Connectors for making connections between analyte sensors and other devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11234622-B2
Application number	US-202117380376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2021
Priority date	Jun 17, 2011
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

Glucose monitoring devices and related systems and methods, the glucose monitoring devices including a sensor electronics unit having a housing and a printed circuit board disposed within the housing, a transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly, and a conductive sensor connector. The printed circuit board includes a first electrical contact, the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly includes a distal portion having a working electrode and proximal portion having a working-electrode contact in electrical communication with the working electrode, and the conductive sensor connector electrically connects the working-electrode contact with the first electrical contact. Further, the conductive sensor connector extends through a hole in the proximal portion of the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly and through a hole in the printed circuit board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A glucose monitoring device comprising:
a sensor electronics unit including
a housing, and
a printed circuit board disposed within the housing and having a plurality of electrical contacts including a first electrical contact;

a transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly including a distal portion having a working electrode and a proximal portion having a working-electrode contact in electrical communication with the working electrode; and
a conductive sensor connector configured to electrically connect the working-electrode contact with the first electrical contact;
wherein the conductive sensor connector is further configured to extend through a hole in the proximal portion of the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly and through a hole in the printed circuit board.

2. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive sensor connector comprises a pin.

3. The glucose monitoring device of claim 2 , wherein the pin comprises a head portion and a shaft portion, the shaft portion extending through the hole of the proximal portion of the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly.

4. The glucose monitoring device of claim 3 , wherein the shaft portion extends through the hole in the printed circuit board.

5. The glucose monitoring device of claim 3 , wherein the shaft portion and the head portion form an angle of between 10 and 170 degrees.

6. The glucose monitoring device of claim 3 , wherein the shaft portion and the head portion form an angle of 90 degrees.

7. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive sensor connector comprises a post.

8. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the hole in the proximal portion of the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly extends through the working-electrode contact.

9. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the hole in the printed circuit board extends through the electrical contact.

10. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the working-electrode contact extends around at least a portion of the hole in the proximal portion of the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly.

11. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical contact extends around at least a portion of the hole in the printed circuit board.

12. The glucose monitoring device of claim 11 , wherein the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly comprises a bend between the proximal portion and the distal portion.

13. The glucose monitoring device of claim 12 , wherein the printed circuit board defines a plane, and the proximal portion of the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly is positioned in a facing relationship relative to the plane of the printed circuit board.

14. The glucose monitoring device of claim 13 , wherein the distal portion of the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly is positioned at approximately a 90° angle relative to the plane of the printed circuit board.

15. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive sensor connector comprises a conductive material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, aluminum, copper, and brass.

16. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive sensor connector is further configured to provide alignment between the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly and the sensor electronics unit.

17. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive sensor connector is further configured to physically connect the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly and the sensor electronics unit.

18. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly comprises a wire sensor.

19. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the wire sensor comprises a core conductive wire.

20. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising a second conductive sensor connector;
wherein the distal portion of the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly comprises a second electrode and the proximal portion of the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly comprises a second-electrode contact in electrical communication with the second electrode;
wherein the plurality of electrical contacts comprises a second electrical contact; and
wherein the second conductive sensor connector electrically connects the second-electrode contact with the second electrical contact.

21. The glucose monitoring device of claim 20 , wherein the second conductive sensor connector extends through a second hole in the proximal portion of the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly and through a second hole in the printed circuit board.

22. The glucose monitoring device of claim 20 , wherein the second conductive sensor connector comprises a pin.

23. The glucose monitoring device of claim 22 , wherein the pin comprises a head portion and a shaft portion, the shaft portion of pin extending through the second hole of the proximal portion of the transcutaneous glucose sensor assembly.

24. The glucose monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive coupled to the housing of the sensor electronics unit and configured to attach the sensor electronics unit to skin of a user.

Assignees

• Abbott Diabetes Care Inc

Inventors

• Moein Mohammad E
• Pace Louis G
• Hoss Udo
• Le Phu X
• Curry Samuel Mason

Classifications

• H10W72/00

  Interconnections or connectors in packages · CPC title

• A61B2562/12

  Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements · CPC title

• H05K2201/10151

  Sensor · CPC title

• A61B5/1486 Primary

  using enzyme electrodes, e.g. with immobilised oxidase · CPC title

• A61B5/1468

  using chemical or electrochemical methods, e.g. by polarographic means · CPC title