Contamination-free method and apparatus for measuring body fluid chemical parameters

An apparatus for obtaining a body fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed, comprising:

• a cartridge having a sample chamber, first and second calibrating fluid chambers, and first and second drying chambers positioned adjacent said first and second calibrating chambers, respectively;
• a first calibrating fluid adapted to calibrate an analyzer with which said apparatus is adapted to be used, said first calibrating fluid being contained in said first calibrating fluid chamber;
• a second calibrating fluid adapted to calibrate said analyzer at a different calibration point from said calibrating fluid, said second calibrating fluid being contained in said second calibrating fluid chamber;
• a dry, fluid absorbent material contained in said first and second drying chambers;
• and
• access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber, said calibrating fluid chambers and said drying chambers.

An apparatus for obtaining a body fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed comprising:

• a cartridge having a calibrating fluid chamber and a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port;
• a calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating fluid chamber;
• a fluid absorbent material contained in said calibrating fluid chamber, said fluid absorbent material being saturated with said calibrating fluid;
• a reservoir chamber communicating with said calibrating fluid chamber, said reservoir chamber containing a supply of said calibrating fluid to maintain said fluid absorbent material saturated with said calibrating fluid;
• and
• access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber and said calibrating fluid chamber.

An apparatus for obtaining a body fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed, comprising:

• a cartridge having a calibrating fluid chamber and a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port;
• a calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating fluid chamber;
• access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber and said calibrating fluid chamber;
• a fitting communicating with said first externally accessible fluid port for attaching said cartridge to a needle so that said needle communicates with said sample chamber tghrough said externally accessible port;
• and
• a second externally acessible fluid port communicating with said first externally accessible fluid port through said sample chamber, said second fluid port having a fitting for attaching said cartridge to a syringe so that said syringe can draw said fluid sample into said sample chamber through said needle.

An apparatus for obtaining a fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed comprising:

• a cartridge having a calibrating fluid chamber and a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port;
• a calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating fluid chamber;
• access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber and said calibrating fluid chamber;
• a fitting communicating with said first externally accessible fluid port for attaching said cartridge to a needle so that said needle communicates with said sample champer through said externally accessible port;
• and
• a second externally accessible fluid port communicating with said first externally accessible fluid port through a bypass conduit in fluid communication with said sample chamber, said second fluid port having a fitting for attaching said cartridge to a syringe so that said syringe can draw said body fluid sample through said needle and bypass conduit, threby allowing said fluid sample to flow into said sample chamber.

An apparatus for obtaining a fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed, comprising:

• a cartridge having a calibrating fluid chamber and a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port;
• a calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating fluid chamber;
• access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber and said calibrating fluid chamber;
• a vacuum chamber communicating with said first externally accessible fluid port through said sample chamber land;
• a resilient membrane covering said first fluid to maintain the vacuum in said vacuum chamber and said sample chamber, whereby a body fluid sample may be collected in said sample chamber by puncturing said membrane with a needle that has been placed in contact with said fluid sample.

An apparatus for obtaining a fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed, comprising:

• a cartridge having a calibrating fluid chamber and a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port;
• a calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating fluid chamber;
• access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber and said calibrating fluid chamber;
• and
• a tapered needle shield attached to said cartridge adjacent said first externally accessible fluid port, said needle shield flaring outwardly from an aperture communicating with said first fluid port so that a needle mounted on a syringe containing a body fluid sample can be inserted into said first externally accessible fluid port to inject said fluid sample into said sample chamber.

An apparatus for obtaining a fluid sample and allowing said sample to be analyzed, comprising:

• a cartridge having a calibrating fluid chamber and a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port;
• a calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating fluid chamber;
• access means for allowing external access to said sample chamber and said calibrating fluid chamber;
• and
• a reagent contained within said sample chamber, said reagent being chemically reactive with said body fluid sample to alter the chemical or optical properties of said reagent as a function of a chemical parameter of said fluid sample.

A system for obtaining and analyzing a body fluid sample, comprising:

• a disposable cartridge having a sample chamber communicating with a first externally accessible fluid port through which said body fluid sample may flow into said sample chamber and a calibrating chamber containing a calibrating fluid, said cartridge further including sample means for drawing a body fluid sample into said sample chamber through said first externally accessible fluid port, and access means for allowing external access to the body fluid sample drawn into said sample chamber and the calibrating fluid contained in said calibrating chamber;
• and
• an analysis device adapted to temporarily interface with said access means to allow said body fluid sample in said sample chamber to be analyzed, said analysis device having a sensor in fluid communication with said access means to allow said fluid sample and said calibrating fluid to contact said sensor when said access means is temporarily placed in fluid communication with said sensor, said analysis device further including electoronic means connected to said sensor for providing an electrical indication of the results of an analysis of a body fluid sample in contact with said sensor whereby said analysis device can be repetitively used to analyze a large number of body fluid samples contained in respective disposable cartridges using a single reusable sensor contained in said analysis device.