Patents Assigned to MiniMed Inc.
  • Patent number: 8882710
    Abstract: An insertion device may include a base adapted to be carried by a patient, and a housing attached to the base, the housing having a fluid connector arranged for movement relative to the base. A pair of interactive elements including a first interactive element may be supported on the base and a second interactive element supported on the housing at a location to be interactable with the first interactive element when the fluid connector is moved to a predetermined position. Circuitry may be configured to detect an interaction between the first interactive element and the second interactive element when the fluid connector is in the predetermined position, the circuitry configured to provide a signal or a change in state in response to detecting the interaction between the first interactive element and the second interactive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic Minimed, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin A. Chong, Eric M. Lorenzen, Rafael Bikovsky, Arsen Ibranyan, Adam J. Livingston, Tom McGee, Steven Masterson
  • Patent number: 8870829
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a fluid infusion device of the type that delivers medication fluid to the body of a patient. The device includes or cooperates with a fluid reservoir, and the device has a sealing assembly to receive and form a fluid seal with the fluid reservoir. A retractable sealing element surrounding a hollow fluid delivery needle may be used to seal a port of the fluid reservoir. The port may include a pressure vent that is sealed by the retractable sealing element. In one variation, the reservoir includes a moving valve sleeve that holds a septum. The septum moves to allow the reservoir to vent, and to form a seal with the port when the needle pierces the septum. In another variation, the device includes a needleless sealing assembly. In yet other variations, the device uses a needled fluid reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Edgardo C. Halili, Eric M. Lorenzen, Matthew William Yavorsky
  • Patent number: 8870818
    Abstract: Systems and methods for alignment and detection of a consumable component are disclosed herein. For example, a method for determining if a consumable component is coupled to a durable component to enable dispersion of a medicine is provided. The method includes determining if a signal from an electrical contact coupled to a durable component has changed an electrical state, and comparing the signal to a reference signal from a second electrical component coupled to the durable component. The method includes sampling a sensor coupled to the durable component to acquire sensor data indicative of a magnetic field observed by the sensor, and outputting data that a consumable component is coupled to the durable component if the signal is different than the reference signal, and the sensor data is within an acceptable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Juan M. Alderete, Jr., R. Marie Tieck
  • Patent number: 8870763
    Abstract: Subject matter disclosed herein relates to monitoring and/or controlling levels of an analyte in bodily fluid. In particular, estimation of a concentration of the analyte in a first physiological compartment based upon observations of a concentration of the analyte in a second physiological compartment may account for a latency in transporting the analyte between the first and second physiological compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Ning Yang, Rebecca K. Gottlieb, Keith Nogueira, Xiaolong Li, Bradley Liang, Brian T. Kannard
  • Patent number: 8864726
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a fluid infusion device of the type that delivers medication fluid to the body of a patient. The device includes or cooperates with a fluid reservoir, and the device has a sealing assembly to receive and form a fluid seal with the fluid reservoir. A retractable sealing element surrounding a hollow fluid delivery needle may be used to seal a port of the fluid reservoir. The port may include a pressure vent that is sealed by the retractable sealing element. In one variation, the reservoir includes a moving valve sleeve that holds a septum. The septum moves to allow the reservoir to vent, and to form a seal with the port when the needle pierces the septum. In another variation, the device includes a needleless sealing assembly. In yet other variations, the device uses a needled fluid reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Edgardo C. Halili, Eric M. Lorenzen, Matthew William Yavorsky
  • Patent number: 8864739
    Abstract: An improved pump, reservoir and reservoir piston are provided for controlled delivery of fluids. A motor is operably coupled to a drive member, such as a drive screw, which is adapted to advance a plunger slide in response to operation of the motor. The plunger slide is removably coupled to the piston. Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for automatically detecting an occlusion in a medication infusion pump are provided. The electrical current to an infusion pump may be measured. Based on measurements of one or more variables, such as force, the infusion pump detects whether there is an occlusion in the system. The methods of detecting occlusions may be dynamic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic Minimed, Inc.
