Wireless Sensor Patches and Methods of Manufacturing

• US 20150351689A1
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Adams, James W., Armijo, Edward A., Hruska, Ryan, Onderisin, Michael R., Silvestro, David
• Granted Patent: US 10,244,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49131 by utilizing optical sighting device

Abstract

Wireless sensor patches include a skin-friendly adhesive and a flexible cover patch. In further examples, methods of manufacturing a plurality of wireless sensor patches include the step (I) of unwinding a flexible support membrane from a support membrane storage roll along an assembly path. The flexible support membrane is provided with a skin adhesive configured to mount a first face of the flexible support membrane to a skin surface. The method further comprises the step (II) of sequentially mounting a plurality of sensor devices with respect to a second face of the flexible support membrane along a longitudinal axis of the assembly path. The method further includes the step (III) of sequentially separating the flexible support membrane to provide the plurality of wireless sensor patches, wherein each wireless sensor patch includes a corresponding one of the plurality of sensor devices.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a plurality of wireless sensor patches comprising the steps of:

(I) unwinding a flexible support membrane from a support membrane storage roll along an assembly path, wherein the flexible support membrane is provided with a skin adhesive configured to adhere a first face of the flexible support membrane to a skin surface;

(II) sequentially mounting a plurality of sensor devices with respect to a second face of the flexible support membrane along a longitudinal axis of the assembly path; and

(Ill) sequentially separating the flexible support membrane to provide the plurality of wireless sensor patches, wherein each wireless sensor patch includes a corresponding one of the plurality of sensor devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein after step (II) and before step (Ill), further including the steps of:

providing a plurality of flexible cover patches; and

attaching each flexible cover patch with respect to the second face of the flexible support membrane such that each of the plurality of sensor devices is at least partially housed within a pocket defined by at least one of the flexible support membrane and the corresponding flexible cover patch.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of attaching each flexible cover patch includes the steps of applying a tie layer to the second face of the flexible support membrane, and then laminating the flexible cover patch to the second face of the flexible support membrane with the tie layer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of providing the plurality of flexible cover patches comprises the steps of:

unwinding a flexible cover membrane from a flexible cover membrane storage roll; and

sequentially separating the plurality of flexible cover patches from the flexible cover membrane.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of forming a plurality of pockets in the flexible cover membrane along a longitudinal axis of the flexible cover membrane, and wherein the step of sequentially separating the plurality of flexible cover patches provides each flexible cover patch with a corresponding one of the pockets for at least partially housing a corresponding one of the sensor devices.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein step (Ill) provides the flexible support membrane as a plurality of flexible support patches that are each provided with a corresponding flexible cover patch attached to a second face of the flexible support patch.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a footprint of each flexible support patch is larger than a footprint of the corresponding attached flexible cover patch.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the skin adhesive is provided as a skin-friendly adhesive.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the skin-friendly adhesive comprises a hydrocolloid skin adhesive.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the skin adhesive further includes an adhesive layer applied to the first face of the flexible support membrane.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein step (I) mounts the skin-friendly adhesive relative to the first face of the flexible support membrane with the adhesive layer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein step (Ill) provides the flexible support membrane as a plurality of flexible support patches that are each provided with a patch of the adhesive layer applied to a first face of the flexible support patch.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein step (I) mounts the skin-friendly adhesive as a plurality of skin-friendly adhesive patches, wherein at least one of the skin-friendly adhesive patches is mounted to the first face of the flexible support patch with the patch of the adhesive layer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein step (I) mounts the at least one of the skin-friendly adhesive patches to the first face of each corresponding flexible support patch such that an outer periphery of the patch of the adhesive layer circumscribes the at least one of the skin-friendly adhesive patches.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing indicia to a portion of each wireless sensor patch containing information that matches information of indicia provided on a corresponding package housing each wireless sensor patch.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of associating indicia of a portion of the wireless sensor patch with a batch of at least one source of assembly materials used to manufacture the wireless sensor patch.

17. A wireless sensor patch manufactured in accordance with the method of claim 1.

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24. A method of manufacturing a plurality of wireless sensor patches comprising the steps of:

(I) unwinding a skin-friendly adhesive membrane from a skin-friendly adhesive membrane storage roll, wherein the skin-friendly adhesive membrane includes a substrate sheet carrying a layer of skin-friendly adhesive and a first release liner carried by the layer of skin-friendly adhesive, wherein the layer of skin-friendly adhesive is sandwiched between the first release liner and the substrate sheet;

(II) kiss cutting the substrate sheet and the skin-friendly adhesive to the first release liner to define a skin-friendly adhesive patch;

(III) unwinding a flexible support membrane from a support membrane storage roll, wherein the flexible support membrane includes a flexible support sheet with a skin adhesive layer applied to a first face of the flexible support sheet and a second release liner carried by the skin adhesive layer with the skin adhesive layer being sandwiched between the second release liner and the flexible support sheet;

(IV) kiss cutting the flexible support sheet and the skin adhesive layer to the second release liner to define an opening extending through the flexible support sheet and the skin adhesive layer;

(V) removing the second release liner to expose the skin adhesive layer;

(VI) laminating the substrate sheet to the flexible support sheet with the skin adhesive layer of the flexible support membrane;

(VII) unwinding a tie layer membrane from a tie layer membrane storage roll, wherein the tie layer membrane includes a tie layer carrying a third release liner;

(VIII) kiss cutting the tie layer to the third release liner to define a tie layer patch;

(IX) laminating the tie layer patch to the flexible support sheet;

(X) cutting at least one probe opening through the tie layer membrane in alignment with the opening defined during step (IV);

(XI) removing the third release liner to expose the tie layer patch laminated to the flexible support sheet;

(XII) mounting a sensor device with respect to the flexible support membrane with a sensor probe in alignment with corresponding openings defined during steps (IV) and (X);

(XIII) unwinding a flexible cover membrane from a flexible cover membrane storage roll;

(XIV) forming a pocket within the flexible cover membrane;

(XV) cutting the flexible cover membrane to define a flexible cover patch including the pocket;

(XVI) laminating the flexible cover patch to the tie layer patch with the sensor device being at least partially received in the pocket; and

(XVII) cutting the flexible support sheet and the skin adhesive layer to provide a wireless sensor patch.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein step (XVII) provides an outer periphery of the skin adhesive layer circumscribing the skin-friendly adhesive patch.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the skin-friendly adhesive comprises a hydrocolloid skin adhesive.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the flexible support membrane comprises a fabric.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the fabric comprises a nonwoven fabric.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein step (XVII) is performed periodically to sequentially produce a plurality of wireless sensor patches.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of providing indicia to a portion each wireless sensor patch containing information that matches information of indicia provided on a corresponding package housing each wireless sensor patch.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of associating indicia of a portion of the wireless sensor patch with a batch of at least one source of assembly materials used to manufacture the wireless sensor patch.

76. A wireless sensor patch produced in accordance with the method of manufacture in claim 24.

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70. A method of manufacturing a plurality of wireless sensor patches comprising the steps of:

(I) unwinding a flexible support membrane from a support membrane storage roll, wherein the flexible support membrane includes a flexible support sheet with a skin adhesive layer applied to a first face of the flexible support sheet and a second release liner carried by the skin adhesive layer with the skin adhesive layer being sandwiched between the second release liner and the flexible support sheet;

(II) kiss cutting the flexible support sheet and the skin adhesive layer to the second release liner to define an opening extending through the flexible support sheet and the skin adhesive layer;

(III) removing the second release liner to expose the skin adhesive layer;

(IV) laminating the substrate sheet to the flexible support sheet with the skin adhesive layer of the flexible support membrane;

(V) unwinding a tie layer membrane from a tie layer membrane storage roll, wherein the tie layer membrane includes a tie layer carrying a third release liner;

(VI) kiss cutting the tie layer to the third release liner to define a tie layer patch;

(VII) laminating the tie layer patch to the flexible support sheet;

(VIII) cutting at least one probe opening through the tie layer membrane in alignment with the opening defined during step (II);

(IX) removing the third release liner to expose the tie layer patch laminated to the flexible support sheet;

(X) mounting a sensor device with respect to the flexible support membrane with a sensor probe in alignment with corresponding openings defined during steps (II) and (VIII);

(XI) unwinding a flexible cover membrane from a flexible cover membrane storage roll;

(XII) forming a pocket within the flexible cover membrane;

(XIII) cutting the flexible cover membrane to define a flexible cover patch including the pocket;

(XIV) laminating the flexible cover patch to the tie layer patch with the sensor device being at least partially received in the pocket; and

(XV) cutting the flexible support sheet and the skin adhesive layer to provide a wireless sensor patch.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein the flexible support membrane comprises a fabric.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein the fabric comprises a nonwoven fabric.

73. The method of claim 70, wherein step (XV) is performed periodically to sequentially produce a plurality of wireless sensor patches.

74. The method of claim 70, further comprising the step of providing indicia to a portion each wireless sensor patch containing information that matches information of indicia provided on a corresponding package housing each wireless sensor patch.

75. The method of claim 74, further comprising the step of associating indicia of a portion of the wireless sensor patch with a batch of at least one source of assembly materials used to manufacture the wireless sensor patch.

77. A wireless sensor patch produced in accordance with the method of manufacture in claim 70.