Glucose sensor

• US 6,546,268 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ball Semiconductor, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ball Semiconductor, Inc.
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Akira, Nelson, Kevin, Ahn, Suzanne I., Takeda, Nabuo, Hays, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): MALLARI, PATRICIA C
• Application Number:
  US09/586,200
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 600/345, 600/347, 600/365, 204/403.01, 204/414, 204/415, 257/618
• US Class Current: 600/345
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1473 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1482 takes precedence
• 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: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0657 characterised by the shape of the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1017 being a sphere

Abstract

A biochemical sensor based on ball integrated circuit technology which is designed to be biocompatible for implantation within a human or animal body. A sensor media is mounted to the ball integrated circuit, the sensor media operable for sensing biochemical molecules. An onboard communication link transmits data sensed by the sensor media from the ball integrated circuit.

Claims

1. A biochemical sensor, comprising:

a ball integrated circuit;

a sensor media mounted to said ball integrated circuit, said sensor media operable for sensing biochemical molecules;

a communication link for transmitting data sensed by said sensor media; and

an attached hydrogel which either collapses or blossoms based upon a polarity on the surface of said ball integrated circuit.

2. The biochemical sensor of claim 1, wherein said communication link is a wireless communication link.

3. The biochemical sensor of claim 2, wherein said ball integrated circuit is externally powered by radio frequency power transmissions, and is only in an active mode to perform sensing functions when energized by said power transmission, and said is then transmitted from the sensor also the sensor also by radio frequency to a distant receiver by said wireless communication link.

4. The biochemical sensor of claim 1, further comprising one or more integrated circuits printed on spherical or non-planar or planar semiconductors for the detection of a single biological molecule by redundant techniques.

5. The biochemical sensor of claim 4, further comprising logic for comparing the redundantly detected data of the same biological molecule to determine if one or sensors is dysfunctional.

6. The biochemical sensor of claim 4, further comprising logic for performing an in situ re-calibration of sensors suspected of drift or biased readings based on sensors that are believed to be responding correctly.

7. The biochemical sensor of claim 1, further comprising one or more integrated circuits printed on spherical or non-planar or planar semiconductors for the detection of several different biological molecules simultaneously.

8. The biochemical sensor of claim 7, further comprising logic to flag chemical imbalances based on detected levels.

9. The biochemical sensor of claim 1, further comprising said sensor media being disposed on a single IC unit.

10. The biochemical sensor of claim 1, wherein said hydrogel which either blossoms or collapses can be controlled to calibrate and test said sensor media.

11. A method of making a biochemical sensor, comprising the step of:

fabricating a ball integrated circuit;

mounting a sensor media to the ball integrated circuit;

sensing biochemical molecules with the sensor media;

transmitting data sensed by the sensor media over a communication link; and

attaching a hydrogel to the ball integrated circuit which either collapses or blossoms based upon a polarity on the surface of the ball integrated circuit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication link in the step of transmitting is a wireless communication link.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the radio frequency power transmissions externally power the ball integrated circuit and the circuit is only in an active mode to perform sensing functions when energized by the power transmission, and in the step of transmitting, the sensor media also transmits the data by radio frequency to a distant receiver by the wireless communication link.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of providing one or more integrated circuits printed on spherical or non-planar semiconductors in the step of fabricating for the detection of a single biological molecule by redundant techniques.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of providing logic, and the step of the logic comparing the data sensed by the sensor media to determine the concentration of the sensed biochemical molecules.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing logic, and the step of the logic performing an in situ re-calibration of the sensor when suspected of drift or biased readings based on one or more other sensors that are believed to be responding correctly.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing one or more integrated circuits printed on spherical or non-planar or planar semiconductors in the step of fabricating for the detection of several different biological molecules simultaneously.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing logic, and the step of the logic flagging chemical imbalances based on detected levels.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of mounting includes mounting the sensor on a single IC unit.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the hydrogel in the step of attaching can be controlled to calibrate and test the sensor media by either collapsing or blossoming in the presence of a known substance.