Patent ID: 7999927

Claim:
An apparatus for determining the level of an analyte in a biological fluid sample from a patient, the apparatus comprising: an analyte detection system configured to determine the level of at least one analyte in the biological fluid sample; a sample extractor configured to withdraw the biological fluid sample through the skin of the patient; a fluid separator configured to move at least a portion of the biological fluid sample while at the same time separating a first component of the biological fluid sample from other components thereof, wherein at least one of the other components would interfere with the measurement performed by the analyte detection system; a sample element comprising a sample cell and a sample supply passage in fluid communication with the sample cell, the sample cell configured to: receive at least a portion of the first component of the biological fluid sample through the sample supply passage; and hold the portion of the first component of the biological fluid sample between a first sample cell wall and a second sample cell wall of the sample cell while the analyte detection system analyzes the portion of the first component of the biological fluid sample to determine the level of the at least one analyte in the biological fluid sample.