Patent ID: 7906336

Claim:
A sensor dispensing instrument comprising: an outer housing having a sensor slot through which one of a plurality of test sensors is disposed to conduct a test; a mechanism generally disposed within the outer housing, the mechanism including an ejecting mechanism to eject one of the sensors through the sensor slot and an actuation member for actuating the ejecting mechanism, the actuation member being moveable between a testing position and a standby position; an electronics assembly generally disposed in the outer housing, the electronic assembly adapted to perform the test and display test results; a sensor actuator generally disposed adjacent to the sensor slot, the sensor actuator adapted to engage with a sensor disposed in the sensor slot in response to the actuation member being in the testing position, to connect to contacts on the sensor, and to transmit electrical signals between the sensor and the electronics assembly; and a sensor release generally disposed on a surface of the outer housing, the sensor release being adapted to move the actuation member from the testing position to the standby position to disengage the sensor actuator from the sensor disposed in the sensor slot, wherein the actuation member, the sensor actuator, and the sensor release are distinct and separate components.