Patent ID: 8273295

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a compact housing including a blood glucose meter interface and a strip port coupled to the blood glucose meter interface, the strip port coupled to the housing to receive a glucose test strip; a display unit coupled to the housing to display information related to a blood glucose measurement based on a sample from the glucose test strip; an input unit disposed on the housing to provide one or more input functions; a processing unit controlling the information displayed on the display unit in response to at least one of the one or more input functions, the processing unit operating in a clock mode, a test mode, a configuration mode, a review mode or in one or more combinations thereof; a power source provided within the housing for providing power to the display unit and the processing unit; a data port coupled to the housing for data transfer to an external device under the control of the processing unit; and a memory unit storing instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to activate a light source to illuminate one or more of the display unit or the strip port, wherein when the light source is activated, the light source provides illumination for one or more of the display unit or the strip port at a reduced intensity during a first portion of an operation and at a full intensity during a second portion of the operation.