Patient sensor for optical cerebral oximeter and the like
First Claim
1. An optical sensor unit for use as a patient interface device in conducting in vivo spectrophotometric examination procedures, comprising in combination:
- a body having at least limited longitudinal flexibility and a softly resilient outer cover carried on at least one side, for comfortably and contiguously contacting a selected surface area on a patient;
an electro-optical light source carried with said body and exposed through said resilient cover, for emitting light of at least two selected wavelengths and introducing such light into said patient through said surface area;
a plurality of electro-optical light detectors carried with said body and maintained at particular spacings from one another and from said light source thereby, said detectors being exposed through said resilient cover to receive light from said patient resulting from said introduced light from said source;
electrical conductors coupled to said light source and light detectors to energize said source and to convey output signals from said detectors representative of the resultant light received from said patent, said conductors extending outwardly from said body for coupling to a remotely located signal-processing device;
said resilient cover comprising a thin, softly compressible member of light-absorbing and moisture-transmissible material which helps isolate said source from said detectors with respect to light traveling directly therebetween as well as from ambient light while also acting to convey moisture away from said patient surface area, to enhance the fidelity and accuracy of said detector output signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor for use in medical patient examination and monitoring by spectrophotometric apparatus, including a main body having a soft, resilient outer cover on at least one side for conformably contacting a selected area on the patient, in particular the forehead, also having and an electro-optical light source and a plurality of electro-optical light detectors spaced from the source and from one another, and exposed to the selected site on the patient by light-transmissive passages extending through the resilient cover, in which the resilient cover is formed of a thin, softly compressible member of light-absorbing and moisture-transmissible material, preferably of resilient cellular polymeric foam.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An optical sensor unit for use as a patient interface device in conducting in vivo spectrophotometric examination procedures, comprising in combination:
- a body having at least limited longitudinal flexibility and a softly resilient outer cover carried on at least one side, for comfortably and contiguously contacting a selected surface area on a patient;
an electro-optical light source carried with said body and exposed through said resilient cover, for emitting light of at least two selected wavelengths and introducing such light into said patient through said surface area;
a plurality of electro-optical light detectors carried with said body and maintained at particular spacings from one another and from said light source thereby, said detectors being exposed through said resilient cover to receive light from said patient resulting from said introduced light from said source;
electrical conductors coupled to said light source and light detectors to energize said source and to convey output signals from said detectors representative of the resultant light received from said patent, said conductors extending outwardly from said body for coupling to a remotely located signal-processing device;
said resilient cover comprising a thin, softly compressible member of light-absorbing and moisture-transmissible material which helps isolate said source from said detectors with respect to light traveling directly therebetween as well as from ambient light while also acting to convey moisture away from said patient surface area, to enhance the fidelity and accuracy of said detector output signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- a body having at least limited longitudinal flexibility and a softly resilient outer cover carried on at least one side, for comfortably and contiguously contacting a selected surface area on a patient;
Specification