Analyte Monitoring and Fluid Dispensing System
Disclosed is a skin adherable device for delivering therapeutic fluid into a body of a patient. The device includes a monitoring apparatus, a dispensing apparatus, and a tip for delivering the therapeutic fluid into the body of the patient and for monitoring bodily analyte in the body of the patient. The dispensing apparatus may continuously deliver the therapeutic fluid to the body of the patient and the monitoring apparatus may continuously monitor bodily analytes of the patient.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/004,047, entitled “Analyte Monitoring and Fluid Dispensing System,” filed on Nov. 21, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELDSystems, devices, and methods for continuous monitoring of bodily analyte and continuous dispensing of therapeutic fluid are described herein. More particularly, a system comprising a continuous glucose monitor and insulin dispenser is described herein. Even more particularly, a device that is configured as a miniature, portable, single unit that can be adhered to a patient's skin and connected to at least one subcutaneous tip to continuously monitor glucose levels and dispense insulin is described herein.
The systems, devices and methods are not limited strictly to delivering insulin and monitoring glucose but, rather, apply to delivering any other drug and concomitantly monitoring any analyte. When used in the following description the term “analyte” means any solute composed of specific molecules dissolved in an aqueous medium.
BACKGROUND Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Injection (SCII)Medical treatment of several illnesses requires continuous drug infusion into various body compartments, such as subcutaneous and intra-venous injections. Diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, for example, require the administration of varying amounts of insulin throughout the day to control their glucose levels. In recent years, ambulatory portable insulin infusion pumps have emerged as a superior alternative to multiple daily syringe injections of insulin, initially for Type 1 diabetes patients (Diabetes Medicine 2006; 23(2):141-7) and consecutively for Type 2 diabetes patients (Diabetes Metab 2007 Apr. 30, Diabetes Obes Metab 2007 Jun. 26). These pumps, which deliver insulin at a continuous basal rate as well as in bolus volumes, were developed to liberate patients from repeated self-administered injections, and allow them to maintain a near-normal daily routine. Both basal and bolus volumes must be delivered in precise doses, according to individual prescription, since an overdose or under-dose of insulin could be fatal.
The first generation of portable infusion pumps concerns “pager-like” devices with a reservoir contained within the device's housing. These devices are provided with a long tube for delivering insulin from the pump attached to a patient's belt to a remote insertion site. Both basal and bolus volumes deliveries in these “pager-like” devices are controlled via a set of buttons provided on the device. A human interface screen is provided on the device housing for advising the user about fluid delivery status, for programming flow delivery, for alerts and alarms. Such devices are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,771,694, 4,657,486 and 4,498,843. These devices represent a significant improvement over multiple daily injections, but nevertheless, they all suffer from several major drawbacks, among which are the large size and weight, long delivery tubing and lack of discreetness.
To avoid the consequences of a long delivery tube, a new concept on which a second generation pumps are based, was proposed. As described in prior art, the new concept concerns a remote controlled skin adherable device with a housing having a bottom surface adapted for contact with the patient's skin, a reservoir disposed within the housing, and an injection needle adapted for communication with the reservoir. In these devices, the user interface means is configured as a separate remote control unit that contains operating buttons and screen providing fluid delivery status, programming flow delivery, alerts and alarms, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,957,895, 6,589,229, 6,740,059, 6,723,072, and 6,485,461. These second generation devices also have several limitations, such as being heavy, bulky, and expensive because the device should be replaced every 2-3 days. Another major drawback of these second generation skin adherable devices is associated with the remote controlled drug administration. The user is totally dependent on the remote control unit and cannot initiate bolus delivery or operate the device if the remote control unit is not at hand, or it is lost or malfunctions (practically, this means that the patient cannot eat).
A third generation of skin adherable infusion devices was devised to avoid the price limitation and to extend patient customization. An example of such a device was described in co-pending/co-owned patent applications U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/397,115 and International Patent Application No. PCT/IL06/001276. This third generation device contains a remote control unit and a skin adherable device/patch unit that can be comprised of two parts:
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- Reusable part—containing the metering portion, electronics, and other relatively expensive components.
- Disposable part—containing the reservoir and in some embodiments batteries.
This concept provides a cost-effective, skin adherable infusion device and allows diverse usage such as various reservoir sizes, various needle and cannula types.
In a co-pending/co-owned International Application No. PCT/IL07/001,578 and U.S. Patent Application No. PCT/IL07/001,578 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/004,837, claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/876,679, a fourth generation patch unit that can be disconnected and reconnected from and to a skin adherable cradle unit was disclosed.
The fourth generation detachable skin adherable patch can be remotely controlled or can be operated by a dedicated control buttons that are located on the patch housing as disclosed in the co-owned/co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/691,527 By virtue of the fourth generation patch the user can deliver a desired bolus dose by repetitive pressing of control buttons.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)Most diabetic patients currently measure their own glucose levels several times during the day by obtaining finger-prick capillary samples and applying the blood to a reagent strip for analysis in a portable meter. While glucose level self-monitoring has had a major impact on improving diabetes care in the last few decades, the disadvantages of this technology are substantial and consequently leading to non-compliance. Blood sampling is associated with the discomfort of multiple skin pricking, testing cannot be performed during sleeping and when the subject is occupied (e.g., during driving a motor vehicle), and intermittent testing may miss episodes of hyper- and hypoglycemia. The ideal glucose monitoring technology should therefore employ automatic and continuous testing.
Currently there are three techniques for continuously monitoring of glucose in the subcutaneous interstitial fluid (ISF):
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- 1. The first technique is based on use of glucose oxidase based sensors as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,360,888 to Mclvor et al. and 6,892,085 to Mclvor et al., both assigned to Medtronic MiniMed Inc. (CGMS, Guardian™ and CGMS Gold), and 6,881,551 to Heller et al., assigned to Abbott Laboratories, formerly TheraSense, Inc., (Navigator™). These sensors consist of a subcutaneously implantable, needle-type amperometric enzyme electrode, coupled with a portable logger.
- 2. The second technique is based on use of reverse iontophoresis-based sensors as detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,391,643 to Chen et al., assigned to Cygnus, Inc. (GlucoWatch™). A small current passed between two electrodes located on the skin surface draws ions and (by electro-endosmosis) glucose-containing interstitial fluid to the surface and into hydrogel pads incorporating a glucose oxidase biosensor (JAMA 1999; 282: 1839-1844).
- 3. The third commercial technology in current clinical use is based on microdialysis (Diab Care 2002; 25: 347-352), as detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,091,976 to Pfeiffer et al., assigned to Roche Diagnostics. There exists also marketable device (Menarini Diagnostics, GlucoDay™). Here, a fine, hollow dialysis fiber is implanted in the subcutaneous tissue and perfused with isotonic fluid. Glucose from the tissue diffuses into the fiber and is pumped outside the body for measurement by a glucose oxidase-based electrochemical sensor. Initial reports (Diab Care 2002; 25: 347-352) show good agreement between sensor and blood glucose readings, and good stability with a one-point calibration over one day.
In an artificial pancreas, sometimes referred to as a “closed loop” system, an insulin pump delivers appropriate dosage of insulin according to continuous glucose monitor readings. An artificial pancreas voids human interface and is expected to eliminate debilitating episodes of hypoglycemia, particularly nighttime hypoglycemia. An intermediate step in the way to achieve a “closed loop” system is an “open loop” (or “semi-closed loop”) system also called “closed loop with meal announcement.” In this model, user intervention is required, in a way similar to using of today's insulin pumps by keying in the desired insulin before they eat a meal. A closed loop system is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,351 to Steil et al., assigned to Medtronic MiniMed. The system is comprised of two separate devices, a glucose monitor and an insulin pump which are adherable to two remotely body sites and the loop is closed by an RF communication link. This closed loop system has some major drawbacks:
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- 1. The glucose monitor and insulin pump are two discrete components, thus there are required two insertion sites and two skin-pricking sites for every replacement of the insulin pump and the sensor, usually every 3 days.
- 2. Being separated apart, the two system components should be connected either by radio communication link or by wires.
- 3. The pump is heavy and bulky with long tubing making the system non-discreet.
- 4. The system is extremely expensive because the pump infusion set and the monitor sensor should be disposed every 3 days.
Systems, devices, and methods for continuous monitoring of bodily analyte and continuous dispensing of therapeutic fluid are provided. Some embodiments relate to a device that includes both a monitoring apparatus and a dispensing apparatus. The dispensing apparatus may be used for infusing fluid into the body and the monitoring apparatus may be used for monitoring analytes within the body. The monitoring apparatus and the dispensing apparatus can share a single subcutaneously insertable tip, designed to allow both the concomitantly monitoring of analyte levels and the dispensing of fluid. In some embodiments, the apparatus can have a plurality of insertable tips that can be connected to the monitoring and dispensing apparatuses to perform monitoring of analyte(s) and dispensing of fluid(s). The tip functions as a probe for monitoring analyte levels within the body, for example, within the interstitial fluid (“ISF”) and at the same time as a cannula through which fluid is delivered to the body (hereinafter “tip”). The dispensing apparatus and the monitoring apparatus may work independently of each other, or may work together as a closed loop or semi-closed loop system. In some embodiments, the dispensing fluid is insulin to be used with diabetic patients and the analyte is glucose. The monitoring apparatus and dispensing apparatus may comprise a fluid delivery device, which may be configured as a skin adherable device (hereinafter “patch unit”).
Some embodiments of the device include at least one of the following units and elements:
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- 1. A patch unit that includes the monitoring apparatus and the dispensing apparatus. The monitoring apparatus includes sensing means and connecting wires; and, the dispensing apparatus includes a reservoir, driving mechanism, and pumping mechanism. The patch unit further includes a printed circuit board (“PCB”), which includes a processor and can include a transceiver. The processor controls operation of the dispensing and monitoring apparatuses (hereinafter “processor-controller”). For programming and data presentation, the device can be provided with a remote control unit and/or with one or more operating buttons on the patch unit. The device further can be provided with a skin adherable cradle unit. The patch unit can be connected or disconnected to the cradle unit. The dispensing apparatus of the patch unit may employ different dispensing mechanisms, such as a syringe with a propelling plunger/piston (syringe type) mechanism or a peristaltic mechanism. The patch unit further includes a reservoir and an outlet port which allows fluid communication between the reservoir and the tip when the patch unit is connected to the cradle unit. The patch unit may be configured as a single part or consist of two parts, which include:
- a. A reusable part—contains relatively expensive components, e.g., pumping mechanism, electronics.
- b. A disposable part—contains relatively non-expensive and disposable components, e.g., reservoir.
The patch unit further includes a power source which can be contained either in the reusable part or in the disposable part. - 2. A cradle unit, which is provided with a flat bottom covered by a sheet with an adhesive for adhering the cradle unit to the skin, with a passageway (hereinafter “well”) and at least one anchors for the tip. The cradle unit further includes at least one connector, e.g., latches for connection and disconnection of the patch unit to and from the cradle unit.
- 3. A cartridge unit—includes the following:
- a. A tip, which is insertable into the body for both fluid delivery and for analyte monitoring. Upon insertion, the tip is rigidly connected to the well.
- b. A penetrating member, which is a sharpened piece used for skin pricking during tip insertion. It is removed upon insertion of the tip.
- c. A protector, which shields the cannula/probe and the penetrating member.
- In some embodiments, the tip insertion can be done automatically by virtue of a spring loaded inserter.
- 4. A remote control unit for controlling the patch unit.
In some embodiments, a system for infusing a therapeutic fluid into a body of a patient is provided and includes a skin adherable device comprising a dispensing apparatus, a multi-purpose tip for delivering the therapeutic fluid to the body of the patient and for monitoring bodily analyte in the body of the patient, and a remote control unit, including a blood glucose monitoring apparatus. The system optionally comprises a cradle which receives the skin adherable device and which includes an adhesive on a skin-facing surface.
The monitoring apparatus may employ a conventional analyte sensing means, including without limitation, such as optical, electrochemical, acoustic, or photo-acoustic.
In some embodiments, the device includes an external glucose monitoring and insulin dispensing unit which contains means to dispense insulin according to glucose levels in a closed or semi-closed loop system.
In some embodiments, the device includes one unit for continuous insulin delivery and continuous glucose monitoring using one common insertion site and one tip.
In some embodiments, the device includes an external single glucose monitoring and insulin dispensing unit that can be comprised of one part or two parts and can be connected and disconnected from the body at user's discretion.
In some embodiments, a stand alone tip can be inserted into the body, having a proximal end that remains out of the body and that can be connected and reconnected both to an insulin dispenser and glucose monitor.
In some embodiments, the device includes an external glucose monitoring and insulin dispensing unit that can be disconnected and reconnected to a tip inserted in the body.
In some embodiments, the device includes an external glucose monitoring and insulin dispensing unit that is highly cost-effective for the patient.
It is an object of some of the embodiments to provide a device that includes a unit for frequent or continuous measurements of bodily analyte levels and a unit for frequent or continuous delivery of therapeutic fluid into the body.
It is another object of some of the embodiments to provide a device that includes a unit for frequent or continuous measurements of glucose levels and a unit for frequent or continuous delivery of insulin.
It is another object of some of the embodiments to provide a device that includes a unit for frequent or continuous measurements of glucose levels and a unit for frequent or continuous delivery of insulin according to the monitored glucose levels.
It is another object of some of the embodiments to provide a device that is configured as a skin adherable unit which includes a glucose monitoring apparatus and an insulin dispensing apparatus.
It is another object of some embodiments to provide a single patch unit, in which the monitoring and dispensing apparatuses can concomitantly use a common insertion site and one tip that serves as a probe for monitoring glucose levels and as a cannula for delivering insulin. The glucose level may be monitored within the ISF in the subcutaneous tissue, and the insulin may be delivered into the subcutaneous tissue.
It is another object of some embodiments to provide a patch unit that includes monitoring and dispensing apparatuses and has two-parts—a reusable part and a disposable part. The reusable part may include relatively expensive components, e.g., electronics, a driving mechanism, and the disposable part may include relatively inexpensive components, e.g., a reservoir.
It is another object of some of the embodiments to provide a device that is configured as a patch unit and contains both a continuous glucose monitoring apparatus and insulin dispensing apparatus. The patch unit can be controlled by a remote control unit or by buttons provided anywhere on the patch unit.
It is another object of some embodiments to provide a patch unit capable both of analyte monitoring and fluid dispensing and that is thin, miniature, can be hidden under the clothes, can be attached to the patient's body at any desired location, avoid long tubing, and does not interfere with normal daily activities.
It is another object of some embodiments to provide a patch unit which includes both monitoring and dispensing apparatuses, where the patch unit can be connected to a tip insertable within various bodily tissue, including, for example, subcutaneous tissue, blood vessels, peritoneal cavity, muscles, and adipose tissue.
In the following discussion, the term “cannula” will also be used to refer to the tip (330). Detailed discussion of cannula insertion is provided in the co-owned/co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/876,679, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The insertion device (800) includes a housing (804) in which the cradle (20) can be loaded. The housing has also a slot (806) into which the cannula cartridge unit (700) can be loaded, and a button (802) which initiates the insertion operation.
In some embodiments, the dispensed fluid is insulin, the monitored analyte is glucose and the subcutaneous compartment includes ISF. Insulin may be continuously (or in short intervals, such as every 3-10 minutes) dispensed into the subcutaneous compartment by the dispensing apparatus (1005) through the tip (330). Glucose levels can be measured continuously, or periodically in short intervals, by the monitoring apparatus (1006), using the tip (330).
The single patch unit (10) containing the dispensing apparatus (1005) and monitoring apparatus (1006) can be a single-part or a two-part (reusable and disposable) patch unit (10). The patch unit (10) can be contained in one or two housings. Further, the patch unit (10) can be operated by a remote control unit (40) and/or by manual buttons (not shown in
In some embodiments, programming can be done by the remote control unit (40) and/or by at least one button (15) provided at the patch unit (10). As can be understood by one skilled in the art, the dispensing apparatus can include various types of pumping mechanisms (e.g., peristaltic pump or plunger movement within a syringe) and various driving mechanisms (e.g., DC or stepper motors, SMA derived motors, piezo, or bellow). As can also be understood by one skilled in the art, the monitoring apparatus (1006) can include various types of monitoring mechanisms (e.g., electrochemical, optical, acoustic, or any combination of known methods for analyte monitoring).
As illustrated in
The dispensing apparatus (1005) can also be contained within the reusable part (100) and the disposable part (200), where the reusable part (100) includes the driving mechanism (114) and pumping mechanism (116), and the disposable part (200) includes reservoir (220) and delivery tube (230). Upon connection of the patch unit (10) to the tip (330), fluid can be delivered from the reservoir through the tip (330) into the body, and analytes within the body can be monitored.
The monitoring apparatus (1006) in the shown embodiment includes at least one light-emitting source (101), at least one detector (102), and at least one optical deflecting means (109). The path of light propagating from the light-emitting source (101) into the body is shown as a solid line and the path of light propagating from the body to the detector (102) is shown as a dashed line. Emitted light (300) from the light-emitting source (101) is deflected by deflecting means (109) to the body and the returned light reaches the detector (102) and is analyzed by the processor-controller (2200). The light-emitting source (101), detector (102), and processor-controller (2200) can be located in the reusable part (100) and the deflecting means (109) can be located in the reusable part (100). Windows (111, 112) are provided in the reusable part (100) and disposable part (200). The windows (111, 112) are aligned and maintain passing of the light along the above paths after the reusable part (100) and disposable part (200) are paired.
The monitoring apparatus (1006) can use any one of the following optical means:
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- Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy: NIR transmission and reflectance measurements of glucose are based on the fact that glucose-specific properties are embedded within the NIR spectra and can be extracted by using multivariate analysis methods (Diab Tech Ther 2004; 6(5): 660-697, Anal. Chem. 2005, 77: 4587-4594).
- Mid-IR spectroscopy: This range contains absorbance fingerprints generated by the highly specific and distinctive fundamental vibrations of biologically important molecules such as glucose, proteins, and water. Two strong bands of glucose are found at 9.25 μm and 9.65 μm.
- Light scattering: Light scattering is measured by a localized reflectance (spatially resolved diffuse reflectance) or NIR frequency domain reflectance techniques. In the localized reflectance, a narrow beam of light illuminates a restricted area on the surface of a body part, and reflected signals are measured at several distances from the illumination point. Both localized reflectance measurements and frequency domain measurements are based on changes in glucose concentration, which affects the refractive index mismatch between the ISF and tissue fibers.
