SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS

• US 20120302853A1
• Filed: 05/15/2012
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bionime Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bionime Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Chieh-Hsing, Yeh, Chih-Lung
• Granted Patent: US 9,339,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/365
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0295 Strip shaped analyte sensors for apparatus classified in A61B5/145 or A61B5/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers

Abstract

A measuring method for measuring a physiological parameter via a measuring system comprising a test strip, an auxiliary measuring device and an electronic device having an application program and an analog-to digital converting unit is provided. The measuring method includes steps of coupling the auxiliary measuring device between the test strip and the electronic device to form a loop; the electronic device executing the application program to provide a first analog signal, and transferring the first analog signal to the auxiliary measuring device via the loop; the auxiliary measuring device applying a voltage to the test strip according to the first analog signal, and causing the test strip to generate a second analog signal; the analog-to-digital converting unit converting the second analog signal into a digital signal via the application program; and the application program calculating the digital signal to estimate the physiological parameter.

Claims

1. A measuring method for measuring a physiological parameter via a measuring system comprising a test strip, an auxiliary measuring device and an electronic device having an application program and an analog-to digital converting unit, comprising steps of:

coupling the auxiliary measuring device between the test strip and the electronic device to form a loop;

the electronic device executing the application program to provide a first analog signal, and transferring the first analog signal to the auxiliary measuring device via the loop;

the auxiliary measuring device applying a voltage to the test strip according to the first analog signal, and causing the test strip to generate a second analog signal;

the analog-to-digital converting unit converting the second analog signal into a digital signal via the application program; and

the application program calculating the digital signal to estimate the physiological parameter.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the auxiliary measuring device receives a power from the electronic device, the auxiliary measuring device converts the first analog signal into the voltage.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the auxiliary measuring device includes a battery, the auxiliary measuring device switches a first voltage mode to a second voltage mode in response to a third analog signal to cause the battery to provide the voltage.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter comprises at least one of physiological parameters associated with a blood sugar concentration and a cholesterol concentration.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first analog signal is an audio signal.

6. A measuring system for measuring a physiological parameter, comprising:

an auxiliary measuring device;

an application program; and

an analog-to-digital converting unit, wherein the application program indicates the analog-to-digital converting unit to convert an analog signal, which is from the auxiliary measuring device and associated with the physiological parameter, into a digital signal to obtain a measuring datum for the physiological parameter.

7. A measuring system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a sensing unit including:

a test strip sensing the physiological parameter in response to a voltage to generate the analog signal; and

the auxiliary measuring device coupled between the test strip and the analog-to-digital converting unit to form a loop, having a power source control unit for supplying the voltage, and sending the analog signal to the analog-to-digital converting unit via the loop.

8. A measuring system as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the auxiliary measuring device receives a power from an electronic device, the power source control unit is a signal converting unit for converting a first audio analog signal into the voltage.

9. A measuring system as claimed in claim 8, wherein when the auxiliary measuring device includes a battery, the power source control unit is a switch control unit for switching a first voltage mode to a second voltage mode in response to a second audio analog signal to cause the battery to provide the voltage.

10. A measuring system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an electronic device coupled to the auxiliary measuring device, and including:

a storing unit storing the digital signal, the application program and a correction datum;

a processing unit executing the application program to generate an audio digital signal, calculating the digital signal by using the application program and the correction datum to generate the measuring datum, storing the measuring datum in the storing unit by using the application program, and processing data transmitted from the analog-to-digital converting unit and the storing unit;

a display unit displaying the measuring datum for the physiological parameter;

the analog-to-digital converting unit; and

a digital-to-analog converting unit converting the audio digital signal into an audio analog signal.

11. A measuring system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the physiological parameter comprises at least one of physiological parameters associated with a blood sugar concentration and a cholesterol concentration.

12. A method for measuring a physiological parameter, comprising steps of:

providing an electronic device having an analog-to-digital converting unit and an application program;

generating an analog signal associated with the physiological parameter;

converting the analog signal into a digital signal by using the analog-to-digital converting unit, under an operation of the application program; and

measuring the physiological parameter according to the digital signal.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the physiological parameter comprises at least one of physiological parameters associated with a blood sugar concentration and a cholesterol concentration.