Mesh Membrane Blood Sampling Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lancing devices face challenges in consistently transferring low volumes of blood from the skin to a sampling device due to issues like shallow penetration depth, skin surface tension, and vascular conditions, leading to variability in blood droplet size and shape, which affects the reliability of glucose monitoring in diabetes management.
Innovation Solution
An integrated fluid sampling device using an electronic tissue penetration device with a mesh membrane structure and hydrophobic/hydrophilic adhesives to enhance fluid capture and transport, ensuring stable blood volume delivery to an analyte detecting sensor, employing capillary action and surface energy properties to optimize fluid flow and capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional lancing devices are used to pierce the skin, then blood can be obtained, but the blood volume is variable and transfer to sampling device is unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wicking member as an intermediary component between the skin puncture site and the sampling device. This wicking member actively draws blood from the puncture site through capillary action and transports it to the sampling device, ensuring reliable transfer even when blood volume is low or variable. The wicking member mediates the transfer process, making it independent of blood droplet formation consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the passive mechanical system relying on gravity and surface tension with an active capillary-driven system. Instead of depending on blood droplets forming and moving naturally, the wicking member uses capillary forces to actively draw and transport blood, substituting passive mechanical processes with capillary action-based transport.
2Quantity of substance
If penetration depth is increased to improve blood flow, then more blood is obtained, but tissue damage increases and pain increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a wicking member that performs self-service by automatically drawing blood from the puncture site through capillary action without requiring additional force or deeper penetration. The wicking member itself generates the necessary transport mechanism, eliminating the need to increase penetration depth to achieve adequate blood flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the transport mechanism parameter from gravity-dependent passive flow to capillary-driven active flow. By utilizing capillary forces in the wicking member, the system can effectively transport blood volumes with shallower, less traumatic punctures, as capillary action provides the driving force rather than relying on increased blood flow from deeper penetration.
3Device complexity
If passive blood droplet formation is used, then the process is simple, but fluid transport time is long and consistency is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The wicking member serves as an intermediary that actively facilitates blood transport from the puncture site to the sampling device. This intermediary component reduces transport time by providing a dedicated capillary-driven pathway, eliminating the delays associated with passive droplet formation and gravity-dependent flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes passive gravity-dependent blood droplet formation and transport with an active capillary-driven transport system. The wicking member uses capillary forces to rapidly draw and transport blood, replacing the slow, inconsistent passive mechanical process with a faster, more reliable capillary-based mechanism.
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 solution ensures reliable and accurate glucose monitoring by efficiently transporting small blood volumes from the wound site to the sensor, reducing the time required for fluid transport and improving the consistency of blood droplet formation and measurement.
Implementation Method 1
The mesh membrane structure and hydrophobic/hydrophilic adhesives to enhance fluid capture and transport, employing capillary action and surface energy properties to optimize fluid flow and capture
Implementation Method 2
The mesh membrane structure and hydrophobic/hydrophilic adhesives to enhance fluid capture and transport, employing capillary action and surface energy properties to optimize fluid flow and capture
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is provided for the capture of bodily fluid upon lancing of a patient. In one embodiment, the fluid sample capture aperture mesh (320) ring is placed in the pathway of a finger penetrating member (340). The aperture mesh ring has a center clearance area that allows the penetrating member to pierce the skin unobstructed. The aperture mesh ring may contain a series of fluid sampling meshes as to allow the release bodily fluid to “wick” into the fluid sampling meshes for transport to the respective sensor. The invention may also relate to a method of improving the fluidic flow through a membrane mesh structure for the transportation of bodily fluids from a point of sampling to a point of measurement.