Devices and methods for continuous analyte monitoring

Abstract

“Zero-click” viewing of sensor data without any user input is provided. A display with sensor data may be “always on,” and may enable discrete viewing of sensor data without significant user hassle. Also, a system may be configured to display only current data, and/or to display the most current data for only a set interval. Also, one device in a continuous analyte monitoring system may be designated as a primary device, or hub, for receiving sensor data, and may control the flow of information and/or alerts to other devices in the system. Sensor data and/or alerts may be sent to a hierarchy of devices and/or persons in a designated order.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wearable device for providing information to a user regarding the user's blood glucose value, the device comprising:
 a communication module having an input/output port for receiving data transmitted from a continuous glucose monitoring system including a sensor, a signal from the sensor transformed into the data for transmission; and   a display configured to display information based on the received signal for a set duration.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the signal is received from a receiver of the continuous glucose monitoring system. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is a smartphone. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the information displayed includes at least one of a glucose value, a glucose trend, an alert, and a time when the signal was received from the continuous glucose monitoring system. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a timer chip, timer circuit, or timer implemented by program instructions on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the timer measures the set duration. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the display is configured to cease displaying the information after the set duration elapses. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein after the set duration elapses the display is converted to an operating mode such that no further information can be displayed on the display until the communication module receives another set of data from the glucose monitoring system. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the set duration begins when the data is received from the continuous glucose monitoring system. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the display of the information commences without any user interaction. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a brightness of the displayed information fades as the set duration elapses. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the set duration is in the range of one second to twenty minutes. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises an input device for enabling the user to acknowledge that the information has been viewed. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein when the user acknowledges that the information has been viewed, the communication module sends an acknowledgement signal to the glucose monitoring system. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the display comprises one or more of electronic paper, electronic ink, an electrophoretic display, a gyricon, a liquid crystal display, one or more light-emitting diodes, one or more organic light-emitting diodes, a color-changing material, a pattern-changing material, magnetic materials, piezo-electric materials, vibration patterns, heat/cold patterns, one or more light pipes with single-color or multicolor light-emitting diodes or organic light-emitting diodes, a transparent and flexible multi-touch surface, or an interactive glass surface. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a band configured to be worn about a wrist of a wearer, wherein the communication module and the display are incorporated into the band. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the display is further configured to display a status flag that indicates when the device last received the signal from the continuous glucose monitoring system.