Analyte Sensor Retention Tab Design for Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional analyte sensors are large and difficult to handle, making them cumbersome and costly to produce, and as they are miniaturized, handling and packaging become more challenging, necessitating a solution for smaller, easier-to-use sensors that require minimal handling and can be packaged in a small volume.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a base with a top and bottom side, a lid forming a fluid-receiving channel, a chemically-active region, and an attachment member with retention tabs that allow for secure attachment to a pylon on an analyte meter, enabling easy handling and stacking of miniature sensors, while preventing blood from contaminating the meter's electrical contacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If analyte sensors are made smaller to reduce material cost and improve ease of use, then sensor size and material cost are reduced, but handling and packaging difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is segmented into distinct functional regions including a fluid receiving channel, a chemically-active region with electrodes, and an attachment member with retention tabs. This segmentation allows the small sensor to be easily grasped by the meter while maintaining all necessary functional areas within the compact form factor
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor design incorporates vertical stacking of functional layers (base layer with electrodes, chemically-active region, lid with fluid channel) to achieve compact volume while maintaining sufficient surface area for chemical reactions and electrical contacts, effectively moving functionality into the third dimension
2Ease of manufacture
If analyte sensors are made smaller to reduce material cost, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but packaging and dispensing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is divided into modular components (base, lid, attachment member) that can be manufactured separately and assembled, simplifying packaging and dispensing processes while maintaining cost-effectiveness through reduced material usage
Solution Approach 2:
The retention tabs on the attachment member automatically engage with the meter's grasping mechanism, enabling self-alignment and self-attachment during dispensing, which simplifies packaging requirements and reduces dispensing complexity
3Reliability
If conventional analyte sensors are used, then sensor functionality is achieved, but user handling becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment member with retention tabs provides dynamic engagement with the meter, allowing the sensor to be easily grasped, held securely during measurement, and automatically positioned, thereby improving ease of handling while maintaining full sensor functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment member acts as an intermediary between the small sensor body and the meter's grasping mechanism, providing a convenient handle for users while ensuring reliable electrical and mechanical connection to the meter
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design results in a compact, cost-effective analyte sensor that minimizes user handling, reduces material costs, and prevents blood from drying on electrical contacts, ensuring reliable measurements and extended sensor performance.
Implementation Method 1
a chemically-active region provided in the fluid-receiving channel
Data Source
AI summary
In some aspects, an analyte sensor is provided for detecting an analyte concentration level in a biological fluid sample. The analyte sensor has a base including a top and bottom side, a lid, and an attachment member including one or more retention tabs coupled proximate the top side so that the analyte sensor can be grasped by the sensor's top side. Manufacturing methods and systems adapted to use and dispense the analyte sensors are provided, as are numerous other aspects.