Handheld Blood Glucose Monitoring Device With Messaging Capability

• US 20130112557A1
• Filed: 09/17/2012
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apex Biotechnology Corporation, Telcare, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Telcare, Inc.
• Inventors: Javitt, Jonathan C., Shen, Thomas Y.S., Chu, Ching-Yuan, Shen, Benjamin Cheng Yu, Dwyer, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,064,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/403.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0266 for monitoring or limiting apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/182 Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• 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 5/150793 Electrical or magnetic identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150854 long distance, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7465 Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3273 Devices therefor, e.g. test element readers, circuitry details not specific to biochemical electrodes G01N33/4875
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3274 Corrective measures, e.g. error detection, compensation for temperature or hematocrit, calibration coding of calibration information G01N33/48771
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers

Abstract

A patient monitoring network pertaining to blood glucose and other analyte measurements includes wireless blood glucose or other analyte measuring devices and a networked computer or server. Each monitoring device is associated with a patient and is configured to measure the glucose level or other analyte from a given blood sample via inserted test strips, transmit the measurements to the networked computer, and display received messages. The blood glucose monitoring device includes means for substantially reducing factors that could affect the glucose measurement such as thermal and RF interference.

Claims

1. A handheld blood glucose monitoring device comprising:

a glucose sensing subsystem configured to measure a blood glucose level in a blood sample;

a temperature sensor associated with the glucose sensing subsystem to provide a temperature measurement for use in the blood glucose measurements;

a radio transceiver subsystem configured to receive the blood glucose measurements from the glucose sensing subsystem, and to transmit the blood glucose measurements over a wireless communications link;

a display to display the blood glucose measurements from the glucose sensing subsystem; and

means for mitigating the effects of heat generated by the handheld blood glucose monitoring device on the temperature sensor.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising means for substantially reducing RF interference with the blood glucose measurement caused by the radio transceiver subsystem.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the means for substantially reducing RF interference comprises a shielding structure for isolating at least a portion of the glucose sensing subsystem from the radio transceiver subsystem.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the means for substantially reducing RF interference comprises substantially electrically isolating the glucose sensing subsystem from the radio transceiver subsystem.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the means for substantially reducing RF interference comprises means for deactivating RF emission during blood glucose measurement.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the mitigating means comprises a thermally segregated portion of a housing of the blood glucose monitoring system, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed in the thermally segregated portion.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the thermally segregated portion comprises a stalk extending outward from the housing.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the mitigating means comprises means for monitoring and controlling the amount of heat produced by one or more components within the handheld blood glucose monitoring device.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a test strip for receiving the blood sample, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed on the test strip, and wherein the mitigating means comprises means for providing electrical communication between the glucose sensing subsystem and the temperature sensor.

10. A handheld analyte monitoring device comprising:

an analyte sensing subsystem configured to measure an analyte from a patient;

a radio transceiver subsystem configured to receive analyte measurements from the analyte sensing subsystem and to transmit the analyte measurements over a wireless communications link; and

means for substantially reducing RF interference caused by the radio transceiver subsystem.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the handheld analyte monitoring device further comprises a display to display the analyte level from the analyte sensing subsystem.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the means for substantially reducing RF interference comprises a shielding structure to isolate at least a portion of the analyte sensing subsystem from the radio transceiver subsystem.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the means for substantially reducing RF interference comprises means for deactivating emission from the radio transceiver subsystem for the duration that an analyte is measured by the analyte sensing subsystem.

14. The device of claim 10, farther comprising means for mitigating the effects of heat generated by the device on a temperature sensor associated with the device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the mitigating means comprises a thermally segregated portion of a housing of the analyte sensing subsystem, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed in the thermally segregated portion.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the thermally segregated portion is a stalk extending outward from the housing.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the mitigating means comprises means for controlling the amount of heat produced by one or more components within the device.

18. The device of claim 14, further comprising a test strip for receiving the analyte, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed on the test strip, and wherein the mitigating means comprises means for providing electrical communication between the analyte sensing subsystem and the temperature sensor.

19. A glucose test strip for receiving a blood sample for blood glucose measurement, the test strip comprising:

a reservoir channel for receiving the sample;

one or more measurement electrodes disposed within the reservoir channel;

one or more contact electrodes arranged to provide electrical contact between the one or more measurement electrodes and a blood glucose meter; and

a temperature sensor disposed substantially at or near the one or more measurement electrodes.