Method and system for transferring analyte test data

• US 8,560,250 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Connolly, Brian Edmond, Mace, Chad Harold, Lai, Marc R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Tung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUN, XIUQIN
• APPLICATION: US 20100309001A1
• Time in patent office: 1154 Days
• Field of Search: 702/32, 702/122, 600/300, 422/82.01
• US Class Current: 702/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• 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 5/0002 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: G06F 19/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific applications specially adapted for specific functions G06F17/00; data processing systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial, supervisory or forecasting purposes G06Q; healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

A system for transferring data includes an analyte test instrument (ATI) adapted to store data, a wirelessly enabled data management device (DMD) for comprehensively analyzing data, and an adaptor removably connected to the ATI for transferring data stored on the ATI to the DMD. The adaptor includes a data communication device capable of removable connection with the ATI, a microprocessor electrically connected to the data communication device, a wireless controller electrically connected to the microprocessor and a wireless transceiver electrically connected to the wireless controller. In use, data transfer is executed between the ATI and the DMD by electrically and mechanically connecting the adaptor to the ATI. Data stored on the ATI is then automatically downloaded into adaptor memory. Upon completion of the download, the user activates an externally accessible input device on the adaptor which, in turn, wirelessly transmits data from the adaptor memory to the DMD.

Claims

1. An analyte test instrument, comprising:

a housing;

a test strip port disposed in the housing and sized to receive an analyte test strip;

a processor disposed in the housing;

a power source disposed in the housing and electrically coupled to the processor and the test strip port; and

memory operably coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes instructions stored therein for execution by the processor, the instructions comprising;

instructions for receiving an indication that a test strip is inserted into the test strip port;

instructions for performing an analyte test measurement when a sample is applied to the test strip;

instructions for storing analyte test data from the analyte test measurement;

instructions for receiving an indication that an adaptor is removably connected to the test strip port;

instructions for providing power to the adaptor and to a wireless transceiver in the adaptor to enable wireless transmission of the stored analyte test data;

instructions for establishing a communication channel with the adaptor through the test strip port; and

instruction for transferring the stored analyte test data from the analyte test instrument to the adaptor through the test strip port.

2. The analyte test instrument of claim 1, wherein the analyte test data is transferred in a first bundle of data.

3. The analyte test instrument of claim 2, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for transferring additional bundles of data.

4. The analyte test instrument of claim 1, wherein the analyte is glucose.

5. The analyte test instrument of claim 1, wherein the analyte test instrument further comprises a display configured to provide a user of the analyte test instrument with information in a visual form.

6. The analyte test instrument of claim 5, wherein the information comprises analyte concentration data.

7. The analyte test instrument of claim 5, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD).

8. The analyte test instrument of claim 5, wherein the display comprises a numerical display.

9. The analyte test instrument of claim 5, wherein the display comprises a dot-matrix message line configured to provide information to the user.

10. The analyte test instrument of claim 5, wherein the display is configured to display a warning or prompting message to the user.

11. The analyte test instrument of claim 1, wherein analyte test data from a plurality of analyte test measurements are stored.

12. The analyte test instrument of claim 11, wherein the device further comprises a user input device.

13. The analyte test instrument of claim 12, wherein the user input device is configured to allow a user of the device to recall the stored analyte test data.

14. An adaptor, comprising:

a housing;

a connector strip adapted to removably connect to a test strip port in an analyte test instrument, wherein the test strip port is an analyte test strip port that receives analyte test strips;

a processor disposed in the housing;

a wireless transceiver disposed in the housing and operably coupled to the processor;

wherein the adaptor is configured to receive power for the processor and the wireless transceiver through the test strip port from the anlayte test instrument when connected; and

memory operably coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes instructions stored therein for execution by the processor, the instructions comprising;

instructions for receiving an indication that the adaptor is removably connected to the test strip port of the analyte test instrument;

instructions for powering the wireless transceiver to enable wireless transmission of the stored analyte test data;

instructions for establishing a communication channel with the analyte test instrument through the test strip port; and

instructions for receiving analyte test data transferred from the analyte test instrument to the adaptor through the test strip port; and

instructions for wirelessly transmitting the analyte test data via the wireless transceiver to a data management device configured to analyze the analyte test data.

15. The adaptor of claim 14, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for providing a visual indication on the adaptor, the visual indication to indicate to a user that the analyte test data is being wirelessly transmitted.

16. The adaptor of claim 14, wherein the adaptor is configured to utilize infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) communication to wirelessly transmit the analyte test data to the data management device.

17. The adaptor of claim 15, wherein the adaptor is configured to utilize IR communication, and wherein the IR communication is infrared data (IrDA) communication.

18. The adaptor of claim 14, wherein the instructions comprise:

instructions for receiving communications from the data management device.

19. The adaptor of claim 14, wherein the data management device is one selected from a laptop computer, a desktop computer, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

20. The adaptor of claim 14, comprising an input device, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for wirelessly transmitting the analyte test data to the data management device after receiving an indication that the input device is actuated.

21. The adaptor of claim 14, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for receiving the analyte test data in a first bundle of data via the test strip port of the analyte test instrument.

22. The adaptor of claim 21, wherein the instructions comprise:

instructions for sending a signal to the analyte test instrument via the test strip port to determine whether additional bundles of data remain; and

instructions for receiving the additional bundles of data via the test strip port of the analyte test instrument.

23. The adaptor of claim 14, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for storing the analyte test data after the analyte test data is received by the adaptor via the test strip port of the analyte test instrument.

24. The adaptor of claim 14, wherein the analyte is glucose.