Cartridge for insertion into a blood glucose meter

• US 9,237,867 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Richter, Frank, MacArthur, Ross, Wolseley-Hext, Elizabeth Verity, Cowan, Joseph David, Smith, Lee Thomas, Mills, David M. John
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRCHA, MATTHEW D
• Application Number:
  US14/382,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20150038817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1411 by percutaneous method, e.g. by lancet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1486 using enzyme electrodes, e.g. with immobilised oxidase
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150068 by tissue compression, e.g. with specially designed surface of device contacting the skin area to be pierced
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150175 Adjustment of penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150305 Packages specially adapted for piercing devices or blood sampling devices kits for diabetes A61M5/003; packaging in general B65D
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150412 Pointed piercing elements, e.g. needles, lancets for piercing the skin blade-like piercing elements A61B5/150442
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150503 Single-ended needles hollow piercing element tip design A61B5/150396, needle sets for catheters A61M25/06, needles for bringing media into the body A61M5/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150526 Curved or bent needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15113 Manually triggered, i.e. the triggering requires a deliberate action by the user such as pressing a drive button
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15117 comprising biased elements, resilient elements or a spring, e.g. a helical spring, leaf spring, or elastic strap
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15153 Multiple piercing elements stocked in a single compartment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15155 Piercing elements which are specially shaped or are provided with fittings or attachments to facilitate nesting, stacking or joining together end-to-end or side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15174 Piercing elements stocked in the form of a stack or pile
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48757 Test elements dispensed from a stack
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/66 involving blood sugars, e.g. galactose

Abstract

A cartridge (700) for insertion into a meter comprises: a plurality of cartridge brackets (704) disposed on an inner wall (703) of the cartridge; a spindle (702) mounted so as to be rotatable within the cartridge and movable longitudinally in first and second directions within the cartridge; and a plurality of testing members (708) each arranged to be supported temporarily by at least one of the plurality of cartridge brackets, each of the testing members including) a hole (306) through which the spindle is located, the spindle having a plurality of spindle brackets (706) disposed on an outer surface thereof, each spindle bracket being movable between first and second positions.

Claims

1. A cartridge for insertion into a meter, the cartridge comprising:

a plurality of cartridge brackets each formed as a protrusion disposed on an inner wall of the cartridge and extending into a cavity of the cartridge;

a spindle mounted so as to be rotatable within the cartridge and movable longitudinally in first and second directions within the cartridge; and

a plurality of testing members each arranged to be supported temporarily by at least one of the plurality of cartridge brackets, each of the testing members including a hole through which the spindle is located, the spindle having a plurality of spindle brackets disposed on an outer surface thereof, each spindle bracket being movable between first and second positions wherein in the first position the spindle bracket'"'"'s distal end is at a first distance radially from the longitudinal axis of the spindle and wherein in the second position the spindle bracket'"'"'s distal end is at a greater distance radially from the longitudinal axis of the spindle, and wherein when a given one of the spindle brackets is in the second position its distal end is located against a surface of one of the testing members so as to prevent movement of the testing member in the second longitudinal direction relative to the spindle, each cartridge bracket being movable between first and second positions, wherein in the first position at least a distal end of each cartridge bracket may be configured to deform towards the inner wall so as to allow movement of the plurality of testing members in a first longitudinal direction with respect to the cartridge and wherein in the second position each cartridge bracket'"'"'s distal end is located against a surface of one of the testing members so as to prevent movement of the testing member in the second longitudinal direction relative to the spindle,

wherein when the spindle advances in the second longitudinal direction relative to the cartridge, the spindle brackets are configured to move from the second to the first position so as to allow the spindle brackets to move past the testing members in the second longitudinal direction relative to the testing members, the spindle brackets being configured to return to the second position after moving past the testing members such that each spindle bracket is located against a surface of a different one of the testing members to the testing member against which it was originally located and such that the spindle brackets communicate force from the spindle to the testing members in the first longitudinal direction to move the testing members in the first longitudinal direction as the spindle is moved in the first longitudinal direction.

2. A cartridge according to claim 1, the cartridge further comprising a biasing arrangement configured to bias the spindle in the first longitudinal direction.

3. A cartridge according to claim 1, the cartridge further comprising a spindle advancing arrangement for advancing the spindle in the second longitudinal direction relative to the cartridge.

4. A cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the spindle has a lateral protrusion at a first end thereof and wherein the spindle advancing arrangement comprises a ramp having a helical surface portion configured to be engaged by the lateral protrusion of the spindle such that rotation of the spindle causes the protrusion to ascend the ramp.

5. A cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the ramp comprises a flat surface portion at a lower end of the ramp.

6. A cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the start of the flat surface portion of the ramp adjoins the end of the helical surface portion of the ramp with a step.

7. A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the spindle brackets are resilient brackets, at least the distal end of each resilient bracket configured to deform towards the spindle in order to move each bracket from the second to the first position.

8. A cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a recess in the spindle, wherein the spindle brackets are configured to rotate into the recess in the spindle in order to move each bracket from the second to the first position.

9. A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge brackets are resilient brackets and wherein at least the distal end of each resilient bracket is configured to deform towards the inner wall so as to allow movement of the plurality of testing members in a first longitudinal direction with respect to the cartridge.

10. A cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a recess in the inner wall of the cartridge, wherein the cartridge brackets are configured to rotate into the recess in the inner wall of the cartridge so as to allow movement of the plurality of testing members in a first longitudinal direction with respect to the cartridge.

11. A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the spindle comprises a longitudinal recess configured to receive a drive shaft for rotating the spindle.

12. A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the spindle further comprises a drive dog configured to engage with each of the plurality of testing members in turn to facilitate rotation of each testing member.

13. A cartridge according to claim 12, further comprising a recess in the spindle, wherein the drive dog is configured to rotate into the recess in the spindle so as to allow rotational movement and longitudinal movement of the plurality of testing members with respect to the drive dog or wherein the drive dog is flexible and resilient and configured to deform towards the spindle so as to allow rotational movement and longitudinal movement of the plurality of testing members with respect to the drive dog.

14. A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein each testing member is arranged to be supported temporarily by four cartridge brackets spaced at equal angular intervals.

15. A system comprising:

a blood glucose meter configured to perform a blood glucose analysis, the blood glucose meter comprising a housing that forms a base, a left side face, a right side face and a rear face and a lid part that forms a portion of a top surface, wherein an aperture is provided in the housing; and

a cartridge according to claim 1 received within the housing, wherein the lid part is disposed above the cartridge.