Transcutaneous medical device with variable stiffness
First Claim
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1. A transcutaneous analyte sensor, the sensor comprising an elongated flexible portion, wherein the elongated flexible portion has a variable stiffness along at least a portion of its length.
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Abstract
The present invention relates generally to variable stiffness transcutaneous medical devices including a distal portion designed to be more flexible than a proximal portion. The variable stiffness can be provided by a variable pitch in one or more wires of the device, a variable cross-section in one or more wires of the device, and/or a variable hardening and/or softening in one or more wires of the device.
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Citations
25 Claims
- 1. A transcutaneous analyte sensor, the sensor comprising an elongated flexible portion, wherein the elongated flexible portion has a variable stiffness along at least a portion of its length.
- 10. A transcutaneous analyte sensor, the sensor comprising a distal portion, an intermediate portion, and a proximal portion, wherein the distal portion is adapted to be inserted through a skin of a host, wherein the proximal portion is adapted to remain substantially external to the host when the distal portion is inserted in the host, and wherein a stiffness of the sensor is variable along a length of the sensor.
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15. The sensor of 14, wherein a variation in stiffness of the elongated flexible portion is produced by subjecting the wire to an annealing process.
- 20. A transcutaneous analyte sensor, the sensor comprising an in vivo portion adapted for insertion into a host and an ex vivo portion adapted for operable connection to a device that remains external to the host, wherein the sensor is configured to absorb a relative movement between the ex vivo portion of the sensor and the in vivo portion of the sensor.
Specification