1. An apparatus configured for receiving a test strip and for determining the concentration of at least one analyte in a physiological sample applied to the test strip, said apparatus comprising:
(a) at least one light source for irradiating a plurality of different areas of said test strip that has been operatively associated with said apparatus;
(b) a detector array for detecting reflected light from each of said plurality of different areas, respectively;
(c) means for determining whether each area of said plurality of different areas has a sufficient amount or sample based on said detected reflected light from each respective area; and
(d) means for determining the concentration of at least one analyte based on said reflected light detected from those areas determined to have a sufficient amount of sample, wherein areas determined not to have a sufficient amount of sample are not used in said analyte concentration determination.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one light source is capable of emitting light in the wavelength from about 400 nm to about 1000 nm.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said light source is capable of emitting light of at least two different wavelengths.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a first wavelength of light is about 660 nm and a second wavelength of light is about 940 nm.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein from about 4 to about 1,000 detectors comprise said detector array.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein about 1,000 detectors or more comprise said detector array.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising imaging optics for imaging reflected light from said plurality of areas onto respective detectors of said detector array.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for calibrating said apparatus.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining the total volume of sample applied to said test strip.
10. A kit for determining the concentration of an analyte in a physiological sample, said kit comprising:
(a) an apparatus according to claim 1; and
(b) instruction for using said apparatus for determining the concentration of at least one analyte in a physiological sample.
11. The kit according to claim 10, further comprising at least one test strip.
12. The kit according to claim 10, further comprising at least one of an element for obtaining sample and control solution.
13. A method for determining the concentration of at least one analyte in a physiological sample applied to a test strip, said method comprising:
(a) illuminating a plurality of different areas of said test strip having physiological sample applied thereto;
(b) obtaining a respective reflectance value from each area of said plurality of different areas;
(c) determining whether each area of said plurality of different areas has a sufficient amount of sample based on said obtained respective reflectance value;
(d) deriving the concentration of said at least one analyte in said physiological sample from each of said plurality of different areas determined to have a sufficient amount of sample, wherein areas determined not to have a sufficient amount of sample are not used in said derivation.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said step of determining comprises determining the minimum reflectance value from amongst each of said obtained reflectance values and comparing each of said obtained reflectance values to said minimum reflectance value, whereby an area is determined to have a sufficient amount of sample if it produces said minimum reflectance value or produces a reflectance value that is substantially the same as said minimum reflectance value.
15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said step of determining comprises determining a drop in reflectance for each of said plurality of areas from a time prior to sample application to a time after sample application and comparing said drop in reflectance to a predetermined drop in reflectance value, whereby an area is determined to have a sufficient amount of sample if is produces a drop in reflectance equal to or greater than said predetermined drop in reflectance value.
16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising determining if all areas adjacent an area determined to have said drop in reflectance equal to or greater than said predetermined drop in reflectance value also have a minimum drop in reflectance.
17. The method according to claim 13, wherein said step of determining comprises determining whether each of said obtained reflectance values is substantially the same as a predetermined reflectance value and at least one of: (a) determining the minimum reflectance value from amongst each of said obtained reflectance values and comparing each of said obtained reflectance values to said minimum reflectance value, (b) determining a drop in reflectance from a time prior to sample application to a time after sample application and comparing said drop in reflectance to a predetermined drop in reflectance value, and (c) determining if all areas adjacent an area determined to have said drop in reflectance equal to or greater than said predetermined drop in reflectance value also have a minimum drop in reflectance.
18. The method according to claim 13, wherein said step of obtaining comprises providing a detector array comprised of a plurality of detectors, wherein each detector of said detector array obtains said reflectance value from a respective area of said test strip.
19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising calibrating each of said detectors separately.
20. The method according to claim 13, further comprising determining the total volume of sample applied to said test strip.
21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said step of determining total sample volume comprises computing the number of areas on the test strip determined to have a sufficient amount of sample.
22. The method according to claim 13, wherein said physiological sample is blood.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A tilt meter for monitoring angle shift in an incident signal, comprising:
a resonator for transmitting or reflecting an incident signal that is introduced to the resonator as a plane wave, such that an incident angle exists between the plane wave and a plane normal to the resonator, the resonator further being capable of transmitting or reflecting the incident signal as a resonated signal;
a sensor for sensing the resonated signal; and
a processor connected with the sensor and configured to compare intensities of the incident signal and the resonated signal, and based upon the comparison, determine by how much the incident angle has changed.
