Method of ensuring date and time on a test meter is accurate

• US 20080194934A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Lifescan Incorporated (Duv Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Matian, Greg, Ray, Pinaki, Kraft, Ulrich, Arndt, Carrie, Bailey, Eric, Taylor, David, Olson, Mark H., Freelen, Murphy
• Granted Patent: US 9,597,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/347
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0295 Strip shaped analyte sensors for apparatus classified in A61B5/145 or A61B5/157 disposable multilayered or laminated electrodes G01N27/307; details of handling chemical test elements G01N33/4875
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1477 non-invasive
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48792 Data management, e.g. communication with processing unit for in vivo diagnostics A61B5/0002; transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A method of operating a glucose test meter is provided. The method can be achieved by storing a plurality of glucose readings to a first memory of the test meter, each of the glucose readings having a time stamp and an order index, the time stamp comprising a date and a time when the glucose reading was performed, the order index indicating an order in which the plurality of glucose readings was saved to the first memory; determining whether successively saved glucose readings have time stamps in chronological order consistent with the order index; and indicating that the date and the time setting in the test meter is incorrect if there are successively saved glucose readings having time stamps inconsistent with the order index.

Claims

1. A method of operating a glucose test meter, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of glucose readings to a first memory of the test meter, each of the glucose readings having a time stamp and an order index, the time stamp comprising a date and a time when the glucose reading was performed, the order index indicating an order in which the plurality of glucose readings was saved to the first memory;

determining whether successively saved glucose readings have time stamps in chronological order consistent with the order index; and

indicating that the date and the time setting in the test meter is incorrect if there are successively saved glucose readings having time stamps inconsistent with the order index.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sorting the plurality of glucose concentrations based on the order index before determining whether successively saved glucose readings have time stamps in chronological order consistent with the order index.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a report having a plurality of glucose concentrations and time stamps on the second display if all successively saved glucose readings have time stamps consistent chronologically with the order index.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising

calculating a difference between a date and a time from a first clock in the test meter, and a date and a time from a second clock in the computer, and

providing a warning message indicating the date and the time in the first clock is incorrect, if the difference is greater than a pre-determined threshold.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising

displaying the date and the time from the first clock in the test meter on the second display;

and

displaying a date and a time from the second clock in the computer on the second display.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a communication of data between the computer and an external time reference source; and

synchronizing a first clock in the test meter to the external time reference source.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the external time reference source is a web site having an accurate time setting.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the external time reference source is an atomic clock.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically synchronize the first clock to the second clock every time the test meter is connected to the computer.

10. A method of operating a diabetes management system, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of glucose readings to a first memory of a test meter, each of the glucose readings having a time stamp and an order index, the time stamp comprising a date and a time when the glucose reading was performed, the order index indicating an order in which the plurality of glucose readings was saved to the first memory;

transferring the plurality of glucose readings from the first memory of the test meter to a second memory of a computer;

determining whether successively saved glucose readings have time stamps in chronological order consistent with the order index; and

indicating that the date and the time setting in the test meter is incorrect if there are successively saved glucose readings having time stamps inconsistent with the order index.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of

sorting the plurality of glucose concentrations based on the order index before determining whether successively saved glucose readings have time stamps consistent with a chronologically increasing order with respect to the order index.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising providing a report having a plurality of glucose concentrations and time stamps on the first display of the test meter if all successively saved glucose readings have time stamps consistent with a chronologically increasing order with respect to the order index.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying the time and the date on a splash screen when powering on the test meter.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying at least one icon to indicate an approximate time.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising continuously displaying the time and the date on the first display.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

providing a user an option of inputting a flag indicating a pre or post-prandial glucose measurement; and

displaying the time and the date on the first display of the test meter when inputting the flag.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising providing a message on a display of the test meter to check the date and the time setting in the test meter for accuracy at a pre-determined time interval programmed into the meter.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pre-determined time interval is every week.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the pre-determined time interval is every month.

20. The method of claim 10 further comprising providing a message on the first display to check the date and the time setting for accuracy on a day for switching to daylight savings time.

21. The method of claim 10 further comprising providing a message on the first display of the test meter to check the date and the time setting in the test meter for accuracy when a user performs a test at a time interval in which a user has an average historical testing frequency below a pre-determined threshold.

22. The method of claim 10 further comprising providing a message on a display of the test meter to check the date and the time setting in the test meter for accuracy when an amount of time has past between two successive glucose measurements and the amount of time is greater than a pre-determined threshold.

23. A glucose test meter comprising:

a housing;

a test strip port disposed on the housing and configured to provide electrical signals representative of a glucose concentration from a blood sample on a test strip;

a microprocessor coupled to the test strip port and a memory so that a plurality of glucose readings from respective blood samples are stored in the memory with each glucose reading having a time stamp and an index of the order in which the glucose reading is stored; and

a display controlled by the microprocessor so that a notification message is displayed when the plurality of glucose readings are inconsistent in chronological order with respect to the order index stored in the memory.

24. The glucose test meter of claim 23, further comprising user interface buttons disposed on the housing and coupled to the microprocessor.

25. The glucose test meter of claim 24, further comprising a communication interface configured to be connected to a computer so that one of a time and date information is provided to the microprocessor of the test meter.