Systems and methods for management of medical condition

• US 9,980,671 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnnie J. Refvik
• Original Assignee: Johnnie J. Refvik
• Inventors: Refvik, Johnnie J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US14/217,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20140380218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 715215, 715240
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150267 Modular design or construction, i.e. subunits are assembled separately before being joined together or the device comprises interchangeable or detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150305 Packages specially adapted for piercing devices or blood sampling devices kits for diabetes A61M5/003; packaging in general B65D
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/151 Devices specially adapted for taking samples of capillary blood, e.g. by lancets , needles or blades
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15146 Devices loaded with multiple lancets simultaneously, e.g. for serial firing without reloading, for example by use of stocking means. multiple simultaneous cutting or piercing A61B5/150977
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15186 Devices loaded with a single lancet, i.e. a single lancet with or without a casing is loaded into a reusable drive device and then discarded after use; drive devices reloadable for multiple use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3126 Specific display means related to dosing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3155 by rotational movement of dose setting member, e.g. during setting or filling of a syringe
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/66 involving blood sugars, e.g. galactose
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to a self-contained kit for medical condition monitoring and maintenance, such as the monitoring and maintenance of blood sugar levels. The kit is compact and includes components structurally retained therein for use without removal, wherein these components are normally separate and loose. Such components could include a glucose meter, an insulin pen and a lancing apparatus. Other embodiments of the invention relate to a computer system and method for monitoring a medical condition, monitoring a medical condition over time, correlating recorded results with environmental factors such as location, time and meals consumed. A method may also enable individual users to share information to provide support to one another.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computer program operating on a computer device that is a smartphone, the method comprising:

(a) displaying, by the computer device, on a display screen in communication with the computer device, a plurality of icons related to managing a medical condition, wherein one of the plurality of icons comprises a community tracker window which, upon selection by the user, shows the activity of other people in a community of which the user is a member, including a leaderboard showing points earned and lost by the user and other people in the user'"'"'s community, the point associated with blood glucose levels of the user and other people in the user'"'"'s community, and wherein one of the plurality of icons comprises an activity challenge window which, upon selection by the user, displays a periodically updated activity to challenge the user;

(b) receiving, by the computer device, information relating to the medical condition;

(c) in response to receiving the information, automatically populating, by the computer device, one or more of the plurality of icons with the received information;

(d) displaying, by the computer device, the one or more newly populated icons;

(e) displaying, by the computer device, a color coded display for a plurality of pairings of meal data and a blood glucose level for a plurality of geographic locations;

(f) acquiring, by a digital camera of the computer device, a digital image of a street at the current physical location of the smartphone, the digital image of the street having a first restaurant and a second restaurant visible in the digital image;

(g) calculating, by the computer device, an average blood sugar level of the user at the first restaurant and an average blood sugar level of the user at the second restaurant;

(h) modifying, by the computer device, the digital image of the street a first time by inserting the average blood sugar of the user at the first restaurant onto a portion of the digital image of the street occupied by the first restaurant;

(i) modifying, by the computer device, the digital image of the street a second time by inserting the average blood sugar of the user at the second restaurant onto a portion of the digital image of the street occupied by the second restaurant; and

(j) displaying, on the display screen, the modified digital image of the street to allow the user to view the users average blood sugar results at the first restaurant and the second restaurant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving information relating to the medical condition comprises:

(a) receiving, by the computer device, information from an external device in communication with the computer device, wherein the information is relating to the medical condition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) displaying, by the computer device, a blood glucose level of a blood test for a user;

(b) updating, by the computer device, the blood glucose level in response to a new blood test for the user; and

(c) in response to the updating of the blood glucose level, displaying, by the computer device, the updated blood glucose level.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of receiving, by the computer device, data for the new blood test from an external device in communication with the computer device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) displaying, by the computer device, a plurality of blood glucose levels for the user, wherein the plurality of blood glucose levels are from past blood tests for the user; and

(b) displaying, by the computer device, one or more target lines for desired levels of blood glucose.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of icons comprises a glucose tracking window.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of icons comprises a location update window which, upon selection by the user, shows the user'"'"'s average glucose level at various restaurants previously visited by the user.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying, on the display screen, and responsive to the user entering a restaurant displayed on the location update window where the user'"'"'s average glucose level was high, a colored background to alert the user of past poor diabetic management associated with the restaurant.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f) displaying, on the display screen, an image acquired from a camera of the computer device; and

(g) annotating, on the displayed image, a location associated with one of the plurality of pairings of meal data and a blood glucose level.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the colored background is red.

11. A method performed by a computer program operating on a computer device, the method comprising:

(a) displaying, by the computer device, on a display screen in communication with the computer device, a plurality of icons related to managing a medical condition, wherein one of the plurality of icons comprises a community tracker window which, upon selection by the user, shows the activity of other people in a community of which the user is a member, including a leaderboard showing points earned and lost by the user and other people in the user'"'"'s community, the point associated with blood glucose levels of the user and other people in the user'"'"'s community, and wherein one of the plurality of icons comprises an activity challenge window which, upon selection by the user, displays a periodically updated activity to challenge the user;

(b) receiving, by the computer device, information relating to the medical condition;

(c) in response to receiving the information, automatically populating, by the computer device, one or more of the plurality of icons with the received information;

(d) displaying, by the computer device, the one or more newly populated icons;

(e) displaying, by the computer device, a color coded display for a plurality of pairings of meal data and a blood glucose level for a plurality of geographic locations;

(f) wherein one of the plurality of icons comprises a location update window which, upon selection by the user, shows the user'"'"'s average glucose level at various restaurants previously visited by the user; and

(g) displaying, on the display screen, and responsive to the user entering a restaurant displayed on the location update window where the user'"'"'s average glucose level was high, a colored background to alert the user of past poor diabetic management associated with the restaurant.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving information relating to the medical condition comprises:

(a) receiving, by the computer device, information from an external device in communication with the computer device, wherein the information is relating to the medical condition.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(a) displaying, by the computer device, a blood glucose level of a blood test for a user;

(b) updating, by the computer device, the blood glucose level in response to a new blood test for the user; and

(c) in response to the updating of the blood glucose level, displaying, by the computer device, the updated blood glucose level.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of receiving, by the computer device, data for the new blood test from an external device in communication with the computer device.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(a) displaying, by the computer device, a plurality of blood glucose levels for the user, wherein the plurality of blood glucose levels are from past blood tests for the user; and

(b) displaying, by the computer device, one or more target lines for desired levels of blood glucose.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the computer device is a smartphone.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the plurality of icons comprises a glucose tracking window.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(a) displaying, on the display screen, an image acquired from a camera of the computer device; and

(b) annotating, on the displayed image, a location associated with one of the plurality of pairings of meal data and a blood glucose level.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the colored background is red.