Disposable Sensor Device and Monitoring System

• US 20100198085A1
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences AG (Edwards Lifesciences Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences AG (Edwards Lifesciences Corporation)
• Inventors: Michard, Frederic, Fahle, Matthias, Knoll, Reinhold, Pfeiffer, Ulrich, Thomamuller, Tobias
• Granted Patent: US 8,920,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/485
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02141 Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a disposable sensor device (51) for patient monitoring comprising a sensor (52) for providing an electric quantity based on a quantity to be detected, a first signal terminal (54) for providing a tap for the electric quantity, a first supply terminal (53) for supplying the sensor with an electrical supply quantity, a first connector for accommodating the first signal terminal (54) and the first supply terminal (53), a second signal terminal (56) for providing a further tap for the electric quantity, and a second connector for accommodating at least the second signal terminal (56). The invention further relates to a disposable sensor device for patient monitoring comprising a sensor (7) for providing an electric quantity based on a quantity to be detected; a first signal terminal (22) for providing a tap for the electric quantity; a first connector (A) for accommodating the first signal terminal, wherein the first connector (A) is provided with a trimming element (R2) which simulates the influence of a selectively attachable first monitoring device (1) on a measuring of the electric quantity, wherein the trimming element (R2) is electrically effective depending on a connector structure of a corresponding further connector (B, C) to be coupled with the first connector (A).

Claims

1. Disposable sensor device (51) for patient monitoring comprising:

a sensor (52) for providing an electric quantity based on a quantity to be detected;

a first signal terminal (54) for providing a tap for the electric quantity;

a first supply terminal (53) for supplying the sensor with an electrical supply quantity;

a first connector for accommodating the first signal terminal (54) and the first supply terminal (53);

a second signal terminal (56) for providing a further tap for the electric quantity;

a second connector for accommodating at least the second signal terminal (56).

2. Sensor device (51) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is provided in a bridge circuit.

3. Sensor device (51) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second connector further includes a second supply terminal (57) for tapping the supply quantity provided via the first connector.

4. Monitoring system for patient monitoring comprising:

a disposable sensor device (51) according to any of the claims 1 to 3;

a first monitoring device (60) connectable to the first connector for tapping the electric quantity via the first signal terminal (54) and for supplying the electrical supply quantity via the first supply terminal.

5. Monitoring system according to claim 4 further comprising:

a second monitoring device (70) connectable to the second connector for tapping the electric quantity via the second signal terminal.

6. Monitoring system for patient monitoring comprising:

a disposable sensor device (51) according to claim 3;

a first monitoring device (60) connectable to the first connector for tapping the electric quantity via the first signal terminal (54) and for supplying the electrical supply quantity via the first supply terminal (53);

a second monitoring device (70) connectable to the second connector for tapping the electric quantity via the second signal terminal;

wherein the second monitoring device (70) is further adapted to tap the electrical supply quantity supplied by the first monitoring device (60) via the second supply terminal (57);

wherein the second monitoring device (70) includes an excitation sensing circuit (74) adapted to sense whether or not an electrical supply quantity is applied on the second supply terminal (57) and to further supply an electrical supply quantity via the second supply terminal (57) to the disposable sensor device (51) in case no electrical supply quantity is sensed.

10. Sensor device according to any of the claims 1 to 9, wherein the sensor (7) comprises a Wheatstone-Bridge circuit.

11. Sensor device according to any of the claims 1 to 10, wherein the sensor (7) has a pressure sensor for measuring an arterial pressure of a patient.

12. Sensor device according to any of the claims 1 to 11, wherein a first excitation terminal is provided in the first connector (A) to apply an excitation voltage to the sensor.

13. Sensor device according to claim 12, wherein the excitation voltage is applied between a first and a second excitation terminals (20, 21) of the first connector (A), wherein a further trimming element (R1) is applied between the first (20) and a third excitation terminal (24) of the first connector (A), wherein depending on the connector structure of the corresponding further connector (B, C), either the first and second excitation terminals (22, 23) are connected with an excitation voltage and the third excitation terminal (25) remains unconnected or the first and a shortcut second (23) and third excitation terminal (25) are connected with the excitation voltage.

14. Monitoring system for patient monitoring comprising:

a disposable sensor device according to any of the claims 1 to 13;

a first monitoring device (1) for tapping the electric quantity, having a second connector (C) to match with the first connector (A), wherein the second connector (C) has a connector structure depending on which the trimming element (R2) of the first connector (A) is electrically effective.

15. Monitoring system according to claim 14,

wherein the electric quantity is applied between the first and a second signal terminals (22, 23) of the first connector (A), wherein the trimming element (R2) is applied between the first and a third signal terminals (22, 25) of the first connector, wherein the second connector has a terminal contact to shortcut the second and third signal terminals of the first connector in a plugged condition such that the trimming element is electrically effective.

16. Monitoring system according to claim 14 or 15,

wherein an excitation voltage is applied between first and second excitation terminals (20, 21) of the first connector (A), wherein a further trimming element is applied between the first and a third excitation terminal (20, 24) of the first connector (A),

wherein the second connector (C) has an excitation terminal contact which is adapted to provide the excitation voltage from the first monitoring device (1) and to shortcut the second and third excitation terminal (21, 24) to both connect them with the excitation voltage in a plugged condition.

