Noninvasive Sensor Housing

• US 20090326354A1
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViOptix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ViOptix, Inc.
• Inventors: Mao, Jimmy Jian-Min, Lash, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,929,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/344
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/185 Optical shielding, e.g. baffles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/00 Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/00 Machines for simply fitting together or separating metal parts or objects, or metal and non-metal parts, whether or not involving some deformation connecting metal parts or objects by metal-working procedures B21J, B23K; Tools or devices therefor so far as not provided for in other classes hand tools in general B25
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/04 for assembling or disassembling parts
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2037/243 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/34 Inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2311/00 Metals, their alloys or their compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/0076 characterised in that the layers are not bonded on the totality of their surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A flexible sensor pad includes a cavity to hold a sensor unit with an attached cable. According to one aspect of the present invention, a light-shielding layer is coupled to a bottom surface of the sensor pad, surrounds the sensor unit, and extends past two sides of the sensor pad. A transparent adhesive layer is coupled to the light-shielding layer and extends past two sides of the light-shielding layer. Another light shielding layer is coupled to a top surface of the sensor pad and covers the sensor unit. The cable divides the sensor pad into a first side and a second side which are mirror images of each other.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a pad region having a cavity;

a first light-shielding layer, coupled to the pad region, wherein the first light-shielding layer has an opening that overlaps with at least a portion of the cavity; and

an adhesive layer, coupled to the first light-shielding layer, wherein the adhesive layer extends past at least one edge of the first light-shielding layer.

2. The device of claim 1 comprising:

a sensor unit positioned in the cavity; and

a cable coupled to the sensor unit, wherein the cable is arranged to enter the cavity, the cable being arranged to define a longitudinal axis that passes through the cable and the device, dividing the device into a first side and a second side, wherein the first and second sides are mirror images of each other.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the cable has a length greater than 1.2 meters.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein a bottom surface area of the pad region is greater than a bottom surface area of a sensor unit recessed into the cavity.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the pad region, first light-shielding layer, and adhesive layer each comprise at least two opposing straight edges which are parallel, the pad region, first light-shielding layer, and adhesive layer being arranged so that the at least two opposing straight edges of the pad region, first light-shielding layer, and adhesive layer overlap, the adhesive layer further comprising:

a left portion having a shape of a semicircle;

a middle portion having a shape of a polygon; and

a right portion having a shape of a semicircle, wherein the middle portion is between the left portion and the right portion.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the pad region when uncompressed is thicker than a sensor unit.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein a stiffener bar is coupled to a top surface of the pad region, above at least a portion of the cavity.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising a release liner, coupled to the adhesive layer, wherein the release liner comprises a tab positioned along an edge where a cable enters the pad region.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the adhesive layer is transparent.

10. The device of claim 2 wherein the sensor unit comprises:

a first source structure;

a second source structure;

a first detector structure comprising optical fiber; and

a second detector structure comprising optical fiber, 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.

11. The device of claim 1 further comprising a second light-shielding layer coupled to a top surface of the pad region, wherein the second light-shielding layer has an opening that overlaps with at least a portion of the cavity.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein a ratio of a thickness of the pad region to a length of the adhesive layer is less than 0.1.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the pad region has a thickness at least about 3.2 millimeters.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein an edge of the cavity overlaps with an edge of the pad region.

15. The device of claim 1 further comprising a third light-shielding layer, wherein the third light-shielding layer comprises a coupled portion and an uncoupled portion, wherein the coupled portion is coupled to the device and does not overlap the cavity, and the uncoupled portion overlaps the cavity.

16. A device comprising:

a pad region having a cavity;

a first light-shielding layer, coupled to the pad region; and

an adhesive layer, coupled to the first light-shielding layer, wherein a peripheral outline forms an outer boundary of the adhesive layer, and all points on a line drawn between any point on the peripheral outline to any other point on the peripheral outline are enclosed by the outer boundary.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the adhesive layer comprises:

a first convex edge;

a second convex edge;

a first straight edge; and

a second straight edge, wherein the first straight edge is parallel to the second straight edge, the first and second straight edges are between the first and second convex edges, and the first convex edge is a mirror image of the second convex edge.

18. The device of claim 16 comprising:

a sensor unit positioned in the cavity; and

a cable coupled to the sensor unit, wherein the cable has a length greater than 1.2 meters.

19. The device of claim 16 wherein the adhesive layer is transparent.

20. A device comprising:

a sensor unit, wherein the sensor unit comprises a first source structure, a second source structure, a first detector structure, and a second detector structure;

a cable coupled to the sensor unit; and

a sensor pad, coupled to the sensor unit, wherein the sensor pad comprises a light-shielding layer coupled to a bottom surface of the sensor pad and extending beyond a first and second edge of the sensor pad in at least two opposite directions, and an adhesive layer coupled to the light-shielding layer and extending beyond a first and second edge of the light-shielding layer in at least two opposite directions.