AUTO-CALIBRATING METERING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USE

• US 20090139300A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Lifescan Incorporated (Duv Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Leong, Koon-wah, Pugh, Jerry T., Karunaratne, Arjuna
• Granted Patent: US 8,001,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/1.360
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48771 Coding of information, e.g. calibration data, lot number

Abstract

A method of auto-calibrating a meter is provided herein. The method can include disposing a sensor within a sensor dispenser associated with a tag element wherein the tag element is configured to store a plurality of sensor-specific information as well as communicate the information to a meter. Next, the method can include placing the sensor dispenser into communication with a meter which is configured to receive and retain a sensor from the sensor dispenser, and also configured to receive the sensor-specific information from the tag element thereby allowing the meter to perform an auto-calibration procedure which is at least partially dependent upon the sensor-specific information. Similarly, a system for auto-calibrating a meter is also provided herein. Additionally, various embodiments of a meter and various embodiments a sensor dispenser are also provided herein.

Claims

1. A method of auto-calibrating a meter, comprising:

disposing at least one sensor within a sensor dispenser configured to deliver one sensor to a meter upon demand;

determining a set of calibration information applicable to the sensor;

storing the calibration information onto a tag element;

associating the tag element with the sensor dispenser; and

placing the tag element into communication with a reader element associated with the meter, the reader element configured to receive the information from the tag element, and further configured to allow for the information to be utilized in a meter calibration procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag element is an RF tag.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiver element is an RF receiver.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

following the placing step, activating the receiver element thereby allowing the receiver element to communicate with the tag element.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

following the placing step, activating the tag element thereby allowing the receiver element to communicate with the tag element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag element is further configured to receive information from the reader element, and the reader element is further configured to store information capable of being read by the tag element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of sensors are disposed within the sensor dispenser, each of the plurality of sensors associated with the same calibration information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining step further comprises:

identifying a sub-set of sensors related to the plurality of sensors; and

individually testing each of the sub-set of sensors in order to determine the set of calibration information from the sub-set of sensors.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the meter is configured to determine a glucose concentration of a blood sample.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor dispenser is substantially cylindrical with the tag element coupled to a distal end of the dispenser, the distal end of the dispenser configured to releasably engage the meter such that the reader element coupled to the meter is in communication with the tag element when the meter is engaged to the sensor dispenser.

11. A method of measuring an analyte concentration in a blood sample, comprising:

providing a sensor dispenser having at least one sensor disposed therein, the sensor dispenser associated with a tag element which is configured to store a set of calibration information relating to the at least one sensor disposed within the sensor dispenser;

positioning a meter into communication with the sensor dispenser such that a reader element associated with the meter can receive the information from the tag element thereby allowing the meter to perform an auto-calibration step which is at least partially dependent upon the information;

transferring a sensor from the sensor dispenser to the meter;

removing the meter from communication with the sensor dispenser;

applying a biological sample to the sensor; and

performing a desired analysis of the sample.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the desired analysis includes identification of an analyte within a blood sample.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the analyte is glucose.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the tag element is an RF tag.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiver element is an RF receiver.

16. A system for auto-calibration of a meter, comprising:

a sensor dispenser configured to retain at least one sensor, the sensor dispenser associated with a tag element configured to store a set of information relating to the sensor retained within the sensor dispenser; and

a meter configured to receive a sensor from the sensor dispenser, the meter further associated with a reader element configured to communicate with the tag element as the reader element and tag element are brought into communication thereby allowing the meter to perform an auto-calibration step which is at least partially dependent upon the information received from the tag element.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the tag element is an RF tag.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the reader element is an RF reader element.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the meter is configured to determine a glucose concentration present in a blood sample.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the meter further includes a counter element configured to determine a number of sensors received from a particular sensor dispenser.

21. A system for auto-calibration of a meter, comprising:

a sensor dispenser configured to house at least one sensor; and

a tag element associated with the sensor dispenser, the tag element configured to store a set of information relating to the sensor housed within the sensor dispenser, the tag element further configured to communicate the information to a meter.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the tag element can wirelessly communicate the information to a meter.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the tag element is a RF tag element configured to communicate the information to a meter via wireless RF technology.

24. A system for auto-calibration of a meter, comprising:

a meter configured to receive a sensor from a sensor dispenser; and

a reader element associated with the meter, the reader element configured to receive an amount of sensor-specific information from the sensor dispenser.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the meter is configured to perform an auto-calibration step which is at least partially dependent upon the information received from the tag element.