US 11,686,717 B2
Dry stick
Thomas Nikolai Carlsen, Tumba (SE)
Assigned to DeLaval Holding AB, Tumba (SE)
Appl. No. 16/769,095
Filed by DELAVAL HOLDING AB, Tumba (SE)
PCT Filed Dec. 18, 2018, PCT No. PCT/SE2018/051337
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 2, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/132762, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 4, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 1751665-9 (SE), filed on Dec. 28, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0231629 A1, Jul. 29, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01N 33/04 (2006.01); G01N 33/52 (2006.01); G01N 33/558 (2006.01); G01N 33/543 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 33/04 (2013.01) [G01N 33/52 (2013.01); G01N 33/54366 (2013.01); G01N 33/558 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A plurality of dry sticks (180a, 180b, 180c) arranged to indicate at least one biomarker value of a milk sample of an animal (100) by a lateral flow test,
each of the plural dry sticks individually arranged on a bottom film (410) of a carrier tape (170),
wherein each said dry stick (180a, 180b, 180c) comprises:
a sample pad (310) comprising a reagent, the reagent configured to indicate at least one biomarker value of a received milk sample of an animal (100);
a porous membrane (320) having a first edge side located in contact with an edge side of the sample pad (310), the porous membrane (320) arranged to absorb the milk that has been applied on the sample pad (310) by capillary force to create a capillary flow of the milk sample from the edge side of the sample pad (310) through the porous membrane (320),
wherein the at least one biomarker value of the milk sample is determinable from a camera image of the porous membrane (320), a colour or colour nuance of the camera image indicating at least one of a presence and an amount of the at least one biomarker value; and
an absorbent pad (330) located in contact with a second edge side of the porous membrane (32), the absorbent pad (330) comprising both an absorbent configured to absorb superfluous milk from the porous membrane (320) and a porous desiccant configured to absorb moisture from environmental air,
wherein each of the plural dry sticks is individually arranged on the bottom film (410) of the carrier tape (170), with the sample pad (310), the porous membrane (320) and the absorbent pad (330) being arranged on an upper surface of the bottom film (410),
wherein the carrier tape (170) comprises a top film (420) peelably attached to the upper surface of the bottom film (410),
wherein the carrier tape (170) further comprises plural seals (181a, 181b, 181c) located between the top and bottom films (420, 410) of the carrier tape (170), each of the plural seals extending around and individually sealing a respective one of said plural dry sticks (180a, 180b, 180c) thereby packaging the plural dry sticks (180a, 180b, 180c) as individual dry sticks (180a, 180b, 180c) located at a distance from each other,
wherein each of the bottom film (410) and the further top film (420) comprises a plastic,
wherein each of the individual dry sticks (180a, 180b, 180c) is packaged between the top and bottom films (420, 410) of the carrier tape (170) within a respective one of the plural seals (181a, 181b, 181c),
wherein each said seal is a welded seam (181a, 181b, 181c) that surrounds a different one of the dry sticks (180a, 180b, 180c), and
wherein the top film (420) is peelable to be peeled off an individual dry stick (180a, 180b, 180c) before application of the milk sample to an individual one of the dry stick (180a, 180b, 180c) while not peeling off the top film (420) of adjacently-located unused ones of the dry sticks, (180a, 180b, 180c) with each said unused ones of said individual dry sticks (180a, 180b, 180c) not yet having application of the milk sample remaining on the bottom film (410) and covered by the top film (420) after the top film (420) has been peeled off said individual one of the dry stick (180a, 180b, 180c) such that the top film (420) protects the unused ones of the dry sticks (180a, 180b, 180c) from moisture, humidity, dirt, and mechanical damages until use.