A flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor

Abstract

This invention discloses a flexible, minimally invasive blood glucose sensor. The sensor base includes a base housing with a through-hole positioning groove and mounting hole at the bottom. The electrode module includes an electrode needle, a fixing silicone pad, and a flexible electrical component. The fixing silicone pad is installed in the positioning groove. The rear section of the electrode needle is mounted on the fixing silicone pad and electrically connected to the flexible electrical component. In the circuit module, a printed circuit board is installed inside a circuit encapsulation shell, with the metal contacts of the printed circuit board exposed at the bottom of the circuit encapsulation shell. The circuit encapsulation shell is installed in the base housing, and the conductive silicone pillars in the flexible electrical component are electrically connected to the metal contacts of the printed circuit board. The tip of the electrode needle extends beyond the bottom surface of the base housing. This invention utilizes a flexible electrical component in the connection between the circuit module and the electrode module. When the outer shell is touched and slightly deviates, the electrode remains unaffected, thus solving the problem of discomfort and pain caused to the patient due to skin traction when the blood glucose sensor is attached to the body surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of detection equipment, and in particular relates to a flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor. Background Art

[0002] Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels are caused by defects in insulin secretion or its biological effects, or both. According to data released by the International Diabetes Federation, there are 114 million diabetics in China, and the number of children and adolescents suffering from diabetes is also increasing due to genetic factors and lifestyle habits.

[0003] There is no cure for diabetes yet. Blood sugar concentration is an important indicator of the condition and the only criterion for diagnosing diabetes. Effective control of blood sugar levels is the key to treating diabetes. Therefore, blood sugar monitoring is very important for diabetic patients.

[0004] Today's wearable dynamic blood glucose monitors are mainly composed of an electrode module and a circuit module, with the electrode module welded to the circuit module. When a patient wears the sensor, the circuit module is attached to the body surface, and the front end of the electrode is implanted into the surface of the human skin. However, when the circuit module touches clothing or other foreign objects, it will cause the electrode to be pulled on the skin surface, causing pain to the patient. Summary of the invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor to address the problem that the electrodes of the existing implantable blood glucose sensors pull the skin when touched.

[0006] In view of the above technical problems, the technical solutions specifically adopted by the present invention are as follows:

[0007] A flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor comprises a circuit module, a sensor base and an electrode module; the sensor base comprises a topless hollow base shell, the bottom of the base shell is provided with a through positioning groove and a mounting hole; the electrode module comprises an electrode needle, a fixed silica gel and a flexible electrical appliance; the fixed silica gel is installed in the positioning groove; the rear section of the electrode needle is installed on the fixed silica gel and electrically connected to the flexible electrical appliance, and its tip is exposed from the fixed silica gel; the flexible electrical appliance comprises a conductive silica gel column and a conductive silica gel wire, the conductive silica gel column is fixed in the mounting hole, and the electrode needle is electrically connected to the conductive silica gel column through the conductive silica gel wire; the circuit module comprises a printed circuit board and a circuit packaging shell thereof, the printed circuit board is installed in the circuit packaging shell, and the metal contacts of the printed circuit board are exposed at the bottom of the circuit packaging shell; the circuit packaging shell is installed in the base shell, and the conductive silica gel column is electrically connected to the metal contacts of the printed circuit board, and the tip of the electrode needle extends out of the bottom surface of the base shell.

[0008] Preferably, the mounting holes, electrode needles and flexible electrical appliances are provided in two groups, two electrode needles are installed side by side on the fixed silicone, a conductive silicone column is installed in each of the two mounting holes, and the two electrode needles are respectively connected to a conductive silicone column through a conductive silicone wire, forming two independent signal conduction paths.

[0009] Furthermore, the two groups of mounting holes are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the positioning groove.

[0010] Preferably, a medical waterproof double-sided adhesive layer is affixed to the bottom surface of the base shell, and a through hole for the electrode needle to pass through is provided on the medical waterproof double-sided adhesive layer.

[0011] Preferably, the circuit packaging shell comprises an upper shell and a lower shell, which are fixed in a snap-fitting manner; the lower shell is provided with a through hole for exposing the metal contacts of the printed circuit board.

