Insulin Pump Expert System for Glucose-Guided User Actions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional insulin therapy methods, including insulin pumps, often require multiple daily injections and manual tracking of insulin doses, carbohydrates, and blood glucose levels, making them inconvenient and difficult to program, leading to potential complications from improper insulin management.

Innovation Solution

An insulin pump system with a controller that receives blood glucose data, compares it to a target level, and presents questions and recommended actions via a user interface, utilizing decision trees and rule modules to assist users in managing their diabetes effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional insulin therapy with multiple daily injections is used, then better control of blood glucose levels is achieved, but the complexity of tracking insulin doses, carbohydrates, and blood glucose levels increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblood glucose controlVSAvoidtracking complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The insulin pump system automatically performs calculations and tracking of insulin doses, carbohydrate intake, and blood glucose levels without requiring manual intervention from the user. The system self-monitors and self-adjusts insulin delivery based on sensor data and programmed parameters, eliminating the need for users to manually track multiple variables.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously receives feedback from blood glucose sensors and automatically adjusts insulin delivery based on real-time glucose levels. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain reliable blood glucose control while reducing user burden, as the system automatically processes sensor data and makes adjustments without requiring manual tracking by the user.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If insulin pumps are used to mimic body's insulin production, then convenience and flexibility are improved, but the difficulty of programming and learning to use the device increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveconvenienceVSAvoidprogramming difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The insulin pump system automatically performs calculations and tracking of insulin doses, carbohydrate intake, and blood glucose levels without requiring manual intervention from the user. The system self-monitors and self-adjusts insulin delivery based on sensor data and programmed parameters, eliminating the need for users to manually track multiple variables.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system combines multiple functions into a single integrated device: insulin delivery, blood glucose sensing, automatic calculation of insulin requirements, and real-time adjustment. By merging the pump, sensor, and control algorithms into one system, the device provides convenience while reducing programming complexity compared to separate systems that would require coordination between multiple components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If manual tracking of insulin doses and blood glucose levels is required, then proper insulin management can be achieved, but the time and effort required from the user increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsulin managementVSAvoiduser time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The insulin pump system automatically performs calculations and tracking of insulin doses, carbohydrate intake, and blood glucose levels without requiring manual intervention from the user. The system self-monitors and self-adjusts insulin delivery based on sensor data and programmed parameters, eliminating the need for users to manually track multiple variables.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides continuous automatic monitoring and adjustment of insulin delivery based on real-time blood glucose sensor data. This continuous operation eliminates the need for discrete manual tracking events, allowing the system to maintain proper insulin management continuously without requiring user time and effort at regular intervals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS20250325201A1Insulin pump based expert system

Publication Date: 2025.10.23 TANDEM DIABETES CARE INC

AI summary

An apparatus comprising a pump configured to deliver insulin, an input configured to receive blood glucose data, a user interface, and a controller communicatively coupled to the pump, the input, and the user interface. The controller includes a blood glucose data module to compare the blood glucose data to a target blood glucose level for an insulin pump user. The controller is configured to present a question related to the blood glucose level via the user interface when the blood glucose level is different than the target blood glucose level, receive a response to the question via the user interface, and present a recommended user action based at least in part on the response. Other devices, systems, and methods are disclosed.