Patent ID: 7816124
Filing Date: 2010-10-19
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A disposable apparatus adapted for insertion into the slot of a meter for measuring at least one plasma analyte in plasma extracted from a blood sample within the apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a housing; an inlet opening in the housing for receiving the blood sample; a first groove in the housing defining a blood flow path beginning at the inlet opening and terminating at a manually operable first compression suction chamber for facilitating blood flow in the blood flow path, wherein the first compression suction chamber comprises a first cavity within the housing, wherein a wall portion of the first cavity is defined by the housing; a filtration chamber comprising a membrane separating a plasma compartment from the blood flow path, wherein the blood flow path fluidly intersects with the filtration chamber, and a blood flow direction defined by the blood flow path at the intersection with the filtration chamber is substantially parallel to a surface of the membrane; and a second groove in the housing defining a plasma flow path beginning at the plasma compartment and terminating at a manually operable second compression suction chamber for pulling the plasma across the membrane from the blood flow path into the plasma flow path, wherein the second compression suction chamber comprises a second cavity within the housing, wherein a wall portion of the second cavity is defined by the housing, and wherein the plasma flow path comprises at least one of: an optical chamber defining a void for containing the plasma for analysis, wherein the optical chamber comprises at least one optical wall-portion to facilitate detection of an EMR-based signal derived from the plasma for measuring the at least one plasma analyte, and a plasma biosensor chamber comprising at least one biosensor for measuring the at least one plasma analyte, wherein the at least one biosensor is in electrical communication with an electrical output located on an external surface of the housing, the electrical output being operable to receive plasma biosensor data from the biosensor and to transmit the biosensor data to the meter when the apparatus is inserted in the slot.