Analyte sensor devices, connections, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9402570-B2
Application number	US-201213710460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2012
Priority date	Dec 11, 2011
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

Devices associated with on-body analyte sensor units are disclosed. These devices include any of packaging and/or loading systems, applicators and elements of the on-body sensor units themselves. Also, various approaches to connecting electrochemical analyte sensors to and/or within associated on-body analyte sensor units are disclosed. The connector approaches variously involve the use of unique sensor and ancillary element arrangements to facilitate assembly of separate electronics assemblies and sensor elements that are kept apart until the end user brings them together.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first assembly including a portion of an on-body device;
a second assembly coupleable to the first assembly to form the on-body device and a sharp supporting a sensor of the on-body device;
an applicator assembly releasably coupled to the first assembly; and
a container releasably coupled to the second assembly,
wherein in response to force applied to the applicator assembly along a longitudinal axis that drives the applicator assembly into the container, the applicator assembly releases and retrieves the second assembly from the container and couples the first assembly to the second assembly to form the on-body device releasably held within the applicator assembly, and
wherein the on-body device once held within the applicator assembly is ready to be applied.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein in response to a force applied to the applicator assembly along the longitudinal axis with the applicator assembly loaded with the on-body device and held against a user, the applicator assembly collapses along the longitudinal axis, drives the sharp supporting the sensor of the on-body device through skin of the user in a direction along the longitudinal axis, releases the on-body device from the applicator assembly upon the applicator assembly reaching a fully collapsed position, adheres the on-body device to the skin of the user, and retracts the sharp into the applicator assembly leaving the sensor in the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the applicator assembly includes an isolated inner space defined by an enclosure and a carrier of the first assembly, and wherein the sharp is entirely contained in the inner space when retracted into the applicator assembly.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first assembly is an electronics assembly including sensor electronics and an enclosure surrounding the sensor electronics, the sensor electronics including a processor and a communications facility; and
wherein the second assembly is a sensor assembly including a sensor, a sharp supporting the sensor, a support structure, and a connector coupled to the sensor and coupleable to the sensor electronics, the support structure supporting the connector and sensor, and releasably supporting the sharp.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second assembly is an electronics assembly including sensor electronics and an enclosure surrounding the sensor electronics, the sensor electronics including a processor and a communications facility; and
wherein the first assembly is a sensor assembly including a sensor, a sharp supporting the sensor, a support structure, and a connector coupled to the sensor and coupleable to the sensor electronics, the support structure supporting the connector and sensor, and releasably supporting the sharp.

6. An apparatus comprising:
an electronics assembly including sensor electronics;
a sensor assembly including a sensor coupleable to the sensor electronics;
an applicator assembly releasably coupled to the electronics assembly; and
a container releasably coupled to the sensor assembly,
wherein in response to force applied to the applicator assembly along a longitudinal axis that drives the applicator assembly into the container, the applicator assembly releases and retrieves the sensor assembly from the container and couples the electronics assembly to the sensor assembly to form an on-body device releasably held within the applicator assembly, and
wherein the on-body device once held within the applicator assembly is ready to be applied.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein in response to a force applied to the applicator assembly along the longitudinal axis with the applicator assembly loaded with the on-body device and held against a user, the applicator assembly is enabled to collapse along the longitudinal axis, drive a sharp supporting the sensor of the on-body device through skin of the user in a direction along the longitudinal axis, release the on-body device from the applicator assembly upon the applicator assembly reaching a fully collapsed position, adhere the on-body device to the skin of the user, and retract the sharp into the applicator assembly leaving the sensor in the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the applicator assembly includes an isolated inner space defined by an enclosure and a carrier of the electronics assembly, and wherein the sharp is entirely contained in the inner space when retracted into the applicator assembly.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the sensor disposed within a support structure includes a biasing feature operative to bias the sensor into the sharp while the sharp and the sensor are driven through the skin of the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the applicator assembly includes guide features to allow the applicator assembly to collapse along the longitudinal axis and a detent feature which provides an amount of resistance to the force applied to the applicator assembly along the longitudinal axis with the applicator assembly held against a user to insure that once overcome, the sharp and sensor are driven into the user by a resulting translation of the on-body device in the applicator assembly.

11. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the container further includes a platform disposed to protect and releasably retain the sensor assembly in the container and operative to translate between an initial position and a recessed position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the platform is lockable in the initial position and is operable to be unlocked by the applicator assembly, to translate to the recessed position in response to the force applied to the applicator assembly along the longitudinal axis that drives the extended, locked applicator assembly into the container, and to release the sensor assembly upon reaching the recessed position.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the platform includes a sensor assembly guide feature operative to direct the sensor assembly into the electronics assembly independent of an overall orientation of the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the sensor electronics include at least one electronic contact and the sensor assembly includes a support structure that includes a compression feature operative to compress and seal a connector of the sensor assembly to the at least one electronic contact.

15. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the container includes guide features to control movement of the applicator assembly into the container and a detent feature which provides an amount of resistance to the force applied to the applicator assembly along the longitudinal axis that drives the applicator assembly into the container to insure that once overcome, the sensor assembly is driven into and seated in the electronics assembly by a resulting translation of the electronics assembly in the applicator assembly.

16. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the electronics assembly includes an adhesive patch for adhering the assembled on-body device to the skin of the user, the electronics assembly is sterilized using a first method, the sensor assembly is sterilized using a second method, the electronics assembly and adhesive patch are incompatible with the second method of sterilization, and the sensor assembly is incompatible with the first method of sterilization.

17. An apparatus comprising:
an electronics assembly including sensor electronics;
a sensor assembly including a sensor coupleable to the sensor electronics;
an applicator assembly releasably coupled to the electronics assembly,

Assignees

• Abbott Diabetes Care Inc

Inventors

• Pace Louis
• Robinson Peter G
• Hoss Udo
• Curry Samuel Mason
• Carter Phillip William
• Dipalma Vincent Michael
• Mhatre Amit
• Olson Jennifer
• Donnay Manuel Luis Miguel
• Taub Marc Barry

Classifications

• A61B5/150877

  with implanted devices · CPC title

• A61B5/15105

  Purely manual piercing, i.e. the user pierces the skin without the assistance of any driving means or driving devices · CPC title

• A61B5/14503 Primary

  invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors (A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/1411

  by percutaneous method, e.g. by lancet · CPC title

• A61B5/150022

  for capillary blood or interstitial fluid · CPC title