System and method for quality assurance of a biosensor test strip
First Claim
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1. A circuit for a test meter adapted to be operatively coupled to a biosensor strip, the circuit comprising:
- a difference amplifier having first and second difference amplifier inputs and a difference amplifier output, wherein the first difference amplifier input is operatively coupled to a first connector contact of the test meter and the second difference amplifier input is operatively coupled to a second connector contact of the test meter;
a commanded voltage signal source;
a voltage follower amplifier having first and second voltage follower inputs and a voltage follower output, wherein the first voltage follower input is coupled to the commanded voltage signal source, the second voltage follower input is coupled to the difference amplifier output, and the voltage follower output is configured to be operatively coupled to a third connector contact of the test meter; and
a fourth connector contact of the meter operatively coupled to a microprocessor of the circuit configured to receive and process signals from a biosensor strip;
wherein the first, second, third, and fourth connector contacts are configured to be operatively coupled to respective first, second, third, and fourth contact pads of a corresponding biosensor strip inserted into the test meter, and wherein the difference amplifier output represents a voltage difference between the first and second connector contacts of the test meter, and wherein the voltage follower amplifier is operatively configured to generate a voltage from the voltage follower output such that the voltage at the second voltage follower input is generally equal to the voltage at the first voltage follower input.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a test strip for measuring a signal of interest in a biological fluid when the test strip is mated to an appropriate test meter, wherein the test strip and the test meter include structures to verify the integrity of the test strip traces, to measure the parasitic resistance of the test strip traces, and to provide compensation in the voltage applied to the test strip to account for parasitic resistive losses in the test strip traces.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A circuit for a test meter adapted to be operatively coupled to a biosensor strip, the circuit comprising:
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a difference amplifier having first and second difference amplifier inputs and a difference amplifier output, wherein the first difference amplifier input is operatively coupled to a first connector contact of the test meter and the second difference amplifier input is operatively coupled to a second connector contact of the test meter; a commanded voltage signal source; a voltage follower amplifier having first and second voltage follower inputs and a voltage follower output, wherein the first voltage follower input is coupled to the commanded voltage signal source, the second voltage follower input is coupled to the difference amplifier output, and the voltage follower output is configured to be operatively coupled to a third connector contact of the test meter; and a fourth connector contact of the meter operatively coupled to a microprocessor of the circuit configured to receive and process signals from a biosensor strip; wherein the first, second, third, and fourth connector contacts are configured to be operatively coupled to respective first, second, third, and fourth contact pads of a corresponding biosensor strip inserted into the test meter, and wherein the difference amplifier output represents a voltage difference between the first and second connector contacts of the test meter, and wherein the voltage follower amplifier is operatively configured to generate a voltage from the voltage follower output such that the voltage at the second voltage follower input is generally equal to the voltage at the first voltage follower input. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for generating a voltage substantially compensated for voltage potential drops caused by one or more of parasitic resistance in conductive traces of a biosensor test strip and contact resistance in the coupling of biosensor test strip contact pads to connector contacts of a test meter, the method comprising the steps of:
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operatively coupling a biosensor test strip to a test meter, the biosensor test strip comprising a first measurement electrode and a second measurement electrode, a first conductive trace operatively coupling a first contact pad and the first measurement electrode, a second conductive trace operatively coupling a second contact pad and the first measurement electrode, a third conductive trace operatively coupling a third contact pad and the second measurement electrode, and a fourth conductive trace operatively coupling a fourth contact pad and the second measurement electrode;
the test meter having a circuit comprising a difference amplifier having first and second difference amplifier inputs and a difference amplifier output, wherein the first difference amplifier input is operatively coupled to a first connector contact of the test meter and the second difference amplifier input is operatively coupled to a second connector contact of the test meter, the first and second connector contacts of the test meter being operatively coupled respectively to the second and fourth contact pads of the biosensor test strip when the biosensor test strip is operatively coupled to the test meter, the first and second difference amplifier inputs comprising high impedance inputs so that substantially no current flows from the second contact pad to the first connector contact or from the fourth contact pad to the second connector contact, the circuit further comprising a commanded voltage signal source and a voltage follower amplifier having first and second voltage follower inputs and a voltage follower output, wherein the first voltage follower input is coupled to the commanded voltage signal source, the second voltage follower input is coupled to the difference amplifier output, and the voltage follower output is operatively coupled to a third connector contact of the test meter being operatively coupled to the first contact pad of the biosensor test strip when the biosensor test strip is operatively coupled to the test meter;outputting from the commanded voltage signal source a signal indicative of a desired voltage potential to be applied across the first measurement electrode and the second measurement electrode; applying from the voltage follower output a voltage potential to the third connector contact of the test meter and producing a current between the first measurement electrode and the second measurement electrode; by the voltage follower amplifier, adjusting an output from the voltage follower output until a voltage potential at the second voltage follower input is substantially equal to the desired voltage potential; wherein the voltage potential at the second voltage follower input represents the voltage potential across the first and second measurement electrodes, and wherein when the adjusted output from the voltage follower output is such that the voltage potential at the second voltage follower input is substantially equal to the desired voltage potential then the voltage potential across the first and second measurement electrodes is substantially equal to the desired voltage potential and the adjusted output is substantially compensated for voltage drop caused by one or more of parasitic resistance in the first and third conductive traces and contact resistance in the coupling of the biosensor test strip contact pads to the connector contacts of a test meter. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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Specification