OPTICAL SENSOR INCLUDING DISPOSABLE AND REUSABLE ELEMENTS

• US 20140128699A1
• Filed: 10/29/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cercacor Laboratories
• Original Assignee: Cercacor Laboratories
• Inventors: Al-Ali, Ammar, Abdul-Hafiz, Yassir, Yang, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 9,138,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/344
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/085 combined with means for recording calibration data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a noninvasive optical sensor or probe including disposable and reusable components. The assembly of the disposable and reusable components is straightforward, along with the disassembly thereof. During application to a measurement site, the assembled sensor is advantageously secured together while the componentry is advantageously properly positioned.

Claims

1. A reusable component of a noninvasive optical sensor, the reusable component comprising:

at least one energy emitter;

at least one detector capable of detecting energy attenuated by body tissue and capable of outputting a signal usable to determine one or more physiological characteristics of the body tissue;

a first casing housing one of the at least one energy emitter or the at least one detector;

a second casing housing the other of the at least one energy emitter or the at least one detector, the second casing housing including at least one opening extending from a bottom edge into at least a portion of a bottom surface of the second casing housing; and

a flexible portion connecting the first casing housing to the second casing housing, the flexible portion configured such that, in response to mating the reusable component with a disposable attachment component of the noninvasive optical sensor and applying the noninvasive optical sensor around a tissue site of a patient, the flexible portion provides tension to at least partially secure the reusable component to the disposable attachment component.

2. The reusable component of claim 1, wherein the flexible portion is flexed when the noninvasive optical sensor is applied around the tissue site.

3. The reusable component of claim 2, wherein flexing the flexible portion causes at least one of the first casing housing or the second casing housing to engage with a corresponding locking feature of the disposable attachment component.

4. The reusable component of claim 1, wherein the flexible portion is further configured such that, in response to removing the noninvasive optical sensor from around the tissue site of the patient, the reusable component is un-secured from the disposable attachment component.

5. The reusable component of claim 4, wherein the flexible portion is un-flexed when the noninvasive optical sensor is removed from around the tissue site.

6. The reusable component of claim 1, wherein the flexible portion is further configured such that, further in response to applying the noninvasive optical sensor around a tissue site of a patient, the flexible portion is engaged with disposable attachment component to align the at least one energy emitter and the at least one detector on opposing sides of the tissue site.

7. The reusable component of claim 1, wherein the at least one opening further extends into at least a portion of a second surface of the second casing housing adjacent to the bottom surface.

8. A method of using the reusable component of claim 1, comprising:

mating the reusable component with the disposable attachment component;

attaching the disposable attachment component having the first and second casing housing mated thereto to a patient such that the disposable attachment component is wrapped around a tissue site of the patient; and

activating the at least one energy emitter to emit energy into the tissue site.

9. A method of attaching to a patient a noninvasive optical sensor, the noninvasive optical sensor comprising a reusable component and a disposable attachment component, the method comprising:

providing the reusable component including;

an emitter casing housing at least one optical emitter;

a detector casing housing at least one detector configured to detect optical radiation attenuated by body tissue and output a signal usable to determine one or more physiological characteristics of the body tissue, wherein at least one of the emitter casing housing or the detector casing housing includes at least one opening extending along at least a portion of a bottom and a front surface of the at least one casing housing; and

a flexible portion connecting the emitter casing and the detector casing;

providing the disposable attachment component configured to be wrapped around and attached to a tissue site of a patient; and

mating the reusable component with the disposable attachment component such that, in response to wrapping the noninvasive optical sensor around the tissue site of the patient, the flexible portion provides tension to at least partially secure the reusable component to the disposable attachment component.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the flexible portion is flexed when the noninvasive optical sensor is wrapped around the tissue site.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein flexing the flexible portion causes at least one of the emitter casing or the detector casing to engage with a corresponding locking feature disposed on the disposable attachment component.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the flexible portion is further configured such that, in response to un-wrapping the noninvasive optical sensor from around the tissue site of the patient, the reusable component is un-secured from the disposable attachment component.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the flexible portion is un-flexed when the noninvasive optical sensor is un-wrapped from around the tissue site.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the flexible portion includes a flexible circuit that provides communication between one of the at least one optical emitter or the at least one detector, and a patient monitor.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

attaching the noninvasive optical sensor to the patient such that the disposable attachment component is wrapped around the tissue site of the patient; and

activating the at least one optical emitter to emit energy into the tissue site.

16. A reusable component of a noninvasive optical sensor, the reusable component comprising:

an emitter means for emitting optical radiation;

a detector means for detecting optical radiation attenuated by body tissue and outputting a signal usable to determine one or more physiological characteristics of the body tissue;

a first housing means for housing one of the emitter means or the detector means;

a second housing means for housing the other of the emitter means or the detector means, the second housing means including at least one opening extending along at least a portion of a bottom and a front surface of the second housing means; and

a flexible connector means for connecting the first housing means to the second housing means, the flexible connector means configured such that, in response to mating the reusable component with a disposable attachment component of the noninvasive optical sensor and applying the noninvasive optical sensor around a tissue site of a patient, the flexible connector means provides tension to at least partially secure the reusable component to the disposable attachment component.

17. The reusable component of claim 16, wherein the flexible connector means is flexed when the noninvasive optical sensor is applied around the tissue site.

18. The reusable component of claim 17, wherein flexing the flexible connector means causes at least one of the first housing means or the second housing means to engage with a corresponding locking feature means of the disposable attachment component.

19. The reusable component of claim 16, wherein the flexible connector means is further configured such that, in response to removing the noninvasive optical sensor from around the tissue site of the patient, the reusable component is un-secured from the disposable attachment component.

20. The reusable component of claim 19, wherein the flexible connector means is un-flexed when the noninvasive optical sensor is removed from around the tissue site.