Patent ID: 8383056

Claim:
A blood glucose test instrument kit having modular component parts capable of being assembled into a plurality of different handheld blood glucose test instruments, the kit comprising the combination of: an interconnection platform adapted to fit within a portable housing that supports at least one display device; a collection of interoperable modules, each of the modules having an interface adapted for connection to the interconnection platform, the collection of interoperable modules including: a plurality of different measurement engine modules each having an input port to receive a blood sample carrier and producing blood test data; at least one user interface module adapted to couple to said display device and containing test logic for implementing at least one blood glucose test protocol; at least one power supply module adapted, when connected to said interconnection platform, to provide operating power to other modules that are connected to said interconnection platform; wherein a handheld blood glucose test instrument is assembled by the interconnection to the interconnection platform of at least one measurement engine module, at least one user interface module, and at least one power supply module; the interconnection platform providing inter-module communication among the modules connected thereto to achieve enhanced glucose test instrument reliability by effecting at least one reliability protocol selected from the group consisting of: (a) a connected measurement engine module from the plurality of measurement engine modules cooperating with a user interface module to instruct the user to remove the blood sample carrier when the measurement engine module detects the blood sample carrier is damaged; (b) the connected measurement engine module cooperating with the user interface module to instruct the user to insert a new code key, when the measurement engine module detects that a previously entered code key is incorrect; and (c) the connected measurement engine module cooperating with the user interface module to instruct the user to repeat an attempted blood glucose test when the connected measurement engine module detects that an insufficient amount of blood or control solution has been deposited was deposited on blood sample carrier.