DIABETES SMARTPHONE

• US 20100222648A1
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GlucoTel Scientific Inc. (BodyTel Scientific, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GlucoTel Scientific Inc. (BodyTel Scientific, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tan, Siekmann
• Application Number:
  US12/294,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20100222648A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/085 combined with means for recording calibration data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The present invention is in the field of telemedicine systems and relates in particular to a system of improved operability. More particularly, it relates to a method and system for processing measured values being related to a human body, wherein a property of a human substance i.e. blood, urine, saliva, etc. is measured by a measuring instrument by sensing characteristic changes of a test device, e.g. a test strip as known from glucose measurements, wherein the changes are effected when having contact with the human substance, and wherein one or more electrical quantities, e.g., voltage, current, capacity, are obtained from the measurement. In order to render the calibration of test strips more reliable and comfortable it is proposed to remove most of input/output (I/O) capabilities and program tasks required for calibrating the meter device to respective test strips in use, away from the metering device and using instead the I/O capabilities like large display, explicit function keys and the CPU resources which are already present at the mobile communication device, or, alternatively, being present at a Web Server being connectable to the user system. A further inventional “autoselect” feature, wherein the correct calibrating information is automatically provided via wireless communication at the diabetic user may be exploited and combined with test strips having universal adapters to the electric interface in any proprietary glucose measurement device commercially available in the market. Thus, in emergency situations a valid measurement can be performed with basically non-compliant measuring equipment components of different vendors.

Claims

1. A method for processing measured values being related to a human body, in which method a property of a human substance is measured by a measuring instrument (30) sensing characteristic changes of a test device (41) effectuated when having contact with said human substance, wherein one or more electrical quantities are obtained from said measurement, which are converted into digital measured values,

characterized by the steps of:

a) receiving at an electronic communication device (20) an ID of calibrating information for the test device (41) used during the measurement,

b) providing a selection interface (24A, 24B) remote from the measurement instrument (30) in said separate electronic communication device (20) communicating with said measuring instrument (30) for selecting a particular calibrating information (22D) out of a plurality of pre-stored test device specific calibrating information (22A, . . . 22E), by using said received calibrating information,

in order to at least prepare the calibration of said values remote from said measuring instrument (30),

c) sending said selected information (22D) to said measuring instrument (30) in order to calibrate the measured values at said measuring instrument (30).

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said communication device (20) is a personal digital assistant (PDA) device (20), further comprising the step of:

using software and hardware means of said PDA device (20) as said selection interface (24A, 24B) for selecting the test device specific calibrating information.

5. The method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said separate communication device (20) further comprises mobile phone functionality.

6. The method according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein from said measured values a physiological value of the group of:

a) blood glucose or

b) urine glucose

c) adipose,

d) gout,

e) blood pressure,

f) pulse

is derived.

7. The method according to claim 6, alternative a) wherein said calibrating information (22A, . . . 22E) comprises a plurality of different characteristic curve data corresponding to a respective plurality of different glucose test strips (41).

18. A computer program (21) for execution in a portable data processing system (20) comprising computer program code portions for performing steps a), b) and c) of the method according to claim 1, 2, or 3,

when said computer program code portions are executed.

19. A computer program product (21) for execution in a portable data processing system (20) comprising computer program code portions for performing steps a), b) and c) of the method according to claim 1, 2, or 3,

when said computer program code portions are executed.

2. A method for processing measured values being related to a human body, in which method a property of a human substance is measured by a measuring instrument (30) sensing characteristic changes of a test device (41) effectuated when having contact with said human substance, and wherein one or more electrical quantities are obtained from said measurement, which are converted into digital measured values,

characterized by the steps of:

a) receiving at an electronic communication device (20) one or more measured values from said measuring instrument (30),

b) providing a selection interface (24A, 24B) at said electronic communication device (20) for selecting a particular calibrating information (22D) out of a plurality of pre-stored test device specific calibrating information (22A, . . . 22E),

c) transforming said one or more measured values into a calibrated value by a calculation performed at said communication device (20) under inclusion of said selected calibrating information (22D).

8. The method according to the preceding claim 2 or 3, further comprising the step of:

outputting (578, 580) said calibrated value with an audio output (13)/and or display means (14) provided at said separate electronic communication device (20).

9. The method according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising the step of:

forwarding said calibrated value to said measuring instrument (30) for being output with a display means (35) provided at said measuring instrument (30).

3. A method for processing measured values being related to a human body, in which method a property of a human substance is measured by a measuring instrument (30) sensing characteristic changes of a test device (41) effectuated when having contact with said human substance, and wherein one or more electrical quantities are obtained from said measurement, which are converted into digital measured values,

characterized by the steps of:

a) receiving at an electronic communication device (20) one or more measured values from said measuring instrument (30),

b) forwarding said measured values and an ID of said test device (41) used for the measurement to a predetermined remote Calibration Server system (48) usable for performing the calibration of said measured values, and

c) receiving a calibrated value from said Server system.

