Hand-held test meter with fluid ingress detection circuit

• Main Author: HAMER, MALCOLM D
• Format: Patent
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: 01.06.2017
• Subjects: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; TESTING

A hand-held test meter ("HHTM") for use with analytical test strip in the determination of an analyte in a bodily fluid sample includes a housing, a strip port connector disposed at least partially within the housing, a micro-controller disposed in the housing, a voltage supply disposed in the housing, a fluid ingress detection circuit block ("FRIDCB") disposed in the housing and includes a paired signal and ground trace, and a ground-reference. A portion of the signal trace and ground trace are separated by a predetermined distance. The signal trace is electrically connected to the voltage supply and to the micro-controller and the ground trace is electrically connected to the ground-reference. With no ingress fluid, the signal trace is electrically isolated from the ground trace. The FRIDCB generates an output signal to the micro-controller that is dependent on fluid ingress into the meter housing, thus providing for detection of fluid ingress.