    Inventors: Sheldon B. Moberg, Ian B. Hanson, Cary D. Talbot
  • Patent number: 8858500
    Abstract: A delivery device for delivering fluidic media may include a second housing portion configured to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from a first housing portion adapted to be carried by a user, a drive device configured to be operatively engageable with a plunger arm connected to a plunger head arranged for movement in an axial direction of a reservoir supported by one of the first and second housing portion to drive fluidic media from the reservoir, a drive linkage for operatively engaging the drive device with the plunger arm for allowing the drive device to move the plunger arm, the drive device including a first gear engageable with the plunger arm and a second gear configured for lateral movement to allow the second gear to engage the plunger arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic Minimed, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian B. Hanson, Paul F. Bente, IV
  • Patent number: 8858501
    Abstract: A reservoir and a plunger head contained within may be configured to move relative to each other in response to at least one of the reservoir being detached from a base, the base and/or the reservoir being removed from a packaging, and the base and/or the reservoir being moved relative to each other. A first layer may be configured to define a reservoir, the first layer, which may be made of a material compatible with fluidic media in the reservoir, may be adjacent a second layer for inhibiting a diffusion through the second layer. A first layer that may be less than 0.3 mm and made of a cyclic olefin copolymer may be configured to define a reservoir. A reservoir may be defined by a wall made of a cyclic olefin copolymer and the wall may be for substantially preventing light from passing through the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin A. Chong, Eric M. Lorenzen, Rafael Bikovsky, Truong Gia Luan, Arsen Ibranyan
  • Patent number: 8850687
    Abstract: A thin film sensor, such as a glucose sensor, is provided for transcutaneous placement at a selected site within the body of a patient. The sensor includes several sensor layers that include conductive layers and includes a proximal segment defining conductive contacts adapted for electrical connection to a suitable monitor, and a distal segment with sensor electrodes for transcutaneous placement. The sensor electrode layers are disposed generally above each other, for example with the reference electrode above the working electrode and the working electrode above the counter electrode. The electrode layers are separated by dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic Minimed, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajiv Shah, Rebecca K. Gottlieb
  • Patent number: 8850688
    Abstract: A thin film sensor, such as a glucose sensor, is provided for transcutaneous placement at a selected site within the body of a patient. The sensor includes several sensor layers that include conductive layers and includes a proximal segment defining conductive contacts adapted for electrical connection to a suitable monitor, and a distal segment with sensor electrodes for transcutaneous placement. The sensor electrode layers are disposed generally above each other, for example with the reference electrode above the working electrode and the working electrode above the counter electrode. The electrode layers are separated by dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic Minimed, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajiv Shah, Rebecca K. Gottlieb
  • Patent number: 8841012
    Abstract: A device for delivering fluid to a user includes a housing, a drive motor assembly in the housing, other internal components in the housing, and a keypad external to the housing. The device includes a number of features and elements that enhance its operation, manufacturability, reliability, and user-friendliness. These features and elements include a shock absorbing element for a battery of the device, a keypad actuator layer that overlies a keypad assembly and forms a water resistant seal with the housing, and an offset element for a piezoelectric speaker that is located inside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: EJMar Fonacier, Kirk A. Allen, Chad Srisathapat, Afshin Bazargan
  • Patent number: 8840587
    Abstract: A system includes a durable portion with a durable housing and a separable disposable portion with a disposable housing that selectively engage with and disengage from each other. The disposable housing secures to a patient and may be disposed of after it has been in use for a prescribed period. Components that normally come into contact with a patient or with an infusion medium may be part of the disposable portion to allow for disposal after a prescribed use. A reservoir for holding the infusion medium may be part of the disposable portion, and may be supported by the disposable housing. The durable portion may include other components such as electronics for controlling delivery of the infusion medium from the reservoir, and a drive device including a motor and drive linkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul F. Bente, IV, Ian B. Hanson, Sheldon B. Moberg, R. Paul Mounce, Paul H. Kovelman, Julian D. Kavazov, Truong Gia Luan
  • Patent number: 8840586
