Method and Device for Utilizing Analyte Levels to Assist in the Treatment of Diabetes

Abstract

A health-monitoring device assesses the health of a user based on levels of two analytes in a biological fluid. A first analyte that is utilized to assess a user's health is a fat metabolism analyte, such as ketones, free fatty acids and glycerol, which is indicative of fat metabolism. A second analyte that is utilized is a glucose metabolism analyte, such as glucose. The levels of the two analytes may be used to assess insulin sensitivity, to detect both recent hypoglycemia and the cause of high glucose levels, and/or to guide therapeutic intervention. The dual analyte model may calculate a discrepancy between an actual insulin activity level and a theoretical insulin activity level. The dual analyte model of the present invention may be used to identify individuals at risk for metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and non-insulin dependent diabetes, and allows monitoring of the progression of those disease states, as well as progress made by therapeutic interventions.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A health-monitoring device for monitoring the health of a user, the device comprising:
 a testing device to measure a concentration of a glucose analyte and a concentration of a fat analyte in a user and generate a signal indicative of the concentrations of the glucose and fat analytes;   a processor comprising programming to calculate the concentration of the glucose analyte and the concentration of the fat analyte based on the signal and determine a correlation between the concentrations of the glucose and fat analytes and a health parameter indicative of the user's health, wherein the health parameter comprises an insulin sensitivity factor, a medication dosage, an assessment of a metabolic syndrome, a likelihood of the user developing hypoglycemia, a likelihood of the user developing hyperglycemia or a likelihood that the user recently developed hypoglycemia; and   a user interface comprising an input to receive information from the user and a display to display at least one of the concentration of the glucose analyte, the concentration of the fat analyte and the health parameter.   
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the glucose analyte comprises glucose, pyruvate, glucose-6-phosphate or lactate. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the fat analyte comprises a ketone, a free fatty acid, glycerol or an analyte indicative of lipolysis. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the glucose analyte comprises glucose and the fat analyte comprises a ketone. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the testing device measures both the concentration of the glucose analyte and the concentration of the fat analyte in a sample from the user. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the health parameter comprises the insulin sensitivity factor. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the medication dosage comprises a dosage of insulin. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the processor determines the correlation between the concentrations of the glucose and fat analytes and the health parameter based on the signal and the information from the user. 
     
     
         29 . The device of claim  8 , wherein the information from the user comprises one or more of a type of medication, an amount of medication dosage, a type of food consumption, an amount of food consumption, a weight of the user, and a body composition of the user. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 21 , further comprising a data communication port to connect the health-monitoring device to a remote site. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 30 , wherein the data communication port connects the health-monitoring device to the remote site over a network. 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 30 , wherein the data communication port connects the health-monitoring device to the remote site using a wireless connection. 
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 32 , wherein the wireless connection comprises an acoustic connection, an optic connection or a radio wave connection. 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the testing device comprises one or more of a photometric, a reflectometric, an electrochemical, a fluorescence and a magnetic based system for measuring the concentrations of the glucose and the fat analytes. 
     
