INTERRUPT DETECTION FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL SENSOR

• US 20170221349A1
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nonin Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nonin Medical Incorporated
• Inventors: Ferguson, Hugh, Rausch, Gregory J., Lemke, David Lee
• Granted Patent: US 10,755,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0462 Apparatus with built-in sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0214 Capacitive electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0271 Thermal or temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/185 Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system

Abstract

A device includes a housing, an emitter, a detector, and a processor. The housing has a body contact surface configured for affixation to a tissue site of a body. The emitter is coupled to the housing and has an emission surface and an electrical terminal. The emission surface is configured to emit light proximate the body contact surface in response to a signal applied to the electrical terminal. The detector is coupled to the housing. The detector has a sense surface and an output terminal. The detector is configured to provide an output signal on the output terminal in response to light detected at the sensor surface. The processor is coupled to the electrical terminal and coupled to the output terminal. The processor is configured to implement an algorithm to monitor for an interruption between the body contact surface and the body and configured to generate an interrupt signal corresponding to the monitoring.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a housing having a body contact surface configured for affixation to a tissue site of a body;

an emitter coupled to the housing and having an emission surface and having an electrical terminal, the emission surface configured to emit light proximate the body contact surface in response to a signal applied to the electrical terminal;

a detector coupled to the housing, the detector having a sense surface and an output terminal, the detector configured to provide an output signal on the output terminal in response to light detected at the sensor surface; and

a processor coupled to the electrical terminal and coupled to the output terminal, the processor configured to implement an algorithm to monitor for an interruption between the body contact surface and the body and configured to generate an interrupt signal corresponding to the monitoring.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the algorithm is configured to periodically determine absorption.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the algorithm is configured to determine absorption and wherein the interrupt signal is generated in response to detecting an excursion from a baseline absorption.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the algorithm is configured to determine a DC absorption ratio for the tissue site and wherein the interrupt signal is generated in response to detecting an excursion from a baseline absorption ratio.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the algorithm is configured to determine an AC absorption ratio for the tissue site and wherein the interrupt signal is generated in response to detecting an excursion from a baseline absorption ratio.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the algorithm is configured to detect light uncorrelated with light emitted from the emitter.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the algorithm is configured to emit light from the emitter and wherein the interrupt signal is generated in response to absence of a pulsatile signal at the output terminal.

8. A device comprising:

a housing having a body contact surface configured for affixation to a tissue site of a body;

a sensor coupled to the housing and having a sense surface and having an output terminal, wherein an output signal at the output terminal corresponds to detection of the body at the sense surface; and

a processor coupled to the output terminal and configured to implement an algorithm to monitor for an interruption between the body contact surface and the body and configured to generate an interrupt signal corresponding to the monitoring.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the sensor includes a temperature sensor.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the sensor includes a pressure sensor.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein the sensor includes a capacitance-based sensor.

12. The device of claim 8 wherein the sensor includes an impedance sensor.

13. The device of claim 8 wherein the sensor includes a resistance sensor.

14. The device of claim 8 wherein the sensor includes a conductivity sensor.