Patent ID: 8211038

Claim:
An article for providing a plurality of test strips, said article comprising: (a) a thin, flat plate comprising 1) a sample receiving side and 2) a backing-facing side that is opposite the sample receiving side; wherein said thin, flat plate has a plurality of sectors, each of said sectors comprising: an electrode arrangement applied thereto on the backing-facing side, and a first aperture for receiving a sample, wherein the electrode arrangement is adjacent the first aperture; (b) a backing comprising 1) a lancet-receiving side and 2) a plate-facing side that is opposite the lancet-receiving side, wherein the plate-facing side faces the backing-facing side of the thin, flat plate; wherein the backing has a plurality of sectors, each of said sectors having a recessed portion on the lancet-receiving side of the backing, the recessed portion comprising a wall portion and a base portion, and wherein the base portion includes a second aperture therethrough, wherein the wall portion is arranged and configured to guide a lancing device through the recessed portion and second aperture in from the lancet-receiving side and out the plate-facing side of the backing; wherein the plate-facing side of the backing includes a flow channel extending from the second aperture along a major surface of the plate-facing side of the backing, and wherein the flow channel is in register with the second aperture and said electrode arrangement; wherein said major surface of said plate-facing side of the backing is in facing orientation to the backing-facing side of said thin, flat plate such that the flow channel is on the plate-facing side of the backing and in facing arrangement with the electrode arrangement; wherein said first aperture is in facing arrangement with said second aperture, said first aperture is in register with said second aperture in said base portion of said backing, wherein the electrode arrangement is disposed on the thin, flat plate adjacent to the first and second apertures; wherein said lancing device passes first through the recessed portion of the lancet-receiving side of said backing and then through said second and first apertures out to the sample receiving side of the thin, flat plate.