Using a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films and sensor housing, manufactured using a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films

Abstract

Use of a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films (1), characterized in that the Tm fiber laser is used to weld two PC plastic films (1) with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm, wherein at least one tight weld seam (2) of a width of less than 100 µm is formed such that the PC plastic films (1) and the weld seam (2) define at least one open channel (3) for receiving and transporting a flowable medium from the environment of the PC plastic films (1) in conjunction with at least one chamber-like area (4) receiving the flowable medium from the channel (3), so that the Tm fiber laser and the PC plastic films (1) are used to produce a sensor shell.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a use of a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films and a sensor cover produced using a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films.

[0002] US Pat. No. 10,548,531 B2 relates to a foldable multi-unit device integrated into a housing, comprising a foldable case for accommodating a communication device and a sensor module for further processing electrical signals from a disposable sensor. The disposable sensor can have insulating polymer films as the lower and upper substrates. These can be designed as adhesive tapes.

[0003] DE 198 32 168 A1 discloses a method and device for welding thermoplastics with laser light. The laser light is directed onto a workpiece made of transparent plastic. The laser light has a wavelength of 1.6 µm to 2.4 µm. This allows two workpieces to be welded together flat, achieving weld seams up to 0.1 mm wide. During welding, the laser light heats the workpieces on both sides of the contact area. Attenuation due to absorption in the area of ​​the rear workpiece can be compensated for by a reflector arranged behind this workpiece, which can also be designed to be coolable.

[0004] The invention defined in claim 1 is based on the object of using a TM fiber laser and PC plastic films to produce at least one sensor cover.

[0005] This problem is solved by the features listed in claim 1.

[0006] The use of a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films is particularly characterized by the fact that a sensor cover can be manufactured easily and economically.

[0007] For this purpose, the Tm fiber laser is used to weld two PC plastic films with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm. At least one tight weld seam with a width of less than 100 µm is formed such that the PC plastic films and the weld seam define at least one open channel for receiving and transporting a flowable medium from the surroundings of the PC plastic films, in conjunction with at least one chamber-like area that receives the flowable medium from the channel. Thus, the Tm fiber laser and the PC plastic films are used to produce a sensor casing.

[0008] Using the Tm (Tm stands for thulium) fiber laser and PC (PC stands for polycarbonate) plastic films, for example, a sensor cover for a POCT (point-of-care testing) sensor can be produced. POCT stands for near-patient immediate diagnostics or near-patient laboratory diagnostics, also known as rapid testing.

[0009] Advantageously, overlap transmission welding with the Tm fiber laser with a wavelength of 1.95 µm produces tight weld seams with a seam width of less than 100 µm without the need for additional absorption material. This allows for high packing densities. The PC plastic films can thus be used directly on top of one another to manufacture the sensor casing.

[0010] This allows the Tm fiber laser and the PC plastic films to be used to produce the sensor casing. For this purpose, two chamber-like areas connected by a channel are implemented, with one chamber-like area being provided for the reference medium and the other chamber-like area for the measurement medium. In a further development, one chamber-like area can also be provided for a reaction medium, which can interact with a measurement medium in the other chamber-like area via a channel connecting the chamber-like areas.

[0011] Advantageous refinements of the invention are presented in the following developments and embodiments. These may include the use of a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films, and a sensor casing manufactured using a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films, either individually or in combination.

[0012] In one embodiment, the Tm fiber laser can be used to weld two light-transparent PC plastic films with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm. Light is the spectral range of electromagnetic radiation visible to humans.

[0013] In a further development, the Tm fiber laser can be used to weld two light-transparent PC plastic films with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm, wherein at least one PC plastic film has at least one electrode. The electrode can interact with a spaced-apart counter electrode and the flowable medium located therebetween.

[0014] In a further development, the Tm fiber laser can be used to weld two light-transparent PC plastic films with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm, wherein at least one of the PC plastic films has or has at least one recess for forming the channel and / or the chamber-like region. For this purpose, the PC plastic film for forming the recess can, in particular, be an embossed, engraved, or laser-engraved PC plastic film.

[0015] The Tm fiber laser and the PC plastic films can advantageously be used to produce several adjacent and separable sensor shells.

[0016] In one embodiment, a plastic film or an additional PC plastic film can be used as a carrier for the two PC plastic films during the welding process. This acts, in particular, as a protective film for the PC plastic films during the welding process. The additional PC plastic film can, for example, also have a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm.

[0017] Using a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films, a sensor casing can be advantageously produced. For this purpose, the sensor casing comprises two PC plastic films with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm. The PC plastic films are joined together with a tight weld seam with a width of less than 100 µm, such that the PC plastic films and the weld seam define at least one open channel for receiving and transporting a flowable medium from the surroundings of the PC plastic films, in conjunction with at least one chamber-like area receiving the flowable medium from the channel.

[0018] In one embodiment, the weld seam can delimit the open channel, the chamber-like region connected thereto and at least one further channel connected thereto in connection with at least one further chamber-like region for transporting and receiving flowable media from the environment of the PC plastic films.

[0019] In a further development, the weld seam can define the open channel, at least one additional channel connected to it, and chamber-like areas connected to the channels for transporting and absorbing flowable media from the surroundings of the PC plastic films. This can also be a sequence of channels and chamber-like areas that can be connected to one another or separated individually or in groups.

[0020] In a further development, the further chamber-like region can be located next to and / or within the chamber-like region. In particular, two chamber-like regions connected by a channel can be realized, with one chamber-like region being provided for a reference medium and the other chamber-like region for the measuring medium. Furthermore, a chamber-like region can also be provided for a reaction medium, which can interact with a measuring medium in the other chamber-like region via a channel connecting the chamber-like regions. Of course, several chamber-like regions can also be arranged next to one another, which can be connected to one another individually or in groups of chamber-like regions.

[0021] The PC plastic films are advantageously arranged one on top of the other in the beam direction of the Tm fiber laser.

[0022] An embodiment of the invention is shown in principle in the drawings and is described in more detail below.

[0023] They show: Fig. 1 a tight weld seam connecting two PC plastic films with a channel and a chamber-like area, Fig. 2 a tight weld seam connecting two PC plastic films with two channels and two chamber-like areas and Fig. 3 a tight weld seam connecting two PC plastic films with channels and two chamber-like areas.

[0024] A sensor cover is realized and manufactured using a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films 1.

[0025] The Fig. 1 shows a tight weld seam 2 connecting two PC plastic films 1 with a channel 3 and a chamber-like area 4 in a schematic representation.

[0026] The Tm fiber laser is used to weld two PC plastic films 1 with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm. Where Tm stands for thulium and PC for polycarbonate. A tight weld seam 2 with a width of less than 100 µm is designed such that the PC plastic films 1 and the weld seam 2 define at least one open channel 3 for receiving and transporting a flowable medium from the environment of the PC plastic films 1, in conjunction with at least one chamber-like area 4 receiving the flowable medium from the channel 3. The Tm fiber laser and the PC plastic films 1 are thus used to produce a sensor casing. In particular, two light-transparent PC plastic films 1 with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm can be used for this purpose. Light is the spectral range of electromagnetic radiation visible to humans. The PC plastic films 1 are arranged on top of each other in the beam direction of the Tm fiber laser.

[0027] To form a sensor cover, a PC plastic film 1 having at least one electrode and having a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm can also be used.

[0028] The Tm fiber laser and the PC plastic films 1 can thus be used in particular to produce a sensor cover for, for example, a POCT sensor, where POCT stands for point-of-care testing (near-patient immediate diagnostics) or near-patient laboratory diagnostics. The latter is also known as rapid tests.

[0029] The Tm fiber laser and the PC plastic films 1 can be used to produce several sensor shells arranged side by side and separable from each other.

[0030] To protect the PC plastic films 1, another PC plastic film can be used as a carrier for the two PC plastic films 1.

