Graphical display for physiological patient data

Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate generally to devices that monitor one or more conditions of a patient. More particularly, embodiments of the subject matter relate to a graphical user interface that displays physiological patient data on a monitor or other device.

The prior art includes devices, systems, and equipment designed to process and display medical data for a patient. For example, patient monitoring equipment is often used to graphically display a patient\'s heart rate, blood pressure, and other measured physiological characteristics. The prior art also includes medical devices that are intended for personal use by the patient or the patient\'s caregiver; such medical devices may be designed to be carried by the patient or designed for use in the home. For example, diabetics are usually required to modify and monitor their daily lifestyle to keep their body in balance, in particular, their blood glucose (BG) levels. Individuals with Type 1 diabetes and some individuals with Type 2 diabetes use insulin to control their BG levels. To do so, diabetics routinely keep strict schedules, including ingesting timely nutritious meals, partaking in exercise, monitoring BG levels daily, and adjusting and administering insulin dosages accordingly.

The prior art includes a number of insulin pump systems that are designed to deliver accurate and measured doses of insulin via infusion sets (an infusion set delivers the insulin through a small diameter tube that terminates at a cannula inserted under the patient\'s skin). In lieu of a syringe, the patient can simply activate the insulin pump to administer an insulin bolus as needed, for example, in response to the patient\'s current BG level. A patient can measure his BG level using a BG measurement device, such as a test strip meter, a continuous glucose measurement system, or the like. BG measurement devices use various methods to measure the BG level of a patient, such as a sample of the patient\'s blood, a sensor in contact with a bodily fluid, an optical sensor, an enzymatic sensor, or a fluorescent sensor. When the BG measurement device has generated a BG measurement, the measurement can be displayed on the BG measurement device and/or the BG measurement device can transfer the measurement data to another device, such as a continuous glucose monitoring system that monitors the patient\'s BG level in substantially real time.

Insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring devices may also be configured to communicate with remote control devices, monitoring or display devices, BG meters, and other devices associated with such an infusion system. Any of the individual devices within an infusion system may include a display element, and it is desirable to utilize these display elements to display the patient\'s BG level. Historically, BG levels have been displayed numerically or as a graph over time. Although such graphical displays might adequately convey the BG level information, they can be limited in the amount of additional information they provide. Moreover, such graphical displays may not be intuitive and easy to read.

A graphical user interface as described here is designed to convey physiological patient data in an intuitive and easy to read format. The graphical user interface is capable of displaying the current value of a monitored physiological characteristic (e.g., BG level), along with additional information related to the monitored physiological characteristic. Various graphical elements and displayed fields of the graphical user interface may have dynamically adjustable display characteristics that respond to the changing value of the monitored physiological parameter. The intuitive graphical display of physiological patient data can be rendered by any compatibly configured electronic device, regardless of form factor. For example, a graphical display of continuous BG data may be rendered on an insulin infusion pump, a remote glucose monitor, a cellular telephone, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, or the like.

The above and other features may be implemented by an embodiment of an electronic device having rendered thereon an intuitive graphical display of physiological patient data. The graphical display includes: a calibrated bar graph that indicates a measurement range for a monitored physiological characteristic; and a measurement value pointer that moves along the calibrated bar graph to indicate a current value of the monitored physiological characteristic and a direction of change of the monitored physiological characteristic.

The above and other aspects may be carried out by an embodiment of an electronic device having an electronic display, where the electronic device performs a method of providing an intuitive graphical display of physiological patient data. The method involves: obtaining data corresponding to a monitored physiological characteristic; generating, for display on the electronic display, a graphical element comprising a calibrated bar graph that indicates a measurement range for the monitored physiological characteristic, and a measurement value pointer that moves along the calibrated bar graph to indicate a current value of the monitored physiological characteristic and a direction of change of the monitored physiological characteristic; and rendering the graphical element on the electronic display.

The above and other aspects may be carried out by an embodiment of a method for displaying, on an electronic display of a device, an intuitive graphical display of physiological patient data. The method involves: obtaining, at the device, data corresponding to a monitored physiological characteristic; displaying, on the electronic display, a bar graph that indicates a measurement range for the monitored physiological characteristic; and displaying, on the electronic display, a measurement value pointer that indicates a current value of the monitored physiological characteristic on the bar graph, and that indicates a direction of change of the monitored physiological characteristic.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the subject matter may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in conjunction with the following figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar elements throughout the figures.

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a system for displaying physiological patient data;

FIG. 2 is a face view of an embodiment of an electronic device having rendered thereon an intuitive graphical display of physiological patient data;

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of an electronic device that is configured to generate an intuitive graphical display of physiological patient data;

FIGS. 4-7 illustrate a first embodiment of an intuitive graphical display of physiological patient data in different states;

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate a second embodiment of an intuitive graphical display of physiological patient data in different states;

FIGS. 11-13 illustrate a third embodiment of an intuitive graphical display of physiological patient data in different states; and

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