Device and method for in vitro determination of analyte concentrations within body fluids

A method for determining the concentration of an analyte in a biological fluid sample from a patient, the method comprising:

• emitting infrared electromagnetic radiation along an optical path;
• passing the electromagnetic radiation through a filter, wherein the electromagnetic radiation passing through the filter has at least one of the following wavelengths:
• about 5.25 μm, about 6.12 μm, about 7.4 μm, about 8.0 μm, about 8.45 μm, about 9.25 μm, about 10.4 μm, about 12.2 μm;
• drawing the biological fluid sample from the patient with a sample extractor;
• passing the biological fluid sample from the sample extractor through a sample supply passage of a sample element into a reagentless sample cell of the sample element;
• separating out at least one interfering component from the biological fluid sample to create a measurement portion and a non-measurement portion, the measurement portion substantially excluding the at least one interfering component;
• holding the measurement portion of the biological fluid sample in the sample cell such that the sample cell is located in the optical path;
• passing the infrared electromagnetic radiation through the sample cell and the measurement portion of the biological fluid sample;
• detecting the infrared electromagnetic radiation passed through the sample cell and the measurement portion;
• and
• calculating the concentration of the analyte based on the infrared electromagnetic radiation detected.

A method for determining the concentration of an analyte in a biological fluid sample from a patient, the method comprising:

• emitting infrared electromagnetic radiation along an optical path;
• providing the electromagnetic radiation such that it exhibits at least one wavelength indicative of the analyte;
• drawing the biological fluid sample from the patient;
• passing the biological fluid sample through a sample supply passage of a sample element into a reagentless sample cell of the sample element, wherein passing the biological fluid into a reagentless sample cell comprises separating the biological fluid into at least a first component and a second component;
• holding a biological fluid sample in the sample cell such that at least one of said first component and said second component is located in the optical path;
• passing the infrared electromagnetic radiation through the sample cell and at least one of said first component and said second component of the biological fluid sample;
• detecting the electromagnetic radiation passed through the sample cell and at least one of said first component and said second component;
• and
• calculating the concentration of the analyte based on the electromagnetic radiation detected.