Insulin Pump Basal Rate Profile Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for setting basal rate profiles for insulin pumps require significant programming effort, often leading to simpler and less precise medical treatment, and can result in unintentional basal rate jumps due to the need to manipulate multiple profile segments, increasing the risk of physiologically inappropriate profiles.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that allow users to input a continuous basal rate curve, which is then converted into a basal rate profile by assigning curve values to profile segments, with optional filtering and monitoring to prevent excessive deviations, enabling a user-friendly and precise basal rate setting process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If all profile segments are manipulated to set basal rates, then precision of basal rate profile is improved, but programming effort increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple profile segments into a single selectable time interval. Instead of manipulating each of the 24 or 48 individual profile segments, the user selects one time interval and manipulates only the corresponding basal rate value, combining the effect of multiple segments into a single operation while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The selected time interval serves multiple functions: it defines the duration for which a single basal rate value applies, determines the number of profile segments represented by that value, and enables flexible adjustment of precision without changing the underlying segment structure. This universal approach allows the same mechanism to adapt to different precision requirements.
2Ease of operation
If the number of profile segments is reduced to decrease programming effort, then ease of operation is improved, but precision of medical treatment decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts the effective number of profile segments based on the selected time interval. When higher precision is needed, a longer time interval is selected, which automatically represents more underlying profile segments. When lower precision suffices, a shorter interval is chosen. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain high precision when needed while reducing programming effort when appropriate.
3Device complexity
If start and end basal rates are not adjusted for continuity, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of basal rate delivery decreases due to unintentional jumps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automatic feedback mechanism that monitors the relationship between consecutive selected time intervals and their corresponding basal rate values. When a potential discontinuity or jump is detected at the boundary between intervals, the system automatically adjusts the rates to ensure continuity, providing feedback control that maintains reliability without requiring complex manual adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for setting a basal rate profile (11) for an insulin pump, the basal rate profile (11) defining basal rate delivery for a selected time interval and having a pre-defined number of profile segments (12, 13, 14) each defining the basal rate delivery for a subset of the selected time interval, wherein method comprising the steps of providing a curve (10) representing the basal rate as a continuous function of time as an input for an input unit and of generating the basal rate profile (11) from the curve (11) by a calculation unit by assigning curve values at selected time instances to the number of profile segments (12, 13, 14). The invention relates further to an apparatus for setting a basal rate profile with an input unit for inputting a curve (10) representing the basal rate as a continuous function of time, and a calculation unit for generating the basal rate profile from the curve (11) by assigning curve values at selected time instances to the number of profile segments (12, 13, 14).