Apparatus for regulating the concentration of glucose in the blood of a person

Abstract

An apparatus for regulating the concentration of glucose in the blood of a person includes: at least one glucose sensor that is arranged to measure the glucose concentration of the person, for example in the interstitial fluid or blood; a pump for selectively introducing at least one substance influencing the blood glucose levels into the body of the person, for instance by at least one cannula or catheter to be inserted into the body of said person, and a control for controlling said at least one substance influencing the blood glucose levels to be introduced to the person based on data received from said glucose sensor. Said apparatus includes at least one further sensor that is arranged to monitor a further characteristic of the person. The at least one further sensor may include an accelerometer, a heart rate sensor, a temperature sensor, a pH sensor, a ketone sensor, a GPS receiver, and/or a skin resistance sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus for regulating the concentration of glucose in the blood of a person, comprising: at least one glucose sensor that is arranged to measure the glucose concentration of the person; a pump for selectively introducing at least one substance influencing the blood glucose levels into the body of the person, and a control for controlling said at least one substance influencing the blood glucose levels to be introduced to the person based on data received from said glucose sensor, wherein said apparatus comprises at least one further sensor that is arranged to monitor a further characteristic of the person, wherein the at least one further sensor monitors the further characteristic of the person by means other than a video image of the person, wherein said apparatus is arranged to determine, from the at least one further sensor, if said person is asleep or awake, and when said apparatus determines that said person is asleep, said apparatus is arranged to: temporarily reduce a volume of an alarm function of the apparatus; and/or temporarily not provide an alarm; and/or temporarily dim a display of the apparatus; and/or temporarily not show messages of low priority; and/or check and, if necessary, adapt settings of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one further sensor comprises an accelerometer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one further sensor comprises a heart rate sensor arranged to measure a heart rate of the person.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one further sensor comprises a temperature sensor arranged to measure a body temperature of the person.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one further sensor comprises a pH sensor arranged to measure an acidity of the blood of the person.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one further sensor comprises a ketone sensor arranged to detect ketone bodies in the body of the person.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one further sensor comprises a GPS receiver arranged to detect a location of the person.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one further sensor comprises a skin resistance sensor arranged to measure galvanic resistance of the skin of the person.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein any of said at least one glucose sensor and/or said at least one further sensor is arranged to be attached to the body of the person.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the at least one substance is introduced into the body by a cannula or a catheter to be inserted into the body, wherein the cannula or the catheter comprises any of said at least one glucose sensor and/or said at least one further sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be further elucidated with reference to a figure shown in a drawing in which:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically shows a person carrying an apparatus according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross section through a sensor device of the system of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the glucose concentration regulating apparatus of the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing how sensor outputs are used to control a supply of a blood glucose influencing substance to a person; and

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of an apparatus comprising two control means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) FIG. 1 schematically shows a person 1 carrying an apparatus 2 for regulating the concentration of glucose in the blood of the person. In the illustrated embodiment the apparatus 2 comprises a system 9 of multiple sensor devices 3A, 3B, although the apparatus 2 could also comprise only a single sensor device 3. Each sensor device 3A, 3B is connected to a controller 10, which in turn is connected to a pump means 4, which serves to introduce substances influencing the blood glucose levels into the body of the person under control of the controller 10. The pump means 4 includes at least one pump 11 and at least one cannula or catheter 5 connected to the pump 11. In the illustrated embodiment the apparatus 2 comprises two pumps 11A, 11B, each connected to a respective cannula or catheter 5A, 5B.

(8) Each of said sensor devices 3 comprises a glucose sensor 6 that is arranged to measure the concentration of glucose in the body of the person 1 and at least one further sensor 7 that is arranged to monitor a further characteristic of the person.

(9) The further characteristic may be a bodily characteristic, for example the person's heart rate or the person's body temperature. Further bodily characteristics include the acidity of the person's blood, the presence of ketone bodies or the galvanic resistance of the person's skin. Accordingly, the further sensor 7 may be a heart rate sensor, a temperature sensor, a pH sensor, a ketone sensor or a skin resistance sensor, respectively.

