Method and apparatus for measuring blood sugar

• US 20040252292A1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LRE Technology Partner GmbH
• Original Assignee: LRE Technology Partner GmbH
• Inventors: Markart, Ernst, Eisenmann, Martin, Pollmann, Norbert
• Granted Patent: US 7,154,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/39
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 2007/0097 for large diesel engines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8483 Investigating reagent band test-element handling not specific to a test method G01N33/4875; analytical elements specific to chemical analysis of biological material G01N33/52; autometer with reagent band G01N35/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2400/00 Assays, e.g. immunoassays or enzyme assays, involving carbohydrates

Abstract

In a method for the measurement of the concentration of a substance in a liquid, especially for blood sugar measurement, the liquid to be measured is applied to the measuring field of a test strip, which measuring field is composed of a hydrophilic material, and the change of the optical reflectivity or transmissivity effected thereby in the area of the measuring field is captured. A measured value taken after a pre-given time is compared with a reference value and an indication is made if a relationship of the measured value to the reference value exceeds a pre-given threshold value.

Claims

1-12. -12. (Cancelled)

13. A method for measuring the concentration of a substance in a liquid, especially for blood sugar measurement, the method comprising the steps of:

applying a liquid to a measuring field including a hydrophilic area of a test strip, measuring the optical reflectivity or transmissivity in the measuring field, comparing the measured value of the optical reflectivity or transmissivity in the measuring field at a pre-given time with a reference value, and activating an indicator if a relationship between the measured value and the reference value exceeds a pre-given threshold value.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the step of comparing includes using a reference value corresponding to that of an unwetted measuring field.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of comparing includes using a reference value corresponding to a lowest concentration of the substance to be measured.

16. The method according to claim 13 wherein the step of activating an indicator includes displaying indicia such as “

LOW”

or “

F-1”

if the relationship of the measured value to the reference value exceeds the pre-given threshold value.

17. The method according to claim 13 wherein the measuring field includes at least two measuring areas, the step of measuring includes separately measuring each of the measuring areas, and the step of comparing includes comparing a measured value for each of the measuring areas with a reference value associated with the respective measuring area.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of measuring further includes a first measuring of a first measuring area followed by a first measuring of a second measuring area if the relation between the measured value and the reference value for the first measured area has reached or exceeded a pre-given threshold value.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the measured value of the measuring area which first reaches or exceeds the pre-given threshold value is indicated.

20. A method for measuring the concentration of a substance in a liquid, especially for blood sugar measurement, the method comprising the steps of:

applying a liquid to be measured to a measuring field of a test strip, measuring the optical reflectivity or transmissivity in the measuring field effected by the liquid, the step of measuring including taking a plurality of measurements in the measuring field within a pre-determined period of time and comparing each measured value with the measured value taken a given number of measurements previously, and activating an indicator when the measured value exceeds the comparison measured value.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising a step of activating an indicator if the difference between the measured values compared with one another within a pre-given period of time take on no steady course.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising a step of activating an indicator if the differences between the measured values in successive comparisons change in sign.