Sensor for percutaneous intravascular deployment without an indwelling cannula

1. A method for continuous monitoring of blood analyte levels in a critically ill patient, comprising:

providing an introducer assembly comprising a hypodermic needle slidably engaged within a removable cannula, wherein a piercing tip of the hypodermic needle extends distally beyond the removable cannula, and wherein the removable cannula is configured to slidably engage an optical analyte sensor;

inserting the introducer assembly into a vein or artery;

retracting the hypodermic needle from the removable cannula, while leaving the removable cannula in the vein or artery;

inserting the optical analyte sensor through the removable cannula and into the vein or artery, wherein the optical analyte sensor comprises an optical fiber having a chemical indicator system disposed along a distal end region thereof, a mirror and a thermistor or thermocouple disposed along the distal end region of the optical fiber, and an optical coupling disposed along a proximal end region thereof, wherein the chemical indicator system is configured to generate an optical signal related to the blood analyte level;

retracting the removable cannula from the vein or artery, while leaving the optical analyte sensor in the vein or artery;

removing the removable cannula from the sensor;

connecting the optical coupling to a device comprising a light source and a detector; and

detecting the optical signal to monitor the blood analyte level of the critically ill patient.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical analyte sensor comprises an anti-thrombogenic coating or surface treatment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical analyte sensor has a surface comprising polytetrafluoroethylene.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the removable cannula comprises at least one of splitting the removable cannula, peeling the removable cannula, and cutting the removable cannula.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein removing the removable cannula comprises squeezing a first wing and a second wing together, wherein the first wing and the second wing are disposed opposite each other along a longitudinal axis of the removable cannula.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hypodermic needle comprises a flashback chamber, wherein the flashback chamber fills with blood when the blood vessel is cannulated.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the hypodermic needle comprises a filter, wherein the filter contains the blood within the flashback chamber when the blood vessel is cannulated.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hypodermic needle has a diameter less than a diameter of the removable cannula.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removable cannula has a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end of the cannula is beveled.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein withdrawing the removable cannula from the blood vessel while leaving the sensor in the blood vessel forms a seal around the sensor.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemical indicator system comprises a fluorophore configured to generate an emission signal in response to excitation light, and an analyte binding moiety operably coupled to the fluorophore, wherein the analyte binding moiety is configured to bind analyte and modulate the emission signal of the fluorophore in a manner related to the amount of analyte binding.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the chemical indicator system further comprises a water-insoluble polymer matrix, and wherein the fluorophore is covalently bonded to the polymer matrix.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the analyte binding moiety comprises an aromatic boronic acid covalently bonded to a viologen.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical analyte sensor further comprises a porous membrane disposed along the distal end region of the optical fiber.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the porous membrane can comprise a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polycarbonate, polysulfone and polypropylene.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the porous membrane is microporous and has a mean pore size that is less than two nanometers.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fluorophore comprises HPTS-triCysMA and the analyte binding moiety comprises 3,3′-oBBV.