(10) Other characteristics, which are not related to the person's body, include the person's position, the speed with which the person moves or the person's acceleration. For monitoring or measuring these characteristics the further sensor 7 may be a GPS receiver or an accelerometer, respectively. The acceleration that is measured may be the acceleration of the person 1, which may be derived from the person's speed, which in turn may be derived from the person's position. However, the acceleration may also be an acceleration of a body part, which may be indicative of a particular type of physical activity, e.g. running or cycling. In that case typically an accelerometer is attached to the relevant body part.

(11) In case of a sensor system 9 including multiple sensor devices 3A, 3B, the further sensors 7A, 7B may be different sensors, so that a greater number of characteristics can be monitored simultaneously.

(12) As is shown in FIG. 2, part of the apparatus 2 may be invasive and extend through the skin of the person 1. The invasive part of the apparatus may be the cannula or catheter 5 which serves for introducing blood glucose influencing substances into the body of the person 1. The cannula or catheter 5 may also serve for measuring the glucose concentration and/or for monitoring said further characteristic, if the further characteristic is a bodily characteristic. The two pumps 11A, 11B of the pump means 4 may serve for introducing different glucose influencing substances. Each cannula or catheter 5 may be one shared cannula or catheter with two passages, wherein both passages serve for different glucose influencing substance transport.

(13) Instead of being integrated with the cannula or catheter 5 for introducing blood glucose influencing substances into the body of the person 1, the glucose sensors 6 and/or the further sensors 7 may also be separate therefrom. In particular when the further sensor 7 is arranged for monitoring a non-bodily characteristic, its location on the person's body may be spaced apart from the glucose sensor 6 and from the cannula or catheter 5. The glucose sensors 6 and the further sensors 7 are arranged to send output signals to the controller 10 by means of connections 8. These connections 8 may be wired or wireless communications channels.

(14) One way in which the apparatus 2 may be used to regulate the blood glucose level of the person is illustrated in FIG. 4. A sample is taken from a measurement by the first glucose sensor 6A (step 100). Then a determination is made if the sample is valid (step 101). This determination involves checking the measurement for noise and plausibility. If the sample cannot be validated, then the program returns to step 100 and a new sample taken by sensor 6A is selected.

(15) If the measurement is validated, then a sample is taken from a measurement of a second sensor (step 102). In this embodiment the sample is a glucose measurement by the second glucose sensor 6B. Again, a determination is made whether or not the sample is valid.

(16) If the sample is not validated, then the amount of blood glucose level influencing substance to be administered is calculated only on the basis of the measurement performed by the first glucose sensor (step 108). The calculated amount is then administered (step 115).

(17) If the sample taken from the second glucose sensor 6B is found to be valid, then a sample is taken from a measurement by a third sensor 7A (step 104). In this embodiment the third sample is taken from a measurement of skin resistance by means of a galvanic resistance sensor 7A.

(18) Again, a determination is made whether or not the third sample is valid (step 105).

(19) If the sample is found not to be valid, then the samples from the first and second sensors 6A, 6B are compared (step 109). In case the values of these samples are found to be incompatible, the program returns to step 100 and a new sample from the glucose measurement sensor 6A is taken.

(20) If, on the other hand, the samples are found to be compatible, then the amount of blood glucose level influencing substance to be administered is calculated on the basis of the measurements performed by the first and second glucose sensors 6A, 6B (step 110). In this embodiment an average value of the two glucose measurements is determined. Subsequently, the calculated amount of blood glucose level influencing substance is administered (step 115).

(21) If the sample taken from the third sensor 7A is validated, then a sample is taken from a measurement by a fourth sensor 7B (step 106). In this embodiment, the fourth sample is taken from an acceleration measurement by means of an accelerometer 7B.

(22) Once again, a determination is made whether or not the sample from the fourth sensor 7B is valid (step 107).

(23) If the fourth sample is found not to be valid, then the samples from the first, second and third sensors 6A, 6B, 7A are compared (step 111). In case the values of these samples are found to be incompatible, the program returns to step 100 and a new sample from the glucose measurement sensor 6A is taken.

(24) If the samples are found to be compatible, then the amount of blood glucose level influencing substance to be administered is calculated on the basis of the measurements performed by the first and second glucose sensors 6A, 6B and the skin resistance sensor 7A (step 112). In this embodiment the values of the two glucose measurements are compared to the galvanic skin resistance. If an increased level of perspiration is measured by the skin resistance sensor 7A while the blood glucose levels measured by the first and second glucose sensors 6A, 6B are low, this may be an indication of a hypoglycemia. This may lead to a higher or lower dose of the blood glucose level influencing substance being administered than would be done at normal level levels of perspiration. Then the calculated amount of blood glucose level influencing substance is administered (step 115).

