Test element support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11911768-B2
Application number	US-201916380195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2019
Priority date	Oct 14, 2016
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

A test element support comprises a heating element for heating a test element for analytical examination of a sample. The heating element comprises a substrate, which is made of at least one substrate material. The substrate comprises at least one active area configured for being heated and at least one non-active area outside the active area. The active and the non-active areas are separated by at least one thermal insulation element. The thermal insulation element has a lower thermal conductivity than the substrate material. The thermal insulation element is fully or partially embedded into the substrate. The test element support further comprises at least one heater. The heater comprises at least one heater substrate and the heater substrate is attached to the substrate, wherein the heater substrate is attached to a back face of the substrate. The back face opposes a front face of the substrate contacting the test element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A test element support, wherein the test element support is configured to bear or to hold up a test element as a separate element, wherein the test element support comprises:
at least one heating element for heating the test element for analytical examination of a sample,
the heating element having a substrate, the substrate being made of at least one substrate material, the substrate comprising at least one active area configured for being heated and at least one non-active area outside the active area,
the active area and the non-active area being separated by at least one thermal insulation element, wherein the thermal insulation element has a lower thermal conductivity than the substrate material, wherein the thermal insulation element is fully or partially embedded into the substrate; and

at least one heater, wherein the heater comprises at least one heater substrate, wherein the heater substrate is attached to the substrate, wherein the heater substrate is attached to a back face of the substrate, the back face opposing a front face of the substrate configured for contacting the test element, and wherein the active area of the heating element forms an integrated heating surface of the test element support.

2. The test element support according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal insulation element comprises at least one hole in the substrate.

3. The test element support according to claim 2 , wherein the substrate comprises at least one essentially flat front face and at least one essentially flat back face, wherein the hole extends from the front face to the back face.

4. The test element support according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal insulation element is fully or partially made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of: air, a plastic material, a ceramic material, a composite material.

5. The test element support according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is fully or partially embodied as a printed circuit board.

6. The test element support according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is located in an area opposing the active area of the substrate.

7. The test element support according to claim 1 , wherein the front face of the substrate is essentially free from protrusions.

8. The test element support according to claim 1 , wherein the heating element further comprises at least one mounting element for mounting the heating element to at least one part of a test element analysis system.

9. The test element support according to claim 1 , wherein the heating element further comprises at least one thermal sensor element.

10. The test element support according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate material has a thermal conductivity at least 5 times the thermal conductivity of the thermal insulation element.

11. A test element analysis system for the analytical examination of a sample, the test element analysis system comprising at least one test element receptacle, wherein the test element analysis system further comprises at least one test element support according to claim 1 , wherein the test element support is arranged to heat at least one test element received at least partially in the test element receptacle.

12. The test element analysis system according to claim 11 , wherein the test element analysis system further comprises at least one detector for detecting at least one analytical reaction of the sample with at least one test chemical comprised by the test element.

13. The test element analysis system according to claim 11 , the test element analysis system further comprising at least one test element.

14. The test element support of claim 1 wherein a test element supported by the test element support is received against the front face of the substrate.

15. The test element support of claim 1 in which the front face of the substrate comprises a single, flat plane.

16. A test element assembly comprising:
a test element support according to claim 1 ; and
a test element received against the front face of the substrate.

Assignees

• Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc

Inventors

• Stein Reiner
• Mertens Martin
• Heidt Werner

Classifications

• B01L7/04 Primary

  Heat insulating devices, e.g. jackets for flasks · CPC title

• B01L9/52

  Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips · CPC title

• G01N21/84

  Systems specially adapted for particular applications · CPC title

• G01N27/3271

  Amperometric enzyme electrodes for analytes in body fluids, e.g. glucose in blood (amperometry per se G01N27/49; aspects concerning the enzyme reagent C12Q1/001) · CPC title

• G01N33/48707

  by electrical means (G01N33/49, G01N33/493 take precedence) · CPC title