Methods of correcting for uncompensated resistances in the conductive elements of biosensors, as well as devices and systems incorporating the same

A method of electrochemically measuring concentration or presence of an analyte of interest in a body fluid sample, the method comprising the steps of:

• applying the body fluid sample to a biosensor, wherein the biosensor comprises:
• a non-conductive base supporting conductive elements of a working electrode in the biosensor;
• a number of conductive elements including at least one or more of a working electrode, a working electrode trace, a working electrode contact pad, a working electrode voltage-sensing trace, and a counter electrode;
• and
• a detection reagent contacting one or more of the conductive elements;
• wherein the conductive elements are arranged as a compensation loop and an uncompensated portion, the uncompensated portion further comprising an uncompensated connecting portion and an uncompensated active portion, wherein the uncompensated portions begin after connection of the working electrode voltage-sensing trace to the working electrode, and wherein each of the compensation loop, the uncompensated connecting portion and the uncompensated active portion is segmentable into a plurality of conductive squares;
• applying a potential difference to the biosensor;
• determining a sheet resistance for one or more conductive squares in the plurality of conductive squares based on a measurement of a resistance generated through the compensation loop in response to the potential difference and a predetermined first number of the plurality of conductive squares in the compensation loop;
• determining an uncompensated resistance for the working electrode based upon the sheet resistance of the one or more conductive squares and a predetermined second number of the plurality of conductive squares in the uncompensated portion;
• applying an electrical test sequence to the working electrode and the counter electrode of the biosensor and measuring response information thereto, wherein the electrical test sequence includes at least one AC component and at least one DC component;
• mathematically compensating or correcting impedance based upon the uncompensated resistance;
• and
• determining one or more analyte concentrations with the test meter using the response information to the test sequence and based upon DC component and the mathematically compensated or corrected impedance.

A method of increasing biosensor computation accuracy and reliability, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a biosensor, wherein the biosensor comprises:
• a non-conductive base supporting conductive elements of a working electrode in the biosensor;
• a number of conductive elements including at least one or more of a working electrode, a working electrode trace, a working electrode contact pad, a working electrode voltage-sensing trace, a working electrode voltage-sensing contact pad, and a counter electrode;
• and
• a detection reagent contacting one or more of the conductive elements,
• wherein the conductive elements are arranged as a compensation loop and an uncompensated portion, the uncompensated portion further comprising an uncompensated connecting portion and an uncompensated active portion, wherein the uncompensated portion begins after connection of any voltage-sensing trace to the working electrode, and wherein each of the compensation loop, the uncompensated connecting portion and the uncompensated active portion is further segmentable into a plurality of conductive squares;
• applying a potential difference to the biosensor;
• determining a sheet resistance for one or more conductive squares in the plurality of conductive squares based on a measurement of a resistance generated through the compensation loop in response to the potential difference and a predetermined first number of the plurality of conductive squares in the compensation loop;
• determining an uncompensated resistance for the working electrode based upon the sheet resistance for the one or more conductive squares and a predetermined second number of the number of conductive squares in the uncompensated portion;
• and
• mathematically compensating or correcting impedance by subtracting the uncompensated resistance from a real portion of a measured impedance.