USING COLORED PROBES IN PATIENT MONITORING

• US 20100286494A1
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
• Original Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland
• Inventors: Addison, Paul Stanley, Watson, James, Sethi, Rakesh
• Granted Patent: US 9,826,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 using Wavelet transforms

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a sensor with color-coded indications that various patient physiological parameters are being monitored, such as blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, respiration rate, and respiration effort. The sensor may sense a physical characteristic used to monitor the physiological parameter, and a visible light emitter emits visible light of a first color that is color-coded to the physiological parameter, but is not used to sense the physical characteristic. The visible light emitter may emit visibly flashing light in response to the sensor sensing a threshold value of the physical characteristic. The sensor may include a second light emitter that may sense the physical characteristic, and may emit light of a second color that is color-coded to a first or second physiological parameter. In some embodiments, the first and second colors may visibly mix. The first and second visible light emitters may emit light independently, including visibly flashing light.

Claims

1. A sensor for monitoring a first physiological parameter of a patient, comprising:

a support structure;

a sensor component coupled to the support structure for sensing a physical characteristic of the patient used to monitor the first physiological parameter, the sensor component comprising;

an infrared light emitter, wherein the infrared light is used to sense the physical characteristic;

a detector for detecting the infrared light after it passes within the tissue of the patient; and

a first visible light emitter, coupled to the support structure, that emits visible light of a first color, wherein;

the first visible light emitter is not used to sense the physical characteristic; and

the first color is color-coded to the first physiological parameter.

2. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the first physiological parameter comprises blood pressure, respiration rate, and/or respiration effort.

3. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the first visible light emitter emits visibly flashing light in response to the sensor component sensing a threshold value of the physical characteristic.

4. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the sensor further comprises a second visible light emitter that emits visible light of a second color that is different from the first color.

5. The sensor of claim 4 wherein the first and second colors mix to appear as a third color that is color-coded to the first physiological parameter and/or a second physiological parameter.

6. The sensor of claim 5 wherein the third color appears to visibly flash in response to the sensor component sensing a threshold value of the physical characteristic for the first physiological parameter and/or the second physiological parameter.

7. The sensor of claim 4 wherein the second visible light emitter emits visibly flashing light in response to the sensor component sensing a threshold value of the physical characteristic for the first physiological parameter and/or a second physiological parameter.

8. The sensor of claim 4 wherein the second visible light emitter emits light independently of the light emitted by the first visible light emitter.

9. The sensor of claim 5 wherein:

the sensor monitors the first physiological parameter and/or a second physiological parameter of the patient using the sensed physical characteristic; and

the second color is color-coded to the first physiological parameter/and or the second physiological parameter.

10. The sensor of claim 1 wherein:

the sensor component further comprises a second light emitter, wherein;

the light emitted by the second light emitter is used to sense the first physical characteristic and/or a second physical characteristic used to monitor the first physiological parameter and/or a second physiological parameter; and

the light emitted by the second light emitter is of a frequency that is different than the frequency of the visible light of a first color; and

the detector detects the light emitted by the second light emitter after it passes within the tissue of the patient.

11. A physiological parameter monitoring system for monitoring a first physiological parameter of a patient, comprising:

a first input signal path for receiving a first signal indicative of a first physical characteristic sensed by a sensor, wherein the sensor comprises an infrared emitter and a detector;

a first output signal path for transmitting to the sensor a first drive signal that drives a first visible light emitter to emit light of a first color, wherein;

the first visible light emitter is not used to sense the first physical characteristic; and

the first color is color-coded to the first physiological parameter; and

a processor, coupled to the first input signal path and the first output signal path, and capable of;

receiving the first signal from the first input signal path;

monitoring the first physiological parameter using the first signal; and

varying the first drive signal in response to monitoring the first physiological parameter.

12. The physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 11 wherein the first visible light emitter is coupled to the sensor, a sensor lead, and/or a monitor socket.

13. The physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 11 wherein the first drive signal drives the first visible light emitter to emit visibly flashing light in response to the processor receiving a threshold value of the first signal.

14. The physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 11, further comprising:

a second input signal path for receiving a second signal indicative of the first physical characteristic and/or a second physical characteristic, wherein the sensor further comprises a second visible light emitter;

a second output signal path coupled to the processor for transmitting to the sensor a second drive signal that drives the second visible light emitter to emit light of a second color, wherein;

the second color is different from the first color; and

the second color is color-coded to the first physiological parameter and/or a second physiological parameter; and

wherein

the processor is further capable of;

receiving the second signal from the second input signal path;

monitoring the first physiological parameter and/or a second physiological parameter using the second signal; and

varying the second drive signal in response to monitoring the first physiological parameter and/or the second physiological parameter.

15. The physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 14 wherein the second drive signal drives the second visible light emitter to emit visibly flashing light in response to the processor receiving a threshold value of the second signal.

16. The physiological parameter monitoring system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further capable of independently varying the first drive signal and the second drive signal.

17. A method for visibly indicating the monitoring of a first physiological parameter of a patient, the method comprising:

sensing a first physical characteristic used to monitor the first physiological parameter with a sensor component that comprises an infrared light emitter and a detector, wherein;

the infrared light is used to sense the first physical characteristic; and

the detector is used to detect the infrared light after it passes within the tissue of the patient; and

visibly indicating the monitoring of the first physiological parameter with a first visible light emitter that emits visible light of a first color, wherein;

the first visible light emitter is not used to sense the first physical characteristic; and

the first color is color-coded to the first physiological parameter.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising visibly flashing the first visible light emitter in response to the sensor component sensing a threshold value of the first physical characteristic.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

sensing the first physical characteristic and/or a second physical characteristic used to monitor the first physiological parameter and/or a second physiological parameter with the sensor component, wherein;

the sensor component further comprises a second visible light emitter that emits visible light of a second color;

the second color is different from the first color; and

the second visible light emitter is used to sense the first physical characteristic and/or the second physical characteristic; and

visibly indicating the monitoring of the first physiological parameter and/or the second physiological parameter with the second visible light emitter, wherein the second color is color-coded to the first physiological parameter and/or the second physiological parameter.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the monitoring of the first and second physiological parameters is indicated by a visible combination of the first and second colors.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

visibly flashing the first visible light emitter in response to the sensor component sensing a threshold value of the first physical characteristic; and

visibly flashing the second visible light emitter in response to the sensor component sensing a threshold value of the first physical characteristic and/or the second physical characteristic, wherein the first visible light emitter visibly flashes independently of the second visible light emitter.

22. A computer-readable medium for use in visibly indicating the monitoring of a first physiological parameter, the computer-readable medium having computer program instructions recorded thereon for:

sensing a physical characteristic used to monitor the first physiological parameter with a sensor component that comprises an infrared light emitter and a detector, wherein;

the infrared light is used to sense the physical characteristic; and

the detector is used to detect the infrared light after it passes within the tissue of the patient; and

visibly indicating the monitoring of the first physiological parameter with a first visible light emitter that emits visible light of a first color, wherein;

the first visible light emitter is not used to sense the physical characteristic; and

the first color is color-coded to the first physiological parameter.