SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR SENSOR COMMUNICATIONS

FIELD

The subject matter described herein relates generally to systems, devices, and methods for sensor communications.

BACKGROUND

A vast and growing market exists for monitoring the health and condition of humans and other living animals. Information that describes the physical or physiological condition of humans can be used in countless ways to assist and improve quality of life, and diagnose and treat undesirable human conditions.

A common device used to collect such information is a physiological sensor such as a biochemical analyte sensor, or a device capable of sensing a chemical analyte of a biological entity. Biochemical sensors come in many forms and can be used to sense analytes in fluids, tissues, or gases forming part of, or produced by, a biological entity, such as a human being. These analyte sensors can be used on or within the body itself, or they can be used on biological substances that have already been removed from the body.

Analyte sensor data can be particularly useful for the health and wellness of users. For example, analyte sensor data can provide useful information in the context of a user's exercise routines, nutrition, rehabilitation and physical therapy, treatment of adverse conditions, and other physical activities. However, data collected by sensor control devices having analyte sensors can include sensitive information that are subject to data integrity, confidentiality and regulatory requirements, which can present a barrier in terms of communicating the data collected by an analyte sensor. Furthermore, applications that reside on various consumer electronic devices (e.g., smartphones, smartwatches, tablet computing devices, exercise bikes and/or treadmills with an integrated computing device, etc.) that may be capable of communicating with sensor control devices are often developed by third parties that are different from the manufacturers of the sensor control device, wherein the third party developers are not subject to the same data integrity, confidentiality and/or regulatory requirements that are required of the sensor control device's manufacturer.

For these and other reasons, needs exist for improvements to sensor communications.

SUMMARY

Example embodiments of systems, devices, and methods are described herein for sensor communications. These embodiments provide for the communication of analyte sensor data between a sensor control device having an analyte sensor and various electronic computing devices, such as, e.g., smartphones, exercise bicycles and/or treadmills with integrated computing devices, or smartwatches. According to some embodiments, for example, a Sensor Communication Module residing on a reader device or smartphone can be configured to manage the pairing, connection, and secure data communications between a sensor control device having an analyte sensor and other electronics computing devices. Numerous examples of algorithms and methods for performing combinations and/or variations of these mechanisms are provided, as well as example embodiments of systems and devices for performing the same.

Other systems, devices, methods, features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the subject matter described herein, and be protected by the accompanying claims. In no way should the features of the example embodiments be construed as limiting the appended claims, absent express recitation of those features in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

The details of the subject matter set forth herein, both as to its structure and operation, may be apparent by study of the accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the subject matter. Moreover, all illustrations are intended to convey concepts, where relative sizes, shapes and other detailed attributes may be illustrated schematically rather than literally or precisely.

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view depicting an example embodiment of an in vivo analyte monitoring system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a reader device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a sensor control device.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an example embodiment of a method for wireless communications in an analyte monitoring system.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of another example embodiment of a method for wireless communications in an analyte monitoring system.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of another example embodiment of a method for wireless communications in an analyte monitoring system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the present subject matter is described in detail, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments described, as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims.

The publications discussed herein are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the present disclosure is not entitled to antedate such publications by virtue of prior disclosure. Furthermore, the dates of publication provided may be different from the actual publication dates which may need to be independently confirmed.

Generally, embodiments of the present disclosure are used with systems, devices, and methods for detecting at least one analyte, such as glucose, in a bodily fluid (e.g., subcutaneously within the interstitial fluid (“ISF”) or blood, within the dermal fluid of the dermal layer, or otherwise). Accordingly, many embodiments include in vivo analyte sensors structurally configured so that at least a portion of the sensor is, or can be, positioned in the body of a user to obtain information about at least one analyte of the body. However, the embodiments disclosed herein can be used with in vivo analyte monitoring systems that incorporate in vitro capability, as well as purely in vitro or ex vivo analyte monitoring systems, including those systems that are entirely non-invasive.

Furthermore, for each and every embodiment of a method disclosed herein, systems and devices capable of performing each of those embodiments are covered within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, embodiments of sensor control devices are disclosed and these devices can have one or more sensors, analyte monitoring circuitry (e.g., an analog circuit), non-transitory memories (e.g., for storing instructions), power sources, communication circuitry, transmitters, receivers, processing circuitry, and/or controllers (e.g., for executing instructions) that can perform any and all method steps or facilitate the execution of any and all method steps. These sensor control device embodiments can be used and can be capable of use to implement those steps performed by a sensor control device from any and all of the methods described herein.

Likewise, embodiments of reader devices are disclosed having one or more transmitters, receivers, non-transitory memories (e.g., for storing instructions), power sources, processing circuitry, and/or controllers (e.g., for executing instructions) that can perform any and all method steps or facilitate the execution of any and all method steps. These embodiments of the reader devices can be used to implement those steps performed by a reader device from any and all of the methods described herein.

Embodiments of trusted computer systems are also disclosed. These trusted computer systems can include one or more processing circuitry, controllers, transmitters, receivers, non-transitory memories, databases, servers, and/or networks, and can be discretely located or distributed across multiple geographic locales. These embodiments of the trusted computer systems can be used to implement those steps performed by a trusted computer system from any and all of the methods described herein.

Before describing the embodiments in detail, however, it is first desirable to describe examples of devices that can be present within, for example, an in vivo analyte monitoring system, as well as examples of their operation, all of which can be used with the embodiments described herein.

Example Embodiments of Analyte Monitoring Systems

There are various types of analyte monitoring systems. “Continuous Analyte Monitoring” systems (or “Continuous Glucose Monitoring” systems), for example, are in vivo systems that can transmit data from a sensor control device to a reader device repeatedly or continuously without prompting, e.g., automatically according to a schedule. “Flash Analyte Monitoring” systems (or “Flash Glucose Monitoring” systems or simply “Flash” systems), as another example, are in vivo systems that can transfer data from a sensor control device in response to a scan or request for data by a reader device, such as with a Near Field Communication (NFC) or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) protocol. In vivo analyte monitoring systems can also operate without the need for finger stick calibration.

