Patent Application
20110100102
1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to an apparatus and method of use regarding an individual's hemoglobin A1c level and their blood sugar level. Embodiments of the invention relate to a quick conversion guide that is easy to use and provides an individual's average blood sugar level and one or more health level warnings associated with the blood sugar level, based on their hemoglobin A1c level. Embodiments of the invention relate to methods of using a conversion guide to quickly obtain information regarding an individual's blood sugar level and a warning about the status of their health, based on their hemoglobin A1c level.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hemoglobin is a substance within an individual's red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. In the normal life span of a red blood cell, glucose molecules in the individual's body may react with the hemoglobin. When the individual's blood sugar concentration is too high, sugar builds up in their blood and combines with the hemoglobin, thereby forming “glycated” hemoglobin. Glycated hemoglobin is also referred to as glycohemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglobin, and hemoglobin A1c (“HA1c” or “HbA1c”).
When a hemoglobin molecule is glycated, the hemoglobin molecule remains combined with the glucose molecule for the duration of the red blood cell life span. A buildup of glycated hemoglobin within an individual's red blood cells generally reflects the average level of glucose that the cells have been exposed to during their life cycle. The average amount of glucose in the individual's blood can therefore be determined by measuring their hemoglobin A1c level.
The failure to maintain a glucose level, i.e. blood sugar level, within a normal range can lead to various health complications, including damage to the eye, kidneys, and nerves. Individuals who are diabetic are particularly susceptible to developing a high glucose level without the proper diet, medication, and treatment. Studies have shown that for every one percent reduction of hemoglobin A1c in an individual, there is a ten percent decrease in the risk that that individual will suffer from a health complication. It is thus important to regularly monitor and control glucose levels in our bodies. By measuring the individual's hemoglobin A1c level on a regular basis, one can also assess the effectiveness of any treatment or therapy directed at regulating their glucose level.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved method and apparatus to facilitate obtaining and monitoring an individual's glucose level. There is also a need for an improved method and apparatus to help quickly correlate the individual's hemoglobin A1c level to their glucose level. There is a further need for an improved method and apparatus that the individual can easily use and understand to obtain information regarding their glucose level and the status of their health.
Embodiments of the invention include a quick conversion guide. The guide may include a housing having a plurality of openings disposed through the housing. The guide may also include an insert having a first measurement range, a second measurement range, and an indication range provided on a surface of the insert. The insert may be disposed in the housing such that a first measurement from the first range, a second measurement from the second range, and an indicator from the indication range are simultaneously viewable through the plurality of openings.
Embodiments of the invention include a method of calculating a blood sugar level using a conversion guide. The method may include locating a hemoglobin A1c value on an insert disposed in a housing of the conversion guide. The method may also include displaying the hemoglobin A1c value in a first window of the housing. The method may further include displaying a blood sugar value in a second window of the housing simultaneously with the hemoglobin A1c value. The blood sugar value may be a calculated value based on the hemoglobin A1c value.
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
The amount of hemoglobin A1c in an individual's body may be correlated to that individual's glucose level, also know as blood sugar level. In particular, the level of hemoglobin A1c in the individual's body can be used to calculate their average blood sugar level over the past three months (from the time of the hemoglobin A1c measurement). An individual's hemoglobin A1c level can range from about 4 percent to about 13.5 percent and their average glucose level can range from about 65 mg/dL to about 403 mg/dL. The level of hemoglobin A1c may be determined from a blood sample.
The housing 120 includes a first display feature 130 having at least a first aperture 132, a second aperture 134, and a third aperture 136 each disposed through the body of the housing 120. In one embodiment, the apertures are substantially square-shaped. The first display feature 130 is configured to display and identify one or more measurements and indicators provided on the insert 150 as further described below. In one embodiment, the first aperture 132 may be provided to display a hemoglobin A1c percentage that can be correlated to an average blood sugar level. In one embodiment, the second aperture 134 may be provided to display an average blood sugar level that can be correlated to an alert level. In one embodiment, the third aperture 136 may be provided to display an alert level, such as a color indicator that can be correlated to a health level warning.
The housing 120 may include a second display feature 140 that provides a plurality of color indications and health level warnings 142. In one embodiment, the second display feature 140 may include a color coded chart provided on the outer surface of the housing 120 that displays a plurality of health level warnings. Each health level warning is identified with a color indication. In one embodiment, the second display feature 140 includes eight health level warnings and each health level warning is associated with a color indication. The health level warnings may include at least one of excellent, good, satisfactory, needs improvement, warning, dangerous, unsafe, and deadly. The color indications may include at least one of dark green, green, light green, yellow, light orange, dark orange, red, and brown.
