DEVICE WITH INTEGRATED ALLERGY TESTING

• US 20170100070A1
• Filed: 12/21/2016
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teleflex Life Sciences LLC (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Teleflex Medical Incorporated (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gupta, Nisha, Rowe, David T., Denlinger, Rodney W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,617,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/153 Devices specially adapted for taking samples of venous or arterial blood, e.g. with syringes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance

Abstract

A coupler for indicating the presence of a substance in blood is disclosed. The coupler includes a housing and a test strip. The housing has a proximal end and a distal end, and defines a hollow interior for receiving withdrawn blood. The test strip is held within the hollow interior of the housing. The housing removably couples with a medical instrument and a needle. The test strip produces a visible signal that indicates the presence or absence of the substance in the withdrawn blood. A kit including a syringe, a needle and the coupler is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A coupler for indicating the presence of a substance in blood, the coupler comprising:

a housing having a proximal end and a distal end, and defining a hollow interior for receiving withdrawn blood at least partially between the proximal and distal ends of the housing; and

a test strip held within the hollow interior of the housing, wherein;

the proximal end of the housing is configured to removably couple with a distal end of a medical instrument,

the distal end of the housing is configured to removably couple with a hub of a needle, and

the test strip is configured to produce a visible signal that indicates the presence or absence of the substance in the withdrawn blood.

2. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a window configured to allow visual detection of the visible signal on the test strip.

3. The coupler of claim 2, wherein the window at least partially defines the hollow interior of the housing.

4. The coupler of claim 2, wherein the window extends circumferentially about the housing.

5. The coupler of claim 4, wherein the window extends radially beyond the proximal end of the housing or the distal end of the housing.

6. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the needle is configured to withdraw blood from a subject and to introduce the withdrawn blood into the hollow interior of the housing.

7. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the housing comprises luer threads configured to removably couple with the distal end of the medical instrument.

8. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the housing is configured to removably couple with the distal end of the medical instrument via a friction fit.

9. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the housing is configured to removably couple with the hub of the needle via a threaded coupling.

10. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the test strip is spirally wound within the hollow interior of the housing.

11. The coupler of claim 1, further comprising an absorbent pad positioned beneath the test strip, the absorbent pad being configured to absorb the plasma of the withdrawn blood following the production of the visible signal.

12. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the test strip is an immunochromatographic test strip.

13. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the medical instrument is a syringe, a trocar, a catheter, an introducer, a sheath, a pump, or a valve.

14. The coupler of claim 13, wherein the medical instrument is a syringe.

15. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the withdrawn blood is urged into the hollow interior of the housing by one or more of the blood pressure of the subject, a negative pressure produced by a plunger of the medical instrument, and capillary action of the test strip.

16. The coupler of claim 1, wherein the substance in the blood is an antibody.

17. The couple of claim 1, further comprising the needle, wherein the needle is reversibly coupled to the coupler.

18. A kit, comprising:

a syringe comprising a plunger, the syringe having a distal end;

a needle comprising a needle hub at its proximal end and a sharp tip at its distal end; and

a coupler for indicating the presence of a substance in blood, the coupler comprising;

a housing having a proximal end and a distal end, and defining a hollow interior for receiving withdrawn blood at least partially between the proximal and distal ends of the housing; and

a test strip held within the hollow interior of the housing, wherein;

the proximal end of the housing is configured to removably couple with the distal end of the syringe,

the distal end of the housing is configured to removably couple with the hub of the needle, and

the test strip is configured to produce a visible signal that indicates the presence or absence of the substance in the withdrawn blood.

19. The kit of claim 18, wherein the withdrawn blood is urged into the hollow interior of the housing by a negative pressure produced by the plunger of the syringe.

20. The kit of claim 18, wherein the housing further comprises a window configured to allow visual detection of the visible signal on the test strip.