In vivo monitoring systems can include a sensor that, while positioned in vivo, makes contact with the bodily fluid of the user and senses one or more analyte levels contained therein. The sensor can be part of a sensor control device that resides on the body of the user and contains the electronics and power supply that enable and control the analyte sensing. The sensor control device, and variations thereof, can also be referred to as a “sensor control unit,” an “on-body electronics” device or unit, an “on-body” device or unit, or a “sensor data communication” device or unit, to name a few. As used herein, these terms are not limited to devices with analyte sensors, and encompass devices that have sensors of other types, whether biometric or non-biometric. The term “on body” refers to any device that resides directly on the body or in close proximity to the body, such as a wearable device (e.g., glasses, watch, wristband or bracelet, neckband or necklace, etc.).

In vivo monitoring systems can also include one or more reader devices that receive sensed analyte data from the sensor control device. These reader devices can process and/or display the sensed analyte data, or sensor data, in any number of forms, to the user. These devices, and variations thereof, can be referred to as “handheld reader devices,” “reader devices” (or simply, “readers”), “handheld electronics” (or handhelds), “portable data processing” devices or units, “data receivers,” “receiver” devices or units (or simply receivers), “relay” devices or units, or “remote” devices or units, to name a few. Other devices such as personal computers have also been utilized with or incorporated into in vivo and in vitro monitoring systems.

In vivo analyte monitoring systems can be differentiated from “in vitro” systems that contact a biological sample outside of the body (or rather “ex vivo”) and that typically include a meter device that has a port for receiving an analyte test strip carrying a bodily fluid of the user, which can be analyzed to determine the user's analyte level. As mentioned, the embodiments described herein can be used with in vivo systems, in vitro systems, and combinations thereof.

The embodiments described herein can be used to monitor and/or process information regarding any number of one or more different analytes. Analytes that may be monitored include, but are not limited to, acetyl choline, amylase, bilirubin, cholesterol, chorionic gonadotropin, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), creatine kinase (e.g., CK-MB), creatine, creatinine, DNA, fructosamine, glucose, glucose derivatives, glutamine, growth hormones, hormones, ketones, ketone bodies, lactate, peroxide, prostate-specific antigen, prothrombin, RNA, thyroid stimulating hormone, and troponin. The concentration of drugs, such as, for example, antibiotics (e.g., gentamicin, vancomycin, and the like), digitoxin, digoxin, drugs of abuse, theophylline, and warfarin, may also be monitored. In embodiments that monitor more than one analyte, the analytes may be monitored at the same or different times.

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view depicting an example embodiment of an in vivo analyte monitoring system 100 having a sensor control device 102 and a reader device 120 that communicate with each other over a local communication path (or link) 140, which can be wired or wireless, and uni-directional or bi-directional. In embodiments where path 140 is wireless, a near field communication (NFC) protocol, RFID protocol, Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, Wi-Fi protocol, proprietary protocol, or the like can be used, including those communication protocols in existence as of the date of this filing or their later developed variants. Similarly, sensor control device 102 can also communicate with a secondary electronic computing device 300, such as an exercise bicycle or treadmill with an integrated computing device, a smartwatch, a tablet computing device, etc., over a local communication path (or link) 144, which can also be wired or wireless, and uni-directional or bi-directional. In embodiments where path 144 is wireless, a NFC, RFID, Bluetooth or BLE, Wi-Fi protocol, proprietary protocol, or the like can be used, including those communication protocols in existence as of the date of this filing or their later developed variants.

Secondary electronic computing device 300 can also communicate with reader device 120 over a local communication path (or link) 145, which can be wired or wireless, and uni-directional or bi-directional. In embodiments where path 145 is wireless, an NFC, RFID, Bluetooth or BLE, Wi-Fi protocol, proprietary protocol, or the like can be used, including those communication protocols in existence as of the date of this filing or their later developed variants. Those of skill in the art will also appreciate that, secondary computing device 300 is not limited to a single device and can include multiple computing devices (e.g., exercise bicycles with integrated computing systems, smartwatches, etc.) with the above-described characteristics.

Reader device 120 is also capable of wired, wireless, or combined communication with a computer system 170 (e.g., a local or remote computer system) over communication path (or link) 141 and with a network 190, such as the internet or the cloud, over communication path (or link) 142. Communication with network 190 can involve communication with trusted computer system 180 within network 190, or though network 190 to computer system 170 via communication link (or path) 143. Communication paths 141, 142, 143, 144, and 145 can be wireless, wired, or both, can be uni-directional or bi-directional, and can be part of a telecommunications network, such as a Wi-Fi network, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the internet, or other data network. In some cases, communication paths 141 and 142 can be the same path. All communications over paths 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, and 145 can be encrypted and sensor control device 102, reader device 120, secondary electronic computing device 300, computer system 170, and trusted computer system 180 can each be configured to encrypt and decrypt those communications sent and received.

Variants of devices 102 and 120, as well as other components of an in vivo-based analyte monitoring system that are suitable for use with the system, device, and method embodiments set forth herein, are described in U.S. Patent Publ. No. 2011/0213225 (the '225 Publication), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes.

Sensor control device 102 can include a housing 103 containing in vivo analyte monitoring circuitry and a power source. In this embodiment, the in vivo analyte monitoring circuitry is electrically coupled with an analyte sensor 104 that extends through an adhesive patch 105 and projects away from housing 103. Adhesive patch 105 contains an adhesive layer (not shown) for attachment to a skin surface of the body of the user. Other forms of body attachment to the body may be used, in addition to or instead of adhesive.