- Raman spectroscopy: The Raman Effect is a fundamental process in which energy is exchanged between light and matter. In Raman spectroscopy, the incident light, often referred to as ‘excitation’ light, excites the molecules into vibration motion. Since light energy is proportional to frequency, the frequency change of this scattered light must equal the vibration frequency of the scattering molecules. This process of energy exchange between scattering molecules and incident light is known as the Raman Effect. The Raman scattered light can be collected by a spectrometer and displayed as a ‘spectrum’, in which its intensity is displayed as a function of its frequency change. Since each molecular species has its own unique set of molecular vibrations, the Raman spectrum of a particular species will consist of a series of peaks or ‘bands’, each shifted by one of the characteristic vibration frequencies of that molecule. Thus, Raman spectroscopy can be employed to accurately measure tissue and blood concentrations of glucose (Phys. Med. Biol. 2000 45 (2) R1-R59).
- Fluorescence energy transfer (FRET)-based assay: Concanavalin A is labeled with the highly NIR-fluorescent protein allophycocyanin as donor and dextran labeled with malachite green as the acceptor (J Photochem Photobiol 2000; 54: 26-34; Anal Biochem 2001; 292: 216-221). Competitive displacement of the dextran from binding to the lectin occurs when there are increasing glucose concentrations, leading to a reduction in FRET, measured as intensity or lifetime (time-correlated single-photon counting).
- Photoacoustic method: Photoacoustics (“PA”) involves ultrasonic waves created by the absorption of light. A medium is excited by a laser pulse at a wavelength that is absorbed by a particular molecular species in the medium. Light absorption and subsequent radiation-less decay cause microscopic localized heating in the medium, which generates an ultrasound pressure wave that is detectable by a hydrophone or a piezoelectric device. Analysis of the acoustic signals can map the depth profile of the absorbance of light in the medium. Glucose trends can be tracked by the photoacoustic technique which can work as a noninvasive instrument for the monitoring of blood glucose concentrations (Clin Chem 1999 45(9): 1587-95).
In some embodiments, the tip (330) that is used for monitoring analyte concentration levels and for delivering fluid is a microdialysis (“MD”) or a microperfusion (“MP”) probe, as known in the art. The probe may be perfused with the dispensed fluid (e.g., insulin), or with an additional/alternative perfusion fluid (e.g., saline). The tip membrane may be either semi-permeable or permeable. MD probes are known in the art and examples of their description can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,832 to Ungerstedt, as well as from the document of CMA/Microdialysis AB Company, under the name “CMA 60 Microdialysis Catheter” or “CMA 70 Brain Microdialysis Catheters”. An MD probe coupled with a cannula for insertion is also discussed in the published U.S. Pub. No. 2005/0119588 to Model et al.
In embodiments which are based on molecular diffusion and the tip (330) is semi-permeable or permeable, the analyte sensing means can be configured in one of the following configurations:
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- 1. Intrinsic configuration—the sensing means reside at the tip and is located in the subcutaneous compartment.
- 2. Extrinsic configuration—the sensing means reside within the patch unit being located outside the subcutaneous compartment. The analyte-rich fluid can be transferred to the patch unit, where analyte concentration sensing can be performed outside the body. In this configuration, the dispensing apparatus contains means for transferring of analyte rich fluid from the distal end of the tip, which is located subcutaneously to the proximal end of the tip that is located within the patch (e.g., by reversing the direction of fluid delivery).
Analyte sensing means can be based on electrochemical, optical, acoustic, or any other analyte sensing means known by those of ordinary skill in the art.
In
In
In some embodiments, insulin is dispensed according to bodily glucose levels and thus the system functions as closed loop system and is known in the art as an “artificial pancreas.” In some embodiments, the patch unit (10) can include two parts—reusable part (100) and disposable part (200) —and can include buttons for inputting flow programs.
In the semi-closed loop system, additional inputs from the user (e.g., meal times, changes in basal insulin delivery rates, or boluses before meals) are used within a specific algorithm, to calculate the amount of insulin to be delivered by the dispensing apparatus (1005), as well as inputs from the monitoring apparatus (1006). User inputs can be done with the remote control unit (40) or with the buttons (not shown) on the patch unit (10).
