Medical device for diagnosing pressure ulcers
First Claim
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1. A device for diagnosing pressure ulcers in a measurement region of a subject, the device comprising:
- a tip for pressing against skin in the measurement region of the subject;
two or more photodetectors;
an emitter assembly, comprising two or more light sources, for emitting light energy from the tip toward the skin of the subject, wherein the two or more photodetectors sense reflected light energy that is reflected by the skin of the measurement region;
at least one pressure sensor for sensing the pressure at which the tip is applied to the skin of the subject; and
a processor-based controller in communication with the two or more photodetectors and the at least one pressure sensor, wherein the controller is programmed to determine whether a pressure ulcer is present in the measurement region and, when a pressure ulcer is detected, to determine a skin layer depth of the pressure ulcer, based on input from the two or more photodetectors and the at least one pressure sensor.
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Abstract
Medical device or instrument for diagnosing pressure ulcers using optical reflectance spectroscopy. The device may comprise a tip and a controller. The tip is pressed against the skin of the patient and collects the optical reflectance data. The controller processes the data to determine whether there exists a pressure ulcer and, if there is one, its depth. The tip may also include a pressure sensor for sensing the pressure at which the tip is applied to the patient'"'"'s skin.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. A device for diagnosing pressure ulcers in a measurement region of a subject, the device comprising:
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a tip for pressing against skin in the measurement region of the subject; two or more photodetectors; an emitter assembly, comprising two or more light sources, for emitting light energy from the tip toward the skin of the subject, wherein the two or more photodetectors sense reflected light energy that is reflected by the skin of the measurement region; at least one pressure sensor for sensing the pressure at which the tip is applied to the skin of the subject; and a processor-based controller in communication with the two or more photodetectors and the at least one pressure sensor, wherein the controller is programmed to determine whether a pressure ulcer is present in the measurement region and, when a pressure ulcer is detected, to determine a skin layer depth of the pressure ulcer, based on input from the two or more photodetectors and the at least one pressure sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A device for diagnosing pressure ulcers in a measurement region of a subject, the device comprising:
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a tip for pressing against skin in the measurement region of the subject, wherein the tip comprises; a plurality of photodetectors; an emitter assembly, comprising two or more light sources, for emitting light energy toward the skin of the subject, wherein the plurality of photodetectors sense reflected light energy that is emitted from the emitter assembly and reflected by the skin of the measurement region, wherein the plurality of photodetectors are positioned concentrically around the emitter assembly such that a first group of the photodetectors are a first distance from the emitter assembly and a second group of the photodetectors are a second distance from the emitter assembly; and at least one pressure sensor for sensing the pressure at which the tip is applied to the skin of the subject; and a processor-based controller in communication with the plurality of photodetectors and the at least one pressure sensor, wherein the controller is programmed to determine whether a pressure ulcer is present in the measurement region; and a user interface in communication with the controller for displaying whether a pressure ulcer is detected in the measurement region. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of diagnosing pressure ulcers on a patient, the method comprising:
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at a first site of the patient, (i) applying a tip of a diagnostic device against the skin of the patient with a first pressure level and maintaining the first pressure level within a first pressure range for a first period of time, wherein the diagnostic device comprises; two or more photodetectors; an emitter assembly, comprising two or more light sources, for emitting light energy from the tip toward the skin of the subject, wherein the two or more photodetectors sense reflected light energy that is reflected by the skin of the measurement region; and at least one pressure sensor for sensing the pressure at which the tip is applied to the skin of the subject; and a processor-based controller in communication with the two or more photodetectors and the pressure sensor; and (ii) applying the tip of the diagnostic device against the skin of the patient with a second pressure level and maintaining the second pressure level within a second pressure range for a second period of time; and at a second site of the patient, repeating steps (i) and (ii). - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A device for diagnosing pressure ulcers in a measurement region of a subject, the device comprising:
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a tip for pressing against skin in the measurement region of the subject; two or more photodetectors; an emitter assembly, comprising two or more light sources, for emitting light energy from the tip toward the skin of the subject, wherein the two or more photodetectors sense reflected light energy that is reflected by the skin of the measurement region; at least one pressure sensor for sensing the pressure at which the tip is applied to the skin of the subject; a displacement sensor; a temperature sensor; a processor-based controller in communication with the two or more photodetectors, the at least one pressure sensor, the displacement sensor, and the temperature sensor; and a display in communication with the controller. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A device for diagnosing pressure ulcers in a measurement region of a subject, the device comprising:
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a tip for pressing against skin in the measurement region of the subject, wherein the tip comprises; two or more photodetectors; an emitter assembly, comprising two or more light sources, for emitting light energy from the tip toward the skin of the subject, wherein the two or more photodetectors sense reflected light energy that is emitted from the emitter assembly and reflected by the skin of the measurement region; and at least one pressure sensor for sensing the pressure at which the tip is applied to the skin of the subject; and a processor-based controller in communication with the two or more photodetectors and the at least one pressure sensor, wherein the controller is programmed to determine whether a pressure ulcer is present in the measurement region and, when a pressure ulcer is detected, to determine a skin layer depth of the pressure ulcer, based on input from the two or more photodetectors and the at least one pressure sensor. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56)
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Specification