Pairing and synchronizing a mobile phone application with a handheld glucose meter

Abstract

A diabetes management system includes a handheld medical device, a mobile computing device, and a diabetes management application. The handheld medical device is configured to determine, in response to a port receiving a test strip, whether an auto-send feature is enabled on the handheld medical device, determine whether the handheld medical device is paired with a mobile computing device, and selectively instruct a wireless transceiver to establish a wireless connection and communicate a glucose measurement and identifying information to the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device is configured to execute the diabetes management application. The diabetes management application is configured to process a plurality of glucose measurements and identifying information associated with each of a plurality of glucose measurements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A diabetes management system comprising:
 a handheld medical device that includes:
 a port configured to receive a test strip having a reaction site for receiving a sample of fluid from a patient; 
 a blood glucose (bG) meter, cooperatively operable with a test strip inserted in the port, configured to measure glucose in a sample of fluid residing in the test strip and associate identifying information with the glucose measurement; 
 a wireless transceiver cooperatively operable with the bG meter to communicate the glucose measurement and the identifying information via a wireless data link; 
 a user interface that selectively instructs the handheld medical device to initiate a pairing procedure in response to input received from a user and that displays a unique identifier associated with the handheld medical device; and 
 a first processor configured to:
 determine, in response to the port receiving a test strip, whether an auto-send feature is enabled on the handheld medical device; 
 determine whether the handheld medical device is paired with a mobile computing device; and 
 selectively instruct the wireless transceiver to establish a wireless connection and communicate the glucose measurement and the identifying information in response to the determination of whether the auto-send feature is enabled and the determination of whether the handheld medical device is paired with a mobile computing device; 
 
   a mobile computing device comprising a second processor configured to execute a diabetes management application stored on an associated memory, the diabetes management application is configured to process a plurality of glucose measurements and identifying information associated with each of the plurality of glucose measurements and to display, on a user display of the mobile computing device, a message indicative of at least one glucose measurement.   
     
     
         2 . The diabetes management system of  claim 1  wherein the diabetes management application is displays, on the user display of the mobile computing device, a list of proximally located wireless devices. 
     
     
         3 . The diabetes management system of  claim 2  wherein the diabetes management application receives, via input from the user, the unique identifier. 
     
     
         4 . The diabetes management system of  claim 2  wherein the diabetes management application pairs the mobile computing device to the handheld medical device in response to receiving the unique identifier. 
     
     
         5 . The diabetes management system of  claim 4  wherein the diabetes management application enables the auto-send feature on the handheld medical device in response to the user selecting the auto-send feature on the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         6 . The diabetes management system of  claim 5  wherein the diabetes management application stores the glucose measurement and identifying information on the associated memory within the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         7 . The diabetes management system of  claim 1  wherein the first processor does not instruct the wireless transceiver to establish a wireless connection in response to the auto-send feature being disabled. 
     
     
         8 . The diabetes management system of  claim 1  wherein the first processor determines whether the handheld medical device is paired with a mobile computing device in response to the auto-send feature being enabled. 
     
     
         9 . The diabetes management system of  claim 1  wherein the first processor selectively instructs the wireless transceiver to establish a wireless connection with the mobile computing device and to communicate the glucose measurement and the identifying information in response to the auto-send feature being enabled and the handheld medical device being paired with a mobile computing device. 
     
     
         10 . The diabetes management system of  claim 1  wherein the diabetes management application compares the at least one glucose measurement to a first glucose threshold. 
     
     
         11 . The diabetes management system of  claim 10  wherein the diabetes management application displays, on the user display of the mobile computing device, a message indicating the at least one glucose measurement is high in response to the at least one glucose measurement being greater than the first glucose threshold. 
     
     
         12 . The diabetes management system of  claim 1  wherein the diabetes management application compares the at least one glucose measurement to a second glucose threshold. 
     
     
         13 . The diabetes management system of  claim 12  wherein the diabetes management application displays, on the user display of the mobile computing device, a message indicating the at least one glucose measurement is low in response to the at least one glucose measurement being less than the second glucose threshold. 
     
     
         14 . A method for managing diabetes comprising:
 receiving a test strip having a reaction site for receiving a sample of fluid from a patient;   measuring glucose in a sample of fluid residing in the test strip and associate identifying information with the glucose measurement;   selectively instructing a handheld medical device to initiate a pairing procedure in response to input received from a user;   displaying a unique identifier associated with the handheld medical device;   determining, in response to the handheld medical device receiving a test strip, whether an auto-send feature is enabled on the handheld medical device;   determining whether the handheld medical device is paired with a mobile computing device;   selectively instructing, in response to the determination of whether the auto-send feature is enabled and the determination of whether the handheld medical device is paired with a mobile computing device, the handheld medical device to establish a wireless connection and communicate the glucose measurement and the identifying information;   processing a plurality of glucose measurements and identifying information associated with each of the plurality of glucose measurements; and   displaying, on a user display of the mobile computing device, a message indicative of at least one glucose measurement.   
     
     
         15 . The method for managing diabetes of  claim 14  further comprising displaying, on the user display of the mobile computing device, a list of proximally located wireless devices and receiving, via input from the user, the unique identifier. 
     
     
         16 . The method for managing diabetes of  claim 15  further comprising paring the mobile computing device to the handheld medical device in response to receiving the unique identifier. 
     
     
         17 . The method for managing diabetes of  claim 16  further comprising enabling the auto-send feature on the handheld medical device in response to the user selecting the auto-send feature on the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         18 . The method for managing diabetes of  claim 14  further comprising instructing, in response to the auto-send feature being enabled and the handheld medical device being paired with a mobile computing device, the handheld medical device a wireless connection with the mobile computing device and to communicate the glucose measurement and the identifying information. 
     
     
         19 . The method for managing diabetes of  claim 14  further comprising comparing the at least one glucose measurement to a first glucose threshold and displaying, on the user display of the mobile computing device, a message indicating the at least one glucose measurement is high in response to the at least one glucose measurement being greater than the first glucose threshold. 
     
     
         20 . The method for managing diabetes of  claim 14  further comprising comparing the at least one glucose measurement to a second glucose threshold and displaying, on the user display of the mobile computing device, a message indicating the at least one glucose measurement is low in response to the at least one glucose measurement being greater than the second glucose threshold.