Communication Station and Software for Interfacing with an Infusion Pump, Analyte Monitor, Analyte Meter, or the Like

Abstract

A communication station is for use with a medical device (such as an infusion pump) and a processing device (such as a computer). The communication station includes a housing, a medical device interface coupled to the housing, a processing device interface coupled to the housing and a processor coupled to the housing. The device interface interfaces with the medical device, and the processing device interface interfaces with the processing device. The processor provides a communication path between the medical device and the processing device such that programming and instructions may be communicated from the processing device to the medical device and data may be transferred from the medical device to the processing device. The communication station may be combined with a system that is capable of generating reports either locally or remotely. In addition, the medical device interface may be a cradle that is configurable to attach to different shaped medical devices.

1 .- 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A communication system for use in monitoring medical treatment of a patient, the system comprising:
 a plurality of medical devices comprising at least an infusion device and a continuous glucose monitor;   a processing device including at least one embedded computer program that is capable of causing the processing device to perform:
 downloading data from the plurality of medical devices used to treat a medical condition for a patient; 
 recording the downloaded data in a patient data file; 
 integrating the data from the infusion device with data previously or later downloaded from the continuous glucose monitor and 
 presenting the integrated data in a user chosen report format; and 
   a communication station comprising:
 a housing; 
 a medical device interface coupled to the housing which interfaces with the plurality of medical devices; 
 a processing device interface coupled to the housing that interfaces with the processing device; and 
 a processor coupled to the housing, the medical device interface and the processing device interface to provide a communication path between the plurality of medical devices and the processing device such that programming and instructions may be communicated from the processing device to the medical device and data may be transferred from the medical device to the processing device. 
   
     
     
         30 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the processing device is a computer. 
     
     
         31 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the plurality of medical devices includes a glucose meter. 
     
     
         32 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 31 , wherein the user chosen report format displays glucose meter history with the infusion pump history and the continuous glucose monitor history to provide contemporaneous information showing the relationship between the infusion pump, the glucose monitor and the glucose meter. 
     
     
         33 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the user chosen report format displays infusion pump history with the continuous glucose monitor history to provide contemporaneous information showing the relationship between the infusion pump and the glucose monitor. 
     
     
         34 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the processing device interface includes a communication circuit for communicating with the processing device, and wherein the processing device is a remotely located computer. 
     
     
         35 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the remotely controlled computer runs software for a network data management service that utilizes the data transferred from the plurality of medical devices. 
     
     
         36 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the communication station is used to program or change settings of at least one of the plurality of medical devices. 
     
     
         37 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the communication station is used to acquire the data from at least one of the plurality of medical devices in real time. 
     
     
         38 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the communication station is used to trouble shoot operation of at least one of the plurality of medical devices. 
     
     
         39 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein user chosen report format is a member of a set of user chosen report formats comprising a patient information/medical device settings report, a log book report, a daily summary report screen, a daily detail report screen, a weekly summary report, a weekly details report, a two week modal day report, and a medical device details report. 
     
     
         40 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the user chosen report format temporally displays insulin administration compared to blood glucose levels. 
     
     
         41 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the user chosen report format displays ranges of blood glucose levels over a period of time. 
     
     
         42 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the user chosen report format displays percentages of blood glucose levels above and below glucose goals. 
     
     
         43 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the user chosen report format are chosen by using a corresponding icon. 
     
     
         44 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the user chosen report format contains information for both bolus and basal insulin administered to the patient. 
     
     
         45 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the user chosen report format contains alerts. 
     
     
         46 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the step of presenting the integrated data further comprises calculating a percentage of total insulin delivery in the form of a bolus injection over a period of time. 
     
     
         47 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the step of presenting the integrated data further comprises calculating an average blood glucose level over a period of time. 
     
     
         48 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 47 , wherein the step of presenting the integrated data further comprises calculating a standard deviation. 
     
     
         49 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein the step of presenting the integrated data further comprises transforming the data into graphical waveform data, wherein the graphical waveform data represents the time at which the data occurs. 
     
     
         50 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 33 , further displaying blood glucose levels from multiple predefined time periods on the same scale of a single one of the multiple predefined time periods within the user chosen report format, with the blood glucose levels from the multiple predefined time periods shown in an overlaid fashion relative to each other over the single one of the predefined time periods. 
     
     
         51 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 50 , wherein each predefined time period is the time period of a single day or a single week. 
     
     
         52 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 34 , further displaying blood glucose levels from multiple predefined time periods on the same scale of a single one of the multiple predefined time periods within the user chosen report format, with the blood glucose levels from the multiple predefined time periods shown in an overlaid fashion relative to each other over the single one of the predefined time periods. 
     
     
         53 . The communication system in accordance with  claim 52 , wherein each predefined time period is the time period of a single day or a single week.