Thermistor airflow sensor assembly
First Claim
1. A thermistor airflow sensor assembly adapted to be mounted adjacent the mouth and nose of a patient for monitoring the breathing of such patient, comprising:
- a) upper and lower layers of thin, flexible, resilient plastic film readily conformable to the facial curvatures of the patient, said layers being essentially identical in shape and configured to include an elongated main body strip, longitudinal end portions serving as primary mounting pads for the assembly, a first leg extending laterally form said main body strip and having an outer end adapted to be generally aligned with the mouth of the patient when the assembly is mounted, and a pair of longitudinally spaced legs having outer ends and extending laterally form said main body strip in a direction opposed to said first leg, the outer end of each of said pair of legs being aligned with the nostrils of the patient when the assembly is mounted;
b) said layers being laminated to each other over substantially their entire surfaces,c) circuit conductors between said layers, said conductors extending to said outer ends of each of said legs and to a periphery of one of said end portions, and being adapted to be electrically connected to a monitor;
d) the outer ends of said legs of said upper layer being formed with openings below which said circuit conductors extend and are exposed;
e) thermistor means for sensing air temperature mounted in each of said openings and electrically connected to said circuit conductors, said thermistor means projecting outwardly from a surface of the upper film layer to provide exposed surfaces over which exposed air form the patient'"'"'s mouth and nose can pass;
f) an electrically insulative coating over the exposed surfaces of said thermistor means for electrically isolating said thermistor means and said circuit conductors from said patient, wherebysaid thermistor means detects the temperature of ambient and expired air and transmits signals through said circuit conductors indicative of such temperatures.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thermistor airflow sensor assembly adapted to be mounted adjacent the mouth and nose of a patient for monitoring the breathing of the patient, with the assembly comprising thin, flexible, resilient layers of film adhesively secured to each other to form a laminate. Copper conductor strips are formed by etching away a copper layer attached to the lower film prior to lamination, with chip thermistors being soldered to the copper conducting strips. The thermistors are mounted in leg portions extending laterally from a main body strip of the assembly, with two legs being adapted to be aligned with the nostrils of the patient, and the opposed leg extending downwardly to a position where the outer end thereof is generally aligned with the mouth of the patient. The copper conducting strips extend through an enlarged end portion of the assembly for electrical connection to a cable, a bend relief cable, and a plug which can be connected to a monitor for providing visual and/or audio alarm signals when breathing has been interrupted. A separate carrier strip can be mounted on the film layer adapted to be positioned against the face of the patient, whereby the thin flexible assembly can be easily adapted to the facial configuration of the patient. The entire assembly, including adhesive and the copper conductor strips, is in the range of 0.006"-0.008" in thickness, except for the thermistor locations and the strain relief area.
99 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A thermistor airflow sensor assembly adapted to be mounted adjacent the mouth and nose of a patient for monitoring the breathing of such patient, comprising:
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a) upper and lower layers of thin, flexible, resilient plastic film readily conformable to the facial curvatures of the patient, said layers being essentially identical in shape and configured to include an elongated main body strip, longitudinal end portions serving as primary mounting pads for the assembly, a first leg extending laterally form said main body strip and having an outer end adapted to be generally aligned with the mouth of the patient when the assembly is mounted, and a pair of longitudinally spaced legs having outer ends and extending laterally form said main body strip in a direction opposed to said first leg, the outer end of each of said pair of legs being aligned with the nostrils of the patient when the assembly is mounted; b) said layers being laminated to each other over substantially their entire surfaces, c) circuit conductors between said layers, said conductors extending to said outer ends of each of said legs and to a periphery of one of said end portions, and being adapted to be electrically connected to a monitor; d) the outer ends of said legs of said upper layer being formed with openings below which said circuit conductors extend and are exposed; e) thermistor means for sensing air temperature mounted in each of said openings and electrically connected to said circuit conductors, said thermistor means projecting outwardly from a surface of the upper film layer to provide exposed surfaces over which exposed air form the patient'"'"'s mouth and nose can pass; f) an electrically insulative coating over the exposed surfaces of said thermistor means for electrically isolating said thermistor means and said circuit conductors from said patient, whereby said thermistor means detects the temperature of ambient and expired air and transmits signals through said circuit conductors indicative of such temperatures. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification