HAND-HELD TEST METER WITH BODY PORTION PROXIMITY SENSOR MODULE

• US 20150330937A1
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LifeScan IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: LifeScan Scotland Limited (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: GUTHRIE, Brian, ELDER, David, YOUNG, John, CARNEY, Ciaran, LLOYD, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US14/279,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20150330937A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3273 Devices therefor, e.g. test element readers, circuitry details not specific to biochemical electrodes G01N33/4875
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48785 Electrical and electronic details of measuring devices for physical analysis of liquid biological material not specific to a particular test method, e.g. user interface or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector

Abstract

A hand-held test meter for use with an analytical test strip (for example, an electrochemical-based analytical test strip) in the determination of an analyte (such as glucose) in a bodily fluid sample (e.g., a whole blood sample) includes a housing, a micro-controller disposed in the housing, a body portion proximity sensor module disposed at least partially in the housing, and a strip port connector configured to operationally receive an analytical test strip. The body portion proximity sensor module of the analytical test strip is configured to sense presence of a user'"'"'s body portion (e.g., a user'"'"'s finger, forearm or palm) within a predetermined distance of the strip port connector and, upon sensing the presence of such a body portion, transmit a signal to the micro-controller indicating the presence of such a body portion.

Claims

1. A hand-held test meter for use with an analytical test strip in the determination of an analyte in a bodily fluid sample, the hand-held test meter comprising:

a housing;

a micro-controller disposed in the housing;

a body portion proximity sensor module disposed at least partially in the housing; and

a strip port connector configured to operationally receive an analytical test strip;

wherein the body portion proximity sensor module is configured to sense presence of a user'"'"'s body portion within a predetermined distance of the strip port connector and, upon sensing the presence of such a user'"'"'s body portion, transmit a signal to the micro-controller indicating the presence of such a user'"'"'s body portion.

2. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the predetermined distance is less than 10 mm.

3. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the predetermined distance is less than 5 mm.

4. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the body portion proximity sensor module is configured to sense presence of a user'"'"'s finger based on a change in capacitance.

5. The hand-held test meter of claim 4 wherein the analytical test strip is an electrochemical-based analytical test strip with a plurality of electrodes, and

wherein the body portion proximity sensor module is configured for electrical communication with at least one electrode of the electrochemical-based analytical test strip such that the body portion proximity sensor module senses capacitance at an end of the electrochemical-based analytical test strip.

6. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the body portion proximity sensor module is configured to sense presence of a user'"'"'s body portion based on phase change of a signal transmitted through an analytical test strip inserted into the strip port connector.

7. The hand-held test meter of claim 6 wherein the body portion proximity sensor module employs a sine wave applied to electrodes of an inserted analytical test strip to sense presence of a user'"'"'s body portion within the predetermined distance of the strip port connector.

8. The hand-held test meter of claim 7 wherein the sine wave is derived from a square wave in a frequency range from 150 KHz to 500 KHz.

9. The hand-held test meter of claim 7 wherein the sine wave is derived from a 250 KHz square wave.

10. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the micro-controller is configured to switch the hand-held test meter from a low-power stand-by state to a high power activated state upon sensing of a user'"'"'s body portion within the predetermined distance and following operable insertion of an analytical test strip into the strip port connector.

11. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the analytical test strip is an electrochemical-based analytical test strip.

12. The hand-held test meter of claim 11 wherein the electrochemical-based analytical test strip is an electrochemical-based analytical test strip configured for the determination of glucose in a whole blood bodily fluid sample.

13. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the user'"'"'s body portion is the user'"'"'s finger.

14. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the user'"'"'s body portion is the user'"'"'s forearm.

15. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the user'"'"'s body portion is the user'"'"'s palm.

16. A method for employing a hand-held test meter for use with an analytical test strip in the determination of an analyte in, or a characteristic of, a bodily fluid sample, the method comprising:

operably inserting an analytical test strip into a hand-held test meter in a low-power standby state;

employing a body portion proximity sensor module of a hand-held test meter to sense the presence of a user'"'"'s body portion within a predetermined distance of a strip port connector of the hand-held test meter; and

switching electrical circuitry of the hand-held test meter from the low-power stand-by state to a high-power active state upon sensing the presence of the user'"'"'s body portion within the predetermined distance.

17. The method of claim 16 further including:

determining at least one of an analyte in, and a characteristic of, a bodily fluid sample applied to the analytical test strip using a micro-controller of the hand-held test meter.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the analytical test strip is an electrochemical-based analytical test strip configured for the determination of glucose in a whole blood sample.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the predetermined distance is less than 10 mm.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the predetermined distance is less than 5 mm.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the body portion proximity sensor module is configured to sense presence of a user'"'"'s body portion based on a change in capacitance.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the body portion proximity sensor module is configured to sense presence of a user'"'"'s finger based on phase change of a signal transmitted through an analytical test strip inserted into the strip port connector.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the body portion proximity sensor employs a sine wave applied to electrodes of an inserted analytical test strip to sense presence of a user'"'"'s finger within the predetermined distance of the strip port connector.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the sine wave is derived from a square wave in a frequency range from 150 KHz to 500 KHz.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the sine wave is derived from a 250 KHz square wave.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein the hand-held test meter includes a micro-controller configured to switch the hand-held test meter from a low-power stand-by state to a high power activated state upon sensing of a user'"'"'s body portion within the predetermined distance and following operable insertion of an analytical test strip into the strip port connector.

27. The method of claim 16 wherein the user'"'"'s body portion is the user'"'"'s finger.

28. The method of claim 16 wherein the user'"'"'s body portion is the user'"'"'s forearm.

29. The method of claim 16 wherein the user'"'"'s body portion is the user'"'"'s palm.