Integrated alignment devices, system, and methods for efficient fluid extraction, substance delivery and other applications
First Claim
1. A system comprising an alignment device for aligning at least one apparatus with respect to a surface of a tissue, the alignment device comprising a tissue interface member suitable for positioning on the surface of the tissue and mating with the apparatus to maintain alignment of the apparatus during an operation of the apparatus, the alignment device further comprising a removable energy absorbing layer attached to the tissue interface member, wherein the energy absorbing layer is responsive to energy directed thereon to heat up and to conductively transfer heat to the surface of the tissue to ablate the tissue to cause tissue ablation, and wherein the apparatus is an energy emitter apparatus including at least one energy source for emitting energy, wherein the energy emitter apparatus includes at least one alignment member that mates with the tissue interface member to achieve alignment with the tissue, so that, when the heat is transferred to the tissue, the layer may be removed to expose the ablated tissue.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An alignment device and related systems and methods for aligning at least one apparatus with respect to a surface of a tissue. The alignment device comprises a tissue interface member suitable for positioning on the surface of the tissue and mating with the apparatus to maintain alignment of the apparatus during an operation of the apparatus. The alignment device is useful to align various apparatus that are part of a continuous analyte monitoring system.
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Citations
42 Claims
- 1. A system comprising an alignment device for aligning at least one apparatus with respect to a surface of a tissue, the alignment device comprising a tissue interface member suitable for positioning on the surface of the tissue and mating with the apparatus to maintain alignment of the apparatus during an operation of the apparatus, the alignment device further comprising a removable energy absorbing layer attached to the tissue interface member, wherein the energy absorbing layer is responsive to energy directed thereon to heat up and to conductively transfer heat to the surface of the tissue to ablate the tissue to cause tissue ablation, and wherein the apparatus is an energy emitter apparatus including at least one energy source for emitting energy, wherein the energy emitter apparatus includes at least one alignment member that mates with the tissue interface member to achieve alignment with the tissue, so that, when the heat is transferred to the tissue, the layer may be removed to expose the ablated tissue.
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25. A system comprising:
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a tissue interface member suitable for positioning on the surface of the tissue; a tissue breaching device that mates with the tissue interface member to achieve a desired alignment with the surface of the tissue, wherein the tissue breaching apparatus forms at least one opening in the tissue; and a sensor device capable of mating to the tissue interface member when the tissue breaching device is not mated to the tissue interface member so that the sensor device is aligned with the at least one opening to achieve alignment with an ablated site of the tissue, wherein the sensor device collects a biological fluid by the force of a pressure differential between the at least one opening and sensor device, and wherein the sensor device detects a characteristic of a biological fluid collected from the at least one opening in the tissue; and
,wherein the tissue breaching device is capable of mating to the tissue interface member to achieve alignment and is selected from a group comprising of a device that mechanically breaches the tissue, a heatable element device that thermally ablates the tissue, and an energy emitter device capable of emitting energy that is directly absorbed by the tissue and; wherein the system further comprising an energy absorbing layer attached to the tissue interface member, wherein the energy absorbing layer is responsive to energy directed thereon to heat up and to conductively transfer heat to the surface of the tissue to ablate the tissue, and wherein the tissue breaching device comprises the energy emitter device comprising at least one energy source for emitting energy to the energy absorbing layer. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for detecting a characteristic of a biological tissue, comprising the steps of:
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placing a tissue interface member at a desired position onto the surface of the tissue; mating a tissue breaching apparatus to the tissue interface member to achieve alignment with the surface of the tissue; activating the tissue breaching apparatus to form a breached tissue site; detaching the tissue breaching apparatus from the tissue interface member; positioning an energy absorbing layer proximate to the surface of the tissue in alignment with the tissue interface member; removing the energy absorbing layer; and mating a sensor device to the tissue interface member to achieve alignment with the breached tissue site. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A system comprising an alignment device for aligning a energy emitter apparatus with respect to a surface of a tissue, the alignment device comprising a tissue interface member suitable for positioning on the surface of the tissue and mating with the energy emitter apparatus to maintain alignment of the energy emitter apparatus during an operation of the energy emitter apparatus, the alignment device further comprising a removable energy absorbing layer attached to the tissue interface member, wherein the energy absorbing layer is responsive to energy directed thereon to heat up and to conductively transfer heat to the surface of the tissue to ablate at least a portion of the tissue, wherein the energy emitter apparatus comprises at least one energy source for emitting energy and at least one alignment member that mates with the tissue interface member to achieve alignment with the tissue, and wherein, when heat is transferred to the tissue, the energy absorbing layer may be removed to expose the portion of the tissue that is abalated.
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40. A system for poration and alignment comprising:
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an energy emitter apparatus including at least one energy source for emitting energy; and a tissue interface member suitable for positioning on a surface of a tissue and mating with the energy emitter apparatus to maintain alignment of the energy emitter apparatus with respect to the surface of the tissue during operation of the energy emitter apparatus; wherein the energy emitter apparatus comprises at least one alignment member that mates with the tissue interface member to achieve alignment with the tissue and wherein the energy emitter apparatus further comprises a controller and a sensor coupled to the controller, wherein the sensor detects when the energy absorbing apparatus is in position on the tissue interface member, wherein the controller is responsive to the sensor to enable activation of the energy emitter apparatus, wherein the sensor on the energy emitter apparatus includes a pressure sensor responsive to sufficient pressure from engagement with the tissue interface member, wherein the energy emitter apparatus further comprises a switch that is closed by an element on the tissue interface member when the energy emitter apparatus is properly installed in the tissue interface member, and wherein the controller of the energy emitter apparatus is responsive both to the switch being closed and the pressure sensor detecting sufficient pressure to enable activation of the energy emitter apparatus.
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41. A system comprising:
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a tissue interface member suitable for positioning on a surface of a tissue; a tissue breaching device that mates with the tissue interface member to achieve a desired alignment with the surface of the tissue, wherein the tissue breaching device is capable of mating to the tissue interface member to achieve alignment and comprises an energy emitter device capable of emitting energy that is directly absorbed by the tissue; a sensor device capable of mating to the tissue interface member when the tissue breaching device is not mated to the tissue interface member to achieve alignment with an ablated site of the tissue, wherein the sensor device detects a characteristic of a biological fluid collected from the ablated site of the tissue; and an energy absorbing layer attached to the tissue interface member, wherein the energy absorbing layer is responsive to energy directed thereon to heat up and to conductively transfer heat to the surface of the tissue to ablate the tissue; wherein the energy emitter device comprises at least one energy source for emitting energy to the energy absorbing layer.
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42. A method for detecting a characteristic of a biological tissue, comprising:
- placing a tissue interface member at a desired position onto a surface of a tissue;
positioning an energy absorbing layer proximate to the surface of the tissue in alignment with the tissue interface member; mating a tissue breaching apparatus to the tissue interface member to achieve alignment with the surface of the tissue and the energy absorbing layer, the tissue breaching apparatus comprising an energy emitting device; activating the tissue breaching device to emit energy to the energy absorbing layer, wherein the energy absorbing layer is responsive to energy directed thereon to heat and conductively transfer heat to the surface of the tissue thereby ablating the tissue; detaching the tissue breaching apparatus from the tissue interface member;
removing the energy absorbing layer; andmating a sensor device to the tissue interface member to achieve alignment with a breached tissue site.
- placing a tissue interface member at a desired position onto a surface of a tissue;
Specification