Vivo refillable glucose sensor
AssigneeUniversity of New Mexico
InventorEbtisam S. Wilkins
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Abstract
An arrangement for prolonging the useful life of an electrochemical refillable implantable glucose sensor employing an enzyme material such as glucose oxidase immobilized on bulk particulate matter suspended in a fluid for reaction with components of bodily fluids and which enzyme material when exhausted or degraded after reaction may be replaced by fresh enzyme-loaded particles.
Claims9
The method of prolonging the useful life of an electrochemical sensor implanted in a living body and of the type employing an enzyme material for reaction with components of bodily fluids and which enzyme material becomes spent or degraded after reaction comprising the steps of:
- fixing the enzyme material on bulk particulate matter for reaction in the implanted sensor with a component of bodily fluids, and
- recharging the implanted sensor with fresh enzyme material fixed on said bulk particulate matter and removing the bulk particulate matter carrying the degraded enzyme material from the sensor.
An electrochemical sensor implantable for an extended period of time in a living body for sensing one or more components of bodily fluids comprising:
- a housing having membrane means for defining reaction chamber means into which said one or more components of the bodily fluid may enter via said membrane means;
- charge flow means and discharge flow means coupled to said reaction chamber means for respectively admitting to and expelling from said reaction chamber means particulate matter containing an enzyme for chemically reacting with at least one of said components, and
- electrode means in said reaction chamber means for producing electrical signals corresponding to the chemical reaction between the enzyme material and the component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.