EMBEDDABLE MODULES FOR MEASURING BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS

• US 20100312082A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Batman, Carol, Moore, Steven Kent, Collins, Ricky Lee, Engelhardt, Timothy Peter, Ramey, Blaine Edward, Cadio, Michel, Brown, Michael L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,636,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/365
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0295 Strip shaped analyte sensors for apparatus classified in A61B5/145 or A61B5/157
• 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 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1495 Calibrating or testing of in-vivo probes

Abstract

An embeddable module for measuring a blood glucose level may be embedded in an external host and may comprise a host interface, a microcontroller, an ASIC, a temperature measuring element, and a measurement strip port. The host interface may permit electrical communication between the host and the microcontroller. The microcontroller and ASIC may communicate with each other and may work together to measure the blood glucose level of a blood sample. The measurement strip port may receive a removable measurement strip having the blood sample. The ASIC may communicate with the measurement strip port such that the ASIC may receive signals from the measurement strip port related to the blood glucose level of the blood sample. The temperature measuring element may be in electrical communication with the microcontroller and may measure the temperature of the module and transmit signals to the microcontroller related to the temperature of the module.

Claims

1. A blood glucose measurement module embeddable in an external host for measuring a blood glucose level of a blood sample provided on a disposable measurement strip, the module comprising:

host interface;

a microcontroller;

an ASIC;

a temperature measuring element; and

a measurement strip port, wherein;

the host interface is operable to permit electrical communication between the host and the microcontroller such that the module is operable to transmit a result of a blood glucose level measurement to the host,

the microcontroller is in electrical communication with the ASIC wherein the microcontroller and the ASIC are operable to measure the blood glucose level of the blood sample,

the measurement strip port is operable to receive the disposable measurement strip having the blood sample,

the ASIC is in electrical communication with the measurement strip port such that the ASIC is operable to receive signals from the measurement strip port related to the blood glucose level of the blood sample provided on the measurement strip, and

the temperature measuring element is in electrical communication with the microcontroller and is operable to measure the temperature of the module and transmit signals to the microcontroller related to the temperature of the module.

2. The blood glucose measurement module of claim 1 further comprising a code key wherein:

the code key is operable to be removably connected to the module;

the code key is operable to store calibration data for the measurement strip; and

the microcontroller is in electrical communication with the code key such that the microcontroller is operable to read the calibration data stored on the code key when the code key is connected to the module.

3. The blood glucose measurement module of claim 1 wherein the module is operable to request calibration data for the measurement strip from the host.

4. The blood glucose measurement module of claim 3 wherein the host is in electrical communication with a code key having calibration data for the measurement strip and is operable to communicate the calibration data to the microcontroller via the host interface.

5. The blood glucose measurement module of claim 3 wherein the host is operable to wirelessly retrieve the calibration data for the measurement strip and communicate the calibration data to the microcontroller via the host interface.

6. The blood glucose measurement module of claim 1 further comprising a non-volatile memory operable to store data relating to the operation of the module or calibration data for the measurement strip, wherein the non-volatile memory is in electrical communication with the microcontroller such that the microcontroller is operable to read data from and write data to the memory.

7. The blood glucose measurement module of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller comprises a non-volatile memory operable to store data relating to the operation of the module or calibration data for the measurement strip.

8. The blood glucose measurement module of claim 1 wherein the host interface is a wired serial interface, a wired parallel interface, or an infrared serial interface.

9. The blood glucose measurement module of claim 1 wherein the host is an insulin pump, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a PDA, or a music player.

10. The blood glucose measurement module of claim 1 wherein the temperature measuring element is a semiconductor sensor, a resistance thermal device (RTD), or a thermocouple.

11. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) module for measuring a blood glucose level of a blood sample provided on a disposable measurement strip, the module comprising:

a USB interface;

a microcontroller;

an ASIC;

a temperature measuring element; and

a measurement strip port, wherein;

the module is operable to be installed in a USB port of a host,

the USB interface is operable to permit electrical communication between the host and the microcontroller such that the module is operable to transmit a result of a blood glucose level measurement to the host,

the microcontroller is in electrical communication with the ASIC wherein the microcontroller and the ASIC are operable to measure the blood glucose level of the blood sample,

the measurement strip port is operable to receive a removable measurement strip having the blood sample,

the ASIC is in electrical communication with the measurement strip port such that the ASIC is operable to receive signals from the measurement strip port related to the blood glucose level of the blood sample, and

the temperature measuring element is in electrical communication with the microcontroller and is operable to measure the temperature of the module and transmit signals to the microcontroller related to the temperature of the module.