The insert 150 is configured to be insertable into the housing 120 through the openings 121 and 123. The insert 150 may be formed from a sheet of material configured to be easily insertable into, slideable within, and removable from the housing 120. In one embodiment, the insert 150 may be formed from a substantially rectangular-shaped sheet of material. The right and left edges 122 and 124 may include semi-circular recesses so that the insert 150 is readily accessible to the user at all times during use of the conversion guide 100.
The insert 150 includes a first measurement range 160, a second measurement range 170, and an indication range 180. The first measurement range 160 may include an incremental range of numbers 162 provided in a row on the outer surface of the insert 150. The range of numbers 162 may be provided in increments of 0.1, from 4 to 6.9 on a first side of the insert 150 and from 7 to 13.5 on the opposite side of the insert 150. The first measurement range 160 may include the hemoglobin A1c level values that may be generated in an individual's body.
The second measurement range 170 may include an incremental range of numbers 172 provided in a row on the outer surface of the insert 150, below the first measurement range 160. The range of numbers 172 may be provided in increments of 3 to 4, from 65 to 168 on a first side of the insert 150 and from 172 to 403 on the opposite side of the insert 150. The second measurement range 170 may include the average blood sugar level values that may be generated in an individual's body. The second measurement range 170 may be the calculated average blood sugar level values based on the hemoglobin A1c level values of the first measurement range 160.
The indication range 180 may include a range of colors indicators 182 provided in a row on the outer surface of the insert 150, below the second measurement range 170. The color indicators 182 may be provided in increments of color ranges including dark green, green, light green, yellow, light orange, and dark orange on a first side of the insert 150 and red and brown on the opposite side of the insert 150. The values provided in the first and second measurement ranges 160 and 170 may each be assigned a color indicator 182, which may be correlated to the indications and health level warnings 142 provided on the housing 120.
In one embodiment, the insert 150 may be inserted into the housing 120. When the insert 150 is located in the housing 120, the values in the first measurement range 160 may be displayed and viewed through the first aperture 132; the values in the second measurement range 170 may be displayed and viewed through the second aperture 134; and the colors indicators in the indication range 180 may be displayed and viewed through the third aperture 136. The values and color indicators provided on the insert 150 are aligned in a manner that when a value provided in the first measurement range 160 is displayed in the first aperture 132, the corresponding correlated value and color indicator are each simultaneously displayed in the remaining apertures, respectively.
In one embodiment, an individual's hemoglobin A1c level may be obtained from a simple blood test or in any other manner known by one of ordinary skill in the art. A user of the conversion guide 100 may move the insert 150 within the housing 120 until the particular hemoglobin A1c level is displayed in the first aperture 132. Once the hemoglobin A1c level is shown, the insert 150 is configured to simultaneously display the correlated average blood sugar level (based on the hemoglobin A1c value) in the second aperture 134. The insert 150 is also configured to simultaneously display the corresponding color indicator (that is assigned to the displayed hemoglobin A1c and blood sugar values) in the third aperture 136. The color indicator (or alert level) displayed in the third aperture 138 corresponds to one of the health level warnings 142 provided on the surface of the housing 120. Based on their hemoglobin A1c level, the user can immediately obtain their average blood sugar level and a warning about the status of their health using the conversion guide 100. Depending on the status of their health provided by the health level warning, the user may then take any appropriate measures to obtain proper treatment.
The housing and/or the insert of the conversion guides 100 and 200 may be formed from a variety of materials include but not limited to wood/paper based materials, metal based materials, and/or plastic based materials. The indicators and health level warnings provided on the inserts and the housings of the conversion guides 100 and 200 may be communicated using a variety of identification features including but not limited to colors, shapes, images, letters, words, and/or other similar surface indicia. The conversion guides 100 and 200 may be dimensioned so that a user can easily store and carry the conversion guide in a pocket of clothing or a carrying device, such as a wallet, purse, or backpack. In one embodiment, the conversion guides 100 and 200 are configured so that a user can use the conversion guide when viewing either side of the housing and/or insert.
While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/256,801, filed Oct. 30, 2009, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61256801 | Oct 2009 | US |