(25) In case the fourth sample is validated, then the samples from the first, second, third and fourth sensors 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B are compared (step 113). In case the values of these samples are found to be incompatible, the program returns to step 100 and a new sample from the glucose measurement sensor 6A is taken.

(26) If the samples are found to be compatible, then the amount of blood glucose level influencing substance to be administered is calculated on the basis of the measurements performed by the first and second glucose sensors 6A, 6B, the skin resistance sensor 7A and the accelerometer 7B (step 114). In this embodiment the values of the two glucose measurements are compared to the galvanic skin resistance and the acceleration. If an increased level of perspiration is measured at low blood glucose levels while the person is physically active, as indicated by the accelerometer 7B, this may lead to a higher or lower dose of the blood glucose level influencing substance being administered than would be done if the person were sweating at low glucose levels and no physical activity. Then the calculated amount of blood glucose level influencing substance is administered (step 115).

(27) FIG. 5 shows an apparatus according to a further embodiment. Same elements are denoted by same reference numerals, increased by 200 or 300. Only the differences with the apparatus of FIGS. 1-3 is described here, for a further description the reader is referred to the description of FIGS. 1-3.

(28) The apparatus 202 according the further embodiment comprises a first controller 210 and a second controller 310. The first controller 210 is connected to both sensor devices 206 and 306, and the second controller is connected to both sensor devices 206 and 306. In this embodiment, the first controller 210 is the only controller that is connected to pump means 204 for controlling the two pumps 211A, 211B thereof in such a manner that determined amounts of substances influencing the blood glucose levels are introduced into the body of the person via the respective cannula or catheter 205A, 205B. In this embodiment, the second controller 310 does not control any pump means, but only checks the functioning of the first controller 210, for example by checking the amounts of substances influencing the blood glucose levels to be introduced as determined by the first controller 210. In this embodiment, the first controller 210 uses the input of the sensor device 203, 303 that is, at that specific time, the most accurate of the two sensor devices 203, 303. In this embodiment the sensor devices 203, 303 each comprise only a glucose sensor 206, 207, but optionally a said at least one further sensor 207, 307 may be provided, as is indicated by the dashed lines. In this embodiment two sensor devices 203, 303 are provided, but optionally only one sensor device 203 may be provided, comprising said glucose sensor 206 and optionally a said at least one further sensor 207, wherein both controllers 210 and 310 use the input of said one sensor device 203.

(29) In this embodiment, if the amounts of substances influencing the blood glucose levels to be introduced as determined by the first controller 210 are equal to the amounts determined by the second controller 310, or if the amounts as determined by the two controllers 210, 310 differ less than a predetermined maximum difference value or percentage, and in particular only when the amounts determined by the first controller 210 are smaller than the amounts determined by the second controller 310, the first controller 210 is arranged to control the pump means 204 to introduce the amounts calculated thereby. If however at least one of the amounts determined by the first controller 210 is different as the respective amount determined by the second controller 310, or if the at least one of the amounts as determined by the two controllers 210, 310 differs more than a predetermined maximum difference value or percentage, and in particular when the at least one amount determined by the first controller 210 is larger than the respective amount determined by the second controller 310, the apparatus 202 locks, stops introducing the substances into the person, and provides a warning signal to the person. This way it may be prevented that wrong amounts of substances are introduced to the person, and in particular that an overdoses is introduced.

(30) Additionally or alternatively, the second controller 310 may check the amounts of substances influencing blood glucose levels that are actually introduced into the person by the pump means 204. For example, the number of turns of a motor of the pump means 204 may be indicative of the amount of substance introduced. If at least one of the amounts of substances that is actually introduced into the person by the first controller 210 and pump means 204 as checked by the second controller 310 differs from the amount that was determined, optionally only when the difference is larger than a predetermined difference value or percentage, the apparatus may be arranged to provide a warning signal to the user of the apparatus. Together with providing the warning signal, the apparatus may lock and/or stop introducing the substance to the person until the device is checked and/or repaired.

(31) It is noted that the invention is not limited to the shown embodiments but also extends to variants within the scope of the appended claims or as described in the description.