12. The USB module of claim 11 further comprising a code key wherein:

the code key is operable to be removably connected to the module;

the code key is operable to store calibration data for the measurement strip; and

the microcontroller is in electrical communication with the code key such that the microcontroller is operable to read the calibration data stored on the code key when the code key is connected to the module.

13. The USB module of claim 11 wherein the module is operable to request calibration data for the measurement strip from the host.

14. The USB module of claim 13 wherein the host is in electrical communication with a code key having calibration data for the measurement strip and is operable to communicate the calibration data to the microcontroller via the USB interface.

15. The USB module of claim 13 wherein the host is operable to wirelessly retrieve the calibration data for the measurement strip and communicate the calibration data to the microcontroller via the USB interface.

16. The USB module of claim 13 wherein the host is operable to retrieve the calibration data for the measurement strip from the internet and communicate the calibration data to the microcontroller via the USB interface.

17. The USB module of claim 11 further comprising a non-volatile memory operable to store data relating to the operation of the module or calibration data for the measurement strip, wherein the non-volatile memory is in electrical communication with the microcontroller such that the microcontroller is operable to read data from and write data to the memory.

18. The USB module of claim 11 wherein the microcontroller comprises a non-volatile memory operable to store data relating to the operation of the module or calibration data for the measurement strip.

19. The USB module of claim 11 wherein the host is a desktop personal computer or a laptop personal computer.

20. The USB module of claim 11 wherein the temperature measuring element is a semiconductor sensor, a resistance thermal device (RTD), or a thermocouple.

21. A method for a host device to take a blood glucose measurement of a blood sample provided on a disposable measurement strip, wherein the host device comprises an embeddable measurement module comprising a host interface, a microcontroller, an ASIC, a temperature measuring element, and a measurement strip port, the method comprising:

inserting the disposable measurement strip into the measurement strip port of the embeddable measurement module;

measuring the temperature with the temperature measuring element of the embeddable measurement module;

acquiring the blood glucose measurement of the blood sample provided on the disposable measurement strip with the ASIC and microcontroller, the ASIC and microcontroller taking into account the measured temperature; and

sending a result of the blood glucose measurement from the embeddable measurement module to the host device via the host interface.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the embeddable measurement module further comprises a code key operable to store calibration data related to the disposable measurement strip, and the method further comprises:

reading the calibration data from the code key; and

adjusting a result of the blood glucose measurement based on the calibration data.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the host device is in electrical communication with a code key having calibration data related to the disposable measurement strip, and the method further comprises:

reading the calibration data from the code key; and

adjusting a result of the blood glucose measurement based on the calibration data.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the host device is operable to wirelessly retrieve the calibration data related to the disposable measurement strip, and the method further comprises:

requesting the calibration data via the wireless means; and

adjusting a result of the blood glucose measurement based on the calibration data.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the embeddable measurement module further comprises a non-volatile memory operable to store data relating to the operation of the module or calibration data for the disposable measurement strip, and the method further comprises:

requesting the calibration data from the non-volatile memory, wherein the calibration data is related to the disposable measurement strip; and

adjusting a result of the blood glucose measurement based on the calibration data.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the microcontroller comprises a non-volatile memory operable to store data relating to the operation of the module or calibration data related to the disposable measurement strip, and the method further comprises:

requesting the calibration data from the non-volatile memory; and

adjusting a result of the blood glucose measurement based on the calibration data.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the sending a result of the blood glucose measurement from the embeddable measurement module to the host device via the host interface is performed via a wired serial interface, a wired parallel interface, or an infrared serial interface.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the host device is an insulin pump, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a PDA, or a music player.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the measuring of the temperature measuring element is performed via a semiconductor sensor, a resistance thermal device (RTD), or a thermocouple.