Patent ID: 7611899

Claim:
A sensor dispensing instrument adapted to handle a sensor pack containing a plurality of sensors, each of said plurality of sensors being disposed in a sensor cavity on said sensor pack and enclosed by a protective foil covering, said sensor dispensing instrument further adapted to perform a test using one of said plurality of sensors, said sensor dispensing instrument comprising: an outer housing having a front end and a rear end, said outer housing further comprising a sensor slot through which one of said sensors is disposed to conduct the test; a mechanism generally disposed within the outer housing, said mechanism including an indexing disk for supporting and rotating said sensor pack, an indexing support for rotating said indexing disk, an ejecting mechanism to eject one of said sensors from said sensor cavity and through said sensor slot, and a puller handle for moving said indexing support and the ejecting mechanism; an electronics assembly generally disposed in the outer housing, said electronic assembly adapted to perform the test and display test results; a sensor actuator generally disposed adjacent to the sensor slot, said sensor actuator adapted to engage with a sensor disposed in said sensor slot, to connect to contacts on the sensor, and to transmit electrical signals between the sensor and said electronics assembly; and a sensor release generally disposed on a surface of the outer housing, said sensor release being moveable to disengage said sensor actuator from the sensor disposed in the sensor slot, said sensor release being adapted to move said puller handle and being adapted to disengage the sensor actuator such that the sensor can be removed from the instrument, wherein the puller handle, the sensor release and sensor actuator are distinct and separate components.