Granted Patent B2

US 12,611,121 · App. 18/078,218 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Inventor: Vivek S. Rao (Alameda, CA)

Assignee: ABBOTT DIABETES CARE INC.

A61B5/14532A61B2560/063

Abstract

Claims (34)

1 . An assembly for insertion of a glucose sensor in a subject's body, the assembly comprising:

(1) an applicator, comprising:

an applicator housing defining an interior;

a sheath slidably coupled with the applicator housing and comprising a distal end configured for placement on the skin;

a sharp carrier assembly coupled with a sharp;

a sensor carrier comprising a cavity formed by a proximal wall and a side wall comprising a magnetic component, the cavity configured to retain a sensor control device therein;

a spring, comprising

a distal end in contact with the sensor carrier; and

a cap configured to threadably couple with a distal part of the applicator housing;

(2) the sensor control device configured to be worn on the subject's body, the sensor control device comprising:

an adhesive patch disposed on a bottom surface of the sensor control device and configured to adhere the sensor control device to the subject's skin;

the glucose sensor comprising:

a proximal portion configured to electrically couple with electronics;

a distal portion having a glucose-responsive enzyme, wherein the distal portion is configured to be positioned in a bodily fluid of the subject's body and to sense glucose in the subject's bodily fluid in a subcutaneous layer; and

the electronics comprising one or more processors, a memory, and

communication circuitry configured to wirelessly transmit data according to a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol,

wherein the sharp carrier assembly, the sharp, the spring, the sensor carrier, the magnet, and the sensor control device are configured to advance a distance within the interior of the applicator housing, relative to the sheath, and in a linear direction from a proximal position to a distal position,

wherein, in the proximal position, the distal end of the glucose sensor is received in a portion of the sharp,

wherein the magnetic component is configured to exert a magnetic force upon one or more ferromagnetic components of the sensor control device when the sensor carrier and the sensor control device are in the proximal position, and

wherein, in the distal position, the sensor control device is configured to adhere to the subject's skin via the adhesive patch, disengage from the sensor carrier, and increase a spaced relation with the magnetic component.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor control device further comprises a housing of the sensor control device defining an interior of the sensor control device, and wherein the one or more ferromagnetic components are disposed in the interior of the sensor control device.

3 . The assembly of claim 2 , wherein an adhesive force created by an adhesive property of the adhesive patch is greater than the magnetic force exerted by the magnetic component upon the one or more ferromagnetic components.

4 . The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the sensor control device is configured to disengage from the sensor carrier when the subject pulls the applicator away from the subject's skin.

5 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the spring is configured to retract the sharp carrier assembly and the sharp in a proximal direction into the applicator after the sharp carrier assembly, the sharp, the spring, the sensor carrier, the magnetic component, and the sensor control device reach the distal position.

6 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the subcutaneous glucose sensor further comprises a proximal portion including one or more electrical contacts.

7 . The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the subcutaneous glucose sensor further comprises a bent portion between the proximal portion of the subcutaneous glucose sensor and the distal portion of the subcutaneous glucose sensor.

8 . The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the proximal portion of the subcutaneous glucose sensor is perpendicular to the distal portion of the subcutaneous glucose sensor.

9 . The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the applicator further comprises a gasket configured to create a seal between the applicator housing and the cap.

10 . The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the distal end of the subcutaneous glucose sensor and a distal portion of the sharp extend in a distal direction from the bottom surface of the sensor control device when the sharp carrier assembly, the sharp, the spring, the sensor carrier, the magnetic component, and the sensor control device are in the proximal position.

11 . The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the sensor control device further comprises a first aperture on a top surface of the housing of the sensor control device,

wherein the sensor control device further comprises a second aperture on the bottom surface of the sensor control device, and

wherein the sharp is configured to extend through the first aperture and the second aperture when the sharp carrier assembly, the sharp, the spring, the sensor carrier, the magnet, and the sensor control device are in the proximal position.

12 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the adhesive patch comprises a third aperture, and wherein the sharp is configured to extend through the third aperture when sharp carrier assembly, the sharp, the spring, the sensor carrier, the magnet, and the sensor control device are in the proximal position.

13 . The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the sensor carrier does not have one or more spring arms configured to retain the sensor control device.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (400)