Patent ID: 7160251

Claim:
A method of measuring glucose in a blood sample, said method comprising: providing a test strip, said test strip having a sample chamber, with a working electrode, a counter electrode, a pair of fill-detect electrodes, and a reagent layer disposed in said sample chamber, said reagent layer including glucose oxidase and a mediator, said test strip including an auto-on conductor; inserting said test strip into a meter, said meter being in a sleep mode; said meter detecting an auto-on current through said auto-on conductor and responsively entering an active mode; said meter validating said working and counter electrodes by applying a first validation voltage between said working and counter electrodes; said meter validating said fill-detect electrodes by applying a second validation voltage between said fill-detect electrodes, while said first validation voltage is applied between said working and counter electrodes; applying said blood sample to said sample chamber; said meter detecting said blood sample at a first location in said sample chamber by applying a drop-detect voltage between said working and counter electrodes and measuring a drop-detect current flowing between said working and counter electrodes; said meter detecting said blood sample at a second location in said sample chamber by applying a fill-detect voltage between said fill-detect electrodes and measuring a fill-detect current flowing between said fill-detect electrodes; after waiting an incubation time period, said meter applying an assay voltage between said working and counter electrodes and making at least one measurement of the resulting current through said working electrode; and said meter determining a measured glucose level from said at least one current measurement.