Patent Application
20100206751
The present invention relates to supply organizers for health management, and methods of organizing such supplies.
The monitoring of analyte concentration levels in bio-fluids (e.g., blood, urine, etc.) may be an important part of health management (including health testing and/or control). For example, analyte sensors (sometimes referred to as “test strips”) may be used for the monitoring of a patient's blood glucose level as part of diabetes testing. In blood glucose testing, for example, the patient may use a portable lancing device which may be a spring-loaded, trigger-releasable device which receives a single-use, disposable lancet. When the lancet is released, a sharp portion of the lancet may prick the user's body part to produce a droplet of blood. That blood droplet may then be transferred to a test strip which interfaces with, and may be received within, a port in a blood glucose meter. The test strips may also be single use and disposable.
Depending on the reading obtained from the meter, a user may need to undertake control measures, such as by taking a glucose tablet or administering insulin. The user may also need to carry, and have available for use, other monitoring (testing) supplies, such as logbooks (diaries), analyte sensor vials, extra analyte sensors, extra lancets, control or normal solutions, and other monitoring supplies. Furthermore, the user may need to carry control supplies such as insulin, glucose tablets and/or insulin delivery devices (e.g., syringes, pens, pen needles), and/or other control supplies.
It would, therefore, be beneficial to provide a system for containing and organizing such health management supplies (monitoring and/or control supplies) to allow for compact storage of, and easy access to, such supplies.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a health management supply organizer, including a body adapted to receive health management supplies including an analyte meter and analyte sensors, the body having a first leaf and a second leaf and an end portion connecting the first leaf and the second leaf; and a removable disposal container mounted to the body along the end portion which is adapted to receive used analyte sensors.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a health management supply organizer, including a closeable body adapted to receive health monitoring supplies including an analyte meter and analyte sensors, the closeable body including a first leaf and a second leaf and an end portion connecting the first leaf and the second leaf, wherein the first leaf and the second leaf are foldable about the end portion; and a removable disposal container mounted to the body by being received in a pocket formed along the end portion, the removable disposal container including a tubular body and an end cap wherein one of the tubular body and the end cap include an opening adapted to receive used analyte sensors.
In a method aspect, the present invention provides a method of organizing health supplies, including providing a closeable body adapted to contain health management supplies including at least an analyte meter and analyte sensors; and providing a removable disposal container on the body wherein the disposal container is adapted to receive used analyte sensors.
In another method aspect, the present invention provides a method of organizing health management supplies, including providing a closeable body having a first leaf, a second leaf and an end portion connecting the first leaf and the second leaf, the closeable body adapted to contain health management supplies including at least an analyte meter and analyte sensors; and providing a removable disposal container on the end portion of the body wherein the disposal container is adapted to receive used analyte sensors.
Other features and aspects of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.
In the process of blood monitoring and/or control (health management), various supplies may be employed by the user. These supplies may include an analyte meter, sensor vials, analyte sensors (some types may be referred to as “test strips”), a lancing device, disposable lancets, and/or monitoring (testing) supplies, and devices and/or supplies for control (administering), such as insulin, glucose tablets, insulin pens, syringes, swabs, needles, cannulas, tubing, insertion devices, insulin patches, patch transmitters, cannulas, infusion pump cartridges, adapters, and/or infusion sets for patch pumps, etc. The term “analyte meter,” as used herein, includes a blood analyte meter, an insulin pump, a controller for an insulin delivery system, an insulin pump/glucose meter combination, a patch pump, a continuous glucose meter, or other like metering devices. The organizing system 100 may be used to organize supplies for monitoring and/or control of a blood analyte, such as glucose, hemoglobin Alc, lipids such as LDL, HDL and triglycerides, lactate, keytone, and other analytes.
Furthermore, in the process of health management, a byproduct of such testing and/or control is debris, such as used analyte sensors, used lancets, used insertion devices, needles, etc. Accordingly, disposal of this debris is of constant concern, as the debris may include bodily fluids (e.g., blood), and, thus may need to be appropriately disposed of. Furthermore, organization of the supplies associated with such health management is desirable so that such supplies are readily available in a neat, organized, and compact condition.
Accordingly, in a first aspect of the present invention, a health management supply organizer is provided. The exemplary health management supply organizer (hereinafter otherwise referred to as a “supply organizer,” or simply an “organizer” may include a closeable body having a first leaf and a second leaf foldable about an end portion and which is adapted to receive management supplies (e.g., analyte testing and/or control supplies). The supply organizer includes a removable disposal container mounted to the end portion of the body which is adapted to receive used analyte sensor strips and other debris from the blood monitoring and/or management processes. The removable disposal container may include a tubular body and an end cap. The tubular body may be transparent or translucent allowing the contents to be viewed, such as through a viewing window. The supply organizer may be adapted to carry and organize supplies (e.g., an analyte meter, analyte sensors, vials for storage of analyte sensors, disposable lancets, a lancing device, and/or devices for administering, etc.).
