Health Monitoring Apparatus and Methods

Abstract

A measurement module for glucose testing includes a glucose testing measurement module housing, a test strip receptacle formed in the housing, and a connector portion formed in the housing and shaped to permit mechanical removable attachment of the housing to a hand-held computer. Electronics determine the amount of glucose present in a sample of body fluid, when the test strip is positioned in the receptacle and the body fluid is placed on a test strip, and communicate the glucose amount to the hand-held computer via the connector portion.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A hand-held processing device, comprising:
 a housing configured to be hand-held;   a memory comprising one or more software programs;   a processor coupled to the housing, wherein the processor is configured to process data associated with monitoring a health condition using the one or more software programs;   a touchscreen display unit coupled to the housing and in communication with the processor for displaying the data associated with the monitoring of the health condition and for entering data; and   a wireless communication unit coupled to the housing and in communication with the processor, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive data and/or software programs from a computer and/or network to the hand-held processing device.   
     
     
         30 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , wherein the data associated with the monitoring of the health condition comprises data indicative of state of health of a subject having the health condition. 
     
     
         31 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , wherein the display unit comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD). 
     
     
         32 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , wherein the hand-held processing device is configured to issue one or more communications to a user of the hand-held processing device. 
     
     
         33 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 32 , wherein the one or more communications are selected from an audible communication, a vibratory communication, a graphical communication and a textual communication. 
     
     
         34 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 32 , wherein the one or more communications indicate that a planned activity is due to begin. 
     
     
         35 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 34 , wherein the planned activity is user entry of data associated with the monitoring of the health condition. 
     
     
         36 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 35 , wherein the data associated with the monitoring of the health condition comprises exercise data. 
     
     
         37 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 35 , wherein the data associated with the monitoring of the health condition comprises time and/or date of injection. 
     
     
         38 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 35 , wherein the data associated with the monitoring of the health condition comprises dietary data. 
     
     
         39 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 38 , wherein the dietary data comprises meal time data. 
     
     
         40 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 38 , wherein the dietary data comprises carbohydrate value. 
     
     
         41 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , wherein the hand-held processing device comprises a PDA, a mobile phone, or a combination PDA/mobile phone. 
     
     
         42 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , wherein the hand-held processing device is configured for USB connectivity with a personal computer. 
     
     
         43 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , wherein the network is a computer network. 
     
     
         44 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , wherein the wireless communication is by RF and/or IR. 
     
     
         45 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , wherein the communication unit is configured for connection with the internet. 
     
     
         46 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , wherein the communication unit is configured for communication with a personal computer, and wherein the processor is configured to synchronize data in the hand-held processing device with data in the personal computer to produce synchronized data. 
     
     
         47 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 46 , wherein the synchronized data comprises time- and/or date-tagged event data. 
     
     
         48 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , further comprising health condition management software configured to be accessed by a health care professional. 
     
     
         49 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , further comprising a database comprising data associated with the monitoring of the health condition, wherein the database is accessible by a user of the hand-held processing device. 
     
     
         50 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 49 , wherein the data associated with the monitoring of the health condition is event data. 
     
     
         51 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 49 , wherein at least a portion of the data associated with the monitoring of the health condition is manually entered by the user of the hand-held processing device. 
     
     
         52 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 49 , further comprising application software configured to merge the data associated with the monitoring of the health condition with additional data specific for the user of the hand-held processing device. 
     
     
         53 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , further comprising application software configured to store and retrieve data associated with the monitoring of the health condition such that the data associated with the monitoring of the health condition is accessible by a user of the hand-held processing device. 
     
     
         54 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 53 , wherein the application software is configured to receive and store user-entered data associated with the monitoring of the health condition. 
     
     
         55 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 54 , wherein the application software is configured to display one or more pre-defined drop-down lists from which a user can select data associated with the monitoring of the health condition. 
     
     
         56 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 53 , wherein the data associated with the monitoring of the health condition comprises dietary data. 
     
     
         57 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 53 , wherein the data associated with the monitoring of the health condition comprises activity data. 
     
     
         58 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , wherein the hand-held processing device further comprises application software configured to monitor events associated with the monitoring of the health condition. 
     
     
         59 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 58 , wherein the hand-held processing device further comprises application software configured to communicate data regarding the monitored events to the user and/or a health care professional. 
     
     
         60 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 58 , wherein the hand-held processing device further comprises application software configured to communicate data regarding the monitored events to a remote server or computer. 
     
     
         61 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 58 , wherein the hand-held processing device further comprises application software configured to determine trending of the monitored events. 
     
     
         62 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 61 , wherein the trending provides a rate of a monitored event. 
     
     
         63 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 61 , wherein the application software is configured to communicate with the display unit such that visual indicators of the trending are displayed to a user of the hand-held processing device. 
     
     
         64 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 29 , wherein the hand-held processing device further comprises application software configured to communicate with the display unit such that a visual representation of data associated with the monitoring of the health condition over time is provided to a user of the hand-held processing device. 
     
     
         65 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 58 , wherein the hand-held processing device further comprises application software configured to communicate with the display unit such that a visual representation of events monitored over time is provided to a user of the hand-held processing device. 
     
     
         66 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 65 , wherein at least one of the events monitored over time includes the state of health of the user. 
     
     
         67 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 65 , wherein at least one of the events monitored over time includes when injections were taken. 
     
     
         68 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 65 , wherein at least one of the events monitored over time is associated with diet of the user. 
     
     
         69 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 65 , wherein at least one of the events monitored over time is associated with an activity of the user. 
     
     
         70 . The hand-held processing device of  claim 65 , wherein at least one of the events monitored over time may be tagged by the user.