Diagnostic Test Unit Sealing Foil for Moisture Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing diagnostic test units for body fluids, such as blood sugar tests, face issues with inadequate sealing due to material fatigue and varying height profiles, leading to unreliable moisture protection and leakage, especially as the test strips are used over time.

Innovation Solution

A sealing solution using a flexible elastomeric closing foil that forms a passage seal between the foil and a seal, allowing for easy filling and dispensing of test materials while maintaining a tight seal, even with height-profiled test materials, and utilizing a pressing element like a spring to minimize the passage gap and ensure surface pressure for enhanced sealing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a sealing lip is used to seal the test strip, then the test strip can be protected from environmental influences, but the sealing force decreases over time due to material fatigue and cannot ensure adequate sealing for different height profiles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing functionVSAvoidsealing force duration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the rigid sealing lip with a flexible closing foil made of elastomeric material. This flexible foil can deform to accommodate test strips of different heights while maintaining continuous contact and sealing force throughout the entire strip length, eliminating the material fatigue issue of rigid lips and ensuring reliable sealing over time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the sealing mechanism from a rigid structure to a flexible one, allowing the sealing force to be distributed along the entire contact length between the foil and test strip. This parameter change enables the seal to adapt to varying height profiles while maintaining adequate sealing pressure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If a separate filling means is provided for assembly and filling, then the container can be filled with test strips, but the device complexity increases and additional sealing measures are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefilling processVSAvoidassembly structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the filling opening and dispensing opening into a single opening in the container wall. The closing foil serves dual purposes: it seals the container when closed and allows passage of test strips during filling and dispensing operations. This eliminates the need for separate filling mechanisms and additional sealing components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The closing foil performs multiple functions: it acts as a seal to protect test strips from moisture, serves as a guide for test strip insertion, and allows the test strips to pass through during dispensing. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity by eliminating separate components for each function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If the test tape is dispensed through an aperture between seal and housing wall, then the test fields can be accessed, but the sealing is compromised and requires separate sealing elements on profiled sides

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetest field accessVSAvoidsealing integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible closing foil creates a continuous seal that flexes to accommodate the test strip passage. Unlike rigid seals that require precise aperture positioning and separate sealing elements, the flexible foil maintains sealing integrity while allowing smooth passage of test strips through a single opening.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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

The flexible foil seal provides reliable moisture protection and stability during storage and use, preventing leakage and ensuring consistent performance across different test material profiles, while simplifying manufacturing and handling by integrating the filling and dispensing opening on a single plane.

Implementation Method 1

a flexible elastomeric closing foil that forms a passage seal between the foil and a seal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

utilizing a pressing element like a spring to minimize the passage gap and ensure surface pressure for enhanced sealing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical Force: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentUS8187537B2Diagnostic test unit with a container for test carriers

Publication Date: 2012.05.29 ROCHE DIABETES CARE INC

AI summary

The invention concerns a diagnostic test unit for analysing a body fluid comprising a test carrier (test tape 10; test strips 12) provided with test fields (38) for applying the body fluid and a container (14) containing the test carrier, wherein an opening (18) of the container (14) is at least in some areas bordered by a seal (16). According to the invention it is proposed that the opening (18) is screened by a closing foil (22) from the surroundings of the container (14) and that the test tape (10) or a test strip (12) to be dispensed is passed through a passage gap (20) between the closing foil (22) and the seal (16).