Personal medical testing housing

• US 9,737,254 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NovTex, LLC
• Original Assignee: NovTex, LLC
• Inventors: Cohen, Dan, Kahn, Austin
• Primary Examiner(s): Henson, Devin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kremer, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US15/161,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20170143245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0425 Ergonomically shaped housings A61B2560/0418 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0295 Strip shaped analyte sensors for apparatus classified in A61B5/145 or A61B5/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• 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 5/150847 Communication to or from blood sampling device transmitting measured data A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/151 Devices specially adapted for taking samples of capillary blood, e.g. by lancets , needles or blades
• 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 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48 Biological material, e.g. blood, urine G01N33/02, G01N33/26, G01N33/44, G01N33/46 take precedence; Haemocytometers counting blood corpuscules distributed over a surface by scanning the surface G06M11/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48757 Test elements dispensed from a stack
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A device for facilitating the testing of a fluid sample on a test strip includes a housing containing a loading receptacle, a support member, a disposal receptacle, a lancet device and a sensor device. The loading receptacle is adapted to receive the test strip. The support member is adapted to support the test strip. The disposal receptacle is adapted to hold the test strip. The sensor device is adapted to analyze the fluid sample. The device further includes a strip control assembly that is adapted to move the test strip from a first position in the loading receptacle to a second position on the support member, and from the second position to a third position in the disposal receptacle. The device may include a sample door that provides access to the test strip in the second position wherein the test strip is operatively engaged with the sensor device.

Claims

1. A device for facilitating a testing of a fluid sample on a test strip, comprising:

a housing containing a loading receptacle, a support member, a disposal receptacle, a lancet device and a sensor device, the loading receptacle adapted to receive the test strip, the support member adapted to support the test strip, the disposal receptacle adapted to hold the test strip, the sensor device adapted to analyze the fluid sample; and

a strip control assembly adapted to contact and move the test strip from a first position in the loading receptacle to a second position operatively engaged with the sensor device, and from the second position to a third position in the disposal receptacle,

wherein the strip control assembly is adapted to move the test strip in a single linear direction from the first position to the second position and the single direction from the second position to the third position, and

wherein as the strip control assembly moves the test strip from the first position to the second position, the entire strip control assembly is configured to exit a first location and enter a second location, wherein as the strip control assembly moves the test strip from the second position to the third position, the entire strip control assembly is configured to exit the second location and enter a third location.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sample door mounted on the housing to provide access to the test strip in the second position.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a lancet adapted to puncture skin,

wherein the lancet device is adapted to receive the lancet, and move the lancet from a retracted position to an extended position in which a portion of the lancet extends outside of the housing.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the lancet device is adapted to receive a lancet in a lancet cartridge.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a loading door mounted on the housing to load the test strip in the loading receptacle.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a disposal door mounted on the housing to provide access to the test strip in the disposal receptacle.

7. The device of claim 1, the strip control assembly comprising a control member disposed partially within the housing, the control member adapted to releasably engage the test strip in the first position.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising an adhesive disposed on a contact portion of the control member, the adhesive for releasably engaging the test strip.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a platform and a spring adapted to force the test strip in the first position.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a guide adapted to retain the test strip in the first position in the loading receptacle.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a guide mounted above the disposal receptacle.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the loading receptacle is adapted to receive the test strip in a test strip cartridge configured to hold a plurality of test strips.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a processor that generates a notification signal at at least one of a certain interval and an event.

14. A device for facilitating a testing of a fluid sample on a test strip, comprising:

a housing comprising;

a loading receptacle adapted to receive the test strip in a first position;

a support member adapted to support the test strip in a second position;

a disposal receptacle adapted to hold the test strip in a third position;

a lancet adapted to puncture skin;

a lancet device adapted to receive the lancet, and move the lancet from a retracted position to an extended position in which a portion of the lancet extends outside of the housing;

a sensor device adapted to analyze the fluid sample;

a strip control assembly comprising a control member, the control member disposed partially within the housing, the control member adapted to contact and move the test strip from the first position to the second position in a single linear direction and to contact and move the test strip from the second position to the third position in the same single linear direction, wherein as the control member moves the test strip between the first and second positions, the entire control member is configured to exit a first location and enter a second location, and wherein as the control member moves the test strip between the second and third positions, the entire control member is configured to exit the second location and enter a third location;

a loading door in the housing to load the test strip into the housing;

a sample door in the housing to access the test strip in the second position; and

a disposal door in the housing to access the test strip in the third position;

wherein, in the second position, the test strip is accessible through the sample door to receive the fluid sample, and the test strip is operatively engaged with the sensor device.

15. A method of testing a fluid sample on a test strip using a testing device, the testing device including a loading receptacle, a support member, a disposal receptacle, a lancet device and a sensor device contained within a housing, and a strip control assembly, the method comprising:

contacting and moving, using the strip control assembly, the test strip from a first position in the loading receptacle to a second position;

depositing the fluid sample on the test strip for testing by the sensor device, the sensor device operatively engaged with the test strip in the second position; and

moving, with the strip control assembly, the test strip from the second position to a third position in the disposal receptacle when the testing is completed,

wherein both moving steps are performed in the same linear direction such that the entire test strip control assembly exits a first location and enters a second location as the strip control assembly moves the test strip from the first position to the second position and the entire test strip assembly exits the second location and enters a third location as the strip control assembly moves the test strip from the second position to the third position.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of generating a notification signal using a processor.