Non-invasive oximeter probe

• US 5,368,025 A
• Filed: 03/25/1993
• Issued: 11/29/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dolphin Medical, Inc. (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sensor Devices, Inc. (Mars Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lovejoy, David A., Young, Robert L., Heinzelman, Bert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Application Number:
  US08/036,825
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 128/633-634, 128/664-667, 356/39-41
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips

Abstract

An improved noninvasive, electrooptical sensor probe is suitable for removable attachment to the skin of a patient to measure light extinction during transillumination of the blood-perfused tissue beneath the skin. According to the preferred embodiment of the probe, the probe has a unitary chassis having two widened ends connected by a flexible bridge. The topside of each widened end has a concave finger location saddle. The underside of the chassis has a cavity to receive an electrical sensor assembly including a light source and a photosensor. The probe further includes a foam backing having a front end connected to a back end by a neck, and two wings which extend laterally from opposing sides of the back end. The foam backing has an adhesive topside, which is bonded to the underside of the chassis to capture the electrical sensor assembly in the cavity of the chassis. Removable release tabs cover the adhesive topside of the wings prior to the application of the probe to a patient.

Claims

1. A noninvasive, electrooptical sensor probe for removable attachment to the skin of a patient to measure light extinction during transillumination of the blood-perfused tissue beneath the skin, comprising:

a unitary elastomeric polymeric chassis having a topside and an underside and having a first end connected to a second end by a flexible bridge, whereby the topside of said first and second ends are spaced and opposed when the bridge is folded in a U-shape, and wherein the topside of at least one of said first or second ends forms a concave finger location saddle;

a light source mounted on the first end of said chassis;

a photosensor mounted on the second end of said chassis positioned to detect light emitted by said light source when the bridge is folded in a U-shape;

means for electrically connecting said light source and said photosensor to an external device; and

means for removably securing said chassis to the skin, wherein said means for removably securing said chassis comprises first and second wings extending from opposing lateral sides of one of first or second ends of said chassis.

2. The sensor probe of claim 1 wherein the underside of said chassis includes a cavity, wherein said light source and said photosensor are disposed within said cavity, and wherein said sensor probe further includes means for covering said cavity to capture said light source and said photosensor therein.

3. The sensor probe of claim 1 wherein the topside of the other of said first or second ends forms a second finger location saddle.

4. The sensor probe of claim 1 further comprising a highly resilient, generally U-shaped alignment member for imparting a U-shape to the bridge of said chassis.

5. The sensor probe of claim 1 wherein each of said first and second wings has at least one adhesive side, and wherein the adhesive sides of said first and second wings are covered by first and second release tabs, respectively, prior to the attachment of the sensor probe to the patient.

6. The sensor probe of claim 1 wherein the topside of said chassis is opaque to visible light.

7. A noninvasive, electrooptical sensor probe for removable attachment to the skin of a patient to measure light extinction during transillumination of the blood-perfused tissue beneath the skin, comprising:

a unitary, molded chassis having a topside and an underside and having a first end connected to a second end by a flexible bridge, whereby the topside of said first and second ends are spaced and opposed when the bridge is folded in a U-shape;

a light source mounted on the first end of said chassis;

a photosensor mounted on the second end of said chassis positioned to detect light emitted by said light source when the bridge is folded in a U-shape;

means for electrically connecting said light source and said photosensor to an external device;

and means for removably securing said chassis to the skin, wherein said means for removably securing said chassis comprises first and seconded wings having at least one adhesive side, wherein said first and second wings extend from opposing lateral sides of one of said first or second ends of said chassis.

8. The sensor probe of claim 7 wherein the underside of said chassis includes a cavity, wherein said light source and said photosensor are disposed within said cavity, and wherein said sensor probe further includes means for covering said cavity to capture said light source and said photosensor therein.

9. The sensor probe of claim 7 wherein the topside of one of said first or second ends forms a finger location saddle.

10. The sensor probe of claim 7 further comprising a highly resilient, generally U-shaped alignment member for imparting a U-shape to the bridge of said chassis.

11. The sensor probe of claim 7 wherein the topside of said chassis is opaque to visible light.

12. A noninvasive, electrooptical sensor probe for removable attachment to the skin of a patient to measure light extinction during transillumination of the blood-perfused tissue beneath the skin, comprising:

a unitary, molded elastomeric polymeric chassis having a nonadhesive topside and an underside, and having a first end connected to a second end by a flexible bridge, whereby the topside of said first and second ends are spaced and opposed when the bridge is folded in a U-shape;

an electrical sensor assembly including a light source and a photosensor, said sensor assembly being mounted on said chassis whereby said light source is at said first end of said chassis and said photosensor is at said second end of said chassis, and wherein said photosensor is positioned to detect light emitted by said light source when the bridge is folded in a U-shape;

means for electrically connecting said light source and said photosensor to an external device; and

means for removably securing said chassis to the skin, wherein the means for removably securing said chassis to the skin comprises a first and second flexible wing, wherein said first wing extends Laterally from one side of one of said first and second ends of said chassis, wherein said second wing extends laterally from the other side of said one of said first and second ends of said chassis, wherein said wings have a topside and an underside, wherein the topside side of said wings faces the same direction as the topside of the chassis, and wherein said underside of said wings is adhesive.

13. The sensor probe of claim 12 wherein the topsides of said first and second ends form finger location saddles.

14. A noninvasive, electrooptical sensor probe for removable attachment to the skin of a patient to measure light extinction during transillumination of the blood-perfused tissue beneath the skin, comprising:

a unitary, molded elastomeric polymeric chassis having a nonadhesive topside and an underside, and having a first end connected to a second end by a flexible bridge, whereby the topside of said first and second ends are spaced and opposed when the bridge is folded in a U-shape, and wherein the topside of said chassis includes a finger location saddle on at least one of said first or second ends;

a light source mounted on the first end of said chassis;

a photosensor mounted on the second end of said chassis positioned to detect light emitted by said light source when the bridge is folded in a U-shape;

means for electrically connecting said light source and said photosensor to an external device; and

means for removably securing said chassis to the skin, wherein said means for removably securing said chassis comprises first and second wings extending from opposing lateral sides of one of said first or second ends of said chassis.