Patent ID: 8916040

Claim:
A method of identifying a defect in a test strip, comprising: applying a first test voltage V 1 for a first test time interval T 1 between a first electrode and a second electrode sufficient to oxidize a reduced mediator at the second electrode; applying a second test voltage V 2 for a second test time interval T 2 between a first electrode and a second electrode sufficient to oxidize a reduced mediator at the first electrode and in which the polarity of the first test voltage V 1 is opposite the polarity of the second test voltage V 2 ; measuring a first test current i 1 and a second test current i 2 that occur during the second test time interval T 2 , the second test current i 2 occurring after the first test current i 1 ; and determining whether the test strip has the defect using an equation based on the first test current i 1 and the second test current i 2 .