Systems, methods, and devices for reducing the pain of glucose monitoring and insulin adminstration in diabetic patients

Abstract

The various embodiments disclosed herein are devices that deliver electrical stimulation and/or vibration stimulation to the surface of skin in proximity to insulin injections and/or glucose testing in order to decrease or eliminate the pain of these procedures.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)[0001]This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61 / 380,409, filed Sep. 7, 2010, entitled “Systems and Methods for Reducing the Pain of Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Administration in Diabetic Patients,” and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61 / 497,662, filed Jun. 16, 2011, entitled “Devices, Systems, and Methods for Reducing the Pain of Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Administration in Diabetic Patients,” both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The embodiments disclosed herein relate to various methods and devices for reducing or eliminating pain of injections and other similar procedures performed on the skin, including the pain associated with blood glucose testing and insulin shot administration. Certain implementations relate to methods or devices that deliver stimulation in the form of vibration, electrical stimulation...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]Discussed herein are various embodiments relating to methods, devices, and systems for reducing or eliminating pain related to treatment of diabetes, including pain from blood glucose testing and from treatment injections (such as, for example, insulin injections). The various embodiments include pain reduction or elimination using either electrical or vibration stimulation, or both. More specifically, certain embodiments relate to handheld devices that provide pain reduction in combination with either blood testing or treatment injections or both. Further embodiments relate to handheld devices that provide pain reduction for use with other commercially-available blood testing and diabetes treatment devices.

Problems solved by technology

It has been shown that a significant number of diabetics are non-compliant with their diabetes treatment regimen mainly because of the pain involved.

8, 1502-1503) This noncompliance has been shown to double the risk of hospitalization in these patients resulting in almost double the medical costs.

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