MODULE FOR A COMPUTER INTERFACE

• US 20110166426A1
• Filed: 03/18/2011
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics International AG (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Haueter, Ulrich, Imhof, Erich
• Granted Patent: US 8,702,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0295 Strip shaped analyte sensors for apparatus classified in A61B5/145 or A61B5/157 disposable multilayered or laminated electrodes G01N27/307; details of handling chemical test elements G01N33/4875
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14208 with a programmable infusion control system, characterised by the infusion program
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/15 Detection of leaks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3576 with non implanted data transmission devices, e.g. using external transmitter or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/201 Glucose concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1452 pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14566 with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16831 Monitoring, detecting, signalling or eliminating infusion flow anomalies low-level float-valves causing cut-off A61M5/40; indicating or recording presence, absence or direction of flow in general G01P13/0066
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/487 : of liquid biological material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48785 : Electrical and electronic details of measuring devices for physical analysis of liquid biological material not specific to a particular test method, e.g. user interface or power supply
• 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: G16H 20/17 : delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/10 : Plug-in assemblages of components , e.g. IC sockets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 : Telephone telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 : Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

The present invention provides a module for a computer interface including a transducer wherein the transducer receives a measurement value and makes this measurement value available for monitoring an individual'"'"'s health by means of the computer interface, for example, for monitoring an individual'"'"'s blood glucose level, wherein the measurement value is obtained by means of a sensor.

Claims

1. A plug-in module for a computer and for monitoring a state of health of a person via a sensor, comprising:

a standard-plug in board or card that detachably connects physically and directly to an interface of the computer and which comprises a transducer which receives a measurement signal outputted from the sensor, and a converter which is connected to the transducer and converts the received measurement signal from the transducer into a signal that can be processed by a processor.

2. The plug-in module according to claim 1, wherein the processor is a processor of the computer.

3. The plug-in module according to claim 1, wherein the processor is a processor of the standard plug-in board and wherein the processor processes the signal into a measurement value.

4. The plug-in module according to claim 3, further comprising memory which stores the measurement value.

5. The plug-in module according to claim 4, wherein the plug-in module is configured such that when physically and directly connected to the interface of the computer the measurement value stored in memory can be indicated on a display of the computer.

6. The plug-in module according to claim 1, further comprising memory which stores the signal.

7. The plug-in module according to claim 1, wherein the state of health is a glucose concentration or blood-sugar content in a body fluid of the person.

8. The plug-in module according to claim 1, wherein the plug-in module comprises application software required for monitoring the state of health of the person.

9. The plug-in module according to claim 8, wherein the application software is compatible with the programs provided on the computer.

10. The plug-in module according to claim 9, wherein the programs comprise graphic, text and spread sheet.

11. The plug-in module according to claim 1, wherein the interface of the computer is a standard slot of a computer.

12. The plug-in module according to claim 11, wherein the standard slot of the computer is an external port of the computer used to connect peripheral devices.

13. The plug-in module according to claim 11, wherein the standard slot of the computer is a slot available in a housing of the computer.

14. The plug-in module according to claim 1, wherein the plug-in module comprises corresponding installation software.

15. The plug-in module according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless interface and wherein the transducer receives the measurement signal from the sensor wirelessly via the wireless interface.

16. The plug-in module according to claim 1, wherein the transducer is configured such that the sensor can be inserted into the transducer in order to receive the signal.

17. The plug-in module according to claim 16, wherein the sensor is in the form of a strip, having a sample region for applying a body fluid sample of the person and a contact region for insertion into the transducer so as to be in contact therewith in order to receive the measurement signal.

18. The plug-in module according to claim 1, further comprising a communications terminal which comprises a wireless communication interface and a visual display.

19. The plug-in module according to claim 18, further comprising at least one of keys, a touch screen and an integrated microphone.

20. The plug-in module according to claim 18, wherein wireless communications occur between an administration device and the communications terminal via the wireless communication interface.

