Sensor and transmitter product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10631787-B2
Application number	US-201615357885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2016
Priority date	Apr 8, 2016
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

This disclosure generally relates to medical devices that include a transmitter assembly positioned on top of a sensor assembly. A sensor assembly includes a sensor base having a bottom surface and a top surface having an interface. The interface accommodates a sensor stack that includes at least one sensor head having electrical contact pads connected to an elastomeric connector. The sensor assembly further includes a mounting base having a first side that attaches to the bottom surface of the sensor base, and a second side that adheres to a patient's skin. A transmitter assembly includes a transmitter shell and a transmitter cap having an interface that engages with the sensor base. Also, the transmitter assembly includes electrical contacts disposed on the transmitter cap that connect with the electrical contact pad(s) of the sensor assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a sensor assembly comprising:
a sensor base having a top surface and a bottom surface,
a sensor extension extending from the bottom surface of the sensor base at a centered location of the sensor base,
at least one interface disposed on the top surface of the sensor base, wherein the at least one interface accommodates a sensor stack, the sensor stack comprising at least one sensor head having at least one electrical contact pad adapted to connect to at least one elastomeric connector,
a sensor base cap extending from the top surface of the sensor base over the centered location of the sensor base, and
a mounting base having a first side that attaches to at least a portion of the bottom surface of the sensor base, and a second side that is adapted to adhere to a user's skin; and

a transmitter assembly adapted to connect with the top surface of the sensor base of the sensor assembly, the transmitter assembly comprising:
a transmitter shell and a transmitter cap having an opening at a centered location of the transmitter cap adapted to engage with the sensor base cap extending from the sensor base, and
at least one electronics module comprising at least one electrical contact disposed on the transmitter cap, wherein the at least one electrical contact connects with the at least one electrical contact pad of the sensor assembly,

wherein the sensor assembly and the transmitter assembly connect at one or more areas as a single unit in response to a rotating motion by a user.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor extension is an integral part of the sensor base of the sensor assembly.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor extension comprises a glucose sensor that monitors blood glucose levels in a diabetic patient.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the mounting base covers an entire outline of the bottom surface of the sensor base.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical contact disposed on the transmitter cap is solid and inflexible.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising a symmetrical round shape.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more areas where the sensor assembly and the transmitter assembly connect are evenly spaced apart along an outline of the device.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one interface that accommodates the sensor stack further comprises a cavity disposed on the top surface of the sensor base.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter assembly further comprises a wireless transmitter that communicates with a remote device.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical contact of the at least one electronics module of the transmitter cap further comprises four charging or communications contacts.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical contact of the at least one electronics module of the transmitter cap further comprises six sensor contacts.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the six sensor contacts further comprise 1 reference electrode (RE), 1 counter electrode (CE) and 4 working electrodes (WE).

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical contact of the at least one electronics module is flush with a bottom surface of the transmitter cap.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor base further comprises at least one tab adapted to engage with at least one slot disposed on the transmitter cap to lock the sensor assembly and the transmitter assembly together axially.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor base further comprises at least one snap arm adapted to lock the transmitter assembly and the sensor assembly together rotationally.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor base further comprises at least one interface having at least one feature that matches at least one corresponding interface of the transmitter cap to lock the sensor assembly and the transmitter assembly together axially or rotationally.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the at least one interface of the sensor base further comprises at least one slot having features that match the at least one corresponding interface of the transmitter cap.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the at least one corresponding interface of the transmitter cap further comprises at least one rail.

19. The device of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric connector further comprises a top square cross section.

20. The device of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric connector further comprises a connector that includes alternating conductive and insulating regions.

21. The device of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric connector further comprises a ZEBRA connector.

22. The device of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter cap further comprises a shell subassembly comprising a housing for a custom battery adjoining a substrate portion on which a printed circuit board (PCB) is disposed, wherein the housing and the substrate portion are compressed to fit together without requiring solder or other connections.

23. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly and the transmitter assembly include respective clocking features that do not have rotational symmetry and prevent the transmitter assembly from being connected to the sensor assembly in a particular orientation wherein the at least one electrical contact disposed on the transmitter cap does not align with the at least one electrical contact pad of the sensor assembly.

24. The device of claim 23 , wherein the clocking features further comprise at least one lug positioned along an outline of the transmitter cap and at least one corresponding opening positioned along an outline of the sensor base of the sensor assembly.

25. A device comprising:
a sensor assembly comprising:
a sensor base having a top surface and a bottom surface,
a sensor extension extending from the bottom surface of the sensor base at a centered location of the sensor base,
a sensor base cap extending from the top surface of the sensor base over the centered location of the sensor base, and
a mounting base having a first side that attaches to at least a portion of the bottom surface of the sensor base, and a second side that is adapted to adhere to a user's skin; and

a transmitter assembly adapted to connect with the top surface of the sensor base of the sensor assembly, the transmitter assembly comprising:
a transmitter shell and a transmitter cap having an opening at a centered location of the transmitter cap adapted to engage with the sensor base cap extending from the sensor base,

wherein the sensor assembly and the transmitter assembly connect at two compression areas as a single unit in response to a rotating motion by a user.

26. The device of claim 25 , wherein the two compression areas are automatically squeezed or compressed in response to the user applying the rotating motion in a first direction to lock the sensor assembly into place.

27. The device of claim 26 , wherein the sensor assembly and the transmitter assembly are disconnected in response to the user squeezing or compressing the two compression areas while applying a rotating motion in a second direction opposite from the first direction.

Assignees

• Medtronic Minimed Inc

Inventors

• Antonio David C
• Larson Eric Allan
• Ruelas Jose J

Classifications

• A61B5/6833 Primary

  Adhesive patches · CPC title

• A61B2560/045

  with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication · CPC title

• A61B2562/16

  Details of sensor housings or probes; Details of structural supports for sensors (A61B2560/0462 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/150633

  Protective sleeves which are axially extensible, e.g. sleeves connected to, or integrated in, the piercing or driving device; pivotable protective sleeves · CPC title

• A61B2562/227

  Sensors with electrical connectors · CPC title