Patent Publication Number: US-2011076206-A1

Title: Reagent containers for compact test devices

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Number 61/277,725, filed on Sept. 29, 2009, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This disclosure relates generally to reagent container design. More specifically, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a new class of reagent containers configured to allow for different liquid and solid reagent samples to be mixed in situ prior to the measurement. 
     2. Background 
     Liquid test reagents have many advantages over the solid test strips. For example, the manufacture process is typically simpler, cost of material is often less expensive; detection sensitivity and accuracy are typically higher, etc. However, there can be substantial difficulty in using liquid reagents in everyday life by a layperson. The difficulty typically lies in how to measure a small amount of liquid accurately, and how to mix different liquids in a prescribed manner that avoids contamination and protects the operator from accidental exposure to liquid chemicals. 
     A need therefore exists to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A-1E  illustrate a first embodiment of a reagent container; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a second embodiment of a reagent container; 
         FIGS. 3A-3B  illustrate a third embodiment of a reagent container; and 
         FIGS. 4A-4D  illustrate a fourth embodiment of a reagent container. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments disclosed herein provide a new class of reagent containers configured to allow for different liquid and solid reagent samples to be mixed in situ prior to the measurement (e.g., by a compact test device). In one embodiment, for example, a reagent container may contain premeasured liquid (and solid) reagents for a particular test and store different liquid (and solid) reagent samples in separate compartments until usage. The mixing of different samples may be carried out sequentially in accordance with a particular test procedure (e.g., depending upon the underlying reaction process, etc.). For example, two or more liquid samples may be mixed first, and then combined with the rest of the samples. In another example, a reagent container may be configured to allow a liquid reagent and a gas to be mixed first, followed by a measurement on the liquid-gas mixture, or combining the liquid-gas mixture with another reagent (prior to a measurement). 
       FIGS. 1A-1E  illustrate a first embodiment of a reagent container  100 . By way of example, three different solutions (e.g., liquid reagents) are stored in three separate compartments (or modules)  110 ,  120 ,  130 . The bottom and top of each compartment may be sealed by a plastic film or a thin piece of glass. The compartments may be connected to each other by a “clip” or a “screw-on”. The test site may be anywhere in the container (e.g., the bottom, middle, or upper compartment). In addition, a mixing means  140  (e.g., a sharp object such as a pipette tip) may also be provided along with the container  100  (e.g., the container and the mixing means may be packaged as a test kit), serving to piecing through two or more compartments to cause the constituent liquids to mix, as further illustrated in  FIG. 1B . 
     In one example as shown in  FIG. 1B , the pipette  140  may be used to draw a test sample (e.g., a body fluid such as urine, or other test analyte) first, followed by piercing it through the separations for different compartments, thereby dispending the test sample analyte into the bottom compartment.  FIG. 1D  shows a situation where all the solutions and the analyte are mixed together, whereby the mixed solution  150  is ready for a measurement (e.g., by a compact, or handheld, test device). In general, the mixing means  140  may be any object configured to cause reagent samples in different compartments to mix. The mixing means may  140  further be capable of carrying another (or external) test sample (e.g., a body fluid or other test analyte) and cause the external test sample to be mixed with the reagents inside the container, such as described above. 
     Further, the reagents do not have to be liquids only. As illustrated in  FIG. 1C , two different liquid reagents  160 ,  170  and one solid reagent  180  may be stored in three separate compartments initially. The operation procedures for this set-up may nonetheless be similar to those for all liquid samples (such as described above). For example, the separation between the top and middle compartments may be pieced through (e.g., by use of a pipette such as described above), so that the solid reagent is dissolved by the liquid reagent from the top compartment. A measurement may be performed on this liquid-solid mixture in the middle compartment first (if so desired), before the mixture is subsequently combined with the liquid reagent in the bottom compartment. 
     In some applications, it may be desired to neutralize and absorb the sample mixture after the measurement (e.g., to avoid chemical contamination or spill, etc.). For example, a solid substance  190 , such as a tablet, a “cotton ball”, a gelatin droplet or anything that is capable of absorbing and neutralizing the liquid, may be inserted into the container to absorb the remaining sample mixture, such as illustrated in  FIG. 1E . 
