Patent ID: 8449740

Claim:
A system for distinguishing between a blood sample and a control solution sample, the system comprising: A. a test strip including electrical contacts for mating with a test meter and an electrochemical cell, said cell comprising (i) a first electrode and a second electrode in a spaced apart relationship, and (ii) a reagent, and; B. a test meter including a processor programmed to receive respective first, second and third current transients resulting from respective first, second and third electrical potentials applied to the test strip in which the third electrical potential is opposite in polarity to the first and second potentials, calculates a residual reaction index based on a ratio of the third current to the second current transients and an interferent index, and compares both the residual reaction index and the interferent index with data storage containing discrimination criteria relating to both the residual reaction index and the interferent index to distinguish a blood sample from a control solution sample based on the discrimination criteria.