SHIELDED CABLE FOR MEDICAL SENSOR

• US 20130079609A1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Besko, David P.
• Application Number:
  US13/239,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20130079609A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/324
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/182 Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/222 Electrical cables or leads therefor, e.g. coaxial cables or ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 11/1066 the coating containing conductive or semiconductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/048 for implantation into a human or animal body, e.g. pacemaker leads
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Present embodiments include a cable configured to transmit signals between a pulse oximetry sensor and a patient monitor. The cable includes a first set of conductors adapted to connect to an emitter of the pulse oximetry sensor, a second set of conductors adapted to connect to a photodetector of the pulse oximetry sensor, and a conductive jacketing surrounding only the second set of conductors and adapted to shield the second set of conductors from electromagnetic interference (EMI). The conductive jacketing includes a conductive filler disposed within a polymeric matrix. The cable also includes a nonconductive jacketing surrounding the conductive jacketing, the nonconductive jacketing being configured to electrically insulate the conductive jacketing.

Claims

1. A cable configured to transmit signals between a pulse oximetry sensor and a patient monitor, comprising:

a first set of conductors adapted to connect to an emitter of the pulse oximetry sensor;

a second set of conductors adapted to connect to a photodetector of the pulse oximetry sensor;

a conductive jacketing surrounding only the second set of conductors and adapted to shield the second set of conductors from electromagnetic interference (EMI), wherein the conductive jacketing comprises a conductive filler disposed within a polymeric matrix; and

a nonconductive jacketing surrounding the conductive jacketing and configured to electrically insulate the conductive jacketing.

2. The cable of claim 1, wherein the polymeric matrix comprises a nonconductive polymer.

3. The cable of claim 1, wherein the conductive filler comprises electrically conductive fibers, electrically conductive particulates, or a combination thereof.

4. The cable of claim 1, wherein the conductive jacketing is adapted to only shield the second set of conductors.

5. The cable of claim 1, comprising a main conductive jacketing disposed around all conductors of the cable and a main nonconductive jacketing surrounding the main conductive jacketing and configured to electrically insulate the main conductive jacketing.

6. The cable of claim 5, wherein the main conductive jacketing comprises a metallic EMI shield.

7. The cable of claim 6, wherein the main conductive jacketing comprises an additional conductive filler disposed within an additional polymeric matrix.

8. The cable of claim 1, wherein the cable comprises a connector adapted to couple the cable to the patient monitor, the connector comprising:

a pin-out configuration adapted to electrically couple to the first set of conductors, the second set of conductors, and the conductive jacketing; and

a memory unit coupled to the pin-out configuration.

9. The cable of claim 8, wherein the pin out configuration comprises:

a first and a second pin adapted to couple to a first and a second conductor of the first set of conductors, respectively;

a third and a fourth pin adapted to couple to a third and a fourth conductor of the second set of conductors, respectively;

a fifth pin adapted to couple to the conductive jacketing; and

a sixth and a seventh pin adapted to couple to the memory unit.

10. A patient sensor system, comprising:

a medical sensor capable of generating signals representative of a physiological parameter of a patient; and

a cable comprising;

a conductor capable of transmitting the signals from the medical sensor to a patient monitor configured to monitor the physiological parameter; and

a conductive jacketing surrounding the conductor, wherein the conductive jacketing is adapted to shield the conductor from electromagnetic interference (EMI), and the conductive jacketing comprises a conductive filler disposed within a polymer matrix.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the medical sensor comprises a detector configured to generate the signals and an electrically conductive adhesive transfer tape (ECATT) layer configured to shield the detector from EMI.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the conductive jacketing of the cable is electrically coupled to the ECATT layer to terminate the cable.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the cable comprises an annular arrangement of termination conductors folded over a terminus of a main nonconductive jacketing of the cable, and the annular arrangement of termination conductors are electrically coupled to the ECATT layer to terminate the cable.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the medical sensor comprises a pulse oximetry sensor, and the cable comprises:

a first set of conductors adapted to connect to an emitter of the pulse oximetry sensor, and

a second set of conductors adapted to connect to a photodetector of the pulse oximetry sensor, wherein the conductive jacketing is adapted to shield the second set of conductors from EMI.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the cable comprises a connector adapted to couple the cable to the patient monitor, the connector comprising:

a pin-out configuration adapted to electrically couple to the first set of conductors, the second set of conductors, and the conductive jacketing; and

a memory unit coupled to the pin-out configuration.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the pin-out configuration comprises:

a first and a second pin adapted to couple to a first and a second conductor of the first set of conductors, respectively;

a third and a fourth pin adapted to couple to a third and a fourth conductor of the second set of conductors, respectively;

a fifth pin adapted to couple to the conductive jacketing; and

a sixth and a seventh pin adapted to couple to the memory unit, wherein the memory unit comprises an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) unit.

17. A method of manufacturing a cable adapted to connect a pulse oximetry sensor to a patient monitor, comprising:

providing a first set of conductors adapted to connect to an emitter of the pulse oximetry sensor and a second set of conductors adapted to connect to a photodetector of the pulse oximetry sensor;

shielding the second set of conductors from electromagnetic interference (EMI) with a conductive jacketing comprising a conductive filler disposed within a polymer matrix; and

surrounding the conductive jacketing with a nonconductive jacketing to electrically insulate the conductive jacketing.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising coupling the first set of conductors, the second set of conductors, and the conductive jacketing to a pin-out configuration of a connector adapted to couple the cable to the patient monitor, wherein the connector comprises a memory unit coupled to the pin-out configuration.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein coupling the first set of conductors, the second set of conductors, and the conductive jacketing to the pin-out configuration of the connector comprises:

coupling a first and a second pin to a first and a second conductor of the first set of conductors, respectively;

coupling a third and a fourth pin to a third and a fourth conductor of the second set of conductors, respectively; and

coupling a fifth pin to the conductive jacketing.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein shielding the second set of conductors comprises shielding the first and second sets of conductors by surrounding the first and second sets of conductors with the conductive jacketing.