Disposable Analyte Sensor Base With Battery-Sealed Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing analyte sensors, particularly those used by diabetes patients, face challenges in maintaining consistent battery power supply, which is crucial for continuous monitoring and communication of glucose levels, leading to potential disruptions in managing blood sugar levels.
Innovation Solution
A disposable analyte sensor base with a battery integrated within, coupled with a reusable sensor electronics module that forms a sealed electrical connection, ensuring reliable power delivery and communication through a wireless transceiver.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a battery is integrated within the disposable base, then power supply consistency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the battery directly into the disposable sensor base, merging the power source with the sensor assembly. This ensures consistent power supply throughout the sensor's operational life while maintaining a compact, integrated design that does not significantly increase overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into disposable components (sensor base with battery) and reusable components (electronic module). This segmentation allows the battery to be reliably integrated only where needed in the disposable portion, avoiding unnecessary complexity in the reusable electronic module.
2Reliability
If a sealed electrical connection is formed between disposable base and reusable module, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a sealing member as an intermediary component between the disposable base and reusable electronic module. This sealing member creates a reliable electrical and environmental seal without requiring extremely tight tolerances on the mating surfaces, thereby maintaining connection reliability while reducing manufacturing precision requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member utilizes flexible sealing structures that can accommodate minor variations in manufacturing tolerances. This flexibility allows the sealed connection to remain reliable even when manufacturing precision is not extremely tight, as the sealing material can deform to fill small gaps or irregularities.
3Adaptability or versatility
If wireless transceiver is included in reusable module, then communication capability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless transceiver in the reusable electronic module operates periodically rather than continuously. It transmits sensor data at scheduled intervals and remains in low-power mode between transmissions, thereby maintaining full communication capability while significantly reducing average energy consumption from the battery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous monitoring capability through the sensor while the wireless communication occurs periodically. This allows the useful action of glucose monitoring to continue uninterrupted, while energy-intensive wireless transmission is optimized to occur only when data needs to be communicated.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration ensures consistent power supply to the analyte sensor, enabling continuous monitoring and communication, thereby improving the reliability and effectiveness of diabetes management.
Implementation Method 1
a battery integrated within, coupled with a reusable sensor electronics module
Implementation Method 2
a first sealing member configured to provide a seal around the first and second plurality of contacts within a first cavity
Implementation Method 3
a wireless transceiver configured to transmit a wireless signal based at least in part on the sensor signal
Data Source
AI summary
An analyte sensor system is provided. The system includes a base configured to attach to a skin of a host. The base includes an analyte sensor configured to generate a sensor signal indicative of an analyte concentration level of the host, a battery, and a first plurality of contacts. The system includes a sensor electronics module configured to releasably couple to the base. The sensor electronics module includes a second plurality of contacts, each configured to make electrical contact with a respective one of the first plurality of contacts, and a wireless transceiver configured to transmit a wireless signal based at least in part on the sensor signal. The system includes a first sealing member configured to provide a seal around the first and second plurality of contacts within a first cavity. Related analyte sensor systems, analyte sensor base assemblies and methods are also provided.