Patent ID: 7401111

Claim:
A method of configuring a hand-held instrument having on-board circuitry for determining the concentration of a medically significant component of a body fluid or a control and producing an electrical signal representative thereof, the method comprising providing a configuring computer having a first port for transmitting to the hand-held instrument for determining the concentration of the medically significant component of the body fluid or control at least one of instructions for configuring the hand-held instrument for determining the concentration of the medically significant component of the body fluid or control and data for configuring the hand-held instrument for determining the concentration of the medically significant component of the body fluid or control, providing on the instrument a second port for receiving from the configuring computer said at least one of instructions for configuring the hand-held instrument for determining the concentration of the medically significant component of the body fluid or control and data for configuring the hand-held instrument for determining the concentration of the medically significant component of the body fluid or control, connecting said first port directly to said second port, transmitting said one of instructions for configuring the hand-held instrument for determining the concentration of the medically significant component of the body fluid or control and data for configuring said instrument for determining the concentration of the medically significant component of the body fluid or control from said first port directly to said second port, receiving said one of instructions for configuring the hand-held instrument for determining the concentration of the medically significant component of the body fluid or control and data for configuring said instrument for determining the concentration of the medically significant component of the body fluid or control directly from said first port at said second port, and configuring said instrument according to said one of instructions for configuring the hand-held instrument for determining the concentration of the medically significant component of the body fluid or control and data for configuring said instrument for determining the concentration of the medically significant component of the body fluid or control transmitted from said first port and received at said second port.