Abstract: A stack of test strips comprises individual test strips which are stacked over each other and carry a test field for examining a bodily fluid sample. Test strips lying one on top of the other are detachably adhesively bonded to each other so that the test strips can be individually removed from the stack, wherein the test fields are packed in chambers and adjacent test strips form the bottom and the lid of such a chamber. A method for producing such a stack of test strips is also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods of producing an analysis spreading layer for absorbing a liquid to be analyzed, by: supplying a porous membrane having a bottom, a top and a thickness D, the size of the pores of the membrane increasing over its thickness D; cutting the membrane at a predefined distance, the spreading layer being a sublayer with a thickness d less than the starting thickness D, the pores of the spreading layer having a fluid connection to one another in such a manner that it is permeable to a liquid. The membrane surface is formed by removing a sublayer of the membrane being the liquid outlet side of the spreading layer. The mean size of the pores on the liquid outlet side is at least 1 ?m.

Abstract: Methods and devices for analyzing body fluids, in particular for determining blood glucose. Body fluid is applied to a test element for single-use in a test device and the test element is optically coupled to a photometric measuring unit by means of an optical transmission system, wherein a time course of measuring values is recorded after the body fluid has been applied in order to detect a component of the body fluid on the test element. The transmission behavior of the optical transmission system may be controlled by recording measuring values at two different measurement wavelengths.

Abstract: An analytical system comprising a replaceable magazine (12) for providing a plurality of test units that react to an analyte and a measuring device (14) for processing the test units, wherein the magazine (12) is provided with a code (26) that can be registered by the measuring device (14). In order to enable the simplest possible coding, it is proposed that the code (26) comprises an unique magazine identifier (28) for the magazine (12) and that the measuring device (14) has a magazine-independent test counter (16) which registers the processing of a test unit and a counter memory (18) to store the magazine identifier (28) and a corresponding count of the test counter (16).

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for controlling a photometric measuring unit of a measuring device for a bodily fluid sample, wherein a test field partially wetted by a bodily fluid sample is illuminated and light from a measuring area that covers a portion of the test field of the measuring unit is fed to a detector of the measuring unit, and the measuring area is displaced relative to the test field toward a partial surface wetted by the fluid sample and past the partial surface. The intensity of a detector signal is detected during the displacement, an extreme value in the course of the detector signal is determined, the measuring area is brought back to the position in which an extreme detector signal was previously measured, and the position of the measuring area in which the detector signal is extreme is used for a photometric determination of concentration.

Abstract: An automatic apparatus for obtaining and analyzing a blood sample contains a supply of lancets and test strips, which are located alternately on a carrier band. A lancet or alternatively a test strip may be clamped on a holder, which is mounted so it is movable. The movement controller of the holder comprises a three-dimensional control curve and a guide element, which engages at different depths in the control curve as a function of its relative position. The control curve comprises two guide paths, which run on different parallel planes. The contour of the first guide path determines the movement path of the lancet and the contour of the second guide path determines the movement path of the test strip. The test strip executes a transverse offset perpendicular to the puncture axis of the lancet.

Abstract: The invention relates to a carrier tape which carries a plurality of consumable elements for a system for determining an analyte concentration of a human or animal bodily fluid and is folded into a stack. According to the invention, the consumable elements are disposed on the carrier tape in groups, wherein the distance between adjacent groups in the longitudinal direction of the carrier tape is greater than that between adjacent consumable elements within a group.

Abstract: An arrangement is provided for reading information from a disposable with an information carrier which comprises a code formed by graphic symbols for the machine-readable provision of information and an optical reading device for the code which has a light source and a sensor. Generally according to the embodiments of the present invention, the information carrier comprises a code applied to a transparent or translucent substrate which can be read under stationary transillumination by means of the light source as a shadow image projected onto the sensor.

Abstract: Lancing system comprising a needle and a lancing device The lancing device comprises a housing with a housing opening that is surrounded by a housing skin contact surface. A lancing depth reference element with a reference skin contact surface is adapted in such a manner that the reference skin contact surface at a reversal point of the lancing movement is in contact with the skin. The lancing depth is determined by the distance between the reference skin contact surface and the tip of the needle element at the reversal point of the lancing movement. The lancing depth reference element is in a stationary defined position relative to the reversal point of the lancing movement. The lancing depth reference element is adapted to stabilize the skin when pressed against the reference skin contact surface with respect to a skin deformation which occurs upon lancing of the skin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for heating and cooling an object in a controlled manner permitting a good thermal contact between the thermal block, the element for heating and cooling and the heat sink without the need for using a thermal interface material, an instrument comprising such a device and a method for conducting a thermal profile using the device.

Abstract: A diagnostic test tape for liquid samples is provided comprising a flexible transport tape and a plurality of test fields applied to the transport tape that are distributed in the longitudinal direction of the tape, where said test fields comprise a detection layer and a spreading net spanning the detection layer for a planar uptake of liquid sample, wherein the spreading net is formed from a lattice-like fabric comprising fabric threads that cross at right angles. In order to prevent the fabric from arching up under tape tension it is proposed that the fabric is oriented obliquely to the transport tape such that all fabric threads run obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the tape.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for collecting body fluids which has at least one lancet comprising a lancet body with at least two tips of different lengths. The device is characterized in that it has a selection means with the aid of which only one tip is selected before the lancing. This selection means can have different functions and shapes. The selection means is used to select a tip from a plurality of lancet tips which have different lengths and make only this tip available for use in the lancing process. Since the various tips are attached to a lancet body, it is, for example, possible to use a bending element which bends one of the various tips out of the plane of the lancet body in order to provide only one lancet tip for use. This is especially preferable for lancet tips that are arranged linearly relative to one another.

Abstract: A measuring system for determining blood glucose includes a photometric measuring unit with a light source and a detector, and an analytical test element, to which a body fluid sample can be applied, and which can be placed in a beam path between the light source and the detector for optical detection of an analyte. For an improved multi-wavelength measurement, it is proposed that the light source includes a first emitter that can be actuated in a first wavelength range to emit pulsating alternating light and a second emitter that can be excited in a second wavelength range to emit fluorescent light.

Abstract: A measuring system for determining blood glucose includes a photometric measuring unit with a light source and a detector, and an analytical test element, to which a body fluid sample can be applied, and which can be placed in a beam path between the light source and the detector for optical detection of an analyte. For an improved multi-wavelength measurement, it is proposed that the light source includes a first emitter that can be actuated in a first wavelength range to emit pulsating alternating light and a second emitter that can be excited in a second wavelength range to emit fluorescent light.

Abstract: Methods and devices for analyzing body fluids, in particular for determining blood glucose. Body fluid is applied to a test element for single-use in a test device and the test element is optically coupled to a photometric measuring unit by means of an optical transmission system, wherein a time course of measuring values is recorded after the body fluid has been applied in order to detect a component of the body fluid on the test element. The transmission behavior of the optical transmission system may be controlled by recording measuring values at two different measurement wavelengths.

Abstract: An introducing device for introduction of a medical device into a body is described which has a distal region with a tip region for generating an opening in the skin, and a segment region which comprises at least two sections which, in a rigid state, are essentially rigidly connected at least to one another and to the distal region and which are movable relative to one another in a flexible state. Furthermore, a system is described in which a sensor is integrated into the device for introduction into a body.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for controlling a photometric measuring unit of a measuring device for a bodily fluid sample, wherein a test field partially wetted by a bodily fluid sample is illuminated and light from a measuring area that covers a portion of the test field of the measuring unit is fed to a detector of the measuring unit, and the measuring area is displaced relative to the test field toward a partial surface wetted by the fluid sample and past the partial surface. The intensity of a detector signal is detected during the displacement, an extreme value in the course of the detector signal is determined, the measuring area is brought back to the position in which an extreme detector signal was previously measured, and the position of the measuring area in which the detector signal is extreme is used for a photometric determination of concentration.

Abstract: A stack of test strips comprises individual test strips which are stacked over each other and carry a test field for examining a bodily fluid sample. Test strips lying one on top of the other are detachably adhesively bonded to each other so that the test strips can be individually removed from the stack, wherein the test fields are packed in chambers and adjacent test strips form the bottom and the lid of such a chamber. A method for producing such a stack of test strips is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for manufacturing packaged lancets. The steps of the process include providing a tape comprising a plurality of lancets comprising a lancet tip and a lancet body, enveloping at least the lancet tip with at least one foil, whereby the at least one foil forms a first and a second portion that overlap at least partly, and sealing the at least one foil with a laser beam at least at the edges of the first and second portion of the overlapping foil.

Abstract: The present invention provides a puncturing system for withdrawing body fluid. The puncturing system comprises a disposable puncturing unit, which includes a needle element for piercing into skin and a puncturing depth reference element with a skin contact area. The system includes a puncturing instrument which has a puncturing drive, wherein the puncturing drive is coupled by a coupling mechanism to the puncturing unit for driving the needle element to a puncturing depth, the puncturing depth being determined by the distance in the piercing direction between the skin contact area and the position of the tip of the needle at a reversal point of the puncturing movement. The puncturing depth reference element is connected to the needle element such that the puncturing depth reference element moves with the needle element during at least part of the puncturing movement.