     In the above examples, for illustration, each compartment (or module) is shown to be rectangular in cross-section. In general, it may be of any shape (e.g., round, square, polygonal, etc.), or size. Further, a compartment may be sealed with an object such as a stopper, a thin film, or other means configured to seal the liquid sample enclosed therein (termed “sealing means”). The opening in the sealing means may also be of any shape or size (which may be equal or smaller than the top or bottom cross-sectional area), depending upon the need of an application, such as illustrated by elements  210 ,  220  in  FIG. 2 . 
     Further, separate reagent containers (e.g., each having a plurality of sample compartments such as described above) may be assembled together in a screw-on type configuration, a clip-on type configuration, or by other means. 
     In some applications, a series of measurements may be carried out as different liquid (or solid) samples are mixed sequentially, or in accordance with a prescribed order (e.g., depending upon the underlying reaction process devised for a particular test). Further, a set of measurements may be performed with respect to a first container (e.g., having a plurality of sample compartments), such as described above, which is then followed by connecting the first container to a second one and performing additional measurements (such as described above). 
       FIGS. 3A-3C  illustrate another embodiment of a reagent container  300 . As shown in  FIG. 3A , the container  300  may include a plurality of (e.g., three) sample holders or modules  310 ,  320 ,  330 , containing three different liquid reagent samples (e.g., reagents R1, R2, R3), respectively. By way of example, the modules are shown to be each shaped like a bottle, and disposed side-by-side above a measuring section/area inside the container. The modules may also be of other shape and size, and/or in other arrangements (e.g., stacked, etc.) suitable for a given application. The container  300  is also shown to include a measurement area  340 . 
     When ready to make a measurement, the modules (or bottles)  310 ,  320 ,  330  may be flipped over, such as illustrated in  FIGS. 3B and 3C . The seal in each bottle may subsequently be broken (e.g., by way of squeezing) to allow the constituent liquid reagent to drip into the measuring area  340 , such as illustrated in  FIG. 3C . In some situations, the bottles may be broken in a sequence (e.g., one by one), so as to allow a series of measurements to be performed on different sample mixtures. 
     In some applications, the measurement sample may be a mixture of liquid and gas.  FIGS. 4A-4C  illustrate an embodiment of a reagent container  400  configured for such applications. As illustrated in  FIG. 4A , the container  400  may include a “receiving solution” portion (or module)  410 , a cap  420  configured to be coupled to the receiving solution module  410 , and a plunger  430  configured to fit snuggly inside and slide along the receiving solution module  410 . A porous filter  440  may also be disposed between the cap  420  and the coupling end of the receiving solution module  410 , as further illustrated in  FIG. 4B . 
     In one example, the cap  420  may be first removed to allow air pollutants  450  to diffuse through the porous filter  440  and be captured by the receiving solution (e.g., a liquid reagent)  460 , such as illustrated in  FIG. 4B . In another example, the container may be disposed in a gaseous environment containing a particular gas to be mixed with the receiving solution. In any case, the gas may flow into the receiving solution naturally, or be forced. Alternatively, the receiving solution module may contain a gas first, and the plunger is then engaged to allow a liquid sample to be sucked into the module and consequently mix with the existing gas. 
     In some applications, the receiving solution module  410  may further contain two (or more) different liquid samples  470 ,  480  (e.g., separated by a membrane), such as illustrated in  FIG. 4C . Prior to making a measurement, one liquid sample may first be mixed with a gas (such as illustrated in  FIG. 4B ). A coupling means  490  (e.g., a funnel-like device) may then be used to couple the sample container to a measurement device  490 , such as illustrated in  FIGS. 4C and 4D . The plunger may further be engaged to cause the different liquid samples to be mixed and also to discharge the mixed solution to the measuring area for measurement, such as shown in  FIG. 4D . (Note, the plunger may serve as a mixing means in the example of  FIGS. 4A-4D .) 
     Embodiments disclosed herein provide some examples of reagent containers configured to allow for different liquid and solid reagents to be mixed in situ prior to the measurement. There are other examples and embodiments. 
     The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.