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Pulser with double-bearing position encoder for non-invasive physiological monitoring

  • US 9,891,079 B2
  • Filed: 07/17/2014
  • Issued: 02/13/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A noninvasive optical sensor configured to detect attenuated light from a light source and output a signal responsive to said attenuation, said signal indicative of one or more physiological parameters of a patient, the optical sensor including a double-bearing position encoder including an axle stabilized via bearings disposed within opposite walls, the axle in communications with a rotating cam that actuates a pulser so as to generate an active pulse at a tissue site for analysis by the optical sensor, the axle rotates an encoder so as to accurately determine an axle position and, hence, an active pulse frequency and phase, the optical sensor comprising:

  • the light source configured to emit light;

    one or more photodetectors configured to detect said emitted light after attenuation by tissue of said patient at a measurement site, said one or more photodetectors configured to output said signal responsive to said attenuation, said signal indicative of said one or more physiological parameters of said patient; and

    the double-bearing position encoder comprising;

    a housing,the bearings disposed within said opposite walls of the housing,the axle disposed within the housing and supported by the bearings, the axle in mechanical communications with the pulser,the encoder fixedly attached to the axle and having a plurality of slots,an LED disposed within the housing that illuminates the encoder;

    a detector responsive to the LED illumination after optical interaction with the slots of the encoder as the axle rotates the encoder so as to indicate an encoder position, andan encoder mask having a plurality of mask slots disposed over an edge and along both sides of the encoder such that light from the LED passes through the mask slots and the slots of the encoder before reaching the detector, wherein the encoder mask is folded such that the light from the LED is reflected off of the mask at least once before reaching the encoder.

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