Apparatus for optimizing a patient's insulin dosage regimen

An apparatus for optimizing an insulin dosage regimen of a patient over time, comprising:

• at least a first computer-readable memory for storing:
• programming instructions, a plurality of data inputs corresponding to one or more components in the insulin dosage regimen of the patient, and a plurality of blood-glucose-level measurements of the patient determined at a plurality of times over a predefined period of time;
• a timer for counting to a periodic update evaluation of the insulin dosage regimen of the patient over the predefined period of time;
• a processor configured to communicate with the at least first computer-readable memory and execute the programming instructions stored in the at least first computer-readable memory to cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising:
• querying whether the timer has reached the periodic update evaluation;
• determining, at the end of the predefined period of time, from the plurality of blood-glucose-level measurements of the patient determined at the plurality of times whether and by how much to adjust at least one of the one or more components of the insulin dosage regimen of the patient in order to maintain future blood-glucose-level measurements of the patient within a predefined range, and whether an excessive number of hypoglycemic events have occurred over the predefined period of time;
• reducing, upon a determination that an excessive number of hypoglycemic events have occurred over the predefined period of time, at least one of the one or more components of the insulin dosage regimen of the patient;
• preventing, upon a reduction in at least one of the one or more components of the insulin dosage regimen of the patient, an increase in an insulin dosage of the patient at a next periodic update evaluation;
• wherein a long-acting insulin dosage of the patient may not be adjustable so that any two successive such adjusted dosages fall below and above the dosage which they immediately succeed;
• wherein when a periodic evaluation of the patient insulin dosage regimen is undertaken, the insulin dosage regimen is treated as having been adjusted even if there has been no adjustment made to the insulin dosage regimen;
• and
• wherein any time the insulin dosage regimen is adjusted, whether in consequence of a periodic update evaluation or an asynchronous update, the timer counting to the next periodic update evaluation is reset.