    Abstract: A system includes a durable portion with a durable housing and a separable disposable portion with a disposable housing that selectively engage with and disengage from each other. The disposable housing secures to a patient and may be disposed of after it has been in use for a prescribed period. Components that normally come into contact with a patient or with an infusion medium may be part of the disposable portion to allow for disposal after a prescribed use. A reservoir for holding the infusion medium may be part of the disposable portion, and may be supported by the disposable housing. The durable portion may include other components such as electronics for controlling delivery of the infusion medium from the reservoir, and a drive device including a motor and drive linkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul F. Bente, IV, Ian B. Hanson, Sheldon B. Moberg, R. Paul Mounce, Paul H. Kovelman, Julian D. Kavazov, Truong Gia Luan
  • Patent number: 8838195
    Abstract: Novel optical devices, methods and systems relating to the detection of glucose, and more particularly to real-time glucose monitoring, are disclosed herein. More particularly, various hardware and methodological means are disclosed for ratiometric correction of optical glucose measurements for artifacts of optical systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic Minimed, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Markle, Ritchie A. Wessling, Donald J. Kolehmainen
  • Patent number: 8821793
    Abstract: A substrate with hermetically sealed vias extending from one side of the substrate to another and a method for fabricating same. The vias may be filled with a conductive material such as, for example, a fritless ink. The conductive path formed by the conductive material aids in sealing one side of the substrate from another. One side of the substrate may include a sensing element and another side of the substrate may include sensing electronics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Shaun Pendo, Rajiv Shah, Edward Chernoff
  • Publication number: 20140243634
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein includes amperometric glucose sensors having electrodes formed from processes that electrodeposit platinum black in a manner that produces relatively smooth three dimensional metal architectures, ones that contribute to sensor reliability and stability. Embodiments of the invention provide analyte sensors having such uniform electrode architectures as well as methods for making and using these sensor electrodes. A number of working embodiments of the invention are shown to be useful in amperometric glucose sensors worn by diabetic individuals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Ting Huang, Ashwin K. Rao, Rajiv Shah, Qingling Yang
  • Patent number: 8808240
    Abstract: A fluid infusion system including a pocketable pump housing with a reservoir cavity with helical coupling features. The system further has a reservoir with an open end that is removable from the reservoir cavity. A removable cap coupled to the housing is also included in the system. The cap has corresponding coupling features, an exterior surface and a tab. The corresponding coupling features couple the cap to the housing while the tab is a ridge that extends away from the exterior surface. The tab has a port to accommodate flow from the reservoir and the port defines an axis of rotation such that torque applied to the tab about the axis of rotation disengages the coupling between the cap and the housing. The system further has a removably coupled guard with a slot defined to immobilize rotation of the tab about the axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Afshin Bazargan, Sheldon B. Moberg, Kevin Lee Bokelman, Daniel S. Kline, Steven Masterson
  • Patent number: 8808532
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide amperometric analyte sensors having optimized elements such as electrodes formed from sputtered platinum compositions as well as layers of material selected to optimize the characteristics of a wide variety of sensor elements and sensors. While embodiments of the innovation can be used in a variety of contexts, typical embodiments of the invention include glucose sensors used in the management of diabetes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic Minimed, Inc
    Inventors: Qingling Yang, Rajiv Shah, Xiaolong Li, Barry Phong Pham, Yiwen Li
  • Patent number: 8808269
    Abstract: Apparatus are provided for infusion devices and related control systems and methods. An infusion device includes a voided portion adapted to receive a shaft portion that includes a shaft coupled to a plunger of a reservoir and a sensing arrangement proximate the voided portion to sense a detectable feature. A control module may determine a remaining amount of fluid in the reservoir or identify an anomalous condition based at least in part on the sensed position of the detectable feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Afshin Bazargan, Pablo Vazquez, EJMar Fonacier, Andrew E. Weaver
  • Patent number: 8795231
    Abstract: An automated reservoir filling system for a portable medical device is disclosed. The system includes a vial sealed by a septum partially filled with a liquid and a gas occupying a headspace. The system further includes a reservoir with a volume defined between a reservoir septum and a plunger head. The plunger head is coupled to a plunger arm which is further coupled to a drive system. Further included is a transfer system with a vial end that pierces the vial septum and remains in contact with the liquid, and a reservoir end that pierces the reservoir septum and remains in the reservoir volume. A controller coupled to the drive system to actuates the drive system automatically drawing fluid from the vial to the reservoir through the degas system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Medtronic Minimed, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin A. Chong, Arsen Ibranyan, Eric M. Lorenzen, Edgardo C. Halili