Method for collecting medical data and associated system

Abstract

A glucometer having a media slot for receiving a test medium, a media reader having a sensor sensitive to a glucose level of a blood sample disposed on the test medium when introduced into the media slot, a one-way outbound communication channel, a processing unit for executing instructions stored on a computer memory element, including instructions to detect the test medium inside the media slot, operate the media reader, analyze the media reader results, generate the blood sample glucose level, produce digital data representing the blood sample glucose level, and transmit the digital data via the one-way outbound communication channel to a remote computing device, where the glucomter lacks an inbound communication channel that supports transmission from the remote computing device to the glucometer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A glucometer for measuring a glucose level of a blood sample, comprising:
 a media slot for receiving a test medium;   a media reader comprising a sensor sensitive to a glucose level of the blood sample disposed on the test medium when introduced into said media slot;   a one-way outbound communication channel;   a processing unit operable to execute instructions; and   a non-transitory computer-readable memory element for instructions execution by the processing unit, the memory element having stored thereupon:   instructions to detect the test medium inside said media slot,   instructions to operate said media reader for reading said test medium inside said media slot,   instructions to analyze a result of said reading of said media reader and to generate the glucose level of said blood sample disposed on said test medium inside said media slot,   instructions to produce digital data representing the glucose level of said blood sample, and   instructions to transmit said digital data via said one-way outbound communication channel to a remote computing device,   wherein the glucomter does not include an inbound communication channel that supports transmission from the remote computing device to the glucometer.   
     
     
         2 . The glucometer according to  claim 1 , wherein said one-way outbound communication channel comprises a one-way audio communication channel and said glucometer comprises an audio speaker. 
     
     
         3 . The glucometer according to  claim 1  wherein said one-way outbound communication channel comprises a one-way wireless communication channel. 
     
     
         4 . The glucometer according to  claim 1  wherein said one-way outbound communication channel comprises a one-way near field communication channel. 
     
     
         5 . The glucometer according to  claim 1  wherein said one-way outbound communication channel comprises a one-way Bluetooth communication channel. 
     
     
         6 . The glucometer according to  claim 1  wherein said one-way outbound communication channel comprises a one-way WI-FI communication channel. 
     
     
         7 . The glucometer according to  claim 2 , wherein said instructions to transmit comprise instructions to transmit sounds having a set of different frequencies, and said non-transitory computer-readable memory element further comprises instructions to select a frequency from said set of different frequencies to indicate an associated value of the encoded digital data. 
     
     
         8 . The glucometer according to  claim 1 , wherein said non-transitory computer-readable memory element further comprises instructions to encode said digital data as at least one of binary data and non-binary data. 
     
     
         9 . The glucometer according to  claim 1 , wherein said non-transitory computer-readable memory element further comprises instructions to generate a synchronization string, and said instructions to transmit comprise instructions to transmit said synchronization string before transmitting said digital data. 
     
     
         10 . The glucometer according to  claim 1 , wherein said non-transitory computer-readable memory element further comprises instructions to generate one or more of an error-detection code and an error-correction code, and said instructions to transmit comprise instructions to transmit said one or more of said error-detection code and said error-correction code with said digital data. 
     
     
         11 . The glucometer according to  claim 1 , wherein said non-transitory computer-readable memory element further comprises instructions to generate data regarding a status of one or more aspects of the glucometer, and said instructions to transmit comprise instructions to transmit said data regarding the status of one or more aspects of the glucometer. 
     
     
         12 . The glucometer according to  claim 11 , wherein said data regarding the status of one or more aspects of the glucometer comprises information regarding the test medium.