Shunt barrier in pulse oximeter sensor

• US 20070027377A1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• 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 7,418,284 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 light emitter;

a first layer coupled to the light emitter;

a light detector;

a second layer coupled to the light detector; and

a shunt barrier disposed between the light emitter and the light detector, wherein the shunt barrier is disposed between an end of the first layer and an end of the second layer, wherein the shunt barrier 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.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the shunt barrier 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.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a fibrous material.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a woven material.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the shunt barrier comprises an opaque film disposed over an air gap between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a third layer coupled to one side of the first layer and one side of the second layer so as to bridge an air gap between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer.

7. The sensor of claim 6, wherein the third layer comprises an adhesive on a portion of the third layer between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer, wherein the adhesive is configured to adhere the portion of the third layer to a tissue location on a patient.

8. The sensor of claim 6, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a pad disposed on the third layer between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer, wherein the pad is configured to compress against a tissue location on a patient.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a window for the light emitter and the second layer comprises a window for the light detector.

10. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises an opening for the light emitter and the second layer comprises an opening for the light detector.

11. The sensor of claim 1, comprising a substrate layer, wherein the light emitter and the light detector are mounted on the substrate layer.

12. A sensor substrate comprising:

a first layer comprising a location for a light emitter;

a second layer comprising a location for a light detector; and

a shunt barrier disposed between the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector, wherein the shunt barrier is disposed between an end of the first layer and an end of the second layer, wherein the shunt barrier is configured to attenuate light shunted from the location for the light emitter to the location for the light detector such that less than 10% of light detectable at the location for the light detector is shunted light.

13. The sensor substrate of claim 12, wherein the shunt barrier is configured to attenuate light shunted from the location for the light emitter to the location for the light detector such that less than 1% of light detectable at the location for the light detector is shunted light.

14. The sensor substrate of claim 12, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a fibrous material.

15. The sensor substrate of claim 12, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a woven material.

16. The sensor substrate of claim 12, wherein the shunt barrier comprises an opaque film disposed over an air gap between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer.

17. The sensor substrate of claim 12, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a third layer coupled to one side of the first layer and one side of the second layer so as to bridge an air gap between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer.

18. The sensor substrate of claim 17, wherein the third layer comprises an adhesive on a portion of the third layer between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer, wherein the adhesive is configured to adhere the portion of the third layer to a tissue location on a patient.

19. The sensor substrate of claim 17, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a pad disposed on the third layer between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer, wherein the pad is configured to compress against a tissue location on a patient.

20. A method of manufacturing a sensor comprising:

providing a light emitter coupled to a first layer and a light emitter coupled to a second layer;

providing a shunt barrier disposed between the light emitter and the light detector, wherein the shunt barrier is disposed between an end of the first layer and an end of the second layer, wherein the shunt barrier 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.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the shunt barrier is configured to attenuate light shunted from the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector such that less than 1% of light detectable at the location for the light detector is shunted light.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a fibrous material.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a woven material.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the shunt barrier comprises an opaque film disposed over an air gap between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a third layer coupled to one side of the first layer and one side of the second layer so as to bridge an air gap between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the third layer comprises an adhesive on a portion of the third layer between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer, wherein the adhesive is configured to adhere the portion of the third layer to a tissue location on a patient.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a pad disposed on the third layer between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer, wherein the pad is configured to compress against a tissue location on a patient.

28. A method of operating a sensor comprising:

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

detecting light from the patient with a light detector coupled to a second layer, wherein a shunt barrier attenuates light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 10% of the light detected by the light detector is shunted light, the shunt barrier being disposed between the light emitter and the light emitter and between one end of the first layer and one end of the second layer.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the shunt barrier is configured to attenuate light shunted from the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector such that less than 1% of light detectable at the location for the light detector is shunted light.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a fibrous material.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a woven material.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the shunt barrier comprises an opaque film disposed over an air gap between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a third layer coupled to one side of the first layer and one side of the second layer so as to bridge an air gap between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the third layer comprises an adhesive on a portion of the third layer between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer, wherein the adhesive adheres the portion of the third layer to a tissue location on the patient.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the shunt barrier comprises a pad disposed on the third layer between the end of the first layer and the end of the second layer, wherein the pad is compressed against a tissue location on the patient.