Blood analysis meter

• US 9,939,403 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2012
• 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 John
• Primary Examiner(s): TOWA, RENE T
• Application Number:
  US14/369,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20140360873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• 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 5/150412 Pointed piercing elements, e.g. needles, lancets for piercing the skin blade-like piercing elements A61B5/150442
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150526 Curved or bent needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150824 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150954 Means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. by temperature sensitive sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15109 Fully automatically triggered, i.e. the triggering does not require a deliberate action by the user, e.g. by contact with the patient's skin
• 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 5/15132 comprising tooth-shaped elements, e.g. toothed wheel or rack and pinion
• 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 27/3273 Devices therefor, e.g. test element readers, circuitry details not specific to biochemical electrodes G01N33/4875

Abstract

A meter configured to perform a blood analysis is presented where the meter has a housing, the housing having an aperture configured to receive a body part of a user. The meter also having a plurality of light sources supported by the housing and a controller configured to control the plurality of light sources to indicate an operational status of the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a meter configured to perform a blood analysis, the meter having:

a housing part forming a top face, a bottom face, a rear face, a front face, a left side face and a right side face of the meter, where the top and front faces are curved and a portion of the top face comprises a removable lid and where the left and right side faces are curved to match the curved shape of the top face;

an elongate aperture comprising a vertical opening located in the front face between the top and bottom faces of the housing part, where the vertical opening is defined by a height as measured perpendicular relative to the top face and by a width as measured parallel relative to the bottom face, where the height is greater than the width such that the vertical opening occupies a substantial portion of the front face;

a removable cartridge comprising a cylindrically shaped housing, the housing having a cartridge aperture configured to receive a body part of a user, wherein the cartridge is arranged vertically in the housing part and accessible through the top when the removable lid is removed from the housing such that a portion of the cartridge housing fills the elongated aperture such that the cartridge aperture is accessible through elongated aperture and presents the cartridge aperture to receive the body part of the user, wherein the cartridge is extractable when the removable lid is removed from the meter, and wherein the cartridge contains a plurality of vertically stacked circular test discs each containing a lancet and a blood collection portion;

a display screen configured to indicate an operational status of the apparatus;

a plurality of light sources supported by the housing wherein each of the plurality of light sources emits a visibly different color of light;

at least one proximity sensor disposed within the housing adjacent to the cartridge aperture; and

a controller configured to control the plurality of light sources to indicate the operational status of the apparatus and to control the display screen, wherein the controller is configured to;

cause the display screen to display an instruction to the user;

receive signals from the at least one proximity sensor;

determine from the signals whether the body part of the user is present within the cartridge aperture;

in response to a determination that the body part of the user is present within the cartridge aperture, simultaneously permit a lancing operation, activate a first light source of the plurality of light sources, and change the displayed instruction to the user;

activate a second light source of the plurality of light sources during said blood analysis; and

activate a third light source of the plurality of light sources when said blood analysis is complete.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the meter is a blood glucose meter configured to perform a blood glucose measurement.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the meter is further configured to elicit a blood sample from the body part of the user.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine from the signals whether the body part protrudes by a required amount within the aperture.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first light source emits red light.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second light source emits orange light.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third light source emits green light.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause at least one of the light sources to flash.