Method for distinguishing electrochemical sensors

• US 8,211,292 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Brown, Daniel V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barton, Jeffrey T
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSENWALD, STEVEN ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/989,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20090050491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 204/403.04, 205/777.5, 205/792
• US Class Current: 205/777.5
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/006 for glucose
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3273 Devices therefor, e.g. test element readers, circuitry details not specific to biochemical electrodes G01N33/4875

Abstract

A method for distinguishing between types of electrochemical test sensors in a meter is disclosed. The method comprises the acts of providing an electrochemical test sensor comprising an enzyme and a chemical additive, contacting the test sensor to the meter to form an electrical connection, applying a potential having a magnitude sufficient to initiate a redox reaction of the chemical additive, and determining which type of electrochemical test sensor is being used based on whether a predetermined signal has been generated after the potential has been applied. The meter is adapted to determine an analyte concentration in a fluid sample.

Claims

1. A method for distinguishing between types of electrochemical test sensors used in an instrument, the test sensors being configured to be used in determining an analyte concentration in a fluid sample, the method comprising the acts of:

providing an electrochemical test sensor comprising an enzyme and a chemical marker;

contacting the test sensor to the instrument to form an electrical connection, the instrument being adapted to determine an analyte concentration in the fluid sample;

applying a potential having a magnitude sufficient to initiate a redox reaction of the chemical marker and insufficient to determine the analyte concentration, the potential being applied by the instrument; and

determining which type of electrochemical test sensor is being used based on whether a predetermined signal has been generated after the potential has been applied.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of matching the predetermined signal to a corresponding test sequence.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of applying the potential occurs when the instrument is activated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrochemical test sensor has a working electrode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrochemical test sensor has at least three electrodes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyte is cholesterol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyte is glucose.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the chemical marker is selected from the group consisting of silver ferrocyanide (Ag₄Fe(CN)₆), silver carbonate (Ag₂CO₃), silver bromate (AgBrO₃), iron (III) phenanthroline, butylated hydroxytoluene, 1,2-benzoquinone, acetaminophen, and ascorbic acid.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the enzyme is glucose oxidase.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the absolute value of the potential ranges from about 50 mV to about 350 mV.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the absolute value of the potential ranges from about 150 mV to about 250 mV.

12. A method for distinguishing between types of electrochemical test sensors used in a meter, the test sensors being configured to be used in determining a glucose concentration in a fluid sample, the method comprising the acts of:

providing an electrochemical test sensor, the test sensor including glucose oxidase and a chemical marker;

contacting the test sensor to the meter to form an electrical connection, the meter being adapted to determine the glucose concentration in the fluid sample;

applying a potential ranging from an absolute value of about 50 mV to an absolute value of about 350 mV to the test sensor, the potential being applied by the meter; and

determining which type of electrochemical test sensor is being used based on whether a predetermined signal due to oxidation/reduction of the chemical marker has been generated after the potential has been applied.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the act of matching the predetermined signal to a corresponding test sequence.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of applying the potential occurs when the meter is activated.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the chemical marker is selected from the group consisting of silver ferrocyanide (Ag₄Fe(CN)₆), silver carbonate (Ag₂CO₃), silver bromate (AgBrO₃), iron (III) phenanthroline, butylated hydroxytoluene, 1,2-benzoquinone, acetaminophen, and ascorbic acid.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the potential ranges from an absolute value of about 50 mV to an absolute value of about 350 mV.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the potential ranges from an absolute value of about 150 mV to an absolute value of about 250 mV.

18. A method for determining the concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample, the method comprising the acts of:

providing an electrochemical test sensor including an enzyme, the electrochemical test sensor including a chemical marker;

contacting the test sensor to an instrument to form an electrical connection, the instrument being adapted to determine an analyte concentration in a fluid sample;

applying a first potential, the potential being applied by the instrument;

determining which type of electrochemical test sensor is being used based on whether a predetermined signal due to oxidation/reduction of the chemical marker has been generated;

applying a test sequence corresponding to the type of electrochemical test sensor; and

applying a second potential to assist in determining the analyte concentration of the fluid sample, the second potential being applied by the instrument,

wherein the magnitude of the first potential is insufficient to determine the analyte concentration.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the act of determining which type of electrochemical sensor is being used is based on an absence of the predetermined signal.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the analyte is cholesterol.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the analyte is glucose.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein act of applying a test sequence includes applying calibration information.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the analyte is glucose and the chemical marker is selected from the group consisting of silver ferrocyanide (Ag₄Fe(CN)₆), silver carbonate (Ag₂CO₃), silver bromate (AgBrO₃), iron (III) phenanthroline, butylated hydroxytoluene, 1,2-benzoquinone, acetaminophen, and ascorbic acid.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the first potential ranges from an absolute value of about 50 mV to an absolute value of about 350 mV.