Techniques to improve polyurethane membranes for implantable glucose sensors
AssigneeDexCom, Inc.
InventorsMark A. Tapsak, Rathbun K. Rhodes, Mark C. Shults, Jason D. McClure
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Abstract
The invention provides an implantable membrane for regulating the transport of analytes therethrough that includes a matrix including a first polymer; and a second polymer dispersed throughout the matrix, wherein the second polymer forms a network of microdomains which when hydrated are not observable using photomicroscopy at 400× magnification or less. In one aspect, the homogeneous membrane of the present invention has hydrophilic domains dispersed substantially throughout a hydrophobic matrix to provide an optimum balance between oxygen and glucose transport to an electrochemical glucose sensor.
Claims26
A method for fabricating a device for measuring a concentration of an analyte, the method comprising:
- providing a sensor configured to measure an analyte or a product of a reaction associated with the analyte;
- forming a solution comprising a blend of a first polymer and a second polymer, wherein the first polymer and the second polymer are not same polymers wherein the second polymer is a hydrophobic-hydrophilic co-polymer comprising a hydrophobic segment and a hydrophilic segment, wherein a segment of the first polymer and a segment of the second polymer are both formed of a same monomer unit;
- maintaining the solution at a temperature sufficient to maintain solubility of the first polymer with the second polymer;
- applying the solution to the sensor;
- forming a film from the solution at the temperature;
- and
- drying the film to form a membrane.
A method for fabricating a device for measuring a concentration of an analyte, the method comprising:
- providing a sensor configured to measure an analyte or a product of a reaction associated with the analyte;
- forming a solution comprising a blend of a first polymer and a second polymer, wherein the first polymer and the second polymer are not same polymers, wherein the first polymer is a hydrophilic polymer comprising a hydrophilic segment, wherein the second polymer is a hydrophobic-hydrophilic co-polymer comprising a hydrophobic segment and a hydrophilic segment, and wherein the hydrophilic segment of the first polymer and the hydrophilic segment of the second polymer are both formed of a same block;
- and
- applying the solution to the sensor.
A method for fabricating a device for measuring a concentration of an analyte, the method comprising:
- providing a sensor configured to measure an analyte or a product of a reaction associated with the analyte;
- forming a solution comprising a matrix comprising a first polymer, wherein the solution further comprises a second polymer dispersed throughout the matrix, wherein the first polymer and the second polymer are not same polymers wherein the second polymer is a hydrophobic-hydrophilic co-polymer comprising a hydrophobic segment and a hydrophilic segment, wherein the first polymer forms a network of hydrophilic microdomains throughout the matrix to create a pathway for analyte diffusion across a membrane, and wherein a segment of the first polymer and a segment of the second polymer are both formed of a same monomer unit;
- maintaining the solution at a temperature sufficient to maintain solubility of the first polymer with the second polymer;
- applying the solution to the sensor;
- forming a film from the solution at the temperature;
- and
- drying the film to form the membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.