Patent ID: 8512243

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a base unit; a sensor coupled to the base unit; a transmitter unit coupled to the base unit, the base unit and the transmitter unit forming a transmitter assembly having a housing; and an insertion unit disposed on the base unit, the insertion unit operatively coupled to the sensor and configured to place at least a portion of the sensor under a skin layer of a patient, wherein the insertion unit is configured to remain disposed on the base unit after sensor placement; wherein the insertion unit includes a collapsible introducer mechanism coupled to an introducer, and configured to displace at least a portion of the sensor and the introducer through the skin layer to an insertion position under the skin layer; wherein the collapsible introducer mechanism moves from a non-collapsed state to a collapsed state in response to a manual force being directly applied to a surface of the collapsible introducer mechanism, wherein when the collapsible introducer mechanism moves from the non-collapsed state to the collapsed state the at least the portion of the sensor and the introducer are inserted through the skin layer to the insertion position; wherein removal of the manual force from the surface of the collapsible introducer mechanism causes the collapsible introducer mechanism to move from the collapsed state to the non-collapsed state and automatically withdraw the at least the portion of the introducer from under the skin layer while retaining the at least the portion of the sensor at the insertion position; and further wherein the collapsible introducer mechanism is contained within the bounds of the housing of the transmitter assembly when the collapsible introducer mechanism is in the non-collapsed state and the collapsed state.