Technique for remanufacturing a medical sensor

• US 9,161,722 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2011
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Besko, David P., Sandmore, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fardanesh, Marjan
• Application Number:
  US13/226,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 600310-344
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/028 Arrangements to prevent overuse, e.g. by counting the number of uses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0238 Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/222 Electrical cables or leads therefor, e.g. coaxial cables or ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/242 Packaging, i.e. for packaging the sensor or apparatus before use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/68335 including release sheets or liners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4973 Replacing of defective part

Abstract

Remanufactured medical sensors and methods for remanufacturing used medical sensors are provided. Such a remanufactured sensor may include certain components from a used medical sensor and certain new components. For example, a remanufactured regional oximetry sensor may include a padding layer, an emitter and a pair of detectors, a flexible circuit coupled to the emitter and detectors, and a patient-contacting adhesive layer. The flexible circuit, the emitter, the first detector, the second detector, or any combination thereof, are from a used medical sensor, and the padding layer, the patient-contacting adhesive layer, or a combination thereof, are new.

Claims

1. A method of remanufacturing a used medical sensor, comprising:

obtaining the used medical sensor, the used medical sensor comprising;

a used padding layer;

a used flexible circuit secured to the used padding layer and comprising a plurality of conductors disposed on a flexible substrate;

a used emitter electrically coupled to the flexible circuit and adapted to transmit light into a patient tissue;

a used first detector coupled to the used flexible circuit and configured to detect a first portion of light passing through the patient tissue;

a used second detector coupled to the used flexible circuit and configured to detect a second portion of light passing through the patient tissue; and

a used patient-contacting adhesive layer attached to the used padding layer;

removing the used patient-contacting adhesive layer from the used padding layer by trimming away a portion of the used padding layer, the used padding layer comprising a used interior foam layer disposed between the used flexible circuit and the used patient-contacting adhesive layer;

retaining a remaining portion of the used interior foam layer;

laminating a new patient-contacting adhesive layer against the remaining portion of the used interior foam layer; and

packaging a remanufactured version of the used medical sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising replacing a used memory unit disposed within a used connector of the used medical sensor with a new memory unit, wherein the new memory unit has substantially the same programming as the used medical sensor, or is configured to emulate the operation of the used memory unit.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising coupling a used memory unit disposed within a used connector of the used medical sensor with an adapter configured to manipulate a time-out functionality of the used memory unit to enable the continued operation of the sensor.