ELECTRODYNAMIC FIELD STRENGTH TRIGGERING SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A method of triggering a sensor implanted within a living animal to measure a concentration of an analyte in a medium within the living animal, the method comprising:
- coupling an inductive element of an external reader and an inductive element of the sensor within an electrodynamic field;
generating field strength data indicative of the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor;
determining, based on the field strength data, whether the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor is sufficient for the sensor to perform an analyte concentration measurement and convey the results thereof to the external reader; and
if the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor is determined to be sufficient, triggering an analyte concentration measurement by the sensor and conveyance the results thereof to the external reader.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for automatically triggering wireless power and data exchange between an external reader and an implanted sensor. The implanted sensor may measure the strength of an electrodynamic field received wirelessly from the reader and convey field strength data based on the measured strength of the received electrodynamic field to the reader. If the field strength data indicates that the strength of an electrodynamic field received by the sensor is sufficient for the implanted sensor to perform an analyte measurement, the reader may convey an analyte measurement command to the sensor, which may execute the analyte measurement command and convey measurement information back to the reader. The systems and methods may trigger the analyte measurement as the reader transiently passes within sufficient range/proximity to the implant (or vice versa).
68 Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method of triggering a sensor implanted within a living animal to measure a concentration of an analyte in a medium within the living animal, the method comprising:
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coupling an inductive element of an external reader and an inductive element of the sensor within an electrodynamic field; generating field strength data indicative of the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor; determining, based on the field strength data, whether the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor is sufficient for the sensor to perform an analyte concentration measurement and convey the results thereof to the external reader; and if the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor is determined to be sufficient, triggering an analyte concentration measurement by the sensor and conveyance the results thereof to the external reader. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of triggering a sensor implanted within a living animal to measure a concentration of an analyte in a medium within the living animal, the method comprising:
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generating, using an external reader, field strength data indicative of the strength of coupling of an inductive element of the external reader and an inductive element of the sensor within an electrodynamic field; determining, using the external reader, based on the field strength data, whether the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor is sufficient for the sensor to perform an analyte concentration measurement and convey the results thereof to the external reader; if the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor is determined to be insufficient, repeating the generating and determining steps; if the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor is determined to be sufficient, triggering, using the external reader, an analyte concentration measurement by the sensor and conveyance the results thereof to the external reader, wherein the triggering comprises conveying, using circuitry of the external reader, an analyte measurement command to the sensor; and decoding, using circuitry of the external reader, analyte measurement information conveyed from the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of triggering a sensor implanted within a living animal to measure a concentration of an analyte in a medium within the living animal, the method comprising:
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producing, using circuitry of the sensor, a coupling value proportional to the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of an external reader and an inductive element of the sensor within an electrodynamic field; converting, using circuitry of the sensor, the coupling value into a digital coupling value; conveying, using circuitry of the sensor, the digital coupling value to the external reader; decoding, using the circuitry of the sensor, an analyte measurement command conveyed from the external reader; executing, using the sensor, the analyte measurement command, wherein the execution of the analyte measurement command comprises; generating, using the sensor, analyte measurement information indicative of the concentration of the analyte in the medium within the living animal; and conveying, using the inductive element of the implanted sensor, the analyte measurement information. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A sensor for implantation within a living animal and measurement of a concentration of an analyte in a medium within the living animal, the sensor comprising:
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(a) an inductive element configured to couple with an inductive element of an external reader within an electrodynamic field; (b) an input/output circuit configured to; (i) produce a coupling value proportional to the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor within the electrodynamic field; (ii) convey a digital coupling value to the external reader; (iii) decode an analyte measurement command conveyed from the external reader; and (iv) convey analyte measurement information indicative of the concentration of the analyte in the medium within the living animal; (c) circuitry to convert the coupling value into a digital coupling value; and (d) a measurement controller configured to; (i) control the input/output circuit to convey the digital coupling value; (ii) in accordance with the analyte measurement command, generate the analyte measurement information indicative of the concentration of the analyte in the medium within the living animal; and (iii) control the input/output circuit to convey the analyte measurement information. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An external reader for triggering a sensor implanted within a living animal to measure a concentration of an analyte in a medium within the living animal, the external reader comprising:
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(a) an inductive element configured to couple with an inductive element of an external reader within electrodynamic field; and (b) circuitry configured to; (i) generate field strength data indicative of the strength of coupling of an inductive element of the external reader and an inductive element of the sensor within an electrodynamic field; (ii) determine based on the field strength data, whether the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor is sufficient for the sensor to perform an analyte concentration measurement and convey the results thereof to the external reader; (iii) if the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor is determined to be insufficient, repeat the generating and determining steps; (iv) if the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor is determined to be sufficient, trigger an analyte concentration measurement by the sensor and conveyance the results thereof to the external reader, wherein the triggering comprises conveying an analyte measurement command to the sensor; and (v) decode analyte measurement information conveyed from the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of triggering a sensor implanted within a living animal to measure a concentration of an analyte in a medium within the living animal, the method comprising:
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producing, using circuitry of the sensor, a coupling value proportional to the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of an external reader and an inductive element of the sensor within an electrodynamic field; determining, using the sensor, based on the coupling value, whether the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor is sufficient for the sensor to perform an analyte concentration measurement and convey the results thereof to the external reader; if the strength of the coupling of the inductive element of the external reader and the inductive element of the sensor is determined to be sufficient, executing, using the sensor, the analyte measurement command, wherein the execution of the analyte measurement command comprises; generating, using the sensor, analyte measurement information indicative of the concentration of the analyte in the medium within the living animal; and conveying, using the inductive element of the implanted sensor, the analyte measurement information. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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46. An external reader for obtaining an analyte measurement from an implanted sensor, comprising:
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a housing; reader components configured to wirelessly communicate with the implanted sensor and obtain an analyte measurement from the implanted sensor, wherein the reader components comprise a coil configured to inductively couple with the implanted sensor; and a communication member configured to communicate the analyte measurement to an electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. An external reader for obtaining analyte measurements from an implanted sensor and configured to encase a smartphone including a communication port, comprising:
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a first casing including a first coupling member; a second casing including a second coupling member configured to couple with the first coupling member; a communication member configured to couple with the communication port of the smartphone; and reader components configured to wirelessly communicate with the implanted sensor and obtain an analyte measurement from the implanted sensor, wherein the reader components comprise a coil configured to inductively couple with the implanted sensor. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53)
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Specification