[0031] The sensor sleeve, manufactured using a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films 1, comprises two PC plastic films 1 with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm. The PC plastic films 1 are connected to one another with a tight weld seam 2 with a width of less than or equal to 100 µm such that the PC plastic films 1 and the weld seam 2 define at least one open channel 3 for receiving and transporting a flowable medium from the surroundings of the PC plastic films 1 in conjunction with at least one chamber-like region 4 receiving the flowable medium from the channel 3.

[0032] The Fig. 2 shows a tight weld seam 2 connecting two PC plastic films 1 with two channels 3, 5 and two chamber-like areas 4, 6 in a basic representation.

[0033] In one embodiment, the PC plastic films 1 and the weld seam 2 define an open channel 3, a chamber-like region 4 connected thereto and a further channel 5 connected thereto in conjunction with a further chamber-like region 6 for transporting and receiving flowable media from the environment of the PC plastic films 1. The further chamber-like region 6 can be located next to and / or in the chamber-like region 4.

[0034] The Fig. 3 shows a tight weld seam 2 connecting two PC plastic films 1 with channels 3, 5 and two chamber-like areas 4, 6 in a basic representation.

[0035] In a further embodiment, the PC plastic films 1 and the weld seam 2 define an open channel 3, a branching further open channel 5 and chamber-like regions 4, 6 connected thereto. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] US 10,548,531 B2

[0002] DE 198 32 168 A1

[0003]

Claims

[1] Use of a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films (1), characterized by that the Tm fiber laser is used to weld two PC plastic films (1) with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm, wherein at least one tight weld seam (2) with a width of less than 100 µm is designed such that the PC plastic films (1) and the weld seam (2) delimit at least one open channel (3) for receiving and transporting a flowable medium from the environment of the PC plastic films (1) in conjunction with at least one chamber-like region (4) receiving the flowable medium from the channel (3), so that the Tm fiber laser and the PC plastic films (1) are used to produce a sensor casing. [2] Use of a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the Tm fiber laser is used to weld two light-transparent PC plastic films (1) with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm. [3] Use of a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films (1) according to at least one of claims 1 and 2, characterized by that the Tm fiber laser is used to weld two light-transparent PC plastic films (1) with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm, wherein at least one PC plastic film (1) has at least one electrode. [4] Use of a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the Tm fiber laser is used for welding two light-transparent PC plastic films (1) with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm, wherein at least one of the PC plastic films (1) has or has at least one recess for forming the channel (3) and / or the chamber-like region (4). [5] Use of a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized bythat the Tm fiber laser and the PC plastic films (1) are used to produce several sensor sheaths arranged side by side and separable from each other. [6] Use of a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films (1) according to at least one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that a plastic film or another PC plastic film is used as a carrier for the two PC plastic films (1) during the welding process. [7] Sensor cover, manufactured using a Tm fiber laser and PC plastic films (1) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the sensor sleeve has two PC plastic films (1) with a thickness of less than or equal to 250 µm, that the PC plastic films (1) are connected to one another with a tight weld seam (2) with a width of less than 100 µm such that the PC plastic films (1) and the weld seam (2) delimit at least one open channel (3) for receiving and transporting a flowable medium from the environment of the PC plastic films (1) in conjunction with at least one chamber-like region (4) receiving the flowable medium from the channel (3). [8] Sensor cover according to claim 7, characterized by that the weld seam (2) delimits the open channel (3), the chamber-like region (4) connected thereto and at least one further channel (5) connected thereto in connection with at least one further chamber-like region (6) for transporting and receiving flowable media from the environment of the PC plastic films (1). [9] Sensor cover according to at least one of claims 7 and 8, characterized by that the weld seam (2) delimits the open channel (3), at least one further channel (5) connected thereto and chamber-like regions (4, 6) connected to the channels (3, 5) for transporting and receiving flowable media from the environment of the PC plastic films (1)._ [10] Sensor cover according to at least one of claims 7 to 9, characterized by that the further chamber-like area (6) is located next to and / or in the chamber-like area (4). [11] Sensor cover according to at least one of claims 7 to 10, characterized by that the PC plastic films (1) are arranged on top of each other in the beam direction of the Tm fiber laser.

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