Measuring device and methods for use therewith
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A test instrument for use with a human user and for use with an elongated test strip having at a first end an electrical connection point and at a second end an electrochemical cell, the test instrument comprising:
- a housing;
an electrical connector at the housing, the connector disposed to form an electrical connection with the electrical connection point of an elongated test strip when inserted therein;
a light source at the housing, the light source aimed to cast light upon the electrochemical cell of the elongated test strip, the light source illuminated in response to an input from a human user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The ability to switch at will between amperometric measurements and potentiometric measurements provides great flexibility in performing analyses of unknowns. Apparatus and methods can provide such switching to collect data from an electrochemical cell. The cell may contain a reagent disposed to measure glucose in human blood.
141 Citations
139 Claims
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1. A test instrument for use with a human user and for use with an elongated test strip having at a first end an electrical connection point and at a second end an electrochemical cell, the test instrument comprising:
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a housing;
an electrical connector at the housing, the connector disposed to form an electrical connection with the electrical connection point of an elongated test strip when inserted therein;
a light source at the housing, the light source aimed to cast light upon the electrochemical cell of the elongated test strip, the light source illuminated in response to an input from a human user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A test instrument for use with a human user and for use with an elongated test strip having at a first end an electrical connection point and at a second end an electrochemical cell, the test instrument comprising:
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a housing;
an electrical connector at the housing, the connector disposed to form an electrical connection with the electrical connection point of an elongated test strip when inserted therein;
a light source at the housing, the light source aimed to cast light upon the electrical connector, the light source illuminated in response to an input from a human user prior to insertion of the electrical connection point of the elongated test strip into the electrical connector. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for use with a test instrument for use with a human user and for use with an elongated test strip having at a first end an electrical connection point and at a second end an electrochemical cell, the method comprising the steps of:
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inserting the electrical connection point of an elongated test strip into an electrical connector at the test instrument, the connector forming an electrical connection with the electrical connection point of the elongated test strip;
providing a first input from a human user to the test instrument; and
in response to the first input, casting light from a light source at the test instrument upon the electrochemical cell of the elongated test strip. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for use with a test instrument for use with a human user and for use with an elongated test strip having at a first end an electrical connection point and at a second end an electrochemical cell, the test instrument comprising an electrical connector disposed to form an electrical connection with the electrical connection point of the elongated test strip, the test instrument further comprising a light source, the method comprising the steps, both performed before any insertion of the electrical connection point of an elongated test strip into the electrical connector, of:
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providing a first input from a human user to the test instrument; and
in response to the first input, casting light from the light source upon the electrical connector. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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- 27. An elongated test strip having at a first end an electrical connection point and at a second end an electrochemical cell, the test strip further comprising an optical waveguide extending from the first end to the second end, whereby light cast into the waveguide at the first end is emitted from the waveguide at the second end.
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37. A method for use with an elongated test strip having at a first end an electrical connection point and at a second end an electrochemical cell, the test strip further comprising an optical waveguide extending from the first end to the second end, whereby light cast into the waveguide at the first end is emitted from the waveguide at the second end, the method comprising the steps of:
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casting light into the waveguide at the first end; and
emitting light from the waveguide at the second end. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method for use with a test instrument for use with a human user, the test instrument having a display comprising a rectangular array of low-resolution areas, the array comprising first and second axes, the method comprising the steps of:
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performing at least one electrochemical test with respect to a bodily fluid of a human user;
illustrating first information of interest to the human user by means of the the rectangular array, the information illustrated by means of a first bar graph, the first bar graph having horizontal bars, each horizontal bar within a row of the rectangular array; and
illustrating second information of interest to the human user by means of the the rectangular array, the information illustrated by means of a second bar graph, the second bar graph having vertical bars, each vertical bar within a column of the rectangular array. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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46. A test instrument for use with a human user, the test instrument having a display comprising a rectangular array of low-resolution areas, the array comprising first and second axes, the test instrument comprising:
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means performing at least one electrochemical test with respect to a bodily fluid of a human user;
means illustrating first information of interest to the human user by means of the the rectangular array, the information illustrated by means of a first bar graph, the first bar graph having horizontal bars, each horizontal bar within a row of the rectangular array; and
means illustrating second information of interest to the human user by means of the the rectangular array, the information illustrated by means of a second bar graph, the second bar graph having vertical bars, each vertical bar within a column of the rectangular array. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48)
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49. A method for use in a handheld test equipment apparatus having an electrochemical cell disposed to receive a bodily fluid of a human user, the apparatus comprising electronic circuitry, the method comprising the steps of:
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under automatic control of the electronic circuitry, passing electrical current through the cell by means of a current source external to the cell and measuring said current;
thereafter, under automatic control of the electronic circuitry, ceasing the passage of electrical current from the current source external to the cell;
thereafter, under automatic control of the electronic circuitry, measuring an electrical potential at the cell; and
evaluating a function of the measured current and the measured electrical potential, whereby a measure of characteristic of the bodily fluid is evaluated. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. A handheld test equipment comprising:
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an electrochemical cell comprising a reagent reactive with a constituent of a human bodily fluid;
a current source external to the electrochemical cell;
a potentiometric circuitry external to the electrochemical cell;
electronic control means;
the electronic control means coupled with the current source to controllably apply the current source to the electrochemical cell, thereby passing current through the cell;
amperometric means external to the electrochemical cell for measuring the current passed through the electrochemical cell;
the electronic control means coupled with the potentiometric circuitry to automatically cease application of the current through the electrochemical cell, and then to measure a potential at the electrochemical cell in the absence of the applied current. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107)
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108. A handheld test equipment comprising:
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a housing;
a connector at the housing having at least first and second contacts;
a current source;
a potentiometric circuitry within the housing;
electronic control means within the housing;
the electronic control means coupled with the current source to controllably apply the current source to the at least first and second contacts;
amperometric means within the housing for measuring the current passed through the at least first and second contacts;
the electronic control means coupled with the potentiometric circuitry to automatically cease application of the current to the at least first and second contacts, and then to measure a potential at the at least first and second contacts in the absence of the applied current. - View Dependent Claims (109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 139)
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138. An apparatus for use with a reaction cell having a first electrode and a second electrode, the apparatus comprising:
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a voltage source providing a controllable voltage to the first electrode;
a voltage sensor sensing voltage provided to the first electrode;
an amplifier;
switch means switchable between first and second positions, said switch means in said first position disposing the amplifier to measure current through the second electrode, thereby measuring current through the reaction cell, said switch means in said second position disposing the amplifier to measure voltage present at the second electrode.
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Specification