Apparatus and method for using optical mouse engine to determine speed, direction, position of scanned device and to obtain quantitative or qualitative data from same

A test strip reader comprising:

• an optical sensor with an imaging array of pixels;
• a light source;
• a channel configured for receiving a test strip to be imaged by the test strip reader and for guiding the insertion and removal of the test strip with respect to the optical sensor, the test strip comprising optically detected information;
• a lens positioned with respect to the imaging array and the light source to focus light from the light source that has been reflected from the test strip onto the imaging array, the optical sensor being operable to determine change of direction data corresponding to the position of the test strip with respect to the optical sensor;
• and
• a processing device connected to the optical sensor for using the change of direction data to determine the position of the test strip with respect to the test strip reader, and for determining at least one of the optical absorptions of the information on the test strip, and diagnostic significance of the information on the test strip.