Preconnected analyte sensors
Various analyte sensing apparatuses and associated housings are provided. Some apparatuses comprise one or more caps. Some apparatuses comprise a two-part adhesive patch. Some apparatuses comprise one or more sensor bends configured to locate and/or hold a sensor in place during mounting. Some apparatuses utilize one or more dams and/or wells to retain epoxy for securing a sensor. Some apparatuses utilize a pocket and one or more adjacent areas and various transitions for preventing epoxy from wicking to undesired areas of the apparatus. Some apparatuses include heat-sealable thermoplastic elastomers for welding a cap to the apparatus. Related methods of fabricating such apparatuses and/or housings are also provided.
1. An analyte sensing apparatus, comprising:
a housing comprising:
a cavity having a first portion and a second portion;
a first conductive contact disposed in the first portion of the cavity;
a second conductive contact disposed in the second portion of the cavity;
a first well encompassing the first conductive contact, the first well defined by:
a first dam comprising a first wall disposed adjacent to a first side of the first conductive contact and configured to prevent migration of fluid from the first well,
a second dam comprising a second wall disposed adjacent to a second side of the first conductive contact opposite the first side and configured to prevent migration of fluid from the first well to the second portion of the cavity, and
a first plurality of sidewalls disposed on opposite sides of the first conductive contact and each configured to prevent migration of fluid from the first well,
wherein a conductive adhesive is disposed over at least a portion of the first conductive contact within the first well; and
an analyte sensor comprising:
an elongated body,
a first electrode in electrical communication with the first conductive contact, and
a second electrode in electrical communication with the second conductive contact, wherein the analyte sensor rests on the first dam and on the second dam.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an electronics assembly substrate disposed within the housing, wherein the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact extend from the electronics assembly substrate into the cavity.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein an overmold structure is formed over the electronics assembly substrate and comprises the first dam and the second dam.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first dam and the second dam each comprise a sloped cross-section, the analyte sensor resting on a lowest point of the sloped cross-section of the first dam and on a lowest point of the sloped cross-section of the second dam.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the sloped cross-sections of the first and second dams are one of triangularly-recessed, parabolically-recessed, semi-circularly-recessed or hyperbolically-recessed cross-sections.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the conductive adhesive is disposed at least to a height of the lowest point of the sloped cross-section of the first dam or of the lowest point of the sloped cross-section of the second dam such that the first electrode of the analyte sensor is in direct physical and electrical contact with the conductive adhesive.
7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the lowest point of the sloped cross-section of the first dam is equidistant from the first plurality of sidewalls, and the lowest point of the sloped cross-section of the second dam is equidistant from the first plurality of sidewalls.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second dam is configured to prevent migration of the conductive adhesive from the first well to the second portion of the cavity.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the cavity comprises a second well encompassing the second conductive contact.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second well is defined by:
a third dam comprising a third wall disposed adjacent to a first side of the second conductive contact and configured to prevent migration of fluid from the second well,
the second dam comprising the second wall disposed adjacent to a second side of the second conductive contact and configured to prevent migration of fluid from the second well to the first well, and
a second plurality of sidewalls disposed on opposite sides of the second conductive contact and each configured to prevent migration of fluid from the second well.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the analyte sensor rests on the third dam.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first dam or the second dam comprise a sloped cross-section and the third dam has a flat cross-section.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a third portion of the cavity comprising a through-hole for the analyte sensor.
14. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising conductive adhesive disposed over at least a portion of the second conductive contact within the second well.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the conductive adhesive fills in a void within the second well between the second conductive contact and the second electrode, the second conductive contact extending from an electronics assembly substrate.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive contact comprises a contact pad or plate on an electronics assembly substrate.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first dam or the second dam has a flat cross-section.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conductive adhesive within the first well fills in a void within the first well between the first conductive contact and the first electrode, the first conductive contact extending from an electronics assembly substrate.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conductive adhesive physically separates the first conductive contact and the first electrode.
20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conductive adhesive is a conductive epoxy.