System for monitoring body chemistry

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring body chemistry of a user, the system comprising: a housing supporting: a microsensor comprising a first and second working electrode, a reference electrode, and a counter electrode, and configured to access interstitial fluid of the user, and an electronics subsystem comprising a signal conditioning module that receives a signal stream, from the microsensor, wherein the electronics subsystem is configured to detect an impedance signal derived from two of the first working electrode, the second working electrode, the reference electrode, and the counter electrode; and a processing subsystem comprising: a first module configured to generate an analysis indicative of an analyte parameter of the user and derived from the signal stream and the impedance signal, and a second module configured to transmit information derived from the analysis to the user, thereby facilitating monitoring of body chemistry of the user.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A health monitoring system, comprising:
 a sensor patch applicator having a loaded mode for holding a wearable microsensor patch and a release mode for applying the wearable microsensor patch to a user's skin, the sensor patch applicator including:
 an access opening configured to be positioned over the user's skin; 
 a plunger including a pneumatic coupling interface configured to sealingly contact and hold the wearable microsensor patch and pneumatically release the wearable microsensor patch during and/or after acceleration of the wearable microsensor patch toward the user's skin; and 
 a user-activated trigger mechanism configured to cause the plunger to push the wearable microsensor patch toward the access opening and to drive one or more microneedles in the wearable microsensor patch into the user's skin when the sensor patch applicator transitions from the loaded mode to the release mode, wherein the pneumatic coupling interface is configured to decouple from the wearable microsensor patch after the wearable microsensor patch is adhered to the user's skin. 
   
     
     
         20 . The health monitoring system of  claim 19 , further comprising the wearable microsensor patch including:
 a patch assembly having an adhesive substrate configured to couple to the user's skin and one or more microneedles configured to detect at least one analyte; and   a pod that includes a power supply and an electronics module in electrical communication with the power supply and programmed to automatically perform signal conditioning and analysis of one or more signals from the patch assembly generated by detection of the at least one analyte.   
     
     
         21 . The health monitoring system of  claim 19 , wherein when the sensor patch applicator is positioned against the user's skin, the user-activated trigger mechanism is configured to apply the wearable microsensor patch in response to the user actuating the user-activated trigger mechanism. 
     
     
         22 . The health monitoring system of  claim 19 , wherein the user-activated trigger mechanism includes a ram-and-catch mechanism configured to move the plunger. 
     
     
         23 . The health monitoring system of  claim 19 , wherein the sensor patch applicator includes an adjuster operable to set an acceleration profile for accelerating the wearable microsensor patch toward the user's skin. 
     
     
         24 . The health monitoring system of  claim 19 , wherein the sensor patch applicator is configured to move the wearable microsensor patch at speed in a range of 3 m/sec to 15 m/sec at which the wearable microsensor patch contacts the user's skin. 
     
     
         25 . The health monitoring system of  claim 19 , wherein the user-activated trigger mechanism is spring-loaded to bias the wearable microsensor patch toward the user's skin upon activation. 
     
     
         26 . The health monitoring system of  claim 19 , wherein the sensor patch applicator is configured to automatically establish a suction force between the wearable microsensor patch and the pneumatic coupling interface. 
     
     
         27 . A health monitoring system, comprising:
 a sensor patch applicator configured to hold a wearable analyte sensor patch and to apply the wearable analyte sensor patch to a user, the sensor patch applicator including:
 an access opening; 
 a plunger configured to grip the wearable analyte sensor patch via a suction interface such that an adhesive substrate of the wearable analyte sensor patch faces the access opening and to pneumatically release the wearable analyte sensor patch from the suction interface during and/or after acceleration of the wearable analyte sensor patch toward the user; and 
 a user-activated trigger mechanism configured to cause the plunger to accelerate the wearable analyte sensor patch toward the access opening to adhere the wearable analyte sensor patch to the user's skin when the sensor patch applicator transitions from a loaded mode to a release mode. 
   
     
     
         28 . The health monitoring system of  claim 27 , further comprising a coil spring that is compressed when the sensor patch applicator is moved toward the loaded mode and hold s the wearable analyte sensor patch. 
     
     
         29 . The health monitoring system of  claim 27 , wherein the suction interface is configured to grip a housing of the wearable analyte sensor patch when the plunger is moved into contact with the housing. 
     
     
         30 . The health monitoring system of  claim 27 , wherein the sensor patch applicator further includes a sidewall configured to surround the wearable analyte sensor patch to keep the wearable analyte sensor patch positioned with respect to the plunger. 
     
     
         31 . The health monitoring system of  claim 27 , further comprising a base station configured to align the wearable analyte sensor patch with respect to the sensor patch applicator, wherein the base station is further configured to be coupled to the sensor patch applicator. 
     
     
         32 . The health monitoring system of  claim 27 , wherein the sensor patch applicator has a plurality of springs configured to sequentially drive components of the sensor patch applicator so as to accelerate a housing of the wearable analyte sensor patch toward the user's skin in response to operation of the user-activated trigger mechanism. 
     
     
         33 . A health monitoring system, comprising:
 a sensor patch applicator including:
 an opening; 
 a plunger configured to pneumatically hold a wearable analyte sensor patch and to pneumatically release the wearable analyte sensor patch during and/or after the sensor patch applicator moves the wearable analyte sensor patch toward a user's skin; 
 at least one biasing element; and 
 a user-activated trigger mechanism configured to cause the at least one biasing element to move the plunger toward the user's skin to adhere the wearable analyte sensor patch to the user's skin when the sensor patch applicator, while held against the user's skin, is activated, 
 wherein the sensor patch applicator is configured to be separated from the wearable analyte sensor patch while an adhesive substrate of the wearable analyte sensor patch is adhered to the user's skin and a sensing element of the wearable analyte sensor patch extends into the user's skin. 
   
     
     
         34 . The health monitoring system of  claim 33 , further comprising a coil spring that is compressed when the sensor patch applicator is moved toward a loaded mode to hold a housing of the wearable analyte sensor patch directly between the plunger and the opening. 
     
     
         35 . The health monitoring system of  claim 33 , wherein the plunger is configured to push against a periphery of a backside of the wearable analyte sensor patch. 
     
     
         36 . The health monitoring system of  claim 33 , wherein the sensor patch applicator further includes a sidewall configured to surround the wearable analyte sensor patch to maintain a suction force between the plunger and a housing of the wearable analyte sensor patch. 
     
     
         37 . The health monitoring system of  claim 33 , wherein the sensor patch applicator is configured to accelerate the sensing element toward the user to position a sensing region of the sensing element within the user's skin to access interstitial fluid of the user. 
     
     
         38 . The health monitoring system of  claim 33 , wherein the sensor patch applicator has a plurality of springs configured to sequentially drive components of the sensor patch applicator such that a housing of the wearable analyte sensor patch is accelerated to toward the user's skin in response to operation of the user-activated trigger mechanism.