Portable immediate response medical analyzer having multiple testing modules

Abstract

A portable device that includes a plurality of test modules for analyzing preselected concentrations of various body fluids of a patient. The portable diagnostic device interfaces and utilizes disposable cartridges and reagent diagnostic test strips and other fluid sample diagnostic devices to determine the amounts of preselected parameters in a patient's blood through either electrochemical, electrical, optical, or mechanical analysis. The disposable fluid sample diagnostic devices may include sample chambers with inlet ports, electrical, physical, or chemical sensors, in situ calibration media, a plurality of electrical interface terminals, and temperature control elements. An electrical interface interconnects the various test modules with one or more corresponding integrated circuits which in turn are electrically coupled to a common interactive display, printer, power supply, and communication ports.

Description

[0001]The present application is a complete application claiming priority based on co-pending Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 053,406, filed Jul. 22, 1997 and entitled “IMMEDIATE RESPONSE MEDICAL ANALYZER HAVING MULTIPLE TEST MODULES”.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention is directed generally to a stationary or portable diagnostic system or electroanalytical systems for analyzing preselected characteristics of a patient's blood and other fluids. More particularly the present invention is concerned with a portable diagnostic device or analytic instrument that includes a plurality of test modules for analyzing various body fluids of a patient, wherein the modules are coupled to a common display, printer, power supply, and communication ports. The portable diagnostic device interfaces and utilizes disposable cartridges, reagent diagnostic test strips, or other means to determine, for example, a patient's blood pH, pO2, pCO2, Na+, Ca+...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]The present invention provides a point-of-care medical analyzer that enables an operator without special training or skills to obtain rapid, accurate blood-gas, glucose, and other analyte determinations at the time and location the sample is drawn. The device is compact, light-weight, easily transported and ready for immediate use. The analyzer is designed for rapid processing of electrical signals generated by electrochemical, electrical, optical, or mechanical sensors of an associated module having both calibration and sample determination modes and utilizing one-time use or disposable cartridges. The modules may be removed from the analytic device and interchanged.

[0020]It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide a portable, rapidly responding, point-of-care medical device having several modules capable of independently determining a plurality of predetermined analytes from a fluid biological sample.

[0021]Another object of the present invention is to provide a rapidly responding, portable medical analytical instrument capable of interfacing with several self-contained, self-calibrating, or pre-calibrated, disposable fluid sample devices of varying construction.

[0022]Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable sophisticated medical analyzer capable of simplistic user friendly operation.

Problems solved by technology

In the past, the equipment provided to make such determinations has typically been complex and permanently installed in a hospital laboratory.

Also, the user operating the equipment has been oftentimes required to be a highly-trained and skilled technician, which thereby increases the cost of operating the equipment and limits the number of potential users.

This procedure is time consuming, labor intensive, and usually disadvantageous in the operating room, emergency room or other area of the hospital, or outside the hospital where time is of the essence.

Many situations arise where it is impractical to deliver a patient's fluid sample to a hospital laboratory in order to analyze the patient's blood analytes.

Although the analyzer may be utilized on-site during surgery, the device disclosed by Enzer remains relatively stationary and immobile.

Such a sensor is limited to the particular analyte being measured and requires an interface with an electrochemical sensor.

The capability of the Stark device is limited to determining blood glucose.

Although somewhat useful, such devices are limited in application and address only part of the drawbacks of prior systems.

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