Method and apparatus for penetrating tissue
View Patent ↗A tissue penetrating system includes a plurality of penetrating members each having a tip. A penetrating member driver is coupled to the plurality of penetrating members. Each tip of a penetrating member is uncovered during launch of the penetrating member by the penetrating member driver. A support is provided with a plurality of openings. Each opening receives a penetrating member.
1. A tissue penetrating system, comprising:
a plurality of penetrating members each with a tip;
a penetrating member driver coupled to the plurality of penetrating members;
a support with a plurality of openings, each opening receiving a penetrating member, each tip of a penetrating member being uncovered during launch of a penetrating member by the penetrating driver member; and
a penetrating member position sensor coupled to the plurality of penetrating members and to a processor, the penetrating member position sensor and the processor configured to measure a distance from an initialization point to a point of initial contact of a penetrating member to a target tissue surface, the penetrating member being retracted by the penetrating member driver to the initialization point with a distance to the target tissue being measured and a depth of penetration of the penetrating member determined.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the depth of penetration is 100 to 2500 microns.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the depth of penetration is 500 to 750 microns.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the penetrating member sensor is further configured to provide an indication of velocity of a penetrating member.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a penetrating member sensor configured to provide an indication of velocity of a penetrating member.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a feedback loop coupled to the penetrating member sensor.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the penetrating member driver is an electric drive force member.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the penetrating member driver is a voice coil drive force generator.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the penetrating member sensor is coupled to a processor with control instructions for the penetrating member driver.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor includes a memory for storage and retrieval of a set of penetrating member profiles utilized with the penetrating member driver.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is utilized to monitor position and speed of a penetrating member as the penetrating member moves in a first direction.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is utilized to adjust an application of force to a penetrating member to achieve a desired speed of the penetrating member.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is utilized to adjust an application of force to a penetrating member when the penetrating member contacts a target tissue so that the penetrating member penetrates the target tissue within a desired range of speed.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is utilized to monitor position and speed of a penetrating member as the penetrating member moves in a first direction toward a target tissue surface, wherein the application of a launching force to the penetrating member is controlled based on position and speed of the penetrating member.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is utilized to control a withdraw force to the penetrating member so that the penetrating member moves in a second direction away from the target tissue.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein in the first direction the penetrating member moves toward the target tissue at a speed that is different than a speed at which the penetrating member moves away from the target tissue.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein in the first direction the penetrating member moves toward the target tissue at a speed that is greater than a speed at which the penetrating member moves away from the target tissue.
18. The system of claim 14 , wherein a speed of a penetrating member in the first direction is the range of 0.05 to 60 m/sec.
19. The system of claim 14 , wherein a speed of a penetrating member in the first direction is the range of 0.1 to 20.0 m/sec.
20. The system of claim 14 , wherein a speed of a penetrating member in the first direction is the range of 1.0 to 10.0 in/sec.
21. The system of claim 14 , wherein a speed of a penetrating member in the first direction is the range of 3.0 to 8.0 m/sec.
22. The system of claim 14 , wherein a dwell time of the penetrating member in the target tissue below a skin surface is in the range of 1 microsecond to 2 seconds.
23. The system of claim 1 , wherein a dwell time of the penetrating member in the target tissue below a skin surface is in the range of 500 milliseconds to 1.5 second.
24. The system of claim 1 , wherein a dwell time of the penetrating member in the target tissue below a skin surface is in the range of 100 milliseconds to 1 second.
25. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of cartridges integrated in a cassette.
26. The system of claim 25 , wherein each cartridge has an exit pod, and upon launch each penetrating member exists from the exit pod.
27. The system of claim 1 , wherein the penetrating member sensor includes a capacitive incremental encoder.
28. The system of claim 1 , wherein the penetrating member sensor includes an incremental encoder.
29. The system of claim 1 , wherein the penetrating member sensor includes an optical encoder.
30. The system of claim 1 , wherein the penetrating member sensor includes an interference encoder.
31. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an analyte detecting member.
32. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of analyte detecting members each coupled to a penetrating member.
33. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sample chamber with an opening for transport of a body fluid into the sample chamber, the sample chamber being sized to receive no more than 1.0 μL of the body fluid.
34. The system of claim 33 , wherein each of a penetrating member and an associated sample chamber have a combined packing density of no more than 1.0 cm 3 .
35. The system of claim 33 , wherein each of a penetrating member and an associated sample chamber have a combined packing density of no more than 0.75 cm 3 .
36. The system of claim 33 , wherein each of a penetrating member and an associated sample chamber have a combined packing density of no more than 0.5 cm 3 .
37. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sample chamber with an opening for transport of a body fluid into the sample chamber, the sample chamber being sized to receive no more than 0.75 μL of the body fluid.
38. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sample chamber with an opening for transport of a body fluid into the sample chamber, the sample chamber being sized to receive no more than 0.5 μL of the body fluid.
39. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sample chamber with an opening for transport of a body fluid into the sample chamber, the sample chamber being sized to receive no more than 0.25 μL of the body fluid.
40. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sample chamber with an opening for transport of a body fluid into the sample chamber, the sample chamber being sized to receive no more than 0.1 μL of the body fluid.
41. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an analyte detecting member coupled to a sample chamber, the analyte detecting member being configured to determine a concentration of an analyte in a body fluid using a sample that does not exceed a volume of 1 μL of a body fluid disposed in the sample chamber.
42. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an analyte detecting member coupled to a sample chamber, the analyte detecting member being configured to determine a concentration of an analyte in a body fluid using a sample that does not exceed a volume of 0.75 μL of a body fluid disposed in the sample chamber.
43. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an analyte detecting member coupled to a sample chamber, the analyte detecting member being configured to determine a concentration of an analyte in a body fluid using a sample that does not exceed a volume of 0.5 μL of a body fluid disposed in the sample chamber.
44. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an analyte detecting member coupled to a sample chamber, the analyte detecting member being configured to determine a concentration of an analyte in a body fluid using a sample that does not exceed a volume of 0.25 μL of a body fluid disposed in the sample chamber.
45. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an analyte detecting member coupled to a sample chamber, the analyte detecting member being configured to determine a concentration of an analyte in a body fluid using a sample that does not exceed a volume of 0.1 μL of a body fluid disposed in the sample chamber.
46. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of a penetrating of the plurality of penetrating members has a packing density of no more than 1.0 cm 3 /penetrating member.
47. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of a penetrating member of the plurality of penetrating members has a packing density of no more than 0.75 cm 3 /penetrating member.
48. The system of claim 1 , wherein the each of a penetrating member of the plurality of penetrating members has a packing density of no more than 0.5 cm 3 /penetrating member.
49. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of a penetrating member of the plurality of penetrating members has a packing density of no more than 0.25 cm 3 /penetrating member.
50. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of a penetrating member of the plurality of penetrating members has a packing density of no more than 0.1 cm 3 /penetrating member.