Analyte Sensor Devices, Connections, and Methods
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a first assembly including a portion of an on-body device;
a second assembly coupleable to the first assembly to form the on-body device and a sharp supporting a sensor of the on-body device;
an applicator assembly releasably coupled to the first assembly; and
a container releasably coupled to the second assembly,wherein in response to force applied to the applicator assembly along a longitudinal axis that drives the applicator assembly into the container, the applicator assembly releases and retrieves the second assembly from the container and couples the first assembly to the second assembly to form the on-body device releasably held within the applicator assembly, andwherein the on-body device once held within the applicator assembly is ready to be applied.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Devices associated with on-body analyte sensor units are disclosed. These devices include any of packaging and/or loading systems, applicators and elements of the on-body sensor units themselves. Also, various approaches to connecting electrochemical analyte sensors to and/or within associated on-body analyte sensor units are disclosed. The connector approaches variously involve the use of unique sensor and ancillary element arrangements to facilitate assembly of separate electronics assemblies and sensor elements that are kept apart until the end user brings them together.
118 Citations
64 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a first assembly including a portion of an on-body device; a second assembly coupleable to the first assembly to form the on-body device and a sharp supporting a sensor of the on-body device; an applicator assembly releasably coupled to the first assembly; and a container releasably coupled to the second assembly, wherein in response to force applied to the applicator assembly along a longitudinal axis that drives the applicator assembly into the container, the applicator assembly releases and retrieves the second assembly from the container and couples the first assembly to the second assembly to form the on-body device releasably held within the applicator assembly, and wherein the on-body device once held within the applicator assembly is ready to be applied. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus comprising:
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an electronics assembly including sensor electronics; a sensor assembly including a sensor coupleable to the sensor electronics; an applicator assembly releasably coupled to the electronics assembly; and a container releasably coupled to the sensor assembly, wherein in response to force applied to the applicator assembly along a longitudinal axis that drives the applicator assembly into the container, the applicator assembly releases and retrieves the sensor assembly from the container and couples the electronics assembly to the sensor assembly to form an on-body device releasably held within the applicator assembly, and wherein the on-body device once held within the applicator assembly is ready to be applied. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus comprising:
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an electronics assembly including sensor electronics; a sensor assembly including a sensor coupleable to the sensor electronics; an applicator assembly releasably coupled to the electronics assembly, the applicator assembly being lockable in an extended position and collapsible along a longitudinal axis of the applicator assembly to a retracted position when unlocked; and a container releasably coupled to the sensor assembly and including an applicator assembly unlock feature disposed to unlock the applicator assembly, wherein in response to force applied to the applicator assembly along the longitudinal axis that drives the extended, locked applicator assembly into the container, the applicator assembly releases and retrieves the sensor assembly from the container, couples the electronics assembly to the sensor assembly to form an on-body device releasably held within the applicator assembly, and unlocks the applicator assembly. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus comprising:
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an electronics assembly including sensor electronics; a sensor assembly including a sensor coupleable to the sensor electronics; an applicator assembly releasably coupled to the electronics assembly and including a guide sleeve lockable in an extended position and translatable along a longitudinal axis of the applicator assembly to a retracted position when unlocked; and a container releasably coupled to the sensor assembly and including a guide sleeve unlock feature disposed to unlock the guide sleeve of the applicator assembly, wherein in response to force applied to the applicator assembly along the longitudinal axis that drives the extended, locked guide sleeve into the container, the applicator assembly releases and retrieves the sensor assembly from the container, couples the electronics assembly to the sensor assembly to form an on-body device releasably held within the applicator assembly, and unlocks the guide sleeve. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An on-body device comprising:
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an electronics assembly including sensor electronics and an enclosure surrounding the sensor electronics, the sensor electronics including a processor and a communications facility; and a sensor assembly including a sensor, a sharp supporting the sensor, a support structure, and a connector coupled to the sensor and coupleable to the sensor electronics, the support structure supporting the connector and sensor, and releasably supporting the sharp, wherein the electronics assembly is releasably coupleable to an applicator assembly that includes a guide sleeve lockable in an extended position and operative to translate along a longitudinal axis of the applicator assembly to a retracted position when unlocked, the guide sleeve including an electronics assembly decouple feature disposed to release the electronics assembly from the applicator assembly when the guide sleeve is in the retracted position, wherein the sensor assembly is releasably coupled to a container and includes a guide sleeve unlock feature disposed to unlock the guide sleeve of the applicator assembly, wherein in response to a first force to the applicator assembly along the longitudinal axis that drives the extended, locked guide sleeve into the container, the applicator assembly is operable to release and retrieve the sensor assembly from the container, couple the electronics assembly to the sensor assembly to form the on-body device releasably held within the applicator assembly, seal the sealable enclosure with the support structure, and unlock the guide sleeve, and wherein in response to a second force to the applicator assembly along the longitudinal axis with the extended, unlocked guide sleeve held against a user, the applicator assembly is operable to allow the extended, unlocked guide sleeve to translate along the longitudinal axis to the retracted position, drive the sharp and the sensor of the on-body device through skin of the user in a direction along the longitudinal axis, release the on-body device from the applicator assembly upon the guide sleeve reaching the retracted position;
adhere the on-body device to the skin of the user, and retract the sharp into the applicator assembly leaving the sensor in the user and the on-body device sealed from moisture.
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39. An on-body device comprising:
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an electronics assembly including sensor electronics and an enclosure surrounding the sensor electronics, the sensor electronics including a processor and a communications facility; and a sensor assembly including a sensor, a support structure, and a connector coupled to the sensor and coupleable to the sensor electronics, the support structure supporting the connector and sensor, wherein the sensor assembly is sealably matable to the electronics assembly with the sensor in electrical communication with the sensor electronics, wherein the support structure of the sensor assembly further supports a removable sharp that supports the sensor, wherein the on-body device is assembled within an applicator in response to a first force applied to the applicator, and wherein the assembled on-body device is applied to a user in response to a second force applied to the applicator.
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40. An applicator of on-body device comprising:
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a housing including integrally formed grip features; a removable cap coupleable to the housing and operative to seal the applicator; an electronics assembly retention support coupled to the housing and operative to releasably retain an electronics assembly including sensor electronics and a sealable enclosure surrounding the sensor electronics, the sensor electronics including a processor and a communications facility; a guide sleeve lockable in an extended position partially within the housing and operative to translate along a longitudinal axis of the applicator to a retracted position when unlocked, the guide sleeve including an electronics assembly decouple feature disposed to release the electronics assembly from the applicator when the guide sleeve is in the retracted position; and a sharp retraction assembly contained within the housing and operative to remove a sharp from a sensor assembly when the guide sleeve reaches the retracted position, wherein the sensor assembly includes a sensor, the sharp supporting the sensor, a support structure, and a connector coupled to the sensor and coupleable to the sensor electronics, the support structure supporting the connector and sensor, and releasably supporting the sharp. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method comprising:
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applying a first force to an applicator assembly along a longitudinal axis of the applicator assembly to drive a guide sleeve of the applicator assembly into a container that releasably holds a sensor assembly, the sensor assembly including a sensor, a sharp supporting the sensor, a support structure, and a connector coupled to the sensor, the support structure supporting the connector and sensor, and releasably supporting the sharp; engaging a platform retaining the sensor assembly in the container with the guide sleeve to release the sensor assembly; coupling an electronics assembly releasably held within the applicator assembly to the sensor assembly to form an on-body device; sealing an enclosure surrounding sensor electronics within the electronics assembly with the support structure of the sensor assembly, the sensor electronics including a processor and a communications facility; unlocking the guide sleeve of the applicator assembly using a guide sleeve unlock feature disposed within the container to allow the guide sleeve to be translated along the longitudinal axis of the applicator assembly from an extended position to a retracted position, the guide sleeve including an electronics assembly decouple feature disposed to release the electronics assembly from the applicator assembly when the guide sleeve is in the retracted position; removing the applicator assembly including the on-body device from the container; applying a second force to the applicator assembly along the longitudinal axis with the extended, unlocked guide sleeve held against a user; urging the extended, unlocked guide sleeve to translate along the longitudinal axis to the retracted position; driving the sharp and the sensor of the on-body device through skin of the user in a direction along the longitudinal axis; releasing the on-body device from the applicator assembly upon the guide sleeve reaching the retracted position; adhering the on-body device to the skin of the user; and retracting the sharp into the applicator assembly leaving the sensor in the user and the on-body device sealed from moisture. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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47. An apparatus comprising:
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an electronics assembly including sensor electronics and a sealable enclosure surrounding the sensor electronics, the sensor electronics including a processor and a communications facility; a sensor assembly including a sensor, a sharp supporting the sensor, a support structure, and a connector coupled to the sensor and coupleable to the sensor electronics, the support structure supporting the connector and sensor, and releasably supporting the sharp; an applicator assembly releasably coupled to the electronics assembly and including a guide sleeve lockable in an extended position and operative to translate along a longitudinal axis of the applicator assembly to a retracted position when unlocked, the guide sleeve including an electronics assembly decouple feature disposed to release the electronics assembly from the applicator assembly when the guide sleeve is in the retracted position; and a container releasably coupled to the sensor assembly and including a guide sleeve unlock feature disposed to unlock the guide sleeve of the applicator assembly, wherein in response to a first application of linear force to the applicator assembly along the longitudinal axis that drives the extended, locked guide sleeve into the container, the applicator assembly is operable to release and retrieve the sensor assembly from the container, couple the electronics assembly to the sensor assembly to form an on-body device releasably held within the applicator assembly, seal the sealable enclosure with the support structure, and unlock the guide sleeve, and wherein in response to a second application of linear force to the applicator assembly along the longitudinal axis with the extended, unlocked guide sleeve held against a user, the applicator assembly is operable to allow the extended, unlocked guide sleeve to translate along the longitudinal axis to the retracted position, drive the sharp and the sensor of the on-body device through skin of the user in a direction along the longitudinal axis, release the on-body device from the applicator assembly upon the guide sleeve reaching the retracted position, adhere the on-body device to the skin of the user, and retract the sharp into the applicator assembly leaving the sensor (202) in the user and the on-body device sealed from moisture. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. An apparatus storing a sensor, the apparatus comprising:
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an enclosure including an opening, sides, and an end; a platform having a proximal position proximate to the opening and a distal position proximate to the end, the sides including guide features disposed to engage the platform and to direct the platform to translate from the proximal position to the distal position along a longitudinal axis of the enclosure; and a support disposed on the end and including a structure arranged to support a sensor assembly, the sensor assembly including a sensor, a sharp supporting the sensor, and a connector, wherein the sensor assembly is retained within the enclosure when the platform is in the proximal position and released when the platform is in the distal position. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A sensor assembly comprising:
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a sensor having a tail portion, a contacts portion, and a bendable portion; a seal including electrical contacts disposed to align with the contacts portion of the sensor and to allow electrical signals to pass through the seal; a support including a distal surface and features for sealably coupling to an electronics assembly; and a sharp including a channel for supporting the tail portion of the sensor and a hub for griping the sharp during retraction, wherein the seal is shaped to enclose the contacts portion of the sensor within the support. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64)
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Specification