Battery antenna arrangement for body-worn medical devices

Abstract

In a body-worn medical device, such as a drug delivery device, one or more button-type batteries can be used to function as an antenna for wireless communication. Since one or more batteries are already present in the body-worn medical device, there is no need to provide additional space for the antenna on the printed circuit board. In some exemplary embodiments, a single button-type battery is used as the antenna, and in other embodiments, multiple button-type batteries are used as the antenna. For example, a single button-type battery can be used as part of a monopole antenna. Multiple button-type batteries can also be used as part of a dipole antenna.

Description

Background Art

[0001] (Cross-reference to related applications) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 2020 / 63127323, filed on December 18, 2020. The entire disclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Some conventional body-worn medical devices have a wireless communication function. For example, certain glucose monitors have a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication function. To provide such a wireless communication function, these body-worn medical devices include an antenna. A typical method for such conventional body-worn medical devices is to provide an antenna on a printed circuit board within the housing of the body-worn medical device. For example, a strip antenna may be formed on the printed circuit board, or an antenna may be surface-mounted on the printed circuit board.

[0003] These conventional methods of mounting antennas on printed circuit boards (PCBs) have several drawbacks. Firstly, the antenna may occupy a large amount of space on the PCB. Given that PCBs for such medical devices are usually small and space on the PCB is a valuable resource, using space for an antenna is a waste of that valuable resource. In some cases, it may even be necessary to increase the size of the PCB to accommodate the antenna. Secondly, such strip antennas and surface-mount antennas mounted on PCBs are known to be inefficient when the PCB is mounted very close to the user's body. This inefficiency may result in intermittent loss of communication capabilities and an unsatisfactory user experience. Thirdly, since the antenna is either formed directly on the PCB or surface-mounted on the PCB, other components on the PCB must be positioned so as not to obstruct or interfere with the antenna's communication transmission and reception. [Overview of the project]

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a drug delivery device includes one or more button-type batteries for powering at least a portion of the drug delivery device. Each of the one or more button-type batteries is cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis. The drug delivery device also includes a wireless communication transceiver for transmitting and receiving wireless communication. In addition, the drug delivery device includes an electrical connection between the wireless communication transceiver and the one or more button-type batteries, the connection for the one or more button-type batteries to function as antennas for transmitting wireless communication from the wireless communication transceiver and receiving wireless communication directed to the wireless communication transceiver. The drug delivery device also includes a housing configured to be fixed to the user's body, the housing including such that the longitudinal axes of the one or more button-type batteries are substantially perpendicular to the surface of the user's body to which the housing is fixed.

[0005] In some embodiments, the button cell battery may be single, and in other embodiments, the button cell battery may be multiple. The drug delivery device may be configured to emit surface waves from one or more button cell batteries for propagation along the user's body surface. The drug delivery device may include a printed circuit board on which one or more button cell batteries are arranged and on which a ground plane is formed. The wireless communication transceiver may be, for example, a Bluetooth® transceiver, a Bluetooth® Low Energy transceiver, a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver, or a WiFi transceiver. The drug delivery device may further include at least one battery holder for holding the one or more button cell batteries. The electrical connection between the wireless communication transceiver and the one or more button cell batteries may be connected by at least one battery holder that is electrically in contact with the one or more button cell batteries.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a drug pump includes one or more button-type batteries for powering at least a portion of the drug pump. The drug pump may be used to deliver insulin, or glucagon, or other types of drugs into a user's body. Each of the one or more button-type batteries is cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis. The insulin pump also includes a wireless communication transceiver for sending and receiving wireless communication. The insulin pump further includes an electrical connection between the wireless communication transceiver and the one or more button-type batteries, the connection such that the one or more button-type batteries function as antennas for transmitting wireless communication from the wireless communication transceiver and receiving wireless communication directed to the wireless communication transceiver. The drug pump further includes a housing configured to be fixed to the user's body, the housing such that the longitudinal axes of the one or more button-type batteries are substantially perpendicular to the surface of the user's body to which the housing is fixed.

