Method and apparatus for determining an analyte concentration in a sample having interferents

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described that permit an analyte concentration to be estimated from a measurement in the presence of compounds that interfere with the measurement. The method reduces the error in the analyte concentration in the presence of interferents. The method includes the use of a set of measurements obtained for a large population having a range of known analyte and interfering compound concentrations. From a sample measurement, which may or may not be one of the population, likely present interferents are identified, and a calibration vector is calculated.

1 .- 51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . A method for estimating the concentration of an analyte in a sample from a measurement of the sample, said method comprising:
 identifying, based on said measurement, one or more possible interferents to the measurement of the analyte in the sample;   calculating a calibration which reduces error attributable to said one or more possible interferents;   applying the calibration to the measurement; and   estimating, based on the calibrated measurement, the analyte concentration in the sample.   
     
     
         53 . An apparatus for estimating the concentration of an analyte in a sample from a measurement of the sample, said apparatus comprising:
 means for identifying, based on said measurement, one or more possible interferents to the measurement of the analyte in the sample;   means for calculating a calibration which reduces error attributable to said one or more possible interferents;   means for applying the calibration to the measurement; and   means for estimating, based on the calibrated measurement, the analyte concentration in the sample.   
     
     
         54 . An analyte detection system configured to determine a concentration of an analyte in a sample, said system comprising:
 a sensor configured to collect information useful for making a measurement of an analyte in a sample;   a processor; and   software executable by said processor such that said system:   determines the presence in the sample of possible interferents to the measurement; and   determines a calibration that reduces errors in the measurement due to the presence of the determined possible interferents.