Medical monitoring/consumables tracking device

• US 8,034,294 B1
• Filed: 10/11/2004
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ideal Life, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ideal Life, Inc.
• Inventors: Goldberg, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): SIEFKE, SAMUEL P
• Application Number:
  US10/963,205
• Time in Patent Office: 2,556 Days
• Field of Search: 422/68.1, 422/99, 422/102, 422/104, 422/410, 422/500
• US Class Current: 422/68.1
• 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 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The present invention generally provides medical monitoring devices, and corresponding systems, that includes at least one sensor for detecting usage of at least one consumable, an electronic controller electrically connected to the sensor to receive a signal therefrom produced when consumable usage is detected, and an electronic memory electrically connected to the controller for storing consumable usage data thereon. The medical monitoring device may further include at least one sensor for determining one or more physiological parameter of a subject and a display device for displaying the physiological parameter. The medical monitoring device may also include a communications unit for communicating stored data, such as usage and physiological parameter data, over a communication network to a remote computer.

Claims

1. A medical monitoring device comprising:

a sensor which is configured to provide physiological parameter signals which relate both to (1) at least one physiological parameter of a subject being monitored and (2) consumption of at least one consumable which consumption the physiological parameter signals can indicate; and

an electronic controller and at least one a memory device, the controller being programmed to provide to the at least one memory device for storage therein at least temporarily physiological parameter data relating to the at least one physiological parameter and usage data related to consumption of the at least one consumable which are both based on the physiological parameter signals provided by the sensor.

2. The medical monitoring device of claim 1 comprising a display device which is configured to display data stored in the memory device provided by the at least one controller related to at least one of the at least one physiological parameter and usage data.

3. The medical monitoring device of claim 1, comprising the at least one consumable.

4. The medical monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a blood glucose sensor and the at least one consumable comprises a glucose test strip.

5. The medical monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to provide physiological parameter data related to at least one of:

blood glucose level, pH, Ketone, cholesterol, triglyceride, and electrolyte level.

6. The medical monitoring device of claim 1, comprising a communications unit which is configured to communicate data stored in the at least one memory device for receipt over a network by at least one computer.

7. The medical monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to compute a rate of consumable usage based at least on usage data stored in the at least one memory device and time.

10. A medical monitoring system comprising the medical monitoring device of claim 1 and at least one computer which communicate over a network, the monitoring device comprising a communications unit which is configured to communicate physiological parameter data stored in the at least one memory device relating to the at least one physiological parameter and usage data stored in the at least one memory related to consumption to the at least one computer over the network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computer is programmed to process usage data communicated thereto and determine a future allocation of the at least one consumable for the monitored subject.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one computer is programmed to determine the future allocation of the at least one consumable for the monitored subject based also on at least one of:

statistical analysis of the usage data communicated to the at least one computer; and

a previous allocation of the at least one consumable for the monitored subject.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one computer is programmed to reduce a future allocation based on usage data relating to consumption below at least one of an initial allocation and a previous allocation.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computer is programmed to determine whether consumption of the at least one consumable based on usage data is outside a value range, and if so to provide a message for communication to at least one of the monitored subject or an authorized party of the monitored subject indicating that consumption of the at least one consumable is outside of the value range.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one computer is programmed to receive a message from an authorized party and communicate the message to the monitored subject.

8. A system comprising a medical monitoring device and at least one remote computer which communicate over a network,

wherein the monitoring device comprises:

a sensor configured to provide physiological parameter signals which relate both to (1) at least one physiological parameter of a subject being monitored and (2) consumption of at least one consumable which consumption the physiological parameter signals can indicate;

an electronic controller and at least one a memory device, the controller being programmed to provide to the at least one memory device for storage therein at least temporarily physiological parameter data relating to the at least one physiological parameter and to consumption of the at least one consumable both based on the physiological parameter signals; and

a communications unit which is configured to transmit the physiological parameter data, from the at least one memory device, for receipt over the network by the at least one remote computer;

and wherein the at least one remote computer is programmed to provide usage data related to consumption of the at least one consumable based on the physiological parameter data transmitted from the monitoring device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor comprises a blood glucose sensor and the at least one consumable comprises a glucose test strip.

26. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one remote computer is programmed to process usage data and determine a future allocation of the at least one consumable for the monitored subject.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one remote computer is programmed to determine the future allocation of the at least one consumable for the monitored subject based also on at least one of:

statistical analysis of the usage data communicated to the at least one computer; and

a previous allocation of the at least one consumable for the monitored subject.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one remote computer is programmed to reduce a future allocation based on usage data relating to consumption below at least one of an initial allocation and a previous allocation.

29. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one remote computer is programmed to determine whether consumption of the at least one consumable based on usage data is outside a value range, and if so provide a message for communication to at least one of the monitored subject or an authorized party of the monitored subject indicating that consumption of the at least one consumable is outside of the value range.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the at least one remote computer is programmed to receive a message from an authorized party and communicate the message to the monitored subject.

16. A method for monitoring a subject comprising:

a sensor providing physiological parameter signals which relate both to (1) at least one physiological parameter of a subject being monitored and (2) consumption of at least one consumable which consumption the physiological parameter signals can indicate;

storing at least temporarily in a memory device physiological parameter data relating to the at least one physiological parameter and to consumption of the at least one consumable both based on the physiological parameter signals;

communicating physiological parameter data stored in the at least one memory device over a network to at least one computer; and

the at least one computer providing usage data related to consumption of the at least one consumable based on the physiological parameter data.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising displaying at least usage data relating to consumption of the at least one consumable on a display device.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising the at least one computer determining a usage rate of the at least one consumable based on at least usage data and providing an alert if the usage rate is outside of a predefined range.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising the at least one computer tracking consumption of the at least one consumable based at least on the usage data and automatically generating an order of the at least one consumable based on the tracking.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising the at least one computer automatically arranging payment for the order of the at least one consumable.

21. The method of claim 16, comprising the at least one computer processing usage data and determining a future allocation of the at least one consumable for the monitored subject.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one computer determines the future allocation of the at least one consumable for the monitored subject based also on at least one of:

statistical analysis of the usage data; and

a previous allocation of the at least one consumable for the monitored subject.

23. The method of claim 21, comprising the at least one computer reducing a future allocation based on usage data relating to consumption below at least one of an initial allocation and a previous allocation.

24. The method of claim 16, comprising the at least one computer determining whether consumption of the at least one consumable based on usage data is outside a value range, and if so providing a message for communication to at least one of the monitored subject or an authorized party of the monitored subject indicating that consumption of the at least one consumable is outside of the value range.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising the at least one computer receiving a message from an authorized party and communicating the message to the monitored subject.