Blood Glucose Meter Voice Guidance Dynamic Static Thresholds

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current blood glucose measuring instruments for visually impaired individuals struggle to provide accurate decision-making guidance, as they rely on subjective voice outputs and require manual comparison of measurement results with past data, making it difficult for users to determine if their glucose levels are high or low compared to normal levels and necessitating immediate medical attention.

Innovation Solution

A blood glucose measuring instrument that outputs voice messages indicating whether the measured glucose level is high or low compared to a user's normal state, using both dynamic and static threshold values set by medical professionals, with dynamic values calculated based on past data and static values set securely by doctors via wireless communication, to guide users on appropriate countermeasures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If voice output is used to notify blood glucose levels to visually impaired subjects, then accessibility for visually impaired users is improved, but accurate decision-making capability deteriorates because users cannot accurately compare results with past data

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility for visually impaired usersVSAvoidaccuracy of decision-making
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system (the blood glucose measuring device itself) that performs the comparison between current and past measurement results. Instead of requiring users to manually compare voice outputs, the device automatically compares current results with stored historical data and provides interpreted feedback, thus resolving the contradiction between accessibility and decision-making accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the device not only outputs current blood glucose levels but also provides comparative feedback against historical data and threshold values. This feedback includes interpretations of whether results are high, low, or within normal ranges, enabling visually impaired users to make accurate decisions without manual comparison

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of information

If manual comparison with past data is required, then data utilization is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates because users must rely on recollection and subjective judgment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveutilization of historical dataVSAvoidconvenience of decision-making
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables the system to serve itself by automatically performing data comparison and analysis functions. The device autonomously compares current measurement results with stored historical data, calculates deviations, and provides interpreted feedback without requiring user intervention for manual comparison, thus improving both data utilization and ease of operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of comparing voice outputs with an automated electronic system. The device uses its processing capabilities to automatically retrieve historical data, perform comparisons, and generate interpreted feedback, substituting the manual cognitive process with an automated computational system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If threshold values are set by medical professionals via wireless communication, then decision accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases due to secure communication requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of medical decisionsVSAvoidcomplexity of secure communication system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the blood glucose measuring device multi-functional by integrating both measurement capabilities and secure communication functions into a single device. The device can operate as a standalone glucose meter while also functioning as a secure communication terminal for receiving threshold values from medical professionals, thus improving decision accuracy without significantly increasing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2660606B1Blood glucose measuring device
Publication Date: 2017.05.03 TERUMO KK
  • EP2660606B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2660606B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2660606B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

A blood glucose measuring instrument is provided which can output a guide for allowing a subject to take an appropriate countermeasure. The blood glucose measuring instrument capable of outputting voice includes first setting means for receiving a static limit value transmitted by wireless transmission from an external apparatus in accordance with a condition that the external apparatus has authenticated and setting the static limit value, storage means for classifying and storing blood glucose level data acquired by a blood glucose measurement based on classification according to the measurement timing, second setting means for calculating, using the blood glucose level data in the past stored in classified groups in the storage means, a dispersion for each classified group and setting a dynamic limit value based on the calculated dispersion, and notification means for comparing the blood glucose level data acquired by the blood glucose measurement with the static limit value and the dynamic limit value corresponding to the classified group to which the blood glucose level data belongs to notify output contents in accordance with a result of the comparison together with the blood glucose level data.