Boehringer Mannheim Gmbh

Martin T Gerber

Rick L Collins

Klaus H Pollmann

James D Morrow

Morris J Young

Lance Scott Kuhn

David E Storvick

Daniel L Kennedy

Charles L Thomeczek, Jr

P Douglas Walling

Peter J Hesketh

Chi-Neng Arthur Han

Zindel Herbert Heller

Joseph E Bateson

Kent M Kost

Stefan Weinert

Edna C Probst

Loy M Vail

M Luann Ochs

Brett S Lewis

Peter L Sebastian

James L Maxwell

A method for calculating a coagulation characteristic of a sample of blood, a blood fraction, or a control comprises generating an output signal indicative of coagulation of the sample, sampling the output signal at a sampling rate for a predetermined time to provide a plurality of sampled signal values, storing the sampled signal values, rectifying the stored sampled signal values to provide a plurality of envelope values, and storing the envelope values. The stored envelope values are examined in reverse time order to determine a slope of the envelope at each of the stored envelope values. All relative maxima in the stored envelope values are identified. A range of stored envelope values corresponding to each relative maximum is determined. The identified relative maxima are compared to locate an absolute maximum in the stored envelope values. The coagulation characteristic is then calculated from the stored envelope values within the predetermined range of envelope values corresponding to the absolute maximum.

Method and apparatus for calculating a coagulation characteristic of a

A new electrochemical biosensor and method of its use. The electrochemical biosensor has a pair of electrodes consisting of a working electrode and a counter electrode made of the same electrically conducting materials. The counter electrode may be the same size or smaller than the working electrode. The biosensor includes a sample receiving portion wherein a portion of the electrode surfaces is covered by a reagent that includes a redox mediator and an enzyme. A fluid that contains an analyte is added to the sample receiving portion. A reaction involving the analyte, enzyme and redox mediator occurs. After this reaction is complete, an electrical potential difference is applied between the electrodes. Diffusion limited current is measured and correlated to the concentration of analyte in the fluid.

Assay method with enzyme electrode system

Combined blood coagulation measuring instrument and test strip

A biosensor that includes working and counter electrodes of substantially the same size and made of the same electrically conducting material. A reagent is contained in a reagent well in the biosensor. The reagent includes a redox mediator, an enzyme, and a buffer, and covers substantially equal surface areas of portions of the working and counter electrodes. When a sample, containing the analyte to be measured, is added to the reagent well, a reaction occurs that oxidizes the analyte and reduces the redox mediator. After this reaction is complete, an electrical potential difference is applied between the electrodes. The amount of oxidized form of the redox mediator at the counter electrode and the applied potential difference must be sufficient to cause diffusion limited electrooxidation of the reduced form of the redox mediator at the surface of the working electrode. After a short time delay, current produced by the electrooxidation of the reduced form of the redox mediator is measured and the observed current is correlated to the amount of the analyte in the sample. In some cases, the analyte sought to be measured may be reduced and the redox mediator may be oxidized. In such cases, current produced by diffusion limited electroreduction of the oxidized form of the redox mediator is measured and correlated to the amount of analyte in the sample.

Enzyme electrode system

Thermopile has a plurality of reference junctions and a plurality of measurement thermocouple junctions connected electrically alternately in series on a dielectric support. Each reference junction has thereover a first medium which is nonthermally responsive and each measurement junction has thereover a second medium which is thermally responsive. The first and second mediums occupy areas which are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, the reference junctions under areas occupied by said first medium each being electrically connected directly to a measurement thermocouple under an area occupied by said second medium.

Thermopile having reduced thermal noise

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Carmel, IN, United States of America

Martin T Gerber