Integrated meter for analyzing biological samples

An analyte monitoring apparatus, comprising:

• a housing;
• a user interface coupled with the housing including one or more switches or a display or both;
• one or more integrated lancet and test strips contained in the housing that include both a lancet and an analyte test strip at different ends of the integrated lancet and test strip,
• wherein a longitudinal axis extends from the lancet end to the analyte test strip end of the integrated lancet and test strip, and wherein the test strip is flat and a lateral axis extends within a plane of the test strip and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
• a lancing and testing port defined in the housing for permitting the integrated lancet and test strip to contact a lancing site outside the housing;
• a set of mechanical components for loading an integrated lancet and test strip for a lancing and testing process, for advancing the integrated lancet and test strip for lancing through said port at a lancing site proximate to the port, for re-orienting the integrated lancet and test strip such that the integrated lancet and test strip is rotated about a line parallel to the lateral axis, and for advancing the integrated lancet and test strip for testing at said lancing site also through said port;
• and
• an analyzer for determining an analyte level of a body fluid applied to the test strip from the lancing site.