25 March 2021, Bergen – Today, Lifecare announces that The European Patent Office has issued its intent to grant Lifecare a new patent, expanding Lifecare’s patent protection in time and scope. Lifecare has reviewed the examining division’s comments to the patent application and concludes that the suggested cosmetic changes are acceptable. On this base, Lifecare expects the European Patent Office to grant the patent within the next few months.
The new patent will ensure protection until 2038. It will be a fundamental addition to Lifecare’s IP and an important next step from Lifecare’s research and development to commercialization.
The patent is for an updated sensor measuring system comprised of the well-known and already proprietary osmotic pressure based Sencell core technology for glucose, and an additional reference sensor to measure environmentally induced general pressure changes. The patent is for Lifecare’s application of “interstitial fluid osmotic pressure measuring device system and method.”
“This European patent will strengthen our position for correct and continuous monitoring of blood sugar, in people with diabetes, through the development of a miniature sensor. The patent covers Lifecare’s Sencell technology in the sensor, which is the size of a grain of rice, that will be used in the recently approved human pilot studies,” says Joacim Holter, CEO Lifecare. “Existing continuous glucose measurement technologies are inconvenient, complicated, costly, and have limited lifetime. The sensor design described in our new patent intends to improve signal amplitude, increase the accuracy of subcutaneous glucose assessment, and to improve sensor longevity and robustness against environmental changes.”
Patent broadens the scope and application of the Sencell technology
The patent opens up the opportunities to expand the use of the Sencell technology. It will increase the scope of protection to include measurement of many parameters in the interstitial fluid, including but not limited to lactate, fructose, and calcium, in addition to glucose.
“This new patent substantially strengthens the protection of Lifecare’s core Sencell technology,” says Prof.Andreas Pfützner, Lifecare’s Chief Scientific Officer and one of the inventors of the new patent. “The patent covers an essential part of the sensor design, which will be important when we start to use Sencell for additional analysis, beyond glucose, in the future.”
About Lifecare
Lifecare (LIFE-ME) is a Bergen-based technology company developing a miniature sensor for correct and continuous monitoring of blood sugar in people with diabetes. Its patented technology is also used as a central component in a rapid test for Covid-19 and as a measurement unit for reading out different biomarkers.
For more information, please contact:
Joacim Holter, CEO
Phone: +47 40 05 90 40
Email: joacim.holter@lifecare.attme.dev