Production of tape goods having diagnostic aid

• US 8,888,942 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Dagenbach, Ralf, Hofstadt, Ronald, Lurg, Klaus, Pflaesterer, Stefan, Schwoebel, Wolfgang, Renz, Thomas, Sprung, Ulf, Lamparter, Matthias, Voelschow, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHATZ, CHRISTOPHER T
• Application Number:
  US13/278,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20120273112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 156/285, 156/286, 156/230, 156/235, 156/238
• US Class Current: 156/235
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 1/021 Making adhesive labels having a multilayered structure, e.g. provided on carrier webs
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 1/026 Cutting or perforating B31D1/022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2009/404 prior to labelling
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/188 the suction means being a vacuum drum
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/42 Label feed control
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00009 provided with a sample supporting tape, e.g. with absorbent zones

Abstract

A method for producing an analysis tape for fluid samples, in particular body fluids, is proposed. In the method, diagnostic auxiliary labels are transferred to a carrier tape, wherein at least one vacuum roller is used for the transfer of the diagnostic auxiliary labels. The diagnostic auxiliary labels are detected on the vacuum roller. At least one tape position of the carrier tape is furthermore detected. The transfer of the auxiliary labels to the carrier tape is effected in accordance with the detected auxiliary labels and the tape position.

Claims

1. A method of producing an analysis tape for analyzing body fluid samples, the method comprising the steps of:

transferring diagnostic auxiliary labels from a laminate tape to at least one vacuum roller, wherein the diagnostic auxiliary labels are supplied by means of a laminate drive that drives the laminate tape, and wherein the at least one vacuum roller is driven by at least one vacuum roller drive;

detecting a position and/or orientation of the diagnostic auxiliary labels on the at least one vacuum roller with at least one first sensor and detecting at least one tape position or reference mark of a carrier tape of the analysis tape with at least one second sensor, wherein the carrier tape is driven by at least one carrier drive, and wherein exactly one diagnostic auxiliary label is situated on the at least one vacuum roller; and

transferring the diagnostic auxiliary labels from the at least one vacuum roller to the carrier tape in accordance with the detected position and/or orientation of the diagnostic auxiliary labels on the at least one vacuum roller and the tape position or the reference mark of the carrier tape, wherein at least the at least one vacuum roller drive and the at least one carrier drive are synchronized and thus operated in a predetermined, known, adjustable or controllable drive ratio with respect to one another.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic auxiliary labels are provided by supplying the laminate tape having at least one laminate carrier tape and at least one diagnostic functional layer, wherein the diagnostic functional layer is cut in such a way that the diagnostic auxiliary labels arise.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the diagnostic functional layer is cut before the diagnostic auxiliary labels are transferred to the vacuum roller.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the diagnostic functional layer of the laminate tape is converted into the diagnostic auxiliary labels in a manner substantially free of losses.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the diagnostic auxiliary labels are cut at a distance of between about 0.05 m and about 1.0 m before the diagnostic auxiliary labels are transferred from the laminate tape to the at least one vacuum roller, and wherein the laminate carrier tape remains uncut.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the diagnostic auxiliary labels are cut at a distance of between about 0.1 m and about 0.5 m.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the diagnostic auxiliary labels are cut at distance of about 0.3 m.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the diagnostic auxiliary labels are cut using a laser cutting process.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the diagnostic auxiliary labels are cut using a CO₂ laser.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic auxiliary labels are transferred to the at least one vacuum roller at at least one dispensing edge.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one control loop is used, wherein the at least one vacuum roller drive and the carrier drive taking account of the position and/or the orientation of the diagnostic auxiliary label on the at least one vacuum control loop controls the roller and the position of the reference mark in such a way that the diagnostic auxiliary labels are transferred to the carrier tape in desired positions.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a control loop operates the laminate drive in a fixed drive ratio with respect to the at least one carrier drive.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the control loop uses a virtual axis, to which a calculation of the control loop is referred, wherein the virtual axis coincides with an axis of the carrier drive.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second sensor comprises at least one first sub-sensor and at least one second sub-sensor, wherein the first sub-sensor and the second sub-sensor are designed to detect different types of reference marks on the carrier tape.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of identifying and discharging defective diagnostic auxiliary labels.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the fixed drive ratio is about 1:

7.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carrier tape moves at a tape speed of about 10 m/min to about 55 m/min.