Methods and systems for detecting the hydration of sensors
First Claim
1. A method of hydrating a sensor having a plurality of electrodes, comprising:
- coupling a sensor electronics device to the sensor;
counting down a hydration time utilizing a counter in the sensor electronics device; and
applying power to the sensor after the hydration time has elapsed.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor system includes a sensor and a sensor electronics device. The sensor includes a plurality of electrodes. The sensor electronics device includes a connection detection device, a power source, and a delay circuit. The connection detection device determines if the sensor electronics device is connected to the sensor and transmits a connection signal. The delay circuit receives the connection signal, waits a preset hydration time, and couples the regulated voltage from the power source to an electrode in the sensor after the preset hydration time has elapsed. Alternatively, the sensor electronics device may include an electrical detection circuit and a microcontroller. The electrical detection circuit determines if the plurality of electrodes are hydrated and generates an interrupt if the electrodes are hydrated. A microcontroller receives the interrupt and transmits a signal representative of a voltage to an electrode of the plurality of electrodes.
152 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method of hydrating a sensor having a plurality of electrodes, comprising:
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coupling a sensor electronics device to the sensor; counting down a hydration time utilizing a counter in the sensor electronics device; and applying power to the sensor after the hydration time has elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method of hydrating a sensor assembly having a plurality of electrodes, comprising:
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inserting a sensor system into a subject, the sensor system including the long-term sensor assembly; initiating a timer to start counting a hydration time; and applying a voltage to the long-term sensor assembly after an elapsing of the hydration time. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A program code storage device, comprising:
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a computer-readable medium; computer-readable program code, stored on the computer-readable medium, the computer-readable program code having instructions, which when executed cause a microcontroller to; receive an interrupt from a detection circuit, the interrupt representative of the detection circuit detecting hydration of a sensor by detecting a high level of attenuation of an AC signal that had been applied to the sensor; and transmit a signal to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), in response to the interrupt, the signal being representative of a voltage that the DAC is to apply to the sensor to provide power to the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A sensor system, comprising:
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a sensor, the sensor including a plurality of electrodes; and a sensor electronics device, the sensor electronics device capable of being connected to the sensor, and the sensor electronics device including; a connection detection device to determine if the sensor electronics device is connected to the sensor and to transmit a connection signal; a power source to supply a regulated voltage; and a delay circuit to receive the connection signal, to wait a preset hydration time, and to couple the regulated voltage to an electrode of the plurality of electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A sensor system, comprising:
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a sensor, the sensor including a plurality of electrodes; a sensor electronics device, the sensor electronics device coupled to the sensor, the sensor electronics device including, an electrical detection circuit to determine whether the plurality of electrodes in the sensor are hydrated and to generate an interrupt; and a microcontroller to receive the interrupt from the electrical detection circuit and to transmit a signal representative of a voltage to the sensor, wherein an electrode receives the voltage derived from the transmitted signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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- 15. The sensor system of clam 13, wherein a measurement detection circuit detects a reading of a physiological condition of a patient at a second electrode of the sensor.
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24. A sensor system, comprising:
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a sensor, the sensor including a plurality of electrodes; and a sensor electronics device, the sensor electronics device connected to the sensor, the sensor electronics device including, an electrical detection circuit to determine whether the plurality of electrodes in the sensor are hydrated, to generate a first interrupt if the plurality of electrodes are hydrated, and to generate a second interrupt if the electrical detection circuit determines that the sensor has been disconnected from the sensor electronics device; and a microcontroller to receive the second interrupt and to generate a signal to turn off power to circuits within the sensor electronics device in response to the second interrupt. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A program code storage device, comprising:
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a computer-readable medium; computer-readable program code, stored on the computer-readable medium, the computer-readable program code having instructions, which when executed cause a controller to; transmit a stabilization initiation signal to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) representative of a stabilization series of pulses to be applied to the sensor; receive an interrupt from a detection circuit indicating that a sensor is hydrated; set a first indicator that the interrupt has been received from the detection circuit; and set a second indicator once the stabilization series of pulses have been applied to the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A program code storage device, comprising:
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a computer-readable medium; computer-readable program code, stored on the computer-readable medium, the computer-readable program code having instructions, which when executed cause a controller to; receive an interrupt from a detection circuit indicating a sensor has been hydrated; transmit a signal to a sensor indicating a stabilization sequence of voltages are to be applied to a sensor; and receive a sensor signal from the sensor indicating a physiological characteristic of a subject into which the sensor is inserted. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A sensor system, comprising:
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a sensor, the sensor including a plurality of electrodes; and a sensor electronics device, the sensor electronics device coupled to the sensor, the sensor electronics device including, a power source to apply a voltage signal to the sensor; an electrical characteristic measuring device to measure an electrical characteristic of the sensor and to transmit a hydration signal if the electrical characteristic is below a set criteria; a detection circuit to receive the hydration signal and to generate an interrupt after receipt of the hydration signal; and a microcontroller to receive the interrupt from the detection circuit and to transmit a signal representative of a voltage to the sensor, wherein one electrode of the plurality of electrodes receives the voltage derived from the transmitted signal. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A sensor system, comprising:
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a sensor, the sensor including a plurality of electrodes; and a sensor electronics device, the sensor electronics device coupled to the sensor, the sensor electronics device including, a detection circuit to receive a hydration signal and to generate a first interrupt after receipt of the hydration signal; and a microcontroller to transmit a stabilization signal to the sensor, the stabilization signal representative of a voltage to be applied to the sensor, and to set a second indicator after the stabilization signal has been applied to the sensor, wherein the microcontroller receives the first interrupt indicating the sensor is hydrated and sets a first indicator identifying the sensor is hydrated, and if the first indicator is set and the second indicator is set, the microcontroller receives the sensor signal from the sensor to identify a physiological characteristic of the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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Specification