Patent ID: 8388905

Claim:
A system for diagnostic testing, the system comprising: a meter for performing a diagnostic test on a sample applied to test media, the meter having a housing, a meter housing attachment portion, and an interface for receiving a signal representing coding information; a container having a base, walls, and a container attachment portion, the container including continuous interior volume, the continuous interior volume containing a plurality of loose, singulated test media housed therein compatible with the meter, and the container having a coding element associated therewith, wherein the meter housing attachment portion is shaped to conform to the container attachment portion to permit a press-fit engagement between the meter housing and the container; a coding pattern provided on the coding element configured to present coding information via the interface; alignment features disposed on the meter housing attachment portion and the container attachment portion, and configured to interlock and align the container, and the meter in a single predetermined axial orientation with respect to each other, thereby preventing the press-fit engagement between the meter housing and the container if the meter housing and the container are not aligned, wherein the meter and the container are configured to form an integral unit.