Ultrasonic monitor with a biocompatible oil based transmission medium

• US 20060264756A1
• Filed: 05/09/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salutron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salutron, Inc.
• Inventors: Lo, Thomas Ying-Ching, Chang, Rong Jong
• Granted Patent: US 7,815,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/459
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4281 characterised by sound-transmitting media or devices for coupling the transducer to the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/28 providing acoustic coupling , e.g. water impedance matching G10K11/02

Abstract

An ultrasonic monitor implemented on a PCB includes a transmission medium. The transmission medium may be biocompatible and implemented as an oil-based transmission medium, a gel pad, or a combination thereof. Ultrasonic signals are transmitted between the ultrasonic monitor and a living subject through the transmission medium. An air gap is formed in the PCB underneath transducer elements to provide for more efficient signal transmission. The entire ultrasonic monitor may be encapsulated in plastic, a transmission medium, or both to provide water resistant properties.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic monitor comprising:

an ultrasonic monitor module, and

a biocompatible oil-based transmission medium positioned in contact with and providing transmission of ultrasonic signals between the ultrasonic monitor module and a subject.

2. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 1, wherein said biocompatible oil-based transmission medium includes a wax component and an oil component.

3. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 1, wherein the biocompatible oil-based transmission medium includes a natural oil.

4. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 1, wherein the biocompatible oil-based transmission medium includes an essential oil.

5. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 2, wherein the wax component includes a natural wax.

6. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 2, wherein the ratio of the wax component to the oil component is between 1:

1 and 1;

10.

7. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic monitor module includes a recess, the said biocompatible oil-based transmission medium applied over the recess.

8. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 1, the ultrasonic monitor module including:

a surface having an exposed area of a protective layer, said biocompatible oil-based transmission medium positioned over the exposed area of the protective layer.

9. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 1, the ultrasonic monitor further including:

an attachment means attached to the ultrasonic monitor module, the attachment means maintaining a position of the ultrasonic monitor module over said biocompatible oil-based transmission medium against the subject.

10. An ultrasonic monitor, comprising:

a transmission transducer configured to transmit an ultrasonic signal;

a receiving transducer configured to receive a reflected ultrasonic signal;

a housing containing said transmission transducer and said receiving transducer; and

a biocompatible oil-based transmission medium in contact with said housing, the ultrasonic signal and reflected ultrasonic signal transmitted through said biocompatible oil-based transmission medium between said transducers and a subject.

11. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 10, further comprising:

an protective layer within said housing, said protective layer in contact with said biocompatible oil-based transmission medium.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said protective layer includes RTV silicone rubber.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said protective layer includes an epoxy.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said protective layer includes a polyurethane casting resin.

15. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 10, wherein said housing includes a recessed portion corresponding to the position of said transducers, said biocompatible oil-based transmission medium in contact with the recessed portion.

16. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 15, further including:

a protective layer within said housing, said protective layer in contact with said transducers and exposed by the recessed portion.

17. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 10, further comprising:

an attachment means attached to said housing, said attachment means maintaining a position of said housing over said biocompatible oil-based transmission medium against the subject.

18. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 10, further comprising:

a circuit board contained within the housing, the circuit board including circuitry for processing the reflected ultrasonic signal.

19. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 18, said transducers in contact with the circuit board, the circuit board including an aperture underneath the transducers.

20. A method for monitoring a heart rate, comprising:

applying a biocompatible oil-based transmission medium between an ultrasonic monitor module and a subject;

transmitting an ultrasonic signal from the ultrasonic monitor module through the biocompatible oil-based transmission medium to the subject;

receiving a reflected ultrasonic signal by the ultrasonic monitor module through the biocompatible oil-based transmission medium from the subject; and

processing the received ultrasonic signal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said biocompatible oil-based transmission medium includes a natural oil.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein applying the biocompatible oil-based transmission medium includes:

positioning the biocompatible oil-based transmission medium between the ultrasonic monitor module and the subject.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the ultrasonic monitor module and the biocompatible oil-based transmission medium are positioned over a blood vessel of the subject.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the biocompatible oil-based transmission medium includes wax

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

compressing the biocompatible oil-based transmission medium between the ultrasonic monitor module and the subject'"'"'s skin.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein applying the biocompatible oil-based transmission medium to the ultrasonic monitor module includes:

accessing a portion of the ultrasonic monitor module having an exposed surface of a protective layer; and

applying the biocompatible oil-based transmission medium to the exposed surface of the protective layer.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the biocompatible oil-based transmission medium includes a natural wax and a natural oil.

28. A monitor system, comprising:

an ultrasonic monitor positioned in proximity to a subject'"'"'s blood vessel; and

an oil-based transmission medium to be positioned between said ultrasonic monitor and the blood vessel, the biocompatible oil based transmission medium comprising a wax component and an oil component, the oil-based transmission medium able to transmit ultrasonic signals between the ultrasonic monitor and the subject when positioned between the ultrasonic monitor and the subject.

29. The oil-based transmission medium of claim 28, wherein said oil component includes a natural oil.

30. The oil-based transmission medium of claim 29, wherein said wax component includes a natural wax.

31. The oil-based transmission medium of claim 28, further comprising:

an essential oil.

32. The oil-based transmission medium of claim 28, wherein said wax component includes a wax having a melting point between 37 degrees and 90 degrees Celsius.

33. The oil-based transmission medium of claim 28, wherein the wax to liquid ratio is between 1 to 1 and 1 to 10.

34. The oil-based transmission medium of claim 28, wherein the oil-based transmission medium has a viscosity between 5,000 to 2,000,000 centipoises.

35. The oil-based transmission medium of claim 28, wherein the oil-based gel has a consistency associated with a cone-penetration of 30-240.

36. An ultrasonic monitor comprising:

an ultrasonic monitor module;

a gel pad in contact with said ultrasonic monitor module; and

a biocompatible oil based transmission medium in contact with said gel pad and a subject, said gel pad and said biocompatible oil based transmission medium providing transmission of ultrasonic signals between said ultrasonic monitor module and the subject.

37. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 36, wherein said biocompatible oil-based transmission medium includes a wax component and an oil component.

38. The ultrasonic monitor of claim 36, wherein said gel pad includes a membrane layer.