Contoured protrusion for improving spectroscopic measurement of blood constituents
First Claim
1. A noninvasive medical sensor configured to detect light attenuated by a digit of a medical patient, the sensor comprising:
- a sensor housing comprising an upper shell and a lower shell pivotally connected together, the upper and lower shells each shaped to accept the digit of the medical patient;
one or more emitters disposed in the housing, the one or emitters configured to impinge light on the digit of the patient;
one or more detectors disposed in the housing, the one or more detectors configured to receive the light after attenuation by the digit of the patient and to output one or more intensity signals responsive to the attenuated light; and
a tissue thickness adjuster disposed in the housing, the tissue thickness adjuster positioned such that placement of the digit of the patient on the tissue thickness adjuster reduces a thickness of the digit, increasing a gain of the one or more intensity signals, the tissue thickness adjuster comprising a partial cylinder having an axis configured to be substantially parallel to a long axis of the digit of the patient and between the one or more emitters and the one or more detectors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A noninvasive physiological sensor for measuring one or more physiological parameters of a medical patient can include a bump interposed between a light source and a photodetector. The bump can be placed in contact with body tissue of a patient and thereby reduce a thickness of the body tissue. As a result, an optical pathlength between the light source and the photodetector can be reduced. In addition, the sensor can include a heat sink that can direct heat away from the light source. Moreover, the sensor can include shielding in the optical path between the light source and the photodetector. The shielding can reduce noise received by the photodetector.
977 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A noninvasive medical sensor configured to detect light attenuated by a digit of a medical patient, the sensor comprising:
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a sensor housing comprising an upper shell and a lower shell pivotally connected together, the upper and lower shells each shaped to accept the digit of the medical patient; one or more emitters disposed in the housing, the one or emitters configured to impinge light on the digit of the patient; one or more detectors disposed in the housing, the one or more detectors configured to receive the light after attenuation by the digit of the patient and to output one or more intensity signals responsive to the attenuated light; and a tissue thickness adjuster disposed in the housing, the tissue thickness adjuster positioned such that placement of the digit of the patient on the tissue thickness adjuster reduces a thickness of the digit, increasing a gain of the one or more intensity signals, the tissue thickness adjuster comprising a partial cylinder having an axis configured to be substantially parallel to a long axis of the digit of the patient and between the one or more emitters and the one or more detectors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A noninvasive physiological sensor for measuring one or more physiological parameters of a medical patient, the sensor comprising:
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a light source; a plurality of photodetectors each operative to detect light from said light source after attenuation by body tissue of a medical patient and to generate a physiological signal responsive to the detected light, the physiological signal comprising information related to one or more physiological parameters of the medical patient, the photodetectors positioned substantially along a first axis configured to be generally parallel to that of a digit of the medical patient; and a bump interposed between the light source and the photodetectors, the bump protruding from a tissue contacting surface and having a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis of the photodetectors, the bump shaped so as to reduce a thickness of the body tissue substantially along the second axis such that mean optical pathlength between the light source and the photodetectors is reduced along the second axis. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A noninvasive physiological sensor for measuring one or more physiological parameters of a medical patient, the sensor comprising:
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a light source; a plurality of photodetectors operative to detect light from said light source after attenuation by body tissue of a medical patient and to generate a physiological signal responsive to the detected light, the photodetectors positioned generally along an axis configured to be generally parallel to an axis of the body tissue of the medical patient; and a partially cylindrical lens interposed between the light source and the photodetectors, the partially cylindrical lens configured to reduce a thickness of the body tissue without substantially occluding blood vessels of the medical patient, the partially cylindrical lens comprising a partial cylinder having a second axis configured to be substantially parallel to the axis of the photodetectors. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification