Gas measurement system

• US 20060009707A1
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RIC INVESTMENTS LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: RIC INVESTMENTS LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Nelson, Richard, DelFavero, John R., Russell, James T., Daniels, Rich H., Pierry, Anthony T., Davis, Raymond G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,432,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/532
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/083 Measuring rate of metabolism by using breath test, e.g. measuring rate of oxygen consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/36 Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6432 Quenching
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3504 for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53

Abstract

A gas measurement system of this invention includes a detector assembly having a beamsplitter adapted to separate infrared radiation into a first beam and a second beam and a mirror adapted to receive the first beam from the beamsplitter. The first and second beams are directed to first and second detectors that are disposed in a common plane. In one embodiment, the optical elements are provided on or in an optical block. In another embodiment, the gas measurement system includes a housing that contains an infrared absorption gas measurement assembly, a luminescence quenching gas measurement assembly, and a processor that is programmed to measure gas constituents of a gas flow based on an output of the infrared absorption gas measurement assembly and the luminescence quenching gas measurement assembly.

Claims

1. A gas measurement system comprising:

a beamsplitter adapted to separate infrared radiation into a first beam and a second beam;

a mirror adapted to receive the first beam from the beamsplitter;

a first filter adapted to receive the first beam from the mirror;

a second filter adapted to receive the second beam from the beamsplitter;

a first detector adapted to receive the first beam from the first filter; and

a second detector adapted to receive the second beam from the second filter, wherein the first detector and the second detector are disposed in a common plane.

2. The gas measurement system of claim 1, further comprising a heat sink, and wherein the first detector and the second detector are mounted on the heat sink.

3. The gas measurement system of claim 1, further comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on an airway adapter, wherein the beam splitter, the mirror, the first filter, the second filter, the first detector, and the second detector are disposed in the housing.

4. The gas measurement system of claim 3, further comprising a display disposed on the housing.

5. The gas measurement system of claim 3, wherein the housing has a generally U-shaped configuration having a first leg and a second leg, and wherein the beam splitter, the mirror, the first filter, the second filter, the first detector, and the second detector are disposed in the second leg of the housing, and further comprising radiation source assembly disposed in the first leg of the housing.

6. The gas measurement system of claim 1, further comprising a processor disposed in the housing and operatively coupled to the first detector and the second detector, wherein the processor is programmed to measure a constituent of at least one gas based on an output of the first detector and the second detector.

7. A gas measurement system comprising:

an optical block;

a beam splitter disposed within the optical block;

a mirror disposed on the optical block; and

at least two filters operatively coupled to the optical block.

8. The gas measurement system of claim 7, wherein the at least two filters are disposed in a recess defined in the optical block.

9. The gas measurement system of claim 7, wherein the beam splitter and the mirror are coupled to the optical block along a common axis.

10. The gas measurement system of claim 7, further comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on an airway adapter, wherein the optical block, beam splitter, mirror, and at least two filters are disposed in the housing.

11. The gas measurement system of claim 10, wherein the housing has a generally U-shaped configuration having a first leg and a second leg, and wherein the optical block, beam splitter, mirror, and at least two filters are disposed in the second leg of the housing, and further comprising radiation source assembly disposed in the first leg of the housing.

12. The gas measurement system of claim 10, further comprising:

at least two detectors operative coupled to the optical block and disposed in the housing, and

a processor disposed in the housing and operatively coupled to the at least two detectors, wherein the processor is programmed to measure a constituent of at least one gas based on an output of the at least two detectors.

13. The gas measurement system of claim 10, further comprising a display disposed on the housing.

14. A gas measurement system assembly comprising:

a generally U-shaped housing adapted to be mounted on an airway adapter;

an infrared absorption gas measurement assembly disposed in the housing;

a luminescence quenching gas measurement assembly disposed in the housing;

a processor disposed in the housing, wherein the processor is programmed to measure gas constituents of a gas flow in the airway adapter based on an output of the infrared absorption gas measurement assembly and the luminescence quenching gas measurement assembly.

15. The gas measurement system of claim 14, further comprising a display disposed on the housing.

16. The gas measurement system of claim 14, wherein the housing has a generally U-shaped configuration having a first leg and a second leg, wherein the infrared absorption gas measurement assembly comprises a source assembly disposed in the first leg and a detector assembly disposed in the second leg, and wherein the luminescence quenching gas measurement assembly includes a detector assembly disposed in the housing between the first leg and the second leg.

17. A method of assembling a gas measurement system comprising the steps of:

attaching a first portion of a flex circuit board to a detector assembly;

attaching a second portion of the flex circuit board to a source assembly;

installing the detection assembly in a first end of a base;

installing the source assembly in a second end of the base; and

configuring remaining portions of the flex circuit within the base.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the source assembly and the detector assembly are aligned in the base by complementary surfaces of:

(a) the source assembly and the detector assembly, and (b) the base.