Multi-use sensor having a controllable number of measurement cycles
First Claim
1. A multi-use sensor having a controllable number of operational cycles, comprising:
- sensor state identification means having a first state and a second state, each of said first and said second states having measurable characteristics, with said sensor state identification means being switchable only from said first state to said second state;
means, responsive to said sensor state identification means being in said second state, for counting a number of uses of said multi-use sensor; and
means for disabling said multi-use sensor when said counted number of uses reaches a predetermined count.
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Abstract
The multi-use sensor has a controllable number of measurement cycles. This multi-use sensor consists of a sensor and/or electrodes that are encased in a suitable material to allow reuse of the sensor and sensor life cycle circuitry that functions to regulate the number of operational cycles that the sensor can execute to ensure that the multi-use sensor is not used beyond its effective life. Included in this life cycle circuitry is a dual state mechanism that is connected across two conductors and that has a first state of low impedance. There is sensor state change apparatus that changes the state of the dual state mechanism to a second state of high impedance, such as an open circuit between the two conductors. The sensor state change apparatus determines the state of the dual state mechanism and, if the dual state mechanism is in the first state, it applies a control signal to the dual state mechanism to switch this mechanism into the second state upon activation of the multi-use sensor to perform a measurement. Once the dual state mechanism is in the second state, a processor maintains a count of the number of times that the multi-use is operated to perform a measurement. Once the maintained count reaches a predetermined count, the processor disables the multi-use sensor to prevent it from being used beyond its predetermined useful life.
124 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A multi-use sensor having a controllable number of operational cycles, comprising:
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sensor state identification means having a first state and a second state, each of said first and said second states having measurable characteristics, with said sensor state identification means being switchable only from said first state to said second state; means, responsive to said sensor state identification means being in said second state, for counting a number of uses of said multi-use sensor; and means for disabling said multi-use sensor when said counted number of uses reaches a predetermined count. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of operating a multi-use sensor to provide a controllable number of operational cycles of the multi-use sensor, comprising the steps of:
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determining a state of a sensor state identification apparatus that has a first state and a second state, each of said first and said second states having measurable characteristics, with said sensor state identification apparatus being switchable only from said first state to said second state; counting, in response to said sensor state identification apparatus being in said second state, a number of uses of said multi-use sensor; and disabling said multi-use sensor when said counted number of uses reaches a predetermined count. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A multi-use sensor having a controllable number of operational cycles, comprising:
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sensor state identification means having a first state and a second state, each of said first and said second states having measurable characteristics; means for sensing a state of said sensor state identification means; means, responsive to said means for sensing determining that said sensor state identification means is in said first state, for effecting change of said sensor state identification means from said first state to said second state in response to a first use of said multi-use sensor; means, responsive to said sensor state identification means being in said second state, for counting a number of uses of said multi-use sensor; means for disabling said multi-use sensor when said counted number of uses reaches a predetermined count; and wherein said sensor state identification means comprises; fusible link means, capable of being switched from a first state of low impedance to a second state of high impedance, connected between first and second conductors to form a low impedance path between said first and second conductors and responsive to said means for effecting applying a signal of predetermined magnitude to said first and said second conductors, for removing said low impedance path between said first and second conductors. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification