Tubular sensor for the detection of an analyte

• US 20100113907A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Fuerst, Otto, Haar, Hans-Peter, Schwind, Karin
• Granted Patent: US 11,510,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/345
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• 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 5/6848 Needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6849 in combination with a needle set

Abstract

An implantable sensor can be used for determining a concentration of at least one analyte in a medium, particularly in a body tissue and/or a body fluid. The implantable sensor can comprise a flexible, tubular sensor element. This sensor element has a tubular body on which at least two electrode rings are mounted for electrochemical determination of the concentration of the analyte.

Claims

1. An implantable sensor for determining a concentration of at least one analyte in a medium, the implantable sensor comprising a flexible, tubular sensor element, and the tubular sensor element comprising a flexible, tubular body wherein at least two electrode rings adapted for electrochemical determination of the concentration of the analyte are mounted on the tubular body.

2. The implantable sensor of claim 1 wherein electrically and/or galvanically insulated supply lines for the at least two electrode rings are embedded in the tubular body.

3. The implantable sensor of claim 2 wherein the electrode rings are electrically connected to the supply lines by electrically plated through-holes that extend at least partially through the tubular body.

4. The implantable sensor of claim 1 wherein electrical contacts for the contacting of the electrode rings are provided at an end of the sensor element directed away from the implantation end.

5. The implantable sensor of claim 1 wherein the electrode rings comprise in each case at least one electrically conductive contact ring, directed toward the tubular body, and in each case at least one function layer applied to the contact ring.

6. The implantable sensor of claim 1 wherein the electrode rings, on a side directed away from the tubular body, are at least partially surrounded by at least one membrane layer, and wherein the at least one membrane layer is at least partially permeable to the at least one analyte.

7. The implantable sensor of claim 1 wherein an end of the tubular sensor element directed toward the implantation end is closed off with an electrical insulation.

8. The implantable sensor of claim 1 further comprising an implantation needle which is mounted slidably in the tubular body in such a way that the implantation needle, after implantation of the implantable sensor in the medium, can be at least partially withdrawn from the tubular body.

9. The implantable sensor of claim 8 wherein the implantation needle is an acupuncture needle having a diameter of between 0.40 mm and 0.7 mm.

10. The implantable sensor of claim 8 wherein the implantation needle is a needle with a tip which is made at least partially of a biocompatible, enzymatically degradable material, such that the tip becomes at least partially rounded after implantation in the medium.

11. A sensor system for determining a concentration of at least one analyte in a medium, the sensor system comprising at least one of the implantable sensors of claim 1, and further comprising an actuation and evaluation unit which is connected to the electrode rings and which is configured to carry out an electrochemical measurement in order to determine the concentration of the analyte.

12. A method for producing an implantable sensor adapted for determining a concentration of at least one analyte in a medium, comprising:

producing a tubular body for a tubular sensor element; and

applying to the tubular body at least two electrode rings adapted for electrochemical determination of the concentration of the analyte.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

embedding electrically and/or galvanically insulated supply lines for the at least two electrode rings in the tubular body.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the embedding takes place in one method step with the production of the tubular body.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein a plated through-hole is produced in order to connect the electrode rings electrically to the supply lines.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the plated through-hole is produced by creating a via through at least one material layer between the electrode rings and the supply lines, and wherein the via is then at least partially filled with at least one electrically conductive material.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein, in order to produce the electrode rings, in each case at least one electrically conductive contact ring directed toward the tubular body is first created, and then in each case at least one function layer is applied to the contact ring.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the contact rings and/or the function layers are applied using in each case at least one of the following methods for structured application of a layer:

a laminating method, a spray-on method, an inkjet method, a contact printing method, an offset method, or an electrostatic printing method.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the application of the contact rings and/or of the function layers involves at least one contact ring and/or at least one function layer being applied to a flexible carrier substrate, and the flexible carrier substrate then being applied to the tubular body.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

surrounding at least partially the electrode rings, on the side directed away from the tubular body, with at least one membrane layer, wherein the at least one membrane layer is at least partially permeable to the at least one analyte.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

creating at an end of the sensor element directed away from the implantation end electrical contacts for contacting of the electrode rings.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

closing off an end of the tubular sensor element directed toward the implantation end with an electrical insulation.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

introducing an implantation needle into the tubular body.