Medical Monitoring Patch Device And Methods

• US 20110028814A1
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: PEREZ, Mark, PETERSEN, Ethan
• Granted Patent: US 8,750,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/324
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Embodiments described herein may include systems and methods for monitoring physiological parameters of a patient. Specifically, embodiments disclose the use of a generally self-contained pulse oximeter that is small and lightweight, such that it may be comfortably affixed to a patient to provide physiological data pertaining to the patient. Embodiments also provide methods of using and manufacturing a pulse oximetry patch.

Claims

1. A pulse oximetry patch adapted for placement adjacent to tissue to be tested, comprising:

an upper layer comprising a display window;

a bottom layer comprising one or more light emitters and one or more light detectors, the emitters and detectors capable of acquiring physiological data from a patient; and

a middle layer disposed between the upper layer and the bottom layer comprising;

a drive engine configured to activate the one or more light emitters;

an oximetry engine configured to receive a signal corresponding to the physiological data acquired by the detectors and generate an output corresponding to the physiological data; and

a display adapted to receive the output corresponding to the physiological data.

2. The pulse oximetry patch of claim 1, wherein the bottom layer comprises a layer of adhesive for attaching the pulse oximetry patch to the patient.

3. The pulse oximetry patch of claim 1, further comprising a band adapted to hold the pulse oximetry patch against the patient.

4. The pulse oximetry patch of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a display configured to display a numerical value.

5. The pulse oximetry patch of claim 1, wherein the display comprises one or more light emitting diodes.

6. The pulse oximetry patch of claim 5, wherein one of the one or more light emitting diodes blinks correlatively with the heartbeat of the patient.

7. The pulse oximetry patch of claim 5, wherein one of the one or more light emitting diodes is activated or deactivated in response to a comparison of a measured blood-oxygen saturation value and a programmed blood-oxygen saturation value.

8. The pulse oximetry patch of claim 7, wherein the one or more light emitting diodes are color coded.

9. The pulse oximetry patch of claim 1, comprising a wireless transmitter configured to transmit patient parameters to an external monitor, display, and/or other device.

10. The pulse oximetry patch of claim 1, wherein the patch is approximately 3 inches by 1.5 inches.

11. A method of generating physiological data, comprising:

driving one or more light emitting diodes disposed in a generally self-contained patch to emit a light signal into a tissue to be tested;

receiving a modified light signal through a light detector disposed in the patch, the modified light signal corresponding to the light signal after it has been transmitted through or reflected from the tissue to be tested; and

generating within the patch a physiological parameter by processing the modified light signal;

generating a display output on an outer surface of the patch, the display output corresponding to the physiological parameter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein driving the light emitting diodes comprises sequentially activating a red light emitting diode and an infrared light emitting diode.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein generating a display output comprises generating a numerical display corresponding to the physiological parameter.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein generating a display output comprises causing a light emitting diode to blink correlatively with the heartbeat of the patient.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein generating a display output comprises activating or deactivating a diode in response to a comparison of a measured blood-oxygen saturation value and a programmed blood-oxygen saturation value.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the diode is color coded to indicate whether the measured blood-oxygen saturation value is higher or lower than the programmed blood-oxygen saturation value.

17. The method of claim 11, comprising generating a wireless transmission of the physiological data from the oximetry patch to an external display.

18. A method of monitoring a patient, comprising:

affixing a generally self-contained pulse oximeter to the tissue of a patient; and

activating the pulse oximeter causing the pulse oximeter to display physiological data.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising transmitting the physiological data to an external device wirelessly.

20. A method of manufacturing a pulse oximeter, comprising:

providing a pulse oximeter circuitry capable of sensing, processing, and displaying physiological data of a patient; and

enclosing the pulse oximeter circuitry within a generally self-contained enclosure capable of being disposed directly adjacent a tissue measurement site of the patient.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising disposing a layer of adhesive on one side of the enclosure.

22. The method of claim 20, comprising:

providing a first layer configured to be disposed on the tissue measurement site of the patient;

providing a second layer configured to allow observation of output data; and

enclosing the pulse oximeter circuitry between the first layer and the second layer.

23. The method of claim 20, comprising molding an enclosure around the pulse oximeter circuitry, the enclosure configured to be disposed adjacent to a tissue of the patient and allow observation of output data.

24. A pulse oximeter comprising:

a single processor chip comprising;

one or more first converters capable of activating one or more signal emitters for transmission of an emitted signal into tissue of a patient;

one or more second converters capable of receiving a signal generally correlative to the emitted signal from the tissue of the patient from one or more signal detectors;

a core processor configured to calculate physiological parameters of the patient from the signal from the one or more signal detectors; and

a program memory operatively coupled to the core processor and configured to store operating software of the pulse oximeter.

25. The pulse oximeter of claim 24, wherein the one or more first converters is configured to activate one or more display LEDs to indicate the physiological parameters of the patient.

26. The pulse oximeter of claim 24, wherein the single processor chip is configured to transmit output data corresponding with physiological parameters of the patient to a numerical display.