Patent ID: 7785272

Claim:
A bodily fluid sampling device for analyzing a bodily fluid, comprising: a test media cassette including a test media tape adapted to collect the bodily fluid, a supply portion storing an uncontaminated section of the test media tape that is uncontaminated with the bodily fluid, the supply portion including a supply reel, wherein the uncontaminated section of the test media tape is wound on the supply reel, a storage portion storing a contaminated section of the test media tape that is contaminated with the bodily fluid, the storage portion including a take-up reel, wherein the contaminated section of the test media tape is wound on the take-up reel, and an exposure portion positioned between the supply portion and the storage portion, the exposure portion being adapted to expose a section of the test media tape to the bodily fluid; a sensor positioned between the supply portion and the storage portion to sense at least one property of the bodily fluid collected on the test media tape at the exposure portion of the cassette; a piercing device adapted to pierce skin; an advancement mechanism to advance the test media tape in response to piercing of the skin by the piercing device; and characterized in that the take-up reel has a geared portion that engages a biased cassette pawl that permits the take-up reel to rotate in only one direction so that test media can only be fed into the storage portion and not removed.