Low-noise optical probes for reducing ambient noise

• US 20030045785A1
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1991
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Tobler, Esmaiel Kiani-Azarbayjany, Eugene E. Mason, Mike A. Mills, Mohamed K. Diab, Thomas J. Gerhardt
• Original Assignee: David Tobler, Esmaiel Kiani-Azarbayjany, Eugene E. Mason, Mike A. Mills, Mohamed K. Diab, Thomas J. Gerhardt
• Inventors: Gerhardt, Thomas J., Diab, Mohamed, Kiani-Azarbayjany, Esmaiel, Tobler, David R., Mills, Mike A., Mason, Eugene E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,813,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/323
• 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 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An optical probe, which is particularly suited to reduce noise in measurements taken on an easily compressible material, such as a finger, a toe, a forehead, an earlobe, or a lip, measures characteristics of the material. A neonatal and adult disposable embodiment of the probe include adhesive coated surfaces to securely affix the probe onto the patient. In addition, the surface of the probe is specially constructed to reduce the effect of ambient noise.

Claims

1. A disposable optical probe comprising:

an disposable adhesive base material;

a disposable face material;

a circuit assembly, at least a portion of which is fixedly attached above said base material and below said face material, said circuit assembly including an emitter which transmits optical radiation into a medium and a detector receives said optical radiation attenuated by said medium, wherein said base material is adapted to removably attach said circuit assembly to a medium; and

a shield, at least a portion of which is positioned above said detector.

2. The disposable optical probe according to claim 1, wherein said shield includes a flange portion and said face material secures at least said flange portion.

3. The disposable optical probe according to claim 1, wherein said shield reduces degradation of said optical radiation attenuated by said medium caused by ambient light.

4. The disposable optical probe according to claim 1, wherein said shield reduces degradation of said optical radiation attenuated by said medium caused by electromagnetic interference.

5. The disposable optical probe according to claim 1, wherein said shield comprises material substantially opaque to ambient light.

6. The disposable optical probe according to claim 1, wherein said shield includes an opaque tape.

7. The disposable optical probe according to claim 1, wherein said shield includes a opaque cover.

8. The disposable optical probe according to claim 1, wherein said shield comprises a metallic shield.

9. The disposable optical probe according to claim 1, wherein said base material is transparent.

10. The disposable optical probe according to claim 1, wherein said medium comprises tissue of one of an adult patient, a pediatric patient, an infant patient, and a neonatal patient.

11. The disposable optical probe according to claim 10, wherein the tissue comprises one of a nose, a forehead, a digit, a heel, an foot, and an ear.

12. A method of shielding a detector of a disposable optical probe from ambient light, the method comprising:

providing a disposable detector configured to detect attenuated optical radiation;

providing disposable light blocking material proximate to said detector to limit degradation of said attenuated optical radiation, wherein said degradation is caused by noise; and

providing a disposable optical probe by fixedly attaching said detector, said light blocking material, and an emitter between a disposable adhesive first tape layer and a disposable second tape layer, wherein emitter is configured to transmit optical radiation into a medium and said detector is adapted to receive said attenuated optical radiation from said medium when said first tape layer removably attaches the disposable optical probe to the medium.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the providing the disposable light blocking material limits degradation caused by noise.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the noise comprises ambient light.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the noise comprises electromagnetic interference.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the providing the disposable light blocking material includes providing an a opaque cover.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the providing the disposable light blocking material includes providing a metallic material.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein said medium comprises tissue of one of an adult patient, a pediatric patient, an infant patient, and a neonatal patient.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the tissue comprises one of a nose, a forehead, a digit, a heel, an foot, and an ear.

20. A disposable optical probe comprising:

a disposable electronic circuit comprising at least one emitter and a detector;

a disposable noise blocking layer; and

a disposable flexible attachment mechanism adhesively housing said electronic circuit proximate to said noise blocking layer so as to materially reduce an effect of noise on said detector, wherein said attachment mechanism is configured to removably attach said electronic circuit to a measurement site.

21. The disposable optical probe according to claim 20, wherein the noise blocking layer comprises a cover.

22. The disposable optical probe according to claim 21, wherein the cover is opaque and the noise comprises ambient light.

23. The disposable optical probe according to claim 21, wherein the cover is metallic and the noise comprises electromagnetic interference.

24. The disposable optical probe according to claim 20, further comprising a face stock layer including a non-woven, flexible face stock disposed over at least a portion of said noise blocking layer so as to hold said noise blocking layer in place with respect to said detector.

