Systems and methods for indicating an amount of use of a sensor

• US 20060097135A1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ammar Al-Ali
• Original Assignee: Ammar Al-Ali
• Inventors: Al-Ali, Ammar
• Granted Patent: US 7,186,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/214.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/028 Arrangements to prevent overuse, e.g. by counting the number of uses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure include systems and methods for indicating an amount of use of a pulse oximetry sensor. According to one embodiment, the system includes an oximeter that monitors the amount of use for a given sensor. The oximeter and/or the sensor may advantageously include a visual alarm, an audio alarm, a vibrational alarm, a power down function, or the like, which can be activated when a predetermined amount of use has expired. According to another embodiment, the system includes a sensor having a memory device storing a unique identifier.

Claims

1. A method of tracking an amount of use of electronics of a noninvasive optical probe to alert a caregiver when the electronics have expired, the method comprising:

determining a cumulative amount of use of a noninvasive optical probe, the noninvasive optical probe including at least one of a plurality of emitters and a detector capable of detecting light attenuated by tissue;

when the cumulative amount of use is exceeds a predetermined amount of use, activating one or more indications that the noninvasive optical probe has expired.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating one or more indications comprises activating at least one of an audio and visual alarm on the noninvasive optical probe.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one of an audio and visual alarm comprises an LED.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating one or more indications comprises activating at least one of an audio and visual alarm on a patient monitor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the noninvasive optical probe comprises reusable and disposable components.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the cumulative amount of use comprises a cumulative amount of use of the reusable components.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cumulative amount of use comprises a cumulative amount of use of reusable components of the noninvasive optical probe.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating one or more indications comprises eventually rendering the noninvasive optical probe unusable.

9. An patient monitoring system comprising:

reusable components of a noninvasive optical probe, wherein electronics of the optical probe are capable of detecting light attenuated by tissue; and

a memory storing information usable to determine a measure of use the reusable components of the optical probe.

10. The patient monitoring system of claim 9, further comprising a processor capable of determining whether the measure of use of the reusable components exceeds a threshold.

11. The patient monitoring system of claim 10, further comprising one or more indicators capable of providing one or more expiration indications when the processor determines that the measure of use exceeded the threshold.

12. The patient monitoring system of claim 11, wherein one of the one or more indicators comprises an audio or visual alarm.

13. The patient monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the noninvasive optical probe includes the memory.

14. The patient monitoring system of claim 9, further comprising a patient monitor, and wherein the patient monitor includes the memory.

15. A product use tracking device, comprising:

a noninvasive medical product;

a timer capable of tracking an amount of use of the product; and

an indicator capable of providing an indication that the amount of use exceeded an acceptable amount of use of the noninvasive medical product.

16. The product use tracking device of claim 15, wherein the noninvasive medical product comprises at least reusable sensor components, the reusable sensor components including a plurality of noninvasive emitters and a detector capable of detecting light attenuated by tissue.

17. The product use tracking device of claim 16, wherein the noninvasive medical product comprise a reusable sensor and wherein the reusable sensor comprises the reusable sensor components.

18. The product use tracking device of claim 15, further comprising instructions for using the noninvasive medical product.

19. The product use tracking device of claim 15, wherein the noninvasive medical product comprises an oximeter.

20. The product use tracking device of claim 15, wherein the noninvasive medical product comprises a patient monitor, and wherein the patient monitor includes at least the timer.