SENSOR HOLDER

• US 20070142717A1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conmed Corporation (Jefferies Financial Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Conmed Corporation (Jefferies Financial Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schiff, Al, Kopotic, Robert, Lowery, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/323
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches

Abstract

The present invention is directed to holders for a sensor. The holders apply pressure to the sensor to prevent a venous blood signal without dampening the arterial blood signal and are optically opaque to shield ambient light from reaching the sensor.

Claims

1. A sensor holder for holding a reflectance type oximetry sensor against a patient'"'"'s skin, the sensor holder comprising:

a lower portion having an adhesive bottom surface adapted to temporarily stick the lower portion onto the patient'"'"'s skin, the lower portion having a central void therein that is bordered by at least one inner wall; and

a roof positioned above the central void and attached to the lower portion so as to form an interior cavity between the roof and the at least one inner wall, wherein the interior cavity is dimensioned to accept the oximetry sensor,

wherein the roof and the lower portion are configured so that when the sensor holder is positioned over the oximetry sensor and stuck on a patient'"'"'s skin, the oximetry sensor exerts an upward force against the roof, and an interaction between the roof and the lower portion causes the roof to exert a downward force on the oximetry sensor, and

wherein the roof and the lower portion are configured so that the upward force against the roof is directed radially outward, with respect to the central void, from the at least one inner wall.

2. The sensor holder of claim 1, wherein the downward force exerted on the oximetry sensor is high enough to block venous blood flow in a region of skin beneath oximetry the sensor, but not high enough to block arterial blood flow in the region.

3. The sensor holder of claim 1, wherein the lower portion includes a sideways-facing entrance into the central void dimensioned to permit a lead of the oximetry sensor to pass therethrough.

4. The sensor holder of claim 3, wherein the roof is optically opaque, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a shroud for blocking light that is positioned about the entrance.

5. A sensor holder for a reflectance type oximetry sensor, the sensor holder comprising:

a base having a lower surface with an adhesive disposed thereon, the base having an aperture that is bordered by at least one inner sidewall; and

a roof disposed above the aperture so that a lower surface of the roof and the at least one inner sidewall of the base form an interior cavity dimensioned to hold the oximetry sensor,

wherein the roof and base are connected radially beyond a region that is adjacent to the at least one inner sidewall and extends radially outward from the at least one inner sidewall, and wherein the roof and base are not connected within the region.

6. The sensor holder of claim 5, wherein the roof is optically opaque, the region is horseshoe-shaped, and the base is configured to provide a sideways-facing entrance into the interior cavity at the open end of the horseshoe.

7. The sensor holder of claim 5, wherein the sensor holder has at least one radial slit running inwards from an outer edge of the sensor holder.

8. The sensor holder of claim 5, further comprising at least two flanges that extend radially outward from the base, the flanges having a lower surface with an adhesive disposed thereon.

9. The sensor holder of claim 5, wherein the base and the roof are made of substantially flat flexible material, the region is horseshoe shaped, and the base and the roof are connected using a permanent adhesive that is applied radially beyond the horseshoe shaped region, but is not applied within the horseshoe shaped region.

10. The sensor holder of claim 9, wherein the sensor holder has at least one radial slit running inwards from an outer edge of the sensor holder.

11. The sensor holder of claim 9, further comprising at least two flanges that extend radially outward from the base, the flanges having a lower surface with an adhesive disposed thereon, and wherein the roof is optically opaque.

12. The sensor holder of claim 5, wherein the base and the roof are made of substantially flat flexible material and the region is horseshoe shaped, and wherein the sensor holder further comprising a substantially flat horseshoe shaped intervening member that is affixed to either the lower surface of the roof or an upper surface of the base portion in the horseshoe shaped region.

13. The sensor holder of claim 12, wherein the sensor holder has at least one radial slit running inwards from an outer edge of the sensor holder.

14. The sensor holder of claim 12, further comprising at least two flanges that extend radially outward from the base, the flanges having a lower surface with an adhesive disposed thereon, and wherein the roof is optically opaque.

15. The sensor holder of claim 14, further comprising a protrusion configured to extend down from the roof into the interior cavity, and wherein the roof portion is black, closed cell polyethylene foam having a thickness of about 1/16^th of an inch, the base portion is black, closed cell polyethylene foam having a thickness of about 1/32^nd of an inch, and the protrusion has a thickness of about ⅛

^th inch.

16. A sensor holder for a reflectance type oximetry sensor, the sensor holder comprising:

a lower portion having a lower surface with an adhesive disposed thereon, the lower portion having an aperture that is bordered by at least one inner sidewall, wherein the at least one inner sidewall is angled outward; and

a roof disposed above the aperture and connected to the lower portion so that a lower surface of the roof and the at least one inner sidewall form an interior cavity dimensioned to hold the oximetry sensor.

17. The sensor holder of claim 16, wherein the at least one inner sidewall is angled outward at an angle between about 30°

and about 402°

.

18. The sensor holder of claim 16, wherein the roof is optically opaque and the lower portion is configured to provide a sideways-facing entrance into the interior cavity to permit a lead of the oximetry sensor to pass therethrough.

19. The sensor holder of claim 18, further comprising a shroud that is positioned about the entrance for blocking light.

20. The sensor holder of claim 16, further comprising at least two flanges that extend radially outward from the lower portion, the flanges having a lower surface with an adhesive disposed thereon.

21. The sensor holder of claim 16, wherein the roof and lower portion are integrally molded.

22. The sensor holder of claim 16, wherein the roof and lower portion are integrally molded from an evoprene rubber based material.

23. The sensor holder of claim 16, further comprising a protrusion configured to extend down from the roof into the interior cavity.

24. The sensor holder of claim 23, further comprising an annular trough cut into an upper surface of the roof and positioned radially beyond the protrusion.

25. The sensor holder of claim 24, further comprising a second annular trough cut into the upper surface of the roof above the protrusion.

26. A sensor holder for holding a reflectance type oximetry sensor against a patient'"'"'s skin, the sensor holder comprising:

a lower portion having an adhesive bottom surface adapted to temporarily stick the lower portion to the patient'"'"'s skin at an adhesive contact region, the lower portion having a central void therein that is bordered by at least one inner wall, the adhesive contact region having an edge that is closest to the inner wall;

a roof positioned above the central void and attached to the lower portion so as to form an interior cavity between the roof and the at least one inner wall, wherein the interior cavity is dimensioned to accept the oximetry sensor, and wherein the roof and the lower portion are configured so that when the sensor holder is positioned over the oximetry sensor and stuck on a patient'"'"'s skin, the oximetry sensor exerts an upward force against the roof, and an interaction between the roof and the lower portion causes the roof to exert a downward force on the oximetry sensor; and

means for directing the upward force exerted against the roof away from the edge of the adhesive contact region.

27. The sensor holder of claim 26, wherein the downward force exerted on the oximetry sensor is high enough to block venous blood flow in a region of skin beneath oximetry the sensor, but not high enough to block arterial blood flow in the region.

28. The sensor holder of claim 26, wherein the lower portion includes a sideways-facing entrance into the central void dimensioned to permit a lead of the oximetry sensor to pass therethrough.

29. The sensor holder of claim 28, wherein the roof is optically opaque, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a shroud for blocking light that is positioned about the entrance.