Voice Output Interface for Blood Glucose Data Processing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Visually impaired diabetics face challenges in maintaining a diabetes diary and independently managing their blood glucose levels, leading to worse health outcomes due to reliance on others for insulin therapy and data recording.

Innovation Solution

A data processing device that allows visually impaired diabetics to easily record, transmit, and analyze blood glucose measurements, using a voice output interface to navigate and select data sets, enabling them to identify similar physiological situations and take corrective actions independently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If visually impaired diabetics use traditional written diaries to record blood glucose levels, then data recording is possible, but independence and ease of operation are severely compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of maintaining diabetes diaryVSAvoidability to independently access and analyze data

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical visual interaction system (reading written text) with an acoustic interaction system (voice commands and speech output). Visually impaired users can record, retrieve, and analyze blood glucose data through voice commands without needing to see the device display, thereby maintaining independence and improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces speech recognition and text-to-speech conversion as intermediary systems between the user and the data. The voice recognition system converts spoken commands into device commands, while the text-to-speech system converts displayed data into audible speech, enabling visually impaired users to independently access and analyze their diabetes data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If visually impaired diabetics rely on others for insulin therapy management, then care is provided, but health outcomes worsen due to reduced independence

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindependence in insulin therapy managementVSAvoidability to independently manage blood glucose

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables visually impaired diabetics to independently manage their own insulin therapy through voice-activated functionality. Users can record blood glucose measurements, retrieve historical data, analyze patterns, and make treatment decisions without requiring assistance from others, thereby improving both reliability and ease of operation in self-management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent provides immediate acoustic feedback when users retrieve and analyze their blood glucose data. The system speaks back the recorded measurements and allows users to hear patterns and trends in their glucose levels, enabling informed decision-making about insulin therapy independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If blood glucose levels are not monitored independently, then health complications may occur, but the complexity of monitoring systems creates barriers to independent management

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of health complicationsVSAvoidcomplexity of data processing system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the diabetes management system into simple, voice-activated functional modules: recording blood glucose measurements, retrieving historical data, and analyzing patterns. Each function is accessed through simple voice commands rather than complex navigation, reducing the perceived device complexity while maintaining reliable monitoring capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a multi-functional device that combines blood glucose recording, data storage, historical retrieval, and pattern analysis in a single system accessible through voice commands. This universal approach allows visually impaired users to perform all essential monitoring functions without needing to learn multiple separate systems, reducing complexity barriers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS8974384B2Data processing device for processing measured values

Publication Date: 2015.03.10 ROCHE DIABETES CARE INC

AI summary

A data processing device is provided for processing measurement values provided from a medical measurement device. The device generally comprises an input unit, a data input interface configured for communication with the medical measurement device, a memory unit for storage of data sets, a calculation unit, and an audible data output interface configured for communication with a data output unit. The input unit is configured for making a first selection of the data sets stored in the memory unit. Second selections based on or within the first selection may also be made. The audible data output interface is provided for generating an audible output of the selected data sets. The audible data output interface may also be configured to generate distinct audible signals before the audible output of each different selection of data sets.