Wireless sensor patches and methods of manufacturing

• US 10,244,986 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Adams, James W., Armijo, Edward A., Hruska, Ryan, Onderisin, Michael R., Silvestro, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kue, Kaying
• Application Number:
  US14/762,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20150351689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 29841, 29832, 156 60, 1562722-2757
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49131 by utilizing optical sighting device

Abstract

Wireless sensor patches include a skin-friendly adhesive and a flexible cover patch. In further examples, methods of manufacturing a plurality of wireless sensor patches include the step (I) of unwinding a flexible support membrane from a support membrane storage roll along an assembly path. The flexible support membrane is provided with a skin adhesive configured to mount a first face of the flexible support membrane to a skin surface. The method further comprises the step (II) of sequentially mounting a plurality of sensor devices with respect to a second face of the flexible support membrane along a longitudinal axis of the assembly path. The method further includes the step (III) of sequentially separating the flexible support membrane to provide the plurality of wireless sensor patches, wherein each wireless sensor patch includes a corresponding one of the plurality of sensor devices.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a plurality of wireless sensor patches comprising the steps of:

(I) unwinding a skin-friendly adhesive membrane from a skin-friendly adhesive membrane storage roll, wherein the skin-friendly adhesive membrane includes a substrate sheet carrying a layer of skin-friendly adhesive and a first release liner, wherein the first release liner is carried by the layer of skin-friendly adhesive, wherein the layer of skin-friendly adhesive is sandwiched between the first release liner and the substrate sheet;

(II) kiss cutting through the substrate sheet and the skin-friendly adhesive down to the first release liner to define a skin-friendly adhesive patch;

(III) unwinding a flexible support membrane from a support membrane storage roll, wherein the flexible support membrane includes a flexible support sheet with a skin adhesive layer applied to a first face of the flexible support sheet and a second release liner, wherein the second release liner is carried by the skin adhesive layer with the skin adhesive layer being sandwiched between the second release liner and the flexible support sheet;

(IV) kiss cutting through the flexible support sheet and the skin adhesive layer to the second release liner to define an opening extending through the flexible support sheet and the skin adhesive layer;

(V) removing the second release liner to expose the skin adhesive layer;

(VI) laminating the substrate sheet to the flexible support sheet with the skin adhesive layer of the flexible support membrane;

(VII) unwinding a tie layer membrane from a tie layer membrane storage roll, wherein the tie layer membrane includes a tie layer carrying a third release liner;

(VIII) kiss cutting through the tie layer to the third release liner to define a tie layer patch;

(IX) laminating the tie layer patch to the flexible support sheet;

(X) cutting at least one probe opening through the tie layer membrane in alignment with the opening defined during step (IV);

(XI) removing the third release liner to expose the tie layer patch, wherein the tie layer is laminated to the flexible support sheet;

(XII) mounting a sensor device with respect to the flexible support membrane with a sensor probe in alignment with corresponding openings defined during steps (IV) and (X);

(XIII) unwinding a flexible cover membrane from a flexible cover membrane storage roll;

(XIV) forming a pocket within the flexible cover membrane;

(XV) cutting the flexible cover membrane to define a flexible cover patch including the pocket;

(XVI) laminating the flexible cover patch to the tie layer patch with the sensor device being at least partially received in the pocket; and

(XVII) cutting a portion of the flexible support sheet and the skin adhesive layer to provide a wireless sensor patch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (XVII) provides an outer periphery of the skin adhesive layer circumscribing the skin-friendly adhesive patch.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the skin-friendly adhesive comprises a hydrocolloid skin adhesive.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible support membrane comprises a fabric.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the fabric comprises a nonwoven fabric.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (XVII) is performed periodically to sequentially produce a plurality of wireless sensor patches.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of providing indicia to a portion each wireless sensor patch containing information that matches information of indicia provided on a corresponding package housing each wireless sensor patch.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step of associating the indicia of the portion of the wireless sensor patch with a batch of at least one source of assembly materials used to manufacture the wireless sensor patch.