Patent Application
20250196128
Not Applicable
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The disclosure relates to diabetic testing systems and more particularly pertains to a new diabetic testing system for hygienically loading and disposing of a test strip.
The prior art relates to diabetic testing systems. Typically, a user needs to grab the test strip with their hands to load the test strip into the blood glucose testing device. This means that the user needs to physically handle the test strip where the blood sample is being gathered. When the user is assisting another patient, physically touching the test strip can carry a risk of exposure to another person's blood and other bodily fluids, which can cause infection and illness. When the user is testing their own blood, the user still needs to perform the unsanitary task of physically handling a test strip that is covered in blood. Thus, there is a need in the art for an automatic, hands-free mechanism for loading and disposing of a test strip used with a blood glucose testing device.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a test strip having a magnetically active tip. The magnetically active tip comprises a magnetically active strip material. A blood glucose tester has a front side, a back side, and a peripheral side that is coupled to and extends between the front side and the back side to define an interior space. The peripheral side has a top edge and a bottom edge. A power source is positioned in the interior space. A central processing unit is positioned in the interior space. The central processing unit is electrically coupled to the power source. A channel extends into the interior space through the top edge. The channel has a shape that is complementary to a shape of the test strip wherein the test strip is positionable within the channel. An electromagnet is positioned in the interior space. The electromagnet is electrically coupled to the central processing unit. The electromagnet is magnetically attracted to the magnetically active strip material whereby the electromagnet releasably retains the test strip to the electromagnet. The electromagnet is movably coupled to the interior space and is aligned with the channel wherein the electromagnet moves the test strip through the channel when the test strip is magnetically retained by the electromagnet. A chamber is positioned in the interior space. The chamber is fluidly coupled with the channel. The chamber is positioned beneath the channel wherein the test strip falls into the chamber when the test strip is released by the electromagnet.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A strip holder 18 has a bottom wall 20 and a perimeter wall 22 that is coupled to and extends upwardly from the bottom wall 20 to define an inner area 24. The inner area 24 has a shape that is complementary to a shape of the test strip 12 wherein the test strip 12 is positionable in the inner area 24. The perimeter wall 22 has an upper edge 26 defining an opening 28 into the inner area 24. A lid 30 may be pivotably coupled to the upper edge 26 to selectively close the opening 28.
A slot 32 is generally positioned in the bottom wall 20 and extends into the inner area 24. The slot 32 has a shape that is complementary to a shape of the test strip 12 wherein the test strip 12 is dispensable from the inner area 24 through the slot 32. The magnetically active tip 14 may be aligned with the slot 32 when the test strip 12 is positioned within the inner area 24.
A blood glucose tester 34 has a front side 36, a back side 38, and a peripheral side 40 that is coupled to and extends between the front side 36 and the back side 38 to define an interior space 42. The peripheral side 40 has a top edge 44 and a bottom edge 46.
A power source 48 is positioned in the interior space 42. The power source 48 may be a battery, such as a rechargeable battery or a replaceable battery.
A central processing unit 50 is positioned in the interior space 42. The central processing unit 50 is electrically coupled to the power source 48.
A channel 52 extends into the interior space 42 through the top edge 44. The channel 52 has a shape that is complementary to a shape of the test strip 12 wherein the test strip 12 is positionable within the channel 52.
A blood glucose reader 54 is positioned in the interior space 42. The blood glucose reader 54 is generally aligned with the channel 52 wherein the blood glucose reader 54 is configured to determine a blood glucose level of the blood sample being provided on the test strip 12.
An electromagnet 56 is positioned in the interior space 42. The electromagnet 56 is electrically coupled to the central processing unit 50. The electromagnet 56 is magnetically attracted to the magnetically active strip material on the test strip 12. For example, the magnetically active strip material may comprise a ferromagnetic material that is magnetically attracted to the electromagnet 56, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, gadolinium, or steel alloy.
The electromagnet 56 releasably retains the test strip 12 to the electromagnet 56. The electromagnet 65 is movably coupled to the interior space 42 and is aligned with the channel 52. The electromagnet 56 moves the test strip 12 through the channel 52 when the test strip 12 is magnetically retained by the electromagnet 56.
A motor 58 is positioned in the interior space 42. The motor 58 is electrically coupled to the central processing unit 50. The motor 58 may be a servomotor.
A track 60 couples the electromagnet 56 to the motor 58. The motor 58 moves the electromagnet 56 along the track 60. The track 60 is aligned with the channel 52 wherein the electromagnet 56 moves adjacent to the channel 52. Thus, the electromagnet 56 moves the test strip 12 through the channel 52.
A chamber 62 may be positioned in the interior space 42. The chamber 62 is fluidly coupled with the channel 52. The chamber 62 is generally positioned beneath the channel 52 wherein the test strip 12 falls into the chamber 62 when the test strip 12 is released by the electromagnet 56.
A port 64 may be positioned in the bottom edge 46. The port 64 is fluidly coupled with the chamber 62. The port 64 has a shape that is complementary to a shape of the test strip 12 wherein the test strip 12 is removable from the chamber 62 through the port 64.
A door 66 may be slidably coupled to the bottom edge 46. The door 66 is positionable over the port 64 to inhibit access to the chamber 62. The door 66 may be nested in the bottom edge 46 wherein a recess 68 extends into the bottom edge 46 for receiving the door 66 when the door 66 is open.
A control panel 70 may be electrically coupled to the central processing unit 50 for selectively actuating the electromagnet 56 and the blood glucose reader 34. The control panel 70 may comprise a plurality of buttons 72 that is positioned on the front side 36 of the blood glucose tester 34. For example, the plurality of buttons 72 may include an up button 74 that is configured to actuate the motor 58 to move the electromagnet 56 upwardly along the track 60 through the interior space 42 toward the top edge 44. A down button 76 may be configured to actuate the motor 58 to move the electromagnet 56 downwardly along the track 60 through the interior space 42 toward the bottom edge 46. An ok button 78 may be configured to actuate the blood glucose reader 54. A release button 80 may be configured to deactivate the electromagnet 56 wherein the electromagnet 56 releases the test strip 12 when the electromagnet 56 is deactivated.
In use, the user 16 can position the strip holder 18 near the blood glucose tester 34. More specifically, the user 16 may align the slot 32 of the strip holder 18 with the channel 52 in the top edge 44 of the blood glucose tester 34. Once the electromagnet 56 receives an electrical current from the power source 48, for example when the user 16 actuates the electromagnet 56 with the control panel 70, the electromagnet 56 will releasably retain the test strip 12. The test strip 12 can then slide out of the strip holder 18 without being touched by the user 16. The user 16 can then add a blood sample to the test strip 12 as shown in
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
