Ketone measurement system capable of detecting and notifying a user of proper insertion of detachable components

• US 9,299,238 B1
• Filed: 07/23/2015
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invoy Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Invoy Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Ahmad, Lubna M., Ahmad, Salman A., Smith, Zachary
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US14/807,828
• Time in Patent Office: 250 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0087 Breath samples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/083 Measuring rate of metabolism by using breath test, e.g. measuring rate of oxygen consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/097 Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4975 : other than oxygen, carbon dioxide or alcohol, e.g. organic vapours
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/64 : involving ketones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 : Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 : Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 : Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 : Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 : Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 : for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Systems and related methods are provided for measuring a ketone in the fluid of a patient or other user. The systems include a portable measurement device for analyzing a plurality of fluid samples and for generating a corresponding plurality of ketone measurement results. The systems also include an electronic or communications device, for example, such as a cell phone or smartphone, configured to communicate with the measurement device. The system further includes a software application. The systems and related methods according to one aspect provide reminders, preferably interactive reminders that facilitate user compliance with a weight management or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) monitoring or prevention program. The systems and related methods according to another aspect incorporate ketone tags and/or trigger points to improve accuracy of results and to advance user compliance.

Claims

1. A breath analysis system, comprising:

a portable breath analysis device comprising;

a first presence sensor that senses when a breath bag is coupled to the portable breath analysis device;

a second presence sensor that senses when a cartridge for analyzing contents of the breath bag is coupled to the portable breath analysis device;

a wireless transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the first and second presence sensors and the wireless transceiver; and

a mobile application configured to run on a mobile device of a user, the mobile application comprising executable instructions that direct the mobile device to at least;

establish a wireless connection between the mobile device and the breath analysis device,

guide the user through a process of running at least a portion of a test in which the breath analysis device analyzes contents of the breath bag using the cartridge, wherein the processor of the breath analysis device is programmed to notify the mobile application, via the wireless connection, of states of the first and second presence sensors,

display on the mobile device a user interface that indicates to the user, based on the communicated states of the first and second presence sensors, whether a breath bag is coupled to the breath analysis device and whether a cartridge is coupled to the breath analysis device, and

prevent the user, via the user interface, from selecting an option to run the test in response to a determination that an order in which the breath bag and the cartridge are coupled to the breath analysis device relative to each other is incorrect.

2. The breath analysis system of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions further direct the mobile device to display an error message in response to the determination that the order is incorrect.

3. The breath analysis system of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions further direct the mobile device to:

enable the option to run the test in response to determining that the breath bag and the cartridge are coupled to the breath analysis device relative to each other in a correct order; and

subsequently, disable the option to run the test in response to a determination that a threshold amount of time has passed since the breath bag and cartridge were coupled in the correct order to the breath analysis device.

4. The breath analysis system of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions further direct the mobile device to at least provide the user, via the user interface, with the option to run the test in response to a determination that the breath bag and cartridge are coupled to the breath analysis device in a correct order.

5. The breath analysis system of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions further direct the mobile device to at least display, via the user interface, an indication of a sequence of steps to be performed before the test can be performed, together with an indication of which steps have been successfully completed, the sequence of steps including:

establishing a wireless connection between the mobile device and the breath analysis device;

coupling a cartridge to the breath analysis device; and

coupling a breath bag to the breath analysis device.

6. The breath analysis system of claim 1, wherein the first presence sensor senses when a mechanical placement of the breath bag causes a protrusion into a valve of the breath bag.

7. The breath analysis system of claim 1, wherein the second presence sensor senses when a mechanical placement of the cartridge causes a switch to be depressed.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a mobile application comprising executable program instructions that direct a mobile device of a user to at least:

establish a network connection with a portable bodily fluid measurement device;

monitor, via the network connection, respective statuses of at least first and second presence sensors of the portable bodily fluid measurement device, wherein the first presence sensor detects a presence of a first detachable component and the second presence sensor detects a presence of a second detachable component;

display, based on the monitored statuses of the first and second presence sensors, an indication of whether the first and second detachable components are present;

provide, via a user interface, an option for a user to initiate a ketone measurement, wherein the option is provided only when the first and second presence sensors detect the presence of the first and second detachable components, and only if a determination is made that, based on the first and second presence sensors, the first and second detachable components were attached to the portable bodily fluid measurement device in a correct order relative to each other; and

in response to user selection of the option, send a command via the network connection instructing the portable bodily fluid measurement device to initiate an ketone measurement process.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the executable program instructions further instruct the mobile device to determine, based on the monitored statuses of the first and second presence sensors, whether the first and second detachable components were coupled to the portable bodily fluid measurement device in the correct order.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the executable program instructions further instruct the mobile device to receive a ketone measurement resulting from the ketone measurement process, and to automatically transmit the ketone measurement to a server without further user interaction.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first presence sensor detects the presence of a detachable cartridge used to analyze a sample.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the second presence sensor senses whether a breath bag is coupled to the portable bodily fluid measurement device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the portable bodily fluid measurement device measures acetone in a breath sample.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the portable bodily fluid measurement device measures ketone in at least one of a blood sample or a urine sample.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first presence sensor senses when a mechanical placement of the first detachable component causes a change in a mechanical state of the first presence sensor.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, in combination with the portable bodily fluid measurement device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a mobile application configured to run on a mobile device of a user, the mobile application comprising executable program code that directs the mobile device to implement a process, the process comprising:

establishing a wireless connection with a portable breath analysis device, wherein the breath analysis device comprises a first presence sensor and a second presence sensor;

monitoring, via the wireless connection, a state of the first presence sensor, wherein the first presence sensor senses attachment of a first detachable component to the breath analysis device;

monitoring, via the wireless connection, a state of the second presence sensor, wherein the second presence sensor senses attachment of a second detachable component to the breath analysis device;

displaying on the mobile device a user interface that indicates the monitored states of the first and second presence sensors;

determining, based on the states of the first and second presence sensors, whether the first and second detachable components are attached to the breath analysis device in a proper order relative to each other; and

in response to determining that the first and second detachable components are attached to the breath analysis device in the proper order, providing an option, via the user interface, for the user to initiate a test in which the breath analysis device analyzes contents of the first detachable component.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the process further comprises:

determining a first time that the first detachable component is inserted; and

disabling the option for the user to initiate the test in response to a determination that a threshold period of time after the first time has passed.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the process further comprises displaying an error message in response to a determination that the first detachable component is improperly inserted into the breath analysis device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first presence sensor senses whether the first detachable component is fluidically coupled to the breath analysis device.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the process further comprises receiving an acetone measurement resulting from the test, and automatically transmitting the acetone measurement to a server without further user interaction.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, in combination with the portable breath analysis device.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a mobile application configured to run on a mobile device of a user, the mobile application comprising executable program code that directs the mobile device to implement a process that comprises:

establishing a wireless connection with a bodily fluid analysis device that comprises first and second presence sensors that detect the presence of first and second removable components, wherein the first removable component is configured to carry a bodily fluid sample to be analyzed, and the second removable component comprises a reactant used to analyze the sample;

determining, based on data signals received via the wireless connection from the bodily fluid analysis device reflective of states of the first and second presence sensors, whether an order in which the first and second removable components are coupled to the bodily fluid analysis device relative to each other is correct;

when a determination is made that said order is correct, providing, on a user interface of the mobile device, a user-selectable option to initiate a test in which the bodily fluid analysis device analyzes the bodily fluid sample; and

when a determination is made that said order is incorrect, displaying an error message via the user interface.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, in combination with the bodily fluid analysis device.