Apparatus for providing power management in data communication systems

• US 8,273,295 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Andrews, Tae Wan, Bubrick, Stephen C., Estoesta, Sheilah S., Etter, Brad D., Park, Hyoung Yoon, Pon, Gene Ming, Reggiardo, Christopher V., Saravia, Heber
• Primary Examiner(s): SIEFKE, SAMUEL P
• Application Number:
  US12/625,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20100137698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 422/68.1, 422/500, 422/511, 422/520
• US Class Current: 422/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/54 involving glucose or galactose
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/24 Housings ; Casings for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48778 Containers specially adapted therefor, e.g. for dry storage
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48785 Electrical and electronic details of measuring devices for physical analysis of liquid biological material not specific to a particular test method, e.g. user interface or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/49 Blood chemical methods for determining blood cell populations G01N33/5094; chemical analysis of blood groups or blood types G01N33/80
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/66 involving blood sugars, e.g. galactose

Abstract

A blood glucose meter having a compact housing, a display unit disposed on the housing, the display unit including a display light source to illuminate the display unit, an input unit disposed on the housing, the input unit configured to provide input functions for the blood glucose meter, and a power source provided within the housing for providing power to the blood glucose meter, where the housing includes a port integrated on said housing configured to receive a blood glucose test strip, and corresponding methods of measuring blood glucose meter is provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a compact housing including a blood glucose meter interface and a strip port coupled to the blood glucose meter interface, the strip port coupled to the housing to receive a glucose test strip;

a display unit coupled to the housing to display information related to a blood glucose measurement based on a sample from the glucose test strip;

an input unit disposed on the housing to provide one or more input functions;

a processing unit controlling the information displayed on the display unit in response to at least one of the one or more input functions, the processing unit operating in a clock mode, a test mode, a configuration mode, a review mode or in one or more combinations thereof;

a power source provided within the housing for providing power to the display unit and the processing unit;

a data port coupled to the housing for data transfer to an external device under the control of the processing unit; and

a memory unit storing instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to activate a light source to illuminate one or more of the display unit or the strip port, wherein when the light source is activated, the light source provides illumination for one or more of the display unit or the strip port at a reduced intensity during a first portion of an operation and at a full intensity during a second portion of the operation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data port includes a universal serial bus (USB) port.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit includes one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touch sensitive screen, or a plasma display unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source provides one or more of a backlight function or a flashlight function.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source includes a light emitting diode (LED).

6. (Previously Previously) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source illuminates a blood sample acquisition site.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the blood sample acquisition site is located substantially on the surface of a patient'"'"'s skin.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the surface of the patient'"'"'s skin is positioned substantially at a predetermined angle from the direction of illumination from the light source.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the predetermined angle is less than 90 degrees.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the blood sample acquisition site is illuminated only during a sample acquisition process.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit illuminates upon detection of the glucose test strip insertion into the strip port.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display unit remains illuminated until the glucose test strip is removed from the strip port.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input unit includes an on/off switch.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit analyzes one or more analyte related data received from an in vivo analyte sensor.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data port operatively couples to the external device under the control of the processing unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the external device includes one or more of a server terminal, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an output unit coupled to the housing and operatively coupled to the processing unit to output an indication associated with one or more functions controlled at least in part by the processing unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an audible output unit coupled to the housing.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the audible output unit is operatively coupled to the processing unit to output one or more audible signals.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the audible output unit provides an alert associated with a predetermined event or a reminder.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the predetermined event or reminder includes a schedule associated with performing blood glucose measurement.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the audible output unit outputs an alarm indication having a predetermined audible characteristic.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the predetermined audible characteristic includes one or more of a timing of output of the alarm indication relative to a backlight function provided by the light source, a series of audible tones, or a predetermined schedule for outputting the alarm indication.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a memory unit operatively coupled to the processing unit, the memory unit storing the information related to the glucose measurements.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit displays time and/or date information during the clock mode.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit executes one or more routines related to blood glucose measurement during the test mode.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit executes one or more routines to select a user preference for one or more configurable parameters of the device during the configuration mode.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit provides stored glucose measurements for review during the review mode.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit exits one or more of the modes when a predetermined period of non-activity/idle time has elapsed.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit outputs data as one or more of number, text, symbol or one or more combinations thereof.

31. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data port includes one or more of an infrared data port, a Wi-Fi data port, or a Bluetooth protocol enabled data port.

32. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an RF receiver provided in the housing and configured to receive a plurality of signals associated with a monitored analyte level from an analyte sensor, wherein the display unit displays data associated with the monitored analyte level.

33. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit controls a level of light intensity of the display unit.

34. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reduced intensity is substantially 50% of the full intensity of illumination of the light source.