These and other embodiments of the health management supply organizer of the present invention are described below with reference to
In one embodiment, the health management supplies may be used for blood glucose management (e.g., monitoring and/or control). The monitoring supplies may include, but are not limited to, an analyte meter 115 (such as a blood analyte meter, insulin metering pump, etc.), a lancing device 116 such as an ASCENSIA® MICROLET® lancing device available from Bayer Healthcare LLC, disposable analyte sensors 117, a vial 118 for storage of the disposable sensors 117, disposable lancets 119, a dispenser bottle of control or normal solution 120, and a logbook 121, for example. The control supplies may further include delivery devices such as insulin pens or syringes, insulin, insulin supplies, swabs, tablets (e.g., glucose tabs), syringes, insertion devices, insulin patches, patch transmitters, cannulas, infusion pump cartridges, adapters, and/or infusion sets for patch pumps, etc. The body 102 may be manufactured from any suitable cloth or sheet material, such as nylon cloth material, plastic, leather or leatherette material, for example. Other materials may be used.
In some embodiments, the body 102 may be a hard material, such as molded plastic or metal. The inside compartment 114 may be accessed by, and closeable by a suitable closure member, such as a zipper assembly 122, for example. The zipper assembly 122 may include first and second zipper components 122a, 122b and a zipper hasp 123 adapted to engage the teeth of the respective zipper components 122a, 122b. The zipper components 122a, 122b may be sewed, or otherwise fastened to, respective panels 108a, 110a of the first leaf 108 and second leaf 110. The zipper hasp 123 may include a pull 123b coupled thereto which is adapted to be grasped by the user and aid in closure. The pull 123b may include an insignia of the manufacturer, for example. Zipper teeth on the zipper components 122a, 122b may be manufactured from any conventional materials such as metal or plastic. The panels 108a, 110a may be single-ply or multiple-ply (such as two- or three-ply, for example) and may include a different material on the outside and the inside. For example, the material on the inside may be a lighter weight material, for example. If a three-ply configuration, the center ply may be a reinforcement member or padding, such as a cardboard sheet, a plastic sheet, or a foam sheet. Optionally, the body 102 may include a finishing bead 124 sewn around at least a portion of the periphery, and in some embodiments, around the entire periphery. Other forms of closure mechanisms may be utilized (e.g., Velcro, snap, button, latch, magnets, etc.).
The inside compartment 114 may further include one or more pockets for receiving health management supplies. For example, one leaf, such as leaf 108 may include a first pocket 126 which is adapted to receive a logbook 121 which may be used for recording health information. The logbook may be removed from, and inserted in the pocket 126 along the direction of arrow 127. A second pocket 128 may be formed on, or as part of, a flap of the first pocket 126. For example, the second pocket 128 may include a mesh material which may be used to store disposable lancets 119, and/or control or normal solution 120, and/or other monitoring (testing) and/or control supplies described above. The use of a mesh material may allow the items inside the second pocket 128 to be viewed. Suitable mesh densities are about 100 mesh cells per square inch. Other cell densities may be used. The second pocket 128 may further include a closure member 128a, such as a conventional zipper assembly with pull 128b similar to the other zipper assembly described above. The second pocket 128 may be sewn, such as on its sides, or even on three sides into the panel 108a or otherwise secured to the first zipper component 122a. Optionally, the second pocket 128 may only be sewn to the end portion 112 or the panel 108a on the side closest to the end portion 112. The first pocket 126 may include a sewn bead or additional material wrapped around and sewn to its edge to provide a finished look to the edge.
The second leaf 110 may include a retainer 129 for receiving the analyte meter 115. The retainer 129 may be made of any suitable construction to receive and secure the analyte meter 115 in place within the inside compartment 114 of the organizer 100. For example, in one embodiment, the retainer 129 may be made from a flexible, molded plastic material (e.g., a thermoplastic elastomer) so that the analyte meter 115 may be readily snapped into and out of the retainer 129. Optionally, the retainer 129 may be a pocket configured and adapted to receive the analyte meter 115 and formed of any suitable sheet material, such as a cloth, elastic, mesh, leather, leatherette, or a transparent or translucent plastic sheet material. The retainer 129 may, in a simple embodiment, be formed as a strap of material, such as an elastic strap fastened at its ends to the panel 110a, for example. The retainer 129 may be sewn to or otherwise fastened, such as by adhesive or rivets, to the panel 110a. The retainer 129 may be oriented in any suitable fashion. In some embodiments, the analyte meter 115 may be oriented and the retainer 129 is configured such that a port 130 of the analyte meter 115, which is adapted to receive a disposable analyte sensor 117 (shown dotted), may be accessed by the disposable analyte sensor 117 without removing the analyte meter 115 from the retainer 129. Furthermore, the retainer 129 may be oriented and configured such that a display (e.g., a digital readout) of an analyte level of the tested bio-fluid is not obstructed and may be viewed by the user as the analyte meter 115 is mounted in the retainer 129. For example, a viewing window may be provided in the retainer 129 such as an opening or a clear panel which is aligned with the display of the meter. In the embodiment shown, the retainer may include a right flexible portion 129a and a left flexible portion 129b which are interconnected by a back portion, wherein the back portion is attached to the panel 110a, such as by rivets, sewing or adhesive.
