Device and method for training users of ambulatory medical devices

• US 9,814,835 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2016
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tandem Diabetes Care Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tandem Diabetes Care Incorporated
• Inventors: Kruse, Geoffrey A., Blickenstaff, Kim D., Rosinko, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, Nathan R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snyder, Melissa A
• Application Number:
  US14/992,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20160121047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• 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 2230/005 Parameter used as control input for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/201 Glucose concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1413 Modular systems comprising interconnecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• 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: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for training users of ambulatory medical devices. The methods relate to improving user interactions with the touchscreens of devices. In one embodiment there is an operating mode that records all user interactions along with various device parameters and allows the clinician to review the patient'"'"'s performance for the initial use period. Automated analysis software may be employed to analyze the data generated by the device. The results of the analysis may be used by the clinician to improve the patient and device interaction.

Claims

1. A method of training a user on using an ambulatory infusion pump using a processor of the ambulatory infusion pump, the method comprising:

placing the ambulatory infusion pump into an operating mode;

detecting user inputs received through user interactions with a series of menu screens on a user interface of the ambulatory infusion pump while the ambulatory infusion pump is in the operating mode, the user interactions including at least one of button and/or touchscreen presses;

controlling a delivery mechanism of the ambulatory infusion pump to deliver medicament to a user in response to the user inputs;

detecting pump parameter values when the user inputs are received; and

writing the user interactions and pump parameter values into a memory of the ambulatory infusion pump, including a menu screen by menu screen sequence of the button and/or touchscreen presses as the user interacted with the series of menu screens.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving from memory the user interactions and the pump parameter values;

playing back the user interactions on the user interface including a menu screen by menu screen play back of the button and/or touchscreen presses as the user interacted with the series of menu screens.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving from memory the user interactions and the pump parameter values;

transmitting the user interactions to a separate device for play back on the separate device including a menu screen by menu screen play back of the button and/or touchscreen presses as the user interacted with the series of menu screens.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting the pump parameter values to the separate device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving at least one recommendation from the separate device for improving pump usage and presenting the recommendation on the user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the menu screen by menu screen sequence to determine areas where the user can improve use of the ambulatory infusion pump.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the analysis includes identifying errors in which the user interactions do not match caregiver instructions.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the analysis is performed by software that automatically identifies the errors.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pump parameter values include a glucose level of the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pump parameter values and user interactions are written into memory along with corresponding times and dates.

21. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing at least one recommendation to the user via the user interface for improving pump usage based on the analysis.

11. A method of training a user on using an ambulatory infusion pump using a processor of the ambulatory infusion pump, the method comprising:

receiving user input through user interactions with at least one control feature of an ambulatory infusion pump at a time when the ambulatory infusion is in an operating mode in which the ambulatory infusion pump performs actions including delivery of medicament to a user in response to the user inputs, the user interactions including at least one of button and/or touchscreen presses;

detecting the received user input and presenting menu screens on a user interface in response thereto while the pump operates in the operating mode;

detecting pump parameter values at a time of the received user input;

writing the received user input including a menu screen by menu screen sequence of the button and/or touchscreen presses and the pump parameter values into a memory of the ambulatory infusion pump.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving from memory the user interactions and the pump parameter values;

playing back the user interactions on the user interface including a menu screen by menu screen play back of the button and/or touchscreen presses.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving from memory the user interactions and the pump parameter values;

transmitting the user interactions to a separate device for play back on the separate device including a menu screen by menu screen play back of the button and/or touchscreen presses.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting the pump parameter values to the separate device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving at least one recommendation from the separate device for improving pump usage and presenting the recommendation on the user interface.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising analyzing the menu screen by menu screen sequence to determine areas where the user can improve use of the ambulatory infusion pump.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing at least one recommendation to the user via the user interface for improving pump usage based on the analysis.

17. A method of improving user interactions with an ambulatory infusion pump, the method comprising:

initiating with a processor of the ambulatory infusion pump operations to deliver medicament to a user of the ambulatory infusion pump following coupling of the ambulatory infusion pump to the user;

detecting a user input into a user interface of the ambulatory infusion pump with the processor;

writing the user input and device parameters at a time of the user input into memory of the ambulatory infusion pump with the processor;

playing back user input and device parameters from memory of the ambulatory infusion pump;

analyzing the user input and device parameters played back from memory of the ambulatory infusion pump;

identifying errors from the analysis where the user input does not match caregiver instructions; and

providing recommendations to the user in response to the identified errors where the user input does not match caregiver instructions to improve patient interaction with the ambulatory infusion pump.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein playing back user input and device parameters includes retrieving from memory with the processor the user input and device parameters for play back on the user interface.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein playing back user input and device parameters includes retrieving the user input and device parameters from memory with the processor for transfer to and play back on a separate device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein analyzing the user input and device parameters analyzes the user input and device parameters of a screen-by-screen sequence of menu screens displayed on the user interface.