[0007] According to some embodiments, the button cell battery may be single, and according to other embodiments, the button cell battery may be multiple. The drug pump may be configured to emit surface waves from one or more button cell batteries for travel along the user's body surface. The drug pump may include a printed circuit board on which one or more button cell batteries are arranged and on which a ground plane is formed. The transceiver may be a Bluetooth® transceiver, a Bluetooth® Low Energy transceiver, a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver, or a WiFi transceiver. The insulin pump may further include at least one battery holder for holding the one or more button cell batteries. The electrical connection between the wireless communication transceiver and one or more button cell batteries may be connected by at least one battery holder that is electrically in contact with one or more button cell batteries.

[0008] The method is carried out according to another aspect of the present invention. In this method, at least one button-type battery is placed on a printed circuit board of a drug delivery device. The at least one button-type battery is electrically connected to the printed circuit board to supply power to the drug delivery device. A wireless communication transceiver is electrically and mechanically connected to the printed circuit board. A power supply path is connected between the at least one button-type battery and the wireless communication transceiver, and an antenna is formed therein for transmitting wireless communication from and to the wireless communication transceiver.

[0009] The method may further include electrically and mechanically connecting at least one battery holder for at least one button cell battery to a printed circuit board. At least one button cell battery may be held by at least one battery holder so as to be electrically connected to at least one battery holder, in which case it is preferable to connect the power supply to at least one battery holder in order to electrically connect the power supply to at least one button cell battery. The wireless communication transceiver may be a Bluetooth® transceiver, a Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) transceiver, a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver, or a WiFi transceiver. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1A] Figure 1A shows a block diagram of a drug delivery device and user according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 1B] Figure 1B shows a more detailed block diagram of the printed circuit board shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 1C] Figure 1C shows a partially exploded side view of a drug delivery device according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a side view of the layers of a printed circuit board relating to an exemplary embodiment of a drug delivery device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an exemplary embodiment in which a single button-type battery is used as an antenna for a drug delivery device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a gain plot for a monopole antenna using a single button battery in an exemplary embodiment of a drug delivery device. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of an example of steps that may be performed to form an antenna in an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 6]Figure 6 shows a block diagram of an example drug delivery system that includes an insulin pump as a drug delivery device, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of a drug delivery system according to an exemplary embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment, one or more batteries in a wearable medical device can be used to function as an antenna for wireless communication. Since one or more batteries are already present on the printed circuit board of the wearable medical device for power supply, there is no need to provide additional space on the printed circuit board for the antenna. Using batteries to form an antenna can also allow for a smaller printed circuit board for the wearable medical device, and therefore, a smaller wearable medical device. In some exemplary embodiments, a single button battery is used as the antenna, and in other embodiments, multiple button batteries are used as the antenna. For example, a single button battery can be used as part of a monopole antenna. Multiple button batteries can also be used as part of a dipole antenna. When a single button battery is used as part of a monopole antenna, it is possible to use one of the single or multiple button batteries to power the medical device while simultaneously using one of them as a monopole antenna. According to alternative embodiments, the battery does not have to be a button battery, and other types of batteries can be used. More generally, flat batteries with a thin structure such as a disk or coin may be preferred.

[0012] In addition, the antennas of the exemplary embodiments described above can be configured to avoid the inefficiencies of conventional surface-mount antennas mounted on printed circuit boards or trace antennas formed on printed circuit boards. Part of this inefficiency may be due to conventional trace antennas or surface-mount antennas being oriented parallel to the user's body. As a result, much of the transmitted energy from such conventional antennas may be absorbed by the user's body. The human body is a lossy medium in terms of electromagnetic waves, and the losses resulting from absorption by the body can significantly affect the performance of the antenna. The antennas of the exemplary embodiments described above can be configured to be oriented substantially perpendicular to the surface of the user's body so that less energy of the transmitted signal is absorbed by the body. Antennas positioned perpendicular to the body are less absorbed by the body. Part of the inefficiency of conventional surface-mount antennas and trace antennas formed on printed circuit boards is also related to the minimal isolation of the antenna from the surface of the user's body. This can be addressed, for example, by designing the housing of a body-worn medical device to position the antenna in the exemplary embodiment in a way that increases the separation between the button battery and the user's body surface.

[0013] The exemplary embodiments described above may include antennas that are equally well suited not only to wireless communication between multiple body-worn devices but also to wireless communication between multiple body-worn devices and multiple non-body-worn devices. The antennas of the exemplary embodiments can transmit surface waves that travel along the body surface outside the user, which are well suited to high-quality communication with other body-worn devices. In addition, the antennas of the exemplary embodiments can transmit electromagnetic waves with sufficient energy in the direction away from the body, facilitating high-quality communication with non-body-worn devices.

[0014] Figure 1A is a block diagram of an example of a drug delivery device 100 in an exemplary embodiment. In an exemplary embodiment, the drug delivery device 100 delivers insulin to a user 102. The drug delivery device 100 is attached to the user 102's body. The drug delivery device 100 may be secured to the user 102 using, for example, straps, adhesives, a body-fitting housing or similar fastening mechanisms. A pump 104 may be provided to deliver the drug stored in the drug reservoir 106 to the user 102. The pump 104 may be, for example, a reciprocating pump or a positive pressure pump. A cannula / needle and a delivery interface 108 may also be provided. The cannula / needle may penetrate the user 102's skin and, with a fluid conduit (tube, etc.), provide a pathway for drug delivery to the user 102. The drug delivery device 100 delivers the drug to the user 102 under programmatic control. The drug delivery device 100 includes at least one printed circuit board (PCB) 110 on which various electronic components can be arranged.

[0015] Figure 1B is a block diagram showing PCB 110 in more detail. PCB 110 has a processor 112, which is located on PCB 110. The processor 112 controls the operation of the drug delivery device. For example, the processor 112 can control when and how much drug is delivered to the user 102. The processor 112 can take many different forms, such as a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), special-purpose controller chip, or system-on-a-chip (SoC). The processor 112 can execute programming instructions stored in storage 114. Storage 114 may include one or more types of storage, including, but not limited to, random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), computer-readable storage devices, and similar devices. Storage 114 may also hold data for the operation of the drug delivery device 100 and other useful information.

[0016] PCB110 may include a battery set 116 containing one or more batteries. One or more batteries 116 may include button-type batteries. The batteries in battery set 116 may be silver oxide batteries, alkaline batteries, zinc-air batteries, lithium batteries, etc. The batteries in battery set 116 are preferably cylindrical, as is typical for button-type batteries. The batteries in battery set 116 may be of any different diameter, as is found in commercially available button-type batteries. The batteries in battery set 116 may be held by one or more battery holders 122. The (multiple) battery holders 122 may be in electrical contact with the positive and negative terminals of the batteries in battery set 116. Furthermore, the (multiple) battery holders may be mechanically connected to PCB110 or electrically connected to PCB110.

[0017] In the exemplary embodiment described above, the battery set 116 supplies power to components of the drug delivery device 100. In addition, the battery set 116 is used as a radio antenna for transmitting and receiving radio communications with other devices that are attached to the body and positioned separately, as will be described in more detail below. A radio communication transceiver 118 is provided for both transmitting and receiving radio communications. The radio communication transceiver 118 can transmit and receive communications in a radio format, such as Bluetooth®, Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE), WiFi, or IEEE 802.15.6, Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN), etc. The power supply line 124 is electrically connected to the radio communication transceiver 118 using the battery set 116. In this configuration, the battery set 116 functions as a radio antenna, transmitting radio communications from the radio communication transceiver 118 and receiving radio communications sent to the radio communication transceiver 118. In some embodiments, the power supply line 124 may be electrically connected to the battery holder 122, and in other embodiments, it may be electrically connected to the battery set 116. Electrical circuit elements 120, such as capacitors, may be provided to adjust impedance, filter, and the like. Electrical circuit elements 120 may also include other electrical components.

[0018] Figure 1C is a partially exploded side view of the drug delivery device 100. The drug delivery device 100 may have a protective housing formed by a top housing 130 and a bottom housing 132. The top housing 130 and the bottom housing 132 may be fixed together as a single unit, and this fixation may be done by means of fasteners or similar snap-fit ​​mechanisms, adhesives, fasteners, etc. When the components 130 and 132 of the two housings are fixed together as a single unit, the PCB 134 is located inside the internal space formed between the top housing 130 and the bottom housing 132. Functions for supporting and holding the PCB 134 in a certain orientation may be provided in the top housing 130 and the bottom housing 132. Preferably, the PCB 134 is oriented parallel to the user's skin surface, while the longitudinal axis of the battery in the battery set 116 is oriented perpendicular to the PCB 134 and the user's skin surface. The top housing 130 and bottom housing 134 may be formed from polycarbonate, plastic, or a similar material. An adhesive pad 136 may be fixed to the outer surface of the bottom housing 132. An adhesive is applied to the base material of the adhesive pad 136. The adhesive is used to fix the drug delivery device 100 to the skin surface of the user 102. The adhesive pad 136 may also have an adhesive applied to the side facing the outer surface of the bottom housing 132, which may also fix the adhesive pad 136 to the bottom housing 132. Alternatively, the base material may be heat-welded to the outer surface of the bottom housing 132 or integrally formed as part of the bottom housing 132.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, a ground plane for the antenna can be formed within the PCB 200. The PCB 200 can be formed from multiple layers. In the example shown in Figure 2, the top layer of the PCB 200 is the signal layer 202, on which a signal track is formed above the dielectric. The next layer is the ground plane 204. The ground plane 204 may include a large metallized surface (such as a copper surface) connected to the ground. Other layers 206 may also be present within the PCB 200. To improve the signal integrity of the antenna, it is desirable for the antenna to have a large ground plane. The example shown in Figure 2 is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Other PCB configurations with different layers and layer order may be used.

[0020] Figure 3 shows a button-type battery 300 connected to a ground plane 302 in one antenna configuration. The button-type battery is positioned such that its flat surface is parallel to the surface of the PCB (i.e., the XY plane), and its longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the outer surface of the PCB and the user's skin surface (along the Z axis). The ground plane 302 may be connected to the center of the bottom surface of the button-type battery 300, which is parallel to the ground plane 302. The antenna has the battery acting as a radiation patch on one side of the dielectric in the PCB, and the ground plane on the other side. In this configuration, the antenna functions as a monopole antenna. Figure 3 also shows three axes X, Y and Z. When the antenna is positioned on the skin surface of the user 102, the Z axis extends away from the user's skin surface. The Y axis is the user's longitudinal axis, extending along the user's skin surface from head to toes. The X-axis extends horizontally from one side of the body to the other, for example, from the user's right side to the left side of the body, crossing the user's skin surface in a horizontal direction.

[0021] The antenna attempts to have sufficient energy in transmission along the Z-axis to facilitate communication with a non-body-worn device, and also attempts to have sufficient energy in transmission along the Y-axis to facilitate transmission along the user's skin surface for communication with a body-worn device. The transmission along the Y-axis is configured to be a surface wave. A surface wave tends to travel along a surface where there are boundary conditions formed between two media having different dielectric constants (i.e., different magnetic permeabilities). The magnetic permeability of air is much higher than that of the human body. Therefore, an electrical signal travels faster in air than in the human body. As a result, the bottom part of the propagating waveform tends to bend towards the user's skin surface at the boundary between air and the skin surface. Due to this bending, the waveform travels along the user's skin surface. This is desirable because the surface wave reaches the body-worn device better than a radio signal radiated to pass through air or the user's body.

[0022] As described above, the conventional trace antenna formed on the PCB is not sufficiently separated from the user's skin surface. Furthermore, the conventional trace antenna tends to direct much of the transmitted energy towards the inside of the user's body. In contrast, the antenna described in this specification is more separated from the user's skin surface (e.g., from 2 mm to a maximum of 60 mm) because the battery set is located at a position further away from the upper surface of the PCB. In addition, since the antenna is directed in a direction perpendicular to the user's skin surface (see FIG. 3) and has a monopole distribution pattern, less energy is transmitted towards the user's skin surface in the directivity of the antenna.

[0023] The single-button type arrangement of FIG. 3 functions as something similar to a monopole circular patch antenna. FIG. 4 shows a planar plot of the radiation pattern 400 of this antenna. Plot 400 shows the planar distribution of the transmitted energy, and this distribution is represented in dB units by the radiation angle with respect to the antenna represented in the polar coordinate system. Specifically, curve 402 is the total gain pattern of the antenna represented in dBi, curve 404 is the gain pattern of the antenna for the polarization perpendicular to the main body, which is perpendicular to the PCB board surface and the user's skin surface, and curve 406 is the gain pattern of the antenna for the polarization parallel to the PCB board surface and the user's skin surface. These plots show a larger and more uniform energy distribution in the direction parallel to the user's skin, and a smaller and more non-uniform energy distribution in the direction perpendicular to the user's skin. This distribution is the desired distribution described above.

[0024] FIG. 5 shows a flowchart 500 of steps that can be executed when creating an antenna according to an exemplary embodiment. The battery set 116 is placed on the PCB (502). The battery set 116 can be held by one or more battery holders 122 that are electrically and mechanically connected to the PCB 110. The battery set 116 is electrically connected to the PCB 110 to power the drug delivery device (504). The wireless communication transceiver 118 is electrically and mechanically connected to the PCB 110 (506). The wireless communication transceiver 118 can be an integrated circuit connected to the PCB 110 via pins or other connection methods. The power supply path 124 electrically connects the wireless communication transceiver 118 to the battery set 116 (508). As described above, the power supply path 124 may be directly connected to the battery set 116 or alternatively connected to the battery holder 122.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, the drug delivery device is an insulin pump. Figure 6 shows an example of a drug delivery system 600 with such an insulin pump 602. The drug delivery system 600 includes different devices, which enable the insulin pump 602 to communicate wirelessly. These devices include an analyte monitor, such as a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) 604, which provides glucose level readings continuously. These readings are wirelessly transmitted to the insulin pump 602 and can be used by the insulin pump 602's control algorithm to determine the amount and timing of insulin delivery to the user 102. The insulin pump 602 can also communicate with a remote device, such as a smartphone or a personal diabetes manager (PDM) 606. The PDM 606 may be implemented as a dedicated wireless device or as an application or other software running on a portable computing device such as a smartphone or tablet. The PDM 606 may function as an interface with the user 102. The PDM 606 may provide user 102 with information not only on the current analyte level or blood glucose level, but also on the history of analyte (e.g., blood glucose) and drug (e.g., insulin) delivery, and / or other useful information. The PDM 606 may also allow the user to control the insulin pump 602. User 102 can change certain settings by wirelessly communicating with the insulin pump 602 using the PDM 606. The insulin pump 602 can also wirelessly communicate with a wearable device 608, such as a smartwatch. The wearable device 608 can, for example, receive and display information from the insulin pump. Furthermore, the wearable device may also wirelessly send commands to the insulin pump 602 for specific functions. The insulin pump 602 can also communicate with non-body-worn devices 610, such as external devices that understand wireless protocols as listed above.All such wireless communications can be achieved through the aforementioned antenna formed using a battery set.

[0026] In Figure 6, only the communication paths between components were shown. To understand why the above wireless communication antenna is useful, it is helpful to understand the main components in more detail and discuss their functions more thoroughly. For that purpose, Figure 7 additionally shows details of specific main components of an example drug delivery system 700 in an exemplary embodiment. The drug delivery system 700 includes an insulin pump 702. As described above, the insulin pump 702 may be a wearable device attached to the body of user 708. The insulin pump 702 may be directly attached to the user (for example, directly attached to a part of user 708's body and / or skin via an adhesive, etc.). In one example, the surface of the insulin pump 702 may contain an adhesive to facilitate attachment to user 708.

[0027] The insulin pump 702 may include a controller 710. The controller 710 may be implemented as hardware, software, or any combination thereof, such as the processor 112 in Figure 1B. The controller 710 may be, for example, a microprocessor coupled to memory, a logic circuit, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a microcontroller. The controller 710 may have other functions (e.g., calculations) in addition to date and time functions. The controller 710 may be operable to run a control application 716 stored in storage 714 (see 114 in Figure 1B), which enables the controller 710 to direct the operation of the insulin pump 702. The storage 714 may hold a history 713 for the user, including a history of automatic insulin delivery, a history of bolus insulin delivery, a history of meal events, a history of exercise events, and similar. In addition, the controller 710 may also be operable to receive data or information. The storage 714 may include both primary and secondary memory. The storage may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), optical storage, magnetic storage, portable storage media, solid-state storage, or similar devices.

[0028] The insulin pump 702 may include an insulin reservoir 712 (see drug reservoir 106 in Figure 1A) for storing insulin to be delivered to the user 708 when needed. A fluid pathway to the user 708 may also be provided, in which case the insulin pump 702 can drain insulin from the insulin reservoir 712 and deliver insulin to the user 708 via the fluid pathway. The fluid pathway may include, for example, a cannula / needle and delivery interface 733 (see 108 in Figure 1A) and a tube connecting the drug pump 702 to the user 708 (for example, a tube connecting the cannula to the insulin reservoir 712).

