Electronic processor for pulse oximeter
First Claim
1. An oximeter including a light emitting means and a photosensor means for converting received pulses of light from said light emitting means to an electrical signal having a dynamic range directly related to amplitudes of received pulses of light, said oximeter further comprising:
- an analog-to-digital converter means for providing digitized signals accurately representative of amplitudes of received pulses of light; and
,filter means; and
an oversampling demodulator means for providing a switched and filtered electrical signal from said photosensor means to said analog-to-digital converter means, said oversampling demodulator means including switching means for alternately connecting said electrical signal from said photosensor means to ground and to said filter means, said filter means having a cutoff frequency below both cycle rates for said electrical signal from photosensor means and switching rates of said switching means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic processor for calculating in vivo blood oxygenation concentration levels using pulsed light that eliminates both requirements for comparing photosensor signal amplitudes with analog/digital circuit dynamic ranges and also adjusting electronic processor parameters. The invention uses monolithic a/d converters with expanded capacity and a microcontroller/processor with a pulse control module to synchronize switching in an oversampling demodulator with pulsing of light sources to overcome prior circuitry limitations that consumed substantial central processor capacity.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An oximeter including a light emitting means and a photosensor means for converting received pulses of light from said light emitting means to an electrical signal having a dynamic range directly related to amplitudes of received pulses of light, said oximeter further comprising:
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an analog-to-digital converter means for providing digitized signals accurately representative of amplitudes of received pulses of light; and
,filter means; and an oversampling demodulator means for providing a switched and filtered electrical signal from said photosensor means to said analog-to-digital converter means, said oversampling demodulator means including switching means for alternately connecting said electrical signal from said photosensor means to ground and to said filter means, said filter means having a cutoff frequency below both cycle rates for said electrical signal from photosensor means and switching rates of said switching means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An oximeter including a light emitting means and a photosensor means for converting received pulses of light from said light emitting means to an electrical signal having a dynamic range directly related to amplitudes of received pulses of light, said oximeter further comprising:
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an analog-to-digital converter means for providing digitized signals accurately representative of amplitudes of received pulses of light; filter means; an oversampling demodulator means for providing a switched and filtered electrical signal from said photosensor means to said analog-to-digital converter means; a queued serial input module means for receiving digitized signals from said analog-to-digital converter means; a central processor unit means; and a random access memory means; said queued serial input module means having an interface with said central processor unit means through said random access memory means.
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5. A pulse oximeter including a central processor unit means for calculating oxygen saturation in blood, said pulse oximeter further comprising:
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a light emitting means and a photosensor means for converting received pulses of light from said light emitting means to an electrical signal having a dynamic range directly related to amplitudes of received pulses of light; an analog-to-digital converter means for providing digitized signals accurately representative of amplitudes of received pulses of light; filter means; and an oversampling demodulator means for providing a switched and filtered electrical signal from said photosensor means to said analog-digital converter means;
said oversampling demodulator means includes switching means for alternately connecting said electrical signal from said photosensor means to ground and to said filter means, said filter means having a cutoff frequency below both cycle rates for said electrical signal from said photosensor means and switching rates of said switching means. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A pulse oximeter including a central processor unit means for calculating oxygen saturation in blood, said pulse oximeter further comprising:
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a light emitting means and a photosensor means for converting received pulses of light from said light emitting means to an electrical signal having a dynamic range directly related to amplitudes of received pulses of light; an analog-to-digital converter means for providing digitized signals accurately representative of amplitudes of received pulses of light; filter means; and an oversampling demodulator means for providing a switched and filtered electrical signal from said photosensor means to said analog-digital converter means; a queued serial input module means for receiving digitized signals from said analog-to-digital converter means; and a random access memory means providing an interface for said queued serial input module means with said central processor unit means.
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8. A method for measuring electrical pulse signal amplitudes produced from energy sensor means that have received energy from energy emitter means for digital processing using at least one analog-to-digital converter means without having to compare a first dynamic range for said electrical pulse signal amplitudes with a second dynamic range for said analog-to-digital converter means and then adjust gain of at least one amplifier to have said first dynamic range be within said second dynamic range, including the steps of:
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amplifying said electrical pulse signal amplitudes using an input amplifier means; switching said amplified electrical pulse signal amplitudes between ground and a filter means; filtering said switched electrical pulse signal amplitudes through said filter means having a cutoff frequency below both cycle rates for said electrical pulse signal from said energy sensor means and switching rates used to switch said electrical pulse signal amplitudes; providing a timing signal from a pulse control module means to control pulsing of energy from said energy emitter means and for also synchronizing said switching of said electrical signal with pulsing of said light; and
,digitizing signals output from said filter means using said analog-digital converter means. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A pulse energy measuring system including an energy emitting means and an energy sensor means for converting received energy from said energy emitting means to an electrical signal, said pulse energy measuring system further comprising:
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filter means; switching means for alternately connecting said electrical signal from said energy sensor means to ground and to said filter means, said filter means having a cutoff frequency below both cycle rates for said electrical signal from said energy sensor means and switching rates of said switching means; timing means for producing a timing signal that controls pulsing of energy received by said energy sensor means and that also synchronizes switching of said switching means with pulsing of energy received by said energy sensor means; and analog/digital converter means for converting analog signals from said filter means to digital signals. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. An oximeter including a light emitting means and a photosensor means for converting received light from said light emitting means to an electrical signal, said oximeter further comprising:
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switching means for alternately connecting said electrical signal from said photosensor means to ground and to said filter means, said filter means having a cutoff frequency below both cycle rates for said electrical signal from said photosensor means and switching rates of said switching means; timing means for producing a timing signal that controls pulsing of light received by said photosensor means and that also synchronizes switching of said switching means with pulsing of light received by said photosensor means; and
,analog/digital converter means for converting analog signals from said filter means to digital signals. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for measuring electrical pulse signal amplitudes produced from energy sensor means that have received energy from an energy emitter means, said method including the steps of:
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switching said electrical pulse signal between ground and filter means; filtering said switched electrical pulse signal through said filter means having a cutoff frequency below both cycle rates for said electrical pulse signal from said energy sensor means and switching rates used to switch said electrical pulse signal; providing a timing signal to control pulsing of energy from said energy emitter means and to also synchronize said switching of said electrical pulse signal with pulsing of said energy; and
,digitizing signals output from said filter means. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A method for pulsed in vivo measurement of blood oxygenation saturation levels using at least one light source means and a photosensor means, including the steps of:
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switching electrical signals from said photosensor means between ground and a filter means; filtering said switched electrical signal through said filter means having a cutoff frequency below both cycle rates for said electrical signal from said photosensor means and switching rates used to switch said electrical signal; providing a timing signal to control pulsing of light from said light source means and for also synchronizing said switching of said electrical signal with pulsing of said light; and
,digitizing signals output from said filter means. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification