US-12622586-B2 - Systems and methods for activating a circuit of an implant device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for activating a circuit of an implant device. Consistent with one implementation, an implant device is provided with a sensor including a working electrode (WE) and a counter electrode (CE). The sensor may be configured to generate a first current at the CE when the implant device is implanted in a body of a subject. A sensing circuit may also be provided that is electrically coupled to the WE of the sensor. The sensing circuit may be activated based on the first current and utilize the sensor to measure one or more parameters of an individual or other subject.

Inventors

• Alireza Dastgheib
• Johan Vanderhaegen

Assignees

• DEXCOM, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230217

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A sensor device comprising: a power source; a sensing circuit configured to measure at least one physiological parameter of an individual; an insertion detection circuit; and a sensor comprising a working electrode (WE) and a counter electrode (CE), the WE of the sensor being electrically coupled to the sensing circuit and the insertion detection circuit, wherein the insertion detection circuit is configured to activate the sensing circuit in response to insertion of the sensor into a body of the individual.
2. 2 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein insertion detection circuit is configured to: generate a clock signal; short the CE with ground based on the clock signal; detect a voltage between the CE of the sensor and ground; and activate the sensing circuit based on the voltage between the CE of the sensor and ground.
3. 3 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein insertion detection circuit is configured to detect an amperometric current in response to the insertion of the sensor into the body of the individual.
4. 4 . The sensor device of claim 3 , wherein the insertion detection circuit is further configured to compare the amperometric current to a threshold.
5. 5 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein insertion detection circuit is configured to provide power from the power source to the sensing circuit in response to insertion of the sensor into the body of the individual.
6. 6 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the sensing circuit is configured to measure the at least one physiological parameter of the individual.
7. 7 . The sensor device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one physiological parameter of the individual is a glucose level.
8. 8 . The sensor device of claim 1 , further comprising a microchip, wherein the microchip comprises the sensing circuit and the implant detection circuit.
9. 9 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an electrochemical sensor.
10. 10 . The sensor device of claim 1 , further comprising a bias circuit configured to apply a bias voltage to the WE.
11. 11 . The sensor device of claim 10 , wherein the bias circuit is configured to apply the bias voltage between the WE and an electrical ground.
12. 12 . The sensor device of claim 10 , wherein the bias circuit is configured to apply the bias voltage between the WE and the CE.
13. 13 . A method for activating a sensing circuit for measuring at least one physiological parameter of an individual, the method comprising: providing a sensor including a working electrode (WE) and a counter electrode (CE), the WE of the sensor being electrically coupled to the sensing circuit; generating a first current at the CE of the sensor in response to insertion of the sensor into a body of the individual; and activating the sensing circuit based on the first current in response to the generation of the first current.
14. 14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein activation of the sensing circuit based on the first current includes: generating a clock signal; shorting the CE with ground based on the clock signal; detecting a voltage between the CE of the sensor and ground; and activating the sensing circuit based on the voltage between the CE of the sensor and ground.
15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the activation of the sensing circuit based on the voltage between the CE of the sensor and ground includes providing power from a power source to activate the sensing circuit.
16. 16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is an electrochemical sensor.
17. 17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising measuring, using the activated sensing circuit, the at least one physiological parameter of the individual.
18. 18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one physiological parameter of the individual is a glucose level.
19. 19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the sensing circuit is contained within a sensor device, and further comprising implanting the sensor device in the body of the individual.
20. 20 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising applying a bias voltage to the WE.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/561,911 filed Sep. 5, 2019, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/699,471, filed Sep. 8, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,448,833, issued Sep. 8, 2017, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/397,582, filed Sep. 21, 2016, the entirety of each are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for activating a circuit of an implant device. More specifically, and without limitation the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for activating a circuit of an implant device with power from a battery or other source in response to detecting that the device has been implanted in a body of an individual or other subject. BACKGROUND A wide variety of implant devices exist today for various applications and uses. For example, an endoscopic capsule may be implanted to perform telemetry within the gastrointestinal tract of a patient. As another example, a brain-computer interface may be implanted to augment and/or repair various cognitive and sensory-motor functions. As a still further example, implanted micro sensors may be utilized for sensing physiological parameters of an individual. These and other implant devices may include various subsystems for collecting data, providing outputs based on collected data, performing calculations, and/or carrying out various instructions. Implant devices are often small in size and/or include integrated components. Therefore, accessing, replacing, and/or rearranging the internal components of an implant device can be challenging or prohibitive. For example, it may be difficult to replace or rearrange components because some of the internal components are encapsulated with sealant at the time of manufacture. As another example, altering or changing internal components may be difficult because the handling of the components requires complex, expensive equipment and/or techniques that may not be available or known to those other than the manufacturer. As a result, the internal components of implant devices, including the battery, are typically fully assembled and wired at the time of manufacture, and not subject to change or replacement thereafter. The battery of an implant device can begin draining after manufacture and assembly of the device. In cases where the battery is not readily accessible or changeable, it is necessary to maximize the shelf life of the battery and operational use of the implant device. Therefore, the amount of power consumed by the internal components prior to use of the implant device needs to be minimized. One method of reducing the amount of power consumed prior to use of the device is to deactivate a portion of the implant device during storage and activate the portion of the implant device shortly before use. For example, an implant device may be configured to detect unpacking of the package containing the implant device and activate the supply of power from the battery only after detecting the unpacking of the package. However, this approach requires additional components to detect the unpacking of the device (such as a magnet and reed relay) and can increase the overall unit cost of the implant device. Another approach for restricting the amount of power consumption is to deactivate a portion of the implant device during storage and periodically activate the portion of the implant device to detect whether the implant device has been implanted. While this method may eliminate the need for additional components to detect unpacking, power from the battery is still consumed each time the portion of the implant device is activated. Therefore, this approach may require a larger and more expensive battery to provide a sufficient power source for periodically activating the implant device and for subsequent use after unpacking. As a result, it may not be suitable for many applications. Accordingly, existing systems and methods for activating an implant device do not address the challenge of minimizing the number of components and prolonging shelf life of the device, without increasing the power requirements of the battery or overall expense of the device. SUMMARY The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for activating a circuit of an implant device. As further described herein, embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods that are capable of activating a circuit of an implant device upon implantation of the device in a subject, while minimizing the number of components and power requirements of the device. Embodiments of the present disclosure also include systems and methods that are capable of activating a circuit of an implant device upon electrical coupling of a sensor to the device. In accordance with one example embodiment, an implantation detector of an implant device is electri