HAND-HELD TEST METER WITH TEST STRIP SIMULATION PASSIVE CIRCUIT BLOCK

• US 20160033439A1
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: LifeScan Scotland Limited (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: ELDER, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,759,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 27/3273 Devices therefor, e.g. test element readers, circuitry details not specific to biochemical electrodes G01N33/4875
• 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
• 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

Abstract

A hand-held test meter for use with an electrochemical-based analytical test strip in the determination of an analyte in a bodily fluid sample includes a housing, a micro-controller disposed in the housing, a test strip simulation passive circuit block disposed in the housing, and a strip port connector (“SPC”) configured to operationally receive an electrochemical-based analytical test. The test strip simulation passive circuit block is in electrical communication with the SPC and the SPC is configured in electrical communication with the micro-controller. In addition, the test strip simulation passive circuit block is configured to simulate insertion of an electrochemical-based analytical test strip into the SPC and also to simulate application of a bodily fluid sample to an electrochemical-based analytical test strip inserted into the SPC by presenting one or both of (i) an alternating current (AC) load to SPC; and (ii) a direct current (DC) load to the SPC.

Claims

1. A hand-held test meter for use with an electrochemical-based 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 test strip simulation passive circuit block disposed in the housing; and

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

wherein the test strip simulation passive circuit block is in electrical communication with the strip port connector; and

wherein the test strip simulation passive circuit block is configured to simulate at least one of insertion of an electrochemical-based analytical test strip into the strip port connector and application of a bodily fluid sample to an electrochemical-based analytical test strip inserted into the strip port connector by presenting at least one of;

an alternating current (AC) load to the strip port connector; and

a direct current (DC) load to the strip port connector; and

wherein strip port connector is configured in electrical communication with the micro-controller.

2. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the test strip simulation passive circuit block includes:

at least one switch; and

at least one passive circuit component;

and wherein the a strip port connector includes at least;

a first electrical contact; and

a second electrical contact;

wherein the test strip simulation passive circuit block is in electrical communication with the first electrical contact and second electrical contact when the at least one electrical switch is in a closed configuration; and

wherein the test strip simulation passive circuit block is configured to simulate insertion of an electrochemical-based analytical test strip into the strip port connector and to simulate application of a bodily fluid sample to an electrochemical-based analytical test strip inserted into the strip port connector by providing at least one of;

an alternating current (AC) load to the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact upon closing of the at least one switch; and

a direct current (DC) load to the first electrical contact and second electrical contact upon closing of the at least one switch;

wherein the test strip simulation passive circuit block is configured to be at least partially disconnected from the first electrical contact and second electrical contact upon opening of the at least one electrical switch; and

wherein the first electrical contact and second electrical contact are configured in electrical communication with the micro-controller.

3. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the ac load is presented using a parallel resistor and capacitor network of the test strip simulation passive circuit block.

4. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the at least one of an ac load and a dc load is presented using a resistor network of the test strip simulation passive circuit block.

5. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the dc load is presented using a parallel RC and offset resistor network.

6. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the test strip simulation passive circuit block includes at least one of a resistor, a capacitor and a Schottky diode.

7. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the test strip simulation passive circuit block includes a first switch and a second switch.

8. The hand-held test meter of claim 7 wherein closure of solely the second switch results in the test strip simulation passive circuit block simulating the insertion of an electrochemical-based analytical test strip into the strip port connector.

9. The hand-held test meter of claim 7 wherein closure of both the first switch and the second switch results in the test strip simulation passive circuit block simulating the insertion of an electrochemical-based analytical test strip into the strip port connector and the application of a bodily fluid sample thereto.

10. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 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.

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

employing a test strip simulation passive circuit block of a hand-held test meter by activating the test strip simulation passive circuit block;

presenting, to the strip port connector by the test strip simulation passive circuit block, upon the activating of the test strip simulation passive circuit block at least one of;

an alternating current (AC) load; and

a direct current (DC) load;

that simulates at least one of insertion of an electrochemical-based analytical test strip into the strip port connector and application of a bodily fluid sample to a simulated inserted electrochemical-based analytical test strip.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the employing and presenting serves to test operation of the hand-held test meter prior to use of the hand-held test meter for the determination of an analyte.

13. The method of claim 12 further including:

inserting an electrochemical-based analytical test strip into the hand-held test meter following the presenting and subsequently 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.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the activating and presenting serves to demonstrate operation of the hand-held test meter to a user.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the ac load is presented using a parallel resistor and capacitor network of the test strip simulation passive circuit block.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one of an ac load and a dc load is presented using a resistor network of the test strip simulation passive circuit block.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the dc load is presented using a parallel RC and offset resistor network.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the test strip simulation passive circuit block includes at least one of a resistor, a capacitor and a Schottky diode.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the test strip simulation passive circuit block includes a first switch and a second switch.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein closure of solely the second switch results in the test strip simulation passive circuit block simulating the insertion of an electrochemical-based analytical test strip into the strip port connector.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein closure of both the first switch and the second switch results in the test strip simulation passive circuit block simulating the insertion of an electrochemical-based analytical test strip into the strip port connector and the application of a bodily fluid sample thereto.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein the electrochemical-based analytical test strip is configured for the determination of glucose in a whole blood sample.