Methods and Devices for Determining Sensing Device Usability

• US 20160054248A1
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Point Of Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Point Of Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Martin, Glenn, Wang, Yi, Tonks, Simon, Feldman, Benjamin J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,417,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/048 for determining moisture content of the material
• 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 27/3274 Corrective measures, e.g. error detection, compensation for temperature or hematocrit, calibration coding of calibration information G01N33/48771
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/005 Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence

Abstract

Methods and devices for determining sensing device usability, e.g., for self-monitoring and point of care devices. In one embodiment, the invention is to a method of determining device usability, comprising the steps of providing a device comprising a first electrical pad; a second electrical pad; and a humidity-responsive polymer layer contacting at least a portion of the first and second electrical pads; applying a potential across the first and second electrical pads; measuring an electrical property associated with the humidity-responsive polymer layer; and determining whether the measured electrical property associated with the humidity-responsive polymer layer has exceeded a humidity threshold level associated with the device usability.

Claims

1. A method of determining exposure of a glucose test strip to humidity, the method comprising:

inserting said glucose test strip into a glucose meter, said glucose test strip comprising a glucose sensing electrode connected by a first conductive line to a first electrical contact pad and a reference electrode connected by a second conductive line to a second electrical contact pad, wherein a polymer layer responsive to humidity positioned on said glucose test strip contacts at least a portion of said first and said second conductive lines;

applying a potential across said polymer layer;

measuring an electrical property associated with said polymer layer; and

calculating a humidity exposure value from said electrical property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said applying said potential across said polymer layer occurs prior to applying a blood sample to said glucose test strip.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said humidity exposure value is associated with a usability threshold of said glucose test strip.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said polymer layer is selected from the group consisting of a crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), a crosslinked polymer containing nitrogen heterocyclic groups, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said polymer layer comprises hydronium and hydroxyl ions derived from atmospheric moisture.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical property is an open circuit resistance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the humidity exposure value is a mean relative humidity.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising correcting a glucose test result using the open circuit resistance and the mean relative humidity.