PRE-CONNECTED ANALYTE SENSORS
Pre-connected analyte sensors are provided. A pre-connected analyte sensor includes a sensor carrier attached to an analyte sensor. The sensor carrier includes a substrate configured for mechanical coupling of the sensor to testing, calibration, or wearable equipment. The sensor carrier also includes conductive contacts for electrically coupling sensor electrodes to the testing, calibration, or wearable equipment.
1 . A method, comprising:
providing a pre-connected analyte sensor, the pre-connected analyte sensor comprising
an intermediate body,
an analyte sensor permanently attached to the intermediate body, and
an identifier coupled to the intermediate body; and
communicatively coupling the analyte sensor to a processing circuitry of a manufacturing station by coupling the intermediate body to a corresponding feature of the manufacturing station; and
operating the processing circuitry of the manufacturing station to communicate with the pre-connected analyte sensor.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the processing circuitry includes obtaining a signal from the analyte sensor.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the processing circuitry includes operating an electrical, optical, infrared, or radio-frequency reader of the manufacturing station to obtain the identifier.
4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising storing, with the processing circuitry of the manufacturing station and in connection with the identifier, sensor data corresponding to the signal.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier identifies any one or more of the analyte sensor, calibration data for the analyte sensor, and a history of the analyte sensor.
6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the signal comprises a glucose sensitivity signal.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the intermediate body from the manufacturing station and communicatively coupling the analyte sensor to processing circuitry of a wearable device by coupling the intermediate body to a corresponding feature of a wearable device.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyte sensor is permanently attached to the intermediate body with conductive adhesive.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyte sensor is permanently attached to the intermediate body with anisotropic conductive film.
10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising obtaining in vivo measurement data from the analyte sensor with the processing circuitry of the wearable device.
11 . A method of making a pre-connected analyte sensor, the method comprising:
mechanically and electrically connecting a proximal portion of an elongated conductor to a conductive portion of an intermediate body;
after the connecting, coating a distal portion of the elongated conductor with a polymer membrane to form an analyte sensor having a working electrode region configured to support electrochemical reactions for analyte detection in the distal portion of the elongated conductor.
12 . The method of claim 11 , additionally comprising testing the analyte sensor, wherein the testing comprises electrically coupling the intermediate body to a testing station.
13 . The method of claim 12 , additionally comprising calibrating the analyte sensor, wherein the calibrating comprises electrically coupling the intermediate body to a testing station.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the coating comprises dip coating.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the intermediate body is part of an array formed by a plurality of coupled intermediate bodies, wherein the method further comprises mechanically and electrically connecting a proximal portion of each of a plurality of elongated electrodes to a conductive portion of each intermediate body of the array.
16 . The method of claim 15 , comprising performing the coating in parallel on each distal portion of each of the plurality of elongated electrodes connected to the intermediate bodies of the array.
17 . The method of claim 16 , comprising singulating one or more of the intermediate bodies of the array after the coating.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein mechanically and electrically connecting comprises applying conductive paste to the elongated conductor and the conductive portion of the intermediate body.
19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein mechanically and electrically connecting comprises compressing anisotropic conductive film between the proximal portion of the elongated conductor and the conductive portion of the intermediate body.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the connecting is performed at a location remote from the coating.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the coating, testing, and calibrating are all performed at a location remote from the connecting.