Sensor 104 is adapted to be at least partially inserted into the body of the user, where it can make fluid contact with that user's bodily fluid (e.g., subcutaneous (subdermal) fluid, dermal fluid, or blood) and be used, along with the in vivo analyte monitoring circuitry, to measure analyte-related data of the user. Sensor 104 and any accompanying sensor control electronics can be applied to the body in any desired manner. For example, an insertion device (not shown) can be used to position all or a portion of analyte sensor 104 through an external surface of the user's skin and into contact with the user's bodily fluid. In doing so, the insertion device can also position sensor control device 102 with adhesive patch 105 onto the skin. In other embodiments, insertion device can position sensor 104 first, and then accompanying sensor control electronics can be coupled with sensor 104 afterwards, either manually or with the aid of a mechanical device. Examples of insertion devices are described in U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2008/0009692, 2011/0319729, 2015/0018639, 2015/0025345, and 2015/0173661, all which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties and for all purposes.

After collecting raw data from the user's body, sensor control device 102 can apply analog signal conditioning to the data and convert the data into a digital form of the conditioned raw data. In some embodiments, sensor control device 102 can then algorithmically process the digital raw data into a form that is representative of the user's measured biometric (e.g., analyte level) and/or one or more analyte metrics based thereupon. Sensor control device 102 can then encode and wirelessly communicate the calculated analyte metrics to reader device 120 and/or secondary electronics computing device 300, which in turn can format or graphically process the received data for digital display to the user. In other embodiments, in addition to, or in lieu of, wirelessly communicating sensor data to another device (e.g., reader device 120 and/or secondary electronic computing device 300), sensor control device 102 can graphically process the final form of the data such that it is ready for display, and display that data on a display of sensor control device 102. In some embodiments, the final form of the biometric data (prior to graphic processing) is used by the system (e.g., incorporated into a diabetes monitoring regime) without processing for display to the user.

In still other embodiments, the conditioned raw digital data can be encoded for transmission to another device, e.g., reader device 120 or secondary electronic computing device 300, which then algorithmically processes that digital raw data into a form representative of the user's measured biometric (e.g., a form readily made suitable for display to the user) and/or one or more analyte metrics based thereupon. Reader device 120 and/or secondary electronic computing device 300 can include processing circuitry to algorithmically perform any of the method steps described herein to calculate analyte metrics. This algorithmically processed data can then be formatted or graphically processed for digital display to the user.

In other embodiments, sensor control device 102, reader device 120, and/or secondary electronic computing device 300 can transmit the digital raw data to another computer system for algorithmic processing and display.

Reader device 120 can include a display 122 to output information to the user and/or to accept an input from the user, and an optional input component 121 (or more), such as a button, actuator, touch sensitive switch, capacitive switch, pressure sensitive switch, jog wheel or the like, to input data, commands, or otherwise control the operation of reader device 120. In certain embodiments, display 122 and input component 121 may be integrated into a single component, for example, where the display can detect the presence and location of a physical contact touch upon the display, such as a touch screen user interface. In certain embodiments, input component 121 of reader device 120 may include a microphone and reader device 120 may include software configured to analyze audio input received from the microphone, such that functions and operation of the reader device 120 may be controlled by voice commands. In certain embodiments, an output component of reader device 120 includes a speaker (not shown) for outputting information as audible signals. Similar voice responsive components such as a speaker, microphone and software routines to generate, process and store voice driven signals may be included in sensor control device 102.

Reader device 120 can also include one or more data communication ports 123 for wired data communication with external devices such as computer system 170 or sensor control device 102. Example data communication ports include USB ports, mini USB ports, USB Type-C ports, USB micro-A and/or micro-B ports, RS-232 ports, Ethernet ports, Firewire ports, or other similar data communication ports configured to connect to the compatible data cables. Reader device 120 may also include an integrated or attachable in vitro glucose meter, including an in vitro test strip port (not shown) to receive an in vitro glucose test strip for performing in vitro blood glucose measurements.

Reader device 120 can display the measured biometric data wirelessly received from sensor control device 102 and can also be configured to output alarms, alert notifications, glucose values, etc., which may be visual, audible, tactile, or any combination thereof. Further details and other display embodiments can be found in, e.g., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0193704, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

Reader device 120 can function as a data conduit to transfer the measured data and/or analyte metrics from sensor control device 102 to computer system 170 or trusted computer system 180. In certain embodiments, the data received from sensor control device 102 may be stored (permanently or temporarily) in one or more memories of reader device 120 prior to uploading to system 170, 180 or network 190.

Computer system 170 may be a personal computer, a server terminal, a laptop computer, a tablet, or other suitable data processing device. Computer system 170 can be (or include) software for data management and analysis and communication with the components in analyte monitoring system 100. Computer system 170 can be used by the user or a medical professional to display and/or analyze the biometric data measured by sensor control device 102. In some embodiments, sensor control device 102 can communicate the biometric data directly to computer system 170 without an intermediary such as reader device 120, or indirectly using an internet connection (also optionally without first sending to reader device 120). Operation and use of computer system 170 is further described in the '225 Publication incorporated herein. Analyte monitoring system 100 can also be configured to operate with a data processing module (not shown), also as described in the incorporated '225 Publication.

Trusted computer system 180 can be within the possession of the manufacturer or distributor of sensor control device 102, either physically or virtually through a secured connection, and can be used to perform authentication of sensor control device 102, for secure storage of the user's biometric data, and/or as a server that serves a data analytics program (e.g., accessible via a web browser) for performing analysis on the user's measured data.

Example Embodiments of Reader Devices

Reader device 120 can be a mobile communication device such as a dedicated reader device (configured for communication with a sensor control device 102, and optionally a computer system 170, but without mobile telephony communication capability) or a mobile telephone including, but not limited to, a Wi-Fi or internet enabled smartphone, tablet, or personal digital assistant (PDA). Examples of smartphones can include those mobile phones based on a Windows® operating system, Android™ operating system, iPhone® operating system, Palm® WebOS™, Blackberry® operating system, or Symbian® operating system, with data network connectivity functionality for data communication over an internet connection and/or a local area network (LAN).

Reader device 120 can also be configured as a mobile smart wearable electronics assembly, such as an optical assembly that is worn over or adjacent to the user's eye (e.g., a smart glass or smart glasses, such as Google glasses, which is a mobile communication device). This optical assembly can have a transparent display that displays information about the user's analyte level (as described herein) to the user while at the same time allowing the user to see through the display such that the user's overall vision is minimally obstructed. The optical assembly may be capable of wireless communications similar to a smartphone. Other examples of wearable electronics include devices that are worn around or in the proximity of the user's wrist (e.g., a watch, etc.), neck (e.g., a necklace, etc.), head (e.g., a headband, hat, etc.), chest, or the like.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a reader device 120 configured as a smartphone. Here, reader device 120 includes an input component 121, display 122, and processing circuitry 206, which can include one or more processors, microprocessors, controllers, and/or microcontrollers, each of which can be a discrete chip or distributed amongst (and a portion of) a number of different chips. Here, processing circuitry 206 includes a communications processor 202 having on-board memory 203 and an applications processor 204 having on-board memory 205. Reader device 120 further includes RF communication circuitry 208 coupled with an RF antenna 209, a memory 210, multi-functional circuitry 212 with one or more associated antennas 214, a power supply 216, power management circuitry 218, and a clock 219. FIG. 2 is an abbreviated representation of the typical hardware and functionality that resides within a smartphone and those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that other hardware and functionality (e.g., codecs, drivers, glue logic) can also be included.

Communications processor 202 can interface with RF communication circuitry 208 and perform analog-to-digital conversions, encoding and decoding, digital signal processing and other functions that facilitate the conversion of voice, video, and data signals into a format (e.g., in-phase and quadrature) suitable for provision to RF communication circuitry 208, which can then transmit the signals wirelessly. Communications processor 202 can also interface with RF communication circuitry 208 to perform the reverse functions necessary to receive a wireless transmission and convert it into digital data, voice, and video. RF communication circuitry 208 can include a transmitter and a receiver (e.g., integrated as a transceiver) and associated encoder logic.

Applications processor 204 can be adapted to execute the operating system and any software applications that reside on reader device 120, process video and graphics, and perform those other functions not related to the processing of communications transmitted and received over RF antenna 209. The smartphone operating system will operate in conjunction with a number of applications on reader device 120. Any number of applications (also known as “user interface applications”) can be running on reader device 120 at any one time, and may include one or more applications that are related to a diabetes monitoring regime, in addition to the other commonly used applications that are unrelated to such a regime, e.g., email, calendar, weather, sports, games, etc. For example, the data indicative of a sensed analyte level and in vitro blood analyte measurements received by the reader device can be securely communicated to user interface applications residing in memory 210 of reader device 120. Such communications can be securely performed, for example, through the use of mobile application containerization or wrapping technologies.

Memory 210 can be shared by one or more of the various functional units present within reader device 120, or can be distributed amongst two or more of them (e.g., as separate memories present within different chips). Memory 210 can also be a separate chip of its own. Memories 203, 205, and 210 are non-transitory, and can be volatile (e.g., RAM, etc.) and/or non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM, flash memory, F-RAM, etc.).

Multi-functional circuitry 212 can be implemented as one or more chips and/or components (e.g., transmitter, receiver, transceiver, and/or other communication circuitry) that perform other functions such as local wireless communications, e.g., with sensor control device 102 under the appropriate protocol (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Near Field Communication (NFC), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), proprietary protocols, and others) and determining the geographic position of reader device 120 (e.g., global positioning system (GPS) hardware). One or more other antennas 214 are associated with the functional circuitry 212 as needed to operate with the various protocols and circuits.

Power supply 216 can include one or more batteries, which can be rechargeable or single-use disposable batteries. Power management circuitry 218 can regulate battery charging and power supply monitoring, boost power, perform DC conversions, and the like.

Reader device 120 can also include or be integrated with a drug (e.g., insulin, etc.) delivery device such that they, e.g., share a common housing. Examples of such drug delivery devices can include medication pumps having a cannula that remains in the body to allow infusion over a multi-hour or multi-day period (e.g., wearable pumps for the delivery of basal and bolus insulin). Reader device 120, when combined with a medication pump, can include a reservoir to store the drug, a pump connectable to transfer tubing, and an infusion cannula. The pump can force the drug from the reservoir, through the tubing and into the diabetic's body by way of the cannula inserted therein. Other examples of drug delivery devices that can be included with (or integrated with) reader device 120 include portable injection devices that pierce the skin only for each delivery and are subsequently removed (e.g., insulin pens). A reader device 120, when combined with a portable injection device, can include an injection needle, a cartridge for carrying the drug, an interface for controlling the amount of drug to be delivered, and an actuator to cause injection to occur. The device can be used repeatedly until the drug is exhausted, at which point the combined device can be discarded, or the cartridge can be replaced with a new one, at which point the combined device can be reused repeatedly. The needle can be replaced after each injection.

The combined device can function as part of a closed-loop system (e.g., an artificial pancreas system requiring no user intervention to operate) or semi-closed loop system (e.g., an insulin loop system requiring seldom user intervention to operate, such as to confirm changes in dose). For example, the diabetic's analyte level can be monitored in a repeated automatic fashion by sensor control device 102, which can then communicate that monitored analyte level to reader device 120, and the appropriate drug dosage to control the diabetic's analyte level can be automatically determined and subsequently delivered to the diabetic's body. Software instructions for controlling the pump and the amount of insulin delivered can be stored in the memory of reader device 120 and executed by the reader device's processing circuitry. These instructions can also cause calculation of drug delivery amounts and durations (e.g., a bolus infusion and/or a basal infusion profile) based on the analyte level measurements obtained directly or indirectly from sensor control device 102. In some embodiments sensor control device 102 can determine the drug dosage and communicate that to reader device 120.

Example Embodiments of Sensor Control Devices

FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting an example embodiment of sensor control device 102 having analyte sensor 104 and sensor electronics 250 (including analyte monitoring circuitry) that can have the majority of the processing capability for rendering end-result data suitable for display to the user. In FIG. 3, a single semiconductor chip 251 is depicted that can be a custom application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Shown within ASIC 251 are certain high-level functional units, including an analog front end (AFE) 252, power management (or control) circuitry 254, processor 256, and communication circuitry 258 (which can be implemented as a transmitter, receiver, transceiver, passive circuit, or otherwise according to the communication protocol). In this embodiment, both AFE 252 and processor 256 are used as analyte monitoring circuitry, but in other embodiments either circuit can perform the analyte monitoring function. Processor 256 can include one or more processors, microprocessors, controllers, and/or microcontrollers, each of which can be a discrete chip or distributed amongst (and a portion of) a number of different chips.

A memory 253 is also included within ASIC 251 and can be shared by the various functional units present within ASIC 251, or can be distributed amongst two or more of them. Memory 253 can also be a separate chip. Memory 253 is non-transitory and can be volatile and/or non-volatile memory. In this embodiment, ASIC 251 is coupled with power source 260, which can be a coin cell battery, or the like. AFE 252 interfaces with in vivo analyte sensor 104 and receives measurement data therefrom and outputs the data to processor 256 in digital form, which in turn can, in some embodiments, process in any of the manners described elsewhere herein. This data can then be provided to communication circuitry 258 for sending, by way of antenna 261, to reader device 120 and/or secondary electronic computing device 300 (not shown), for example, where minimal further processing is needed by the resident software application to display the data. Antenna 261 can be configured according to the needs of the application and communication protocol. Antenna 261 can be, for example, a printed circuit board (PCB) trace antenna, a ceramic antenna, or a discrete metallic antenna. Antenna 261 can be configured as a monopole antenna, a dipole antenna, an F-type antenna, a loop antenna, and others.

Information may be communicated from sensor control device 102 to a second device (e.g., reader device 120 or secondary electronic computing device 300) at the initiative of sensor control device 102, reader device 120, or secondary electronic computing device 300. For example, information can be communicated automatically and/or repeatedly (e.g., continuously) by sensor control device 102 when the analyte information is available, or according to a schedule (e.g., about every 1 minute, about every 5 minutes, about every 10 minutes, or the like), in which case the information can be stored or logged in a memory of sensor control device 102 for later communication. The information can be transmitted from sensor control device 102 in response to receipt of a request by the second device. This request can be an automated request, e.g., a request transmitted by the second device according to a schedule, or can be a request generated at the initiative of a user (e.g., an ad hoc or manual request). In some embodiments, a manual request for data is referred to as a “scan” of sensor control device 102 or an “on-demand” data transfer from device 102. In some embodiments, the second device can transmit a polling signal or data packet to sensor control device 102, and device 102 can treat each poll (or polls occurring at certain time intervals) as a request for data and, if data is available, then can transmit such data to the second device. In many embodiments, the communication between sensor control device 102 and the second device are secure (e.g., encrypted and/or between authenticated devices), but in some embodiments the data can be transmitted from sensor control device 102 in an unsecured manner, e.g., as a broadcast to all listening devices in range.

Different types and/or forms and/or amounts of information may be sent as part of each communication including, but not limited to, one or more of current sensor measurements (e.g., the most recently obtained analyte level information temporally corresponding to the time the reading is initiated), rate of change of the measured metric over a predetermined time period, rate of the rate of change of the metric (acceleration in the rate of change), or historical metric information corresponding to metric information obtained prior to a given reading and stored in a memory of sensor control device 102.

Some or all of real time, historical, rate of change, rate of rate of change (such as acceleration or deceleration) information may be sent to reader device 120 or secondary electronic computing device 300 in a given communication or transmission. In certain embodiments, the type and/or form and/or amount of information sent to reader device 120 and/or secondary electronic computing device 300 may be preprogrammed and/or unchangeable (e.g., preset at manufacturing), or may not be preprogrammed and/or unchangeable so that it may be selectable and/or changeable in the field one or more times (e.g., by activating a switch of the system, etc.). Accordingly, in certain embodiments reader device 120 and/or secondary electronic computing device 300 can output a current (real time) sensor-derived analyte value (e.g., in numerical format), a current rate of analyte change (e.g., in the form of an analyte rate indicator such as an arrow pointing in a direction to indicate the current rate), and analyte trend history data based on sensor readings acquired by and stored in memory of sensor control device 102 (e.g., in the form of a graphical trace). Additionally, an on-skin or sensor temperature reading or measurement may be collected by an optional temperature sensor 257. Those readings or measurements can be communicated (either individually or as an aggregated measurement over time) from sensor control device 102 to another device (e.g., reader 120 and/or secondary electronic computing device 300). The temperature reading or measurement, however, may be used in conjunction with a software routine executed by reader device 120 and/or secondary electronic computing device 300 to correct or compensate the analyte measurement output to the user, instead of or in addition to actually displaying the temperature measurement to the user.

Embodiments of Systems, Devices and Methods for Sensor Communications

Described herein are various example embodiments of a Sensor Communication Module (SCM), a standalone software component that can be used by or within third-party applications on reader devices 120 implemented on mobile computing device platforms (e.g., Android and iOS) to communicate with a manufacturer's sensor control devices 102. According to one aspect of the embodiments, reader device 120 can activate sensor control device 102 and obtain a Bluetooth or BLE key from sensor control device 102. In some embodiments, for example, Bluetooth and/or BLE information, as well as SCM information, from reader device 120 can be transferred to a secondary electronic computing device 300 (e.g., exercise bicycle with integrated computing device) via communication link 145, as shown in FIG. 1. Subsequently, data between reader device 120 and secondary electronic computing device 300 can be synchronized, shared, and, optionally, uploaded to a trusted computer system 180 in cloud 190.

Similarly, the secondary electronic computing device 300 (e.g., exercise bicycle with integrated computing device running SCM) can be configured to activate the sensor control device 102 (instead of reader device 120), and pass sensor context information to the software application on reader device 120. Subsequently, data between secondary electronic computing device 300 and reader device 120 can be synchronized, shared, and, optionally, uploaded to a trusted computer system 180 in cloud 190.

One objective of SCM is to perform operations related to sensor communications, especially those that are proprietary. For example, SCM and other software provided by the sensor control device's manufacturer can be configured to receive data from sensor control device 102 and perform complex algorithms on the reader device 120, such as data decryption and glucose calculations. In this regard, SCM provides for a significant degree of data accuracy, confidentiality and integrity with respect to the protection of complex glucose algorithms performed on reader device 120, while allowing authorized third parties to develop mobile apps without requiring that those third parties take on the significant responsibility of independently providing the same level of performance and results accuracy.

According to one aspect of the embodiments, various third-party companies can develop their own mobile applications that work with the manufacturer's sensor control devices 102, but those third-party companies can have a variety of use cases that are different from those currently supported by the manufacturer. To adequately support these third-party companies, SCM and the services that it offers can be enhanced to support more complex use cases. The following section outlines the high-level SCM functions that a manufacturer can implement to support the third parties.

In certain embodiments, the SCM utilizes a modular architecture (for example, one module that performs the glucose calculations while another module manages the internal database) which supports many internal function calls. Third parties can be encouraged to use a smaller number of high-level calls as described below.

FIGS. 4 to 6 are flowcharts depicting example embodiments of methods and/or routines for wirelessly communicating data in an analyte monitoring system. As an initial matter, it will be understood by those in the art that any or all of the method steps and/or routines described herein can comprise instructions (e.g., software, firmware, etc.) stored in non-volatile memory of a sensor control device, a remote device (e.g., smartphone, reader), and/or any other computing device that is part of, or in communication with, an analyte monitoring system. Furthermore, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of their respective computing device, can cause the one or more processors to perform any one or more of the method steps described herein. In addition, although one or more of the method steps and/or routines described herein may comprise software and/or firmware stored on a single computing device, those of skill in the art will recognize that, in certain embodiments, the software and/or firmware can be distributed across multiple similar or disparate computing devices.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting an example embodiment of a method 400 for wirelessly communicating data in an analyte monitoring system. Although not depicted, according to one aspect of the embodiments, a unique identifier object can be created as an initial step (i.e., prior to Step 402), if one does not already exist. In some embodiments, for example, the unique identifier object can be a user-specific identifier object (e.g., a username, a user profile, or a user account ID) that is inputted, generated, or facilitated by a software application, module, or routine comprising the sensor communications module (SCM) that is running on the reader device or smartphone. In other embodiments, the unique identifier object can be associated with a physical device, e.g., a sensor control device or a reader device, and can comprise, for example, a serial number, a media access control (MAC) address, a public key, a private key, or a similar string of characters.

At Step 402, the unique identifier object is retrieved for identification purposes. Subsequently, at Step 404, the sensor control device is activated. In some embodiments, for example, the activation can be caused by the software application, module, or routine comprising the SCM and residing on the remote device (e.g., a reader device or smartphone), which can be configured to wirelessly transmit a series of commands according to a wireless communication protocol (e.g., Near Field Communications (NFC) protocol) to the sensor control device. According to one aspect of the embodiments, as shown by Steps 406 and 408, the activation step can comprise enabling the sensor control device to communicate sensor data via two (or more) wireless communication protocols. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the retrieved unique identifier object is passed as an argument into the activation method step.

Referring still to FIG. 4, at Step 406, the sensor control device can be enabled to communicate data via a first wireless communication protocol, wherein the first wireless communication protocol supports non-autonomous data communications with a remote device (e.g., reader device or smartphone). According to some embodiments, for example, the first wireless communication protocol can comprise an NFC protocol, an infrared communication protocol, or a similar standard or proprietary wireless communication protocol configured to transmit data within close proximity to (e.g., within a short range of) the reader device or smartphone in response to a request from the reader device or smartphone. For example, at Step 410, a request for data (e.g., an interrogation signal) is received by the sensor control device. In some embodiments, for example, the request is initiated through a scan by the remote device. In response to the received request, at Step 412, the sensor control device can then transmit sensor data to the remote device (e.g., reader device or smartphone) according to the first wireless communication protocol. According to some embodiments, the received sensor data can be further processed by the SCM residing on the reader or smartphone, stored in an internal database, and/or outputted to a display of the reader or smartphone. In some embodiments, for example, the software residing on the reader or smartphone can be configured to display a current or historic glucose reading.

According to another aspect of the embodiments, at Step 408, the sensor control device can be enabled to communicate data via a second wireless communication protocol, wherein the second wireless communication protocol supports autonomous data communications with the remote device (e.g., reader device or smartphone). In some embodiments, the second wireless communications protocol can be enabled by a command initiated by a software application, module, or routine residing on the first remote device. In other embodiments, the second wireless communication protocol can be enabled in response to a delegate callback. According to some embodiments, for example, the second wireless communication protocol can comprise a Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy communication protocol, an 802.11x protocol, a cellular communication protocol, or a similar standard or proprietary wireless communication protocol configured to autonomously transmit data at a range greater than the first wireless communication protocol.

Furthermore, according to some embodiments, at Step 414, the activated sensor control device can transmit sensor data to the remote device (e.g., reader device or smartphone) at a predetermined transmission rate. In some embodiments, for example, the predetermined transmission rate can be every 30 seconds, every minute, every 2 minutes, every 5 minutes, etc. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that other transmission rates are possible and are fully within the scope of the present disclosure. Subsequently, the received sensor data can be further processed by software residing on the reader or smartphone, stored in an internal database, and/or outputted to a display of the reader or smartphone. In some embodiments, for example, the software residing on the reader or smartphone can be configured to display a current or historic glucose reading.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart depicting another example embodiment of a method 500 for wirelessly communicating data in an analyte monitoring system. According to one aspect of the embodiments, method 500 can support a “handoff” of a wireless communication link from a sensor control device from a first client application (e.g., on a first remote device) to another client application (e.g., on a second remote device). At Step 502, a first wireless communication link is established between a sensor control device and a first remote device. According to some embodiments, the first wireless communication link can comprise a Bluetooth or a Bluetooth Low Energy connection. In some embodiments, the first remote device can be a reader or a smartphone. At Step 504, a first set of sensor data is transmitted by the sensor control device to the first remote device over the first wireless communication link. In some embodiments, the first set of sensor data can be transmitted according to a predetermined transmission rate (e.g., every 30 seconds, every minute, every 5 minutes, etc.). Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the sensor data can comprise data indicative of an analyte level, such as, for example, a glucose level, a glucose rate-of-change, a glucose trend, or a glucose alarm condition, among others.

At Step 506, the first remote device transmits sensor context information (SCI) to a second remote device. In some embodiments, for example, the second remote device can comprise a secondary smartphone or a secondary reader device, a medication delivery system (e.g., an insulin pump or an insulin pen), an exercise device or equipment (e.g., a stationary bike or treadmill) with an integrated computing device, a wearable computing device (e.g., smartwatch or smart glasses), or any other computing device (e.g., tablet computer, laptop computer, desktop computer, set-top box, server, workstation, etc.). According to another aspect of the embodiments, the SCI can comprise activation information (e.g., NFC activation information), public and/or private keys in order to start and/or stop a Bluetooth channel, Sensor ID, remaining sensor life, and other sensor information. In some embodiments, SCI can also include user-related information (e.g., User ID).

According to some embodiments, SCI can be transferred from the first remote device to the second remote device via a Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy communication protocol, an infrared communication protocol, an NFC communication protocol, an 802.11x communication protocol, a cellular communication protocol, or any other standard or proprietary wired or wireless communication protocol. In other embodiments, SCI can be inputted into the second remote device by, for example, manual user entry (e.g., by a keyboard, keypad, or touchscreen), scanning a bar code, or scanning a QR code, etc. In another aspect, the transmission of SCI can occur in response to receiving an indication from the user through a user interface or prompt displayed by a software application, module, or routine residing on the first or the second remote device. In other embodiments, the transmission of SCI can occur automatically, according to a predetermined schedule.

Referring still to FIG. 5, at Step 508, the first wireless communication link is deactivated. According to some embodiments, for example, the deactivation can be performed or initiated by a software application, module, or routine residing on the first remote device. In other embodiments, the deactivation can be performed or initiated by software on the second remote device. Subsequently, at Step 510, a second wireless communication link is established between the sensor control device and the second remote device based on the received SCI. At Step 512, a second set of sensor data is transmitted by the sensor control device to the second remote device.

According to some embodiments, the first and the second wireless communication links can both comprise Bluetooth communication channels. In other embodiments, the first wireless communication link can be established according to a first wireless communication protocol (e.g., a Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy communication protocol), and the second wireless communication link can be established according to a second wireless communication protocol (e.g., an 802.11x communication protocol). Furthermore, although not depicted, those of skill in the art will understand that prior to Step 502, a unique identifier object can be generated and retrieved, and the sensor control device can be activated, as described with respect to method 400 of FIG. 4. In this regard, any one or more of the method steps described with respect to the example embodiments of methods of the present disclosure are freely combinable.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart depicting another example embodiment of a method 600 for wirelessly communicating data in an analyte monitoring system. According to one aspect of the embodiments, method 600 includes Steps 602 and 604, which parallel Steps 502 and Step 504 of method 500. At Step 606, a software application, module, or routine comprising the SCM and residing on the first remote device can detect a signal loss condition. For example, in some embodiments, the sensor control device may be taken out of the wireless transmission range of the first remote device. Accordingly, at Step 608, if the duration of the signal loss condition exceeds a predetermined wait period, the software application, module, or routine residing on the first remote device can deactivate the first wireless communication link and processing state. In this regard, the sensor control device and the first remote device are each transitioned into a disconnected state, and the sensor control device can begin advertising such that another software application, module, or routine comprising the SCM on another remote device (with the appropriate SCI) can connect to it.

Additional examples of features and functions of software applications, modules, and routines used in analyte monitoring systems to support to the handoff of wireless communication links between a particular sensor control device and multiple software applications and/or remote devices will now be described. According to some embodiments, for example, an example function can be utilized to retrieve a list of active (non-expired) sensor control devices known to a particular instance of SCM, to allow a software application to simultaneously work with more than one sensor control device at a time.

Example Use Cases

Example use cases for SCM will now be described. Before doing so, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that any one or more of the steps of the example use cases described herein can be stored as software instructions in a non-transitory memory of a sensor control device, a reader device, a remote computing device, a trusted computer system (such as those described with respect to FIG. 1), or a computing device integrated into exercise equipment (e.g., a stationary bicycle or treadmill with a computing device coupled thereto, a smartwatch, etc.). The stored instructions, when executed, can cause the processing circuitry of the associated device or computing system to perform any one or more of the steps of the example methods described herein. It will also be understood by those of skill in the art that, in many of the embodiments, any one or more of the method steps described herein can be performed using real-time sensor data, near real-time sensor data, or historical sensor data.

