MONITORING METHOD AND/OR APPARATUS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of monitoring one or more substances of interest comprising:
- applying a plurality of out-of-plane microneedles to a surface of an internal region, said microneedles long enough to prestress a region of the surface at a needle lumen;
applying high pressure to a small local surface region through said microneedles to cause rupture of the cell matrix to open a connection between fluids inside the needle lumen and bodily fluids underneath the broken skin layer; and
using said connection to sample one or more substances of interest at and/or just below said surface.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for substance monitoring. One application is an easy to handle continuous glucose monitor using a group of hollow out-of-plane silicon microneedles to sample substances in interstitial fluid from the epidermal skin layer. The glucose of the interstitial fluid permeates a dialysis membrane and reaches a sensor. Using MEMS technology, for example, allows well-established batch fabrication at low cost.
-
Citations
38 Claims
-
1. A method of monitoring one or more substances of interest comprising:
-
applying a plurality of out-of-plane microneedles to a surface of an internal region, said microneedles long enough to prestress a region of the surface at a needle lumen; applying high pressure to a small local surface region through said microneedles to cause rupture of the cell matrix to open a connection between fluids inside the needle lumen and bodily fluids underneath the broken skin layer; and using said connection to sample one or more substances of interest at and/or just below said surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
4-5. -5. (canceled)
-
10. A device for monitoring a substance of interest comprising:
-
a group of out-of-plane microneedles; a dialysis membrane proximal to a non-insertive side of said group; a dialysis fluid in contact with a second surface of said dialysis membrane opposite said group; such that when said group is pressed against a surface of interest, said substance of interest within and/or behind said surface of interest can come in contact with a second surface of said dialysis membrane, allowing one or more substances of interest to pass into said dialysis fluid. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
-
-
14-28. -28. (canceled)
-
29. A method of in-device patterning of a temperature sensitive substance in an integrated system comprising:
-
performing one or more high temperature steps; placing a solution of said temperature sensitive substance and a polymer in desired regions of said integrated system; and gelling and/or immobilizing and/or polymerizing said solution in regions of interest using electromagnetic energy. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
32-33. -33. (canceled)
-
38-39. -39. (canceled)
Specification