21. The plug-in module according to claim 20, wherein the wireless communications is selected from radio, ultrasonic and infrared communications.

22. The plug-in module according to claim 20, wherein the visual display of the communications terminal displays at least one operating parameter of the administration device.

23. The plug-in module according to claim 1, wherein the standard plug-in board or card is a PCMCIA board or card.

24. The plug-in module according to claim 1, wherein the computer is at least one of a personal computer, a notebook, and a pocket-size computer.

44. A system for monitoring a state of health of a person, comprising:

a sensor; and

a plug-in module according to claim 1.

45. The system according to claim 44, wherein the sensor is of the type which is provided on the person to detect a state of health of the person.

46. The system according to claim 44, wherein the sensor is of the type which is provided in the person to detect a state of health of the person.

50. A method of monitoring a state of health of a person comprising utilizing the plug-in module according to claim 1.

25. A plug-in module which provides a measurement value of a body fluid of a person that is sensed by a sensor, comprising:

an energy source;

memory;

a processor connected to the energy source and which has access to the memory;

a transducer which receives a measurement signal from the sensor which senses the body fluid and provides the measurement signal to the processor,

wherein the processor processes the received measurement signal to obtain the measurement value, and stores the measurement value in memory; and

an interface such that plug-in module is physically and directly connectable to a computer such that the measurement value can be indicated on a display of the computer.

26. The plug-in module according to claim 25, wherein the interface is physically and directly connectable to an external port of the computer used to connect peripheral devices.

27. The plug-in module according to claim 25, wherein the interface is physically and directly connectable to a slot provided inside a housing of the computer.

28. The plug-in module according to claim 25, wherein the transducer receives the measurement signal from the sensor wirelessly.

29. The plug-in module according to claim 25, wherein the transducer is configured such that the sensor can be inserted into the transducer in order to receive the signal.

30. The plug-in module according to claim 29, wherein the sensor is in the form of a strip, having a sample region for applying a sample of the body fluid and a contact region for insertion into the transducer so as to be in contact therewith in order to receive the signal.

31. The plug-in module according to claim 25, wherein the processor is programmed in an application-specific manner to perform the processing of the measurement signal to obtain the measurement value.

32. The plug-in module according to claim 25, further comprising a visual display, wherein the processor controls the visual display and displays the measurement value on the visual display.

33. The plug-in module according to claim 25, wherein the processor determines health characteristics of the person based on the measurement value.

34. The plug-in module according to claim 25, wherein the measurement value indicates a glucose concentration.

35. The plug-in module according to claim 25, wherein the plug-in module is provided with computer software that is compatible with the programs provided on the computer.

36. The plug-in module according to claim 35, wherein the programs are comprise graphic, text and spread sheet programs.

37. The plug-in module according to claim 25, wherein the plug-in module comprises corresponding installation software.

38. The plug-in module according to claim 25, wherein the plug-in module comprises application software required for monitoring a state of health of the person.

39. The plug-in module according to claim 25, further comprising a communications terminal provided with a wireless communication interface.

40. The plug-in module according to claim 39, wherein wireless communications occur between an administration device and the communications terminal via the wireless communication interface.

41. The plug-in module according to claim 40, wherein the wireless communications is selected from radio, ultrasonic and infrared communications.

42. The plug-in module according to claim 40, further comprising a visual display, wherein the visual display displays at least one operating parameter of the administration device.

43. The plug-in module according to claim 25, further comprising at least one of keys, a touch screen and an integrated microphone.

47. A system for monitoring a state of health of a person, comprising:

a sensor; and

a plug-in module according to claim 25.

48. The system according to claim 47, wherein the sensor is of the type which is provided on the person to detect a state of health of the person.

49. The system according to claim 47, wherein the sensor is of the type which is provided in the person to detect a state of health of the person.

51. A method of monitoring a state of health of a person comprising utilizing the plug-in module according to claim 25.