METHOD FOR INTEGRATING FACILITATED BLOOD FLOW AND BLOOD ANALYTE MONITORING

• US 20090043177A1
• Filed: 08/08/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson), LifeScan IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Lifescan Incorporated (Duv Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Kermani, Mahyar Z., Milledge, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/309
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14865 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6862 Stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6876 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 for data transfer

Abstract

A method for the integrated facilitization of blood flow and monitoring of blood analyte concentration (for example, blood glucose concentration) includes implanting a stent configured to facilitate blood flow into a cardiovascular system of a user'"'"'s body with the stent having attached thereto a continuous blood analyte determination module of a blood analyte monitoring system. The method also includes disposing a reader module of the blood analyte monitoring system external to the user'"'"'s body and in proximity to a portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer and monitoring blood analyte concentration via (i) emitting an RF carrier signal from the reader module toward the stent; (ii) receiving the RF carrier signal at a reflection antenna of the continuous blood analyte determination module; (iii) reflecting a modulated signal by the reflection antenna with the modulated signal being encoded with a blood analyte concentration determined by a sensor of the continuous blood analyte determination module; (iv) receiving the modulated signal by the reader module; and (v) decoding the analyte concentration from the modulated signal by the reader module.

Claims

1. A method for the integrated facilitization of blood flow and monitoring of blood analyte concentration comprising:

implanting a stent configured for implantation into a cardiovascular system of a user'"'"'s body, the stent having a longitudinal centerline and configured to facilitate blood flow, the stent having attached thereto a continuous blood analyte determination module of a blood analyte monitoring system;

disposing a reader module of the blood analyte monitoring system external to the user'"'"'s body and in proximity to a portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer; and

monitoring a blood analyte concentration using the reader module and the continuous blood analyte determination module.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring step is accomplished by:

emitting an RF carrier signal from the reader module toward the stent;

receiving the RF carrier signal at a reflection antenna of the continuous blood analyte determination module;

reflecting a modulated signal by the reflection antenna wherein the modulated signal is encoded with a blood analyte concentration determined by a sensor of the continuous blood analyte determination module;

receiving the modulated signal by the reader module; and

decoding the analyte concentration from the modulated signal by the reader module.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the reader module emits an RF carrier signal that is essentially perpendicular to the portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the implanting step implants the stent such that the longitudinal centerline is essentially perpendicular to the portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the reader module includes a first antenna and a second antenna and wherein the first antenna and second antenna are configured such that an RF carrier signal angle β

and a modulated signal angle α

are both less than about 30 degrees with respect to the stent center line.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first antenna is separated from the second antenna by a distance in the range of about 5 millimeters to about 50 millimeters.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the implanting step implants the stent such that the longitudinal centerline is essentially parallel to the portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the reader module includes a first antenna and a second antenna and wherein the first antenna and second antenna are configured such that an RF carrier signal angle β

and a modulated signal angle α

are both approximately 90 degrees with respect to the stent center line.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first antenna is separated from the second antenna by a distance in the range of about 5 millimeters to about 50 millimeters.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said reader module is configured to be disposed immediately adjacent to the portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer.