Boehringer Mannheim Gmbh

Russell T Gray

Richard A Riedel

Michael E Grant

David E Storvick

John W Stoughton

Daniel L Kennedy

Steven R Arbuckle

Dino Perin

William R Boyd

Mark A Gregory

Stephen D Scopatz

Joe E Anderson

Tyrie R Robbins

Sandra E Sowa

Robert C Yates

Friedrich Jost

Timothy L Beck

Bradford C Adrian

Prafulla D Goradia

A method and apparatus for verifying the operating accuracy of an instrument (10) for detecting the concentration of a medically significant component of a body fluid. The instrument (10) operates by determining the remission of a reacted chemistry contained on a substrate (106) after the chemistry has reacted with the medically significant component of the body fluid. The instrument (10) includes a radiation source (182), a radiation detector (300) and a pathway (164) from the radiation source (182) to the chemistry (106) and from the chemistry (106) to the radiation detector (300) when the substrate (106) is properly inserted into the instrument (10). The remission of the chemistry (106) determines the radiation detected by the radiation detector (300). The method and apparatus include inserting into the instrument (10) a verification substrate (106) having a known remission, a mechanism for energizing the radiation source (182), detecting with a radiation detector (300) the remission from the verification substrate (106), and displaying on a display (76) associated with the instrument (10) an indication that the known remission was detected by the radiation detector (300).

Meter verification method and apparatus

A method and apparatus (10) for determining the remission of a chemistry (106) which reacts with a medically significant component of a body fluid. The remission of the chemistry (106) changes as it reacts. The method and apparatus (10) include irradiating the chemistry (106) with a radiation source (182), detecting remissions of radiation from the chemistry (106) with a radiation detector (300), providing a radiation pathway (164) between the source (182) and the chemistry (106), providing a remission pathway (164) between the chemistry (106) and the detector (300), and detecting the rate of change of remission of the chemistry (106) with respect to time. The irradiating, detecting and rate detecting steps and apparatus comprise initially irradiating the chemistry (106) at a first time rate and detecting remissions therefrom, comparing remission data from remission readings spaced apart by a first number of intervening remission readings, and determining when the difference between compared readings exceeds a first predetermined limit. The time rate of irradiation of the chemistry is changed once the difference between compared readings exceeds the first limit. Remission data from remission readings spaced apart by a second number of intervening remission readings are then compared. The method and apparatus next determine when the difference between compared readings no longer exceeds a second predetermined limit. The last remission reading is then converted to the concentration of the medically significant component of the body fluid.

Apparatus and method for analyzing a body fluid

An instrument for analyzing test strips supporting chemistries which react with a medically significant component of a body fluid to indicate the concentration of the component in the body fluid. The instrument includes a pathway along which radiation is guided from a radiation source to a strip when the strip is inserted into the instrument and along which remission is guided from the strip to a radiation detector. A title provided on the instrument provides a first remission when no strip is inserted into the instrument. The tile is separated from the radiation source by the strip when the strip is inserted into the instrument. The first remission and the strip's remission, respectively, indicate the absence and the presence of the strip in the instrument. The strip also has a surface opposite the chemistry supporting surface characterized by a second strip remission different from the first strip remission. The instrument is capable of determining whether the strip has been inserted into the instrument correctly or backward.

Test strip holding and reading mechanism for a meter

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Brownsburg, IN, United States of America

Russell T Gray