25. The disposable optical probe according to claim 20, wherein said measurement site comprises tissue of one of an adult patient, a pediatric patient, an infant patient, and a neonatal patient.

26. The disposable optical probe according to claim 25, wherein the tissue comprises one of a nose, a forehead, a digit, a heel, an foot, and an ear.

27. A disposable optical probe comprising:

an adhesive base material;

a circuit assembly having an emitter and a detector, said assembly fixedly attached to said base material, said base material adapted to removably attach said circuit assembly to a medium so that said emitter transmits optical radiation into said medium and said detector receives said optical radiation attenuated by said medium; and

a cover being opaque to ambient light, said cover placed over said detector and attached to said base material so as to shield said detector from ambient light.

28. The disposable optical probe according to claim 27, further comprising a face stock adapted to assist holding said cover in place.

29. The disposable optical probe according to claim 28, wherein said cover has a flange portion and said face stock covers said flange portion.

30. The disposable optical probe according to claim 27, wherein said cover is an opaque tape.

31. The disposable optical probe according to claim 27, wherein said base material is transparent to an emitter wavelength.

32. A disposable optical probe method comprising the steps of:

fixedly attaching a detector and an emitter to an adhesive base layer;

removably attaching said adhesive base layer to a medium so as to transmit optical radiation from said emitter into said medium and to receive at said detector a corresponding attenuated optical radiation from said medium;

generating a signal from said detector in response to said attenuated optical radiation; and

shielding said detector with a cover that is opaque to ambient light placed over said detector so as to limit degradation of said signal due to ambient light.

33. The disposable optical probe method according to claim 32, comprising the further step of placing a face stock over at least a portion of said cover so as to assist holding said cover in place.

34. A disposable optical probe comprising:

an adhesive first layer;

a cover adapted to be opaque to ambient light;

a circuit assembly having a detector and an emitter disposed on a flexible substrate, said circuit assembly fixedly attached between said cover and said first layer;

said first layer configured to removably affix said circuit assembly to a medium so that said emitter and said detector measure a characteristic of said medium; and

said cover placed over said detector so as to shield said detector from ambient light.

35. The disposable optical probe according to claim 34, further comprising an adhesive second layer, said circuit assembly and said cover disposed between said first layer and said second layer.

36. The disposable optical probe according to claim 35, wherein said second layer covers a flange portion of said cover so as to assist in holding said cover in place.

37. The disposable optical probe according to claim 34, wherein said first layer is transparent to the wavelengths of said emitter.

38. The disposable optical probe according to claim 34, wherein said cover is attached to said first layer.

39. A disposable optical probe comprising:

a flexible substrate having a first side and a second side and defining an LED aperture and a detector aperture, said front side supporting an LED and a detector adapted so that, when said substrate is attached to a tissue site, said LED transmits optical radiation through said LED aperture and into said tissue site and said detector receives optical radiation through said detector aperture from said tissue site;

an opaque cover disposed proximate said front side and fitted over said detector so as to limit detector signal degradation caused by ambient light; and

a base layer having a back side and a front side, each of said sides coated with adhesive so that said front side is fixedly attached to said substrate and said back side is adapted to removably attach said substrate to said tissue site, said base layer transparent to the wavelengths of said LED.

40. The disposable optical probe according to claim 49, further comprising a non-woven, flexible face stock disposed over at least a portion of said cover so as to hold said cover in place.

41. A disposable optical probe comprising:

a flexible substrate having a first side and a second side;

a circuit assembly disposed on said first side;

a base layer disposed on said second side; and

an opaque cover located proximate said first side and distal said second side, said cover disposed over a detector portion of said circuit assembly.

42. The disposable optical probe according to claim 41, further comprising a face stock placed over at least a portion of said cover so that said cover is held in place between said base layer and said face stock.

43. A disposable oximeter probe, comprising:

means for detecting attenuated optical radiation;

means proximate to said means for detecting, for limiting degradation of said attenuated optical radiation, wherein said degradation is caused by ambient light; and

means for fixedly attaching said means for detecting, said means proximate to said means for detecting, and means for emitting between an adhesive first tape layer and a second tape layer, wherein said first tape layer is adapted to removably attach to a medium so as to transmit optical radiation from said means for emitting into said medium and to receive at said means for detecting said attenuated optical radiation from said medium.