Medical Device Probe with Source and Detector Sensors

• US 20080106792A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViOptix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ViOptix, Inc.
• Inventors: Mao, Jian-Min, Lin, Qiong, Lash, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,525,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/618
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3151 using two sources of radiation of different wavelengths G01N21/33 - G01N21/39 take precedence

Abstract

A probe for a medical device with source and detector sensors is used to monitor or measure, or both, oxygen saturation levels in a tissue. In various specific implementations, the probe has at least two sources and at least one detector, at least one source and at least two detectors, and at least two sources and at least four detectors. A source of the probe is connected to at least one radiation source, which is external to the probe. A detector of the probe is connected to a photodetector, which is external to the probe.

Claims

1. A probe for a medical device comprising:

a cable interface, the cable interface being adapted to allow the probe to be coupled to a plurality of radiation sources and at least one photodetector, wherein the radiation sources and a first photodetector are external to the probe; and

a sensor head comprising a first source structure, a second source structure, and a first detector structure, the first source structure and the second source structure being arranged to be coupled to the radiation sources via the cable interface, and the first detector structure being arranged to be coupled to the first photodetector via the cable interface.

2. The probe of claim 1 wherein the first detector structure and the first source structure have the same cross-sectional area.

3. The probe of claim 1 wherein the probe comprises a second detector structure being arranged to be coupled to a second photodetector via the cable interface, and the second photodetector is external to the probe.

4. The probe of claim 3 wherein a first distance is between the first source structure and the first detector structure, a second distance is between the first source structure and the second detector structure, a third distance is between the second source structure and the first detector structure, a fourth distance is between the second source structure and the second detector structure,

the first distance is not equal to the second, third, and fourth distances, the second distance is not equal to the third and fourth distances, and the third distance is not equal to the fourth distance.

5. The probe of claim 4 wherein the fourth distance is greater than the first distance.

6. The probe of claim 4 wherein the fourth distance is greater than the first distance by at least about 0.3 millimeters.

7. The probe of claim 4 wherein a difference between the first and fourth distances is in a range from about 0.3 millimeters to about 1 millimeter.

8. The probe of claim 1 wherein a first distance between the first detector structure and the first source structure is different from a second distance between the first detector structure and the second source structure.

9. The probe of claim 1 wherein the first source structure, second source structure, and first detector structure are on a plane of the probe.

10. A medical device comprising a probe of claim 1 and a beam combiner, external to the probe, coupled to the first source structure and the radiation sources via the cable interface.

11. The medical device of claim 10 wherein the beam combiner comprises a first input, coupled to a first radiation source of a first wavelength, and a second input, coupled to a second radiation source of a second wavelength, different from the first wavelength.

12. The probe of claim 1 wherein each source structure is coupled to at least two radiation sources.

13. The probe of claim 1 wherein the radiation sources emit radiation for at least two different wavelengths.

14. The probe of claim 1 comprising a cable coupling the sensor head to the cable interface, and the cable comprises at least two optical fibers.

15. The probe of claim 14 wherein the cable comprises at least one optical fiber for each detector structure and each source structure.

16. The probe of claim 14 wherein a length of the cable is at least about 3 meters.

17. A medical device comprising a probe of claim 1 and a system console, external to the probe, comprising the radiation sources and at least one photodetector, and a system console interface being adapted to couple to the cable interface of the probe.

18. The medical device of claim 17 wherein the system console comprises a screen that shows oxygen saturation information for tissue being monitored using the probe.

19. A medical device that measures oxygen saturation of a tissue comprising a probe of claim 1.

20. A probe for a medical device comprising:

a cable interface, the cable interface being adapted to allow the probe to be coupled to a plurality of radiation sources and a plurality of photodetectors, wherein the radiation sources and a first and second photodetector are external to the probe; and

a sensor head comprising a first source structure, a first detector structure, and a second detector structure, the first source structure being arranged to be coupled to the radiation sources via the cable interface, the first detector structure being arranged to be coupled to the first photodetector via the cable interface, and the second detector structure being arranged to be coupled to the second photodetector via the cable interface.

21. The probe of claim 20 wherein the first detector structure and the first source structure have the same cross-sectional area.

22. The probe of claim 20 wherein the probe comprises a second source structure coupled to the radiation sources, each radiation source providing a different wavelength of light.

23. The probe of claim 20 wherein a first distance between the first source structure and the first detector structure is different from a second distance between the first source structure and the second detector structure.

24. The probe of claim 20 wherein the first source structure, first detector structure, and second detector structure are on a plane of the probe.

25. A medical device comprising a probe of claim 20 and a beam combiner, external to the probe, coupled to the first source structure and the radiation sources via the cable interface.

26. The medical device of claim 25 wherein the beam combiner comprises a first input, coupled to a first radiation source of a first wavelength, and a second input, coupled to a second radiation source of a second wavelength, different from the first wavelength.

27. The probe of claim 20 wherein the first source structure is coupled to at least two radiation sources.

28. The probe of claim 20 wherein the radiation sources emit radiation for at least two different wavelengths.

29. The probe of claim 20 comprising a cable coupling the sensor head to the cable interface, wherein the cable comprises at least two optical fibers.

30. The probe of claim 29 wherein the cable comprises at least one optical fiber for each detector structure and each source structure.

31. The probe of claim 29 wherein a length of the cable is at least about 3 meters.

32. A medical device comprising a probe of claim 20 and a system console, external to the probe, comprising the radiation sources and photodetectors, and a system console interface being adapted to couple to the cable interface of the probe.

33. The medical device of claim 32 wherein the system console comprises a screen that shows oxygen saturation information for tissue being monitored using the probe.

34. A medical device that measures oxygen saturation of a tissue comprising a probe of claim 20.

35. A probe for a medical device comprising:

a cable interface, the cable interface being adapted to allow the probe to be coupled to a plurality of radiation sources and at least one photodetector, wherein the radiation sources and a first, second, third, and fourth photodetector are external to the probe; and

a sensor head comprising a first source structure, a second source structure, a first detector structure, a second detector structure, a third detector structure, and a fourth detector structure,

the first source structure and the second source structure being arranged to be coupled to the radiation sources via the cable interface, the first detector structure being arranged to be coupled to the first photodetector via the cable interface, a second detector structure being arranged to be coupled to a second photodetector via the cable interface, a third detector structure being arranged to be coupled to a third photodetector via the cable interface, and a fourth detector structure being arranged to be coupled to the fourth photodetector via the cable interface.

36. The probe of claim 35 wherein the first detector structure and the first source structure have the same cross-sectional area.

37. The probe of claim 35 wherein the first, second, third, and fourth detector structures are arranged in a line.

38. The probe of claim 35 wherein a first distance is between the first source structure and the first detector structure, a second distance is between the first source structure and the second detector structure, a third distance is between the second source structure and the first detector structure, a fourth distance is between the second source structure and the second detector structure, a fifth distance is between the first source structure and third detector structure, a sixth distance is between the first source structure and fourth detector structure, a seventh distance is between the second source structure and third detector structure, an eighth distance is between the second source structure and fourth detector structure,

the first distance is not equal to the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth distances, the second distance is not equal to the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth distances, the third distance is not equal to the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth distances, the fourth distance is not equal to the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth distances, the fifth distance is not equal to the sixth, seventh, and eighth distances, the sixth distance is not equal to the seventh, and eighth distances, and the seventh distance is not equal to the eighth distance.

39. The probe of claim 38 wherein the first, second, third, and fourth detector structures are arranged in a line, and the third and fourth detector structures are between the first and second detector structures.

40. The probe of claim 39 wherein the fourth distance is greater than the first distance.

41. The probe of claim 39 wherein the fourth distance is greater than the first distance by at least about 0.3 millimeters.

42. The probe of claim 39 wherein a difference between the first and fourth distances is in a range from about 0.3 millimeters to about 1 millimeter.

43. A medical device comprising a probe of claim 35 and a beam combiner, external to the probe, coupled to the first source structure and the radiation sources via the cable interface.

44. The medical device of claim 43 wherein the beam combiner comprises a first input, coupled to a first radiation source of a first wavelength, and a second input, coupled to a second radiation source of a second wavelength, different from the first wavelength.

45. The probe of claim 35 comprising a cable coupling the sensor head to the cable interface, and the cable comprises at least one optical fiber for each detector structure and each source structure.

46. The probe of claim 35 wherein the cable interface comprises at least an end for an optical fiber for each detector structure and each source structure.

47. The probe of claim 45 wherein a length of the cable between the sensor head and cable interface is at least about 3 meters.

48. A medical device comprising a probe of claim 38 and a beam combiner, external to the probe, coupled to the first source structure and the radiation sources via the cable interface,

the beam combiner comprises a first input, coupled to a first radiation source of a first wavelength, and a second input, coupled to a second radiation source of a second wavelength, different from the first wavelength, and

the cable interface comprises at least an end for an optical fiber for each detector structure and each source structure.

49. The medical device of claim 48 wherein the first, second, third, and fourth detector structures are arranged in a line, the third and fourth detector structures are between the first and second detector structures, and the fourth distance is greater than the first distance by at least about 0.3 millimeters.

50. The medical device of claim 49 comprising:

a system console, external to the probe, comprising the first radiation source, second radiation source, first photodetector, second photodetector, third photodetector, fourth photodetector, beam combiner, and a system console interface being adapted to couple to the cable interface of the probe.

51. A medical device comprising a probe of claim 35 and a system console, external to the probe, comprising the radiation sources and photodetectors, and a system console interface being adapted to couple to the cable interface of the probe.

52. The medical device of claim 51 wherein the system console comprises a screen that shows oxygen saturation information for tissue being monitored using the probe.

53. A medical device that measures oxygen saturation of a tissue comprising a probe of claim 35.