Test strips (e.g., biosensors) containing reagents are often used in assays for determining the analyte concentration in a fluid sample. The quantitative determination of analytes in body fluids is of great importance in the diagnoses and maintenance of certain physiological abnormalities. For example, lactate, cholesterol, and bilirubin should be monitored in certain individuals. In particular, determining glucose in body fluids is important to diabetic individuals who must frequently check the glucose level in their body fluids to regulate the glucose intake in their diets. Each test requires that a new test sensor be used, and thus, a number of test strips may be used in a single day. Cartridges that contain a number of test strips are used to allow users to carry multiple strips around within a single object. These cartridges may also be incorporated directly into a meter.
One of the difficulties in designing a meter or cartridge containing multiple test stripes in a compact housing (stacked like sticks of chewing gum in a package) is how to provide the desiccation required to prevent or inhibit strip deterioration. If the cartridge or meter itself is the primary container, the adequate resealing of the package once the first test strip is removed is a problem. If each test strip is individually foiled, the foil (a) may get in the way of strip handling and/or (b) make it more difficult to automatically move or discard the strip with a device.
One approach to individual test strip desiccation is to individually package the test strips as a continuous reel. This approach generates a lot of trash from the packaging that is fed back into the strip cartridge. This trash provides an increased likelihood of misfeeding the packaging scrap, thus, resulting in jams. This approach also mandates a larger package to accommodate the trash. Alternatively, another approach is to create separated individual compartments within the cartridge or meter. However, this approach does not provide for efficient stacking of test strips in a compact housing. Another approach is to foil the test strips with an individual desiccant. Typically, in this approach, the desiccant is outside of the test strip itself. Additionally, a lot of excess packaging (the foil) is required whose removal is difficult to integrate with an automatic strip feed system.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a system and method for desiccating a diagnostic test strip that addresses these issues.