Patent ID: 8251907

Claim:
A method of maintaining health of a patient using an analyte detection system coupled to said patient such that a bodily fluid of said patient is accessible to said analyte detection system, said method comprising: providing a housing having a fluid handling system disposed therein, the fluid handling system comprising: at least one fluid source passageway within the housing that is configured to be placed into fluid communication with a fluid source; a patient connection passageway within the housing that is configured to be placed into fluid communication with a venous or arterial line; a selective junction between the fluid source passageway and the patient connection passageway and within the housing, the selective junction configured to selectively connect the patient connection passageway to an analyzer that is also within the housing; a valve in fluid communication with the selective junction to selectively allow fluid from the fluid source to pass into the patient connection passageway or to allow bodily fluid from the patient to pass into the analyzer; and a pump in fluid communication with the selective junction; drawing a sample of the bodily fluid into the fluid handling system; automatically initiating and conducting a measurement of an analyte in said bodily fluid using said analyte detection system; and determining a treatment dose for said patient based on said measurement using said analyte detection system; wherein the fluid handling system is adapted to use a single lumen for each of the following: to withdraw a sample of blood from the patient in a first mode of operation, to return some withdrawn blood to the patient in a second mode of operation, and to deliver the treatment dose to the patient in a third mode of operation.