Linear, cartridge-based glucose measurement system

1. A test sensor container for use with an analyte measuring system, comprising:

a cartridge including a plurality of stacked individual compartments connected to one another in an accordion-style fashion, each individual compartment being collapsible from an expanded condition to a collapsed condition and dimensioned to hold a test sensor when in the expanded condition, each individual compartment further comprising two folding lines oriented diagonally relative to each other and a third folding line crossing the two folding lines at the same point;

at least one foil cover sealing the plurality of compartments; and

an ejection mechanism configured to break the at least one foil cover to open only one compartment at a time without opening the remaining compartments of the plurality of compartments.

2. The test sensor container according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one foil cover comprises a single foil cover.

3. The test sensor container according to claim 1 , further comprising a desiccant material inside each of the plurality of compartments.

4. The test sensor container according to claim 1 , wherein each individual compartment of the plurality of compartments is connected to a directly adjacent individual compartment of the plurality of compartments along a longitudinal axis.

5. The test sensor container according to claim 1 , wherein the test sensor container has a channel configured and dimensioned to receive the cartridge only when each compartment of the plurality of compartments is in the collapsed condition.

6. The test sensor container according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge further comprises a cartridge housing at one end.

7. The test sensor container according to claim 6 , wherein the cartridge housing comprises a rigid material and is configured to support at least some of the plurality of compartments.

8. The test sensor container according to claim 1 , wherein each individual compartment in the collapsed condition has a flattened configuration.

9. An analyte meter, comprising the test sensor container according to claim 1 , wherein each individual compartment of the plurality of compartments is adapted to move into the collapsed condition in successive order in response to removal of a test sensor therefrom.

10. An analyte meter, comprising:

the test sensor container of claim 1 contained in a housing having a bottom portion defining an internal cavity configured and dimensioned to hold the cartridge.

11. The analyte meter according to claim 10 , further comprising a top portion pivotally coupled to the bottom portion.

12. The analyte meter according to claim 10 , further comprising a top portion, the top portion having a first slot and the bottom portion having a second slot aligned with the first slot, the first and second slots forming a test sensor port configured to allow a test sensor to be ejected therefrom.

13. The analyte meter according to claim 10 , further comprising a display unit for displaying information relevant to an analyte measurement.

14. The analyte meter according to claim 10 , further comprising at least one button for ejecting a test sensor stored in the cartridge.

15. The analyte meter according to claim 10 , further comprising an indexing lever for displacing a plurality of test sensors stored in the cartridge.

16. The analyte meter according to claim 10 , wherein the cartridge includes 25 to 75 stacked individual compartments.