Method of making a diagnostic test strip having a coding system
View Patent ↗An auto-calibration system for diagnostic test strips is described for presenting data individually carried on each test strip readable by a diagnostic meter. The carried data may include an embedded code relating to data particular to that individual strip. The data is presented so as to be read by a meter associated with the diagnostic test strip in order to avoid manually inputting the information.
1. A method of making a test strip, said method comprising:
providing a sample chamber;
providing an electrically insulating base layer; and
providing a conductive pattern formed on the base layer including a plurality of electrodes, a plurality of electrical strip contacts, conductive traces electrically connecting the electrodes to at least some of the electrical strip contacts, and a distinct distal conductive region provided distal to the electrical strip contacts;
providing an electrically insulating material including a pattern of apertures; and
disposing the electrically insulating material over at least a portion of the distal conductive region such that the apertures expose a pattern of the underlying distal conductive region to at least partially form a distinct machine-readable code representative of data particular to the test strip.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the electrically insulating material comprises providing a PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) material.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of apertures are formed in the insulating material prior to disposing the electrically insulating material over at least a portion of the distal conductive region.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of apertures are formed in the insulating material through a punching process.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of apertures are formed in the insulating material through a laser ablation process.
6. A method of making a plurality of test strips, said method comprising:
forming a plurality of test strip structures on one sheet, each of said test strip structures including:
a sample chamber;
an electrically insulating base layer; and
a conductive pattern formed on said sheet including a plurality of electrodes, a plurality of electrical strip contacts, conductive traces electrically connecting the electrodes to at least some of the electrical strip contacts, and a distinct distal conductive region provided distal to the electrical strip contacts;
providing an electrically insulating material including a pattern of apertures;
disposing the electrically insulating material at least over a portion of the distal conductive region of each strip such that the apertures expose a pattern of the underlying distal conductive region on each strip to at least partially form a distinct machine-readable code representative of data particular to the test strip; and
separating said test strip structures into said plurality of test strips.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein providing the electrically insulating material comprises providing a PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) material.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pattern of apertures are formed in the insulating material prior to disposing the electrically insulating material over at least a portion of the distal conductive region.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pattern of apertures are formed in the insulating material through a punching process.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pattern of apertures are formed in the insulating material through a laser ablation process.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the electrically insulating material is disposed over the test strips as a continuous web of material.