Granted Patent B2

US 12,733,845 · App. 18/050,401 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventors: Venkatramanan Krishnamani (Irvine, CA); Anando Devadoss (Irvine, CA)

Assignee: Willow Laboratories, Inc.

A61B5/1473A61B5/14532A61B5/14865A61B5/4839A61B2562/028

Abstract

Claims (49)

1 . An implantable electrochemical cell for facilitating physiological measurement at a tissue site of a patient, comprising:

a container portion configured to be at least partially implanted in the tissue site of the patient, the container portion comprising:

an open end;

a closed end configured to be implanted in the patient;

at least one sidewall at least partially implanted in the patient, wherein the at least one sidewall comprises at least one porous interface configured to allow one or more analytes, from bodily fluid of the patient at the tissue site, to enter into an interior volume of the container portion; and

a fluid medium occupying the interior volume of the container portion, the interior volume defined at least in part by the closed end and the at least one sidewall;

an analyte sensor configured to measure at least one analyte from the one or more analytes in the fluid medium, the analyte sensor extending from the open end towards the closed end and into the interior volume, wherein the analyte sensor comprises:

a sensor electrode comprising an enzyme,

a counter electrode, and

a reference electrode,

each of the sensor electrode, counter electrode, and reference electrode immersed in and spaced apart within the fluid medium, the fluid medium configured to allow diffusion of the at least one analyte from bodily fluid of the tissue site to the analyte sensor;

a seal configured to close the open end, the seal comprising a feedthrough; and

at least one electrical connection extending through the feedthrough from the analyte sensor to one or more hardware processors not implanted in the patient.

2 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the tissue site of the patient is at least one of:

an abdomen of the patient; or

an arm of the patient.

3 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the implantable electrochemical cell operates in connection with a disease management system.

4 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the implantable electrochemical cell is tubular in shape, and the closed end comprises a rounded bottom portion.

5 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the fluid medium comprises a cross-linked water absorbing polymer matrix.

6 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the at least one porous interface ranges between 10-50 micrometers.

7 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the analyte sensor includes an insulting layer and a tip modified with a suitable sensing element configured to be immersed in the fluid medium.

8 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 7 , wherein the suitable sensing element comprises an enzyme.

9 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical connection is complimented by the reference electrode or the counter electrode configured to be immersed in the fluid medium.

10 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical connection is sealed with a polymer resin such that an inner side of the implantable electrochemical cell is at least partially isolated from the at least one electrical connection.

11 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the analyte sensor comprises at least three electrodes patterned onto a flexible substrate, wherein the analyte sensor is configured to wrap around a cylindrical structure within the implantable electrochemical cell.

12 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 11 , wherein the at least three electrodes of the analyte sensor are configured to face an outward direction from a center of the cylindrical structure.

13 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 11 , wherein the at least three electrodes of the analyte sensor are configured to face an inward direction from a center of the cylindrical structure.

14 . The implantable electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the at least one analyte comprises glucose.

15 . A disease management system, the disease management system comprising:

an electrochemical cell configured to facilitate physiological measurement at a tissue site of a patient, the electrochemical cell comprising:

a container portion configured to be at least partially implanted in the tissue site of the patient the container portion comprising:

an open end;

a closed end configured to be implanted in the patient;

at least one sidewall at least partially implanted in the patient; and

a semi-permeable portion comprising:

at least one porous interface positioned in the at least one sidewall, the at least one porous interface configured to allow one or more analytes, from bodily fluid of the patient at the tissue site, to enter into an interior volume of the container portion; and

a fluid medium occupying the interior volume of the container portion, the interior volume defined at least in part by the closed end and the at least one sidewall; and

an analyte sensor configured to measure at least one analyte from the at least one or more analytes in the fluid medium, the analyte sensor extending from the open end towards the closed end and into the interior volume, wherein the analyte sensor comprises:

a sensor electrode comprising an enzyme,

a counter electrode, and

a reference electrode,

each of the sensor electrode, counter electrode, and reference electrode immersed in and spaced apart within the fluid medium, the semi-permeable portion configured to allow diffusion of the at least one analyte from bodily fluid of the tissue site to the analyte sensor;

a seal configured to close the open end, the seal comprising a feedthrough; and

at least one electrical connection extending through the feedthrough; and

at least one hardware processor connected to the at least one electrical connection of the electrochemical cell, the at least one hardware processor configured to process a plurality of data from the analyte sensor and output at least one measurement to a display.

16 . The disease management system of claim 15 , wherein the disease management system is configured to utilize the plurality of data to monitor or manage an insulin level of the patient.

17 . The disease management system of claim 15 , wherein the disease management system is an element of a minimally invasive device that manages delivery of at least one medication to the patient.

18 . The disease management system of claim 15 , wherein the semi-permeable portion of the electrochemical cell is configured to be at least partially implanted in the patient.

19 . The disease management system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one analyte comprises glucose.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (400)