[0012] Preferably, the circuit packaging shell and the base shell are detachably fastened together.

[0013] Preferably, the cross-sections of the positioning groove and the fixing silicone are both square, and the cross-section of the fixing silicone is smaller than that of the positioning groove.

[0014] Preferably, when the circuit packaging shell and the base shell are in an assembled state, the top support of the fixed silica gel is supported against the bottom surface of the circuit packaging shell.

[0015] Preferably, the conductive silicone wire is an elastic corrugated wire.

[0016] Preferably, the printed circuit board has a constant potential circuit, a Bluetooth antenna, metal contacts, a microprocessor and peripheral circuits and a lithium battery.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effect of the present invention is that, through the flexible connection between the electrode module and the circuit module, the electrode module has a certain degree of adaptability to the movement of the sensor body while maintaining a smooth electrical connection in the signal transmission path. Even if the sensor body is slightly displaced by clothing or other external objects, it can be offset by the elasticity of the flexible electrical appliance itself, thereby reducing the impact of the touch on the electrode and avoiding discomfort and pain. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the explosion structure of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the electrode module and the sensor base of the present invention.

[0021] The reference numerals in the figure are: circuit module 1, sensor base 2, electrode module 3, upper shell 1-1, printed circuit board 1-2, lower shell 1-3, through hole 1-3-1, base shell 2-1, double-sided adhesive layer 2-2, square groove 2-1-1, mounting hole 2-1-2, electrode needle 3-1, fixing silicone 3-2, high conductive silicone wire 3-3, high conductive silicone column 3-4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention is further described and illustrated below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The technical features of each embodiment of the present invention can be combined accordingly without conflicting with each other.

[0023] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor is provided, which mainly includes a circuit module 1 and a sensor base 2, and an electrode module 3 located in the sensor base 2. The specific structure of each part is described in detail below.

[0024] Among them, the sensor base 2 is the mounting frame of the entire sensor, and its main body is a topless hollow base shell 2-1, and the side walls of the base shell 2-1 are designed in the form of a plurality of claws. The bottom of the base shell 2-1 is provided with a positioning groove 2-1-1 and a mounting hole 2-1-2, and the positioning groove 2-1-1 needs to pass through the bottom plate of the base shell 2-1. The specific number of positioning grooves 2-1-1 and mounting holes 2-1-2 depends on the number of electrodes actually installed. In the present invention, it is a dual-electrode sensor, so the bottom of the base shell 2-1 is provided with a positioning groove 2-1-1 and two mounting holes 2-1-2.

[0025] The electrode module 3 includes an electrode needle 3-1, a fixed silicone 3-2 and a flexible electrical appliance, and its function is to obtain the blood sugar concentration electrical signal of the target object. Among them, the fixed silicone 3-2 is installed in the positioning groove 2-1-1, and its function is to flexibly fix the electrode needle 3-1. The electrode needle 3-1 is divided into a tip at one end and a rear end at the other end, wherein the rear end is installed on the fixed silicone 3-2 and electrically connected to the flexible electrical appliance, and its tip is exposed from the fixed silicone 3-2. Since there are two groups of electrode needles 3-1, two electrode needles 3-1 are fixed on the same fixed silicone 3-2. The rear end of each electrode needle 3-1 is connected to a group of flexible electrical appliances, and each group of flexible electrical appliances includes a conductive silicone column 3-4 and a conductive silicone wire 3-3. The conductive silicone column 3-4 is fixed in the mounting hole 2-1-2, and the electrode needle 3-1 is electrically connected to the conductive silicone column 3-4 through the conductive silicone wire 3-3. Therefore, the two electrode needles 3-1 are each connected to a conductive silicone column 3-4 through a conductive silicone wire 3-3, forming two independent signal conduction paths. In order to maintain symmetrical balance, the two groups of mounting holes 2-1-2 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the positioning groove 2-1-1.

