System and method for coding information on a biosensor test strip

1. A method for reading information on a test strip, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a test strip configured to receive a biological fluid sample and having a substrate with a top surface, a conductive layer formed on at least a portion of the substrate top surface and forming at least one electrode conductively coupled to a contact pad, and at least two separate and distinct contact pad positions defined upon the substrate top surface;

providing a test meter for measuring a concentration of an analyte of interest in the biological fluid sample on the test strip, the test meter having at least three connector contacts;

inserting the test strip into the test meter such that each one of the at least three connector contacts separately and distinctly contacts a respective one, and only one, of the contact pad and the at least two contact pad positions;

after the test strip is fully inserted into the meter, detecting with the test meter one or both of (i) the presence or absence of conductivity between the contact pad and each of the at least two contact pad positions, and (ii) the presence or absence of conductivity between each of the at least two contact pad positions and each of the other contact pad positions; and

assigning within the test meter a first binary bit to each detected presence of conductivity and a second binary bit to each detected absence of conductivity;

wherein the compilation of binary bits comprises a plurality of unique words encoded on the test strip.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two contact pad positions comprise at least seven contact pad positions and the at least three connector contacts comprise at least eight connector contacts.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unique words comprises up to 128 unique words.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two contact pad positions comprise at least twelve contact pad positions and the at least three connector contacts comprise at least thirteen connector contacts.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unique words comprises up to 1,024 unique words.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unique words relate to a lot ID for the test strip.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of unique words relate to one or more information selected from the group consisting of: lot ID for the test strip, instruction to activate or deactivate at least one feature programmed into the test meter, geographic market information, selection of display language for the meter, and designation of the test strip as part of a subscription business model.

8. A system, comprising:

a test strip configured to receive a biological fluid sample and having a substrate with a top surface, a conductive layer formed on at least a portion of the substrate top surface and forming at least one electrode conductively coupled to a contact pad, and at least two separate and distinct contact pad positions defined upon the substrate top surface;

a test meter configured and adapted to measure a concentration of an analyte of interest in the biological fluid sample on the test strip, the test meter having at least three connector contacts and being configured to receive the test strip such that each one of the at least three connector contacts separately and distinctly contacts a respective one, and only one, of the contact pad and the at least two contact pad positions;

the test meter being configured and adapted to detect, only after the test strip is fully inserted into the meter, one or both of (i) the presence or absence of conductivity between the contact pad and each of the at least two contact pad positions, and (ii) the presence or absence of conductivity between each of the at least two contact pad positions and each of the other contact pad positions;

the test meter being further configured and adapted to assign a first binary bit to each detected presence of conductivity and a second binary bit to each detected absence of conductivity;

wherein the compilation of binary bits assigned by the test meter comprises a plurality of unique words encoded on the test strip.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least two contact pad positions comprise at least seven contact pad positions and the at least three connector contacts comprise at least eight connector contacts.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of unique words comprises up to 128 unique words.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least two contact pad positions comprise at least twelve contact pad positions and the at least three connector contacts comprise at least thirteen connector contacts.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of unique words comprises up to 1,024 unique words.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of unique words relate to a lot ID for the test strip.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of unique words relate to one or more information selected from the group consisting of: lot ID for the test strip, instruction to activate or deactivate at least one feature programmed into the test meter, geographic market information, selection of display language for the meter, and designation of the test strip as part of a subscription business model.

15. The method of claim 1 in which said detecting comprises detecting, after the test strip is fully inserted into the meter, (i) the presence or absence of conductivity between the contact pad and each of the at least two contact pad positions.

16. The method of claim 1 in which said detecting comprises detecting, after the test strip is fully inserted into the meter, (ii) the presence or absence of conductivity between each of the at least two contact pad positions and each of the other contact pad positions.

17. The method of claim 1 in which said detecting comprises detecting, after the test strip is fully inserted into the meter, both (i) the presence or absence of conductivity between the contact pad and each of the at least two contact pad positions, and (ii) the presence or absence of conductivity between each of the at least two contact pad positions and each of the other contact pad positions.

18. The system of claim 8 in which the test meter is configured and adapted to detect, only after the test strip is fully inserted into the meter, (i) the presence or absence of conductivity between the contact pad and each of the at least two contact pad positions.

19. The system of claim 8 in which the test meter is configured and adapted to detect, only after the test strip is fully inserted into the meter, (ii) the presence or absence of conductivity between each of the at least two contact pad positions and each of the other contact pad positions.

20. The system of claim 8 in which the test meter is configured and adapted to detect, only after the test strip is fully inserted into the meter, both (i) the presence or absence of conductivity between the contact pad and each of the at least two contact pad positions, and (ii) the presence or absence of conductivity between each of the at least two contact pad positions and each of the other contact pad positions.