System comprising a docking station and a handheld device

• US 9,182,786 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Nederland B.V. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Meertens, Wendela, Delaey, Tom Philippe Jean Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoa C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cunningham, Xanthia C
• Application Number:
  US13/878,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20130208416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48785 Electrical and electronic details of measuring devices for physical analysis of liquid biological material not specific to a particular test method, e.g. user interface or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G12B 9/08 Supports; Devices for carrying

Abstract

A system includes a docking station and a handheld device. The docking station has four walls and a bathtub shape following the contours of the handheld device tightly. The inner part of the four walls is curved so that the handheld device is guided during docking.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a handheld device having a front surface, a back surface and four side walls between the front and back surfaces; and

a docking station for docking with the handheld device,

wherein the docking station has a bathtub shape following contours of the back surface of the handheld device tightly and comprises four walls,

wherein inner parts of the four walls are curved so that the handheld device is guided during docking,

wherein at least three side walls of the four side walls of the handheld device tightly contact at least three walls of the four walls of the docking station when the handheld device is docked in the docking station to prevent spaces between the at least three side walls and the at least three walls, and

wherein the handheld device has a slot for inserting a cartridge containing a sample, the slot being positioned at such a height that the cartridge can be inserted into the slot while the handheld device is docked in the docking station.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein heights of the four walls are configured such that top sides of the four walls are higher than or of a same height as a center of gravity of the handheld device when the handheld device is docked in the docking station.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the heights of the four walls are between 20 mm and 30 mm and the center of gravity of the handheld device is positioned at maximum of 25 mm from the back surface of the handheld device.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the heights of the four walls are 25 mm.

5. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the handheld device is 50 mm high.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fourth wall of the four walls is located at a front of the docking station for receiving the handheld device, wherein when the handheld device is docked in the docking station the handheld device and the front of the docking station are not in contact with each other, and wherein a center of gravity of the handheld device is positioned at a front half of the handheld device located nearer to the front of the docking station than a back of the docking station opposite the front of the docking station.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the docking station further comprises at least one weight.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handheld device comprises an analyzer.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the docking station further comprises an extrusion at opposite walls, wherein the handheld device comprises gripping indentations, and wherein the extrusions match the gripping indentations.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld device has a display at an upper part of the front surface and a rotatable cover at a lower part of the front surface opposite the upper part, and wherein the lower part has the slot for inserting the cartridge containing the sample, wherein the slot is positioned at a height of the four walls of the docking station when the handheld device is docked in the docking station, and wherein the display is positioned at a height higher than the height of the four walls when the handheld device is docked in the docking station.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the four wall of the docking station have a same height.

12. A docking station comprising:

a surface; and

four walls extending from the surface,

wherein the docking station is configured to receive a handheld device having a front surface, a back surface and four side walls between the front and back surfaces,

wherein the docking station has a bathtub shape following contours of the back surface of the handheld device tightly and comprises four walls,

wherein inner parts of the four walls are curved so that the handheld device is guided during docking,

wherein at least three side walls of the four side walls of the handheld device tightly contact at least three walls of the four walls of the docking station when the handheld device is docked in the docking station to prevent spaces between the at least three side walls and the at least three walls, and

wherein the handheld device has a slot for inserting a cartridge containing a sample, the slot being positioned at such a height that the cartridge can be inserted into the slot while the handheld device is docked in the docking station.

13. The docking station of claim 12, wherein heights of the four walls are configured such that top sides of the four walls are higher than or of a same height as a center of gravity of the handheld device when the handheld device is docked in the docking station.

14. The docking station of claim 13, wherein the heights of the four walls are between 20 mm and 30 mm and the center of gravity of the handheld device is positioned at maximum of 25 mm from the back surface of the handheld device.

15. The docking station of claim 13, wherein the heights of the four walls are 25 mm, and wherein the handheld device is 50 mm high.

16. The docking station of claim 12, further comprising extrusions at two opposite walls of the four walls, wherein the handheld device comprises gripping indentations, and wherein the extrusions match the gripping indentations.

17. The docking station of claim 12, wherein the four wall of the docking station have a same height.