SENSOR INSERTING DEVICE AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140187876A1
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha (Terumo Corporation)
• Inventors: OHKOSHI, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,662,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/309
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/063 Devices specially adapted for delivering implantable medical measuring apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/225 Connectors or couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14503 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence
• 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 5/6849 in combination with a needle set
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/688 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/72 Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes character recognition, recognising digital ink, document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00; recognition or understanding of postal images G06V30/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1585 Needle inserters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/158 Needles for infusions; Accessories therefor, e.g. for inserting infusion needles, or for holding them on the body

Abstract

The sensor inserting device includes a device body, a movement mechanism which inserts a detector and an insertion needle into a body of a patient by moving a sensor with the insertion needle, and a dwelling member which is arranged on a moving path of the sensor and attached to the sensor by movement of the sensor caused by the movement mechanism. The dwelling member is allowed to dwell on the skin of the patient with the sensor and the transmitter connected at a location in which the detector is inserted into the body of the patient.

Claims

1. A sensor inserting device for inserting a detector of a sensor which measures biological information of a person to be measured into a living body of the person to be measured, the sensor inserting device comprising:

a device body;

a movement mechanism in the device body configured to insert the detector and an insertion needle into the body of the person to be measured by moving the sensor together with the insertion needle which is configured to pierce the body of the person to be measured;

a signal processor attached to the device body and configured to process a signal including biological information from the sensor; and

the signal processor is connected to the sensor and allowed to dwell on skin of the person to be measured at a location of insertion in which the detector is inserted into the body of the person to be measured.

2. The sensor inserting device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is movable along a moving path, and further comprising:

a dwelling member arranged on the moving path of the sensor and attached to the sensor by a movement of the sensor caused by the movement mechanism.

3. The sensor inserting device according to claim 2, wherein

the movement mechanism movably supports the sensor and the insertion needle so as to move the sensor and the insertion needle relative to the device body,

the sensor inserting device changes from a first state in which the sensor and the insertion needle are supported at a location spaced proximally by a predetermined distance from a distal end portion of the device body at a position exterior of the body of the person, to a second state in which the detector is positioned in the body of the person to be measured by the sensor and the insertion needle, having moved in a distal end direction, is positioned distally relative to the position of the insertion needle in the second state, with the signal processor attached to the device body, and the dwelling member holding the sensor at the location of insertion,

a third state in which, after the second state, the insertion needle is separated from the sensor by the insertion needle toward a proximal end direction in which a distal end of the insertion needle is positioned proximally of signal processor, and

a fourth state in which, after the third state, the signal processor is electrically connected to the sensor located at the location of insertion.

4. The sensor inserting device according to claim 3, wherein the movement mechanism includes a movable unit which supports the sensor and the insertion needle so that the sensor and the insertion needle move together with the movable unit in the distal end direction,

an advance spring which gives thrust to, and moves, the movable unit toward the distal end direction of the device body, and

a return spring which is arranged in a location facing the advance spring with the movable unit in between the return spring and the advance spring, and moves the insertion needle toward the proximal end direction of the device body.

5. The sensor inserting device according to claim 3, wherein the movement mechanism includes a safety mechanism which retains the sensor and the insertion needle in the first state.

6. The sensor inserting device according to claim 2, wherein the dwelling member includes an engaging unit which supports the sensor at the location of insertion, a base which supports a state in which the supported sensor is connected to the signal processor, and an adhesive portion which sticks the base on to the skin of the person to be measured.

7. The sensor inserting device according to claim 6, wherein the dwelling member is positioned at a distal end portion of the device body and a signal processor displacement mechanism is positioned at the distal end portion of the device body, the signal processor displacement mechanism moving the signal processor toward the base, after inserting the detector into the body of the person to be measured, so that the signal processor is supported by the dwelling member is provided.

8. The sensor inserting device according to claim 7, further comprising a push handle configured to be displaced in two stages toward a distal end direction of the device body, wherein the push handle operates the movement mechanism during a first stage displacement to insert the detector and the insertion needle into the body of the person to be measured, and after the first stage displacement, the push handle operates the signal processor displacement mechanism by a second stage displacement to slide the signal processor.

9. The sensor inserting device according to claim 7, wherein

the engaging unit is an engaging plate positioned in an upstanding position projecting toward the sensor and engaging the sensor when the sensor moves toward the location of insertion, and

after engaging with the sensor, the engaging plate moves from the upstanding position in which the engaging plate is vertically oriented to a fall down position in which the engaging plate is oriented horizontally as the engaging plate makes contact with the signal processor by the sliding of the signal processor, thereby making electric connection between the sensor and the signal processor.

10. The sensor inserting device according to claim 9, wherein

the device body includes a guiding member which guides movement of the sensor, the guiding member supporting the engaging plate to be in the upstanding position when the sensor moves, and cancelling supporting of the engaging plate to be in the upstanding position after the sensor engages with the guiding member.

