JP2000237309A - Grasping device for insulin injection history - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically store injecting date information, injecting quantity information, etc., with time at the time of injecting insulin to a diabetic by an insulin injector, and to allow the patient, a doctor, etc., to easily and accurately grasp an insulin injection history from stored information at the point of a desired time. SOLUTION: An insulin injection history grasping device includes an injecting time point detecting means 26 detecting the time point of injection at the time of injecting insulin to the patient by operating the insulin injector 12, an injecting quantity detecting means 28 for detecting an injecting quantity, a timer means 84 outputting date information by measuring a date, and a storing means 39 storing date information of the means 34 at the time point of injection with insulin injecting quantity information detected by the means 28 with time. The insulin injection history by the injector 12 can be grasped by an output from the means 39 (38).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for grasping the history of insulin infusion, and in particular, every time insulin is injected into a diabetic patient using an insulin injector, information on the date and time of injection and information on the amount of injection are stored. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an insulin infusion history grasping device that enables a patient, a doctor, and the like to easily and accurately grasp an insulin infusion history at a desired time from stored information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, a diabetic patient is given a predetermined amount of insulin at a predetermined time every day in order to lower the blood glucose level and to suppress the progress of the disease state as much as possible. In general, such an injection of insulin is performed by injecting insulin subcutaneously into a patient using an insulin injector or a syringe having a puncture needle.

[0003] By the way, such an infusion of insulin is usually carried out by the patient himself at the patient's home or his office, but it is carried out at a certain frequency every day. Therefore, the patient forgets to inject insulin, or injects insulin at a time other than the time at which it should be infused, and the physician cannot know the fact. The potential for serious problems is inherent, such as physicians misdiagnosing the cause of the change. In addition, some patients may be required to inject a plurality of types of insulin depending on their condition, but even in this case, a different type of insulin than the prescribed insulin may be used. There is also a problem that the doctor sometimes misdiagnoses the cause of the change in the circadian fluctuation pattern of the blood sugar level because the doctor may not know the fact in some cases.

[0004] In order to cope with such a problem and to make a doctor more reliable by accurately grasping the injection history from the information on the date and time of injection of the insulin and the information on the amount of the injection, the doctor is required to give the patient a diagnosis. On the other hand, it is conceivable to request that the date and time of injection, the amount of injection, etc. be recorded and recorded over time on a predetermined recording sheet. Since the forgetting and the entry different from the actual injection situation are inevitable, the above-mentioned problem cannot be sufficiently solved. , Because of the lack of reliability, the physician cannot make a more advanced diagnosis based thereon, and furthermore, in the case where the physician trusts such records to make a diagnosis,
He had the danger of misdiagnosis.

[0005]

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for injecting insulin into a diabetic patient using an insulin injector. Information and infusion amount information can be stored automatically and over time, and the patient or doctor can easily and accurately grasp the insulin infusion history from the stored information at a desired time. It is an object of the present invention to provide an insulin infusion history grasping device capable of performing the above.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in order to solve such problems, a) injection time detecting means for detecting an injection time at which an insulin injector is operated to inject insulin into a patient; b A) an injection amount detecting means for detecting an injection amount of insulin to be injected into a patient from the insulin injector; c) a timer means for measuring date and time and outputting date and time information; Storage means for storing the time and date information of the timer means at the time of insulin injection, together with the insulin injection amount information detected by the injection amount detection means, based on the detection of the insulin injection time by means, e) The history of insulin injection by the insulin injector can be grasped from the output from the storage means. The insulin infusion history grasping device, is to its gist.

In other words, in the insulin infusion history grasping device structured in accordance with the present invention, the insulin infusion history grasping device is used each time an insulin is injected into a patient by using an insulin injector. In the storage means provided in the device, based on the detection of the injection time by the injection time detection means, the date and time information at the time of insulin injection, which is measured by the timer means and output from the timer means, is detected by the injection amount detection means. It is to be stored over time together with the insulin injection amount information, and the information stored in the storage means is output from the storage means, whereby the insulin injection history can be accurately grasped by the output. It is like that.

Therefore, according to the apparatus of the present invention as described above,
Insulin date and time information and infusion amount information are automatically and temporally stored for each infusion operation by the insulin injector, and the output of the stored information allows the patient or doctor to at any desired time. It is possible to easily and accurately grasp the history of insulin infusion such as forgetting of insulin infusion and infusion at a time other than the time instructed by the doctor, resulting in a reliable advanced Diagnosis can be performed, and misdiagnosis is reliably avoided.

According to a preferred embodiment of the insulin infusion history grasping apparatus according to the present invention, the insulin infusion history grasping apparatus as described above stores type information corresponding to the type of insulin injected from the insulin injector. It further comprises type information means for outputting, and is configured such that the type information from the type information means is stored in the storage means with time along with the date and time information and the insulin injection amount information. . That is, according to the insulin infusion history grasping device having such a configuration, not only the infusion date and time information and the infusion amount information of insulin but also the type information corresponding to the type of insulin are stored in the storage means over time. Therefore, the patient or doctor can grasp a more detailed insulin infusion history from the information including the type information output from the storage means, and therefore, the patient or doctor can observe the daily fluctuation of the blood glucose level. It is possible to more precisely and accurately recognize or diagnose whether the change in the pattern is caused by the injection of the wrong type of insulin.

According to another preferred embodiment of the insulin infusion history grasping device according to the present invention, the insulin infusion history grasping device as described above further comprises a display means for displaying information stored in the storage means. The information displayed on the display means is configured so that the history of insulin injection by the insulin injector can be grasped. The infusion history can be grasped more accurately and easily, and as a result, the patient or doctor can determine whether the change in the diurnal fluctuation pattern of the blood glucose level is caused by any cause. Thus, recognition or diagnosis can be performed more reliably.

Further, in the apparatus of the present invention, advantageously, the stored information output from the storage means is taken out to the outside, and the insulin injection history is displayed on a display device provided outside. For example, it is possible for the doctor to have the display device and to transmit the storage information output from the storage unit to the display device via a telephone line or wirelessly. From a certain point, thereby, not only the patient but also his / her physician can easily and reliably grasp the insulin infusion history of the patient at any time, not only at the time of diagnosis.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, in order to clarify the present invention more specifically, specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, FIG. 1 schematically shows an insulin infusion system 14 in which an insulin infusion history grasping device 10 as one embodiment of the present invention is combined with an insulin infusion device 12. In the insulin infusion system 14, the insulin infusion device 12 is conventionally used for injecting a predetermined amount of insulin into the body of a diabetic patient subcutaneously. Specifically, the insulin infusion device 12 has a cylindrical shape. Insulin can be stored in the injector body 16 and the internal pressure in the injector body 16 in which insulin is stored can be controlled by operating the injection button 18 provided at one end of the injector body 16 in a conventional manner. Changes and the predetermined amount of insulin becomes
The distal end of the puncture needle 20 is configured to be able to be ejected to the outside of the injector main body 16 through the inner hole of the puncture needle 20 provided at the other end of the injector main body 16. In short, using such an insulin injector 12, the injector body 16
After the predetermined insulin is introduced into the inside, the tip of the puncture needle 20 is punctured by the patient, and the injection button 1
By manipulating 8, a predetermined amount of insulin can be injected into the patient's body. The injector main body 16 of the insulin syringe 12 is provided with a dial (not shown) for setting an injection amount, and by adjusting the dial to set a desired value, the insulin injection as described above is performed. When the operation is performed, the set amount of insulin is infused into the patient.

Further, in the insulin infusion system 14 shown in FIG.
Is used in combination with such an insulin injector 12, and includes a detection circuit 22 and a main body processing circuit 24 that performs a predetermined process based on a signal output from the detection circuit 22. ,It is configured.

