Abstract: A test meter and related method for monitoring the condition of a backlight battery of the meter in which the meter includes a housing, controller, display with backlight and a battery monitoring circuit. An off-time of the meter is measured and compared to a predetermined recovery time of the backlight battery. If the off-time of the meter is greater than the predetermined recovery time of the backlight battery, a voltage of the backlight battery is measured at a predetermined time after energizing the backlight and compared to a first predetermined voltage in excess of a threshold voltage of the backlight battery. If the measured voltage is less than the first predetermined voltage, the measured voltage is compared to a second predetermined voltage between the first predetermined voltage and the threshold voltage. A battery depletion warning is displayed if the measured voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage.

Abstract: A test meter and related method for monitoring the condition of a backlight battery of the meter in which the meter includes a housing, controller, display with backlight and a battery monitoring circuit. An off-time of the meter is measured and compared to a predetermined recovery time of the backlight battery. If the off-time of the meter is greater than the predetermined recovery time of the backlight battery, a voltage of the backlight battery is measured at a predetermined time after energizing the backlight and compared to a first predetermined voltage in excess of a threshold voltage of the backlight battery. If the measured voltage is less than the first predetermined voltage, the measured voltage is compared to a second predetermined voltage between the first predetermined voltage and the threshold voltage. A battery depletion warning is displayed if the measured voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage.

Abstract: A hand-held test meter for use with an electrochemical-based analytical test strip in the determination of an analyte (such as glucose) in a bodily fluid sample (for example, a whole blood sample) includes a housing, a micro-controller disposed in the housing, a test strip electrode to ground-reference switch circuit block disposed in the housing, a strip port connector configured for operational insertion of an electrochemical-based analytical test strip with an electrode (e.g., a reference electrode), and a ground-reference. In addition, the test strip electrode to ground-reference switch circuit block is configured to be in electrical communication with an electrode of an electrochemical-based analytical test strip inserted in the strip port connector.

Abstract: A hand-held test meter for use with an analytical test strip in the determination of an analyte (for example, glucose)in a bodily fluid sample (such as a whole blood sample)includes a housing, a display module with a display illumination sub-module, a micro-controller disposed in the housing and a display illumination adjustment circuit block. The display illumination adjustment circuit block has a photo-sensor configured to sense ambient light levels and output a photo-sensor signal, a photo-sensor amplifier configured to receive the photo-sensor signal and output an amplified photo-sensor signal, a transfer function sub-block, and an illumination sub-module driver. The illumination sub-module driver is configured to drive the display illumination sub-module to illuminate the display module based on an illumination sub-module driver input signal.

Abstract: An analyte meter having a test strip port is configured to detect whether an approved test strip has been inserted into the test strip port before turning on analyte measurement subsystems in the analyte meter. After the meter is turned on, control circuitry in the meter continues to monitor whether the test strip is removed prior to application of a blood sample on the test strip or whether the test strip is removed after application of a blood sample on the test strip, such as during an assay of the sample.