WAKE-UP BATTERIES FOR INVASIVE BIOSENSORS

• US 20180042538A1
• Filed: 08/09/2016
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DexCom Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Biederman, William, Liu, Zenghe
• Granted Patent: US 11,026,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1451 for interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14865 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3277 being a redox reaction, e.g. detection by cyclic voltammetry voltammetry per se G01N27/42, G01N27/48
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4292 Aspects relating to capacity ratio of electrodes/electrolyte or anode/cathode
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/02 Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/32 activated through external addition of electrolyte or of electrolyte components
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/34 Immersion cells, e.g. sea-water cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/385 by insertion of electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/083 Alkaline fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/141 the anode and the cathode being gas-permeable electrodes or electrode layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

Example biosensor devices having wake-up batteries and associated methods are disclosed. One example device includes a biosensor that has a first electrode for insertion into a subcutaneous layer beneath a patient'"'"'s skin, and a second electrode coupled to the first electrode for insertion into the subcutaneous layer, and a first battery to apply a voltage across the first and second electrodes, the first battery at least partially electrically decoupled from the electrodes. The device also includes a second battery having an anode material coupled to the first electrode for insertion into the subcutaneous layer, and a portion of the second electrode. The second battery is activatable upon immersion in an electrolytic fluid. The device also includes a wake-up circuit to receive a signal from the second battery and, in response, to electrically couple the first battery to the first and second electrodes to activate the biosensor.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a biosensor comprising;

a first electrode having a distal end for insertion into a subcutaneous layer beneath a patient'"'"'s skin,

a second electrode coupled to the first electrode, a portion of the second electrode for insertion into the subcutaneous layer, and

a first battery to apply a voltage across the first and second electrodes, the first battery at least partially electrically decoupled from the electrodes;

a second battery comprising;

an anode material coupled to a portion of the distal end of the first electrode, the anode material for insertion into the subcutaneous layer, and

a portion of the second electrode,

the second battery activatable upon immersion in an electrolytic fluid; and

a wake-up circuit coupled to the second battery to receive a signal from the second battery and, in response, to electrically couple the first battery to the first and second electrodes.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a glucose oxidase material disposed on a portion of the distal end of the first electrode.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency (“

RF”

) transmitter, and wherein;

the first battery is at least partially electrically decoupled from the RF transmitter and is further to apply power to the RF transmitter, and

the wake-up is further to electrically couple the first battery to the RF transmitter in response to receiving the signal from the second battery.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first electrode comprises a platinum material;

the second electrode comprises a silver/silver-chloride material coating a portion of the first electrode; and

the anode material comprises zinc, iron, aluminum, or nickel.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the anode material comprises approximately 10 to 100 nanograms (“

ng”

) of zinc, approximately 10 to 100 ng of nickel, approximately 10 to 100 ng of iron, or approximately 3 to 30 ng of aluminum.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the wake-up circuit comprises one or more of (1) a voltage threshold detection circuit and a reference voltage source, (2) a current threshold detection circuit and a reference current source, (3) a ring oscillator, (4) a power-on reset circuit, or (5) an NMOS footer switch.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the biosensor further comprises a processor, and wherein the wake-up circuit is further to electrically couple the first battery to the processor.

8. The device of claim 8, wherein the wake-up circuit comprises a ring oscillator electrically coupled to a clock circuit of the processor to activate the clock circuit after receiving the signal from the second battery.

9. A method comprising:

providing first and second electrodes, the first electrode having a distal end for insertion into a subcutaneous layer beneath a patient'"'"'s skin, the second electrode coupled to the first electrode, a portion of the second electrode for insertion into the subcutaneous layer;

applying an anode material proximate to the distal end of the first electrode;

coupling a wake-up circuit to the first and second electrodes to receive a signal from a second battery in response to immersion of the second battery in an electrolytic fluid, the second battery comprising the anode material and the second electrode; and

coupling a first battery to the wake-up circuit, the wake-up circuit to electrically couple the first battery to the first and second electrodes in response to the signal from the second battery.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising a glucose oxidase material disposed on a portion of the distal end of the first electrode.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising coupling a radio frequency (“

RF”

) transmitter to the wake-up circuit, and wherein;

the first battery is at least partially electrically decoupled from the RF transmitter and is further to apply power to the RF transmitter, and

the wake-up is further to electrically couple the first battery to the RF transmitter in response to receiving the signal from the second battery.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the first electrode comprises a platinum material;

the second electrode comprises a silver/silver-chloride material coating a portion of the first electrode; and

the anode material comprises zinc, iron, aluminum, or nickel.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the anode material comprises approximately 10 to 100 nanograms (“

ng”

) of zinc, approximately 10 to 100 ng of nickel, approximately 10 to 100 ng of iron, or approximately 3 to 30 ng of aluminum.

14. A method comprising:

inserting an insertable portion of a biosensor and a second battery into a patient'"'"'s skin and into the patient'"'"'s interstitial fluid, the insertable portion comprising;

a distal end of a first electrode and a portion of second electrode, the first electrode coupled to the second electrode,

the biosensor further comprising a first battery to apply a voltage across the first and second electrodes, the first battery at least partially electrically decoupled from the electrodes,

the second battery comprising an anode material coupled to a portion of the distal end of the first electrode and a portion of the second electrode;

generating a signal by the second battery after the second battery is immersed in the patient'"'"'s interstitial fluid;

electrically coupling the first battery to the first and second electrodes by a wake-up circuit in response to receiving the signal from the second battery; and

providing sensor information from the biosensor to a radio frequency (“

RF”

) transmitter.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting the sensor information to a remote wireless device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting is performed using a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) or near-field communication (“

NFC”

) technique.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the biosensor comprising a processor, and further comprising activating a clock circuit of the processor by the wake-up circuit.

18. A device comprising:

a biosensor comprising;

a first electrode having a distal end for insertion into a subcutaneous layer beneath a patient'"'"'s skin, and

a second electrode coupled to the first electrode, a portion of the second electrode for insertion into the subcutaneous layer, and

a first battery comprising;

an anode material coupled to a portion of the distal end of the first electrode, the anode material for insertion into the subcutaneous layer, and

a portion of the second electrode,

the first battery activatable upon immersion in an electrolytic fluid to apply a voltage to the first and second electrodes.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising a glucose oxidase material disposed on a portion of the distal end of the first electrode.

20. The device of claim 18, further comprising a radio frequency (“

RF”

) transmitter, and wherein the first battery is further to apply power to the RF transmitter.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein:

the first electrode comprises a platinum material;

the second electrode comprises a silver/silver-chloride material coating a portion of the first electrode; and

the anode material comprises zinc, iron, aluminum, or nickel.

22. The device of claim 18, wherein the anode material comprises approximately 10 to 100 nanograms (“

ng”

) of zinc, approximately 10 to 100 ng of nickel, approximately 10 to 100 ng of iron, or approximately 3 to 30 ng of aluminum.