[0029] A communication link may exist between one or more devices that are physically separated from the insulin pump 702, and such devices may include, for example, a PDM 704 for the user and / or the user's caregiver, and / or a glucose monitor 706. The communication link may include any wired communication link or any wireless communication link that operates according to any known communication protocol or standard, such as Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, a near-field communication standard, a cellular standard, or other wireless protocol. The insulin pump 702 may also include a user interface 717. This user interface 717 may be an integrated display device that, for example, displays information to a user 708 and, in some embodiments, also receives information from the user 708. The user interface 717 may include, for example, a touchscreen and / or one or more input devices such as buttons, knobs, or a keyboard.

[0030] The insulin pump 702 includes the battery set / antenna configuration 730 described above in correspondence with Figure 1B. The insulin pump 702 also includes the wireless transceiver 732 as described above.

[0031] The insulin pump 702 may interface with a network 722. The network 722 may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. A computing device 726 may interface with the network and communicate with the insulin pump 702.

[0032] The drug delivery system 700 may include a glucose monitor 706 for detecting the blood glucose concentration level of user 708. The glucose monitor 706 may perform periodic blood glucose concentration measurements, in which case it may be a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) or another type of device or sensor that measures blood glucose or other analytes. The glucose monitor 706 may be physically separate from the insulin pump 702 or it may be an integrated component of the insulin pump 702. The glucose monitor 706 may provide the controller 710 with data indicating the measured or detected blood glucose level of user 708. The glucose monitor 706 may be attached to user 708 by, for example, an adhesive or similar, in which case it may provide information or data about one or more medical conditions and / or physical characteristics of user 708. The information or data provided by the glucose monitor 706 may be used to adjust the drug delivery operation of the insulin pump 702.

[0033] The drug delivery system 700 may also include a PDM 704. The PDM 704 may be a device with a special purpose, such as a dedicated Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM) device. The PDM 704 may also be a programmed general-purpose device, such as any portable electronic device, smartphone, or tablet equipped with a dedicated controller such as a processor. The PDM 704 may be used to program or adjust the operation of the drug pump 702 and / or glucose monitor 706. The PDM 704 may be any portable electronic device, such as a dedicated controller, smartphone, or tablet. According to the illustrated example, the PDM 704 may include a processor 719 and storage 718. The processor 719 may perform operations for managing the user's blood glucose level and for controlling the delivery of drugs or therapeutic agents to the user 708. The processor 719 may also be operable to execute programming code stored in the storage 718. For example, the storage may be operable to store one or more control applications 720 in preparation for execution by the processor 719. The storage 718 may also store the control application 720, history 721, and other data and / or programs for the insulin pump 702 described above.

[0034] The PDM 704 may include a user interface 723 for communicating with a user 708. This user interface may include a display for showing information, such as a touchscreen. The touchscreen may also be used to receive input. The user interface 723 may also include input elements such as a keyboard, buttons, or knobs.

[0035] PDM704 may interface with network 724, which may be a LAN, WAN, or a combination of such networks. PDM704 can communicate with one or more servers or cloud services 728 via network 724. The roles that one or more servers or cloud services 728 may play in the exemplary embodiments described above are described below.

[0036] As mentioned in relation to Figure 6, the insulin pump 702 can communicate wirelessly with additional components via a battery set antenna. These additional components may include a non-body-worn device 734. They may also include a wearable device 736.

[0037] The use of a battery antenna in the system shown in Figure 7 offers the benefits described above. These benefits include avoiding the need for extra surface area on the PCB required by conventional trace antennas or surface-mount antennas. As a result, the PCB can be smaller than when trace antennas or surface-mount antennas are used, and consequently, the drug delivery device can also be smaller. The antenna in the exemplary embodiment described above can be configured to be oriented substantially perpendicular to the user's body surface to reduce the energy of the transmitted signal absorbed by the human body. Antennas positioned perpendicular to the user's skin surface, similar to the antenna in the exemplary embodiment, are less absorbed by the human body than conventional trace antennas or surface-mount antennas that are not positioned perpendicular to the user's skin surface. Part of the low efficiency of conventional surface-mount and trace antennas formed on PCBs is related to the minimal separation of the antenna from the user's skin surface. This can be addressed, for example, by designing the housing of the wearable medical device to position the antenna in the exemplary embodiment's button battery in a way that increases the separation between the battery and the user's skin surface.

