Mobile Phone Case Embedded Electronics CGM Sensor Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile phone solutions for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems face challenges such as battery drain, potential software malfunctions, and unsuitable wireless interfaces, which can lead to communication failures between the CGM sensor and mobile phone, especially when the phone is dead or unavailable.
Innovation Solution
A mobile phone case with embedded electronics, including a low-powered wireless interface for the CGM sensor, a high-powered wireless interface for the mobile phone, autonomous battery power, and an embedded speaker for alerts, along with a pass-through connector for simultaneous recharging and data transfer, ensuring continuous communication and alert functionality even when the mobile phone is unavailable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mobile phone is used as a replacement to the handheld receiver in a CGM system, then convenience is improved by reducing the amount of devices to carry, but reliability deteriorates because the phone battery may die or the phone may malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a standalone case as an intermediary device between the CGM sensor and the mobile phone. This case includes its own battery, wireless interface for receiving glucose data from the sensor, and display/alert capabilities. When the phone is unavailable (dead or malfunctioning), the case independently receives and displays glucose data, ensuring continuous monitoring without requiring the phone to be operational.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into independent functional modules: the CGM sensor, the standalone case with embedded electronics, and the mobile phone. The case is a separate autonomous unit that can operate independently of the phone, dividing the system so that failure of one component (phone battery) does not affect the other (case's ability to display glucose data).
2Adaptability or versatility
If a mobile phone is used for CGM communication, then functionality is improved with touchscreen interface and software updates, but device complexity increases due to additional software and interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential communication and display functions from the mobile phone and places them in a dedicated case. This separates the CGM-specific functionality (sensor communication, glucose data processing, alert display) from the general-purpose phone, reducing the complexity burden on the phone while maintaining its versatility for other tasks.
3Reliability
If high power wireless interfaces are used for mobile phone communication, then communication range and reliability are improved, but battery life deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The case uses periodic wireless communication cycles to transmit glucose data from the sensor to the case and from the case to the phone. Instead of continuous high-power transmission, the system uses intermittent periodic transmissions, which reduces overall energy consumption while maintaining communication reliability during active periods.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile phone case with an embedded wireless interface for enabling communications between a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor and a mobile phone is described. The mobile phone case includes an autonomous battery and an autonomous alarm speaker for enabling communication with a CGM sensor in situations where the mobile phone is unavailable.