Wireless optical patient monitoring apparatus
First Claim
1. An optical patient monitoring apparatus, comprising:
- a transducer for detecting a physiological function, said transducer being designed for placement on a patient to be monitored, and said transducer providing an output signal indicative of said physiological function;
a modulator for modulating a carrier by said output signal;
a waterproof optical source associated with said modulator for emitting an optical signal which corresponds to said modulated carrier;
a photodetector for receiving said optical signal, said photodetector being adapted to receive said optical signal after said optical signal passes through a water-air boundary; and
a monitoring circuit coupled to receive the modulated carrier from said photodetector.
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless patient monitoring apparatus uses an optical signal to transmit information from a transducer to a photodetector of an optical receiver. The photodetector converts the optical signal to an electrical signal which is then provided to monitoring and analysis instrumentation. Signals which are indicative of physiological functions are modulated onto a carrier, and the resulting modulated signal is provided, in turn, to the optical source, which may be a light-emitting diode (LED) which emits in the infrared band. A self-contained portable transducer assembly which is strapped or otherwise secured to the patient may house the transducer, modulator and optical source, and is adapted for underwater use. Optionally, the optical source can be positioned remote from the assembly. In a fetal monitor implementation, both wireless ultrasound and tocodynamometer transducers are provided.
-
Citations
32 Claims
-
1. An optical patient monitoring apparatus, comprising:
-
a transducer for detecting a physiological function, said transducer being designed for placement on a patient to be monitored, and said transducer providing an output signal indicative of said physiological function; a modulator for modulating a carrier by said output signal; a waterproof optical source associated with said modulator for emitting an optical signal which corresponds to said modulated carrier; a photodetector for receiving said optical signal, said photodetector being adapted to receive said optical signal after said optical signal passes through a water-air boundary; and a monitoring circuit coupled to receive the modulated carrier from said photodetector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A receiver for use with an optical patient monitoring system, said system including a transducer which is designed for placement on a patient to be monitored, said receiver comprising;
-
a photodetector for receiving an optical signal which corresponds to a modulated signal carrying physiological information from said transducer, said photodetector being adapted to receive the optical signal after the optical signal passes through a water-air boundary, said modulated signal being transmitted from an optical source which is associated with said transducer; and circuitry coupled to said photodetector for providing said modulated signal to a monitoring circuit of said patient monitoring apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
-
21. An optical source holder for use with a patient monitoring system, said system including a housing which provides a modulated signal carrying physiological information from a patient, wherein:
-
coupling means are provided for coupling said housing and said optical source; said optical source is adapted to receive said modulated signal via said coupling means to provide a corresponding optical signal, and is adapted for underwater use; and said holder is adapted to be positioned on the patient at a location which is remote from said housing.
-
-
22. A method for performing underwater monitoring on a patient, comprising the steps of:
-
placing a transducer housing under water adjacent to a region of a patient to be monitored while the patient is giving birth under water; detecting a physiological function of the patient using the transducer; providing from the transducer an output signal indicative of the physiological function; modulating a carrier using the output signal; providing the output signal modulated carrier to an optical signal source; transmitting an optical signal from the optical signal source that corresponds to the output signal modulated carrier; receiving the optical signal; and recovering the output signal from the optical signal to monitor the physiological function. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
Specification