# US 10,383,555 B2 · Detection of contamination at sensor contacts > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,383,555 B2 - Document ID: US10383555B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/903,969 - Filed: 2018-02-23 - Published: 2018-06-28 - Granted: 2019-08-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-04-14 - Assignees: WaveForm Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Waveform Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Igor Gofman; Mu Wu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10383555B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/145: Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration or pH-value {; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid or cerebral tissue} (non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06) - A61B 5/14532: {for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement} - A61B 5/14865: {invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors} - A61B 2560/0276: Determining malfunction - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract Embodiments herein provide detection of contamination at one or more contacts of a sensor system. The sensor system includes a sensor assembly and an electronics assembly communicatively coupled together by one or more contacts. The sensor assembly passes a sensor signal to the electronics assembly for further processing. The electronics assembly includes a detection contact for detecting contamination on or near one or more contacts of the sensor assembly and/or the electronics assembly. A switch selectively couples the detection contact to a bias voltage during a measurement mode and to a reference voltage during a detection mode, the reference voltage being different from the bias voltage. A method of contamination detection includes switching the electronics assembly between the measurement mode and the detection mode, and monitoring for a change in the output signal received by the electronics assembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of contamination detection for an analyte sensor system, comprising: coupling an open detection contact of an electronics assembly to a bias voltage; receiving, by a sensor contact of the electronics assembly, a sensor signal from a sensor assembly that is coupled to the electronics assembly; measuring a first value of the sensor signal while the detection contact is coupled to the bias voltage; coupling the detection contact to a reference voltage, the reference voltage being different from the bias voltage; measuring a second value of the sensor signal while the detection contact is coupled to the reference voltage; comparing the first value to the second value; and determining if a difference between the first value and the second value is above a threshold to detect a leakage current between the open detection contact and the sensor contact of the analyte sensor system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising taking an action, by the electronics assembly, based on the comparison. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the taking the action includes at least one of: activating an alarm, generating an error code, transmitting the error code to an external device, logging an error, stopping collection of data from the sensor assembly, preventing the sensor data from being used in data processing, and/or taking the leakage current into account in data processing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising amplifying, by an amplifier of the electronics assembly, the sensor signal prior to the measuring the first value and the second value, wherein the amplifier is biased by the bias voltage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the sensor signal is received at an input terminal and the amplified sensor signal is passed to a processor, the amplified sensor signal having a voltage dependent on a current of the sensor signal at the input terminal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to compare the first value to the second value to determine whether the leakage current is present. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling the detection contact to a battery of the electronics assembly during a charging mode to charge the battery. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the first and second values to a monitoring unit, the monitoring unit configured to determine whether the leakage current is present based on the first and second values. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the reference voltage is equal to a ground potential. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the reference voltage is equal to the ground potential. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the analyte sensor includes a continuous glucose monitor.