Disposable blood pressure transducer and monitor interface

• US 8,764,668 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Original Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Inventors: Roteliuk, Luchy, West, Weldon Dean, Meyer, Douglas Jr., Phan, Luong N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Jacqueline
• Assistant Examiner(s): Agahi, Puya
• Application Number:
  US12/558,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20100056932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 600/301, 600/481, 600/483, 600/485, 600/486, 600488-499, 600/526, 600/561
• US Class Current: 600/486
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02158 provided with two or more sensor elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/029 Measuring or recording blood output from the heart, e.g. minute volume A61B8/065 takes precedence

Abstract

A medical blood pressure transducer that provides an identifier to a monitor that conveys characteristics of the transducer. The monitor can use the information to decide whether to function, or in calibration of the system. The transducer may be part of a disposable blood pressure monitoring system, and may include two transducers closely-spaced to provide two separate but identical outputs. In this way, the transducer may be connected to both a patient monitor and a cardiac output monitor at the same time measurements from a single line can be simultaneously supplied to two separate monitoring devices (for example a patient monitor and a cardiac output monitor). The identifier for the transducer may be circuitry, specifically a resistance/capacitance (RC) combination that possesses a characteristic time constant.

Claims

1. A disposable blood pressure transducing apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a first pressure-sensitive transducer mounted on the housing and configured to measure a patient'"'"'s blood pressure and to convert the measured pressure to a corresponding first electrical pressure signal;

an identifier including electrical circuitry configured to provide an identifier signal associated with the pressure transducing apparatus, the identifier signal identifying the pressure transducing apparatus by reaching a predetermined value within a prescribed time window; and

a first electrical connector mounted on the housing and including a plurality of electrical conductors, wherein a first conductor is configured to transmit the first pressure signal and a second conductor is configured to transmit the identifier signal;

wherein the first electrical connector is configured to be connectable to a monitoring instrument that receives and processes the first pressure signal and the identifier signal to determine the patient'"'"'s blood pressure.

2. A disposable blood pressure transducing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the identifier is mounted at least in part on the housing.

3. A disposable blood pressure transducing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the electrical circuitry of the identifier includes a resistance/capacitance (RC) combination having a characteristic time constant.

4. A disposable blood pressure transducing apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein:

the blood pressure transducing apparatus further comprises a cable interface having a second electrical connector configured to be connectable to the first electrical connector; and

the identifier includes a capacitor mounted on the housing and a resistor mounted on the cable interface.

5. A disposable blood pressure transducing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the housing includes a conduit for receiving the patient'"'"'s blood; and

the first pressure-sensitive transducer is mounted on the housing, in fluid communication with the conduit.

6. A disposable blood pressure transducing apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein:

the blood pressure transducing apparatus further comprises a second pressure-sensitive transducer configured to measure the patient'"'"'s blood pressure and to convert the measured pressure to a corresponding second electrical pressure signal;

the second pressure-sensitive transducer is mounted on the housing, in fluid communication with the conduit, at a location spaced apart from the first pressure-sensitive transducer; and

the first electrical connector further includes a third conductor configured to transmit the second pressure signal.

7. A disposable blood pressure transducing apparatus as defined in claim 6, and further comprising:

a first cable configured to transmit the first pressure signal; and

a second cable configured to transmit the second pressure signal;

wherein the first and second cables are configured to be connectable to separate monitoring instruments.