Sensor set

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10827959-B2
Application number	US-201615347521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2016
Priority date	Nov 11, 2015
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A sensor set is provided for sensing of a body characteristic, such as glucose. The sensor set includes a mounting base for the sensor and a connector to connect to the mounting base and has an improved structure for connecting the mounting base to the connector. The connector may contain sensor electronics for wired or wireless communication to an external monitor or display. The mounting base includes latch arms and the connector adapted to fit and lock into latch recesses on the connector and includes anti-rotation arms adapted to fit into anti-rotation arm recesses on the connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor set for sensing a characteristic of a patient, the sensor set comprising:
a sensor having at least two sensor electrodes thereon at a distal end for generating at least one electrical signal representative of a characteristic of a patient, the sensor including at least two contact pads at a proximal end, wherein each of the at least two contact pads are conductively coupled to at least one of the at least two sensor electrodes;
a mounting base adapted to mount onto a patient's skin, the mounting base including a connector fitting generally at a rear end of the mounting base, wherein the connector fitting includes a cylindrical element having a central bore formed therein for pass through reception of a portion of the sensor,
a connector adapted to couple to the mounting base and to connect the sensor to sensor electronics, wherein the connector includes a cylindrical recess sized to receive the connector fitting of the mounting base and at least two connector contacts that are adapted to be electrically coupled to the at least two contact pads of the sensor when the mounting base is coupled to the connector, wherein the connector fitting includes a key formed at one end, said key having a face at a proximal end adapted to be inserted into the connector, wherein the proximal end of the sensor folds around the face of the proximal end of the key such that at least one of the at least two contact pads is on a first side of the key and at least another of the at least two contact pads is on the second side of the key, and wherein the first side of the key and the second side of the key each include a substantially flat seat to receive the proximal end of the sensor, and further wherein the at least one of the at least two contact pads on the first side of the key is conductively coupled around the face of the proximal end of the key onto the second side of the key and to the at least one of the at least two sensor electrodes, and
wherein the mounting base includes one or more latch arms and the connector includes one or more latch recesses, and wherein the one or more latch arms are adapted to fit and lock into the one or more latch recesses when the mounting base is coupled to the connector, and wherein the mounting base further includes one or more anti-rotation arms and the connector includes one or more anti-rotation arm recesses, wherein the one or more anti-rotation arms are adapted to fit into the one or more anti-rotation arm recesses when the mounting base is coupled to the connector.

2. The sensor set of claim 1 , wherein the mounting base further includes one or more lockout pillars extending in the same direction as the one or more latch recesses and the connector includes one or more lockout pockets adapted to fit the lockout pillars, wherein when the mounting base is coupled to the connector.

3. The sensor set of claim 1 , wherein the anti-rotation arms are wider than their height.

4. The sensor set of claim 1 , wherein the one or more latch recesses are the same as the one or more anti-rotation arm recesses, such that the one or more latches fit into the same recesses as the one or more anti-rotation arms.

5. The sensor set of claim 1 , further including a test plug adapted to connect to the connector, wherein the test plug includes one or more test plug latch arms adapted to fit and lock into the one or more latch recesses of the connector when the test plug is coupled to the connector, and wherein the test plug further includes one or more test plug anti-rotation arms adapted to fit into the one or more anti-rotation arm recesses of the connector when the test plug is coupled to the connector.

6. The sensor set of claim 5 , wherein the test plug further includes one or more anti-rotation arm extensions between a central section of the test plug and the anti-rotation arms, wherein the anti-rotation arm extensions slope from the top of the central section to the anti-rotation arm extensions.

7. The sensor set of claim 5 , wherein the test plug further includes one or more test plug lockout pillars extending in the same direction as the one or more test plug latch recesses adapted to fit into the lockout pockets of the connector when the test plug is coupled to the connector.

8. The sensor set of claim 1 , wherein the key includes at least one prong adapted to fit into a prong recess formed in the mounting base.

9. The sensor set of claim 1 , wherein the at least two connector contacts of the connector are compressible pins.

10. The sensor set of claim 9 , wherein the compressible pins compress into the first side of the key and the second side of the key when the mounting base is coupled to the connector.

11. The sensor set of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a shorting path for a shorted reference and counter electrode.

12. The sensor set of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a resistor.

13. The sensor set of claim 1 , wherein the connector includes a wireless transmitter adapted to transmit signals from the mounting base.

14. The sensor set of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic is blood glucose.

15. The sensor set of claim 1 , wherein the at least two sensor electrodes are adapted to generate at least two electrical signals representative of the characteristic and the at least two connector contacts are adapted to receive the at least two electrical signals.

16. The sensor set of claim 1 , wherein the first side of the key includes a shelf portion and the mounting base includes a matching recess, whereby the shelf portion fits into the matching recess when the connector is connected to the mounting base.

17. A mounting base for a sensor, the mounting base comprising:
a connector fitting generally at a rear end of the mounting base, wherein the connector fitting includes a cylindrical element having a central bore formed therein for pass through reception of a portion of a sensor wherein the sensor has at least two sensor electrodes thereon at a distal end for generating at least one electrical signal representative of a characteristic of a patient, the sensor including at least two contact pads at a proximal end, wherein each of the at least two contact pads are conductively coupled to at least one of the at least two sensor electrodes, wherein the connector fitting includes a key formed at one end, said key having a face at a proximal end adapted to be inserted into the connector, wherein the proximal end of the sensor folds around the face of the proximal end of the key such that at least one of the at least two contact pads is on a first side of the key and at least another of the at least two contact pads is on the second side of the key, and further wherein the at least one of the at least two contact pads on the first side of the key is conductively coupled around the face of the proximal end of the key onto the second side of the key and to the at least one of the at least two sensor electrodes;
one or more latch arms adapted to fit and lock into one or more latch recesses on a connector, wherein the connector is adapted to couple to the mounting base and to connect the sensor to sensor electronics and includes a cylindrical recess sized to receive the connector fitting of the mounting base and at least two connector contacts that are adapted to be electrically coupled to the at least two contact pads of the sensor when the mounting base is coupled to the connector; and
one or more anti-rotation arms adapted to fit into one more anti-rotation recesses on the connector when the mounting base is coupled to the connector.

Assignees

• Medtronic Minimed Inc

Inventors

• Larson Eric Allan
• Sullivan Ashley N
• Thompson Chase A
• Antonio David C
• Ruelas Jose J
• Little Megan E
• Brinson Joseph P

Classifications

• H01R24/62

  Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices · CPC title

• H01R12/777

  Coupling parts carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts (H01R12/78, H01R12/79 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/14532 Primary

  for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement · CPC title

• H01R2201/12

  for medicine and surgery · CPC title

• H01R13/6456

  comprising keying elements at different positions along the periphery of the connector · CPC title