More specifically, the detection circuit 22 includes an injection time point detection unit 26, an injection amount detection unit 28, and a type information detection unit 30. Built-in or integrally mounted.
Then, in the detection circuit 22, the injection point detection unit 26 detects the injection point when operating the insulin injector 12 to inject insulin into the patient,
The injection time point detection unit 2 is configured to output an injection time point detection signal, and can perform such an operation.
For example, a microswitch or a limit switch is disposed at the operation site of the injection button 18 of the insulin injector 12, and a trigger signal as an injection time detection signal is output by operating the injection button 18. In addition to the above, a metal or carbon fiber connected to a puncture needle 20 made of a metal conductor by a wire or the like on the surface of a portion of the insulin injector 12 that is gripped by a finger of a patient. By providing an electrode and puncturing the puncture needle 20 into the patient's skin in order for the patient to inject insulin with the insulin injector 12, an electrical loop consisting of the electrode, the puncture needle 20, the patient's body, etc. is created. And a change in impedance or voltage caused by the formation of such an electric loop. A metal or carbon fiber electrode is provided on the surface of a part of the insulin injector 12 that the patient grasps with his / her finger to output a trigger signal. Vessel 1
Injecting the puncture needle 20 into the patient's skin in order to inject insulin by the step 2, detects a fluctuation in voltage between the electrode and the puncture needle 20 due to the activity of cardiac myocardial cells, so-called electrocardiogram. Then, a device that outputs a trigger signal or the like can be advantageously employed. In addition, the injection point detecting unit 26 is formed by various types of conventionally known electric circuits that can advantageously realize the above-described configurations, and is particularly configured to detect the above-described electrocardiogram. In the above, it is more desirable to provide a circuit capable of improving the SN ratio of the detected electrocardiographic signal.

In the detection circuit 22, the injection amount detector 28 detects the injection amount of insulin based on the above-described detection of the injection time when injecting insulin, and directly determines the injection amount. Outputs an injection amount information signal indirectly indicated. As such an injection amount detecting unit 28, for example, the insulin injector 1
A rotary potentiometer or the like, such that an electric signal corresponding to the rotational position can be output as an injection amount information signal using the injection amount setting dial provided in 2; When the setting dial is rotated, an injection amount information signal corresponding to the injection amount set value (rotational position) can be generated, and the injection amount information is maintained until the injection point is detected. A configuration in which the signal is temporarily stored in a suitable storage device such as a RAM or the like, and the injection amount information signal is output in accordance with the detection of the injection time, or the like can be advantageously employed.

Further, the type information detecting section 30 detects the type of insulin to be injected and outputs a type information signal indicating directly or indirectly the type of insulin to be injected.
For example, barcodes, colors, magnetic records, etc. set according to the type of insulin are read in a non-contact manner, and a protrusion having a shape corresponding to the type is contacted by a mechanical switch or the like. It can be advantageously formed by, for example, a device adapted to read.

In the detection circuit 22 as described above,
The signal output from each of the detection units 26, 28, 30 may be any of an analog signal and a digital signal. In addition, the detection units 26, 28, 30
It is also possible to provide a D converter, thereby converting the analog signal into a digital signal.

Each of the detection units 26, 28, 30 constituting such a detection circuit 22 is connected to a signal input unit 32 provided in the main unit processing circuit 24. The injection point detection signal, the injection amount information signal, and the type information signal output from 26, 28, and 30 are input to the signal input unit 32 according to a predetermined processing procedure.

More specifically, when an injection time detection signal (trigger signal) output from the injection time detecting unit 26 according to the injection operation of the insulin injector 12 is input to the signal input unit 32, the injection amount detecting unit 28 The injection amount information signal and the type information signal are output from each of the type information detection unit 30 and are input to the signal input unit 32. In short, the injection amount information signal and the type information signal are input to the signal input unit 32 based on the detection of the injection time point of the insulin. When the injection amount information signal and the type information signal input to the signal input unit 32 are analog signals, an additional AD converter is provided in the signal input unit 32 to convert the analog signal into a digital signal. It is desirable to make it. On the other hand, when each signal input to the signal input unit 32 is a digital signal, a signal transmission method between the signal input unit 32 and each detection unit is determined by serial transmission (serial) or parallel transmission (parallel transmission). ) Does not matter at all. Furthermore, the term “connection” as used in the present specification means not only a connection directly connected by wiring or a cable, but also a remote connection such as inputting / outputting a signal by radio or infrared. Categorical consolidation is also included in that category.

The main body processing circuit 24 is provided with a built-in clock section 34 capable of accurately measuring the date and time and outputting the measured date and time information as a date and time information signal. The clock unit 34 is also connected to the signal input unit 32, so that the date and time information signal output from the built-in clock unit 34 is input (taken) into the signal input unit 32. In particular, here, based on the input of the injection time detection signal to the signal input unit 32 (detection of the injection time), the date and time information signal at that time is, together with the injection amount information signal and the type information signal, The signal is input to the signal input unit 32. The setting of the date and time in the built-in clock section 34 can be appropriately performed from outside the main body processing circuit 24.

Further, in the main body processing circuit 24, the signal input section 32 is connected to a central processing section 36 including a CPU and a ROM. The type information signal and the date and time information signal are output from the signal input unit 32 and input to the central processing unit 36. In the central processing unit 36, the CPU processes the input injection amount information signal, type information signal, and date / time information signal in accordance with a predetermined processing program written in the ROM, and performs injection amount information, type information And injection history information including date and time information as a set of data.

Further, the main body processing circuit 24 is provided with a storage processing unit 38, and the storage processing unit 38
Is connected to the central processing unit 36, and can store the injection history information including the injection amount information, the type information, and the date and time information obtained in the central processing unit 36. As the storage processing unit 38, various known storage devices or storage media can be used, and examples thereof include a floppy disk (FD), a hard disk (HD), a RAM, and a magnetic card. , Among them, insulin injection history grasping device 1
It is appropriately selected and used in accordance with the size and price required for 0, the amount of information to be stored, and the like.

In the storage processing unit 38,
The stored infusion history information can be erased by an appropriate operation from the outside of the main body processing circuit 24. Thus, unless the infusion history information is erased, every time the patient is infused with insulin, the infusion history information can be erased. Injection history information is stored sequentially and with time. In short, in the present embodiment, based on the detection of the insulin injection point, the storage unit 39 that stores the date and time information, the injection amount information and the type information at the time of the insulin injection is stored in the signal input unit 32 and the central processing unit. 3
6. It is constituted by the storage processing unit 38.

In the present embodiment, the main processing circuit 24 includes a display section 40 composed of a liquid crystal panel or the like, and the display section 40 is connected to a storage processing section 38. The injection history information (injection amount information, type information, date and time information) stored in the storage processing unit 38 is output from the storage processing unit 38 to the display unit 40 and displayed on the display surface. Has become. The display unit 40 is configured to capture date and time information from the built-in clock unit 34 and display the date and time information so that a function as a normal clock can be performed. It is also possible to configure to display the remaining amount of power in the unit 44 so that the remaining amount can be easily grasped. The display of the injection history information and the like on the display unit 40 may be performed at all times, but it is preferable that the display be performed by a predetermined external operation when necessary. .

The main processing circuit 24 has a communication unit 42 connected to the storage processing unit 38 separately from the display unit 40.
The injection history information stored in the storage processing unit 38 is output to the communication unit 42 and can be output from the communication unit 42 to the outside. As the communication unit 42, any unit that can output data (injection history information) to the outside can be used, but various known modems and wireless devices are advantageously used. Then, the infusion history information is output and transmitted to an external display device (not shown) which is provided separately from the insulin infusion history grasping device 10 and which can display data via the telephone line or wirelessly. Thus, the injection history information can be displayed on the external display device when desired. In the present invention, the storage processing unit 38 is used as the communication unit 42 as described above.
The one-way communication type, which automatically and unidirectionally outputs and transmits the injection history information to an external display device or the like along with the storage of the injection history information in Display device), and a so-called two-way communication type capable of outputting and transmitting the injection history information stored in the storage processing unit 38 to an external display device or the like in accordance with the reception. Can be adopted. In addition, the communication unit 42 can be configured by an interface that enables connection with a modem or a wireless device.
By connecting a modem or a wireless device provided outside the insulin infusion history ascertaining device 10, the above-mentioned effective function can be achieved.

