SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING THE LIFE OF A PHYSIOLOGICAL SENSOR

• US 20190021638A1
• Filed: 07/27/2018
• Published: 01/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Inventors: Al-Ali, Ammar, Weber, Walter M., McHale, Ryan Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 10,342,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0238 Means for recording calibration data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0266 for monitoring or limiting apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/028 Arrangements to prevent overuse, e.g. by counting the number of uses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0238 Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/085 combined with means for recording calibration data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• 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 5/1495 Calibrating or testing of in-vivo probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure include a sensor configured to store in memory indications of sensor use information and formulas or indications of formulas for determining the useful life of a sensor from the indications of sensor use information. A monitor connected to the sensor monitors sensor use and stores indications of the use on sensor memory. The monitor and/or sensor compute the useful life of the sensor from the indications of use and the formulas. When the useful life of the sensor is reached, an indication is given to replace the sensor.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A physiological sensor configured to store a sensor life function, the physiological sensor comprising:

one or more emitters configured to transmit light of at least a first wavelength and a second wavelength into tissue of a patient;

one or more detectors configured to detect the light after it has interacted with the tissue and to generate a signal responsive to the detected light;

a memory device storing at least one sensor life function for use by a separately housed patient monitor in determining a useful life of the sensor; and

a communication port configured to communicate the at least one sensor life function to the separately housed patient monitor, wherein the separately housed patient monitor calculates the useful life of the physiological sensor using the at least one sensor life function.

22. The physiological sensor of claim 21, wherein the memory device comprises a read only portion and a read/write portion and the at least one sensor life function is stored in the read only portion of the memory device.

23. The physiological sensor of claim 21, wherein the memory device comprises a read only portion and a read/write portion and the at least one sensor life function is stored in the read/write portion of the memory device.

24. The physiological sensor of claim 21, wherein the memory device is further configured to store sensor use information, wherein the communication port is further configured to communicate the sensor use information to the separately housed patient monitor, wherein to calculate the useful life of the physiological sensor, the separately housed patient monitor uses the sensor use information.

25. The physiological sensor of claim 24, wherein the sensor use information comprises one or more of an amount of time the physiological sensor has been used, an amount of time for which power has been provided to the physiological sensor, a number of times the physiological sensor has been powered up, a number of times the physiological sensor has been powered down, a number of times the physiological sensor has been connected to a monitor, a number of different monitors that have been connected to the physiological sensor, a number of patients that have used the sensor, a number of times the physiological sensor has been calibrated, an amount of time the physiological sensor has been connected to a finger, a number of times the physiological sensor has been opened and closed, an average temperature of the physiological sensor, or an average current provided to the physiological sensor.

26. The physiological sensor of claim 21, wherein the at least one sensor life function assigns weighting values to each of at least two indications of sensor use information.

27. A method of determining a useful life of a physiological sensor, the method comprising:

storing at least one sensor life function in a memory device of the physiological sensor, wherein the sensor life indicates how to calculate a useful life of the physiological sensor; and

communicating the at least one sensor life function to a separately housed patient monitor, wherein the separately housed patient monitor calculates the useful life of the physiological sensor using the at least one sensor life function.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the memory device comprises a read only portion and a read/write portion, wherein the at least one sensor life function is stored in the read only portion of the memory device.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the memory device comprises a read only portion and a read/write portion, wherein the at least one sensor life function is stored in the read/write portion of the memory device.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one sensor life function assigns weighting values to each of at least two indications of sensor use information.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

storing the at least two indications of sensor use information in the memory device of the physiological sensor, and

communicating the at least two indications of sensor use information to the separately housed patient monitor, wherein to calculate the useful life of the physiological sensor, the separately housed patient monitor uses the at least two indications of sensor use information.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the sensor use information comprises one or more of an amount of time the physiological sensor has been used, an amount of time for which power has been provided to the physiological sensor, a number of times the physiological sensor has been powered up, a number of times the physiological sensor has been powered down, a number of times the physiological sensor has been connected to a monitor, a number of different monitors that have been connected to the physiological sensor, a number of patients that have used the sensor, a number of times the physiological sensor has been calibrated, an amount of time the physiological sensor has been connected to a finger, a number of times the physiological sensor has been opened and closed, an average temperature of the physiological sensor, or an average current provided to the physiological sensor.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising selecting the at least one sensor life function from a plurality of sensor life functions stored in the memory device of the physiological sensor.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said selecting is based at least in part on a sensor type of the physiological sensor.

35. A method of determining a useful life of a reusable noninvasive physiological sensor, the method comprising:

receiving at least one sensor life function from a reusable noninvasive physiological sensor, wherein the at least one sensor life function indicates how to calculate the useful life of the reusable noninvasive physiological sensor, the at least one sensor life function assigning a first weighting value to a first indication of sensor use information and assigning a second weighting value to a second indication of sensor use information;

updating the at least one sensor life function to assign a third weighting value to the first indication of sensor use information and to assign a fourth weighting value to the second indication of sensor use information, wherein the third weighting value is different from the first weighting value, wherein the fourth weighting value is different from the second weighting value; and

calculating the useful life of the reusable noninvasive physiological sensor using at least the first indication of sensor use information, the second indication of sensor use information, the third weighting value, the fourth weighting value, and the updated at least one sensor life function.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising receiving the first and second indications of sensor use information from the reusable noninvasive physiological sensor.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising storing the updated at least one sensor life function in a memory device of the reusable noninvasive physiological sensor.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the sensor life function is stored in a memory device of the reusable noninvasive physiological sensor, wherein the method further comprises replacing, in the memory device, the stored sensor life function with the updated sensor life function.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the sensor use information comprises one or more of an amount of time the physiological sensor has been used, an amount of time for which power has been provided to the physiological sensor, a number of times the physiological sensor has been powered up, a number of times the physiological sensor has been powered down, a number of times the physiological sensor has been connected to a monitor, a number of different monitors that have been connected to the physiological sensor, a number of patients that have used the sensor, a number of times the physiological sensor has been calibrated, an amount of time the physiological sensor has been connected to a finger, a number of times the physiological sensor has been opened and closed, an average temperature of the physiological sensor, or an average current provided to the physiological sensor.

40. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

determining that the useful life of the reusable noninvasive physiological sensor has been exceeded; and

causing a display device to display an indication that the useful life of the reusable noninvasive physiological sensor has been exceeded.