Point-of-care diagnostic systems and containers for same

Inventors

Fletcher, Michael • Connolly, David L. • Leavitt, Anne • Furtney, Matthew M. • Labak, Christopher • Aiston, Christopher • O'Sullivan, Daniel

Assignees

Idexx Laboratories Inc

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a medical diagnostic system. In various embodiments, the system includes a housing, a first receptacle in the housing for receiving a reagent container, a second receptacle in the housing for receiving a working fluid and waste container, where the second receptacle is larger than the first receptacle, two reagent access needles positioned and fixed within the first receptacle with each of the two reagent access needles being positioned to access the reagent container, and a working fluid access needle and a waste access needle positioned and fixed within the second receptacle with the working fluid access needle and the waste access needle being positioned to access the working fluid and waste container.

Core Innovation

A system includes a receptacle configured to receive a container storing a fluid utilized in a diagnostic process. The receptacle has a wall, and a container engagement device includes a hub fixed in the wall of the receptacle and defining a plurality of guide slots.

The container engagement device further includes at least one needle secured to the hub and protruding from the hub, where the at least one needle is configured to puncture the container. A needle cover is slideably coupled with the hub, and the needle cover includes a cap defining at least one aperture corresponding to the at least one needle and a plurality of glide posts extending from the cap, with the glide posts positioned at least partially within the guide slots such that the glide posts slide along the guide slots.

An engagement arm has a base portion secured to the hub and a grasping portion. A spring is positioned between the hub and the cap of the needle cover, and in a first compressed state the spring pushes the cap against the grasping portion so that the grasping portion grasps the cap and maintains the spring in the first compressed state. In the first compressed state, the at least one needle is covered by the cap such that the at least one needle extends from the hub and terminates prior to the at least one aperture of the cap.

Claims Coverage

The partial content provides two independent claims centered on a puncturing needle with a slideably guided needle cover whose cap position is controlled by a spring and an engagement arm. The claim set emphasizes a first compressed state in which the needle is covered relative to the cap aperture position.

Across the independent claims, the core coverage is the combination of a hub with guide slots, a puncturing needle, and a slideably guided needle cover whose cap is held by an engagement arm and biased by a spring such that, in a first compressed state, the needle is covered and terminates prior to the cap aperture.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications