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Glucose test strip

The measurement of the concentration of glucose in blood is of great importance not only to diabetic patients who must control their sugar intake, but also for the early detection and diagnosis of diabetes. To this end, methods for simply and conveniently measuring the concentration of glucose in blood have been developed. Many visual test devices have been developed for measuring the concentration of certain analytes in biological fluids. These devices have, for example, measured glucose, cholesterol, proteins, ketones, phenylalanine, or enzymes in blood, urine, or saliva. Among the devices that are in most widespread use today is the blood glucose monitor. Self-monitoring by the patient provides a means for frequent measurement of blood glucose. These measurements are important in a number of diabetic circumstances, including pregnancy, unstable diabetic conditions, propensities toward severe ketosis or hypoglycemia, an unexpected lack of the usual warning symptoms for hypoglycemia, the use of portable insulin infusion devices or multiple daily injections, and other particular circumstances. The fast and accurate determination of one's blood glucose level is crucial to those with diabetes, especially for individuals who are insulin dependent. Failure to monitor blood glucose levels frequently and adequately can lead to severe health problems, diabetic coma, and, in some cases, death. To accommodate a normal life style to the need for frequent monitoring of glucose levels, a number of glucose meters are now available which permit the individual to test the glucose level in a small amount of blood. The success of these devices, however, depends on the ability of the user to obtain a correct reading. The most prevalent form of self-monitoring employs a "test strip" and a photometer. A "test strip" is a substrate material that carries a reagent. The reagent is a chemical composition containing one or more chromophores that react chemically upon exposure to the analyte of interest, in this instance, glucose. When exposed to glucose present in blood plasma, the chromophores change color, with the degree of color change being a function of the glucose concentration.

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