Furthermore, the panel 110a may include one or more retainer loops or straps 129c, 129d adapted to receive and secure in place various other testing supplies. For example, a first retainer loop 129c may be adapted to receive and secure a lancing device 116 in place. The lancing device 116 may be any suitable lancing device known in the art, such as the ASCENSIA® MICROLET® lancing device available from Bayer Healthcare, LLC. Other types of lancing devices may be used. A second loop 129d may be included which may be adapted to receive and secure a vial 118 for storage of disposable analyte sensors 117. The vial 118 may be a conventional flip-top vial adapted to store analyte sensors, as known in the art. The straps 129c, 129d may be elastic or other compliant material and may be sewn with thread at their respective ends to the panel 110a, for example. Other loop configurations may be used. Pockets may also be used. The location of the pockets and retainers may be organized differently, such as by being switched, so that the pockets are on the second leaf 110 and the meter 115, etc. are mounted on the first leaf 108.
According to embodiments of the invention, the supply organizer 100 is further provided with a removable disposal container 132. The removable disposal container 132 may be mounted to the body 102 and is adapted to receive used analyte sensors 133. As best shown in
The removable disposal container 132, as best shown in
In one or more embodiments, the removable disposal container 132 may include an opening 146, such as in a wall or an end face thereof. The opening 146 may be adapted to receive used analyte sensors 133 therein. In some embodiments, the opening 146 may be formed in the cap 142, for example. The opening 146 may be of any suitable shape and size, but in some embodiments may be made dimensionally just large enough to accommodate the dimensions of the used analyte sensors 133 received therein. The opening 146 should be not so large that the used analyte sensors 133 may easily fall out. For example, the opening 146 may have a cross-sectional area less than a cross-sectional area of the tubular body 140 when measured in transverse cross section. A flap of compliant material (not shown) may be formed or molded around or as part of the opening 146 to further prevent the used analyte sensors 133 from inadvertently falling out of the disposal cavity 144.
The tubular body 140 may have any suitable cross-sectional shape such as round, oval, square, rectangular, triangular, octagonal, hexagonal, etc. Further, the tubular body 140 may be made out of any suitable material. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the tubular body 140, and preferably all of the tubular body 140, may be constructed of a transparent or translucent material, for example. Materials such as transparent plastic (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), or polystyrene (PS)), translucent plastic (e.g., High-density polyethylene (HDPE) or low-density polyethylene (LDPE)), tempered glass, or other like materials may be used. Opaque materials may also be used, such as plastic (e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC)), or metal (e.g., aluminum).
In the case where a transparent or translucent material is used, an amount of used analyte sensors 133 contained in the removable disposal container 132 may be viewed by the user by sliding the tubular body 140 out of the pocket 134 (
As best shown in
Another embodiment of the supply organizer 600 is shown in
Accordingly, because the analyte sensors are housed within the meter 815, the vial 118 and the retainer loop 129d included in the previous embodiment of
In this embodiment, the cap 642 does not include an opening. To provide improved access, an opening 846 into a disposal cavity 844 may be formed into a wall of the removable disposal container 632, as is best shown in
In the depicted embodiments of
Another embodiment of the supply organizer 1100 is depicted in
The organizers 100, 600, 1100 described herein may include a handle (not shown), such as a tab, strap, carabineer, belt loop, fastener, or the like for being grasped by the user, or for securing the organizer 100, 600, 1100 to the user.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of organizing health supplies is provided. According to the method, an organizer with a closeable body having a first leaf and a second leaf foldable about an end portion may be provided. The organizer, which may be adapted to contain health management supplies, may include a removable disposal container provided on the body along the end portion, wherein the removable disposal container is adapted to receive one or more used analyte sensors. In one or more embodiments, the method may include inserting the removable disposal container into a pocket formed on the body. A cap may be inserted on a tubular body of the removable disposal container to form a disposal cavity. The method may further include a user inserting one or more used analyte sensors into the removable disposal container. Furthermore, the method may include dismounting the removable disposal container from the body, emptying the used analyte sensors from the removable disposal container, and thereafter remounting the removable disposal container on the body.
According to one or more embodiments, the supply organizer may include a body and one or more health management supplies which may be inserted into the body. For example, an analyte meter may be inserted into a retainer formed in an inside compartment of the body. Similarly, a lancing device may be inserted into a retainer member formed on the inside compartment of the body. Other health management supplies, as are mentioned above, may be inserted into the body.
The foregoing description discloses only exemplary embodiments of the invention. Modifications of the above-disclosed supply organizer which fall within the scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, while the present invention has been disclosed in connection with exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood that other embodiments may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.
