BLOOD GLUCOSE METER AND BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVEL MEASUREMENT METHOD

• US 20120179017A1
• Filed: 08/04/2010
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Inventors: Satou, Hiroaki, Momoki, Hideyuki, Sakaike, Kouhei
• Granted Patent: US 8,585,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/365
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

An internal temperature sensor for measuring internal temperature of a case of the blood glucose meter is arranged inside the case of the blood glucose meter, and an external temperature sensor configured by components with low heat capacity and adapted for measuring external temperature is arranged at a position separated from the central portion of the case of the blood glucose meter. Further, a microcomputer of the blood glucose meter includes the following processing: judging whether or not the temperature fluctuation falls within the acceptable range based on the difference between the respective temperatures and, if the temperature fluctuation exceeds the acceptable range, temporarily stopping the processing until the temperature fluctuation falls within the acceptable range when in the case where the blood glucose measurement has not yet been performed, or stopping the blood glucose measurement processing when in the case where the blood glucose measurement is being performed.

Claims

1. A blood glucose meter comprising:

a blood glucose measuring section adapted to, in a state where a measuring tip is mounted, spot blood onto the measuring tip, and output a signal corresponding to the glucose level of the blood;

a tip mounting processing section adapted to confirm whether or not the measuring tip has been mounted on the blood glucose measuring section;

a blood spotting standby processing section adapted to confirm whether or not the blood has been spotted onto the measuring tip;

a measurement processing section adapted to obtain a blood glucose value based on the signal outputted from the blood glucose measuring section;

a case in which the tip mounting processing section, the blood spotting standby processing section and the measurement processing section are housed;

an internal temperature sensor disposed inside the case;

an external temperature sensor disposed in a peripheral portion of the case separated from the internal temperature sensor;

a temperature check processing section adapted to compare temperature difference between the internal temperature sensor and the external temperature sensor with a predetermined threshold to judge whether or not the change of the ambient temperature of the case is suitable for measuring blood glucose level; and

a controller adapted to temporarily stop, if the temperature check processing section judges that it is not suitable for measuring blood glucose level when the tip mounting processing section or the blood spotting standby processing section is in operation, the processing of the tip mounting processing section or the processing of the blood spotting standby processing section until the temperature check processing section judges that it is suitable for measuring blood glucose level.

2. The blood glucose meter according to claim 1,

wherein the blood glucose measuring section is arranged in a peripheral portion of the case, and

wherein the external temperature sensor is arranged in the blood glucose measuring section.

3. The blood glucose meter according to claim 1,

wherein the temperature check processing section judges, if the temperature difference is equal to or larger than a first threshold, that the change of the ambient temperature of the case is not suitable for measuring blood glucose level, and judges, if the temperature difference is equal to or smaller than a second threshold smaller than the first threshold, that the change of the ambient temperature of the case is suitable for measuring blood glucose level.

4. The blood glucose meter according to claim 1,

wherein the temperature check processing section judges, if the integrated value of the temperature fluctuation within a last first time is equal to or larger than a third threshold, that the change of the ambient temperature of the case is not suitable for measuring blood glucose level, and judges, if the integrated value of the temperature fluctuation within a last second time longer than the last first time is equal to or shorter than a fourth threshold smaller than the third threshold, that the change of the ambient temperature of the case is suitable for measuring blood glucose level.

5. The blood glucose meter according to claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to stop, if the temperature check processing section judges that it is not suitable for measuring blood glucose level when the measurement processing section is in operation, the processing of the measurement processing section.

6. A blood glucose measurement method comprising:

a tip mounting processing for confirming whether or not a measuring tip has been mounted on a blood glucose measuring section that is adapted to, in a state where the measuring tip is mounted, spot blood onto the measuring tip, and output a signal corresponding to glucose level of the blood;

a blood spotting standby processing for confirming, after the tip mounting processing, whether or not the blood has been spotted onto the measuring tip;

a measurement processing for obtaining, after the blood spotting standby processing, a blood glucose value based on the signal outputted from the blood glucose measuring section;

a temperature check processing for comparing, independent of the tip mounting processing, the blood spotting standby processing and the measurement processing, a temperature difference between an internal temperature sensor and an external temperature sensor with a predetermined threshold to judge whether or not the change of the ambient temperature of a case of the blood glucose meter is suitable for measuring blood glucose, and setting the judging result as a flag, wherein the internal temperature sensor is disposed inside the case, and the external temperature sensor is disposed in a peripheral portion of the case separated from the internal temperature sensor, and

a control processing invoked from the tip mounting processing and the blood spotting standby processing and adapted for temporarily stopping, if the flag shows that it is not suitable for measuring blood glucose level, the processing of the tip mounting processing or the processing of the blood spotting standby processing until the flag shows that it is suitable for measuring blood glucose level.