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Abstract

A method and apparatus for verifying the operating accuracy of an instrument (10) for detecting the concentration of a medically significant component of a body fluid. The instrument (10) operates by determining the remission of a reacted chemistry contained on a substrate (106) after the chemistry has reacted with the medically significant component of the body fluid. The instrument (10) includes a radiation source (182), a radiation detector (300) and a pathway (164) from the radiation source (182) to the chemistry (106) and from the chemistry (106) to the radiation detector (300) when the substrate (106) is properly inserted into the instrument (10). The remission of the chemistry (106) determines the radiation detected by the radiation detector (300). The method and apparatus include inserting into the instrument (10) a verification substrate (106) having a known remission, a mechanism for energizing the radiation source (182), detecting with a radiation detector (300) the remission from the verification substrate (106), and displaying on a display (76) associated with the instrument (10) an indication that the known remission was detected by the radiation detector (300).

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First Claim