Measurement support system and measurement support method

• US 20050123449A1
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Original Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Inventors: Kawatahara, Masanao, Kai, Akinori, Harada, Toshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,395,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/68.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A measurement support system includes a measurement device and a management device connected to the measurement device via a communications network. When the measurement device uses consumable materials such as reagents, the management device manages the stock of consumable materials, supplies the consumable materials, and corrects measured data in accordance with the state of the consumable materials. Thus, the measurement support system can reduce the burden on users of the measurement device. The reagents that are used in measurement by a personal measuring instrument (3) located at each of patients'"'"' homes (B, C, . . . ) are assigned a reagent ID number beforehand. This reagent ID number and measured data are transmitted to a host computer (1) of a medical institution (A). The host computer (1) determines the stock of reagents based on the consumable material identifier received from the personal measuring instrument (3) and ships the reagents to the patient'"'"'s home when the stock is running low. The host computer (1) also corrects the measured data in view of a calibration curve and degradation based on the production lot information of the reagents stored in correspondence with the reagent ID number.

Claims

1. A measurement support system comprising:

a measurement device; and

a management device connected to the measurement device via a communications network,

the management device supporting measurement performed by the measurement device,

wherein the measurement device uses consumable materials for measurement, and the consumable materials are assigned a consumable material identifier beforehand, which identifies the consumable materials,

wherein the measurement device comprises;

a recognition portion for recognizing the consumable material identifier of consumable materials to be used in measurement;

a measurement portion for performing measurement with the consumable materials;

a communication portion for communicating with the management device via the communications network; and

a control portion for controlling the communication portion to send measurement information to the management device, the measurement information including measured data obtained by the measurement portion after measurement and the consumable material identifier recognized by the recognition portion before the measurement, and

wherein the management device comprises;

a communication portion for communicating with the measurement device via the communications network;

a storage portion for storing as an initial value a quantity of consumable materials supplied to a user for each measurement device;

a stock determination portion for determining a stock of consumable materials kept by the user for each measurement device based on the initial value stored in the storage portion and a number of measurements performed by the measurement device after the initial value has been stored in the storage portion;

a supply portion for taking a procedure for supplying the consumable materials to the user of the measurement device; and

a control portion for controlling the stock determination portion to determine the stock of consumable materials of the measurement device based on the consumable material identifier that is extracted from the measurement information on each receipt of the measurement information from the measurement device and for controlling the supply portion to take the procedure when the stock is lower than a predetermined level.

2. The measurement support system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement information further includes a measurement device identifier that identifies the measurement device, and the management device updates the stock of consumable materials kept by the user of the measurement device based on the measurement device identifier and the consumable material identifier that are included in the measurement information received from the measurement device.

3. The measurement support system according to claim 1, wherein the management device is located in a medical institution.

4. The measurement support system according to claim 1, wherein the management device further comprises a data transfer portion that is connected to a data management system of a medical institution via the communications network and sends at least the measured data extracted from the measurement information to the data management system.

5-37. -37. (canceled)