     
         35 . A method for monitoring the health of a user, the method comprising:
 measuring, using a testing device, a concentration of a glucose analyte and a concentration of a fat analyte in a user;   generating, using the testing device, a signal indicative of the concentrations of the glucose and the fat analytes;   calculating, using a processor, the concentration of the glucose analyte and the concentration of the fat analyte based on the signal;   determining, using the processor, a correlation between the concentrations of the glucose and the fat analytes and a health parameter indicative of the user's health, wherein the health parameter comprises an insulin sensitivity factor, a medication dosage, an assessment of a metabolic syndrome, a likelihood of the user developing hypoglycemia, a likelihood of the user developing hyperglycemia and a likelihood that the user recently developed hypoglycemia;   receiving information from the user through a user interface; and   displaying on a display at least one of the concentration of the glucose analyte, the concentration of the fat analyte and the health parameter.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the glucose analyte comprises glucose, pyruvate, glucose- 6 -phosphate or lactate. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the fat analyte comprises a ketone, a free fatty acid, glycerol or an analyte indicative of lipolysis. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the glucose analyte comprises glucose and the fat analyte comprises a ketone. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the testing device measures both the concentration of the glucose analyte and the concentration of the fat analyte in a sample from the user. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the sample comprises blood, a derivative of blood, interstitial fluid, urine, a breath sample or saliva. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the health parameter comprises the insulin sensitivity factor. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the medication dosage comprises a dosage of insulin. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the determining includes determining the correlation between the concentrations of the glucose and fat analytes and the health parameter based on the signal and the information from the user. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the information from the user comprises one or more of a type of medication, an amount of medication dosage, a type of food consumption, an amount of food consumption, a weight of the user, and a body composition of the user. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising communicating data between the health-monitoring device and a remote site. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising storing the data in a database at the remote site. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the data comprises at least one of the concentration of the glucose analyte, the concentration of the fat analyte, the information from the user and the health parameter. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the communicating comprises communicating the data between the health-monitoring device and the remote site over a network. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the communicating comprises wirelessly communicating the data between the health-monitoring device and the remote site. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the wirelessly communicating comprises wirelessly communicating over an acoustic connection, an optic connection or a radio wave connection. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the displaying comprises displaying at least one of the concentration of the glucose analyte, the concentration of the fat analyte and the health parameter as a graph. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the measuring comprises measuring the concentration of the glucose and the fat analytes using one or more of a photometric, a reflectometric, an electrochemical, a fluorescence and a magnetic based testing device. 
     
     
         53 . A health monitoring system for monitoring the health of a user, the system comprising:
 a health-monitoring device comprising:
 a testing device to measure a concentration of a glucose analyte and a concentration of a fat analyte in a user and generate a signal indicative of the concentrations of the glucose and the fat analytes; 
 a processor comprising programming to calculate a concentration of the glucose analyte and a concentration of the fat analyte based on the signal and determine a correlation between the concentrations of the glucose and the fat analytes and a health parameter indicative of the user's health, wherein the health parameter comprises an insulin sensitivity factor, a medication dosage, an assessment of a metabolic syndrome, a likelihood of the user developing hypoglycemia, a likelihood of the user developing hyperglycemia or a likelihood that the user recently developed hypoglycemia; 
 a user interface comprising an input to receive information from the user and a display to display at least one of the concentration of the glucose analyte, the concentration of the fat analyte and the health parameter; and 
 a first data communication port; and 
   a remote site comprising a second data communication port,   wherein the first data communication port and the second data communication port communicate data between the health-monitoring device and the remote site.   
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the glucose analyte comprises glucose, pyruvate, glucose-6-phosphate or lactate. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the fat analyte comprises a ketone, a free fatty acid, glycerol or an analyte indicative of lipolysis. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the glucose analyte comprises glucose and the fat analyte comprises a ketone. 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the testing device measures both the concentration of the glucose analyte and the concentration of the fat analyte in a sample from the user. 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the sample comprises blood, a derivative of blood, interstitial fluid, urine, a breath sample or saliva. 
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the data comprises at least one of the concentration of the glucose analyte, the concentration of the fat analyte, the information from the user and the health parameter. 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the first data communication port and the second data communication port connect the health-monitoring device to the remote site over a network. 
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the first data communication port and the second data communication port connect the health-monitoring device to the remote site using a wireless connection. 
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the wireless connection comprises an acoustic connection, an optic connection or a radio wave connection. 
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the health parameter comprises the insulin sensitivity factor. 
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the medication dosage comprises a dosage of insulin. 
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the processor determines the correlation between the concentrations of the glucose and fat analytes and the health parameter based on the signal and the information from the user. 
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the information from the user comprises one or more of a type of medication, an amount of medication dosage, a type of food consumption, an amount of food consumption, a weight of the user, and a body composition of the user. 
     
