METHOD FOR MONITORING THE EVOLUTION OF AN INDICATOR USED TO INDICATE THE PHYSICAL STATE OF AN INDIVIDUAL, AND MONITORING DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring the evolution of an indicator used to indicate physical state comprising the body fat of a subject and/or the muscular mass of a subject, comprising periodical steps of analysis of a biological fluid for the quantification of a biomarker representative of a metabolic activity comprising lipolysis, myolysis, lipogenesis or myogenesis, and of transmission of the result of said analysis to a remote connected apparatus.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A method for monitoring the evolution of an indicator used to indicate a physical state comprising the body fat of a subject and/or the muscular mass of a subject, comprising periodical steps of analysis of a biological fluid for the quantification of a biomarker representative of a metabolic activity comprising lipolysis, myolysis, lipogenesis or myogenesis, and of transmission of the result of said analysis to a remote connected apparatus.

11. A monitoring method according to claim 10, characterized in that said biological fluid is selected from blood, urine, sweat, saliva or tears.

12. A monitoring method according to claim 10, characterized in that said biological fluid is urine.

13. A monitoring method according to claim 10, characterized in that said biological fluid is blood.

14. A monitoring method according to claim 10, characterized in that the biomarker detected in urine is selected from glycerol, carnitine, acyl-carnitine, a ketone body, beta aminoisobutyrate, a marker of inflammation and the metabolites thereof.

15. A monitoring method according to claim 10, characterized in that the biomarker detected in blood is selected from free fatty acids, glycerol, carnitine, acyl-carnitine, a ketone body, beta aminoisobutyrate, a marker of inflammation and the metabolites thereof.

16. A device for implementing the method according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises means for analyzing a biological fluid for the quantification of a biomarker, a local clock and a calculator running a computer program for controlling said analyzing means, processing the information provided by the analyzing means, recording in a local memory, and communication with a connected device.

17. A system for monitoring an indicator used to indicate the physical state comprising the body fat of a subject and/or the muscular mass of a subject, characterized in that it comprises at least one device according to claim 16 and least one connected device, specifically a tablet or a cell phone, and a computer application controlling the operation of said connected device for communicating with said device, local and/or remote recording of the results of the periodic analyses, visualizing the graphic information calculated on the basis of a plurality of recorded analyses.

18. A computer program product for controlling a device connected to a device according to claim 16, characterized in that it controls the communication between the connected device and the analysis equipment, the recording into a memory of the connected device or of a remote server of time-stamped and possibly geo-located data and the displaying, on a screen of the connected device, of graphic information calculated on the basis of a plurality of recorded analyses.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF A NON-LIMITING EXAMPLE OF AN APPARATUS ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION

[0056] FIG. 1 shows the principle diagram of an apparatus 1 according to a particular embodiment of the present invention. It comprises a micro-computer 2 capable of executing computer instructions and data processing. Such micro-computer 2 comprises a microprocessor 3 which can be of any known type of the state of the art. The micro-computer 2 also comprises a storage unit 4 adapted to receive a computer program defining a set of instructions specific to the implementing of the method, and to store data. A battery 7 supplies power to electrical and electronic circuits of the apparatus.

[0057] The apparatus 1 further comprises a detector 5 comprising a strip reader of a known type.

[0058] The apparatus 1 also comprises an input-output interface 6 connected to the micro-computer 120 which enables communication with an associated apparatus 20, for example a tablet or a cell phone.

[0059] The input-output interface 6 can be of the wired type enabling the connection to the associated apparatus 20 via a cord provided with a connector suitable for the associated apparatus 20. However, in order to avoid connection compatibility issues, the input-output interface 6 is rather of the radiofrequency type, e.g. of the Bluetooth type.

[0060] For Bluetooth communication, establishing a connection starts with a phase of inquiry, during which the computer program stored in the memory 4 controls the sending of a query to all the apparatuses present in the coverage area, so-called access points. All the peripheral devices receiving the query respond with their addresses.

[0061] The apparatus 1 selects an address previously recorded or selected by the user and synchronizes with the access point using a so-called paging technique, which consists in synchronizing its clock and frequency with the access point.

[0062] A link is then established with the access point, which enables the apparatus 1 to initiate a phase of discovery of the services of the access point, using a so-called SDP (Service Discovery Protocol).

[0063] Upon completion of this phase of service discovery, the master device is able to create a communication channel with the access point using the L2CAP protocol.

[0064] In order to protect sensitive data, including historical data recorded in the memory 4 during previous acquisitions, an additional RFCOMM channel, operating above the L2CAP channel is established to provide a virtual serial port.

[0065] The associated apparatus 20 preferably includes a pairing security mechanism, making it possible to restrict access to authorized users only in order to guarantee some tightness to the piconet. Pairing is done using an encryption key commonly known as “PIN” (Personal Information Number). The associated apparatus 20 thus sends a request for pairing to the master device. This can, most of the time, prompt an intervention by the user to enter the PIN code of the access point. If the received PIN code is correct, the association is obtained.

[0066] In secure mode, the PIN will be sent encrypted using a second key, in order to avoid any risk of compromise.

[0067] When pairing is effective, the associated apparatus 20 is free to use the communication channel thereby established in order to recover the data recorded in the memory 4 of the device 1 and ensure a communication with a remote server through a digital telecommunications network (e.g. Internet 2 0) preferably in a secured manner. Such remote server records the data provided by the device 1 by associating same with time-stamping and/or geo-location data from the associated apparatus 20 so as to form a historical data base for the data relative to the user identified by the device 1 and process same to provide data representative of the evolution of an indicator of the user's physical state.

[0068] Optionally, after said processing, the server returns the result of the analysis to the user via the same network or another one. Optionally, the server records the data and/or the analysis result on a recording medium. Of course, means for guaranteeing the anonymity of the donor's and the recipient's physiological/clinical characteristics can be provided for.

[0069] The device 1 enables the recording of a user's identifier, or a plurality of identifiers each corresponding to a given user.

[0070] This identifier is used by the associated apparatus 20 to connect with the server and to enable the configuration of the user's personal data within an application loaded in the memory of the associated apparatus 20 and on the remote server.