OPTICAL SENSOR INCLUDING DISPOSABLE AND REUSABLE ELEMENTS

• US 20160066823A1
• Filed: 08/18/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Willow Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cercacor Laboratories
• Inventors: Al-Ali, Ammar, Abdul-Hafiz, Yassir Kamel, Yang, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 9,861,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. (canceled)

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

a first housing that houses an emitter or a detector, wherein the first housing includes a locking feature, and wherein the detector is capable of detecting energy emitted by the emitter after attenuation by body tissue;

a second housing that houses another of the emitter or the detector, wherein the second housing includes an electrical component accessible through an opening in the second housing, and wherein the electrical component is capable of electrically communicating with a corresponding electrical component of a disposable attachment component of the noninvasive optical sensor; and

a flexible connector that connects the first housing to the second housing, wherein the flexible connector is configured to provide tension to engage the locking feature of the first housing with a corresponding locking feature of the disposable attachment component when the reusable component is mated with the disposable attachment component and the noninvasive optical sensor is applied to a tissue site of a patient.

3. The reusable component of claim 2, wherein the flexible connector is further configured to provide the tension to engage the locking feature of the first housing with the corresponding locking feature of the disposable attachment component in response to being flexed.

4. The reusable component of claim 3, wherein applying the noninvasive optical sensor to the tissue site of the patient comprises at least partially wrapping the noninvasive optical sensor around the tissue site of the patient.

5. The reusable component of claim 4, wherein the flexible connector is further configured to release the tension so as to un-engage the locking feature of the first housing with the corresponding locking feature of the disposable attachment component in response to the noninvasive optical sensor being removed from the tissue site of the patient.

6. The reusable component of claim 5, wherein the flexible connector is further configured to un-flex in response to the noninvasive optical sensor being removed from the tissue site.

7. The reusable component of claim 6, wherein removing the noninvasive optical sensor from the tissue site of the patient comprises at least partially un-wrapping the noninvasive optical sensor from around the tissue site of the patient.

8. The reusable component of claim 7, wherein the tissue site of the patient comprises a finger or toe of the patient.

9. The reusable component of claim 2, wherein the flexible connector is further configured to, further in response to applying the noninvasive optical sensor to the tissue site of the patient, engage with the disposable attachment component to align the emitter and the detector on opposing sides of the tissue site.

10. The reusable component of claim 2, wherein the opening extends across at least a portion of a surface of the second housing.

11. A method of using the reusable component of claim 2, comprising:

mating the reusable component with the disposable attachment component;

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

activating the emitter to emit energy into the tissue site.

12. A noninvasive optical sensor comprising:

a reusable component including;

a first housing that houses an emitter or a detector, wherein the first housing includes a locking feature, and wherein the detector is capable of detecting energy emitted by the emitter after attenuation by body tissue;

a second housing that houses another of the emitter or the detector, wherein the second housing includes an electrical component accessible through an opening in the second housing; and

a flexible connector that connects the first housing to the second housing; and

a disposable component including;

a first receptacle configured to receive the first housing;

a second receptacle configured to receive the second housing;

a corresponding electrical component, wherein the electrical component of the reusable component is capable of electrically communicating with the corresponding electrical component through the opening when the reusable component is mated with the disposable component via the first and second receptacles; and

a corresponding locking feature, wherein the flexible connector of the reusable component is configured to provide tension to engage the locking feature of the first housing with the corresponding locking feature when the reusable component is mated with the disposable component and the noninvasive optical sensor is applied to a tissue site of a patient.

13. The noninvasive optical sensor of claim 12, wherein the flexible connector is further configured to provide the tension to engage the locking feature of the first housing with the corresponding locking feature of the disposable component in response to being flexed.

14. The noninvasive optical sensor of claim 13, wherein applying the noninvasive optical sensor to the tissue site of the patient comprises at least partially wrapping the noninvasive optical sensor around the tissue site of the patient.

15. The noninvasive optical sensor of claim 14, wherein the flexible connector is further configured to release the tension so as to un-engage the locking feature of the first housing with the corresponding locking feature of the disposable component in response to the noninvasive optical sensor being removed from the tissue site of the patient.

16. The noninvasive optical sensor of claim 15, wherein the flexible connector is further configured to un-flex in response to the noninvasive optical sensor being removed from the tissue site.

17. The noninvasive optical sensor of claim 16, wherein removing the noninvasive optical sensor from the tissue site of the patient comprises at least partially un-wrapping the noninvasive optical sensor from around the tissue site of the patient.

18. The noninvasive optical sensor of claim 17, wherein the tissue site of the patient comprises a finger or toe of the patient.

19. The noninvasive optical sensor of claim 12, wherein the flexible connector is further configured to, further in response to applying the noninvasive optical sensor to the tissue site of the patient, engage with at least one of the first and second receptacles of the disposable component to align the emitter and the detector on opposing sides of the tissue site.

20. The noninvasive optical sensor of claim 12, wherein the opening extends across at least a portion of a surface of the second housing.

21. The noninvasive optical sensor of claim 21, wherein the second receptacle includes an electrically conductive protrusion configured to extend at least partially into the opening of the second housing and provide electrical communication between the electrical component and the corresponding electrical component when the second housing is engaged with the second receptacle.