A Catheter That Measures Glucose While Delivering Medication
This patent describes a medical system that combines a catheter for delivering medication with a continuous glucose sensor built directly onto its surface, allowing for simultaneous monitoring and therapy.
Original patent title: “Analyte sensor”
This patent describes a medical system that combines a catheter for delivering medication with a continuous glucose sensor built directly onto its surface, allowing for simultaneous monitoring and therapy. Granted to Dexcom in 2022 with 21 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2039.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This system measures glucose in a person while also delivering medication. It uses a catheter, which is a thin tube inserted into the body, designed to deliver medicine. A continuous glucose sensor is placed at least partially on the outside surface of this catheter, featuring a coiled reference electrode and a working electrode. This sensor generates data about glucose concentration, which sensor electronics then use to determine the actual glucose level. For example, the catheter could be connected to an infusion pump, and the sensor electronics could send a recommendation for insulin dosage to the pump based on the real-time glucose readings, as described in claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 7.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover a separate, unattached continuous glucose monitor used alongside a medication delivery catheter.
- Does not cover a system where the glucose sensor is entirely inside the catheter's fluid pathway, rather than at least partially on its exterior surface.
- Does not cover a glucose sensor that only measures glucose once, as the claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → specify a 'continuous glucose sensor' and 'substantially continuously determine the glucose concentration'.
- Does not cover a system where the sensor electronics cannot communicate therapy recommendations, such as insulin amounts, to an infusion pump.
- Does not cover a catheter that only delivers medication without any integrated glucose sensing capability.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The truly clever part is integrating the continuous glucose sensor directly onto the exterior surface of a medication delivery catheter. This allows for simultaneous glucose measurement and drug delivery from a single point of entry, streamlining the process and enabling a more direct feedback loop for therapy adjustments.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Integrated continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and insulin pump systems
Future closed-loop artificial pancreas systems
Hospital-based intravenous glucose monitoring with drug infusion
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent is significant because it integrates two crucial medical functions—continuous glucose monitoring and medication delivery—into a single device. This combination could simplify diabetes management, especially for individuals requiring frequent insulin adjustments. By providing real-time glucose data directly from the same insertion point as medication delivery, it could enable more precise and automated therapy, potentially reducing the burden on patients and caregivers.
Filed
October 11, 2019
Granted
July 12, 2022
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Dexcom, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a leading company in continuous glucose monitoring technology and is actively developing advanced systems for diabetes management. Other companies in the diabetes technology space, such as Medtronic, Abbott, and Tandem Diabetes Care, are also working on integrated glucose sensing and insulin delivery solutions, potentially building on similar concepts to create more comprehensive closed-loop systems.
Market impact
This patent contributes to the ongoing evolution of integrated diabetes management systems. By combining sensing and delivery, it paves the way for more sophisticated closed-loop artificial pancreas systems, which aim to automate insulin delivery based on real-time glucose levels. This integration could reduce the number of devices a patient needs, simplify daily management, and potentially improve health outcomes by enabling more responsive and precise therapy adjustments, thereby expanding the market for advanced diabetes care technologies.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This system measures glucose in a person while also delivering medication. It uses a catheter, which is a thin tube inserted into the body, designed to deliver medicine. A continuous glucose sensor is placed at least partially on the outside surface of this catheter, featuring a coiled reference electrode and a working electrode. This sensor generates data about glucose concentration, which sensor electronics then use to determine the actual glucose level. For example, the catheter could be connected to an infusion pump, and the sensor electronics could send a recommendation for insulin dosage to the pump based on the real-time glucose readings, as described in claim 7.
The clever bit
The truly clever part is integrating the continuous glucose sensor directly onto the exterior surface of a medication delivery catheter. This allows for simultaneous glucose measurement and drug delivery from a single point of entry, streamlining the process and enabling a more direct feedback loop for therapy adjustments.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover a separate, unattached continuous glucose monitor used alongside a medication delivery catheter.
- Does not cover a system where the glucose sensor is entirely inside the catheter's fluid pathway, rather than at least partially on its exterior surface.
- Does not cover a glucose sensor that only measures glucose once, as the claims specify a 'continuous glucose sensor' and 'substantially continuously determine the glucose concentration'.
- Does not cover a system where the sensor electronics cannot communicate therapy recommendations, such as insulin amounts, to an infusion pump.
- Does not cover a catheter that only delivers medication without any integrated glucose sensing capability.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
14/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$64K – $206K
Midpoint $129K · 13.1 yr remaining · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
21 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Brister, M., Saint, S., Quintana, N., & Swanson, V. (2022). A Catheter That Measures Glucose While Delivering Medication (U.S. Patent No. 11,382,539). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11382539/analyte-sensor
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does A Catheter That Measures Glucose While Delivering Medication cover?
This patent describes a medical system that combines a catheter for delivering medication with a continuous glucose sensor built directly onto its surface, allowing for simultaneous monitoring and therapy.
Who owns patent US 11382539?
Dexcom owns this patent, granted in 2022.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on October 11, 2039, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent is significant because it integrates two crucial medical functions—continuous glucose monitoring and medication delivery—into a single device. This combination could simplify diabetes management, especially for individuals requiring frequent insulin adjustments. By providing real-time glucose data directly from the same insertion point as medication delivery, it could enable more precise and automated therapy, potentially reducing the burden on patients and caregivers.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover a separate, unattached continuous glucose monitor used alongside a medication delivery catheter.
Same assignee
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