MONITORING DEVICE AND MONITORING METHOD

• US 20110174638A1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Original Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Inventors: Katsuki, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 8,923,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/792
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0271 Thermal or temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14503 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1473 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14865 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1491 Heated applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1495 Calibrating or testing of in-vivo probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6849 in combination with a needle set

Abstract

A monitoring device which measures numerical value information on a subject substance in a body fluid has an electrochemical sensor including a sensor unit for detecting the subject substance which is used in the way of being embedded subcutaneously and generating an electric signal correlating to the numerical value information on the subject substance, and a temperature control unit which adjusts the detected ambient temperature as a temperature ambient to a sensor unit when detecting the subject substance so as to reach a target setting temperature when measuring the subject substance.

Claims

1. A monitoring device which measures numerical value information on a subject substance in a body fluid, said device comprising:

an electrochemical sensor including a sensor unit for detecting the subject substance which is used in the way of being embedded subcutaneously and generating an electric signal correlating to the numerical value information on the subject substance; and

a temperature control unit including a temperature sensor which measures a temperature correlating to a detected ambient temperature defined as a temperature ambient to said sensor unit and a temperature adjusting element which adjusts the detected ambient temperature, and adjusting the detected ambient temperature so as to reach a target setting temperature when measuring the subject substance by controlling an operation state of said temperature adjusting element on the basis of the temperature measured by said temperature sensor.

2. A monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor control unit which controls said electrochemical sensor.

3. A monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein said sensor control unit further calculates numerical value information on the subject substance on the basis of an electric signal generated by said electrochemical sensor.

4. A monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein said temperature control unit adjusts the detected ambient temperature so as to reach a standby target setting temperature that is set lower than the target setting temperature when standing by for measuring the subject substance.

5. A monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein said temperature control unit acquires first numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance measured by use of said electrochemical sensor and second numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance measured by a second monitoring device in a way that uses a body fluid sampled in vitro from an examinee, and changes, if a difference between the first numerical value information and the second numerical value information exceeds a predetermined first threshold value, a setting value of the target setting temperature when measuring the subject substance.

6. A monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein said temperature control unit adjusts the detected ambient temperature so as to reach a standby target setting temperature set lower than the target setting temperature when standing by for measuring the subject substance, then acquires first numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance measured by use of said electrochemical sensor and second numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance measured by a second monitoring device in a way that uses the body fluid sampled in vitro from the examinee, and changes, if the difference between the first numerical value information and the second numerical value information exceeds a predetermined second threshold value, a setting value of the standby target setting temperature, on a low-temperature side, when standing by for measuring the subject substance.

7. A monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein said temperature control unit acquires, with respect to first numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance measured by use of said electrochemical sensor and second numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance measured by a second monitoring device in a way that uses the body fluid sampled in vitro from the examinee, each of the numerical value information corresponding to first timing after said monitoring device has started the measurement and the numerical value information corresponding to second timing that traces back to just a predetermined period from the first timing, and changes, if a difference between the second numerical value information at the first timing and the second numerical value information at the second timing is within a predetermined third threshold value and if a difference between the first numerical value information at the first timing and the first numerical value information at the second timing exceeds a predetermined fourth threshold value, a setting value of the target setting temperature when measuring the subject substance.

8. A monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein said temperature control unit acquires, with respect to first numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance measured by use of said electrochemical sensor and second numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance measured by a second monitoring device in a way that uses the body fluid sampled in vitro from the examinee, each of the numerical value information corresponding to first timing after said monitoring device has started the measurement and the numerical value information corresponding to second timing that traces back to just a predetermined period from the first timing, then adjusts the detected ambient temperature so as to reach a standby target setting temperature that is set lower than the target setting temperature when standing by for measuring the subject substance, and changes, if an elapse period reaching the first timing since the start of the measurement exceeds a predetermined reference period, a setting value of the standby target setting temperature, on the low-temperature side, when standing by for measuring the subject substance.

9. A monitoring method by which a monitoring device comprising an electrochemical sensor including a sensor unit, for detecting a subject substance in a body fluid, disposed in the way of being embedded subcutaneously, measures numerical value information on the subject substance, said method comprising:

a step of adjusting a detected ambient temperature defined as a temperature ambient to said sensor unit so as to reach a target setting temperature when measuring the subject substance.

10. A monitoring method according to claim 9, further comprising:

a temperature acquiring step of acquiring a measurement result of a temperature sensor which measures a temperature correlating to the detected ambient temperature defined as the temperature ambient to said sensor unit when measuring the subject substance;

a determining step of comparing the acquired temperature acquired in said temperature acquiring step with a target setting temperature and determining whether a temperature difference between the acquired temperature and the target setting temperature is within a specified range or not; and

a control step of controlling, when determining in said determining step that the temperature difference exceeds the specified range, an operation state of a temperature adjusting element for adjusting the detected ambient temperature so as to get approximate to the target setting temperature,

wherein the detected ambient temperature when detecting the subject substance is adjusted, and

said monitoring method further comprises a calculation step of calculating, when determining in said determining step that the temperature difference between the acquired temperature and the target setting temperature is within the specified range, numerical value information on the subject substance on the basis of an electric signal generated by said electrochemical sensor.

11. A monitoring method according to claim 10, wherein the detected ambient temperature is adjusted so as to reach a standby target setting temperature that is set lower than the target setting temperature when standing by for measuring the subject substance.

12. A monitoring method according to claim 10, wherein first numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance calculated in said calculation step and second numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance measured in a way that uses a body fluid sampled in vitro from an examinee are acquired, and, if a difference between the first numerical value information and the second numerical value information exceeds a predetermined first threshold value, a setting value of the target setting temperature when measuring the subject substance is changed.

13. A monitoring method according to claim 10, wherein the detected ambient temperature is adjusted so as to reach a standby target setting temperature set lower than the target setting temperature when standing by for measuring the subject substance,

then first numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance calculated in said calculation step and second numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance measured in a way that uses the body fluid sampled in vitro from the examinee are acquired, and

if the difference between the first numerical value information and the second numerical value information exceeds a predetermined second threshold value, a setting value of the standby target setting temperature when standing by for measuring the subject substance is changed on a low-temperature side.

14. A monitoring method according to claim 10, wherein with respect to first numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance calculated in said calculation step and second numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance measured in a way that uses the body fluid sampled in vitro from the examinee, there is acquired each of the numerical value information corresponding to first timing after said monitoring device has started the measurement and the numerical value information corresponding to second timing that traces back to just a predetermined period from the first timing, and

if a difference between the second numerical value information at the first timing and the second numerical value information at the second timing is within a predetermined third threshold value and if a difference between the first numerical value information at the first timing and the first numerical value information at the second timing exceeds a predetermined fourth threshold value, a setting value of the target setting temperature when measuring the subject substance is changed.

15. A monitoring method according to claim 10, wherein with respect to first numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance calculated in said calculation step and second numerical value information defined as the numerical value information on the subject substance measured in a way that uses the body fluid sampled in vitro from the examinee, there is acquired each of the numerical value information corresponding to first timing after said monitoring device has started the measurement and the numerical value information corresponding to second timing that traces back to just a predetermined period from the first timing,

then the detected ambient temperature is adjusted so as to reach a standby target setting temperature that is set lower than the target setting temperature when standing by for measuring the subject substance, and

if an elapse period reaching the first timing since the start of the measurement exceeds a predetermined reference period, a setting value of the standby target setting temperature when standing by for measuring the subject substance is changed on the low-temperature side.