HAND-HELD TEST METER WITH DISRUPTION AVOIDANCE CIRCUITRY

• US 20110296158A1
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LifeScan IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Elder, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• 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

Abstract

A hand-held test meter for use with an analytical test strip configured for the determination of an analyte in a bodily fluid sample includes a USB interface, a microcontroller block configured for boot strap loading (BSL) of data into the hand-held test meter via a serial signal and a circuit disruption avoidance block. The circuit disruption avoidance block includes a USB to serial bridge sub-block with (i) a USB input(s), (ii) a serial output(s) configured to provide a serial signal for BSL of data to the microcontroller block; and (iii) a plurality of general purpose input/outputs (GPIO). The circuit disruption avoidance block also includes a BSL enable gate/buffer sub-block. At least two of the GPIO are configured to provide BSL control signals to the microcontroller block via the BSL enable gate/buffer sub-block and the USB to serial bridge sub-block is configured to send the data to the microcontroller block via the at least one serial output.

Claims

1. A hand-held test meter for use with an analytical test strip in the determination of an analyte in a bodily fluid sample, the hand-held test meter comprising:

a universal serial bus (USB) interface;

a microcontroller block configured for boot strap loading (BSL) of data into the hand-held test meter via a serial signal; and

a circuit disruption avoidance block that includes at least;

a USB to serial bridge sub-block with

at least one USB input;

at least one serial output configured to provide a serial signal for BSL of data to the microcontroller block; and

a plurality of general purpose input/outputs (GPIO); and

a BSL enable gate/buffer sub-block;

wherein at least two of the GPIO are configured to provide BSL control signals to the microcontroller block via the BSL enable gate/buffer sub-block; and

wherein the USB to serial bridge sub-block is configured to send the data to the microcontroller block via the at least one serial output.

2. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 further including a USB power detection circuitry block in electrical communication with the USB interface and the microcontroller block, the USB power detection circuitry block configured to sense bus power entering the hand-held test meter over the USB interface.

3. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the circuit disruption avoidance block further includes a time delay sub-block, and

wherein at least one of the GPIO is in electrical communication with the time delay sub-block such that a time delay is imposed on the BSL enable gate/buffer

4. The hand-held test meter of claim 3 wherein the time delay sub-block is configured as a hardware filter.

5. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the at least two GPIO provide TCK and RESET control signals to the microcontroller block via the BSL enable gate/buffer sub-block.

6. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the USB to serial bridge sub-block is in the form of an integrated circuit.

7. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 further including a strip port connector.

8. The hand-held test meter of claim 7 wherein the test strip port connector is configured to interface with an electrochemical-based analytical test strip.

9. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the circuit disruption avoidance block is configured to prevent USB connection related spurious signals from disrupting the hand-held meter functionality.

10. The hand-held test meter of claim 1 wherein the at least two GPIO are configured to be driven by programming residing within the hand-held test meter and to be unaffected by standard serial communications from the USB interface.

11. A method for operating a hand-held test meter configured for the determination of an analyte in a bodily fluid sample, the method comprising:

establishing a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection between a hand-held test meter and a peripheral device; and

transferring data from the peripheral device to the hand-held test meter via the USB connection while employing a circuit disruption avoidance block of the hand-held test meter to prevent USB connection related spurious signals from disrupting hand-held test meter functionality.

12. The method of claim 11 further including:

determining, following the transferring of data, an analyte in a bodily fluid sample using the hand-held test meter while employing the circuit disruption avoidance block to prevent USB connection spurious signals from disrupting the determination of the analyte.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the peripheral device is a personal computer.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the data is operating software for the hand-held test meter.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the data is an update of operating software stored in the hand-held test meter.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein determining step includes determining an analyte in a bodily fluid sample applied to an analytical test strip.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the circuit disruption avoidance block includes at least:

a USB to serial bridge sub-block with

at least one USB input;

at least one serial output configured to provide a serial signal for BSL of data to the microcontroller block; and

a plurality of general purpose input/outputs (GPIO); and

a BSL enable gate/buffer sub-block;

wherein at least two of the GPIO are configured to provide BSL control signals to the microcontroller block via the BSL enable gate/buffer sub-block; and

wherein the USB to serial bridge sub-block is configured to send the data to the microcontroller block via the at least one serial output.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the circuit disruption avoidance block further includes a time delay sub-block, and

wherein at least one of GPIO is in electrical communication with the time delay sub-block such that a time delay is imposed on the BSL enable gate/buffer sub-block.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the time delay sub-block is configured as a hardware filter.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least two GPIO are configured to be driven by programming residing within the hand-held test meter and to be unaffected by standard serial communications from the USB interface.

21. A hand-held test meter in combination with a peripheral device, the hand-held meter comprising:

a hand-held test meter with;

a universal serial bus (USB) interface;

a microcontroller block configured for boot strap loading (BSL) of data into the hand-held test meter via a serial signal; and

a circuit disruption avoidance block that includes at least;

a USB to serial bridge sub-block with

at least one USB input;

at least one serial output configured to provide a serial signal for BSL of data to the microcontroller block; and

a plurality of general purpose input/outputs (GPIO); and

a BSL enable gate/buffer sub-block; and

a peripheral device,

wherein at least two of the GPIO are configured to provide BSL control signals to the microcontroller block via the BSL enable gate/buffer sub-block, and

wherein the USB to serial bridge sub-block is configured to send the data to the microcontroller block via the at least one serial output, and

wherein the peripheral device is interfaced to the hand-held test meter via a USB connection.

22. The hand-held test meter in combination with a peripheral device of claim 21 wherein the peripheral device is a personal computer.

23. The hand-held test meter in combination with a peripheral device of claim 21 wherein the circuit disruption avoidance block further includes a time delay sub-block, and

wherein at least one of the GPIO is in electrical communication with the time delay sub-block such that a time delay is imposed on the BSL enable gate/buffer sub-block.

24. The hand-held test meter in combination with a peripheral device of claim 23 wherein the time delay sub-block is configured as a hardware filter.

25. The hand-held test meter in combination with a peripheral device of claim 21 wherein the at least two GPIO provide TCK and RESET control signals to the microcontroller block via the BSL enable gate/buffer sub-block.

26. The hand-held test meter in combination with a peripheral device of claim 21 wherein the hand-held test meter further includes a strip port connector.

27. The hand-held test meter in combination with a peripheral device of claim 21 the test strip port connector is configured to interface with an electrochemical-based analytical test strip.

28. The hand-held test meter in combination with a peripheral device of claim 21 wherein the circuit disruption avoidance block is configured to prevent USB connection related spurious signals from disrupting the hand-held meter functionality.

29. The hand-held test meter in combination with a peripheral device of claim 21 wherein the at least two GPIO are configured to be driven by programming residing within the hand-held test meter and to be unaffected by standard serial communications from the USB interface.

30. The hand-held test meter in combination with a peripheral device of claim 21 wherein the hand-held test meter further includes a USB power detection circuitry block in electrical communication with the USB interface and the microcontroller block, the USB power detection circuitry block configured to sense bus power entering the hand-held test meter over the USB interface.