How Devices Precisely Track Glucose Across Body Compartments
This patent describes a method for accurately estimating a person's blood glucose by accounting for the natural time delay in how glucose moves between different body fluids, like blood and the fluid around cells, to better control insulin pumps.
Original patent title: “Method and/or system for multicompartment analyte monitoring”
This patent describes a method for accurately estimating a person's blood glucose by accounting for the natural time delay in how glucose moves between different body fluids, like blood and the fluid around cells, to better control insulin pumps. Granted to Medtronic Minimed in 2018 with 19 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2034.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a method and system for more accurately monitoring an analyte, such as glucose (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 3), in a person's body. It uses a sensor (Claim 7) to measure the analyte in a 'second physiological compartment,' like interstitial fluid (Claim 3). A controller or processor (Claim 1, 7) then estimates the time delay, or 'latency,' for the analyte to move between this second compartment and a 'first physiological compartment,' such as blood plasma (Claim 3). This estimation relies on at least one blood glucose reference sample (Claim 1, 7). The system then 'compensates' for this latency when calculating the analyte's concentration in the first compartment. This compensation involves accumulating differences between sensor readings and an offset, and combining this with a term that includes the estimated latency (Claim 1). Based on this more accurate estimate, the controller generates commands for infusion pumps (Claim 1, 7), such as an insulin pump, to adjust treatment. For example, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) measures glucose in interstitial fluid, and this patent helps the system predict the actual blood glucose level more precisely, even with the natural delay, to deliver the correct amount of insulin.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover glucose monitoring systems that do not actively estimate and compensate for the time delay (latency) between glucose levels in different body compartments.
- Does not cover systems that only measure glucose in a single physiological compartment without considering the transport latency between two distinct compartments.
- Does not cover glucose monitoring systems that only display readings without generating commands for an infusion pump based on the estimated concentration.
- Does not cover systems that do not use at least one blood glucose reference sample to help estimate the latency.
- Does not cover compensation methods that do not involve accumulating difference values between a sensor signal and an offset, and combining this with a term including the estimated latency.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The clever part is explicitly estimating and then mathematically compensating for the natural time lag (latency) of an analyte, like glucose, as it moves between different body fluids. This allows for more accurate real-time estimation of blood glucose from a sensor placed in a different body compartment, which is crucial for automated treatment decisions.
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
Medtronic MiniMed systems
Automated insulin delivery systems (artificial pancreas systems)
Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices integrated with insulin pumps
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Accurate glucose monitoring is critical for managing diabetes, especially for automated insulin delivery systems. The body's fluids, like blood and interstitial fluid, don't change glucose levels at the exact same time. This patent improves the precision of continuous glucose monitoring by accounting for these natural delays, leading to more timely and effective treatment decisions. This directly impacts patient safety and health outcomes by reducing the risk of dangerously high or low blood sugar.
Filed
October 10, 2014
Granted
January 2, 2018
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Medtronic Minimed Inc., the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a major player in diabetes management technology, including continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps. Other companies like Dexcom, Abbott, and Tandem Diabetes Care are also active in developing advanced automated insulin delivery systems that rely on accurate glucose monitoring and could incorporate similar principles to improve performance.
Market impact
This patent's technology contributes to the development of more sophisticated and accurate closed-loop insulin delivery systems, often called artificial pancreas systems. By improving the precision of glucose estimation, it enables these systems to make better, more timely decisions about insulin dosing, which is a key factor in their effectiveness and adoption. This helps drive the market towards fully automated diabetes management solutions, offering significant improvements in quality of life for people with diabetes.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a method and system for more accurately monitoring an analyte, such as glucose (Claim 3), in a person's body. It uses a sensor (Claim 7) to measure the analyte in a 'second physiological compartment,' like interstitial fluid (Claim 3). A controller or processor (Claim 1, 7) then estimates the time delay, or 'latency,' for the analyte to move between this second compartment and a 'first physiological compartment,' such as blood plasma (Claim 3). This estimation relies on at least one blood glucose reference sample (Claim 1, 7). The system then 'compensates' for this latency when calculating the analyte's concentration in the first compartment. This compensation involves accumulating differences between sensor readings and an offset, and combining this with a term that includes the estimated latency (Claim 1). Based on this more accurate estimate, the controller generates commands for infusion pumps (Claim 1, 7), such as an insulin pump, to adjust treatment. For example, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) measures glucose in interstitial fluid, and this patent helps the system predict the actual blood glucose level more precisely, even with the natural delay, to deliver the correct amount of insulin.
The clever bit
The clever part is explicitly estimating and then mathematically compensating for the natural time lag (latency) of an analyte, like glucose, as it moves between different body fluids. This allows for more accurate real-time estimation of blood glucose from a sensor placed in a different body compartment, which is crucial for automated treatment decisions.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover glucose monitoring systems that do not actively estimate and compensate for the time delay (latency) between glucose levels in different body compartments.
- Does not cover systems that only measure glucose in a single physiological compartment without considering the transport latency between two distinct compartments.
- Does not cover glucose monitoring systems that only display readings without generating commands for an infusion pump based on the estimated concentration.
- Does not cover systems that do not use at least one blood glucose reference sample to help estimate the latency.
- Does not cover compensation methods that do not involve accumulating difference values between a sensor signal and an offset, and combining this with a term including the estimated latency.
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
Moderate
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
13/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
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
$86K – $275K
Midpoint $172K · 8.3 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
19 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Li, X., Yang, N., Kannard, B. T., Nogueira, K., Gottlieb, R. K., & Liang, B. (2018). How Devices Precisely Track Glucose Across Body Compartments (U.S. Patent No. 9,854,998). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9854998/method-andor-system-for-multicompartment-analyte-monitoring
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 How Devices Precisely Track Glucose Across Body Compartments cover?
This patent describes a method for accurately estimating a person's blood glucose by accounting for the natural time delay in how glucose moves between different body fluids, like blood and the fluid around cells, to better control insulin pumps.
Who owns patent US 9854998?
Medtronic Minimed owns this patent, granted in 2018.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on October 10, 2034, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 9854998 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Accurate glucose monitoring is critical for managing diabetes, especially for automated insulin delivery systems. The body's fluids, like blood and interstitial fluid, don't change glucose levels at the exact same time. This patent improves the precision of continuous glucose monitoring by accounting for these natural delays, leading to more timely and effective treatment decisions. This directly impacts patient safety and health outcomes by reducing the risk of dangerously high or low blood sugar.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover glucose monitoring systems that do not actively estimate and compensate for the time delay (latency) between glucose levels in different body compartments.
Patent monitoring