Systems and methods for indicating an amount of use of a sensor

• US 20030111592A1
• Filed: 02/03/2003
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ammar Al-Ali
• Original Assignee: Ammar Al-Ali
• Inventors: Al-Ali, Ammar
• Granted Patent: US 6,861,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/214.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/028 Arrangements to prevent overuse, e.g. by counting the number of uses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention include systems and methods for indicating an amount of use of a pulse oximetry sensor. According to one embodiment, the system includes an oximeter that monitors the amount of use for a given sensor. The oximeter and/or the sensor may advantageously include a visual alarm, an audio alarm, a vibrational alarm, a power down function, or the like, which can be activated when a predetermined amount of use has expired. According to another embodiment, the system includes a sensor having a memory device storing a unique identifier.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring when a pulse oximetry sensor has been used beyond a predetermined amount, the method comprising:

monitoring with an electronic device an amount of use of a pulse oximetry sensor; and

activating an expiration indicator when the amount is at or near a predetermined amount of use.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation occurs when the amount is less than the predetermined amount.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation occurs when the amount is greater than the predetermined amount.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation occurs when the amount is the same as than the predetermined amount.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount comprises a value representative of a number of pulses sent to the pulse oximetry sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount comprises an amount of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises an oximeter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating comprises activating at least one of an audio and visual alarm on the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating comprises outputting a signal to the pulse oximetry sensor.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the pulse oximetry sensor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying includes setting a memory device on the pulse oximetry sensor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the memory device comprises a fuse.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying includes reading a memory device on the pulse oximetry sensor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the memory device stores identifying information.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating a current amount of use for the identified pulse oximetry sensor on the electronic device.

16. A method of determining an amount of use of a medical sensor, the method comprising:

determining whether a medical sensor being used is new;

when the medical sensor is new, resetting a timer;

incrementing the timer during use of the medical sensor; and

when the timer is proximate to a predetermined amount, activating an indicator configured to illustrate that the use of the medical sensor is proximate the predetermined amount.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the indicator is activated when the use is less than the predetermined amount.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the indicator is activated when the use is greater than the predetermined amount.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the indicator is activated when the use is the same as than the predetermined amount.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining comprises accessing a memory identifying whether the medical sensor has been used.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining comprises accessing a memory identifying the medical sensor.

22. A pulse oximeter comprising:

an output conductor configured to connect to a pulse oximetry sensor; and

a microprocessor configured to monitor transitions supplied to the output conductor and when a representative value of the transitions approaches a predetermined amount, to activate an indicator indicating that use the pulse oximetry sensor has approached the predetermined amount.

23. The pulse oximeter of claim 22, wherein the microprocessor activates the indicator when the representative value is less than the predetermined amount.

24. The pulse oximeter of claim 22, wherein the microprocessor activates the indicator when the representative value is greater than the predetermined amount.

25. The pulse oximeter of claim 22, wherein the microprocessor activates the indicator when the representative value is the same as than the predetermined amount.

26. The pulse oximeter of claim 22, wherein the microprocessor activates the indicator by outputting a signal to the pulse oximetry sensor.

27. The pulse oximeter of claim 22, wherein the microprocessor activates the indicator by activating an audio alarm.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the microprocessor activates the indicator by activating a visual alarm.

29. An electronic medical device configured to send signals to and receive signals from a sensor, the electronic medical device comprising:

a microprocessor;

an output configured to communicate with a sensor;

a program executing on the microprocessor, wherein the program instructs the microprocessor to identify the sensor, monitor the use of the sensor and provide at least one of an audio and visual alarm when the sensor reaches a predetermined amount of use.

30. The electronic medical device of claim 29, wherein the program instructs the microprocessor to identify the sensor by accessing identification information related to the sensor.

31. The electronic medical device of claim 30, wherein the identification information comprises a settable memory device.

32. The electronic medical device of claim 30, wherein the identification information is stored in a memory on the sensor.