[0026] In this sensor, since the tip of the electrode needle 3-1 needs to be inserted into the surface of the skin, the positioning groove 2-1-1 and the fixed silicone 3-2 should be able to maintain an embedded state as a whole, and the cross-sectional shapes of the two should be able to roughly match. In this embodiment, the cross-sections of the positioning groove 2-1-1 and the fixed silicone 3-2 are both square, and the cross-sectional size of the fixed silicone 3-2 is slightly smaller than the cross-sectional size of the positioning groove 2-1-1, so as to facilitate smooth embedding. Since the silicone itself has a certain elasticity, when the base shell 2-1 undergoes a slight displacement, the elasticity of the fixed silicone 3-2 itself can prevent the electrode needle 3-1 from being synchronously driven. In addition, since the electrical signal of the electrode needle 3-1 needs to be transmitted to the detection circuit through the signal conduction path, it is necessary to ensure that the flexible electrical appliances constituting the signal conduction path can also have corresponding elasticity. Therefore, the conductive silicone column 3-4 and the conductive silicone wire 3-3 in the flexible electrical appliance are also made of highly conductive silicone. When the base housing 2-1 is slightly displaced, the conductive silicone column 3-4 is fixed by the mounting hole 2-1-2 and can always maintain contact with the contact point of the circuit board, while the conductive silicone wire 3-3 relies on the elastic deformation of its silicone to provide a certain displacement adaptability while ensuring smooth electrical connection. Therefore, the conductive silicone wire 3-3 in the present invention is preferably a corrugated wire, and its corrugated form can provide greater elasticity.

[0027] The circuit module 1 includes a printed circuit board 1-2 and a circuit packaging shell thereof. The printed circuit board 1-2 is installed in the circuit packaging shell, and acts on the blood glucose concentration electrical signal collected by the receiving electrode needle 3-1, and processes the signal accordingly. The specific form and circuit structure of the printed circuit board 1-2 can be designed according to the required functions, or existing commercially available products can be used, which is not the key to the present invention. Generally speaking, a constant potential circuit, a Bluetooth antenna, metal contacts, a microprocessor and peripheral circuits and a lithium battery need to be set on the printed circuit board 1-2. The electrical signal collected by the electrode needle 3-1 needs to be transmitted to the microprocessor of the printed circuit board 1-2 through the metal contacts, and then wirelessly transmitted to the corresponding host computer through the Bluetooth antenna.

[0028] Therefore, in order to ensure the transmission of electrical signals, the metal contacts of the printed circuit board 1-2 need to be exposed at the bottom of the circuit packaging shell so as to contact the conductive silicone column 3-4. The function of the circuit packaging shell is to modularly package the printed circuit board 1-2, which can be installed as a whole in the base shell 2-1. In this embodiment, the circuit packaging shell is composed of a split upper shell 1-1 and a lower shell 1-3, which are fixed in a snap-fit ​​manner to form a complete shell. The lower shell 1-3 is provided with a through hole 1-3-1 for exposing the metal contacts of the printed circuit board 1-2. The circuit packaging shell is snapped into the claws of the base shell 2-1 in an overall snap-fit ​​form to form a detachable fixation. When the circuit packaging shell and the base shell 2-1 are assembled, the two conductive silicone columns 3-4 are respectively electrically connected to the corresponding metal contacts on the printed circuit board 1-2, and the electrical signals collected by the two electrode needles 3-1 are respectively input into the printed circuit board 1-2. Moreover, in order to facilitate the insertion of the tip of the electrode needle 3-1 into the surface of the skin, the circuit packaging shell and the base shell 2-1 are in the assembled state, and the top of the fixed silicone 3-2 is supported on the bottom surface of the circuit packaging shell, and the tip of the electrode needle 3-1 extends out of the bottom surface of the base shell 2-1. The specific extension length needs to be optimized according to actual conditions.

[0029] In addition, the bottom surface of the base shell 2-1 can be further affixed with a medical waterproof double-sided adhesive layer 2-2, and the medical waterproof double-sided adhesive layer 2-2 is provided with a through hole for the electrode needle 3-1 to pass through. When in use, the entire bottom surface of the sensor can be directly attached to the skin, so that the medical waterproof double-sided adhesive layer 2-2 is attached to the skin surface to achieve fixation, and at this time, the tip of the electrode needle 3-1 can pierce the surface of the patient's human skin, contact with the blood, and then sense the blood sugar concentration. When the detection is completed, the circuit module 1 and the electrode module 3 can be removed from the sensor base 2, and then a new electrode module 3 can be replaced, and the circuit module 1 can be reused.