17. Monitoring system for patient monitoring comprising:

a disposable sensor device according to any of the claims 1 to 13;

a second monitoring device (4) for tapping the electric quantity, having a third intermediate connector (B) to match with the first connector (A), wherein the third connector (B) has a connector structure such that, when the first and second connectors (A, B) are in a plugged condition, the trimming element (R2) of the first connector (A) is electrically ineffective.

18. Monitoring system according to claim 17,

wherein the electric quantity is applied between the first and a second signal terminal (22, 23) of the first connector, wherein the trimming element (R2) is applied between the first and a third signal terminal (22, 23) of the first connector (A), wherein the third connector (B) has a terminal contact to only contact the second signal terminal (23) but not the third signal terminal (24) of the first connector (A) in the plugged condition such that the trimming element (R2) is electrically ineffective.

19. Monitoring system according to claim 17 or 18,

wherein an excitation voltage is applicable between first and second excitation terminals (20, 21) of the first connector (A), wherein a further trimming element (R1) is applied between the first (20) and a third excitation terminal (24) of the first connector (A),

wherein the third connector (B) has an excitation terminal contact which is adapted to provide the excitation voltage from the second monitoring device (4) and to only contact the second excitation terminal (21) but not the third excitation terminal (24) of the first connector (A) in the plugged condition such that the further trimming element (R1) is electrically ineffective.

20. Monitoring system for patient monitoring comprising:

a disposable sensor device according to any of the claims 1 to 13;

a first monitoring device (1) for tapping the electric quantity, having a second connector (C) to match with the first connector (A), wherein the second connector (C) has a connector structure such that, when the first and second connectors (A, C) are in a plugged condition, the trimming element (R2) of the first connector (A) is electrically effective;

a second monitoring device (4) for tapping the electric quantity, having a third intermediate connector (B) having two outlets (31, 32) to respectively match with the first and the second connector (C, B), wherein the second connector (C) has a connector structure such that, when the first and second connectors (A, C) are in a plugged condition, the trimming element of the first connector is electrically ineffective,

wherein the third connector (B) has a connector structure such that when the second (C) and third connectors (B) are in a plugged condition, the second monitoring device (4) receives the electrical quantity passed through the third connector (B).

21. Monitoring system according to claim 20,

wherein the electric quantity is applied between the first and a second signal terminal of the first connector, wherein the trimming element (R2) is applied between the first and a third signal terminal (23, 25) of the first connector (A), wherein the second connector (C) has a terminal contact which is adapted to shortcut the second and third signal terminals (23, 25) of the first connector in the plugged condition of the first and second connectors (A, C) such that the trimming element (R2) is electrically effective,

wherein the third connector (C) has a terminal contact which is adapted to only contact the second signal terminal (23) but not the third signal terminal (25) of the first connector (A) in the plugged condition of the first and third connector (A, B) such that the trimming element (R2) is electrically ineffective.

22. Monitoring system according to claim 20 or 21,

wherein an excitation voltage is applicable between first and second excitation terminals (20, 21) of the first connector (A), wherein a further trimming element (R1) is applied between the first (20) and a third excitation terminal (24) of the first connector (A),

wherein the second connector (C) has an excitation terminal contact which is adapted to shortcut the second and third excitation terminals (21, 24) to both connect them with the excitation voltage in a plugged condition,

wherein the third connector (B) has an excitation terminal contact which is adapted to only contact the second excitation terminal (21) but not the third excitation terminal (24) of the first connector (A) in the plugged condition of the first and the third connector (A, B) such that the further trimming element (R1) is electrically ineffective,

wherein the third connector (B) further has a connector structure such that when the first, second and third connectors (A, C, B) are in a plugged condition, the first monitoring device (1) is adapted to supply the excitation voltage to the sensor (7) via the third connector (B).

23. Monitoring system according to claim 16,

wherein an excitation sensing circuit (16) is provided in the second monitoring unit (4) which is adapted to detect, when the first and third connector (A, C) are in the connected condition, an appliance of an excitation voltage on the first and second excitation terminals (20, 21) of the first connector (A), and in case that no excitation voltage is applied on the first and second excitation terminals (20, 21) of the first connector (A) the excitation sensing circuit (16) supplies an excitation voltage via the third connector (B) to the first connector (A) otherwise the excitation sensing circuit (16) does not supply any excitation voltage.

24. Monitoring system according to any of the claims 20 to 23, wherein the second monitoring device (4) is adapted to monitor the quantity to be detected for the case the trimming element (R1, R2) is electrically effective.

7. Disposable sensor device for patient monitoring comprising:

a sensor (7) for providing an electric quantity based on a quantity to be detected;

a first signal terminal (22) for providing a tap for the electric quantity;

a first connector (A) for accommodating the first signal terminal;

characterized in that

the first connector (A) is provided with a trimming element (R2) which simulates the influence of a selectively attachable first monitoring device (1) on a measuring of the electric quantity, wherein the trimming element (R2) is electrically effective depending on a connector structure of a corresponding further connector (B, C) to be coupled with the first connector (A).

8. Sensor device according to claim 7, wherein the electric quantity is applied between the first and a second signal terminal (22, 23) of the first connector (A), wherein the trimming element (R2) is applied between the first and a third signal terminal of the first connector (A), wherein depending on the connector structure of the corresponding further connector (B, C), either the first and second signal terminals (22, 23) are tapped and the third signal terminal (25) remains untapped or the first (22) and a shortcut second (23) and third signal terminals (25) of the first connector (A) are tapped.

9. Sensor device according to claim 8, wherein the electrical quantity is impedance and wherein the trimming element (R2) has a trimming impedance.