Diagnostic tape cassette
View Patent ↗A diagnostic tape cassette especially for blood sugar tests comprises a test tape which is provided with a plurality of test fields for analysing body fluid, and a housing for receiving the test tape. The housing may have at least one housing part formed from a metal support and moulded-on plastic with integrated functional elements.
1. A diagnostic tape cassette including:
a test tape including a plurality of test fields comprising a test reagent for diagnostic testing of a body fluid; and
a housing comprising a base portion and a cap member, the cap member having a plurality of sides and configured to receive at least a portion of the test tape and couplable to the base portion, the cap member including a metal support and plastic moulded onto at least a portion of the metal support, wherein the plastic is moulded onto the metal support by way of outsert moulding, and at least one of the plurality of sides comprises a portion of the metal support and plastic moulded onto the metal support.
2. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cap member includes at least one integrated functional element.
3. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 2 wherein the functional element includes at least one spring element.
4. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 2 wherein the functional element includes a leaf spring.
5. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 4 wherein the leaf spring includes a free end retained in a first position by a wall, wherein the wall comprises a portion of at least one of the plurality of sides of the cap member formed of plastic moulded onto the metal support by way of outsert moulding.
6. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth claim 2 wherein the functional element includes a spiral spring configured to spring-load a tape reel.
7. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 6 wherein the spiral spring is at least partially located in a recess formed in the metal support and a portion of the spiral spring extends at least partially into the interior of the cap member.
8. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 7 wherein at least a portion of the spiral spring is covered by a cover formed of plastic.
9. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 3 wherein the plastic moulded onto the metal support defines at least one opening configured to receive a member capable of acting on the spring element.
10. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 2 wherein the functional element includes at least one anchoring element.
11. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 2 wherein the functional elements include a cover configured to cover at least a portion of the test tape.
12. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth claim 11 wherein the cover includes a plurality of undercut flaps formed in the metal support and the undercut flaps are at least partially coated with plastic.
13. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 2 wherein the functional element further includes a tape deflector that provides a bearing surface for the test tape.
14. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 1 wherein the metal support is formed from a pre-cut metal blank.
15. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 14 wherein the pre-cut metal blank includes a bend portion forming a spring.
16. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 1 further including at least one support hook protruding from the metal support and coated with plastic.
17. A method of manufacturing a tape cassette for diagnostic testing, the method including the steps of:
providing a metal blank,
bending at least one portion of the metal blank;
moulding plastic onto the metal blank such that a cap member having a plurality of sides is formed, at least one of the plurality of sides comprising the moulded plastic;
providing a test tape having a plurality of testing fields comprising a test reagent for diagnostic testing of a body fluid;
providing a base portion adapted to support the test tape and supporting the test tape with the base portion; and
coupling the cap member to the base portion such that at least a portion of the test tape is located in the cap member, wherein the step of coupling is reversible.
18. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the step of moulding plastic onto the metal support comprises an outsert moulding process.
19. The method as set forth in claim 18 further including the step of forming a spring in the metal blank.
20. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the spring includes a spiral spring.
21. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the spring includes a leaf spring.
22. The method as set forth in claim 21 wherein a portion of the plastic biases at least a portion of the leaf spring.
23. The method as set forth in claim 19 further including the step of forming a plurality of openings in the moulded plastic configured to allow a member to act on the spring.
24. The method as set forth in claim 17 further including the steps of:
forming a plurality of undercut flaps in the metal blank; and
moulding plastic over the undercut flaps.
25. The method as set forth in claim 17 further including the steps of:
forming a plurality of support hooks in the metal blank; and
moulding plastic over the support hooks, wherein the step of moulding plastic over the support hooks forms a plurality of plastic overmoulds.
26. A diagnostic tape cassette for performing blood glucose tests including:
a test tape including a plurality of test fields comprising a test reagent for blood glucose testing of a body fluid; and
a housing comprising a cap member and a base member, wherein the cap member includes a metal support with a plastic overmould thereon is formed by an outsert moulding process, the base member adapted to support the testing tape, and the cap member configured to couple to the base member such that the cap member receives at least a portion of the test tape.
27. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 26 wherein the metal support includes a leaf spring and a spiral spring.
28. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 27 wherein the plastic overmould defines at least one opening configured to allow a member to act on the leaf spring.
29. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 28 wherein the plastic overmould includes a wall configured to bias the leaf spring into a pre-loaded position.
30. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 26 further including a plurality of support hooks formed in the metal support and coated with plastic.
31. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 26 wherein the metal support includes a plurality of undercut flaps coated with plastic.
32. The diagnostic tape cassette of claim 1 , wherein the plastic moulded onto the metal support comprising the side is integral with plastic moulded onto another portion of the metal support.
33. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the metal support comprises a single continuous piece of metal.
34. The diagnostic tape cassette of claim 10 , wherein the anchoring element reversible couples the cap member to the base portion.
35. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one side comprising the moulded plastic further comprises at least a portion of the bent portion of the metal blank.
36. The method of claim 17 , wherein the moulded plastic of the cap member defines an application spot.
37. The method of claim 17 , wherein the moulded plastic is an integrated single component.
38. The method of claim 25 , wherein the step of coupling the cap member to the base portion utilizes the plurality of plastic overmoulds formed in the step of moulding plastic over the support hooks.
39. The diagnostic tape cassette of claim 1 , wherein the body fluid is blood.
40. The method of claim 17 , wherein the body fluid is blood.
41. The diagnostic tape cassette as set forth in claim 26 wherein the body fluid is blood.