[0030] In the present invention, the specific type and number of electrode needles 3-1 can be selected according to the corresponding blood sugar detection requirements, and the electrical signal sensed by them can reflect the blood sugar concentration. In this embodiment, one of the two electrode needles 3-1 is preferably a working electrode and the other is an auxiliary electrode.

[0031] In summary, the present invention utilizes a flexible electrical appliance connected between the circuit module and the electrode module to ensure that the electrodes are not affected when the outer shell is touched and slightly deflected, thereby solving the following problem: when the blood glucose sensor is attached to the body surface, the skin is pulled due to touch, causing discomfort and pain to the patient.

[0032] The above-described embodiment is only a preferred solution of the present invention, but it is not intended to limit the present invention. A person skilled in the relevant technical field may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any technical solution obtained by equivalent replacement or equivalent transformation falls within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor, characterized in that: It comprises a circuit module (1), a sensor base (2) and an electrode module (3); The sensor base (2) comprises a topless hollow base shell (2-1), and a through positioning groove (2-1-1) and a mounting hole (2-1-2) are provided at the bottom of the base shell (2-1); The electrode module (3) comprises an electrode needle (3-1), a fixed silicone (3-2) and a flexible electrical appliance; the fixed silicone (3-2) is installed in a positioning groove (2-1-1); the rear section of the electrode needle (3-1) is installed on the fixed silicone (3-2) and is electrically connected to the flexible electrical appliance, and the tip of the electrode needle (3-1) is exposed from the fixed silicone (3-2); the flexible electrical appliance comprises a conductive silicone column (3-4) and a conductive silicone wire (3-3); the conductive silicone column (3-4) is fixed in the mounting hole (2-1-2), and the electrode needle (3-1) is electrically connected to the conductive silicone column (3-4) through the conductive silicone wire (3-3); The circuit module (1) comprises a printed circuit board (1-2) and a circuit packaging shell thereof, wherein the printed circuit board (1-2) is installed in the circuit packaging shell, and the metal contacts of the printed circuit board (1-2) are exposed at the bottom of the circuit packaging shell; the circuit packaging shell is installed in a base shell (2-1), and the conductive silicone column (3-4) is electrically connected to the metal contacts of the printed circuit board (1-2), and the tip of the electrode needle (3-1) extends out of the bottom surface of the base shell (2-1).

2. The flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting holes (2-1-2), electrode needles (3-1) and flexible electrical appliances are each provided with two groups, the two electrode needles (3-1) are installed side by side on the fixed silicone (3-2), a conductive silicone column (3-4) is installed in each of the two mounting holes (2-1-2), and the two electrode needles (3-1) are each connected to a conductive silicone column (3-4) via a conductive silicone wire (3-3), thereby forming two independent signal conduction paths.

3. The flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The two groups of mounting holes (2-1-2) are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the positioning groove (2-1-1).

4. The flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the base shell (2-1) is affixed with a medical waterproof double-sided adhesive layer (2-2), and the medical waterproof double-sided adhesive layer (2-2) is provided with a through hole for the electrode needle (3-1) to pass through.

5. The flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circuit packaging shell comprises an upper shell (1-1) and a lower shell (1-3), which are fixed in a snap-fitting manner; the lower shell (1-3) is provided with a through hole (1-3-1) for exposing the metal contacts of the printed circuit board (1-2).

6. The flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circuit packaging shell and the base shell (2-1) are detachably fastened together.

7. The flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross sections of the positioning groove (2-1-1) and the fixing silica gel (3-2) are both square, and the cross section size of the fixing silica gel (3-2) is smaller than the cross section of the positioning groove (2-1-1).

8. The flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the circuit packaging shell and the base shell (2-1) are in an assembled state, the top of the fixed silica gel (3-2) is supported against the bottom surface of the circuit packaging shell.

9. The flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive silicone wire (3-3) is an elastic corrugated wire.

10. The flexible minimally invasive blood glucose sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The printed circuit board (1-2) is provided with a constant potential circuit, a Bluetooth antenna, metal contacts, a microprocessor and peripheral circuits and a lithium battery.

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