System And Method For Attaching A Sensor To A Patient's Skin

• US 20090171177A1
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Hannula, Don L., Ollerdessen, Albert L., Mannheimer, Paul D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,364 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 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 method and apparatus for affixing a sensor adjacent a tissue site is disclosed. In an embodiment, the spectrophotometric sensor comprises, a sensor body, one or more light emitters, one or more photodetectors, and a light scattering medium capable of increasing at least one of the effective detection area of the one or more photodetectors or the effective emission area of the one or more light emitters.

Claims

1. A spectrophotometric sensor, comprising:

a light emitter positioned generally within a light barrier;

one or more photodetectors positioned generally outside the light barrier; and

a light scattering medium capable of contacting a tissue site, wherein the light scattering medium is capable of increasing the effective detection area of the one or more photo detectors.

2. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 1, wherein the light scattering medium comprises an adhesive.

3. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 2, wherein the adhesive comprises a water-based gel adhesive.

4. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 1, further comprising a light pipe disposed within the light barrier.

5. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 4, wherein the light pipe is comprised of a light transmissive composition.

6. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 1, wherein the light barrier is capable of reducing or eliminating shunting between the one or more photodetectors and the light emitter.

7. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 1, wherein the light barrier comprises an opaque composition or of a reflective composition.

8. A spectrophotometric sensor, comprising:

a photodetector positioned generally within a light barrier;

one or more light emitters positioned generally outside the light barrier; and

a light scattering medium configured to be in contact with a tissue site, wherein the light scattering medium increases the effective emission area of the one or more light emitters.

9. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 8, wherein the light scattering medium comprises an adhesive.

10. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 9, wherein the adhesive comprises a water-based gel adhesive.

11. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 8, further comprising a light pipe disposed within the light barrier.

12. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 11, wherein the light pipe comprises a light-transmissive composition.

13. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 8, wherein the light barrier is capable of reducing or eliminating shunting between the one or more light emitters and the photodetectors.

14. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 8, wherein the light barrier comprises an opaque composition or a reflective composition.

15. A spectrophotometric sensor, comprising:

a sensor body;

one or more light emitters disposed on the sensor body;

one or more photodetectors disposed on the sensor body adjacent to the one or more light emitters; and

a light scattering medium coupled to the sensor body, the light scattering medium being configured to increase at least one of the effective detection area of the one or more photodetectors or the effective emission area of the one or more light emitters, wherein the light scattering medium forms a patient contact surface of the spectrophotometric sensor.

16. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 15, wherein the light scattering medium comprises an adhesive.

17. The spectrophotometric sensor, as set forth by claim 16, wherein the adhesive comprises a water-based gel.