Method for distinguishing electrochemical sensors

• US 8,480,868 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• 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): Van, Luan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSENWALD, STEVEN ERIC
• Application Number:
  US13/480,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20120228156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 205/775
• US Class Current: 204/403.04
• 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 of determining a type of electrochemical test sensor used with an instrument configured to be used in determining at least one analyte concentration in a fluid sample, the method comprising the acts of:

forming an electrical connection between an electrochemical test sensor and the instrument, the electrochemical test sensor including an enzyme and a chemical marker;

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

determining the type of electrochemical test sensor based on a predetermined amount of current generated in response to the potential being applied.

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrochemical test sensor includes a working electrode and a counter electrode.

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

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the chemical marker is silver ferrocyanide (Ag₄Fe(CN)₆), silver carbonate (Ag₂CO₃), silver bromate (AgBrO₃), iron (III) phenanthroline, butylated hydroxytoluene, 1,2-benzoquinone, acetaminophen, or ascorbic acid.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the enzyme is glucose oxidase.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the absolute value of the potential ranges from about 50 mV to about 350 mV.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the absolute value of the potential ranges from about 150 mV to about 250 mV.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of determining the type of electrochemical test sensor is based on an absence of current generated in response to the potential being applied.

10. A method for determining at least one analyte concentration in a fluid sample, the method comprising the acts of:

activating the instrument to apply a potential to the electrochemical test sensor, the electrochemical test sensor including an enzyme and a chemical marker;

applying the potential to the electrochemical test sensor to generate a predetermined amount of current, the potential having a magnitude sufficient to initiate a redox reaction of the chemical marker and insufficient to determine the at least one analyte concentration, the potential being applied by the instrument;

determining a test sequence associated with the electrochemical test sensor based on a predetermined amount of current generated in response to the potential being applied; and

applying the test sequence, the test sequence being used to determine the at least one analyte concentration.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of activating the instrument is initiated via a user-operated switch or insertion of the electrochemical test sensor into the instrument.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the potential is applied a predetermined number of times or until the predetermined signal is generated.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the analyte is glucose.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the enzyme is glucose oxidase.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the chemical marker is silver ferrocyanide (Ag₄Fe(CN)₆), silver carbonate (Ag₂CO₃), silver bromate (AgBrO₃), iron (III) phenanthroline, butylated hydroxytoluene, 1,2-benzoquinone, acetaminophen, or ascorbic acid.

16. The method of claim 14, 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 14, 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 a type of electrochemical test sensor used in a meter, the electrochemical test sensor being configured to be used in determining the concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample, the method comprising the acts of:

contacting the electrochemical test sensor to an instrument to form an electrical connection, the electrochemical test sensor including an enzyme and a chemical marker, the instrument being adapted to determine an analyte concentration in a fluid sample;

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

determining which type of electrochemical test sensor is being used based on whether a predetermined amount of current is generated in response to the potential being applied, the predetermined amount of current resulting from a redox reaction of said chemical marker included in the electrochemical test sensor; and

applying a test sequence corresponding to the determined electrochemical test sensor type.

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

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the act of determining which type of electrochemical test sensor is being used is based on an amount of the predetermined signal generated.

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

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the chemical marker is silver ferrocyanide (Ag₄Fe(CN)₆), silver carbonate (Ag₂CO₃), silver bromate (AgBrO₃), iron (III) phenanthroline, butylated hydroxytoluene, 1,2-benzoquinone, acetaminophen, or ascorbic acid.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first potential ranges from an absolute value of about 50 mV to an absolute value of about 350 mV.