AUTO-CALIBRATING TEST SENSORS

• US 20090113981A1
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Beer, Greg P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,241,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/1.20
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3272 Test elements therefor, i.e. disposable laminated substrates with electrodes, reagent and channels optical biosensors G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48771 Coding of information, e.g. calibration data, lot number
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1084 of continuous or running length bonded web
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An electrochemical test sensor configured to determine an analyte concentration of a fluid sample comprises a base including a first end, a second opposing end, a first side and a second side bridging the first and second opposing ends. The test sensor further comprises a plurality of electrodes formed on the base at or near the first end. The plurality of electrodes includes a working electrode and a counter electrode. The sensor further comprises a first test-sensor contact formed on the base at or near the second opposing end and coupled to the working electrode by a first conductive lead. The sensor further comprises a second test-sensor contact formed on the base at or near the second opposing end and coupled to the counter electrode by a second conductive lead. The positions of the first and second test-sensor contacts correspond with calibration information assigned to the test sensor.

Claims

1. An electrochemical test sensor configured to determine an analyte concentration of a fluid sample, the electrochemical test sensor comprising:

a base including a first end and a second opposing end, the base further including a first and second side bridging the first and second opposing end;

a plurality of electrodes formed on the base at or near the first end, the plurality of electrodes including a working electrode and a counter electrode;

a first test-sensor contact formed on the base at or near the second opposing end, the first test-sensor contact being coupled to the working electrode by a first conductive lead; and

a second test-sensor contact formed on the base at or near the second opposing end, the second test-sensor contact being coupled to the counter electrode by a second conductive lead,

wherein the positions of the first and second test-sensor contacts correspond with calibration information assigned to the test sensor.

2. The test sensor of claim 1, wherein the position of the test-sensor contacts relative to the second opposing end corresponds to the calibration information.

3. The test sensor of claim 2, wherein the position of the test-sensor contacts relative to the first and second sides further corresponds to the calibration information.

4. The test sensor of claim 1, wherein the length of the base corresponds with the calibration information, the length being the distance from the first end and the second opposing end.

5. A method of making an electrochemical test sensor configured to assist in determining the concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample, the method comprising the acts of:

providing a base having a first end for receiving the fluid sample and a second opposing end for being placed in a meter, the base further including a first and second side bridging the first end and the second opposing end;

providing a plurality of electrodes formed on the base at or near a first end, the plurality of electrodes including a working electrode and a counter electrode;

assigning calibration information to the test sensor;

providing a first test-sensor contact formed on the base at or near a second opposing end, the first test-sensor contact being coupled to the working electrode by a first conductive lead; and

providing a second test-sensor contact formed on the base at or near a second opposing end, the first test-sensor contact being coupled to the working electrode by a second conductive lead,

wherein the positions of the first and second test-sensor contacts on the base correspond to the calibration information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the act of providing a base includes providing a plurality of bases formed on a continuous web.

7. The method of claim 6, further including separating each of the plurality of bases from the continuous web.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the act of separating includes varying the length of the plurality of bases, the length being the distance from the first end and the second opposing end, the length corresponding to the calibration information.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the position of the test-sensor contacts relative to the second opposing end corresponds to the calibration information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the position of the test-sensor contacts relative to the first and second sides further corresponds to the calibration information.

11. A method of using a test sensor and a meter, the test sensor and meter using calibration information in determining the concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample, the method comprising the acts of:

providing a test sensor including a base, the base including a first test-sensor contact positioned at or near a first end, the first test-sensor contact being coupled to a working electrode positioned at or near a second opposing end by a first conductive lead, the base further including a second test-sensor contact positioned at or near the first end, the second test-sensor contact being coupled to a counter electrode positioned at or near the second opposing end by a second conductive lead, the test sensor having calibration information assigned thereto;

providing a meter with a test-sensor opening, the meter including an array of contact pins for contacting the first and second test-sensor contacts, the array of contact pins being positioned within test-sensor opening;

placing the second opposing end of the test sensor into the test-sensor opening of the meter;

contacting the test-sensor contacts with a first and second pin in the array of contact pins to detect the placement of the test-sensor contacts; and

determining the calibration information associated with the test sensor by which first and second pins contact the first and second meter contacts.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the act of providing a test sensor including a base includes providing a plurality of bases formed on a continuous web.

13. The method of claim 12, further including separating each of the plurality of bases from the continuous web.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the act of separating includes varying the length of the plurality of bases, the length being the distance from the first end and the second opposing end, the length corresponding to the calibration information.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the position of the test-sensor contacts relative to the second opposing end corresponds to the calibration information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the position of the test-sensor contacts relative to the first and second sides further corresponds to the calibration information.