Further, the main body processing circuit 24 includes a dry battery,
Primary batteries such as mercury batteries and lithium batteries, secondary batteries such as nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and lithium-ion batteries, or various known power supply devices capable of supplying electricity from power lines (outlets) A power supply unit 44 composed of the above is provided, so that a necessary amount of power is supplied to the main body processing circuit 24 and the detection circuit 22.

In such an insulin infusion history grasping apparatus 10, the processing in each processing section described above,
Input / output of signals or information between the processing units and between the detection circuit 22 and the signal input unit 32 is performed by the central processing unit 3
6 is controlled and managed in accordance with a predetermined control program stored in the ROM 6.

Further, in the insulin injection history grasping apparatus 10, the main body processing circuit 24 is substantially separate from the detecting circuit 22, so that the detecting circuit 22 and the main body processing circuit 24 are separated.
Is connected directly with a cable or the like, or is connected apart from each other by radio or infrared, and in consideration of portability, the main unit processing is performed as shown by a virtual line in FIG. The circuit 24 may be formed integrally with the detection circuit 22, that is, the insulin injector 12 may be configured so that the detection circuit 22 and the main body processing circuit 24 are built in or integrally attached thereto. In particular, in that case, it is preferable that the detection circuit 22 and the main body processing circuit 24 be miniaturized as much as possible.

In short, in the insulin injection history comprehension device 10 configured as described above, every time the insulin is injected into the patient by operating the insulin injector 12, the injection time detection unit 26 outputs the injection time detection signal. The input signal is output to the signal input unit 32, and based on the input, the injection amount information signal and the type information detection unit 30 output together with the date and time information signal output from the built-in clock unit 34 and the injection amount detection unit 28. The type information signal output from
The signal is input to the signal input unit 32. Further, the date and time information signal, the injection amount information signal and the type information signal are processed in the central processing unit 36, and the date and time information, the injection amount information and the type information are grouped together. After the injection history information included as data is formed, in the storage processing unit 38,
Such injection history information is stored over time. The injection history information thus stored in the storage processing unit 38 is output from the storage processing unit 38 to the display unit 40, and can be displayed on the display surface at all times or when necessary. Further, the injection history information output from the storage processing unit 38 is taken out of the communication unit 42 and can be displayed at a desired time by, for example, the external display device.

Therefore, according to the insulin injection history grasping apparatus 10 according to the present invention, the insulin injector 1
According to the injection operation of 2, the injection history information including the date and time information and the injection amount information at the time of the injection of insulin, and further the type information is automatically and temporally stored in the storage processing unit 38 (the storage means 39), Then, the stored injection history information is output to the display unit 40 and the communication unit 42, so that the insulin injection history can be accurately grasped from the output injection history information. That is, the patient
It is very easy to grasp the accurate insulin infusion history at a desired time, and the doctor can accurately grasp the detailed insulin infusion history when diagnosing a patient. This makes it possible to make a highly advanced diagnosis, and misdiagnosis is reliably avoided.

Further, in the illustrated insulin infusion history grasping apparatus 10, since the infusion history information stored in the storage processing section 38 can be taken out from the communication section 42, for example, By configuring the communication unit 42 with a modem, a wireless device, or the like, the injection history information can be transmitted to an external display device such as a computer system including a monitor and a printer owned by the doctor through a telephone line or wirelessly. It is also possible to display such infusion history information on the monitor or to print it on a printer, so that the physician can check the patient's insulin infusion history at times other than the time of diagnosis. Can be easily and reliably grasped.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, this is merely an example, and the present invention is not construed as being limited by the specific description of the embodiment.

