the concentration of an analyte, the pH, the viscosity, or the specific gravity of a fluid specimen. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved test strip and scale for determining and/or quantifying a property of a sample, such as the concentration of an analyte, the pH, the viscosity, or the specific gravity of a fluid specimen.

Claims

1. A test strip card for testing a property of a fluid specimen, said test strip card comprising:

a comparison scale that comprises a continuous scale of visual levels;

a test strip having (a) a reaction zone which is a part of a reagent pad where a fluid specimen reacts with a reagent, and (b) a zone that is not part of the reaction zone which does not optically change when the fluid specimen reacts with the reagent, the test strip being movably coupled to said test strip card for performing a reaction on the reaction zone on the reagent pad of the test strip; and

a window along said comparison scale for viewing (a) the reaction zone of the test strip and (b) at least a portion of the zone of the test strip that is not part of the reaction zone,

wherein said test strip is movable with respect to said comparison scale to align said reaction zone with a matching visual level on said comparison scale thereby indicating the property of the specimen.

2. The test strip card of claim 1, wherein:

said test strip card further comprises a front wall, a back wall, and a pocket between said front wall and said back wall; and

said test strip is movably located within said pocket in said test strip card.

3. The test strip card of claim 2, wherein:

said window is formed in said front wall along said comparison scale; and

part of said reaction zone on said test strip is visible through said window along said comparison scale.

4. The test strip card of claim 2, wherein said test strip has a pull end extending beyond the borders of said front wall and said back wall.

5. The test strip card of claim 2, wherein;

a notch is defined at an end of at least one of said front wall and said back wall; and

said test strip has a pull end accessible through said notch.

6. The test strip card of claim 2, wherein said test strip has a front side adjacent said front wall of said test strip card and on which said reaction zone is positioned, and a back side adjacent said back wall of said test strip card and carrying a sample pad, wherein the sample is administered to said sample pad.

7. The test strip card of claim 1, wherein said comparison scale comprises a spectrum or series of visual levels selected from the group consisting of colors, hues, shades, and tints.

8. The test strip card of claim 7, further comprising a reading scale aligned with said comparison scale and including a series of numerical values that are matched with the different visual levels of said comparison scale.

9. The test strip of claim 1, wherein said property is the concentration of an analyte.

10. The test strip of claim 9, wherein the analyte reacts with or binds to a reagent in the reaction zone, and wherein the binding or reaction between the analyte and the reagent results in a change of the optical properties of said reaction zone.

11. The test strip of claim 1, wherein the property is the viscosity, the pH, or the specific gravity of the liquid specimen.

12. The test strip card of claim 1, wherein the window is positioned adjacent said comparison scale and extends along a plurality of the visual levels, and wherein said test strip is movable with respect to said window.

13. A test strip card for testing a property of a fluid specimen, said test strip card comprising:

a comparison scale that comprises a continuous scale of visual levels;

a test strip having (a) a reaction zone which is a part of a reagent pad where a fluid specimen reacts with a reagent, and (b) a zone that is not part of the reaction zone, the test strip being movably coupled to said test strip card for performing a reaction on the reaction zone on the reagent pad of the test strip; and

a window along said comparison scale for viewing (a) the reaction zone of the test strip and (b) at least a portion of the zone of the test strip that is not part of the reaction zone,

wherein said test strip is movable with respect to said comparison scale to align said reaction zone with a matching visual level on said comparison scale thereby indicating the property of the specimen,

wherein the window is positioned adjacent said comparison scale and extends along a plurality of the visual levels, and

wherein said test strip is movable with respect to said window.