some embodiments to assure the measurement accuracy and reliability for supporting a fast small volume test smaller samples in turn make blood testing easier and less uncomfortable this can mean a significant improvement in the standard of living especially for people who require regular blood testing such as diabetics smaller sample sizes with equivalent reliability are achieved through increased density of measurement electrodes recent improvements in laser ablation techniques for the manufacture of medical test strips have significantly increased the resolution and fineness of metallized contact pad and connector trace geometries on test strips while this innovation has enabled more contacts to be placed in a given area the resulting detailed and delicate structures are susceptible to abrasive damage as a result measurement reliability is threatened in order to preserve measurement reliability a less abrasive connection system and techniques minimizing test strip abrasion during insertion and extraction are needed embodiments of the present invention provide a significant improvement in this aspect of the art the present invention minimizes or eliminates abrasion of test strip contact pads formed of a thin layer of metal when the test strip is inserted into a test meter little or no damage to the test strip thin film surface by the connector nor to the connector contact wire by the test strip occurs in some embodiments of.