Method for integrating facilitated blood flow and blood analyte monitoring

• US 7,747,302 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2007
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson), LifeScan IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Lifescan Incorporated (Duv Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Milledge, Eric, Kermani, Mahyar Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur; Eric F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berhanu; Etsub D
• Application Number:
  US11/836,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 600/310, 600/316, 600/322, 600/341, 600/347, 600/365
• US Class Current: 600/341
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• 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 5/6862 Stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6876 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 for data transfer

Abstract

A method for the integrated facilitization of blood flow and monitoring of blood analyte concentration (for example, blood glucose concentration) includes implanting a stent configured to facilitate blood flow into a cardiovascular system of a user'"'"'s body with the stent having attached thereto a continuous blood analyte determination module of a blood analyte monitoring system. The method also includes disposing a reader module of the blood analyte monitoring system external to the user'"'"'s body and in proximity to a portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer and monitoring blood analyte concentration via (i) emitting an RF carrier signal from the reader module toward the stent; (ii) receiving the RF carrier signal at a reflection antenna of the continuous blood analyte determination module; (iii) reflecting a modulated signal by the reflection antenna with the modulated signal being encoded with a blood analyte concentration determined by a sensor of the continuous blood analyte determination module; (iv) receiving the modulated signal by the reader module; and (v) decoding the analyte concentration from the modulated signal by the reader module.

Claims

1. A method for the integrated facilitization of blood flow and monitoring of blood analyte concentration comprising:

implanting a stent configured for implantation into a cardiovascular system of a user'"'"'s body, the stent having a longitudinal centerline and configured to facilitate blood flow, the stent having attached thereto a continuous blood analyte determination module of a blood analyte monitoring system;

disposing a reader module of the blood analyte monitoring system external to the user'"'"'s body and in proximity to a portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer;

monitoring a blood analyte concentration using the reader module and the continuous blood analyte determination module,

wherein the monitoring step is accomplished by;

emitting an RF carrier signal from a first antenna of the reader module toward the stent;

receiving the RF carrier signal at a reflection antenna of the continuous blood analyte determination module;

reflecting a modulated signal by the reflection antenna wherein the modulated signal is encoded with a blood analyte concentration determined by a sensor of the continuous blood analyte determination module;

receiving the modulated signal by a second antenna of the reader module; and

decoding the analyte concentration from the modulated signal by the reader module; and

wherein the first antenna and second antenna are configured such that an RF carrier signal angle β and

a modulated signal angle α

are both less than about 30 degrees with respect to the stent center line.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reader module emits an RF carrier signal that is essentially perpendicular to the portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the implanting step implants the stent such that the longitudinal centerline is essentially perpendicular to the portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first antenna is separated from the second antenna by a distance in the range of about 5 millimeters to about 50 millimeters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the disposing step is accomplished by disposing the reader module immediately adjacent to the portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer.

6. A method for the integrated facilitization of blood flow and monitoring of blood analyte concentration comprising:

implanting a stent configured for implantation into a cardiovascular system of a user'"'"'s body, the stent having a longitudinal centerline and configured to facilitate blood flow, the stent having attached thereto a continuous blood analyte determination module of a blood analyte monitoring system;

disposing a reader module of the blood analyte monitoring system external to the user'"'"'s body and in proximity to a portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer;

monitoring a blood analyte concentration using the reader module and the continuous blood analyte determination module,

wherein the monitoring step is accomplished by;

emitting an RF carrier signal from the reader module toward the stent;

receiving the RF carrier signal at a reflection antenna of the continuous blood analyte determination module;

reflecting a modulated signal by the reflection antenna wherein the modulated signal is encoded with a blood analyte concentration determined by a sensor of the continuous blood analyte determination module;

receiving the modulated signal by a second antenna of the reader module; and

decoding the analyte concentration from the modulated signal by the reader module; and

wherein the first antenna and second antenna are configured such that an RF carrier signal angle β and

a modulated signal angle α

are both approximately 90 degrees with respect to the stent center line.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the implanting step implants the stent such that the longitudinal centerline is essentially parallel to the portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the first antenna is separated from the second antenna by a distance in the range of about 5 millimeters to about 50 millimeters.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the disposing step is accomplished by disposing the reader module immediately adjacent to the portion of the user'"'"'s skin layer.