Needle alignment for wearable biosensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11234623-B2
Application number	US-201815896164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2018
Priority date	Feb 14, 2017
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

Various examples are described for needle alignment for wearable biosensors. One example device includes a housing comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the housing defining a cavity between the upper portion and the lower portion and configured to be worn on a wearer's skin, wherein: the upper portion defines a first opening extending through the upper portion to the cavity, and the lower portion defines a second opening extending through the lower portion to the cavity, the cavity establishing a substantially unobstructed pathway including the first opening and the second opening to enable an insertion needle to be inserted through the housing; and a needle guide extending into and along a portion of the pathway and aligned with a sensor wire to enable alignment between the insertion needle and the sensor wire.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. An invasive sensor device comprising:
an insertion needle having a channel spanning at least a portion of a length of the insertion needle;
a housing comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the housing defining a cavity between the upper portion and the lower portion and the housing being configured to be worn on a wearer's skin, wherein:
the upper portion defines a first opening extending through the upper portion to the cavity,
the lower portion defines a second opening extending through the lower portion to the cavity, and
the first opening and the second opening are part of a pathway to enable the insertion needle to be inserted through the housing; and

a needle guide including a projection extending into and along a portion of the pathway and aligned with a sensor wire to align the insertion needle with the sensor wire and protect the sensor wire from being contacted by the insertion needle when the insertion needle is within the pathway, the projection being received by the channel of the insertion needle as the insertion needle is inserted through the housing.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the projection extends from a portion of a perimeter of at least one of the first or second opening.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion and the lower portion are discrete pieces, and wherein the upper portion is physically coupled to the lower portion to form at least a portion of the housing.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second openings have different sizes within parallel cross-sectional planes or different cross-sectional shapes within parallel cross-sectional planes.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a support structure disposed within the cavity and physically coupled to at least one of the upper portion or the lower portion;
the sensor wire physically coupled to the support structure and extending from the support structure into the pathway and through the second opening; and
wherein:
the cavity extends along an axis from the first opening to the second opening, and
the sensor wire is arranged to extend through the second opening parallel to or coaxially with the axis.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the needle guide is physically coupled to the support structure.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the support structure further comprises the needle guide.

8. The device of claim 5 , wherein the axis is perpendicular to a lower surface of the lower portion of the housing.

9. The device of claim 5 , wherein the axis is at an oblique angle to a lower surface of the lower portion of the housing.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second openings each define cross-sections to receive the insertion needle, and the cavity is sized to allow the insertion needle to traverse the cavity from the first opening through the second opening, the insertion needle having a cross-section corresponding to a perimeter of the first opening and to engage with the needle guide.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second openings has a circular, polygonal, or hemispherical cross-section.

12. An invasive sensor device comprising:
an insertion needle having a channel spanning at least a portion of a length of the insertion needle;
a housing comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the housing defining a cavity between the upper portion and the lower portion and the housing being configured to be worn on a wearer's skin, wherein:
the upper portion defines a first opening extending through the upper portion to the cavity,
the lower portion defines a second opening extending through the lower portion to the cavity, and
the first opening and the second opening are part of a pathway to enable the insertion needle to be inserted through the housing; and

a needle guide including a projection extending into and along a portion of the pathway and aligned with a sensor wire to align the insertion needle with the sensor wire, the projection establishing a shape within the pathway corresponding to the channel of the insertion needle.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the projection extends from a portion of a perimeter of at least one of the first or second opening.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the upper portion and the lower portion are discrete pieces, and wherein the upper portion is physically coupled to the lower portion to form at least a portion of the housing.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein the first and second openings have different sizes within parallel cross-sectional planes or different cross-sectional shapes within parallel cross-sectional planes.

16. The device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a support structure disposed within the cavity and physically coupled to at least one of the upper portion or the lower portion;
the sensor wire physically coupled to the support structure and extending from the support structure into the pathway and through the second opening; and
wherein:
the cavity extends along an axis from the first opening to the second opening, and
the sensor wire is arranged to extend through the second opening parallel to or coaxially with the axis.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the needle guide is physically coupled to the support structure.

18. The device of claim 16 , wherein the support structure further comprises the needle guide.

19. The device of claim 16 , wherein the axis is perpendicular to a lower surface of the lower portion of the housing.

20. The device of claim 16 , wherein the axis is at an oblique angle to a lower surface of the lower portion of the housing.

Assignees

• Dexcom Inc

Inventors

• Frick Sean

Classifications

• A61B5/14532

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

• A61B2560/063

  Devices specially adapted for delivering implantable medical measuring apparatus · CPC title

• A61B5/688

  using adhesives · CPC title

• A61B5/14865 Primary

  invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors · CPC title

• A61B5/6848

  Needles · CPC title