Patent ID: 8206565

Claim:
A method for forming a finished test strip for measuring a concentration of an analyte of interest in a biological fluid, the method comprising the steps of: providing a basic test strip comprising: a substrate having a surface, a first measurement electrode and a second measurement electrode formed thereon; a plurality of separate and distinct conductive contact pads formed upon the substrate surface; and a plurality of potential conductive links located on the substrate surface, the plurality of potential conductive links conductively coupling members of the plurality of contact pads; wherein a first potential conductive link of the plurality of potential conductive links is conductively connected to the first measurement electrode, a second potential conductive link of the plurality of potential conductive links is conductively connected to the second measurement electrode, the first potential conductive link and the second potential conductive link occupy paths that cross one another; and modifying the basic test strip to form the finished test strip, the finished test strip comprising less than all of the potential conductive links of the basic test strip.