Automated analyte sensor ordering methods and apparatus

• US 9,436,924 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Farrell, John, Kokic, Mirza
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasaki, Shogo
• Application Number:
  US13/707,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20140161667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 700/266, 702/19, 702/22, 702/30, 702/31, 422/430, 422/68.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3272 Test elements therefor, i.e. disposable laminated substrates with electrodes, reagent and channels optical biosensors G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4875 Details of handling test elements, e.g. dispensing or storage, not specific to a particular test method test-elements per se B01L, automatic analysers G01N35/00, in-vivo analysis on the human body for medical diagnosis A61B
• 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: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus adapted to automate ordering of test strips for use in an analyte meter device are disclosed. The method, system and apparatus includes inputting information from an indicia on a package of test strips indicative of a quantity of test strips in the package; tracking a number of test strips used in the analyte meter device; and generating an automatic order for additional test strips based on a signal indicating that a reorder threshold has been reached. Numerous additional features and aspects are disclosed.

Claims

1. An automated analyte meter test strip ordering system, comprising:

an analyte meter device including a first processor with a first memory storing first instructions and a wireless communications facility, the first processor programmed to execute the first instructions to direct the first processor to use test strips to measure a characteristic of an analyte, to track a quantity of the test strips used, and to transmit information regarding the tracked quantity of the test strips used;

a package of test strips including a plurality of test strips and a machine-readable indicia on an exterior surface of the package, the indicia representative of at least an initial number of test strips in the package; and

a personal communications device, separate and distinct from the analyte meter device, the personal communications device including a second processor with a second memory storing second instructions, an indicia reading device, and a communications transceiver, the second processor programmed to execute the second instructions to direct the second processor to use the indicia reading device to read input information from the indicia on the package of test strips, to use the communications transceiver to communicate with the analyte meter device to receive the information regarding the tracked quantity of the test strips used, to determine when to order additional test strips based on the information received from the analyte meter device and the indicia on the package of test strips, and to use the communications transceiver to order additional test strips from an ordering server, wherein the indicia reading device includes a camera within the personal communications device operable to photograph the indicia via capturing an image of the indicia from the package and decoding the photographed indicia.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an ordering server operative to communicate with the personal communications device and to receive a test strip order from the personal communications device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the personal communications device further includes additional second instructions stored in the second memory, the additional second instructions directing the second processor to communicate the decoded indicia using the communications transceiver to the analyte meter device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the personal communications device further includes additional second instructions stored in the second memory, the additional second instructions directing the second processor to track a rate of test strip usage in the analyte meter device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the analyte meter device further includes additional first instructions stored in the first memory, the additional first instructions directing the first processor to track a rate of test strip usage in the analyte meter device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the analyte meter device further includes additional first instructions stored in the first memory, the additional first instructions directing the first processor to determine that a reorder threshold has been reached and to communicate that the reorder threshold has been reached using the wireless communications facility to the personal communications device.