Method and apparatus for measuring blood sugar

• US 7,154,593 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LRE Technology Partner GmbH
• Original Assignee: LRE Technology Partner GmbH
• Inventors: Eisenmann, Martin, Markart, Ernst, Pöllmann, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): STAFIRA, MICHAEL PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US10/885,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20040252292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 356/39
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 2007/0097 for large diesel engines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8483 Investigating reagent band test-element handling not specific to a test method G01N33/4875; analytical elements specific to chemical analysis of biological material G01N33/52; autometer with reagent band G01N35/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2400/00 Assays, e.g. immunoassays or enzyme assays, involving carbohydrates

Abstract

In a method for the measurement of the concentration of a substance in a liquid, especially for blood sugar measurement, the liquid to be measured is applied to the measuring field of a test strip, which measuring field is composed of a hydrophilic material, and the change of the optical reflectivity or transmissivity effected thereby in the area of the measuring field is captured. A measured value taken after a pre-given time is compared with a reference value and an indication is made if a relationship of the measured value to the reference value exceeds a pre-given threshold value.

Claims

1. A method for measuring the concentration of a substance in a liquid, especially for blood sugar measurement, the method comprising the steps of:

applying a liquid to a measuring field including a hydrophilic area of a test strip, measuring the optical reflectivity or transmissivity in the measuring field, comparing the measured value of the optical reflectivity or transmissivity in the measuring field at a pre-given time with a reference value, and activating an indicator if a relationship between the measured value and the reference value exceeds a pre-given threshold value.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of comparing includes using a reference value corresponding to that of an unwetted measuring field.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of comparing includes using a reference value corresponding to a lowest concentration of the substance to be measured.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of activating an indicator includes displaying indicia such as “

LOW”

or “

F-1”

if the relationship of the measured value to the reference value exceeds the pre-given threshold value.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the measuring field includes at least two measuring areas, the step of measuring includes separately measuring each of the measuring areas, and the step of comparing includes comparing a measured value for each of the measuring areas with a reference value associated with the respective measuring area.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of measuring further includes a first measuring of a first measuring area followed by a first measuring of a second measuring area if the relation between the measured value and the reference value for the first measured area has reached or exceeded a pre-given threshold value.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the measured value of the measuring area which first reaches or exceeds the pre-given threshold value is indicated.

8. A method for measuring the concentration of a substance in a liquid, especially for blood sugar measurement, the method comprising the steps of:

applying a liquid to be measured to a measuring field of a test strip, measuring the optical reflectivity or transmissivity in the measuring field effected by the liquid, the step of measuring including taking a plurality of measurements in the measuring field within a pre-determined period of time and comparing each measured value with the measured value taken a given number of measurements previously, and activating an indicator when the measured value exceeds the comparison measured value.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of activating an indicator if the difference between the measured values compared with one another within a pre-given period of time take on no steady course.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of activating an indicator if the differences between the measured values in successive comparisons change in sign.