Patent ID: 6749740
Filing Date: 2004-06-15
Classification: G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
An operative combination for use in measuring bioanalyte in a sample; the combination comprising:(a) a sensor strip; the sensor strip comprising: (i) a substrate having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a first side edge extending between the first end and second end, and a second side edge, opposite the first side edge and extending between the first end and second end; (A) the substrate first end sized for insertion into an electrical connector; (ii) a sample chamber positioned between the first and second ends; (iii) at least three electrodes on the substrate and in operative contact with the sample chamber, each of the electrodes including a separate electrode trace extending from the sample chamber and along a length of the substrate; and (iv) an insertion monitor stripe on the substrate; (b) an electrical connector in electrical communication with a meter, the electrical connector having a sensor strip receiving area sized for operative receipt of the first end of the substrate; the electrical connector further comprising: (i) a first contact structure comprising at least three contact leads, one each of which is positioned to engage one each of three of the at least three electrode traces of the sensor strip when the substrate is operatively positioned with the first end positioned in the sensor strip receiving area of the electrical connector; (ii) a second contact structure comprising at least a first insertion lead and a second insertion lead, each of the first and second insertion leads being positioned to operatively engage the insertion monitor stripe when the first end is operatively positioned in the sensor strip receiving area; (A) the first insertion lead being positioned with a portion thereof extending across the first side edge of the sensor strip substrate to engage the insertion monitor stripe when the first end is operatively positioned in the sensor strip receiving area of the electrical connector; and, (B) the second insertion lead being positioned with a portion thereof extending across the second side edge of the sensor strip substrate to engage the insertion monitor stripe when the first end is operatively positioned in the sensor strip receiving area of the electrical connector; (c) the sensor strip being removably mounted to the electrical connector with the substrate first end received in the sensor strip receiving area.