Fluctuating Blood Glucose Notification Threshold Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current continuous glucose monitoring systems struggle to maintain euglycemia due to the lag time of subcutaneous insulin action and the difficulty in precisely estimating insulin requirements, leading to frequent fluctuations in blood glucose levels, especially in response to food consumption, physical activity, emotions, and unforeseen circumstances.
Innovation Solution
A continuous glucose monitoring system that allows users to set fluctuating upper and lower blood glucose concentration thresholds, which can be programmed to change continuously over time, providing notifications when these thresholds are crossed, enabling users to manage short-term glucose level changes and optimize insulin delivery and carbohydrate intake.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If subcutaneous insulin therapy is used to control blood glucose, then blood glucose can be decreased effectively, but hypoglycemia risk increases due to lag time and difficulty in precisely estimating insulin requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from static alarm thresholds to dynamic, fluctuating thresholds that automatically adjust over time. The system establishes an initial threshold range and allows it to fluctuate continuously based on observed blood glucose patterns, enabling adaptive control that accounts for changing insulin requirements and reduces hypoglycemia risk while maintaining effective glucose control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring blood glucose levels and using this information to adjust alarm thresholds. The fluctuating thresholds are established through feedback loops that observe actual glucose behavior and modify future threshold settings, creating a self-regulating system that responds to real-time physiological conditions.
2Loss of information
If continuous blood glucose monitoring is implemented, then real-time glucose data is available for optimization, but the lag time of subcutaneous insulin action prevents timely feedback control
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary action by establishing fluctuating thresholds in advance based on predicted glucose patterns rather than waiting for actual excursions. By pre-establishing adaptive thresholds that anticipate future glucose behavior, the system compensates for the lag time in insulin action and provides earlier warning signals that account for the delayed physiological response.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses dynamics by creating thresholds that fluctuate continuously over time rather than remaining static. This dynamic approach allows the alarm system to anticipate and adapt to changing glucose patterns, providing relevant warnings even though the insulin response will be delayed, thereby reducing the effective loss of time for control actions.
3Ease of operation
If static alarm thresholds are used, then the system is simple to operate, but it cannot manage short-term glucose fluctuations due to food consumption, physical activity, and other variable factors
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically establishing and adjusting fluctuating thresholds without requiring manual reconfiguration. The system monitors blood glucose patterns and autonomously modifies alarm thresholds to match actual glucose behavior, eliminating the need for users to manually adapt thresholds while maintaining high adaptability to variable factors like food intake and physical activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by allowing alarm thresholds to vary continuously over time rather than remaining fixed. The system dynamically adjusts threshold parameters based on observed glucose patterns, enabling the same simple interface to provide highly adaptable control that responds to changing physiological conditions without requiring complex user input.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a new system and methods for monitoring blood glucose concentration. A user of a continuous glucose monitor may program upper and lower blood glucose notification thresholds to fluctuate over time in order to facilitate management of the short-term effects of food consumption, insulin delivery aberrations, physical activity, emotions, and unforeseen circumstances.