Health data management device

• US 8,401,873 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Brown, Darren, Chen, Jun, Gofman, Igor, Harris, Steven B., Inman, Paul L., Kates, Richard, Li, Qiong, Lieber, Harris, Ripley, Paul M., Stefkovic, Gregory, Sun, Hoi-Cheong Steve, Wu, Mu, Yao, Raymond, Yao, Simin
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): KANAAN, MAROUN P
• Application Number:
  US12/129,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1605 Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• 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: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A device for managing health data provides a first housing portion including a data storage system that stores health data and a second housing portion including a data communications element. The data communications element provides data communications between the data storage system and a processing device that processes the health data according to a data-management software. The first housing portion and the second housing portion are connected by a cable that communicates signals between the data communications element and other components in the first housing portion. Another device for managing health data provides a first housing portion including a health data management system and a data communications element that provides data communications between the health data management system and an external processing device. The second housing portion is removably coupled to the first housing portion, and includes at least one component used by the health data management system.

Claims

1. A device for managing health data, comprising:

a housing portion including a health data management system and a data communications element that provides data communications between the health data management system and an external processing device, the health data management system including a meter for measuring a reaction between a reagent and an analyte in a user sample to determine an analyte concentration in the user sample; and

a cap that is removably coupled to the housing portion, the cap including a temperature sensor that provides a measurement of ambient temperature to the health data measurement system, and

wherein a level of the reaction between the reagent and the analyte is affected by a temperature of the reagent, the health data management system estimates the temperature of the reagent from the measurement of ambient temperature provided by the temperature sensor, and the health management system determines the analyte concentration of the user, and

wherein a weak thermal coupling between the housing portion and the cap minimizes heat transfer therebetween so that the cap maintains a cap temperature that is closer to the ambient temperature than the housing portion.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the cap is placed over the data communications element of the housing portion, and the temperature sensor measures the ambient temperature at or near a surface of the cap.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the data communications element is a USB interface element, and the cap is removably placed over the USB interface element.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein, when the cap is placed over the data communications element of the housing portion, the temperature sensor of cap is connected to the data communications element and transfers temperature data to the health data management system via the data communications element.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor measures the ambient temperature of a thin membrane in an outer wall portion of the cap.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the thin membrane is formed of plastic.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the outer wall portion is coupled to the rest of the cap to define a gap between the outer wall portion and the rest of the cap, the gap allowing ambient air to flow around the thin membrane to allow the thin membrane to achieve equilibrium with the ambient temperature.

8. The device of claim 5, further comprising temperature circuitry that determines the measurement of ambient temperature with the temperature sensor, and the temperature circuitry includes an infrared sensor that measures the temperature of the thin membrane.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor includes a thermocouple, thermistor, or a thermochromatic sensor.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the thin membrane includes a thermochromic material and the temperature sensor includes a light source and a detector to determine the temperature of the thermochromic material.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein cap has a thermal mass that is less than the first housing portion.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the cap reaches equilibrium with the ambient temperature more quickly than the first housing portion.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a heat sink to which the cap transfers heat to achieve equilibrium with the ambient temperature.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising temperature circuitry that determines, with the temperature sensor, the measurement of ambient temperature, and the temperature circuitry is disposed in the housing portion.