US 12,290,385 B2
Method and apparatus for insertion of a sensor
Mark Neinast, Gastonia, NC (US); Robert Bruce, Portland, OR (US); W. Kenneth Ward, Portland, OR (US); Richard G. Sass, Portland, OR (US); and Jon Fortuna, Mechanicsburg, PA (US)
Assigned to Konamite Limited, Dublin (IE)
Filed by Konamite Limited, Dublin (IE)
Filed on Sep. 4, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/560,395.
Application 16/560,395 is a continuation of application No. 15/445,492, filed on Feb. 28, 2017, granted, now 10,433,789.
Application 15/445,492 is a continuation of application No. 13/415,828, filed on Mar. 8, 2012, granted, now 9,615,851, issued on Apr. 11, 2017.
Application 13/415,828 is a continuation in part of application No. 11/558,394, filed on Nov. 9, 2006, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/735,732, filed on Nov. 11, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2020/0000408 A1, Jan. 2, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 5/1473 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/145 (2006.01); A61B 17/34 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/6849 (2013.01) [A61B 5/14532 (2013.01); A61B 5/1473 (2013.01); A61B 17/3403 (2013.01); A61B 17/3468 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An insertion device, comprising:
a guidance structure that provides a passageway for a flexible analyte sensor held within the guidance structure;
at least one guide member fully contained within the guidance structure, the at least one guide member adapted to axially support the flexible analyte sensor within the guidance structure as the at least one guide member and flexible analyte sensor pass within the guidance structure;
an injection activation device that applies a high-speed motive force solely to the flexible analyte sensor such that only the flexible analyte sensor is inserted into skin of a user, wherein:
a velocity of the flexible analyte sensor at a time of insertion is approximately 5 meters per second to approximately 15 meters per second, and
the at least one guide member remains fully within the guidance structure throughout an entirety of insertion of the flexible analyte sensor into the skin; and
a tensioning structure configured to tension a surface of the skin so that a distance from the surface of the skin at an insertion site on the surface of the skin to an exit port of the guidance structure is less than a buckling length of the flexible analyte sensor, and wherein the guidance structure is configured so that an unsupported length of the flexible analyte sensor is less than the buckling length of the flexible analyte sensor.