DEVICE FOR DIAGNOSIS AND/OR THERAPY OF PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A SELECTED PORTION OF A BODY BY OPTICAL REFLECTANCE OR OPTICAL TRANSMISSION

• US 20110196241A1
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NeMoDevices AG, Numis Network, LLC
• Original Assignee: NeMoDevices AG
• Inventors: Froehlich, Jürg
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1468 using chemical or electrochemical methods, e.g. by polarographic means A61B5/1486 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for diagnosis and/or therapy of a selected portion of a body by optical reflectance or optical transmission. The device according to the invention has a laminar body (12) containing a tissue-facing surface (13). The laminar body (12) integrally forms a transmitter opening destined to accommodate a transmitter fibre terminal (24) and a receiver opening destined to accommodate a receiver fibre terminal (38a, 38b). Furthermore, it contains annular light shielding means for shielding said transmitter fibre terminal (24) and receiver fibre terminal (38a, 38b) from ambient light sources. Thereby, said annular transmitter and receiver light shielding means are formed as an annular transmitter light shielding bulge (46) and an annular receiver light shielding bulge (48a, 48b), respectively, which are firmly arranged with respect to said laminar body (12), whereby their free ends are protruding with respect to said tissue-facing surface (13) of said laminar body (12).

Claims

1. A device for diagnosis and/or therapy of a selected portion of a body by optical reflectance or optical transmission, having a laminar body (12) including a tissue-facing surface (13), an exterior surface (14) averted from said tissue-facing surface (13), a transmitter opening destined to accommodate a transmitter fibre terminal (24) containing an optical transmitter fibre (15), and a receiver opening destined to accommodate a receiver fibre terminal (38a, 38b) containing an optical receiver fibre (16a, 16b, respectively);

said transmitter fibre terminal (24) being designed for directing light incoming through said optical transmitter fibre (15) towards a direction at least approximately perpendicular to the tissue-facing surface (13) ;

said receiver fibre terminal (38a, 38b) being designed for collecting incoming light from a direction at least approximately perpendicular to said tissue-facing surface (13) in said optical receiver fibre (16a, 16b, respectively);

annular transmitter light shielding means for shielding said transmitter fibre terminal (24) from ambient light sources;

annular receiver light shielding means for shielding said receiver fibre terminal (38a, 38b) from ambient light sources;

wherein said transmitter opening is a transmitter cavity (18) having a transmitter housing portion (20) and a transmitter passage portion (22), said transmitter passage portion (22) discharging into said transmitter housing portion (20) and allowing passing there through said optical transmitter fibre (15);

said transmitter cavity (18) being integrally formed with said laminar body (12);

said receiver opening is a receiver cavity (28a, 28b) having a receiver housing portion (30a, 30b, respectively) and a receiver passage portion (34a, 34b, respectively), said receiver passage portion (34a, 34b) discharging into said receiver housing portion (30a, 30b, respectively) and allowing passing there through said optical receiver fibre (16a, 16b, respectively);

said receiver cavity (28a, 28b) being integrally formed with said laminar body (12);

said annular transmitter light shielding means is formed as an annular transmitter light shielding bulge (46) and said annular receiver light shielding means is formed as an annular receiver light shielding bulge (48a, 48b); and

said annular transmitter light shielding bulge (46) and said annular receiver light shielding bulge (48a, 48b) are firmly arranged with respect to said laminar body (12), and their free ends are protruding with respect to said tissue-facing surface (13) of said laminar body (12).

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein a transmitter sleeve (50) is arranged within said transmitter housing portion (20), firmly arranged with respect to said laminar body (12) destined for shielding said transmitter fibre terminal (24) from ambient light sources, and a receiver sleeve (52a, 52b) is arranged within said receiver housing portion (30a, 30b, respectively), firmly arranged with respect to said laminar body (12) destined for shielding said receiver fibre terminal (38a, 38b, respectively) from ambient light sources.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said transmitter sleeve (50) is extending over at least approximately the entire depth of said transmitter housing portion (20) in a direction at least approximately perpendicular to said tissue-facing surface (13), having a transmitter sleeve through passage portion (54) allowing passing there through said optical transmitter fibre (15).

4. A device according to claim 2, wherein said receiver sleeve (52a, 52b) is extending over at least approximately the entire depth of said receiver housing portion (30a, 30b, respectively) in a direction at least approximately perpendicular to said tissue-facing surface (13), having a receiver sleeve through passage portion (56a, 56b, respectively) allowing passing there through said optical receiver fibre (16a, 16b, respectively).

5. A device according to claim 2, wherein said transmitter sleeve (50) and said receiver sleeve (52a, 52b) are composed of a resilient material.

6. A device according to claim 2, wherein said annular transmitter light shielding bulge (46) is integrally formed by said transmitter sleeve (50) and said annular receiver light shielding bulge (48a, 48b) is integrally formed by said receiver sleeve (52a, 52b, respectively).

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter fibre terminal (24) has a reflective optical transmitter terminal (64) being arranged in said transmitter housing portion (20) and being in contact with said optical transmitter fibre (15), and said receiver fibre terminal (38a, 38b) has a reflective optical receiver terminal (66a, 66b, respectively) being arranged in said receiver housing portion (30a, 30b, respectively) and being in contact with said optical receiver fibre (16a, 16b, respectively).

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said reflective optical transmitter terminal (64) is flexibly supported within said transmitter housing portion (20) with respect to deflections at least approximately perpendicular to said tissue-facing surface (13) and said reflective optical receiver terminal (66a, 66b) is flexibly supported within said receiver housing portion (30a, 30b, respectively) with respect to deflections at least approximately perpendicular to said tissue-facing surface (13).

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein a spring force in direction at least approximately perpendicular to said tissue-facing surface (13) is acting on said reflective optical transmitter fibre terminal (64) and on said reflective optical receiver fibre terminal (66a, 66b), effecting that said reflective optical transmitter fibre terminal (64) is slightly protruding with respect to the free end of said annular transmitter light shielding bulge (46) and said reflective optical receiver fibre terminal (66a, 66b) is slightly protruding with respect to the free end of said annular receiver light shielding bulge (48a, 48b, respectively).

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein said spring force is caused by a helical pressure spring (72a, 72b, 72c) firmly arranged with said laminar body (12) or by a tongue-like spring integrally formed with said laminar body (12).

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein said laminar body (12) is covered by a foam layer (58) firmly arranged on said tissue-facing surface (13)

12. A device according to claim 11, whereby the free end of said annular transmitter light shielding bulge (46) and the free end of said annular receiver light shielding bulge (48a, 48b) are protruding with respect to the laid-open surface of said foam layer (58).

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein an adhesive patch (62a, 62b) is firmly arranged on said exterior surface (14) of said laminar body (12).

14. A device according to claim 9, wherein said reflective optical transmitter fibre terminal (64) is at least approximately on a same plane with respect to the free end of said annular transmitter light shielding bulge (46) and said reflective optical receiver fibre terminal (66a, 66b) is at least approximately on the same plane with respect to the free end of said annular receiver light shielding bulge (48a, 48b, respectively).

15. A device according to claim 11, wherein said foam layer (58) possesses light absorbing properties.

16. A device according to claim 12, whereby the free end of said annular transmitter light shielding bulge (46) and the free end of said annular receiver light shielding bulge (48a, 48b) are at least approximately on the same plane with respect to the laid-open surface of said foam layer (58).