Shunt barrier in pulse oximeter sensor

• US 20070021660A1
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Don Hannula, Michael Fein, Paul Mannheimer, Russ Delonzor
• Original Assignee: Don Hannula, Michael Fein, Paul Mannheimer, Russ Delonzor
• Inventors: Mannheimer, Paul, Hannula, Don, Fein, Michael, DeLonzor, Russ
• Granted Patent: US 7,373,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/344
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/146 for optical coupling
• 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

Abstract

A pulse oximeter sensor comprising an emitter and a detector disposed on a substrate layer with a thinned portion between the emitter and the detector. A partially transparent covering layer covers the substrate layer and comprises a corresponding thinned portion. The thinned portions attenuate light shunted via the substrate layer and the partially transparent covering layer from the emitter to the detector, and may be configured such that less than 10% of the light detectable by the detector is shunted light.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a substrate layer;

a light emitter coupled to the substrate layer;

a light detector coupled to the substrate layer; and

a layer coupled to the substrate layer over the light emitter and the light detector, wherein the layer comprises a thinned portion located between the light emitter and the light detector, the thinned portion having a reduced thickness with respect to adjacent portions of the layer.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the substrate layer comprises a thinned portion located between the emitter and the detector, the thinned portion of the substrate layer having a reduced thickness with respect to adjacent portions of the substrate layer.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the thinned portion of the substrate layer is generally aligned with the thinned portion of the layer.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 10% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 1% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion at least partially surrounds the light detector.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion extends across the layer in a direct substantially perpendicular to a line connecting the light emitter and the light detector.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer has a length of more than 1 millimeter.

10. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer has a length of more than 3 millimeters.

11. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer has a thickness of less than 0.25 millimeters.

12. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer has a thickness of less than 0.025 millimeters.

13. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer was formed by one or more of embossing, welding or heat sealing.

14. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the layer is at least partially transparent to light emitted by the light emitter.

15. The sensor of claim 1, wherein one side of the layer comprises an adhesive for adhering the sensor to a tissue location on a patient.

7. The sensor of claim I, wherein the thinned portion at least partially surrounds the light emitter.

16. A sensor substrate comprising:

a base layer, wherein one end of the base layer comprises a location for a light emitter, and another end of the base layer comprises a location for a light detector; and

a layer coupled to the base layer over the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector, wherein the layer comprises a thinned portion located between the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector, the thinned portion having a reduced thickness with respect to adjacent portions of the layer.

17. The sensor substrate of claim 16, wherein the base layer comprises a thinned portion located between the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector, the thinned portion of the base layer having a reduced thickness with respect to adjacent portions of the base layer.

18. The sensor substrate of claim 17, wherein the thinned portion of the base layer is generally aligned with the thinned portion of the layer.

19. The sensor substrate of claim 17, wherein the thinned portion of the base layer has a length of more than 1 millimeter.

20. The sensor substrate of claim 17, wherein the thinned portion of the base layer has a thickness of less than 0.25 millimeters.

21. The sensor substrate of claim 16, wherein the thinned portion of the layer has a length of more than 1 millimeter.

22. The sensor substrate of claim 16, wherein the thinned portion of the layer has a thickness of less than 0.25 millimeters.

23. The sensor substrate of claim 16, wherein one side of the layer comprises an adhesive for adhering the sensor to a tissue location on a patient.

24. A method of manufacturing a sensor comprising:

providing a light detector and a light emitter coupled to a substrate layer; and

providing a layer coupled to the substrate layer over the light emitter and the light detector, wherein the layer comprises a thinned portion located between the light detector and the light emitter, the thinned portion having a reduced thickness with respect to adjacent portions of the layer.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the substrate layer comprises a thinned portion located between the light emitter and the light detector, the thinned portion of the substrate layer having a reduced thickness with respect to adjacent portions of the substrate layer.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 10% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 1% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

28. A method of remanufacturing a sensor comprising:

providing a sensor comprising a substrate, an emitter coupled to the substrate, and a detector coupled to the substrate; and

coupling a layer to the sensor, wherein the layer comprises a thinned portion located between the light detector and the light emitter and having a reduced thickness with respect to adjacent portions of the layer.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 10% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 1% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

31. A method of operating a sensor comprising:

emitting light at a patient with a light emitter coupled to a layer; and

detecting light from the patient with a light detector coupled to the layer, wherein the layer comprises a thinned portion located between the light detector and the light emitter, wherein the thinned portion attenuates light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the substrate layer comprises a thinned portion located between the light emitter and the light detector, the thinned portion of the substrate layer having a reduced thickness with respect to adjacent portions of the substrate layer.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 10% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 1% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.