Integrated cartridge housings for sample analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10828642-B2
Application number	US-201916526275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2019
Priority date	Jun 22, 2012
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a cartridge housing for forming a cartridge capable of measuring an analyte or property of a liquid sample. The housing including a top portion having a first substantially rigid zone and a substantially flexible zone, a bottom portion separate from the top portion including a second substantially rigid zone, and at least one sensor recess containing a sensor. The top portion and the bottom portion are bonded to form the cartridge having a conduit over at least a portion of the sensor. The invention also relates to methods for forming such cartridges and to various features of such cartridges.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for forming a cartridge, comprising:
(a) forming by a two-step injection molding process at least one portion of a molded housing comprising two separate portions, the at least one portion of the two separate portions comprising a substantially rigid zone and a substantially flexible zone; and,
(b) bonding the two separate portions to form a fluid channel formed by the two separate portions of the molded housing, wherein at least a portion of the substantially flexible zone forms a seal of the fluid channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two-step injection molding process comprises forming the substantially rigid zone in a first injection molding step and the substantially flexible zone in a second injection molding step.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially rigid zone is molded as a single contiguous zone.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially flexible zone is molded as a single contiguous zone.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially flexible zone is molded as a plurality of non-contiguous flexible zones.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially rigid zone is molded from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, polystyrene, Topaz, acrylic polymers, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), combinations of two or more thereof, or polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially flexible zone is molded from a thermoplastic elastomer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially flexible zone is molded from an injection moldable thermoplastic elastomer having modulus of elasticity at 100% strain of from 0.1 to 6 MPa.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially rigid zone is of a substantially rigid material, and the substantially flexible zone is of a substantially flexible material, wherein the substantially rigid material has a Young's modulus at least ten times higher than the substantially flexible material and/or the substantially rigid material has an absolute hardness value that is at least 25% greater than the hardness of the substantially flexible material.

10. A method for forming a cartridge, comprising:
(a) providing a molded housing comprising two separate portions, a first portion of the two separate portions comprises a substantially rigid zone and a substantially flexible zone, and a second portion of the two separate portions comprises a complementary substantially rigid zone; and,
(b) bonding the two separate portions to form one or more conduits formed by the two separate portions of the molded housing, wherein a peripheral sealing ridge of the substantially flexible zone of the first portion of the two separate portions is a gasket to form at least a portion of the one or more conduits when matted against the complementary substantially rigid zone of the second portion of the two separate portions,
wherein the substantially rigid zone is of a substantially rigid material, wherein the substantially flexible zone is of a substantially flexible material, and wherein the substantially rigid material has a Young's modulus at least ten times higher than the substantially flexible material and/or the substantially rigid material has an absolute hardness value that is at least 25% greater than the hardness of the substantially flexible material.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming the first portion of the two separate portions by a two-step injection molding process.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the two-step injection molding process comprising forming the substantially rigid zone in a first injection molding step and the substantially flexible zone in a second injection molding step.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substantially rigid zone is molded as a single contiguous zone.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substantially flexible zone is molded as a single contiguous zone.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substantially flexible zone is molded as a plurality of non-contiguous flexible zones.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substantially rigid zone is molded from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, polystyrene, Topaz, acrylic polymers, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), combinations of two or more thereof, or polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG).

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substantially flexible zone is molded from a thermoplastic elastomer.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substantially flexible zone is molded from an injection moldable thermoplastic elastomer having modulus of elasticity at 100% strain of from 0.1 to 6 MPa.

19. A method for forming a cartridge, comprising:
(a) providing a molded housing comprising two separate portions, at least one portion of the two separate portions comprises a substantially rigid zone and a substantially flexible zone; and,
(b) bonding the two separate portions to form a fluid channel formed by the two separate portions of the molded housing, wherein at least a portion of the substantially flexible zone forms a seal of the fluid channel,
wherein the substantially rigid zone is of a substantially rigid material, wherein the substantially flexible zone is of a substantially flexible material, and wherein the substantially rigid material has a Young's modulus at least ten times higher than the substantially flexible material and/or the substantially rigid material has an absolute hardness value that is at least 25% greater than the hardness of the substantially flexible material.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the substantially flexible zone is molded from an injection moldable thermoplastic elastomer having modulus of elasticity at 100% strain of from 0.1 to 6 MPa.

Assignees

• Abbott Point Of Care Inc

Inventors

• Doyle Kevin John
• Wilkins Paul
• Withers Mick
• Cooper Adrian
• Noell John Oakey

Classifications

• B01L3/5055 Primary

  Hinged, e.g. opposable surfaces · CPC title

• B01L2400/0487

  fluid pressure, pneumatics · CPC title

• B01L2300/044

  pierceable, e.g. films, membranes · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• B01L2300/0636

  Integrated biosensor, microarrays · CPC title