System and apparatus for determining ambient temperatures for a fluid analyte system

• US 10,168,227 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Wu, Mu
• Primary Examiner(s): Verbitsky, Gail Kaplan
• Application Number:
  US15/819,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20180087972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 702130, 422 8212
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/20 Compensating for effects of temperature changes other than those to be measured, e.g. changes in ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/42 Circuits effecting compensation of thermal inertia; Circuits for predicting the stationary value of a temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/427 Temperature calculation based on spatial modeling, e.g. spatial inter- or extrapolation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48785 Electrical and electronic details of measuring devices for physical analysis of liquid biological material not specific to a particular test method, e.g. user interface or power supply

Abstract

A system and method for rapidly determining ambient temperature in a fluid-analyte meter. The meter includes a housing defining an interior space and an area for receiving a fluid sample. A processor and a first temperature sensor are disposed within the interior space of said the housing. A second temperature sensor is disposed on the housing. One or more processors are configured to determine a first temperature value from temperature data received from the first temperature sensor. The processor(s) are also configured to apply a variable current to a temperature-adjustment source such that the second temperature sensor is adjusted to a predetermined steady-state temperature value different from the first temperature value. The processor(s) are further configured to determine an ambient temperature of an exterior space of the housing based on the applied variable current, pre-determined steady-state temperature, and received first temperature values.

Claims

1. A portable meter configured to rapidly determine ambient temperature, the portable meter comprising:

a housing defining an interior space and an area for receiving a fluid sample;

a first processing unit and a first temperature sensor disposed within said interior space of said housing; and

a second temperature sensor disposed on said housing; and

said first processing unit or another processing unit being configured to;

determine a first temperature value from temperature data received from said first temperature sensor,

apply a variable current to a temperature-adjustment source such that said second temperature sensor is adjusted to a predetermined steady-state temperature value different from said first temperature value, and

determine an ambient temperature of an exterior space of said housing based on said applied variable current, said pre-determined steady-state temperature value, and said received first temperature value.

2. The portable meter of claim 1, wherein said second temperature sensor and said temperature-adjustment source are a single element.

3. The portable meter of claim 2, wherein said second temperature sensor is an RTD sensor.

4. The portable meter of claim 1, wherein said second temperature sensor is embedded in an interior surface of said housing.

5. The portable meter of claim 1, wherein said second temperature sensor is embedded in an exterior surface of said housing.

6. The portable meter of claim 1, wherein said second temperature sensor is at least partially embedded in a heat conductive layer, said heat conductive layer being at least partially embedded in said housing.

7. The portable meter of claim 1, further comprising providing a printed circuit board disposed in said interior space of said housing, said first temperature sensor and said first processing unit being disposed on said printed circuit board.

8. The portable meter of claim 1, wherein said temperature-adjustment source is a heat source and said pre-determined steady-state temperature value is greater than said first temperature value.

9. The portable meter of claim 1, wherein said temperature-adjustment source is a thermoelectric cooler and said pre-determined steady-state temperature value is less than said first temperature value.

10. The portable meter of claim 1, wherein upon attaining said predetermined steady-state temperature value at said second temperature sensor, a heat flux from said second temperature sensor to said interior space of said housing is approximately constant.

11. The portable meter of claim 1, wherein said first processing unit or another processing unit is further configured to determine a total applied energy based on said applied variable current.

12. A method for rapidly determining ambient temperature in a fluid-analyte meter, the method comprising:

providing a portable meter including a housing defining an interior space and an area for receiving a fluid sample, a first temperature sensor disposed within said interior space of said housing, a second temperature sensor disposed on said housing, and a temperature-adjustment source disposed near said second temperature sensor;

determining a first temperature value from temperature data received via said first temperature sensor;

applying a variable current to said temperature-adjustment source such that said second temperature sensor is adjusted to a predetermined steady-state temperature value different from said first temperature value; and

determining an ambient temperature of an exterior space of said housing, said ambient temperature based on said applied variable current, said predetermined equilibrium temperature value, and said received first temperature value.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a printed circuit board disposed in said interior space of said housing, said first temperature sensor being disposed on said printed circuit board.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said second temperature sensor is embedded in an interior surface of said housing.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said second temperature sensor is embedded in an exterior surface of said housing.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said temperature-adjustment source is a heat source and said pre-determined equilibrium temperature value is greater than said first temperature value.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said temperature-adjustment source is a thermoelectric cooler and said equilibrium temperature value is less than said first temperature value.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein upon attaining said predetermined equilibrium temperature value at said second temperature sensor, a heat flux from said second temperature sensor to an interior space defined by said housing is approximately constant.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining a total applied energy based on said applied variable current.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein said second temperature sensor and said temperature-adjustment source are a single element comprising an RTD sensor.