Self powered serial-to-serial or USB-to-serial cable with loopback and isolation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9529762-B2
Application number	US-87277904-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2004
Priority date	Jun 30, 2003
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

The cable for a medical device is an optically isolated serial transmission cable, used to connect a base device with a serial port, or the like, to a medical device. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the invention enables auto detection of the cable. The base device is used to power the cable electronics. In another embodiment of the present invention, the interface cable is also supported by graphical and text message display that assists users in connecting the cable to both the medical device and a base device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for connecting a glucose monitor to a base device comprising:
a base device and a glucose monitor; and
a detachable cable comprising a detachable serial port connector at a first end and a detachable second connector at a second end, wherein:
the serial port connector detachably connects said first end of said cable to said base device; and
the second connector detachably connects said second end of said cable to said glucose monitor;
the detachable cable further comprising:
an optical isolation circuit between said first end and said second end of said cable that prevents electrical signals from propagating to the glucose monitor from the base device via said cable; and
a loopback circuit on a base device side of the optical isolation circuit that provides a loopback signal to a connected one of a plurality of serial ports of said base device to identify to which of said plurality of serial ports said cable is connected;

wherein the loopback circuit echoes data received from a serial output of the base device to a serial input of the base device; and
wherein the base device comprises a display adapted to graphically display a first connection state of the connection of the serial port connector of the detachable cable to the base device, and a second connection state of the connection of the second connector of the detachable cable to the glucose monitor, said first and second connection states being displayed separately and simultaneously, and to animatedly display a transfer of data between the glucose device and the base device.

2. A cable as claimed in claim 1
wherein said optical isolation circuit receives electrical power from a power supply in said base device.

3. A medical system comprising a detachable cable, a glucose monitor and a base device, wherein the detachable cable comprises a detachable serial port connector at first end and a detachable second connector at a second end, wherein the
the serial port connector detachably connects said first end of said cable to said base device; and
the second connector detachably connects said second end of said cable to said glucose monitor;
the detachable cable further comprising:
an optical isolation circuit between said first end and said second end of said cable that prevents electrical signals from propagating to the glucose monitor from the base device via said cable;
wherein said optical isolation circuit receives electrical power from a power supply in said base device;
and wherein said cable further comprises a loopback circuit provided on a base device side of the optical isolation circuit that provides a loopback signal to a connected one of a plurality of serial ports of said base device to identify to which of said plurality of serial ports said cable is connected;
wherein the loopback circuit echoes data received from a serial output of the base device to a serial input of the base device; and
wherein the base device comprises a display adapted to graphically display a first connection state of the connection of the serial port connector of the detachable cable to the base device, and a second connection state of the connection of the second connector of the detachable cable to the glucose monitor, said first and second connection states being displayed separately and simultaneously, and to animatedly display a transfer of data between the glucose device and the base device.

4. A medical system as claimed in claim 3 further comprising:
wherein said loopback circuit provides said loopback signal to the base device in response to signals received from the base device;
said loopback signal is interpreted by the base device, and a graphical display related to the interpreted loopback signal is presented to the user.

5. A medical system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said loopback signal provided by said loopback circuit to the base device enable said graphical display to indicate connection points where said cable has not made a proper connection to the base device, the medical device, or both.

6. A cable as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said serial port connector is a Universal Serial Bus connector.

7. A cable as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said serial port connector is a RS-232C connector.

8. The cable as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said optical isolation circuit receives power from said base device.

9. A cable as claimed in claim 8 , wherein power is removed from the optical isolation circuit after a predetermined condition is satisfied.

10. A cable as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said predetermined condition is satisfied when all the required data has been transferred between the glucose monitor and the base device.

11. A medical system comprising a detachable cable, a glucose monitor and a base device, wherein the detachable cable comprises a detachable serial port connector at a first end and a detachable second connector at a second end, wherein:
the serial port connector detachably connects said first end of said cable to said base device; and
the second connector detachably connects said second end of said cable to said glucose monitor;
the detachable cable further comprising:
an optical isolation circuit between said first end and said second end of said cable that prevents electrical signals from propagating to the glucose monitor from the base device via said cable; and
a loopback circuit on a base device side of the optical isolation circuit that provides a loopback signal to a connected one of a plurality of serial ports of said base device to identify to which of said plurality of serial ports said cable is connected;
wherein the loopback circuit echoes data received from a serial output of the base device to a serial input of the base device;
wherein said optical isolation circuit receives power from said base device;
wherein power is removed from the optical isolation circuit after a predetermined condition is satisfied;
wherein power provided to said cable from the glucose monitor is reduced after said predetermined condition is satisfied; and
wherein the base device comprises a display adapted to graphically display a first connection state of the connection of the serial port connector of the detachable cable to the base device, and a second connection state of the connection of the second connector of the detachable cable to the glucose monitor, said first and second connection states being displayed separately and simultaneously, and to animatedly display a transfer of data between the glucose device and the base device.

12. A cable as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said serial port connector is a Universal Serial Bus connector.

13. A cable as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said serial port connector is a RS-232C connector.

14. A medical system comprising a detachable cable, a glucose monitor and a base device, the detachable cable detachably connecting the glucose monitor to the base device, the detachable cable comprising a detachable serial port connector at a first end and a detachable second connector at a second end, wherein:
the detachable serial port connector at said first end of the cable connects to one of a plurality of serial ports in said base device; and
the detachable connector at said second end connects to said glucose monitor;
the detachable cable further comprising:
an optical isolation circuit between said first end and said second end of said cable that prevents electrical signals from propagating to the glucose monitor from the base device via said cable; and
a loopback circuit on a base device side of the optical isolation circuit that receives a loopback signal fr

Assignees

• Gisler Scott
• Arndt Dave
• Becton Dickinson Co

Inventors

• Gisler Scott
• Arndt Dave

Classifications

• G05B23/0216

  Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration · CPC title

• H04B10/802

  for isolation, e.g. using optocouplers · CPC title

• G06F13/4072 Primary

  Drivers or receivers (G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002) · CPC title

• H03K17/78

  using opto-electronic devices, i.e. light-emitting and photoelectric devices electrically- or optically-coupled · CPC title

• G06F11/221

  to test buses, lines or interfaces, e.g. stuck-at or open line faults · CPC title