Adhesive patch arrangement for a physiological characteristic sensor, and related sensor assembly

• US 10,596,295 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2017
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Larson, Eric Allan, Lebron, Voltaire Isaac
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F
• Application Number:
  US15/688,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20190060511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• 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 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6849 in combination with a needle set
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/58 Adhesives

Abstract

An adhesive patch arrangement for a sensor includes a flexible patch, a sensor-affixing feature located in a sensor mounting region of the component-facing side of the flexible patch, the sensor-affixing feature securing the sensor to the flexible patch, and a device-affixing feature located in a device mounting region of the component-facing side of the flexible patch. The device-affixing feature secures a device to the flexible patch. The sensor mounting and device mounting regions are distinct and separate regions. The arrangement also includes a removable reinforcement liner adhered to, and covering, the device-affixing feature, and shaped to define a cutout area that partially surrounds the sensor-affixing feature. The arrangement also includes a removable backing liner adhered to, and covering, the adhesive skin-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch.

Claims

1. An adhesive patch arrangement for a physiological characteristic sensor, the adhesive patch arrangement comprising:

a flexible adhesive patch comprising an adhesive skin-facing side, and a component-facing side opposite the adhesive skin-facing side;

a first affixing feature located in a sensor mounting region of the component-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch, the first affixing feature comprising an adhesive sensor-receiving surface to secure the physiological characteristic sensor to the flexible adhesive patch;

a second affixing feature located in a device mounting region of the component-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch, the second affixing feature comprising an adhesive device-receiving surface to secure a device to the flexible adhesive patch, wherein the sensor mounting region and the device mounting region are distinct and separate regions;

a removable reinforcement liner adhered to, and covering, the adhesive device-receiving surface of the second affixing feature, the reinforcement liner being shaped to define a cutout area that at least partially surrounds the first affixing feature, and the reinforcement liner being formed from a material that reinforces structural rigidity of the flexible adhesive patch when the reinforcement liner is adhered to the adhesive device-receiving surface; and

a removable backing liner adhered to, and covering, the adhesive skin-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch.

2. The adhesive patch arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a removable release liner adhered to, and covering, the adhesive sensor-receiving surface of the first affixing feature.

3. The adhesive patch arrangement of claim 2, wherein the removable release liner covers at least a portion of the removable reinforcement liner that defines the cutout area.

4. The adhesive patch arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first affixing feature comprises a double-sided adhesive element.

5. The adhesive patch arrangement of claim 4, wherein the double-sided adhesive element comprises:

a substrate layer having an upper surface and a lower surface;

a first adhesive layer on the upper surface of the substrate layer; and

a second adhesive layer on the lower surface of the substrate layer;

wherein the second adhesive layer couples the substrate layer to the component-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch.

6. The adhesive patch arrangement of claim 1, wherein the second affixing feature comprises a double-sided adhesive element.

7. The adhesive patch arrangement of claim 6, wherein the double-sided adhesive element comprises:

a first adhesive layer coupled to the component-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch; and

a second adhesive layer coupled to the first adhesive layer;

wherein the removable reinforcement liner is adhered to, and covers, the second adhesive layer.

8. The adhesive patch arrangement of claim 1, wherein the removable backing liner includes at least one fold to facilitate peeling removal of the removable backing liner from the adhesive skin-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch.

9. The adhesive patch arrangement of claim 1, wherein the removable reinforcement liner includes a least one fold to facilitate peeling removal of the removable reinforcement liner from the adhesive device-receiving surface of the second affixing feature.

10. The adhesive patch arrangement of claim 1, wherein the removable reinforcement liner has a stiffness measurement that exceeds that of the flexible adhesive patch.

19. A physiological characteristic sensor assembly comprising:

a transport pedestal having a primary mounting surface;

an adhesive patch arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the removable backing liner of the adhesive patch arrangement is coupled to the primary mounting surface of the transport pedestal; and

a glucose sensor coupled to the flexible adhesive patch of the adhesive patch arrangement by way of the sensor-affixing feature.

20. The physiological characteristic sensor assembly of claim 19, further comprising a needle hub assembly removably coupled to the glucose sensor.

11. A physiological characteristic sensor assembly comprising:

a transport pedestal having a mounting surface;

a backing liner comprising a patch-facing side and a pedestal-facing side opposite the patch-facing side, wherein at least a portion of the pedestal-facing side is attached to the mounting surface of the transport pedestal;

a flexible adhesive patch comprising an adhesive skin-facing side removably adhered to the patch-facing side of the backing liner, and comprising a component-facing side opposite the adhesive skin-facing side;

a first affixing feature located in a sensor mounting region of the component-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch, the first affixing feature comprising an adhesive sensor-receiving surface;

a physiological characteristic sensor coupled to a sensor mounting region of the component-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch, wherein the adhesive sensor-receiving surface of the first affixing feature secures the physiological characteristic sensor to the flexible adhesive patch;

a second affixing feature located in a device mounting region of the component-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch, the second affixing feature comprising an adhesive device-receiving surface to secure a device to the flexible adhesive patch, wherein the sensor mounting region and the device mounting region are distinct and separate regions;

a removable reinforcement liner adhered to, and covering, the adhesive device-receiving surface of the device-affixing feature, the removable reinforcement liner being shaped to define a cutout area that at least partially surrounds the first affixing feature, and the reinforcement liner being formed from a material that reinforces structural rigidity of the flexible adhesive patch when the reinforcement liner is adhered to the adhesive device-receiving surface; and

a removable backing liner adhered to, and covering, the adhesive skin-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch.

12. The physiological characteristic sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the second affixing feature comprises a double-sided adhesive element.

13. The physiological characteristic sensor assembly of claim 12, wherein the double-sided adhesive element comprises:

a single use adhesive layer coupled to the component-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch; and

a multiple use adhesive layer coupled to the first adhesive layer;

wherein the removable reinforcement liner is adhered to, and covers, the multiple use adhesive layer.

14. The physiological characteristic sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the backing liner includes at least one fold to facilitate peeling removal of the backing liner from the adhesive skin-facing side of the flexible adhesive patch.

15. The physiological characteristic sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the removable reinforcement liner includes a least one fold to facilitate peeling removal of the removable reinforcement liner from the adhesive device-receiving surface of the second affixing feature.

16. The physiological characteristic sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the physiological characteristic sensor comprises a glucose sensor.

17. The physiological characteristic sensor assembly of claim 16, wherein the adhesive device-receiving surface of the second affixing feature is shaped and sized to accommodate a wireless transmitter for the glucose sensor.

18. The physiological characteristic sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the removable reinforcement liner has a stiffness measurement that exceeds that of the flexible adhesive patch.