10. A communication device (20) implementing:

a) a wireless near area connectivity unit (15) to a communication partner device (30) usable as a measuring instrument (30) for measuring a property of a human substance and sensing characteristic changes of a test device (41) effectuated when having contact with said human substance, and wherein one or more electrical quantities are obtained from said measurement, which are converted into digital measured values,

characterized by

a functional program component (21) performing the steps of;

b) providing a selection interface (24A, 24B) for selecting a particular calibrating information (22D) out of a plurality of pre-stored test device specific calibrating information (22A, . . . 22E), in order to at least prepare the calibration of said measured values,

c) sending said selected information (22D) to said measuring instrument (30) in order to calibrate the measured values at said measuring instrument.

11. A communication device (20) implementing:

a) a wireless near area connectivity unit (15) to a communication partner device (30) usable as a measuring instrument (30) for measuring a property of a human substance and sensing characteristic changes of a test device (41) effectuated when having contact with said human substance, and wherein one or more electrical quantities are obtained from said measurement, which are converted into digital measured values,

characterized by

a functional program component (21) performing the steps of;

b) receiving at said electronic communication device (20) one or more of said measured values from said measuring instrument (30),

c) providing a selection interface (24A, 24B) at said electronic communication device (20) for selecting a particular calibrating information (22D) out of a plurality of pre-stored test device specific calibrating information (22A, . . . 22E),

d) transforming said one or more measured values into a calibrated value by a calculation performed at said communication device (20) under inclusion of said selected calibration information (22D).

13. The communication device (20) according to the preceding claim 11 or 12, comprising a separate control for starting an automatic calibration procedure.

12. A communication device (20) implementing:

a) a wireless near area connectivity unit (15) to a communication partner device (30) usable as a measuring instrument (30) for measuring a property of a human substance and sensing characteristic changes of a test device (41) effectuated when having contact with said human substance, and wherein one or more electrical quantities are obtained from said measurement, which are converted into digital measured values,

b) a wireless wide area connectivity unit (16),

characterized by

a functional program component (21) performing the steps of;

c) receiving at said electronic communication device (20) one or more of said measured values from said measuring instrument (30),

d) forwarding said measured values and an ID of said test device (41) used for the measurement to a predetermined remote Calibration Server system (48) usable for performing the calibration of said measured values, and

e) receiving a calibrated value from said Server system (48).

14. A measuring device (30) for measuring a property of a human substance and sensing characteristic changes of a test device (41) effectuated when having contact with said human substance, wherein one or more electrical quantities are obtained from said measurement, which are converted into digital measured values, said measuring device (30) implementing:

a) a wireless near area connectivity unit (31) to a communication partner device (20),

b) a function-reduced man-machine control interface without manual data input controls, and

c) program means (38) for automatically receiving calibrating information via its near area connectivity unit (31) for calibrating one or more measured values and outputting one or more calibrated values.

15. A measuring device (30) for measuring a property of a human substance and sensing characteristic changes of a test device (41) effectuated when having contact with said human substance, wherein one or more electrical quantities are obtained from said measurement, which are converted into digital measured values, said measuring device (30) implementing:

a) a wireless near area connectivity unit (31) to a communication partner device (20),

b) a function-reduced man-machine control interface without manual data input controls,

c) program means for initializing an automatic calibration of the measured values by automatically sending the measured values to a communication partner device (20), and

d) program means for receiving one or more calibrated values from said communication partner device (20),

e) output means (35, 36, 37) for outputting said one or more calibrated value.

16. A method for processing measured values being related to a human body, in which method a property of a human substance is measured by a measuring instrument (30) sensing characteristic changes of a test device (41) effectuated when having contact with said human substance, wherein one or more electrical quantities are obtained from said measurement, which are converted into digital measured values,

characterized by the step of:

a) automatically receiving calibrating information via a near area connectivity unit (31) for calibrating one or more measured values and

b) outputting one or more calibrated values.

20. A computer program for execution in a portable data processing system (30) comprising computer program code portions for performing either:

i) steps a) and b) of the method according to claim 16, or

ii) steps a), b) and c) of the method according to claim 17,

when said computer program code portions are executed.

21. A computer program product for execution in a portable measuring instrument (30) comprising computer program code portions for performing either:

i) steps a) and b) of the method according to claim 16, or

ii) steps a), b) and c) of the method according to claim 17,

when said computer program code portions are executed.

17. A method for processing measured values being related to a human body, in which method a property of a human substance is measured by a measuring instrument (30) sensing characteristic changes of a test device (41) effectuated when having contact with said human substance, wherein one or more electrical quantities are obtained from said measurement, which are converted into digital measured values,

characterized by the steps of:

a) initializing an automatic calibration of the measured values by automatically sending the measured values to a communication partner device (20), and

b) receiving one or more calibrated values from said communication partner device (20),

c) outputting said one or more calibrated value.