# US 2017/0286733 A1 · Simple code reader

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- Number: US 2017/0286733 A1
- Document ID: US20170286733A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/094,445
- Filed: 2016-04-08
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-29
- Assignees: Analog Devices, Inc.
- Applicants: Analog Devices, Inc.
- Inventors: SHRENIK DELIWALA; ALAIN VALENTIN GUERY
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170286733A1

## CPC

- G06K 7/10732: {Light sources}
- A61B 5/00: Measuring for diagnostic purposes (radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00); Identification of persons
- A61B 5/14532: {for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement}
- A61B 5/15003: {for venous or arterial blood}
- A61B 5/157: {Devices} characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
- G01N 33/66: involving blood sugars, e.g. galactose
- G06K 7/10722: {Photodetector array or CCD scanning}
- G06K 7/10821: {further details of bar or optical code scanning devices}
- G06K 7/1404: {Methods for optical code recognition}
- G06K 19/06018: {one-dimensional coding}
- G06K 19/06037: {multi-dimensional coding}
- A61B 5/0059: {using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence (photoacoustic A61B5/0093; optical measurement of heart rate A61B5/02416; optical measurement of blood flow A61B5/0261; optical measurement of analytes A61B5/1455)}
- A61B 5/150358: {Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent}
- A61B 2562/0295: Strip shaped analyte sensors for apparatus classified in A61B5/145 or A61B5/157
- A61B 2562/08: Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide code readers for reading codes provided as patterns imprinted on objects. Light interacts with a pattern by e.g. being reflected from or transmitted through the pattern, and at least some of the light that has interacted with the pattern is incident on photosensitive element(s) of one or more photodetectors of a code reader. The code reader employs centroid-measuring photodetector(s), i.e. photodetectors that detect light in such a manner that centroid of a pattern can be obtained directly from the photocurrents generated as a result of the photosensitive elements detecting light incident thereon. The code reader is then configured to process the detected light to determine a centroid of the pattern from the detected light and to decode data encoded in the pattern based on a position of the centroid. Such code readers are substantially less complex than camera-based devices and avoid mechanical scanning.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A medical device assembly comprising:
a medical device reader configured to perform measurements on a medical device object, the medical device reader comprising a code reader, and
the medical device object configured to be affixed to, aligned with, or inserted into the medical device reader and having a code provided thereon as a pattern imprinted on the object,
wherein the code reader comprises:
one or more centroid-measuring photodetectors configured to detect light that has interacted with the pattern, wherein the detected light is indicative of a centroid of the pattern; and
a processing logic configured to:
determine the centroid of the pattern from the detected light, and
determine the code based on the determined centroid.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The medical device assembly according to claim 1, wherein the medical device object comprises a glucose meter strip and the medical device reader comprises a glucose meter, and wherein the measurements performed by the medical device reader on the medical device object comprise measurements of one or more glucose levels based on a sample provided in the glucose meter strip.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The medical device assembly according to claim 1, wherein:
the one or more centroid-measuring photodetectors comprise a first photodetector and a second photodetector provided at predefined positions with respect to one another,
said pattern is a first pattern,
the object further has a second pattern provided thereon,
the first photodetector is configured to detect light that has interacted with the first pattern, wherein the light detected by the first photodetector is indicative of the centroid of the first pattern,
the second photodetector is configured to detect light that has interacted with the second pattern, wherein the light detected by the second photodetector is indicative of a centroid of the second pattern,
the processing logic is configured to determine the centroid of the first pattern based on light detected by the first photodetector and to determine the centroid of the second pattern based on light detected by the second photodetector,
wherein determining the code comprises determining the code encoded in the first and second patterns based on a distance between the centroid of the first pattern and the centroid of the second pattern.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The medical device assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more centroid-measuring photodetectors comprises:
a surface having an aperture; and
a pair of photodetectors electrically isolated from each other at a boundary between them, the boundary aligned with the aperture.

### Claim at position 5

5-19. (canceled)

### Claim 20 (depends on 4)

The medical device assembly according to claim 4, wherein:
each of the pair of photodetectors is configured to generate a respective photocurrent,
the pair of photodetectors is aligned along an optical path without a lens, the optical path leading through the aperture and the photodetectors, and
the processing logic is configured to determine the centroid of the pattern based on a ratio of the photocurrents generated by the pair of photodetectors.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The medical device assembly according to claim 1, wherein:
the one or more centroid-measuring photodetectors comprise a charge-generating region at least partially enclosed between at least a pair of charge-collecting electrodes,
the charge-generating region is configured to generate charge as a result of the light being incident on the region, and
amount of charge collected at each of the charge-collecting electrodes is indicative of the centroid of the pattern.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The medical device assembly according to claim 21, further comprising a lens configured to image the pattern onto the one or more centroid-measuring photodetectors.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The medical device assembly according to claim 21, wherein the one or more centroid-measuring photodetectors are in direct contact with the pattern or are at a distance of less than 10 millimeters from the pattern.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The medical device assembly according to claim 1, wherein the one or more centroid-measuring photodetectors comprise a multi-pixel sensor configured to measure the centroid of the pattern.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The medical device assembly according to claim 1, further comprising one or more light sources configured to generate light to interact with the pattern provided on the medical device object.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The medical device assembly according to claim 25, wherein the one or more light sources are configured to couple the generated light into the medical device object.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The medical device assembly according to claim 25, wherein the one or more light sources are configured to illuminate the medical device object with the generated light so that the light that has interacted with the pattern comprises a portion of the generated light that is transmitted through the pattern.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

The medical device assembly according to claim 25, wherein the one or more light sources are configured to illuminate the object with the generated light so that the light that has interacted with the pattern comprises a portion of the generated light that is reflected from the pattern.

### Claim 29 (depends on 1)

The medical device assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pattern is a pattern of openings provided in the medical device object.

### Claim 30 (depends on 1)

The medical device assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pattern is a unique coding pattern.

### Claim 31

A method for reading a code provided as a pattern imprinted on a medical device object, the method comprising:
receiving measurements from one or more centroid-measuring photodetectors of a medical device reader, the one or more centroid-measuring photodetectors configured to measure light that has interacted with the pattern when the medical device object is affixed to, aligned with, or inserted into the medical device reader;
determining the centroid of the pattern based on the measurements; and
determining the code based on the determined centroid.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The method according to claim 31, wherein each of the one or more centroid-measuring photodetectors comprises:
a surface having an aperture; and
a pair of photodetectors electrically isolated from each other at a boundary between them, the boundary aligned with the aperture.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

The method according to claim 31, wherein each of the one or more centroid-measuring photodetectors comprises a charge-generating region at least partially enclosed between at least a pair of charge-collecting electrodes, where the charge-generating region is configured to generate charge as a result of the light being incident on the region, and amount of charge collected at each of the charge-collecting electrodes is indicative of the centroid of the pattern.

### Claim 34 (depends on 31)

The method according to claim 31, wherein each of the one or more centroid-measuring photodetectors comprises a multi-pixel sensor.