Method and Apparatus for Providing Data Processing and Control in a Medical Communication System

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing data processing and control for use in a medical communication system are provided.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for calibrating sensor data generated by a continuous analyte sensor, comprising:
 generating sensor data using a continuous analyte sensor;   iteratively determining, with an electronic device, a sensitivity value of the continuous analyte sensor as a function of time by applying a priori information comprising sensor sensitivity information; and   calibrating the sensor data based at least in part on the determined sensitivity value.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein calibrating the sensor data is performed iteratively throughout a substantially entire sensor session. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein iteratively determining a sensitivity value is performed at regular intervals or performed at irregular intervals, as determined by the a priori information. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein iteratively determining a sensitivity value is performed throughout a substantially entire sensor session. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining a sensitivity value is performed in substantially real time. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the a priori information is associated with at least one predetermined sensitivity value that is associated with a predetermined time after start of a sensor session. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one predetermined sensitivity value is associated with a correlation between a sensitivity determined from in vitro analyte concentration measurements and a sensitivity determined from in vivo analyte concentration measurements at the predetermined time. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the a priori information is associated with a predetermined sensitivity function that uses time as input. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein time corresponds to time after start of a sensor session. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein time corresponds to at least one of time of manufacture or time since manufacture. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sensitivity value of the continuous analyte sensor is also a function of at least one other parameter. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one other parameter is selected from the group consisting of:
 temperature, an analyte concentration of a fluid surrounding the continuous analyte sensor during startup of the sensor, and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein calibrating the sensor data is performed without using reference blood glucose data. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the a priori information is associated with a calibration code. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the a priori sensitivity information is stored in the sensor electronics prior to use of the sensor. 
     
     
         17 . A method for calibrating sensor data generated by a continuous analyte sensor, the method comprising:
 generating sensor data using a continuous analyte sensor;   determining, with an electronic device, a plurality of different sensitivity values of the continuous analyte sensor as a function of time and of sensitivity information associated with a priori information; and   calibrating the sensor data based at least in part on at least one of the plurality of different sensitivity values.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein calibrating the continuous analyte sensor is performed iteratively throughout a substantially entire sensor session. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of different sensitivity values are stored in a lookup table in computer memory. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein determining a plurality of different sensitivity values is performed once throughout a substantially entire sensor session. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the a priori information is associated with at least one predetermined sensitivity value that is associated with a predetermined time after start of a sensor session. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  21 , wherein the at least one predetermined sensitivity value is associated with a correlation between a sensitivity determined from in vitro analyte concentration measurements and a sensitivity determined from in vivo analyte concentration measurements at the predetermined time. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the a priori information is associated with a predetermined sensitivity function that uses time as input. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein time corresponds to time after start of a sensor session. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein time corresponds to time of manufacture or time since manufacture. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of sensitivity values are also a function of at least one parameter other than time. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one other parameter is selected from the group consisting of:
 temperature, an analyte concentration of a fluid surrounding the continuous analyte sensor during startup of the sensor, and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein calibrating the continuous analyte sensor is performed without using reference blood glucose data. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the a priori information is associated with a calibration code. 
     
     
         30 . A method for processing data from a continuous analyte sensor, the method comprising:
 receiving, with an electronic device, sensor data from a continuous analyte sensor, the sensor data comprising at least one sensor data point;   iteratively determining a sensitivity value of the continuous analyte sensor as a function of time and of an at least one predetermined sensitivity value associated with a predetermined time after start of a sensor session;   forming a conversion function based at least in part on the sensitivity value; and   determining an analyte output value by applying the conversion function to the at least one sensor data point.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein iteratively determining a sensitivity of the continuous analyte sensor is performed continuously. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein iteratively determining a sensitivity is performed in substantially real time. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the at least one predetermined sensitivity value is set at a manufacturing facility for the continuous analyte sensor. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 receiving at least one calibration code; and   applying the at least one calibration code to the electronic device at a predetermined time after start of the sensor session.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein iteratively determining a sensitivity is performed at regular intervals or performed at irregular intervals, as determined by the at least one calibration code. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one calibration code is associated with the at least one predetermined sensitivity. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one calibration code is associated with a predetermined sensitivity function that uses time of the function of time as input. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein time corresponds to time after start of the sensor session. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein time corresponds to time of manufacture or time since manufacture. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the sensitivity value of the continuous analyte sensor is also a function of at least one other parameter. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the at least one other parameter is selected from the group consisting of:
 temperature, an analyte concentration of a fluid surrounding the continuous analyte sensor during startup of the sensor, and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         42 . A method for calibrating a continuous analyte sensor, the method comprising:
 receiving sensor data from a continuous analyte sensor;   forming or receiving a predetermined sensitivity profile corresponding to a change in sensor sensitivity to an analyte over a substantially entire sensor session, wherein the predetermined sensitivity profile is a function of at least one predetermined sensitivity value associated with a predetermined time after start of the sensor session; and   applying, with an electronic device, the sensitivity profile in real-time calibrations.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one predetermined sensitivity value, the predetermined sensitivity profile, or both are set at a manufacturing facility for the continuous analyte sensor. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising:
 receiving at least one calibration code; and   applying the at least one calibration code to the electronic device at a predetermined time after start of the sensor session.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the at least one calibration code is associated with the at least one predetermined sensitivity. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the at least one calibration code is associated with a predetermined sensitivity function that uses time as input. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the sensitivity profile is a function of time. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein time corresponds to time after start of the sensor session. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein time corresponds to time of manufacture or time since manufacture. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the sensitivity value is a function of time, the predetermined sensitivity value, and at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: temperature, an analyte concentration of a fluid surrounding the continuous analyte sensor during startup of the sensor, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         51 . A method for processing data from a continuous analyte sensor, the method comprising:
 receiving, with an electronic device, sensor data from a continuous analyte sensor, the sensor data comprising at least one sensor data point;   receiving or forming a sensitivity profile corresponding to a change in sensor sensitivity over a substantially entire sensor session;   forming a conversion function based at least in part on the sensitivity profile; and   determining an analyte output value by applying the conversion function to the at least one sensor data point.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the sensitivity profile is set at a manufacturing facility for the continuous analyte sensor. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising:
 receiving at least one calibration code; and   applying the at least one calibration code to the electronic device at a predetermined time after start of the sensor session.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the at least one calibration code is associated with the at least one predetermined sensitivity. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the at least one calibration code is associated with the sensitivity profile. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the sensitivity profile is a function of time. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein time corresponds to time after start of the sensor session. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein time corresponds to time of manufacture or time since manufacture. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the sensitivity is a function of time and at least one parameter is selected from the group consisting of:
 temperature, an analyte concentration of a fluid surrounding the continuous analyte sensor during startup of the sensor, and combinations thereof.