[0038] While this application discloses exemplary embodiments herein, it should be understood that various modifications in form and detail are possible without departing from the intended scope as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, this disclosure includes the following aspects: [Aspect 1] A drug delivery device, One or more button-type batteries for supplying power to at least a part of the drug delivery device, wherein each of the one or more button-type batteries is cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis, and comprises one or more button-type batteries. A wireless communication transceiver for transmitting and receiving wireless communications, An electrical connection between the wireless communication transceiver and the one or more button-type batteries, wherein the one or more button-type batteries function as antennas for transmitting wireless communication from the wireless communication transceiver and receiving wireless communication directed to the wireless communication transceiver. A housing configured to be fixed to a user's body, wherein the longitudinal axis of one or more button-type batteries is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the user's body to which the housing is fixed, Drug delivery devices, including those mentioned above. [Aspect 2] The drug delivery device according to embodiment 1, wherein the one or more button-type batteries are a single button-type battery. [Aspect 3] The drug delivery device according to embodiment 2, wherein the one or more button-type batteries are multiple button-type batteries. [Aspect 4] The drug delivery device according to embodiment 1, wherein the drug delivery device is configured to emit surface waves from one or more button-type batteries for traveling along the surface of the user's body. [Aspect 5] The drug delivery device according to embodiment 1, further comprising a printed circuit board on which one or more button-type batteries are arranged and on which a ground plane is formed. [Aspect 6] The drug delivery device according to embodiment 1, wherein the wireless communication transceiver is a Bluetooth® transceiver, a Bluetooth® Low Energy transceiver, a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver, or a WiFi transceiver. [Aspect 7] The drug delivery device according to embodiment 1, further comprising at least one battery holder for holding one or more button-type batteries. [Aspect 8] The drug delivery device according to embodiment 7, wherein the electrical connection between the wireless communication transceiver and the one or more button-type batteries is connected to the at least one battery holder which is in electrical contact with the one or more button-type batteries. [Aspect 9] It is an insulin pump, One or more button-type batteries for supplying power to at least a portion of the insulin pump, each of the one or more button-type batteries being cylindrical and having a longitudinal axis, A wireless communication transceiver for transmitting and receiving wireless communications, An electrical connection between the wireless communication transceiver and the one or more button-type batteries, wherein the one or more button-type batteries function as antennas for transmitting wireless communication from the wireless communication transceiver and receiving wireless communication directed to the wireless communication transceiver. A housing configured to be fixed to a user's body, wherein the longitudinal axis of one or more button-type batteries is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the user's body to which the housing is fixed, Insulin pumps, including... [Aspect 10] The insulin pump according to embodiment 9, wherein the one or more button-type batteries are a single button-type battery. [Aspect 11] The insulin pump according to embodiment 10, wherein the one or more button-type batteries are multiple button-type batteries. [Aspect 12] The insulin pump according to embodiment 9, wherein the insulin pump is configured to emit surface waves from one or more button-type batteries for traveling along the surface of the user's body. [Aspect 13] The insulin pump according to embodiment 9, further comprising a printed circuit board on which one or more button-type batteries are arranged and on which a ground plane is formed. [Aspect 14] The insulin pump according to embodiment 9, wherein the wireless communication transceiver is a Bluetooth® transceiver, a Bluetooth® Low Energy transceiver, a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver, or a WiFi transceiver. [Aspect 15] The insulin pump according to embodiment 9, further comprising at least one battery holder for holding one or more button-type batteries. [Aspect 16] The insulin pump according to embodiment 14, wherein the electrical connection between the wireless communication transceiver and the one or more button-type batteries is connected to the at least one battery holder which is in electrical contact with the one or more button-type batteries. [Aspect 17] It is a method, At least one button-type battery is placed on the printed circuit board within the drug delivery device, To power the drug delivery device, at least one button-type battery is electrically connected to the printed circuit board. The wireless communication transceiver is electrically and mechanically connected to the printed circuit board, To form an antenna for transmitting wireless communication from the wireless communication transceiver and receiving wireless communication to the wireless communication transceiver, a power supply path is connected between the at least one button-type battery and the wireless communication transceiver. Methods that include... [Aspect 18] The method according to embodiment 17, further comprising electrically and mechanically connecting at least one battery holder for the at least one button-type battery to the printed circuit board. [Aspect 19] The method according to embodiment 18, wherein the at least one button-type battery is held by the at least one battery holder so as to be electrically connected to the at least one battery holder, and the power supply path is connected to the at least one battery holder so as to be electrically connected to the at least one button-type battery. [Aspect 20] The method according to embodiment 17, wherein the wireless communication transceiver is a Bluetooth® transceiver, a Bluetooth® Low Energy transceiver, a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver, or a WiFi transceiver.

Claims

1. A drug delivery device, One or more button-type batteries for supplying power to at least a part of the drug delivery device, wherein each of the one or more button-type batteries is cylindrical and has a longitudinal axis, and comprises one or more button-type batteries A wireless communication transceiver for transmitting and receiving wireless communications, An electrical connection between the wireless communication transceiver and one or more button-type batteries, wherein the one or more button-type batteries function as antennas for transmitting wireless communication from the wireless communication transceiver and receiving wireless communication directed to the wireless communication transceiver. A housing configured to be fixed to a user's body, wherein the longitudinal axis of one or more button-type batteries is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the user's body to which the housing is fixed, It includes, A drug delivery device configured to emit surface waves from one or more button-type batteries for traveling along the surface of the user's body.

2. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more button-type batteries are a single button-type battery.

3. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more button-type batteries are multiple button-type batteries.

4. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board on which one or more button-type batteries are arranged and on which a ground plane is formed.

5. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication transceiver is a Bluetooth® transceiver, a Bluetooth® Low Energy transceiver, a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver, or a Wi-Fi transceiver.

6. The drug delivery device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one battery holder for holding one or more button-type batteries.

7. The drug delivery device according to claim 6, wherein the electrical connection between the wireless communication transceiver and the one or more button-type batteries is connected to the at least one battery holder which is in electrical contact with the one or more button-type batteries.

8. It is an insulin pump, One or more button-type batteries for supplying power to at least a portion of the insulin pump, each of the one or more button-type batteries being cylindrical and having a longitudinal axis, A wireless communication transceiver for transmitting and receiving wireless communications, An electrical connection between the wireless communication transceiver and one or more button-type batteries, wherein the one or more button-type batteries function as antennas for transmitting wireless communication from the wireless communication transceiver and receiving wireless communication directed to the wireless communication transceiver. A housing configured to be fixed to a user's body, wherein the longitudinal axis of one or more button-type batteries is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the user's body to which the housing is fixed, It includes, An insulin pump configured to emit surface waves from one or more button-type batteries for travel along the user's body surface.

9. The insulin pump according to claim 8, wherein the one or more button-type batteries are a single button-type battery.

10. The insulin pump according to claim 8, wherein the one or more button-type batteries are multiple button-type batteries.

11. The insulin pump according to claim 8, further comprising a printed circuit board on which one or more button-type batteries are arranged and on which a ground plane is formed.

12. The insulin pump according to claim 8, wherein the wireless communication transceiver is a Bluetooth® transceiver, a Bluetooth® Low Energy transceiver, a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver, or a Wi-Fi transceiver.

13. The insulin pump according to claim 8, further comprising at least one battery holder for holding one or more button-type batteries.

14. The insulin pump according to claim 12, wherein the electrical connection between the wireless communication transceiver and the one or more button-type batteries is connected to at least one battery holder that is in electrical contact with the one or more button-type batteries.

15. It is a method, At least one button-type battery is placed on the printed circuit board within the drug delivery device, To power the drug delivery device, at least one button-type battery is electrically connected to the printed circuit board. The wireless communication transceiver is electrically and mechanically connected to the printed circuit board, To form an antenna for transmitting wireless communication from the wireless communication transceiver and receiving wireless communication to the wireless communication transceiver, a power supply path is connected between the at least one button-type battery and the wireless communication transceiver. The drug delivery device is configured such that surface waves for traveling along the user's body surface are emitted from at least one button-type battery. Methods that include...

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising electrically and mechanically connecting at least one battery holder for the at least one button-type battery to the printed circuit board.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one button-type battery is held by the at least one battery holder so as to be electrically connected to the at least one battery holder, and the power supply path is connected to the at least one battery holder so as to be electrically connected to the at least one button-type battery.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the wireless communication transceiver is a Bluetooth® transceiver, a Bluetooth® Low Energy transceiver, a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver, or a Wi-Fi transceiver.

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