Methods, devices and systems for estimating nutritional element content in foods

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for improving nutritional element content estimates from one or more individuals and/or determining a therapy or treatment based on a nutritional element content estimate and improving diabetes management. The systems and methods include a therapy or treatment display based on at least one nutritional element content estimate and at least one proficiency index respectively assigned to an individual to improve accuracy and reliability when estimating nutritional element content in foods and/or therapy or treatment based therefrom.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An improved graphical user interface (GUI) of a nutritional estimation tool on an electronic device with a memory and one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory for determining a therapy or treatment based on a nutritional element content estimate and improving diabetes management, the improved GUI operatively coupled to the one or more processors, the improved GUI comprising:
 a therapy or treatment display based on at least one nutritional element content estimate and at least one proficiency index to improve accuracy and reliability when estimating nutritional element content in foods and therapy or treatment based therefrom;   wherein the one or more processors are adapted to execute computer implemented instructions to:
 receive from an individual at least one nutritional element content estimate of a food image as a test; 
 determine one or more deviation factors from the at least one nutritional element content estimate and a corresponding predetermined nutritional element content of the food image; 
 assign the at least one proficiency index to the individual based upon the one or more deviation factors; and 
 adjust the treatment or therapy display based on at least one nutritional element content estimate and at least one proficiency index. 
   
     
     
         2 . The improved GUI of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are operatively coupled to at least one of a blood glucose meter and an insulin pump, the one or more processors are further adapted to execute computer implemented instructions to:
 adjust the treatment or therapy for a disease or a disorder for the individual based upon the treatment or therapy display.   
     
     
         3 . The improved GUI of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to execute computer implemented instructions to:
 adjust the treatment or therapy through one of an increase or a decrease of an amount of insulin in an adjusted insulin dose; and   administer the adjusted insulin dose to the individual through the insulin pump.   
     
     
         4 . The improved GUI of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to execute computer implemented instructions to:
 re-test the individual and re-assign the proficiency index to the individual after a predetermined period of time.   
     
     
         5 . The improved GUI of  claim 1 , wherein the proficiency index is a quantitative proficiency index comprising an expertness quotient (EQ) calculated according to the following: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
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         wherein M is a food image, N is an individual, C ij  is the nutritional element content estimate, and C i  is the predetermined nutritional element content. 
       
     
     
         6 . A method of assigning to an individual a proficiency index for estimating nutritional element content of foods and utilizing the proficiency index to improve reliability and accuracy when estimating nutritional element content in foods and a therapy or treatment display based therefrom, the method comprising the steps of:
 displaying to the individual through a graphical user interface (GUI) a testing plurality of food images to test the individual on estimating nutritional element content in foods, wherein nutritional element content of one or more nutritional elements in each food image is predetermined and not displayed;   receiving from the individual nutritional element content estimates of nutritional elements in the testing plurality of food images;   determining one or more deviation factors from at least one nutritional element content estimate and a corresponding predetermined nutritional element content of the one or more nutritional elements in each food image;   assigning the proficiency index of the individual based upon the one or more deviation factors; and   adjusting a treatment or therapy display on the GUI for a food associated with a food image based on at least one nutritional element content estimate of the food image received from the individual and the proficiency index assigned to the individual.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 displaying to the individual through the GUI a training plurality of food images to train the individual on estimating nutritional element content in foods, wherein nutritional element content of one or more nutritional elements in each food image is predetermined and displayed.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 displaying to the individual through the GUI a training plurality of food images to train the individual on estimating nutritional element content in foods, wherein nutritional element content of one or more nutritional elements in each food image is predetermined and not displayed;   receiving from the individual through the GUI nutritional element content estimates of the training plurality of food images; and   displaying to the individual the predetermined nutritional element content of the one or more nutritional elements in the training plurality of food images to permit learning or correcting.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the proficiency index is a qualitative proficiency index associated with a level of expertise selected from one of an expert estimator, an experienced estimator, and a beginner estimator. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a deviation factor of the one or more deviation factors for the expert estimator is 0-10, a deviation factor of the one or more deviation factors for the experienced estimator is 11-50, and a deviation factor of the one or more deviation factors for the beginner estimator is 51 and above. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the proficiency index is a quantitative proficiency index comprising an expertness quotient (EQ) calculated according to the following: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
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         wherein M is a food image, N is an individual, C ij  is the nutritional element content estimate, and C i  is the predetermined nutritional element content. 
       
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the testing plurality of food images is in a range of from about five food images to about 50 food images. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising re-testing and re-assigning the proficiency index of the individual after a predetermined period of time.