USE OF A SENSOR WITH MULTIPLE EXTERNAL SENSOR TRANSCEIVER DEVICES

• US 20150099956A1
• Filed: 10/09/2014
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Senseonics, Incorporated (Senseonics Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Senseonics, Incorporated (Senseonics Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Emken, Jeremy, Huffstetler, Philip, Whitehurst, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 9,901,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/365
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/085 combined with means for recording calibration data
• 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 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods, sensors, and systems that prevent or reduce data loss when more than one external sensor transceiver is used with a sensor. A sensor may receive a transceiver identification (ID) of an external transceiver conveyed from the external transceiver and determine whether the received transceiver ID is a new transceiver ID. If sensor determines the received transceiver ID to be a new transceiver ID, the sensor may store the received transceiver ID in a nonvolatile storage medium of the sensor and convey, using the sensor, measurement information stored in the nonvolatile storage medium to the external transceiver.

Claims

1. A method of using a first node in a system having two or more nodes, the method comprising:

receiving, by the first node, a unique identification code from a second node in the system; and

determining, by the first node, whether the second node is a new node that has not previously communicated with the first node based on the received unique identification code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node is a sensor in a living animal, and the second node is a transceiver external to the living animal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node is a smartphone, and the second node is a transceiver.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transceiver is external to a living animal and in communication with a sensor in the living animal and the smartphone.

5. A method of using a sensor in a living animal, the method comprising:

receiving, using the sensor, a transceiver identification (ID);

determining, using the sensor, whether the received transceiver ID is a new transceiver ID;

if the received transceiver ID is determined to be a new transceiver ID, storing, using the sensor, the received transceiver ID in a nonvolatile storage medium of the sensor; and

if the received transceiver ID is determined to be a new transceiver ID, conveying, using the sensor, measurement information stored in the nonvolatile storage medium to the external transceiver.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether the received transceiver ID is a new transceiver ID comprises determining whether the received transceiver ID matches a transceiver ID previously stored to the nonvolatile storage medium of the sensor.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the sensor conveys the measurement information stored in the nonvolatile storage medium to the external transceiver only if the received transceiver ID is determined to be a new transceiver ID.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the nonvolatile storage medium of the sensor is fabricated in a semiconductor substrate of the sensor.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein a date of sensor implant is stored within the nonvolatile storage medium.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, using the sensor, a measurement command conveyed from the external transceiver;

executing, using the sensor, the measurement command, wherein the execution of the measurement command comprises;

generating, using the sensor, measurement information indicative of the concentration of an analyte in a medium within the living animal;

conveying, using the sensor, the generated measurement information; and

storing, using the sensor, the generated measurement information in the nonvolatile storage medium.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein conveying the generated measurement information comprises modulating an electrodynamic field.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the analyte is glucose.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein conveying the measurement information stored in the nonvolatile storage medium to the external transceiver comprises modulating an electrodynamic field.

14. A sensor comprising:

an inductive element;

circuitry including a non-volatile storage medium, wherein the circuitry is configured to;

receive a transceiver identification (ID) of an external transceiver conveyed from the external transceiver;

determine whether the received transceiver ID is a new transceiver ID;

if the received transceiver ID is determined to be a new transceiver ID, store the received transceiver ID in the nonvolatile storage medium; and

if the received transceiver ID is determined to be a new transceiver ID, convey, using the inductive element, measurement information stored in the nonvolatile storage medium to the external transceiver.

15. The sensor of claim 14, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine whether the received transceiver ID is a new transceiver ID by determining whether the received transceiver ID matches a transceiver ID previously stored to the nonvolatile storage medium.

16. The sensor of claim 14, wherein the circuitry is configured to convey the measurement information stored in the nonvolatile storage medium to the external transceiver only if circuitry determines the received transceiver ID is a new transceiver ID.

17. The sensor of claim 14, further comprising a semiconductor substrate, wherein the nonvolatile storage medium is fabricated in the semiconductor substrate.

18. The sensor of claim 14, wherein a date of sensor implant is stored within the nonvolatile storage medium.

19. The sensor of claim 14, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

receive a measurement command conveyed from the external transceiver;

execute the measurement command, wherein the execution of the measurement command comprises;

generating measurement information indicative of the concentration of an analyte in a medium within the living animal;

conveying, using the inductive element, the generated measurement information; and

storing the generated measurement information in the nonvolatile storage medium.

20. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the circuitry is configured to use the inductive element to convey the generated measurement information by modulating an electrodynamic field.

21. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the analyte is glucose.

22. The sensor of claim 20, wherein the circuitry is configured to use the inductive element to convey the measurement information stored in the nonvolatile storage medium to the external transceiver by modulating an electrodynamic field.

23. System comprising:

a first node configured to convey a first unique identification (ID);

a second node configured to convey a second unique ID;

a third node including circuitry, wherein the circuitry includes a non-volatile storage medium and is configured to;

receive the first unique ID conveyed from the first node;

store the received first unique ID in the nonvolatile storage medium;

receive the second unique ID conveyed from the second node;

determine that the received second unique ID is a new unique ID by comparing the received second unique ID to the stored first unique ID;

store the received second unique ID in the nonvolatile storage medium; and

convey information stored in the nonvolatile storage medium to the second node.

24. System comprising:

a first external sensor transceiver including a first external inductive element and configured to convey a first transceiver identification (ID) using the first external inductive element;

a second external sensor transceiver including a second external inductive element and configured to convey a second transceiver ID using the second external inductive element;

a sensor including an inductive element and circuitry, wherein the circuitry includes a non-volatile storage medium and is configured to;

receive the first transceiver ID conveyed from the first external transceiver;

store the received first transceiver ID in the nonvolatile storage medium;

receive the second transceiver ID conveyed from the second external transceiver;

determine that the received second transceiver ID is a new transceiver ID by comparing the received second transceiver ID to the stored first transceiver ID;

store the received second transceiver ID in the nonvolatile storage medium; and

convey, using the inductive element of the sensor, measurement information stored in the nonvolatile storage medium to the second external transceiver.