In some embodiments, the patch unit (10) may be connected to a remote control unit (40) that controls the patch unit (10), where the remote control unit (40) further includes a blood glucose monitoring component that allows monitoring and controlling blood glucose levels in the body of the patient. Similar to the embodiments described above, the patch unit (10) may include a dual-purpose tip (330) and can be a one-part or a two-part patch unit. Further, the patch unit (10) may include the cradle unit (20), which can be adhered to the skin of the patient and accommodate insertion of the tip (330). In some embodiments, the patch unit (10) can be configured not to include the cradle unit (20).
Although particular embodiments have been disclosed herein in detail, this has been done by way of example for purposes of illustration only, and is not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the appended claims, which follow. In particular, it is contemplated that various substitutions, alterations, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Other aspects, advantages, and modifications are considered to be within the scope of the following claims. The claims presented are representative of the inventions disclosed herein. Other, unclaimed inventions are also contemplated. The applicant reserves the right to pursue such inventions in later claims.
Any patents, patent applications, articles and published and non-published documents referred to above are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Claims
1.-28. (canceled)
29. A system for delivering a therapeutic fluid into the body of a patient and for sensing one or more body analytes, the system comprising:
- a subcutaneously insertable tip including: a cannula configured for subcutaneous placement within a body of a patient, at least one electrode for interacting with one or more body analytes in subcutaneous tissue of a patient and generating a signal representative of a concentration of the one or more body analytes in the body, the at least one electrode being coupled to the cannula, and at least one cannula electrical connector being in electrical communication with the at least one electrode;
- a reusable part including: at least a portion of a pump, a processor capable of processing the signal for determining the concentration of the one or more body analytes, and at least one reusable part electrical connector being in electrical communication with the processor;
- a disposable part including: a reservoir containing a therapeutic fluid, and an outlet port for enabling flow of the therapeutic fluid from the reservoir to the cannula; and
- a skin securable cradle having a well for receiving the subcutaneously insertable tip;
- wherein: upon coupling of the reusable part to the disposable part and connection thereof to the cradle: electrical communication is established between the at least one electrode and the processor via the at least one cannula electrical connector and the at least one reusable part electrical connector, and the pump delivers the therapeutic fluid from the reservoir to the body through the cannula.
30. The system of claim 29, wherein the cradle further comprises:
- a first cradle electrical connector coupleable to the at least one cannula electrical connector, and
- a second cradle electrical connector coupleable to the at least one reusable part electrical connector and in electrical communication with the first cradle electrical connector.
31. The system of claim 29, wherein the disposable part further comprises:
- a first disposable part electrical connector coupleable to the at least one cannula electrical connector, and
- a second disposable part electrical connector coupleable to the at least one reusable part electrical connector and in electrical communication with the first disposable part electrical connector.
32. The system of claim 29, wherein the subcutaneously insertable tip includes current conducting elements for establishing electrical communication between the at least one electrode and the cannula electrical connector.
33. The system of claim 30, wherein the cradle includes current conducting elements for establishing electrical communication between the first cradle electrical connector and the second cradle electrical connector.
34. The system of claim 31, wherein the disposable part includes current conducting elements for establishing electrical communication between the first disposable part electrical connector and the second disposable part electrical connector.
35. The system of claim 29, wherein coupling of the reusable part to the disposable part form a unit and the unit is releasably connected to the cradle enabling repeated establishment of electrical communication between the at least one electrode and the processor.
36. The system of claim 29, wherein the at least one electrode being coated with an enzyme layer that electrochemically interacts with the one or more body analytes.
37. The system of claim 29, wherein the cannula includes a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion including the cannula electrical connector and being securable to the well, and the distal portion including the at least one electrode and being configured for subcutaneous placement within the body of the patient.
38. The system of claim 37, wherein the at least one electrode is in close proximity to an opening at the distal portion, the therapeutic fluid being delivered though the opening.
