Sensor for monitoring a condition of a patient

• US 9,579,036 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2013
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG), Roche Diagnostics International AG (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Buck, Harvey B, Lukin, Michael, Kasielke, Joachim, Haueter, Ulrich, Kamecke, Ulrike, Hof, Christian, Reynolds, Matthew, Kasielke, Timon, Gray, Steven, Hindelang, Fritz
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Jacqueline
• Assistant Examiner(s): PREMRAJ, ANGELINE L
• Application Number:
  US13/739,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• 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: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/147 at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/042 Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/323 by applying an anisotropic conductive adhesive layer over an array of pads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits

Abstract

A sensor may include a substrate having a sensing portion defining a sensor thereon and a circuit mounting portion defining at least one electrically conductive pad that is electrically connected to the sensor. The sensor may be configured to produce a signal indicative of a condition of the patient. An anisotropic medium may be disposed on the circuit mounting portion and may be electrically conductive in a direction through the medium and electrically insulating in directions along the medium. An electrical circuit may be mechanically mounted to the circuit mounting portion of the first substrate via the anisotropic medium with at least one electrically conductive terminal juxtaposed over the at least one electrically conductive pad. The anisotropic medium may establish local electrical contact between the at least one electrically conductive terminal and the at least one electrically conductive pad.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a first electrically non-conductive substrate having a sensing portion configured to be percutaneously inserted into a patient and an extracorporeal circuit mounting portion, the sensing portion including a sensor having at least one sensor electrode formed thereon in the form of at least a first electrically conductive trace, and the extracorporeal circuit mounting portion having at least one electrically conductive pad formed on one surface thereof, the at least one electrically conductive pad electrically connected to the at least one sensor electrode via at least a second electrically conductive trace formed on the sensing and circuit mounting portions of the first substrate, the sensor configured to produce a signal indicative of a condition of the patient,

a second substrate having a first surface mounted to the one surface of the first substrate, the first surface of the second substrate defining thereon a first number of electrically conductive pads, the second substrate having a second surface, opposite the first surface, defining thereon a second number of electrically conductive pads, at least one of the first number of electrically conductive pads being aligned with the at least one electrically conductive pad defined on the one surface of the first substrate, the at least one of the first number of electrically conductive pads being electrically connected to at least one of the second number of electrically conductive pads,

means for establishing electrical contact between the at least one electrically conductive pad defined on the one surface of the first substrate and the at least one of the first number of electrically conductive pads defined on the first surface of the second substrate,

a third substrate having a first surface mounted to the second surface of the second substrate and defining thereon at least one electrical terminal, the at least one electrical terminal being aligned with the at least one of the second number of electrically conductive pads defined on the second surface of the second substrate,

a first number of electrical components mounted to a second surface of the third substrate, opposite the first surface thereof, and electrically interconnected to form a sensor control circuit, the sensor control circuit being electrically connected to the at least one electrical terminal defined on the first surface of the third substrate, and

means for establishing electrical contact between the at least one of the second number of electrically conductive pads defined on the second surface of the second substrate and the at least one electrical terminal defined on the first surface of the third substrate, the sensor being thereby electrically connected to the sensor control circuit.

2. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the sensor control circuit includes a telemetry circuit configured to transmit or receive communication signals to or from a remote electronic device.

3. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the sensor control circuit includes a notification circuit configured to produce any of a visual, audible and tactile indication of a predefined event.

4. The sensor of claim 3 wherein the sensor control circuit includes an acknowledgement circuit responsive to user activation thereof to acknowledge production of the visual, audible or tactile indication of the predefined event.

5. The sensor of claim 3 wherein the sensor control circuit is configured to determine the predefined event from the signal produced by the sensor.

6. The sensor of claim 5 wherein the sensor control circuit further includes a telemetry circuit configured to transmit or receive communication signals to or from a first remote electronic device,

and wherein the first remote electronic device includes a first telemetry circuit configured to transmit or receive communication signals to or from the telemetry circuit of the sensor control circuit.

7. The sensor of claim 6 wherein the telemetry circuit of the sensor control circuit is configured to transmit a signal indicative of the predefined event to the first telemetry circuit of the remote electronic device,

and wherein the first remote electronic device includes means for providing any of a visual, audible and tactile indication of the predefined event.

8. The sensor of claim 6 wherein the first remote electronic device further includes a second telemetry circuit configured to transmit or receive wireless communication signals to or from a second remote electronic device.

9. The sensor of claim 6 further including:

a second remote electronic device, and

means for establishing communications between the first and second remote electronic devices.

10. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the first substrate is a flexible substrate or a rigid substrate.

11. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the second substrate is a flexible substrate or a rigid substrate.

12. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the third substrate is a flexible substrate or a rigid substrate.

13. The sensor of claim 1 further including:

a second number of electrical components mounted to the second surface of the second substrate, the second number of electrical components and the first number of electrical components together forming the sensor control circuit, and

means for electrically connecting the second number of electrical components to the first number of electrical components.

14. The sensor of claim 13 wherein the second number of electrical components includes a sensor operating circuit configured to operate the sensor.

15. The sensor of claim 13 wherein the second number of electrical components includes a telemetry circuit configured to transmit or receive communication signals to or from a remote electronic device.

16. The sensor of claim 13 wherein the second number of electrical components includes a notification circuit configured to produce any of a visual, audible and tactile indication of a predefined event.

17. The sensor of claim 13 wherein the second number of electrical components includes an acknowledgement circuit responsive to user activation thereof to acknowledge production of the visual, audible or tactile indication of the predefined event.

18. The sensor of claim 13 wherein the second number of electrical components includes a sensor operating circuit configured to operate the sensor,

and wherein the first number of electrical components includes a telemetry circuit configured to transmit or receive communication signals to or from a remote electronic device.

19. The sensor of claim 18 wherein the second number of electrical components includes a notification circuit configured to produce any of a visual, audible and tactile indication of a predefined event.

20. The sensor of claim 18 wherein the second number of electrical components includes an acknowledgement circuit responsive to user activation thereof to acknowledge production of the visual, audible or tactile indication of the predefined event.

21. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the first substrate defines a second number of electrically conductive pads on the one surface of the extracorporeal circuit mounting portion thereof,

and wherein at least some of the first number of electrically conductive pads defined on the first surface of the second substrate align with corresponding ones of the second number of electrically conductive pads defined on the one surface of the extracorporeal circuit mounting portion of the first substrate when the first surface of the second substrate is mounted to the one surface of the first substrate.

22. The sensor of claim 21 wherein the first surface of the third substrate defines thereon a number of electrical terminals in addition to the at least one electrical terminal,

and wherein at least others of the second number of electrically conductive pads defined on the second surface of the second substrate align with corresponding ones of the number of electrical terminals defined on the first surface of the third substrate.

23. The sensor of claim 21 wherein the first surface of the third substrate defines thereon a number of electrical terminals in addition to the at least one electrical terminal,

and further including means for electrically connecting at least others of the second number of electrically conductive pads defined on the second surface of the second substrate to corresponding ones of the number of electrical terminals defined on the first surface of the third substrate.