DETERMINATION OF THE REAL ELECTROCHEMICAL SURFACE AREAS OF SCREEN PRINTED ELECTRODES

• US 20150346142A1
• Filed: 03/03/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Alden, Don
• Granted Patent: US 9,599,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3274 Corrective measures, e.g. error detection, compensation for temperature or hematocrit, calibration coding of calibration information G01N33/48771
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4163 checking the operation of, or calibrating, the measuring apparatus G01N27/3274, G01N27/4175 and G01N33/0006 take precedence

Abstract

A method is provided for determining a real electrochemical surface area of a working electrode (WE) of a screen printed sensor. A concentration of a mediator incorporated in a WE paste is determined. The diffusion coefficient of the mediator is then ascertained. A final real electrochemical surface area of the WE is then made.

Claims

1. A method for sensing arrival and monitoring flow of a sample in a testing device, comprising:

providing a meter relay for sensing a sample arrival in the testing device that includes three electrodes for measurement of an analyte in a sample that includes a switch located in an analog or digital part of a circuit, the testing device including a reference electrode lead, a counter electrode lead, and a working electrode lead;

in a start condition having a counter relay open;

using first and second electrodes in an auto-trigger function;

starting a measurement when the sample wets the second electrode until a current reaches a threshold level of from 50 to 2,000 Na;

closing counter relays of the testing device when a threshold level is reached.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sample is a blood sample.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement of the analyte is an amperometric measurement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold level is the value for the auto trigger function to start.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold level is adjustable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the switch provides for monitoring of the first and second electrodes which contact with the sample.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving the switch to a second configuration for measuring an amount of the analyte with the second and third electrodes.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the second and third electrodes in the testing device in the second configuration.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

producing a signal in the second configuration that is indicative of an amount of the analyte.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transferring the signal to a digital portion of the circuit which includes a microcontroller.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a relay to switch to monitor a time it takes for the sample, after it contacts the second electrode until the sample reaches the third electrode.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

using a time it takes for the sample to flow from the second electrode to the third electrode to determining a flow velocity of the sample.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

discarding the measurement when the flow velocity exceeds a threshold, then the measurement can be discarded.

14. The method of claim 14, wherein the threshold is at least one minute.