PULSE OXIMETER

• US 20120101349A1
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: DelloStritto, James J., Vallee, Adam Paul, Pawar, Ajay Chandrakant
• Granted Patent: US 8,688,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/324
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches

Abstract

A pulse oximeter includes a housing defined by at least a first housing portion and a second housing portion wherein the second portion includes a passage. A sensor module disposed in the housing and proximate the passage includes at least one light emitting diode and at least one photodetector. A processing module also disposed in the housing and configured to communicate with the sensor module includes at least a processor, a network interface, and a power supply. The pulse oximeter further includes a pad having at least a bottom surface and a pad passage, as well as an adhesive configured to be disposed on at least a portion of the bottom surface of the pad. The housing is configured to releasably engage the pad wherein the housing passage and the pad passage are substantially aligned with one another.

Claims

1. A pulse oximeter, comprising:

a housing having a first portion and a second portion, at least the second portion including a passage;

a sensor module including at least one light emitting diode and at least one photodetector;

a processing module disposed within the housing and configured to communicate with the sensor module, the processing module including at least one processor, at least one network interface, and a power supply;

a pad having at least a bottom surface and a passage; and

an adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the bottom surface of the pad wherein the housing is configured to releasably engage the pad such that the housing passage and the pad passage are substantially aligned with one another.

2. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 wherein:

the housing passage and the pad passage are each configured to permit substantially unobstructed passage of light emitted from the at least one light emitting diode of the sensor module; and

wherein at least one of the housing passage and the pad passage is selected from the group consisting of an open aperture and a section of substantially transparent thermoplastic.

3. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a top housing portion, a main housing portion, and a bottom housing portion.

4. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 wherein the housing and the pad are comprised of at least one material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, polycarbonate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene polymer, polypropylene, pellethane, and Lexan™

material.

5. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 further including a power switch configured to communicate with the power supply and wherein the at least one light emitting diode configured to be visible externally from the housing.

6. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 further including at least one printed circuit board disposed within the housing and further configured to mount the processing module.

7. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 wherein the bottom portion of the housing further includes at least one groove and wherein the pad further includes at least one tongue and wherein the housing is configured to releasably engage the pad by slidable engagement of the at least one groove with the at least one tongue.

8. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 wherein the adhesive applied to the pad is an adhesive strip including a medical grade adhesive, the strip having at least one passage configured to be substantially aligned with the passage of the pad when the strip is disposed on the pad.

9. The pulse oximeter of claim 3 wherein the top housing portion is further configured to latchingly engage the main housing portion.

10. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 wherein the housing is configured to releasably engage and disengage the pad by means selected from the group consisting of sliding, hook and loop, snapping, magnetic, and clipping fasteners.

11. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 wherein the sensor module is disposed within the housing and proximate the housing passage.

12. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 wherein the network interface is configured to communicate data received from the sensor module by a protocol selected from the group consisting of at least one of USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth™

, IrDA, radio frequency, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15 and Zigbee.

13. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 wherein the sensor module is attached to the pad proximate the pad passage and wherein the sensor module is configured to electrically communicate with the processing module upon engagement of the housing with the pad.

14. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 wherein the pad is configured to be disposed proximate a user'"'"'s body and the at least one photodetector is further configured to communicate data based on light emitted by the at least one light emitting diode and reflected from the user'"'"'s body.

15. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 wherein the processing module further includes data storage means configured to store information received from the sensor module.

16. The pulse oximeter of claim 1 further including a user interface device, the processing module further including data storage means configured to store program instructions that, when implemented by the processor, communicates information received from the sensor module to the network interface based on a transmission mode including at least one of continuous, episodic, and threshold modes, the transmission mode being selectable based on user interaction with the user interface device.

17. A pulse oximeter, comprising:

a housing including at least a first portion and a second portion, the second portion includes at least one groove;

a sensor module including at least one light emitting diode and at least one photodetector;

a processing module disposed within the housing, the processing module including at least a processor configured to communicate with the sensor module, a network interface, and a power supply;

a pad configured to be disposed proximate a target body and including at least one tongue;

an adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the pad, wherein the at least one groove is configured to releasably engage the at least one tongue such that the at least one light emitting diode and at least one photodetector have substantially unobstructed access to the target body.

18. A method of configuring an apparatus to permit measurement of oxygen saturation of blood, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a sensor module including at least one light emitting diode and at least one photodetector;

configuring a processing module to communicate with the sensor module, the processing module including at least one processor, at least one network interface, and at least one power supply, wherein each module is configured to be disposed within at least one housing;

removably adhering a pad on a body of a patient;

engaging the housing and the pad;

illuminating at least a portion of the body with the at least one light emitting diode;

receiving light in the photodetector as reflected from the body; and

communicating data based on the reflected light to the processing module.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the reusable housing further includes at least one groove and the disposable pad further includes at least one tongue and wherein the engaging step further including slidably engaging the housing and the pad.

20. The method of claim 18 further including the step of transmitting the communicated data by the network interface wherein the network interface is configured to communicate based on a protocol selected from the group consisting of USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth™

, IrDA, radio frequency, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15 and Zigbee.