Systems, devices, techniques and methods are disclosed for implementing an actuator mechanism of an analyte testing device. In one aspect, a method to test an analyte includes advancing an analyte sensor from a first position within a sensor cartridge of an analyte testing device to a second position that exposes at least a portion of the analyte sensor outside of the device, advancing a lancet projecting component from an initial position to a cocked position for a subsequent projection of a lancet, in which the advancing the analyte sensor and the advancing the lancet projecting component are initiated by a single operation, projecting the lancet to expose at least a portion of the lancet outside of the device, receiving a testing sample including an analyte at the exposed portion of the analyte sensor, processing the testing sample to determine a parameter of the analyte, and ejecting the analyte sensor from the device.