39. The system of claim 29, wherein the at least one electrode is disposed on an outer surface of the cannula.
40. The system of claim 29, wherein the at least one electrode is provided on an inner surface of the cannula and at least part of the cannula comprises a permeable or a semi-permeable wall.
41. The system of claim 29, wherein the at least one electrode is provided along at least one of a part of a circumferential axis of the cannula and a part of a longitudinal axis of the cannula.
42. The system of claim 29, wherein the therapeutic fluid comprises insulin and the one or more body analytes comprises glucose.
43. The system of claim 29, wherein the processor controls each of the pump for continuously delivering the therapeutic fluid to the body of the patient and also the at least one electrode for continuously monitoring the concentration level of the one or more body analytes in the subcutaneous tissue.
44. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the pump is configured to deliver the therapeutic fluid to the body of the patient based on the concentration of the one or more body analytes determined by the processor.
45. The system of claim 29, wherein the system is operable in a mode selected from the group consisting of: an open loop mode, a closed loop mode, and a semi-closed loop mode.
46. The system of claim 29, wherein the cradle includes an adhesive layer for adhering the cradle to the skin of the patient.
47. The system of claim 29, wherein the system further comprises a remote control, the remote control being configured for at least one of controlling, programming and managing data related to delivery of the therapeutic fluid and/or monitoring of the one or more body analytes.
48. The system of claim 47, wherein the remote control includes a glucose monitoring apparatus.
49. The system of claim 33, wherein at least one of the current conducting elements, the first cradle electrical connector and the second cradle electrical connector, is embedded with the cradle.
50. The system of claim 29, wherein the cradle and the subcutaneously insertable tip are disposable.
51. A system for delivering a therapeutic fluid into the body of a patient and for sensing one or more body analytes, the system comprising:
- a subcutaneously insertable tip including: a cannula configured for subcutaneous placement within a body of a patient, at least one electrode for interacting with one or more body analytes in subcutaneous tissue of a patient and generating a signal representative of a concentration of the one or more body analytes in the body, the at least one electrode being coupled to the cannula, and at least one cannula electrical connector being in electrical communication with the at least one electrode;
- a therapeutic fluid delivery device having a processor capable of processing the signal for determining the concentration of the one or more body analytes, and at least one electrical connector being in electrical communication with the processor; and
- a skin securable cradle having a well for receiving the subcutaneously insertable tip;
- wherein: electrical communication is established between the at least one electrode and the processor via the at least one cannula electrical connector and the at least one electrical connector of the device upon connection thereof to the cradle, and the pump delivers the therapeutic fluid from the reservoir to the body through the cannula.
52. A method for delivering a therapeutic fluid into the body of a patient and for sensing one or more body analytes, the method comprising:
- providing a system for delivering a therapeutic fluid into the body of a patient and for sensing one or more body analytes, the system comprising: a subcutaneously insertable tip including: a cannula configured for subcutaneous placement within a body of a patient, at least one electrode for interacting with one or more body analytes in subcutaneous tissue of a patient and generating a signal representative of a concentration of the one or more body analytes in the body, the at least one electrode being coupled to the cannula, and at least one cannula electrical connector being in electrical communication with the at least one electrode; a therapeutic fluid delivery device having a processor capable of processing the signal for determining the concentration of the one or more body analytes, and at least one electrical connector being in electrical communication with the processor; and a skin securable cradle having a well for receiving the subcutaneously insertable tip;
- establishing electrical communication between the at least one electrode and the processor via the at least one cannula electrical connector and the at least one electrical connector of the device upon connection thereof to the cradle, and
- delivering therapeutic fluid from the reservoir to the body through the cannula by action of the pump.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 20, 2008
Publication Date: Oct 7, 2010
Inventors: Ofer Yodfat (Maccabim-Reut), Ruthy Kaidar (Haifa)
Application Number: 12/744,268
International Classification: A61M 5/168 (20060101); A61M 5/142 (20060101); A61B 5/145 (20060101); A61B 5/1486 (20060101);