Manufacturing electrochemical sensor module

• US 8,951,377 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pepex Biomedical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pepex Biomedical, Inc.
• Inventors: Say, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): BELL, WILLIAM P
• Application Number:
  US13/476,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20120291254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 156/176, 156/177, 156/178, 156/179, 156/244.19, 156/269, 156/303.1, 156/552, 156/166, 156/204, 156/226, 156/227, 156/245, 156/250, 264/251, 264/254, 264/255, 264/297.2
• US Class Current: 156/250
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1411 by percutaneous method, e.g. by lancet
• 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 5/1477 non-invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1486 using enzyme electrodes, e.g. with immobilised oxidase
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150061 Means for enhancing collection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150213 Venting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150297 for piercing devices, i.e. devices ready to be used for lancing or piercing for piercing elements A61B5/150282, for driving devices A61B5/15029
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150412 Pointed piercing elements, e.g. needles, lancets for piercing the skin blade-like piercing elements A61B5/150442
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150519 Details of construction of hub, i.e. element used to attach the single-ended needle to a piercing device or sampling device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150633 Protective sleeves which are axially extensible, e.g. sleeves connected to, or integrated in, the piercing or driving device; pivotable protective sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150755 Blood sample preparation for further analysis, e.g. by separating blood components or by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15142 Devices intended for single use, i.e. disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/0067 interposing an insert between the parts to be assembled
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14368 holes with means for anchoring the injected material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0062 Joined by injection moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14336 Coating a portion of the article, e.g. the edge of the article B29C45/14573 and B29C45/14598 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/753 : Medical equipment; Accessories therefor bloodbags, medical bags B29L2031/7148; artificial eyes B29L2011/0008
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 : with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49817 : with other than ancillary treating or assembling

Abstract

Certain processes for manufacturing an electrochemical sensor module include assembly first and second housing portions of sensor modules; dispensing a sensor fiber across multiple first housing portions; joining the first and second housing portions; and separating the sensor modules by cutting the sensor fiber.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing sensor modules, each sensor module having a first housing portion and a second housing portion, the method comprising:

providing a continuous length of at least a first composite sensor fiber;

disposing the first composite sensor fiber across a plurality of first housing portions so that the first housing portions are spaced from each other along the first composite sensor fiber;

coupling a plurality of second housing portions to the first housing portions to form a plurality of sensors modules that are spaced from each other along the first composite sensor fiber, the sensor modules of the plurality being joined together along the continuous length of the first composite sensor fiber; and

separating the sensor modules of the plurality by cutting the first composite sensor fiber into segments without cutting the first and second housing portions.

2. The method claim 1, wherein the segments of the first composite sensor fiber form working electrodes.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a continuous length of a second composite sensor fiber; and

disposing the second composite sensor fiber across the plurality of first housing portions adjacent to the first composite sensor fiber;

wherein separating the sensor modules of the plurality also includes cutting the second composite sensor fiber into segments.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the segments of the first composite sensor fiber form working electrodes and the segments of the second composite sensor fiber form counter electrodes.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising assembling the first housing portions including disposing a skin-piercing member at each first housing portion.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the skin-piercing members are positioned at the first housing portions before the second housing portions are coupled to the first housing portions.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein disposing the first composite sensor fiber across the plurality of first housing portions comprises disposing the first composite sensor fiber parallel to a movement axis of the skin-piercing members.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein disposing the first composite sensor fiber across the plurality of first housing portions comprises disposing the first composite sensor fiber perpendicular to a movement axis of the skin-piercing members.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein disposing the first composite sensor fiber across the plurality of first housing portions comprises disposing the first composite sensor fiber across a length of each first housing portion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein disposing the first composite sensor fiber across the plurality of first housing portions comprises disposing the first composite sensor fiber across a width of each first housing portion.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein disposing the first composite sensor fiber across the plurality of first housing portions comprises disposing the first composite sensor fiber across a portion of each first housing portion.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the portion is an analysis cell housing portion.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising assembling the first housing portions including disposing electrode contacts at each first housing portion, the electrode contacts having contact pads.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein one of the first composite sensor fiber and the electrode contacts is disposed at a location offset from another of the first composite sensor fiber and the electrode contacts.