Method And Device For Determining Elapsed Sensor Life

• US 20100014626A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nekoomaram, Saeed, Fennell, Martin J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,665,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 377/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1495 Calibrating or testing of in-vivo probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/00 Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/86 Performing a diagnostic of the sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining elapsed sensor life in medical systems, and more specifically continuous analyte monitoring systems.

Claims

1. A method of operating an analyte monitoring system comprising:

providing a signal associated with initiation of an analyte sensor;

providing a count from an incrementing counter;

incrementing the count; and

storing the count temporally associated with the signal associated with initiation of the analyte signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyte sensor is a glucose sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein incrementing the count is associated with a measurement cycle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the measurement cycle comprises a periodic calculation of an analyte.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the periodic calculation of the measured analyte is transmitted to a receiver.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the analyte is glucose.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the count temporally associated with initiation of the analyte sensor is stored in a memory device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the memory device is disposed in a receiver.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the measurement cycle occurs every 60 seconds.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal temporally associated with initiation of the analyte sensor occurs after transcutaneous positioning of the analyte sensor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a second signal temporally associated with a second initiation of an analyte sensor is provided.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the a second count temporally associated with the second signal temporally associated with the second initiation of the analyte sensor is stored in a memory device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second count is stored in a memory device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second count temporally associated with the second initiation of sensor signal is compared to the count temporally associated with the initiation of sensor signal to determine elapsed life of the analyte sensor.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second count and the count are derived from a Hobbs counter.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the system failure is a component failure.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the component is a transmitter or receiver.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the system failure includes a battery drain, power shut-down, or reset.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the method includes outputting a message or alarm.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the method includes storing the incremented count.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the stored incremented count occurs only after a system failure.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the system failure includes battery drain, power shut-down, or reset.

20. A method of operating an analyte monitoring system comprising:

providing a signal associated with initiation of an analyte sensor;

providing a count from an incrementing counter;

storing the count temporally associated with the initiation of the sensor signal in a memory device; and

incrementing the count by a periodic cycle of analyte level measurement; and

determining elapsed or remaining time of the analyte sensor by comparing the stored count with the incremented count.

24. The method of claim 20, further including the step of outputting a message or alarm.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the outputted message or alarm is displayed from a display unit.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining step occurs at a receiver.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the count is stored at a first component, and further wherein incrementing the count occurs at a second component.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the first component is a receiver.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the second component is a transmitter.

31. The method of claim 20 wherein the count is stored in a non-volatile memory.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein the analyte measured is glucose.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the measured analyte level is transmitted to a receiver.

34. A data processing device, comprising:

a first counter configured to incrementally count;

a data communication unit;

a data processing section coupled to the data communication unit and the first counter, the data processing section configured to determine elapsed life of an analyte sensor.

35. The data processing device of claim 34, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a signal associated with a level of measured analyte.

36. The data processing device of claim 34, further including a storage unit configured to store a count temporally associated with initiation of the analyte sensor.

37. The data processing device of claim 36, wherein the counter includes a non-volatile memory unit.

38. The data processing device of claim 37, wherein the count temporally associated with initiation of the sensor is stored in the counter.

39. The data processing device of claim 34, wherein the data processing device is configured to compare the stored count with the incremented count to determine elapsed life of an analyte sensor.

40. The data processing device of claim 34, wherein the data processing unit is configured to estimate the remaining sensor life based on the stored count and the incremented count.

41. The data processing device of claim 34, further including an output unit configured to output one or more signals associated with the count.

42. The data processing device of claim 41, wherein the output unit includes one or more of a display unit.

43. The data processing device of claim 34, further including a second counter.

44. The data processing device of claim 43, wherein the second counter is configured to incrementally count only when a sensor is initiated.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the data processing device is configured to determine the number of sensors employed by the incremental count of the second sensor.

46. A method of operating an analyte monitoring system comprising:

providing a signal associated with initiation of an analyte sensor;

providing a first counter to count incrementally; and

providing a second counter to incrementally count by one only when a sensor is initiated.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the first counter is a Hobbs counter, and the second counter is a sensor counter, and further wherein the method includes storing the count of the Hobbs counter when the sensor counter increments by one.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the method further includes determining the number of sensors initiated by determining the count of the second counter.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein elapsed life of a sensor is determined by comparing a count of the Hobbs counter and a count of the sensor counter.

50. The method of claim 46, wherein the first counter is a twenty-bit counter, and the second counter is an eight-bit counter.