An electrochemical system for determining the concentration of an analyte in a whole blood sample, the electrochemical system comprising: a sensor strip, including: a base; a first electrode on the base, where the first electrode includes a first layer on a first conductor ( 12, 22), where the first layer has an average initial thickness of from 5 to 25 μm, and where the first layer includes a reagent layer ( 26, 36) and at least one binder forming a diffusion barrier layer, the diffusion barrier layer having an internal volume, the at least one binder comprising a polymeric material that is at least partially water soluble; and a second electrode on the base; and a measurement device in electrical communication with the first electrode through the first conductor ( 12, 22), wherein the measurement device is also in electrical communication with the second electrode through a second conductor ( 14, 32), wherein the measurement device is so configured as to apply read pulses from 0.05 to 2.8 seconds to the first and second electrodes ( 20, 30); and the electrochemical system is configured to determine a quantitative value of the analyte concentration in the sample based on a read pulse current during steady state. a sensor strip, including: a base; a first electrode on the base, where the first electrode includes a first layer on a first conductor ( 12, 22), where the first layer has an average initial thickness of from 5 to 25 μm, and where the first layer includes a reagent layer ( 26, 36) and at least one binder forming a diffusion barrier layer, the diffusion barrier layer having an internal volume, the at least one binder comprising a polymeric material that is at least partially water soluble; and a second electrode on the base; and a base; a first electrode on the base, where the first electrode includes a first layer on a first conductor ( 12, 22), where the first layer has an average initial thickness of from 5 to 25 μm, and where the first layer includes a reagent layer ( 26, 36) and at least one binder forming a diffusion barrier layer, the diffusion barrier layer having an internal volume, the at least one binder comprising a polymeric material that is at least partially water soluble; and where the first layer has an average initial thickness of from 5 to 25 μm, and where the first layer includes a reagent layer ( 26, 36) and at least one binder forming a diffusion barrier layer, the diffusion barrier layer having an internal volume, the at least one binder comprising a polymeric material that is at least partially water soluble; and a second electrode on the base; and a measurement device in electrical communication with the first electrode through the first conductor ( 12, 22), wherein the measurement device is also in electrical communication with the second electrode through a second conductor ( 14, 32), wherein the measurement device is so configured as to apply read pulses from 0.05 to 2.8 seconds to the first and second electrodes ( 20, 30); and wherein the measurement device is also in electrical communication with the second electrode through a second conductor ( 14, 32), wherein the measurement device is so configured as to apply read pulses from 0.05 to 2.8 seconds to the first and second electrodes ( 20, 30); the electrochemical system is configured to determine a quantitative value of the analyte concentration in the sample based on a read pulse current during steady state.