System and method responsive to an event detected at a glucose monitoring device

• US 8,803,688 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harry Halff, Lisa Halff
• Original Assignee: Larry Halff, Lisa Halff
• Inventors: Halff, Lisa, Halff, Hami, Abdul-Razzak, Huda, Tarver, Scott Aron, Yim, Michael, Sunaryo, Nicole Y
• Primary Examiner(s): Syed, Nabil
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUSHING, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US12/763,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20110163881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 434/236, 600/365, 604/890.1, 604/66
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• 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 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Embodiments include an apparatus responsive to an event detected at a glucose monitoring device. The apparatus includes circuitry to select an action to occur remote to the glucose monitoring device in response to the event. Embodiments include a response center responsive to an event at a glucose monitoring device to contact a person in response to the event.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an external sensor external to and positioned at a glucose monitor, the sensor generating a signal indicating an alarm condition detected by the glucose monitor, the sensor being an accelerometer detecting when the glucose monitor vibrates to indicate an alarm condition detected by the glucose monitor, the accelerometer further generating the sensor signal in response to detecting the vibration;

an alarm device responsive to the sensor signal to activate a first manifestation of an alarm, a type of the first manifestation of the alarm being at least one of a vibration, a sound, a visual manifestation, and an electronic communication, the alarm device automatically presenting a first cognitive reasoning skills test without third party intervention to a user of the glucose monitor in response to detecting the alarm condition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alarm device ceases the first manifestation of the alarm upon a user passing the first cognitive reasoning skills test.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alarm device presents a second cognitive reasoning skills test upon a user failing the first cognitive reasoning skills test.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first manifestation of the alarm is a first type, and a second manifestation of the alarm is a second type different from the first type, the second manifestation of the alarm being activated upon a user failing the first cognitive reasoning skills test.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cognitive reasoning skills test is selected at random.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alarm device is programmable by a user to select one of an order of cognitive reasoning skills test types to be presented, and an order of alarm types to be presented.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an alarm condition includes at least one of a low battery, a low insulin level of an insulin pump, a malfunction of the glucose monitor, and a malfunction of an insulin pump.

8. A method, comprising:

detecting a first alarm emanating from a glucose monitoring device, the detecting via a sensor positioned at the glucose monitoring device, the sensor producing a sensor signal in response to detecting the first alarm, the first alarm indicative of one of an adverse glucose level and an adverse glucose rate of change;

receiving the sensor signal at a device remote from the glucose monitoring device, the remote device emitting a second alarm in response to the sensor signal;

automatically presenting a first cognitive reasoning skills test in response to the sensor signal without third party intervention; and

automatically presenting a second cognitive reasoning skills test upon a user failing the first cognitive reasoning skills test.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sensor is external to the glucose monitoring device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving input from a user in response to the presenting of the cognitive reasoning skills test and automatically determining if the input satisfies the cognitive reasoning skills test without third party intervention.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising emitting from the remote device a third alarm different from the second alarm when the input fails to satisfy the cognitive reasoning skills test.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second alarm is an adjustable sound substantially louder than a sound made by the glucose monitoring device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the second alarm is a vibration substantially stronger than a vibration made by the glucose monitoring device.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium embodying machine-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform functions that include:

emitting a second alarm signal in response to a first alarm signal detected by a sensor positioned at and removable from a glucose monitoring device; and

automatically presenting a first cognitive reasoning skills test without human intervention in response to the first alarm signal; and

automatically evaluating a response of a user of the glucose monitoring device to the first cognitive reasoning skills test without third party intervention; and

wherein the second alarm signal is an adjustable sound substantially louder than a sound made by the glucose monitoring device.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the functions further include automatically presenting a second cognitive reasoning skills test without third party intervention in response to a user inputting a response that fails the first cognitive reasoning skills test.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

an external sensor external to and removably affixable to a glucose monitoring device, the sensor responsive, when positioned externally at the glucose monitoring device, to a first alarm emitted by the glucose monitoring device to produce a sensor signal, the first alarm indicative of one of an adverse glucose level and an adverse glucose rate of change; and

a secondary alarm device positionable remote to the glucose monitoring device and responsive to the sensor signal, the secondary alarm device emitting a second alarm, the secondary alarm device automatically presenting a first cognitive reasoning skills test to a user of the glucose monitor in response to detecting the alarm condition and automatically terminating the second alarm if the user passes the first cognitive reasoning skills test, and upon the user failing the first cognitive reasoning skills test, the secondary alarm device emitting a third alarm different in type from the second alarm.