Calibration resistance emulator

• US 9,030,211 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Cloutier, Jeffrey M., Strandberg, Julia M., Wilmering, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOAI AN D
• Application Number:
  US13/307,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20130134989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 324/601, 324/600, 324/202, 324/750.02, 324/750.01, 324/74, 324/130, 600/324, 600/323, 600/322, 600/312, 600/311, 600/310, 600/309
• US Class Current: 324/601
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1495 Calibrating or testing of in-vivo probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to patient monitoring systems and, more particularly, to a resistance emulator for patient monitors. In an embodiment, a resistance emulator includes a first plug configured to couple with a medical monitor. The medical monitor is configured to receive a calibration resistance value of a medical device sensor from a coded resistor. The resistance emulator further includes a second plug configured to couple with a medical device sensor. The medical device sensor is configured without the coded resistor. The resistance emulator also includes emulation circuitry configured to provide an emulated signal representative of the calibration resistance value to the medical monitor.

Claims

1. A resistance emulator comprising:

a first plug configured to couple with a medical monitor configured to receive a calibration resistance value from a coded resistor of a medical sensor, wherein the first plug comprises a first plurality of pins in a pin configuration;

a second plug configured to couple with a medical sensor configured without the coded resistor, wherein the second plug comprises a second plurality of pins in the pin configuration; and

emulation circuitry configured to receive calibration data from a memory of the medical sensor through a first pin and a second pin of the first plurality of pins and to provide a signal correlative to the calibration resistance value to the medical monitor through a third pin of the second plurality of pins, wherein the first, second, and third pins each comprise a different pin position in the pin configuration.

2. The resistance emulator of claim 1, wherein the emulation circuitry comprises:

a microprocessor configured to;

read the calibration data from the memory of the medical sensor, and

generate the signal correlative to the calibration resistance value based at least in part upon the calibration data, the signal being a digital signal.

3. The resistance emulator of claim 2, wherein the emulation circuitry comprises a digital-to-analog converter configured to convert the digital signal into an analog signal.

4. The resistance emulator of claim 1, wherein the first plug, the second plug, and the emulation circuitry are disposed in a housing.

5. The resistance emulator of claim 3, wherein the analog signal comprises a current interpretable by the medical monitor.

6. The resistance emulator of claim 2, wherein the calibration data comprises calibration coefficients, calibration curves, or a calibration algorithm, or any combination thereof, and the microprocessor is configured to determine the calibration resistance value from the calibration data.

7. The resistance emulator of claim 5, wherein the emulation circuitry comprises a lookup table configured to correlate the calibration data to corresponding calibration resistance values, and wherein the microprocessor is configured to query the lookup table to determine the calibration resistance value corresponding to the calibration data.

8. The resistance emulator of claim 1, comprising a cable disposed between the first and second plugs, the cable configured to transfer signals between the first and second plugs.

9. The resistance emulator of claim 1, comprising a power source comprising a solar cell.

10. A method of manufacturing a resistance emulator, comprising:

providing a first plug configured to couple with a medical monitor configured to receive a calibration resistance value from a coded resistor of a medical sensor, wherein the first plug comprises a first plurality of pins in a pin configuration;

providing a second plug configured to couple with a medical sensor configured without the coded resistor, and wherein the second plug comprises a second plurality of pins in the pin configuration; and

providing emulation circuitry configured to receive calibration data from a memory of the medical sensor through a first pin and a second pin of the first plurality of pins and to provide a signal correlative to the calibration resistance value to the medical monitor through a third pin of the second plurality of pins, wherein the first, second, and third pins each comprise a different pin position in the pin configuration.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising providing a cable between the first and second plugs, wherein the cable is configured to transfer signals between the first and second plugs.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising providing a microprocessor configured to:

read the calibration data from the memory of the medical sensor, and

generate the signal correlative to the calibration resistance value based at least in part upon the calibration data, the signal being a digital signal.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

providing a digital-to-analog converter configured to convert the digital signal to a current interpretable by the medical monitor.

14. A method, comprising:

reading, via a resistance emulator, calibration data from a memory of a medical sensor;

generating, via the resistance emulator, a signal correlative to a calibration resistance value, wherein the signal is interpretable by a medical monitor configured to receive the calibration resistance value from a coded resistor of the medical sensor;

providing, via the resistance emulator, the signal to the medical monitor; and

providing, via a power source of the resistance emulator, power to the resistance emulator, wherein a level of the power provided to the resistance emulator is controlled via a processor of the medical monitor.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

receiving the calibration data at a microprocessor of the resistance emulator; and

generating, via the microprocessor, a digital signal correlative to the calibration resistance value.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising stopping, via the power source of the resistance emulator, supply of the power to the resistance emulator after the resistance emulator provides the signal to the medical monitor.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein reading the calibration data from the memory of the medical sensor comprises receiving the calibration data through a first pin and a second pin of a first plug of the resistance emulator, wherein the first plug comprises a first plurality of pins in a pin configuration, and wherein providing the signal to the medical monitor comprises providing the signal through a third pin of a second plug of the resistance emulator, wherein the second plug comprises a second plurality of pins in the pin configuration, and wherein the first, second, and third pins each have a different pin position in the pin configuration.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the calibration resistance value comprises an electrical current.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising converting the digital signal provided by the microprocessor into the electrical current via a digital-to-analog converter.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the digital signal comprises comparing the calibration data to calibration resistance values in a look up table.