11. An operating method of a sensor inserting device comprising:

supporting both a sensor which measures biological information and an insertion needle at a location proximally spaced a predetermined distance from a distal end portion of a device body of the sensor inserting device, the sensor including a detector which detects a body fluid component of the patient used to measure the biological information, and the sensor inserting device including a signal processor which processes a signal including biological information output from the sensor, the signal processor being attached to the device body;

moving the sensor and the insertion needle, which are supported at the location proximally spaced from the distal end portion of the device body, toward a distal end direction so that the detector of the sensor and a portion of the insertion needle protrude distally beyond a distal end portion of the device body;

after the detector and the portion of the insertion needle are positioned distally beyond the distal end portion of the device body, separating the insertion needle from the sensor by moving the insertion needle relative to the sensor toward a proximal end direction; and

electrically connecting the sensor and the signal processor by operation of the device body after the insertion needle is separated from the sensor.

12. The operating method according to claim 11, wherein the moving of the sensor and the insertion needle toward the distal end direction so that the detector and the portion of the insertion needle protrude distally beyond the distal end portion of the device body is accomplished by pushing a push handle of the sensor inserting device toward the distal end direction.

13. The operating method according to claim 11, further comprising positioning a distal end of the sensor inserting device adjacent skin of a living body before moving the sensor and the insertion needle toward the distal end direction, and wherein the moving of the sensor and the insertion needle toward the distal end direction includes penetrating the skin of the body with the insertion needle at a location of insertion and thereafter inserting the detector into the skin at the location of insertion.

14. The operating method according to claim 11, further comprising adhering a distal end of the sensor inserting device to skin of a living body before moving the sensor and the insertion needle toward the distal end direction, and wherein the moving of the sensor and the insertion needle toward the distal end direction includes penetrating the skin of the body with the insertion needle at a location of insertion and thereafter inserting the detector into the skin at the location of insertion, the penetration of the skin with the insertion needle occurring while the distal end of the sensor inserting device is adhered to the skin of the living body.

15. The operating method according to claim 11, wherein the sensor is a part of a sensor unit that also includes an engagement member, the movement of the sensor toward the distal end direction including moving the sensor unit in the distal end direction, and wherein the separation of the insertion needle from the sensor includes engaging the engagement member of the sensor unit with an engaging arm of the sensor inserting device while the sensor unit is moving in the distal end direction and applying a force to the insertion needle toward the proximal end direction after the engagement member has engaged the engaging arm.

16. A sensor inserting device comprising:

a device body;

a handle mounted on the device body and movable relative to the device body;

a head movably positioned in the device body;

a sensor unit connected to the head and movable together with the head in a distal end direction of the device body, the sensor unit including a detector insertable into a living body to detect a body fluid component used to measure biological information about the living body;

an insertion needle connected to the sensor unit and movable together with the sensor unit in the distal end direction;

the handle being operatively connected to the head so that operation of the handle while a distal end of the device body faces skin of the living body moves the head, together with the sensor unit and the insertion needle, in the distal end direction to move the insertion needle beyond the distal end of the device body so that the insertion needle punctures the skin at a location of insertion and the detector enters the living body at the location of insertion;

a signal processor attached to the device body and configured to process a signal including the biological information; and

the signal processor is movable to a position in which the signal processor is electrically connected to the sensor unit and overlies the location of insertion at which the detector enters the living body.

17. The sensor inserting device according to claim 16, further comprising a dwelling member adhered to one surface of an adhesive sheet, an opposite surface of the adhesive sheet being configured to be adhered to the skin of the living body, the dwelling member including a floor on which the signal processor is positioned when the signal processor is moved to overlie the location of insertion.

18. The sensor inserting device according to claim 16, further comprising a dwelling member adhered to one surface of an adhesive sheet, an opposite surface of the adhesive sheet being configured to be adhered to the skin of the living body, one of the dwelling member and the signal processor including supporting grooves, the other of the dwelling member and the signal processor including projections which fit into the supporting grooves so that the signal processor is held in the dwelling member.

19. The sensor inserting device according to claim 16, wherein the device body includes a slidably movable slider that includes a pair of support arms, the support arms engaging the signal processor to move the signal processor to be electrically connected to the sensor unit and overlie the location of insertion.

20. The sensor inserting device according to claim 16, further comprising a dwelling member adhered to one surface of an adhesive sheet, an opposite surface of the adhesive sheet being configured to be adhered to the skin of the living body, further comprising a dwelling member adhered to one surface of an adhesive sheet, the dwelling member including an engaging arm, a part of the sensor unit being spaced from the engaging arm before the head is moved toward the distal end direction, and the part of the sensor unit directly engaging the engaging arm after the head is moved toward the distal end direction, the direct engagement between the part of the sensor unit and the engaging arm positionally fixing the sensor unit relative to the dwelling unit.