Shunt barrier in pulse oximeter sensor

• US 7,373,189 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Hannula, Don, Fein, Michael E., Mannheimer, Paul D., Delonzor, Russ
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur; Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berhanu; Etsub D
• Application Number:
  US11/526,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20070021660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 600/309, 600/310, 600/322, 600/323, 600/344
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/146 for optical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips

Abstract

A pulse oximeter sensor comprising an emitter and a detector disposed on a substrate layer with a thinned portion between the emitter and the detector. A partially transparent covering layer covers the substrate layer and comprises a corresponding thinned portion. The thinned portions attenuate light shunted via the substrate layer and the partially transparent covering layer from the emitter to the detector, and may be configured such that less than 10% of the light detectable by the detector is shunted light.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a substrate layer;

a light emitter coupled to the substrate layer;

a light detector coupled to the substrate layer; and

a layer coupled to the substrate layer over the light emitter and the light detector, wherein the layer comprises a length, a width, and a thickness, the length being generally greater than the width, and the width being generally greater than the thickness, and wherein the layer comprises a thinned portion of its thickness located between the light emitter and the light detector, the thinned portion having a reduced thickness with respect to portions of the layer disposed adjacent the light emitter and the light detector.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the substrate layer comprises a length, a width, and a thickness, the length being generally greater than the width, and the width being generally greater than the thickness, and wherein the substrate layer further comprises a thinned portion of its thickness located between the emitter and the detector, the thinned portion of the substrate layer having a reduced thickness with respect to portions of the substrate layer adjacent the light emitter and the light detector.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the thinned portion of the substrate layer is generally aligned with the thinned portion of the layer.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 10% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 1% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion at least partially surrounds the light detector.

7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion at least partially surrounds the light emitter.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion is substantially linear and extends across the layer in a direction substantially perpendicular to a line connecting the light emitter and the light detector.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer bisects the length of the layer at a location substantially equidistant from the light emitter and the light detector.

10. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer comprises a length, the length of the thinned portion of the layer being generally aligned with the length of the layer, wherein the length of the thinned portion is more than 3 millimeters.

11. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer comprises a length and a width, the length of the thinned portion of the layer being generally aligned with the length of the layer, and the width of the thinned portion of the layer being generally aligned with the width of the layer, wherein the width of the thinned portion of the layer is varied along the length of the thinned portion of the layer.

12. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer has a thickness of less than 0.025 millimeters.

13. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the thinned portion of the layer comprises an embossed portion, a welded portion, or a heat sealed portion.

14. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the layer is at least partially transparent to light emitted by the light emitter.

15. The sensor of claim 1, wherein one side of the layer comprises an adhesive for adhering the sensor to a tissue location on a patient.

16. A sensor substrate comprising:

a base layer, wherein one end of the base layer comprises a location for a light emitter, and another end of the base layer comprises a location for a light detector; and

a layer coupled to the base layer over the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector, wherein the layer comprises a length, a width, and a thickness, the length being generally greater than the width, and the width being generally greater than the thickness, and wherein the layer comprises a thinned portion of its thickness located between the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector, the thinned portion having a reduced thickness with respect to portions of the layer disposed adjacent the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector.

17. The sensor substrate of claim 16, wherein the base layer comprises a length, a width, and a thickness, the length being generally greater than the width, and the width being generally greater than the thickness, and wherein the base layer further comprises a thinned portion of its thickness located between the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector, the thinned portion of the base layer having a reduced thickness with respect to portions of the base layer adjacent the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector.

18. The sensor substrate of claim 17, wherein the thinned portion of the base layer is generally aligned with the thinned portion of the layer.

19. The sensor substrate of claim 17, wherein the thinned portion of the base layer bisects the length of the base layer at a location substantially equidistant from the light emitter and the light detector.

20. The sensor substrate of claim 17, wherein the thinned portion of the base layer comprises a length and a width, the length of the thinned portion of the base layer being generally aligned with the length of the base layer, and the width of the thinned portion of the base layer being generally aligned with the width of the base layer, wherein the width of the thinned portion of the base layer is varied along the length of the thinned portion of the base layer.

21. The sensor substrate of claim 16, wherein the thinned portion of the layer bisects the length of the layer at a location substantially equidistant from the light emitter and the light detector.

22. The sensor substrate of claim 16, wherein the thinned portion of the layer comprises a length and a width, the length of the thinned portion of the layer being generally aligned with the length of the layer, and the width of the thinned portion of the layer being generally aligned with the width of the layer, wherein the width of the thinned portion of the layer is varied along the length of the thinned portion of the layer.

23. The sensor substrate of claim 16, wherein one side of the layer comprises an adhesive for adhering the sensor to a tissue location on a patient.

24. A method of manufacturing a sensor comprising:

providing a light detector and a light emitter coupled to a substrate layer; and

providing a layer coupled to the substrate layer over the light emitter and the light detector, wherein the layer comprises a length, a width, and a thickness, the length being generally greater than the width, and the width being generally greater than the thickness, and wherein the layer comprises a thinned portion of its thickness located between the light detector and the light emitter, the thinned portion having a reduced thickness with respect to portions of the layer disposed adjacent the light emitter and the light detector.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the substrate layer comprises a length, a width, and a thickness, the length being generally greater than the width, and the width being generally greater than the thickness, and wherein the substrate layer further comprises a thinned portion of its thickness located between the light emitter and the light detector, the thinned portion of the substrate layer having a reduced thickness with respect to portions of the substrate layer adjacent the light emitter and the light detector.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 10% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 1% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

28. A sensor comprising:

a substrate layer comprising a location for a light emitter and a location for a light detector, wherein the substrate layer comprises a length, a width, and a thickness, the length being generally greater than the width, and the width being generally greater than the thickness, and wherein the substrate layer further comprises a thinned portion of its thickness located between the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector, the thinned portion of the substrate layer having a reduced thickness with respect to portions of the substrate layer adjacent the location for the light emitter and the location for the light detector;

a light emitter coupled adjacent the location for the light emitter; and

a light detector coupled adjacent the location for the light detector.

29. The sensor of claim 28, wherein the thinned portion of the substrate layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 10% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

30. The sensor of claim 28, wherein the thinned portion of the substrate layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 1% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

31. A method of operating a sensor comprising:

emitting light at a patient with a light emitter coupled to a layer; and

detecting light from the patient with a light detector coupled to the layer, wherein the layer comprises a length, a width, and a thickness, the length being generally greater than the width, and the width being generally greater than the thickness, and wherein the layer comprises a thinned portion of its thickness located between the light detector and the light emitter, wherein the thinned portion is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector through the layer.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the layer is coupled to a substrate layer, the substrate layer comprising a length, a width, and a thickness, the length being generally greater than the width, and the width being generally greater than the thickness, and wherein the substrate layer further comprises a thinned portion of its thickness located between the light emitter and the light detector, wherein the thinned portion is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector through the substrate layer.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 10% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the thinned portion of the layer is configured to attenuate light shunted from the light emitter to the light detector such that less than 1% of light detectable by the light detector is shunted light.