     
         67 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the testing device comprises one or more of a photometric, a reflectometric, an electrochemical, a fluorescence and a magnetic based system for measuring the concentrations of the glucose and the fat analytes. 
     
     
         68 . A program executable by a processor of a health monitoring system, the program comprising instructions for operating the system to perform the steps of:
 measuring, using a testing device, a concentration of a glucose analyte and a concentration of a fat analyte in a user;   generating, using the testing device, a signal indicative of the concentrations of the glucose and the fat analytes;   calculating, using the processor, the concentration of the glucose analyte and the concentration of the fat analyte based on the signal;   determining, using the processor, a correlation between the concentrations of the glucose and fat analytes and a health parameter indicative of the user's health, wherein the health parameter comprises an insulin sensitivity factor, a medication dosage, an assessment of a metabolic syndrome, a likelihood of the user developing hypoglycemia, a likelihood of the user developing hyperglycemia or a likelihood that the user recently developed hypoglycemia;   receiving information from the user through a user interface; and   displaying on a display at least one of the concentration of the glucose analyte, the concentration of the fat analyte and the health parameter.   
     
     
         69 . The program of  claim 68 , wherein the glucose analyte comprises glucose, pyruvate, glucose- 6 -phosphate or lactate. 
     
     
         70 . The program of  claim 68 , wherein the fat analyte comprises a ketone, a free fatty acid, glycerol or an analyte indicative of lipolysis. 
     
     
         71 . The program of  claim 68 , wherein the glucose analyte comprises glucose and the fat analyte comprises a ketone. 
     
     
         72 . The program of  claim 68 , wherein the testing device measures both the concentration of the glucose analyte and the concentration of the fat analyte in a sample from the user. 
     
     
         73 . The program of  claim 72 , wherein the sample comprises blood, a derivative of blood, interstitial fluid, urine, a breath sample or saliva. 
     
     
         74 . The program of  claim 68 , wherein the health parameter comprises the insulin sensitivity factor. 
     
     
         75 . The program of  claim 68 , wherein the medication dosage comprises a dosage of insulin. 
     
     
         76 . The program of  claim 68 , wherein the instructions for determining the correlation between the concentrations of the glucose and fat analytes and the health parameter include determining the correlation between the concentrations of the glucose and fat analytes and the health parameter based on the signal and the information from the user. 
     
     
         77 . The program of  claim 76 , wherein the information from the user comprises one or more of a type of medication, an amount of medication dosage, a type of food consumption, an amount of food consumption, a weight of the user, and a body composition of the user. 
     
     
         78 . The program of  claim 68 , wherein the program further comprises instructions for communicating data between the health-monitoring device and a remote site. 
     
     
         79 . The program of  claim 78 , wherein the program further comprises instructions for storing data in a database at the remote site. 
     
     
         80 . The program of  claim 78 , wherein the data comprises at least one of the concentration of the glucose analyte, the concentration of the fat analyte, the information from the user and the health parameter. 
     
     
         81 . The program of  claim 78 , wherein the communicating comprises communicating the data between the health-monitoring device and the remote site over a network. 
     
     
         82 . The program of  claim 78 , wherein the communicating comprises wirelessly communicating the data between the health-monitoring device and the remote site. 
     
     
         83 . The program of  claim 82 , wherein the wirelessly communicating comprises wirelessly communicating over an acoustic connection, an optic connection or a radio wave connection. 
     
     
         84 . The program of  claim 68 , wherein the program comprises instructions for displaying at least one of the concentration of the glucose analyte, the concentration of the fat analyte and the health parameter as a graph. 
     
     
         85 . The program of  claim 68 , wherein the measuring comprises measuring the concentration of the glucose and the fat analytes in the sample using one or more of a photometric, a reflectometric, an electrochemical, a fluorescence and a magnetic based testing device.