Device for sampling blood droplets under vacuum conditions

Abstract

A blood extraction device ( 100 ) and method for withdrawing a controlled number of drops of blood from a patient, in whom there is created an incision of such dimension that blood does not freely flow therefrom. A release unit ( 160 ) urges drops of blood to flow from the incision, for example by applying a vacuum, and a disabling unit ( 145, 146, 170 ) is coupled to the incision unit for disabling the release unit when a predetermined number of drops of blood have been withdrawn.

1 . A body fluid testing device for performing chemical testing of a body fluid sample, said testing device comprising:
 a compartment for delivering said fluid sample;   a chemical test strip holder for receiving a single use chemical test strip on which drops of the fluid are collected   a drop counting unit responsive to body fluid flowing downwardly and freely on to the chemical test strip for signaling when a predetermined plurality of discrete drops of body fluid have been applied to said chemical test strip;   wherein said test strip is spatially arranged with respect to the compartment such that said predetermined plurality of discrete drops of fluid fall to the test strip without contacting any element of the device;   an optical imaging device for imaging the chemical test result obtained by the chemical test strip; and   an electronic circuit coupled to said imaging device for transmitting data representative of an image of the result to a remote unit.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising a disabling device for discontinuing the flow of body fluid once said predefined plurality of discrete drops of fluid have been applied to said test strip.