Sensor Inserter Assembly
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Accused Products
Abstract
An analyte monitor includes a sensor, a sensor control unit, and a display unit. The sensor control unit typically has a housing adapted for placement on skin and is adapted to receive a portion of an electrochemical sensor. The sensor control unit also includes two or more conductive contacts disposed on the housing and configured for coupling to two or more contact pads on the sensor. A transmitter is disposed in the housing and coupled to the plurality of conductive contacts for transmitting data obtained using the sensor. The display unit has a receiver for receiving data transmitted by the transmitter of the sensor control unit and a display coupled to the receiver for displaying an indication of a level of an analyte, such as blood glucose. An inserter having a retractable introducer is provided for subcutaneously implanting the sensor in a predictable and reliable fashion.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. An insertion kit, comprising:
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a sensor and an introducer needle, wherein the sensor and the introducer needle are configured and arranged with a shape, such that the sensor is retained in the introducer needle by a friction fit such that motion of the sensor with respect to the introducer needle is minimized prior to sensor insertion; and an applicator configured to cause the needle to be inserted through a skin of a host, wherein the applicator is further configured to position at least a portion of the sensor in contact with a biological fluid of the host. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An insertion kit, comprising:
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a sensor and an introducer needle, wherein the sensor and the introducer needle are configured and arranged with a shape, such that the sensor is retained within a lumen of the introducer needle by a friction fit of multiple contact points separated by non-contact points between the sensor and the lumen of the introducer needle, such that longitudinal motion of the sensor with respect to the introducer needle is minimized prior to sensor insertion; and an applicator configured to cause the needle to be inserted through a skin of a host, wherein the applicator is further configured to position at least a portion of the sensor in contact with a biological fluid of the host.
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12. An analyte sensor system, comprising:
an analyte sensor and an applicator comprising an introducer needle, wherein the applicator is configured to position at least a portion of the sensor in contact with a biological fluid of a host by insertion of, and subsequent withdrawal of, the introducer needle through the skin of the host, wherein the analyte sensor is configured and arranged to be held by a friction fit of the surface of the sensor with the introducer needle in order to maintain the sensor longitudinally within the introducer needle prior to withdrawal of the introducer needle from the host and minimize motion of the sensor during withdrawal of the introducer needle from the host. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A method, comprising the steps of:
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longitudinally maintaining an analyte sensor in a first configuration of the sensor within an introducer needle during insertion of the introducer needle into a host, wherein the first configuration uses a frictional force caused by the shape of the sensor against a surface of the introducer needle to maintain the sensor within the introducer needle; and withdrawing the introducer needle from the host, wherein the step of withdrawing comprises releasing the sensor from the first configuration to a second configuration of the sensor that is different from the first configuration after release of the sensor from the introducer needle. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification