MEDICAL DEVICE FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED USERS AND USERS NOT VISUALLY IMPAIRED

• US 20090286211A1
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Eisenhardt, Christoph, Voelkel, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US12/272,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20090286211A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/113
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays

Abstract

The present invention refers to a medical device for self testing and monitoring the concentration of analytes in a body fluid, or a blood parameter, or for the controlled administration of therapeutic agents, comprising a connectable, preferably pluggable Braille or Braille-like module for visually impaired users, so that both visually impaired users and users not visually impaired can read the data generated by the medical device and/or control the medical device.

Claims

1. System comprising a medical device and a tactile display module, wherein the medical device comprises:

an analytical test section or a drug administration section or both;

a visual display for users not visually impaired displaying data generated by the medical device and/or giving instructions for operating the medical device;

wherein the tactile display module is connected to, preferably plugged into the medical device; and

wherein the tactile display module can transmit data generated by the medical device and/or give instructions for operating the medical device to visually impaired users.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the tactile display module is a Braille module comprising a sheet display based on the Braille code or a Braille-like module comprising a sheet display for displaying contours of conventional signs, preferably language signs.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the sheet display comprises organic field-effect transistors and plastic actuators.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the tactile display module is connected to the medical device via a display interface.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the visual display is an e-paper display.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the tactile display module is disposed over the visual display.

9. Tactile display module for use in a system according to claim 1 wherein the display module is a Braille module comprising a sheet display based on the Braille code or a Braille-like module comprising a sheet display for displaying contours of conventional signs, preferably language signs

10. The tactile display module of claim 9 wherein the sheet display comprises organic field-effect transistors and plastic actuators.

7. Medical device comprising:

an analytical test section or a drug administration section or both;

a visual display for users not visually impaired displaying data generated by the medical device and/or giving instructions for operating the medical device; and

a display interface into which a tactile display module for visually impaired users transmitting data generated by the medical device and/or giving instructions for operating the medical device can be plugged.

8. The medical device of claim 7 wherein the visual display is an e-paper display.

11. Method of using the medical device of claim 7 characterized in that when the user needing the medical device is visually impaired a tactile display module is connected to, preferably plugged into the medical device so that both visually impaired users and users not visually impaired can read the data generated or instructions given by the medical device and/or control the medical device.

12. Use of the medical device according to claim 7 for self testing and monitoring the concentration of analytes in a body fluid, or a blood parameter, or for the controlled administration of therapeutic agents.