Shrouded sensor clip assembly and blood chamber for an optical blood monitoring system
First Claim
1. A blood chamber for use with a system for monitoring extracorporeal blood flow, the blood chamber comprising:
- an inlet, an outlet and a body having an internal blood flow cavity;
first and second windows on opposing sides of the body for viewing the extracorporeal blood flow through the internal blood flow cavity; and
substantially identical first and second shroud-mating surfaces substantially surrounding peripheries of the first and second windows for engaging shrouds extending from lenses of a sensor clip assembly of the monitoring system and cooperating with the shrouds to(1) shield the extracorporeal blood flow in the internal blood flow cavity from illumination by unwanted light when the blood chamber is fastened to the sensor clip assembly and(2) align photoemitters and photodetectors in the sensor clip assembly with the first and second windows.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical blood monitoring system for blocking unwanted light from reaching sensors in a sensor clip assembly fastened to a blood chamber connected in an extracorporeal blood treatment system. The sensor clip assembly includes opposing heads with LED emitters and photodetectors. In one embodiment, lenses in the heads are surrounded by shrouds extending from the lenses so that when the sensor clip assembly is fastened to the blood chamber the shrouds block unwanted light from reaching the photodetectors. Either alternatively or as a complement to the shrouds, the blood chamber includes an opaque portion or a portion colored to attenuate particular wavelengths of light to further enhance the overall ability of the blood chamber and sensor clip assembly to block unwanted light from reaching the photodetectors.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A blood chamber for use with a system for monitoring extracorporeal blood flow, the blood chamber comprising:
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an inlet, an outlet and a body having an internal blood flow cavity; first and second windows on opposing sides of the body for viewing the extracorporeal blood flow through the internal blood flow cavity; and substantially identical first and second shroud-mating surfaces substantially surrounding peripheries of the first and second windows for engaging shrouds extending from lenses of a sensor clip assembly of the monitoring system and cooperating with the shrouds to (1) shield the extracorporeal blood flow in the internal blood flow cavity from illumination by unwanted light when the blood chamber is fastened to the sensor clip assembly and (2) align photoemitters and photodetectors in the sensor clip assembly with the first and second windows. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An attachment to a system for extracorporeal treatment of blood that detects optical properties of the blood, the attachment comprising:
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a blood chamber having an inlet, outlet and a body, where the inlet and outlet connect the body in line with an extracorporeal tubing containing flowing blood; a blood flow cavity in the body connecting the inlet and outlet to provide a flow path through the blood chamber; each of first and second opposing sides of the body having a window for exposing blood flowing through the blood flow cavity to radiation from a radiation source and for viewing the blood flow cavity; a sensor clip assembly having opposing heads that fasten to the blood chamber for detecting optical transmission properties of blood in the flow path of the blood flow cavity; each of the opposing heads having a lens for shaping radiation from the radiation source into a beam passing between the heads and through the windows and the flow path; and a shroud surrounding each of the lenses and windows and extending between one of the lenses and one of the windows so as to block unwanted radiation from illuminating blood in the flow path and mixing with the beam. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. In a hemodialysis system, a method for collecting information describing at least one blood constituent, the method comprising:
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attaching a blood chamber in line with an extracorporeal tubing through which a patient'"'"'s blood flows for hemodialysis, where the blood chamber has opposing windows for illuminating and viewing a blood flow cavity of the blood chamber; attaching to the blood chamber a sensor clip assembly such that opposing heads of the sensor clip assembly are seated on the opposing windows of the blood chamber; generating a light beam between the opposing heads of the sensor clip assembly that passes through the opposing windows and blood flowing through the blood flow cavity; sensing characteristics of the light beam after the light beam has passed through the blood in the blood flow cavity; and inhibiting unwanted light from mixing with the light beam by shrouding an air gap between a lens in each of the opposing heads of the sensor clip assembly and each of the opposing windows of the blood chamber when the blood chamber is attached to the sensor clip assembly. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. In a hemodialysis system, an apparatus for collecting information describing at least one blood constituent, the apparatus comprising:
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means for viewing an extracorporeal flow of a patient'"'"'s blood; a sensor clip assembly including means for attaching to the means for viewing; and a pair of opposing heads of the sensor clip assembly including means for radiating the extracorporeal flow of the patient'"'"'s blood with wanted radiation; means for sensing attributes of the wanted radiation after the radiation passes through the extracorporeal flow of a patient'"'"'s blood; and means for inhibiting unwanted radiation from mixing with the wanted radiation by shrouding an air gap between each of the pair of opposing heads of the sensor clip assembly and the means for viewing. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification