Calibration coded sensors and apparatus, systems and methods for reading same

• US 10,360,422 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2016
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ripley, Paul M., Wang, Xin, Parasnis, Narasinha, Chinnayelka, Swetha
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tardif, David
• Application Number:
  US15/182,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20160292474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 235469
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0614 the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06225 using wavelength selection, e.g. colour code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10712 Fixed beam scanning

Abstract

In some aspects, a colored coded analyte sensor is provided. The analyte sensor has a body and a plurality of machine-readable colored codes associated with the body. The colored codes may contain red, green, and blue hues, which are discernable into coded information. The coded information may include the analyte sensor model, analyte sensor calibration constant, expiration or manufacture date of the analyte sensor, analyte sensor counterfeiting codes, warnings, messages to the user, etc. Colored code reading systems, apparatus and methods for reading such color-coded information associated with the analyte sensor are provided, as are numerous other aspects.

Claims

1. A code reader apparatus adapted to read coded information associated with an analyte sensor, comprising:

a first light-producing component and a second light-producing component each adapted to provide white light, the first light-producing component and the second light-producing component oriented and approximately aligned in a transverse direction of the analyte sensor received in the code reader apparatus; and

a light-receiving component adapted to receive light components reflected from a colored code associated with the analyte sensor and to produce signals indicative of light components in the colored code.

2. The code reader apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light components include red, green, and blue light components.

3. The code reader apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light components are resolvable into intensity numbers indicative of hue amounts of a red hue, a green hue, and a blue hue.

4. The code reader apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first light-producing component comprises a white LED.

5. The code reader apparatus of claim 3 wherein the light-receiving component comprises a RGB color photodiode.

6. An analyte meter system, comprising:

a port adapted to receive an analyte sensor in a longitudinal direction of the analyte sensor, and

a colored code reader apparatus adapted to read a colored code associated with the analyte sensor, the colored code reader comprising;

a first light-producing component and a second light-producing component, the first light-producing component adapted to provide white light onto the colored code, the first light-producing component and the second light-producing component oriented and approximately aligned in a transverse direction of the analyte sensor received in the port;

a light-receiving component adapted to receive light components reflected from the colored code and to produce signals indicative of light components in the colored code; and

a processor adapted to receive the signals.

7. A method of providing information concerning an analyte sensor, comprising:

providing an analyte sensor having a plurality of colored codes associated therewith;

providing a colored code reader apparatus comprising a first light-producing component and a second light-producing component; and

machine reading the plurality of colored codes using the colored code reader apparatus, the first light-producing component and the second light-producing component oriented and approximately aligned in a transverse direction of the analyte sensor received in the colored code reader apparatus.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of machine reading further comprises:

projecting a white light onto the plurality of colored codes, and

receiving signals including information indicative of a red hue, a green hue, and a blue hue contained in each of the plurality of colored codes.

9. The method of claim 8 comprising projecting a red hue, green hue and blue hue onto each of the plurality of colored codes, and receiving at a processor signals indicative of a red hue, a green hue, and a blue hue contained in each of the plurality of colored codes.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

processing the plurality of colored codes to decode information contained in the plurality of colored codes; and

conveying to a user at least some of the decoded information.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a first colored code which includes a predefined hue of a first color which is a reference color, and

providing a second colored code which includes a predefined hue of the first color, and

wherein inclusion of the reference color in the first and second colored codes enhances color discrimination capability.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

reading with a colored code reading apparatus the first colored code which is the reference color to determine actual values, Ra, Ga, and Ba; and

determining model coefficients of a model based on the actual values, Ra, Ga, and Ba, for the first colored code and known values, Rk, Gk, and Bk, for the reference color.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the model is a linear model and the coefficients, bR, bG, and bB, are determined in accordance with the relationships:

bR=Ra/Rk,

bG=Ga/Gk, and

bB=Ba/Bk.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

reading with the colored code reading apparatus, the second colored code to determine actual values, Ra2, Ga2, and Ba2, for the second colored code; and

determining normalized values Rn2, Gn2, and Bn2 for the second colored code based upon the models that utilize the model coefficients.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

decoding information based upon the normalized values Rn2, Gn2, and Bn2 for the second colored code.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a first colored code which includes predefined values of R, G, and B such that at least one ratio from a ratio 1, a ratio 2, and a ratio 3 of the first colored code is substantially different than another of the ratio 1, ratio 2 and ratio 3 of the first colored code

wherein

ratio 1 is a ratio of R/G,

ratio 2 is a ratio of G/B, and

ratio 3 is a ratio of B/R.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a first colored code based upon at least two ratios from a ratio 1, a ratio 2, and a ratio 3 of the first colored code

wherein

ratio 1 is a ratio of R/G,

ratio 2 is a ratio of G/B, and

ratio 3 is a ratio of B/R.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least two ratios are different by an amount greater than about 5%.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least two ratios are different by an amount greater than about 10%.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein at least three ratios are different by an amount greater than about 5%.