Sensor head for use with implantable devices

• US 9,804,114 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2016
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DexCom Incorporated
• Original Assignee: DexCom Incorporated
• Inventors: Rhodes, Rathbun K., Tapsak, Mark A., Brauker, James H., Shults, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): JANG, CHRISTIAN YONGKYUN
• Application Number:
  US15/059,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20160178558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• 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: C12Q 1/002 Electrode membranes
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/006 for glucose
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3272 Test elements therefor, i.e. disposable laminated substrates with electrodes, reagent and channels optical biosensors G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48707 by electrical means G01N33/49, G01N33/493 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48785 Electrical and electronic details of measuring devices for physical analysis of liquid biological material not specific to a particular test method, e.g. user interface or power supply

Abstract

The present invention provides a sensor head for use in an implantable device that measures the concentration of an analyte in a biological fluid which includes: a non-conductive body; a working electrode, a reference electrode and a counter electrode, wherein the electrodes pass through the non-conductive body forming an electrochemically reactive surface at one location on the body and forming an electronic connection at another location on the body, further wherein the electrochemically reactive surface of the counter electrode is greater than the surface area of the working electrode; and a multi-region membrane affixed to the nonconductive body and covering the working electrode, reference electrode and counter electrode. In addition, the present invention provides an implantable device including at least one of the sensor heads of the invention and methods of monitoring glucose levels in a host utilizing the implantable device of the invention.

Claims

1. A sensor for use in a glucose measuring device, the sensor comprising:

a plurality of electrodes, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode comprises an electrochemically reactive surface;

a non-conductive body located between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a multi-region membrane covering the plurality of electrodes, wherein the multi-region membrane comprises an immobilized enzyme domain comprising an enzyme in at least a portion thereof, wherein the immobilized enzyme domain covers and contacts the first electrode among the plurality of electrodes and does not cover and contact any other electrode of the plurality of electrodes.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the multi-region membrane further comprises a resistance domain.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the multi-region membrane comprises a silicone-containing copolymer.

4. The sensor of claim 3, wherein the multi-region membrane further comprises an acrylate polymer.