Remotely powered, multisite sensing system with a shared, two-wire bus for power and communication

• US 10,713,208 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2019
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Senseonics, Incorporated (Senseonics Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Senseonics, Incorporated (Senseonics Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: DeHennis, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): White, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US16/431,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20190294580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/50 Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms, compositions or test papers therefor; processes for forming such compositions, condition responsive control in microbiological or enzymological processes C12Q
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/287 Multiplexed DMA G06F13/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/404 with address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A multisite sensing system including two or more analyte sensors, an interface device, and a shared bus. The interface device may be configured to receive a power signal and generate power for powering the analyte sensors and to convey data signals generated by the analyte sensors. The shared bus connected to the interface device and each of the analyte sensors and configured to provide the power generated by the interface device to the analyte sensors and to provide the data signals generated by the analyte sensors to the interface device. The interface device may be an inductive element. The shared bus may be a two wire, multiplexed bus. The analyte sensors may be spatially separated for analyte sensing at least two different locations. The analyte sensors may generate data signals indicative of the presence and/or amount of the same analyte or of one or more different analytes.

Claims

1. A sensing system comprising:

a first sensor configured to generate a first data signal;

a second sensor configured to generate a second data signal, wherein the first and second sensor are spatially separated;

an interface device configured to convey the first and second data signals to a transceiver external to the sensing system; and

a shared bus (a) connected to the interface device, the first sensor, and the second sensor and (b) configured to provide the first and second data signals from the first and second sensors to the interface device.

2. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the shared bus is a multiplexed bus.

3. The sensing system of claim 1, further comprising a third sensor configured to generate a third data signal, wherein the first, second, and third sensors are spatially separated.

4. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the interface device is an inductive element.

5. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a light source and a light detector.

6. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein first sensor comprises a substrate and one or more circuit components fabricated in or mounted on the substrate.

7. The sensing system of claim 1, further comprising a housing containing the first and second sensors, shared bus, and interface device.

8. The sensing system of claim 7, wherein the first sensor comprises a first analyte indicator embedded within and/or covering at least a first portion of the housing, the second sensor comprises a second analyte indicator embedded within and/or covering at least a second portion of the housing, and the first and second portions of the housing are separate portions of the housing.

9. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the shared bus consists of two wires each connected to the interface device, the first sensor, and the second sensor.

10. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a first analog-to-digital converter, and the second sensor comprises a second analog-to-digital converter.

11. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the shared bus comprises two wires each connected to the interface device, the first sensor, and the second sensor.

12. A method comprising:

using a first sensor of a sensing system to generate a first data signal;

using a second sensor of the sensing system to generate a second data signal, wherein the second sensor and the first sensor are spatially separated;

using a shared bus of the sensing system to provide the first and second data signals from the first and second sensors to an interface device of the sensing system, wherein the shared bus is connected to the interface device, the first sensor, and the second sensor; and

using the interface device to convey the first and second data signals to a transceiver external to the sensing system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising using a third sensor of the sensing system to generate a third data signal, wherein the first, second, and third sensors are spatially separated.

14. A method comprising:

using two wires of a shared bus of a sensing system to provide data signals generated by two or more analyte sensors of the sensing system to an interface device of the sensing system, wherein the shared bus is connected to the interface device and each of the two or more analyte sensors; and

using an interface device to convey data signals generated by the two or more analyte sensors.

15. A method comprising:

using an interface device of a sensing system to receive a command from a transceiver external to the sensing system, wherein the command includes an address;

using a shared bus of the sensing system to provide the command received by the interface device to first and second sensors of the sensing system, wherein the shared bus is connected to the interface device, the first sensor, and the second sensor;

using the first sensor of the sensing system to extract the address from the command, determine that the extracted address matches a first address, and generate a response to the command;

using the second sensor of the sensing system to extract the address from the command, determine that the extracted address does not match a second address, and not provide a response to the command, wherein the first address is different than the second address;

using the shared bus to provide the response generated by the first sensor to the interface device; and

using the interface device to convey the response generated by the first sensor to the transceiver.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

using the interface device to receive another command from the transceiver external to the sensing system, wherein the command includes another address;

using the shared bus to provide the other command received by the interface device to the first and second sensors;

using the first sensor to extract the other address from the other command, determine that the extracted other address does not match the first address, and not provide a response to the other command;

using the second sensor to extract the other address from the other command, determine that the extracted other address matches the second address, and generate a response to the other command;

using the shared bus to provide the response generated by the second sensor to the interface device; and

using the interface device to convey the response generated by the second sensor to the transceiver.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

using the interface device to receive power from the transceiver and generate a current; and

using the shared bus to provide the current generated by the interface device to the first and second sensors;

wherein the first analyte sensor and the second analyte sensor extract the address from modulations in the current generated by the interface device, and the first and second sensors are powered by the current generated by the interface device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the shared bus consists of two wires each connected to the interface device, the first sensor, and the second sensor.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the shared bus comprises two wires each connected to the interface device, the first sensor, and the second sensor.