For example, the device of the present invention can be applied to any of various well-known insulin injectors or syringes which can inject insulin into a patient by a predetermined operation. It goes without saying that a device having a structure different from that of the container 12 can be combined.

In the illustrated embodiment, the storage means (39) includes the signal input unit 32, the central processing unit 36,
Although the configuration includes the storage processing unit 38, the specific configuration is by no means limited to such an example, and based on the detection of the insulin injection time, at least the date and time information at the time of the insulin injection is converted to the insulin injection time. What is necessary is to store the information over time together with the amount information.

Further, the storage processing unit 38 (storage means 39)
Any means can be used as an output means of the information (injection history information) stored in the device, as long as it can output such information.
It is not always necessary to provide both the display unit 40 and the communication unit 42 as in the illustrated embodiment. For example, only the communication unit 42 including a modem or the like is provided, while the external display such as the computer system described above is provided. While the device is held by the patient, the storage information is transmitted from the communication unit 42 to the external display device, and the monitor display or printing by the printer may be configured so that the patient can grasp the insulin infusion history. Of course it is possible.

Further, according to the present invention, the injection amount information signal and the type information signal are output from the injection amount detecting section 28 and the type information detecting section 30 not only at the time of injection but also at an arbitrary point in time. After performing a predetermined process according to the following, it may be configured to be able to output it to the outside from the communication unit 42,
Thus, the display on the external display device or the like based on the output allows the doctor to confirm the correctness of the setting of the amount and type of insulin injection performed by the patient.

In addition, although not enumerated one by one, the present invention
Based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, the present invention can be implemented in a form in which various changes, modifications, improvements, and the like are made.
As long as such an embodiment does not depart from the gist of the present invention, it is supposed that any of the embodiments belongs to the scope of the present invention.
Needless to say.

[0039]

As is clear from the above description, according to the insulin infusion history grasping apparatus according to the present invention, each time an insulin is injected into a diabetic patient by an operation using an insulin injector, the insulin injection is performed. The date and time information and the injection amount information and the like are stored automatically and over time, and from the information thus stored, the patient can, at a desired time,
An accurate insulin infusion history can be easily grasped, and a doctor can accurately grasp the insulin infusion history from the stored information at the time of diagnosis, etc. Diagnosis can be performed, and erroneous diagnosis can be reliably avoided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an insulin infusion system in which an insulin infusion history grasping device as one embodiment of the present invention is combined with an insulin infusion device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Insulin infusion history grasping device 12 Insulin infusion device 26 Injection time point detecting part 28 Injection amount detecting part 30 Type information detecting part 32 Signal input part 34 Built-in clock part 36 Central processing part 38 Storage processing part 39 Storage means 40 Display part 42 Communication Department

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An injection point detecting means for detecting an injection point at which an insulin injector is operated to inject insulin into a patient, and an injection amount detecting an injection amount of insulin to be injected into a patient's body from the insulin injector. Detection means, timer means for measuring the date and time and outputting date and time information, and time and date information of the timer means at the time of the insulin injection based on the detection of the insulin injection time by the injection time detection means, Storage means for storing the insulin infusion amount information detected by the amount detection means together with time, and the output from the storage means enables the history of insulin infusion by the insulin injector to be grasped. Insulin infusion history grasping device. 2. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising type information means for outputting type information corresponding to the type of insulin injected from the insulin injector, wherein the type information from the type information means includes the date and time information and the insulin injection amount. 2. The insulin infusion history grasping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information is stored in the storage means over time together with the information. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit for displaying information stored in said storage unit, wherein the information displayed on said display unit allows the history of insulin injection by said insulin injector to be grasped. The insulin infusion history grasping device according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The insulin injection history according to claim 1, wherein the stored information output from the storage means is taken out to the outside, and an insulin infusion history is displayed on a display device provided outside. An insulin infusion history grasping device according to [1].