It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the instructions can be stored in non-transitory memory on a single device (e.g., a sensor control device, a reader device, and/or a secondary electronic computing device) or, in the alternative, can be distributed across multiple discrete devices, which can be located in geographically dispersed locations (e.g., a cloud platform). Likewise, those of skill in the art will recognize that the representations of computing devices in the embodiments disclosed herein, such as those shown in FIG. 1, are intended to cover both physical devices and virtual devices (or “virtual machines”).

According to one example use case, SCM can be utilized to cause the Bluetooth or BLE keys to be transmitted to a secondary electronic computing device (e.g., an exercise bike with an integrated computing device) so that the sensor control device can transmit analyte data directly to the secondary electronic computing device. In some embodiments, for example, a user can initiate the transfer of Bluetooth or BLE keys by indicating on a reader device (e.g., smartphone) that he or she will be using the secondary electronic computing device. In alternative embodiments, the transfer of Bluetooth or BLE keys can be initiated automatically when the secondary electronic computing device detects that a user has begun to use the secondary electronic computing device. Subsequently, SCM can terminate the communication channel between the sensor control device and the reader device and transmit the appropriate Bluetooth or BLE keys to the secondary electronic computing device. Once the Bluetooth keys are received by the secondary electronic computing device, a secure Bluetooth or BLE communications channel can then be established between the sensor control device and the secondary electronic computing device. According to some embodiments, the secondary electronic computing device can include a third-party application configured to operate on a mobile computing platform (e.g., Android), which can then receive and display the received analyte data.

According to a further example use case, once the user has completed his or her use of the secondary electronic computing device (e.g., completing an exercise routine), the third party application on the secondary electronic computing device can send an indication to the sensor control device and/or reader device that the connection between the secondary electronic computing device and the sensor control device is to be terminated. Subsequently, according to some embodiments, the sensor control device can terminate the connection with the secondary electronic computing device, and thereafter, establish a new connection with a reader device.

According to some embodiments, certain data fields that can be acquired can include: age (in months and/or years), age range, gender, glucose data (including time and date stamps), exercise data (including date/time exercise activity started, data/time exercise activity stopped), intensity of exercise (including calories burned), exercise type (e.g., running, cycling, swimming, etc., each of which can be logged by the user from a list or determined automatically when the exercise session starts/stops), country, nutrition (e.g., user-entered food, meals, or carbohydrates along with time stamp), height, weight, and/or ethnicity. Data can be acquired and/or sorted by a “User ID.” If fields are changed, the date of the change and the changed value can be recorded (e.g., if weight changes, then a timestamp can indicate the date/time of the weight change). In some embodiments, a daily feed to a data repository can occur. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the data feed to the data repository can occur more or less frequently.

For each and every embodiment of a method disclosed herein, systems and devices capable of performing each of those embodiments are covered within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, embodiments of sensor control devices are disclosed and these devices can have one or more analyte sensors, analyte monitoring circuits (e.g., an analog circuit), memories (e.g., for storing instructions), power sources, communication circuits, transmitters, receivers, clocks, counters, times, temperature sensors, processors (e.g., for executing instructions) that can perform any and all method steps or facilitate the execution of any and all method steps. These sensor control device embodiments can be used and can be capable of use to implement those steps performed by a sensor control device from any and all of the methods described herein. Similarly, embodiments of reader devices are disclosed and these devices can have one or more memories (e.g., for storing instructions), power sources, communication circuits, transmitters, receivers, clocks, counters, times, and processors (e.g., for executing instructions) that can perform any and all method steps or facilitate the execution of any and all method steps. These reader device embodiments can be used and can be capable of use to implement those steps performed by a reader device from any and all of the methods described herein. Embodiments of computer devices and servers are disclosed and these devices can have one or more memories (e.g., for storing instructions), power sources, communication circuits, transmitters, receivers, clocks, counters, times, and processors (e.g., for executing instructions) that can perform any and all method steps or facilitate the execution of any and all method steps. These reader device embodiments can be used and can be capable of use to implement those steps performed by a reader device from any and all of the methods described herein.

Computer program instructions for carrying out operations in accordance with the described subject matter may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, JavaScript, Smalltalk, C++, C#, Transact-SQL, XML, PHP or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computing device, partly on the user's computing device, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computing device and partly on a remote computing device or entirely on the remote computing device or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computing device may be connected to the user's computing device through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

It should be noted that all features, elements, components, functions, and steps described with respect to any embodiment provided herein are intended to be freely combinable and substitutable with those from any other embodiment. If a certain feature, element, component, function, or step is described with respect to only one embodiment, then it should be understood that that feature, element, component, function, or step can be used with every other embodiment described herein unless explicitly stated otherwise. This paragraph therefore serves as antecedent basis and written support for the introduction of claims, at any time, that combine features, elements, components, functions, and steps from different embodiments, or that substitute features, elements, components, functions, and steps from one embodiment with those of another, even if the foregoing description does not explicitly state, in a particular instance, that such combinations or substitutions are possible. It is explicitly acknowledged that express recitation of every possible combination and substitution is overly burdensome, especially given that the permissibility of each and every such combination and substitution will be readily recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art.

To the extent the embodiments disclosed herein include or operate in association with memory, storage, and/or computer readable media, then that memory, storage, and/or computer readable media are non-transitory. Accordingly, to the extent that memory, storage, and/or computer readable media are covered by one or more claims, then that memory, storage, and/or computer readable media is only non-transitory.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

While the embodiments are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific examples thereof have been shown in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that these embodiments are not to be limited to the particular form disclosed, but to the contrary, these embodiments are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit of the disclosure. Furthermore, any features, functions, steps, or elements of the embodiments may be recited in or added to the claims, as well as negative limitations that define the inventive scope of the claims by features, functions, steps, or elements that are not within that scope.

SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR SENSOR COMMUNICATIONS

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