Cartridge and metering device for fluid-testing strips

• US 9,205,971 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2012
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jabil Circuit Incorporated (Jabil Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Jabil Circuit Incorporated (Jabil Inc.)
• Inventors: Zeleny, Johannes, Fuhrmann, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Merkling, Sally
• Application Number:
  US13/655,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20130098939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 422/401
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/04 Exchange or ejection of cartridges, containers or reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0825 Test strips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/123 Flexible; Elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/00 Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/52 Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0829 by means of an actuator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00089 Magazines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00108 Test strips, e.g. paper
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48757 Test elements dispensed from a stack
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00 Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00069 whereby the sample substrate is of the bio-disk type, i.e. having the format of an optical disk

Abstract

A cartridge for holding and ejecting fluid test strips and a test-strip metering device for use with such a cartridge. The cartridge holds the test strips in a sheet-like configuration. The metering device is able to extract test strips from the cartridge in response to an actuation of a single user-interface element. The metering device may test the fluids as each is extracted.

Claims

1. A cartridge comprising:

a first support structure configured to hold a first array of flat test-strips for fluids, wherein the first support structure is configured to hold test-strips side-by-side such that the first array has a sheet-like configuration within the first support structure;

a thin-walled housing encompassing the first support structure;

a mechanism configured to push a test-strip at least partially outside of the housing through an opening; and

a first and second slider for sliding the test strips in a transport direction towards the opening;

wherein each test strip includes a capillary tube and the cartridge includes an elastomeric sealing configured to seal the capillary tubes of the test-strips.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a second support structure configured to hold a second array of flat test-strips, wherein the second support structure is configured to hold the second array of test-strips adjacent and parallel to the first array of flat test-strips, wherein the first array and the second array are in the same horizontal plane.

3. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the second support structure is equivalent to the first support structure, and wherein, with respect to the first support structure, the second support structure is rotated in a flat plane by 180°

around a geometric center of the cartridge.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cartridge is sized and shaped to be roughly similar in size to a credit card.

5. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the test-strip is removable from the cartridge.

6. The cartridge of claim 5, further comprising a second mechanism operable to move the first array of test-strips in a direction toward the opening, wherein the second mechanism is configured to move the first array of test-strips in response to the first test-strip being removed from the cartridge.

7. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising barbs disposed in the first support structure, wherein the barbs are configured to prevent movement of the first array of test strips in a direction away from an opening in the housing.

8. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein a shape of each of the capillary tubes matches a deformed shape of the elastomeric sealing.

9. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein a rear support-area of the first support structure has a specific shape to facilitate movement of the first array of test-strips within the first support structure.

10. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein a set of external-interfacing parts are sealed against the first support structure using labyrinth seals.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein a set of external-interfacing parts are sealed against the first support structure using an elastomeric material.

12. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising viewing windows through the housing, wherein test-strips in the first array of test-strips are visible through the viewing window.

13. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the first array of flat test-strips and the second array of flat test-strips are unused.

14. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein each test-strip includes a capillary tube having a sharpened end.

15. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the first slider is used to move the first array of test strips and the second slider is used to move the second array of test strips.