Handheld processing device including medical applications for minimally and non invasive glucose measurements

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a handheld processing device including medical applications for minimally and noninvasive glucose measurements. In an embodiment, the device creates a patient specific calibration using a measurement protocol of minimally invasive measurements and noninvasive measurements, eventually creating a patient specific noninvasive glucometer. Additionally, embodiments of the present disclosure provide for the processing device to execute medical applications and non-medical applications.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM AND REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims a priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Pat. App. Ser. No. 61 / 418,807, filed Dec. 1, 2010, titled “Smart phone For Managing Physiological Data” (Attorney Dock. No. MLHUM.039PR), and U.S. Provisional Pat. App. Ser. No. 61 / 422,284, filed Dec. 13, 2010, titled “Priority Mode Physiological Monitor” (Attorney Dock. Nos. MLABS-P41X and MLHUM.055PR). Each of the foregoing applications is incorporated by reference herein.FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE[0002]The present application relates to the field of physiological monitoring devices. Specifically, the present application relates to the field of glucometers.BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE[0003]Medical device manufacturers are continually increasing the processing capabilities of patient monitors, specifically of patient monitors that process signals based on attenuation of light by patient tissue. In general, such patient monitoring syste...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]As is widely understood by one of ordinary skill in the glucose measurement arts, noninvasive determination of glucose through processing absorption signals is complicated and often difficult to accurately perform over large patient populations. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, patient specific calibration of the device occurs through information exchanges between the device, with its the minimally invasive and noninvasive measurements, and a centralized computing system. For example, the device communicates with one or more remote computing centers to upload patient measurements and download, for example, patient specific calibrations. Through the interaction of the centralized computing system and many processing devices as disclosed herein, the manufacturer collects vast amounts of anonymous physiological data associating minimally invasive measurements and noninvasive measurements. These associations can then produce reliable calibration data specific to a user and across large user populations. For example, in certain embodiments, uploads of thousands to hundreds of thousands of measurements per week create data resources unobtainable through traditional clinical testing environments.

[0012]Additional embodiments of the present disclosure include the processing device including medical related functions and non-medical related functions that may share common resources. Advantageously, the processing device includes a priority mechanism so as to prevent the medical related functions from competing with the non-medical related functions for the common resources during critical time periods. These critical time periods may be indicated by triggering events. In particular, a triggering event indicates to the system that the medical related functions have resource priority. This priority may be, for example, exclusive access to and use of displays, alarms, controls, communications and processing power so as to make time critical patient health and risk assessments and output those assessments in a timely manner to a healthcare provider. In an embodiment, the physiological monitor is integrated with a smart phone so as to advantageously allow flexible communications between the physiological monitor and a broad range of external information sources and information receivers. These communications occur over any of a wide variety of communication links, both wired and wireless. Wireless communications may include, but are not limited to, GPS, cellular networks, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to name a few, so as to connect to the Internet, telephone systems and other wide area networks. Wired communications may include, but are not limited to, USB. A broad range of third-party applications are available for the smart phone, also providing increased functionality to the physiological monitor.

Problems solved by technology

As is widely understood by one of ordinary skill in the glucose measurement arts, noninvasive determination of glucose through processing absorption signals is complicated and often difficult to accurately perform over large patient populations.

For example, in certain embodiments, uploads of thousands to hundreds of thousands of measurements per week create data resources unobtainable through traditional clinical testing environments.

Images