Insulin Pump Time Zone Synchronization via External Clock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Insulin pumps struggle to automatically adjust their insulin delivery profiles when users travel across time zones, as they rely on internal clocks that may not align with the local time zone, potentially leading to suboptimal insulin administration.
Innovation Solution
An insulin pump system that includes an internal clock, a delivery module, memory for storing insulin delivery profiles, and a wireless communication module to receive local time zone information, allowing the processor to request and apply time adjustments based on the difference between the internal clock and local time zone, ensuring synchronized insulin delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the insulin pump uses an internal clock to determine insulin delivery times, then the device can operate autonomously without external time references, but the insulin delivery profile becomes misaligned when the user travels across time zones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external clock (such as a computer, smartphone, or wall clock) as an intermediary device that provides accurate local time information to the insulin pump. This external clock acts as a mediator between the user's local time zone and the pump's internal timing system, allowing the pump to receive time zone information without requiring complex built-in time zone databases or GPS capabilities. The external clock serves as a simple, reliable time reference that resolves the contradiction between autonomous operation and time zone adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary time synchronization by receiving time zone information from an external clock before insulin delivery operations are executed. The processor compares the internal clock time with the received local time and calculates the time difference in advance, then applies this offset to adjust all subsequent insulin delivery times. This preliminary adjustment ensures that the insulin delivery profile remains synchronized with the local time zone without requiring continuous real-time adjustments.
2Reliability
If the insulin pump automatically adjusts delivery times based on time zone differences, then insulin administration remains synchronized with local time, but the device complexity increases due to additional time synchronization mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
By using an external clock as an intermediary, the patent avoids the need for complex built-in time zone databases, GPS receivers, or network connectivity features. The external clock serves as a simple time reference device that the pump can query for local time information, significantly reducing the time synchronization subsystem's complexity while maintaining reliable insulin delivery synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a self-service approach where the user is responsible for providing the external clock reference. Rather than the pump needing to actively search for or determine the local time zone through complex sensors or databases, the user simply provides access to an external clock that already knows the local time. This shifts the time zone determination burden to the user environment, simplifying the pump's design.
3Measurement precision
If the insulin pump requests time adjustment values from the user when time differences are detected, then the insulin delivery profile can be accurately adjusted to the new time zone, but the ease of operation decreases due to user intervention requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the processor continuously monitors the time difference between the internal clock and the local time received from the external clock. When a significant time difference is detected (indicating time zone travel), the system provides feedback to the user by displaying a message requesting a time adjustment value. Once the user provides the adjustment value, the system automatically applies it and continues monitoring, providing further feedback only if additional adjustments are needed. This feedback loop ensures accurate time zone adaptation while minimizing user intervention to only when necessary.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for adjusting the delivery times of an insulin delivery profile of an insulin pump, wherein the insulin pump is operable to automatically deliver insulin to a person having diabetes based on an operating time of the internal clock and a delivery time of an insulin delivery profile. The method may comprise receiving a local time zone time from an external local clock, determining whether the operating time of the internal clock differs from the local time zone time by at least a first predetermined amount of time, requesting the person provide a time adjustment value when the operating time of the internal clock differs from the local time zone time by at least the first predetermined amount of time, receiving the time adjustment value from the person, and adjusting the delivery times of the insulin delivery profile based on the time adjustment value when received.