2. A tilt meter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the change in the incident angle according to the following:
d
\u2062
\u2062
\u03b8
=
(
1
–
R
)
2
RT
2
\u2062
\u03bb
4
\u2062
\u03c0
\u2062
\u2062
n
\u2062
\u2062
l
\u2062
\u2062
sin
\u2061
(
\u03b4
)
\u2062
sin
\u2061
(
\u03b8
)
\u2062
dT
,
where T denotes signal transmission intensity, dT denotes a change in the signal transmission intensity between the incident signal and resonated signal, R denotes the fraction of the intensity reflected, r. denotes the vacuum wavelength of the incident wave, \u03b8 is the internal angle of incidence, n is the index of refraction, l is the distance between each of the parallel plates, and \u03b4 denotes a phase delay between two partial waves.
3. A tilt meter as set forth in claim 2, wherein the resonator is a Fabry-Perot etalon.
4. A tilt meter as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a signal transmitter for transmitting the incident signal to the resonator.
5. A tilt meter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the resonator is a Fabry-Perot etalon.
6. A tilt meter as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a signal transmitter for transmitting the incident signal to the resonator.
7. A method for monitoring angle shift in an incident signal, comprising acts of:
introducing an incident signal to a resonator as a plane wave such that an incident angle exists between the plane wave and a plane normal to the resonator, wherein the incident signal has an incident signal intensity and the incident signal is introduced to the resonator such that upon contact with the resonator, the incident signal becomes a resonated signal with a resonated signal intensity;
receiving the resonated signal;
measuring the difference between the incident signal intensity and the resonated signal intensity;
calculating a change in the incident angle based on the difference between the intensities; and
outputting a signal to provide the change in the incident angle.
8. A method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising an act of utilizing a processor to calculate the change in the incident angle according to the following:
d
\u2062
\u2062
\u03b8
=
(
1
–
R
)
2
RT
2
\u2062
\u03bb
4
\u2062
\u03c0
\u2062
\u2062
n
\u2062
\u2062
l
\u2062
\u2062
sin
\u2061
(
\u03b4
)
\u2062
sin
\u2061
(
\u03b8
)
\u2062
dT
,
where T denotes signal transmission intensity, dT denotes a change in the signal transmission intensity between the incident signal and resonated signal, R denotes the fraction of the intensity reflected, \u03bb denotes the vacuum wavelength of the incident wave, \u03b8 is the internal angle of incidence, n is the index of refraction, l is the distance between each of the parallel plates, and \u03b4 denotes a phase delay between two partial waves.
9. A method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising an act of utilizing a Fabry Perot etalon as the resonator.
10. A method as set forth in claim 9,further comprising an act of transmitting the incident signal to the resonator using a signal transmitter.
11. A method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising an act of utilizing a Fabry-Perot etalon as the resonator.
12. A method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising an act of transmitting the incident signal to the resonator using a signal transmitter.
13. A computer program product for monitoring angle shift in an incident signal, the computer program product comprising computer-readable instruction means encoded on a computer-readable medium that are executable by a computer for causing the computer to:
receive information corresponding to an incident signal intensity, the incident signal intensity being a signal intensity of an incident signal that is introduced to a resonator as a plane wave such that an incident angle exists between the plane wave and a plane normal to the resonator;
receive information corresponding to a resonated signal intensity, the resonated signal intensity being a signal intensity of resonated signal, where the incident signal is introduced to the resonator such that upon contact with the resonator, the incident signal becomes the resonated signal;
measure the difference between the incident signal intensity and the resonated signal intensity;
calculate a change in the incident angle based on the difference between the intensities; and
output a signal to provide the change in the incident angle.
14. A computer program product as set forth in claim 13, further comprising instruction means encoded on a computer-readable medium that are executable by a computer for causing the computer to calculate the change in the incident angle according to the following:
d
\u2062
\u2062
\u03b8
=
(
1
–
R
)
2
RT
2
\u2062
\u03bb
4
\u2062
\u03c0
\u2062
\u2062
n
\u2062
\u2062
l
\u2062
\u2062
sin
\u2061
(
\u03b4
)
\u2062
sin
\u2061
(
\u03b8
)
\u2062
dT
,
where T denotes signal transmission intensity, dT denotes a change in the signal transmission intensity between the incident signal and resonated signal, R denotes the fraction of the intensity reflected, \u03bb denotes the vacuum wavelength of the incident wave, \u03b8 is the internal angle of incidence, n is the index of refraction, l is the distance between each of the parallel plates, and \u03b4 denotes a phase delay between two partial waves.