Glucose monitor and test strip containers for use in same

United States Patent [w]

McAleer et al.

US005989917A [ii] Patent Number: 5,989,917 [45] Date of Patent: *Nov. 23,1999

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

3,770,382 11/1973 Carter et al 422/67

4,225,410 9/1980 Pace 204/195 R

4,303,887 12/1981 Hill et al 324/441

4,413,407 11/1983 Columbus 29/825

4,578,716 3/1986 Van Rijckevorsel et al 360/1

4,592,893 6/1986 Poppe et al 422/56

4,751,184 6/1988 Higo et al 435/287

4,852,025 7/1989 Herpichbohm 364/551.01

4,900,424 2/1990 Birth et al 204/409

4,963,245 10/1990 Weetall 204/403

5,000,180 3/1991 Kuypers et al 128/635

5,053,199 10/1991 Keiser et al 422/68.1

5,108,564 4/1992 Szuminsky et al 204/153.12

5,120,420 6/1992 Nankai et al 204/403

5,126,034 6/1992 Carter et al 204/403

5,264,106 11/1993 McAleer et al 204/403

5,277,870 1/1994 Fuller et al 422/82.05

5,281,395 1/1994 Markart et al 422/82.05

5,286,362 2/1994 Hoenes et al 204/403

5,288,636 2/1994 Pollmann et al 435/288

5,366,609 11/1994 White et al 204/403

5,437,999 8/1995 Diebold et al 435/288

5,489,414 2/1996 Schreiber et al 422/64

5,505,308 4/1996 Eikmeier et al 206/449

5,507,288 4/1996 Bocker et al 128/633

5,575,403 11/1996 Charlton et al 221/31

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

0170375 2/1986 European Pat. Off. .

0351892 1/1990 European Pat. Off. .

0359891 3/1990 European Pat. Off. .

0555654 8/1993 European Pat. Off. .

0567067 10/1993 European Pat. Off. .

677149 4/1991 Switzerland .

89/08713 9/1989 WIPO .

9410558 5/1994 WIPO .

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Book of DS199x Touch Memory Standard, Dallas Semiconductor 1990.

Primary Examiner—Long V. Le

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Oppedahl & Larson LLP

[57] ABSTRACT

A test meter of the type which receives a disposable test strip and a sample of bodily fluid from a patient and performs an electrochemical analysis of the amount of an analyte such as glucose in the sample includes a receptacle for receiving a container in which disposable test strips are provided, and a mechanism for reading information about the disposable test strips that is affixed to the container. For example, calibration values can be applied to the container in the form of a machine readable bar-code, a magnetic stripe, a memory chip or as a resonant wire loop. By automatically obtaining calibration values from the container in which the strips are provided, the chances of using the wrong calibration information are greatly reduced. The container may also contain information readable by the meter including the expiration date, and the number of test strips in the container.

36 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets