AMBIENT TEMPERATURE SENSOR SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20110237916A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Daley, Sean, Buckman, Susie E., Mark, Dore, Moberg, Sheldon B., Hanson, Ian B., Bente, Paul F. IV
• Granted Patent: US 9,326,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/365
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement

Abstract

A first sensor may be configured to measure a sensed amount of a physiological parameter and to generate a first signal based on the sensed amount of the physiological parameter measured by the first sensor. A second sensor may be configured to measure a temperature and to generate a second signal based on the temperate measured by the second sensor. A housing may have heat-generating electronics including a processor that may be configured to determine an overall amount of the physiological parameter based on the first signal generated from the first sensor and the second signal generated from the second sensor. The second sensor may be thermally insulated from the heat-generating electronics.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for measuring a physiological parameter, the system comprising:

a housing having heat-generating electronics;

a first sensor configured to measure a sensed amount of a physiological parameter and to generate a first signal based on the sensed amount of the physiological parameter measured by the first sensor; and

a second sensor configured to measure a temperature and to generate a second signal based on the temperate measured by the second sensor;

the heat-generating electronics comprising a processor configured to determine an overall amount of the physiological parameter based on the first signal generated from the first sensor and the second signal generated from the second sensor;

the second sensor thermally insulated from the heat-generating electronics.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter comprises a concentration of blood glucose.

3. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising:

a thermal insulation material surrounding at least a portion of the second sensor, the thermal insulation material adapted to thermally insulate the second sensor from heat generated by the heat-generating electronics.

4. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising:

a thermal insulation material surrounding at least a portion of the second sensor, the thermal insulation material adapted to thermally insulate the second sensor from air external the housing.

5. The system of claim 1,

the housing have a chamber, the second sensor arranged within the chamber;

and

the chamber sufficiently located from the heat-generating electronics to minimize an affect of the heat-generating electronics on the temperature measured by the second sensor.

6. The system of claim 5,

the chamber located at a location corresponding to approximately a furthest distance within the housing from the heat-generating electronics.

7. The system of claim 5,

the chamber located at a location corresponding to approximately a coolest portion of the housing during operation of the monitoring system.

8. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising:

a structure for supporting the second sensor;

a thermal insulation material surrounding at least a portion of the second sensor, the thermal insulation material adapted to thermally insulate the second sensor from at least one of heat generated by the heat-generating electronics and air external the housing; and

the housing have a chamber, the structure arranged within the chamber of the housing.

9. The system of claim 1, the second sensor arranged external to the housing.

10. The system of claim 9, the second sensor attached to an external surface of the housing.

11. The system of claim 9, the second sensor located separate and spaced apart from the housing.

12. The system of claim 1, the first sensor arranged within the housing.

13. The system of claim 1,

the first sensor configured to measure the sensed amount of the physiological parameter at a location having a local temperature;

and

the second sensor adapted to be positioned relative to the housing at a location at which the temperature measured by the second sensor is closer to the local temperature than a temperature of a heat source emitted by the heat-generating electronics.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises a temperature sensor.

15. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising:

a heat-conductive material adapted to transfer heat away from at least one of a portion of the housing containing the heat-generating electronics and a portion of the housing containing the second sensor to raise or lower a temperature within the housing measured by the second sensor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the heat-conductive material comprises a heat sink.

17. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising:

a heat-conductive material adapted to transfer ambient temperature to at least one of a portion of the housing containing the heat-generating electronics and a portion of the housing containing the second sensor to raise or lower a temperature within the housing measured by the second sensor.

18. The system of claim 1, the housing having an opening for allowing air external to the housing to flow to at least one of a portion of the housing containing the heat-generating electronics and a portion of the housing containing the second sensor to raise or lower a temperature within the housing measured by the second sensor.

19. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising:

a ventilation device for providing air external to the housing to at least one of a portion of the housing containing the heat-generating electronics and a portion of the housing containing the second sensor to raise or lower a temperature within the housing measured by the second sensor.

20. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising:

a ventilation device for transferring air away from within at least one of a portion of the housing containing the heat-generating electronics and a portion of the housing containing the second sensor to outside the housing to raise or lower a temperature within the housing measured by the second sensor.

21. The system of claim 1, the heat-generating electronics comprising a display device.

22. The system of claim 1, the processor further configured to provide an indicator based upon at least one of the first signal exceeding a threshold range and the second signal exceeding a threshold range.

23. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising:

a removable support structure for removable connection with the housing, the removable support structure for supporting the first sensor.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the removable support structure comprises a test strip.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the removable support structure is electronically connected to the housing when the removable support structure is connected to the housing.

26. The system of claim 23, the housing having a receptacle for receiving at least a portion of the removable support structure and for providing an electrical connection for electrically connecting the removable support structure and the housing.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the portion of the removable support structure receivable by the receptacle is an end of the removable support structure.

28. The system of claim 23, the removable support structure for supporting the second sensor.

29. The system of claim 23,

the removable support structure configured to measure the sensed amount of the physiological parameter at a location along the removable support structure;

and

the second sensor locatable at a position to be adjacent with the location on the removable support structure.

30. The system of claim 29,

the housing having a portion extending away from the housing;

and

the second sensor located along the portion extending away from the housing to be adjacent with the location on the removable support structure.

31. The system of claim 1,

the housing having a first portion extending away from the housing, the first sensor located at a position along the first portion;

the housing having a second portion extending away from the housing, the second sensor located at a position along the second portion; and

the first portion and the second portion arranged relative to each other such that the first sensor and the second sensor are adjacent each other.

32. The system of claim 1, the second sensor sufficiently located from the heat-generating electronics to minimize an affect of the heat-generating electronics on the temperature measured by the second sensor.

33. The system of claim 32, the second sensor located at a location corresponding to approximately a furthest distance within the housing from the heat-generating electronics.

34. The system of claim 32, the second sensor located at a location corresponding to approximately a coolest portion of the housing during operation of the monitoring system.

35. A method of manufacturing a monitoring system for measuring a physiological parameter, the method comprising:

providing a housing having heat-generating electronics;

connecting a first sensor with the housing, the first sensor for measuring a sensed amount of a physiological parameter and for generating a first signal based on the sensed amount of the physiological parameter measured by the first sensor;

arranging a second sensor for measuring a temperature and for generating a second signal based on the temperate measured by the second sensor;

determining an overall amount of the physiological parameter based on the first signal generated from the first sensor and the second signal generated from the second sensor; and

thermally insulating the second sensor from the heat-generating electronics.

36. A medical device for measuring a parameter, the device comprising:

a medical monitoring or treatment device configured to provide a monitoring or treatment operation on a user, the medical monitoring or treatment device configured to receive a first signal from a parameter sensor configured to detect an amount of a physiological parameter, the first signal being based on the amount of the physiological parameter detected by the parameter sensor;

a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature and to generate a second signal based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor;

a computing element configured to determine an overall amount of the physiological parameter based on the first signal and the second signal; and

the temperature sensor thermally insulated from heat produced within the medical monitoring or treatment device during use of the medical monitoring or treatment device.