Patient interface for spectroscopy applications

• US 20060258928A1
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hutchinson Technology Incorporated (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Scheele, Bryan J., Ortner, Joseph P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,596,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/344
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14535 for measuring haematocrit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips

Abstract

A patient interface and method of locating the patient interface for use particularly in spectroscopy applications. The patient interface includes a concave region and first and second convex regions. A wing extends from the concave region to help locate the patient interface properly. The convex regions provide additional adhesion support, particularly when used on the thenar eminence. The patient interface may be placed in a number of locations on a patient to determine an optimum location for measurement prior to affixing the interface to the patient.

Claims

1. A fixture for measurement of an attribute of tissue, comprising:

a base approximately shaped to a thenar muscle of a hand, the base including a passage for light transmission and collection therethrough; and

a first wing portion connected to the base, whereby the first wing portion may be partially wrapped around a body part when the fixture is in use.

2. The fixture of claim 1, further comprising a second wing portion connected to the base whereby the second wing portion may be partially wrapped around the body part in an opposite direction from the first wing.

3. The fixture of claim 2, further comprising a concave region formed between the two wings for providing a locating feature for the fixture.

4. A patient interface for a tissue measurement instrument, comprising:

an elongated, flexible base member having a first rounded end and a second rounded end, the base member having a passage for light transmission therethrough; and

at least a first wing extending from the second end for partially wrapping around a body part to which the interface will be attached.

5. The patient interface of claim 4, wherein the first and second ends are convex rounded ends.

6. The patient interface of claim 5, further including a second wing extending from the second end and first and second convex regions extending from the first end.

7. The patient interface of claim 4, wherein the first end is a convex rounded end and the second end is a concave rounded end.

8. The patient interface of claim 7, further including a second wing extending from the second end.

9. The patient interface of claim 4, wherein the base member further includes first and second holes allowing for light transmission therethrough.

10. The patient interface of claim 9 further including:

a light source for providing light to pass through the first hole;

a light path aligned with the second hole for collecting light that has passed through tissue and adapted to transmit a signal representative of the collected light.

11. The patient interface of claim 9 wherein the patient interface has a longitudinal axis between the first rounded end and the second rounded end and the first and second holes lie substantially on the longitudinal axis.

12. The patient interface of claim 4 wherein the patient interface has a top and bottom side, the bottom side being adapted to be placed in contact with the patient, and further comprising:

an adhesive located on the bottom side;

a first liner covering the adhesive.

13. The patient interface of claim 12 further comprising a second liner such that the first liner covers a portion of the adhesive while the second liner covers another portion of the adhesive.

14. A method of locating a patient interface for a tissue measurement instrument on a patient, the patient interface having a measurement side with a light transmission hole and a light receipt hole, comprising the steps of:

moving the patient interface around on the tissue in a particular region of the body until a desired threshold reading is achieved on the tissue measurement instrument; and

upon finding the location where a desired threshold reading is achieved, affixing the patient interface to the patient.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of finding the desired threshold attribute includes the step of selecting from one of the attributes of:

THI, temperature.

16. The method of claim 14 further including the step of generally aligning the light transmission hole and the light receipt hole along one of a adductor pollicus, a thenar eminence, a hypo thenar eminence, a digit, a first dorsal interosseous or a deltoid muscle.

17. A method of locating a patient interface for a tissue measurement instrument on a patient, the patient interface having a measurement side with a light transmission hole and a light receipt hole, the measurement side having an adhesive thereon, comprising the steps of:

moving the patient interface around on the tissue in a particular region of the body until a location where a desired threshold reading is achieved on the tissue measurement instrument is found;

upon finding the location where a desired threshold reading is achieved, firmly holding the patient interface to the patient;

partially removing the patient interface from the patient while holding it in place so that a first amount of adhesive on the measurement side of the patient interface may be readied for attachment to the patient;

placing the first amount of exposed adhesive on the patient;

partially removing the patient interface in a second direction so that a second amount of adhesive may be readied for attachment to the patient; and

placing the second amount of exposed adhesive on the patient.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein first and second liners are used to cover the adhesive and the method includes the further steps of:

activating the first amount of adhesive by removing one of the first and second liners; and

activating the second amount of adhesive by removing the other of the first and second liners.

19. A method of locating a patient interface for a tissue measurement instrument, the patient interface including an elongated, flexible base member having a first rounded end, the base member having a passage for light transmission therethrough and at least first and second wings extending from the first end each for partially wrapping around a body part to which the interface will be attached wherein the first end is a concave end:

comprising the steps of;

locating the concave end generally transverse the shoulder axially aligned with the deltoid; and

affixing the patient interface to the patient.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the patient interface includes an adhesive on a patient facing surface and a split liner is used to cover the adhesive until the patient interface is to be affixed to the patient, including the further steps of:

lifting a first portion of the patient interface from the patient;

removing a first piece of the split liner;

placing the first portion of the patient interface back on the patient;

lifting a second portion of the patient interface from the patient;

removing a second piece of the split liner;

placing the second portion of the patient interface back on the patient.

21. A structure for aiding in the measurement of an attribute of tissue, comprising:

a base having a generally concave locating feature and a longitudinal axis that substantially bisects the locating feature;

send and receive fibers each having ends, the ends lying in a line generally along the longitudinal axis and being substantially coplanar when in use.

22. A structure for aiding in the measurement of an attribute of tissue, comprising:

a base having a generally concave locating feature and a longitudinal axis that substantially bisects the locating feature;

send and receive light ports generally along the longitudinal axis, the send and receive light ports being substantially coplanar when in use.

23. A structure for aiding in the measurement of an attribute of tissue, comprising:

a base having a generally concave locating feature and a longitudinal axis that substantially bisects the locating feature;

an elongated opening lying generally along the longitudinal axis, the elongated opening lying generally in a plane when in use.

24. A structure for aiding in the measurement of an attribute of tissue, comprising:

a base having a generally concave locating feature and a longitudinal axis that substantially bisects the locating feature;

an opening, the base having an alignment tool proximal to the opening for guiding insertion of a probe head having send and receive fibers such that the send and receive fibers lie generally along the longitudinal axis when the probe is inserted in the base, the opening lying generally in a plane when in use.

25. A method of locating a patient interface for a tissue measurement instrument on a patient, the patient interface having a generally concave locating edge and a measurement side with a light transmission hole and a light receiving holed aligned generally along an axis bisecting the concave locating edge, comprising the steps of:

locating the concave locating edge proximate the base of a digit; and

aligning the light transmission hole and the light receiving hole along a major muscle group to be measured.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the patient interface includes an adhesive on a patient facing surface and a split liner is used to cover the adhesive until the patient interface is to be affixed to the patient, including the further steps of:

lifting a first portion of the patient interface from the patient;

removing a first piece of the split liner;

placing the first portion of the patient interface back on the patient;

lifting a second portion of the patient interface from the patient;

removing a second piece of the split liner;

placing the second portion of the patient interface back on the patient.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the major muscle group includes one of an adductor pollicus, a thenar eminence, a hypo thenar eminence, a first dorsal interosseous or a deltoid muscle.

27. A structure for aiding in the measurement of an attribute of tissue, comprising:

a base having a patient side and an adhesive on the patient side, the adhesive having at least first and second adhesive regions; and

a split liner having first and second portions covering the first and second adhesive regions respectively, the first portion having a first adhesive facing region attached to the adhesive, a first hinge region, a first patient facing region connected to the first adhesive facing region through the first hinge region and a first tab extending beyond the base, the second portion having a second adhesive facing region attached to the adhesive, a second hinge region, a second patient facing region connected to the second adhesive facing region through the second hinge region and a second tab extending beyond the base.

28. A method of placing a patient interface, comprising the steps of:

placing on a patient a base having a patient side and an adhesive on the patient side, the adhesive having at least first and second adhesive regions; and

a split liner having first and second portions covering the first and second adhesive regions respectively, the first portion having a first adhesive facing region attached to the adhesive, a first hinge region, a first patient facing region connected to the first adhesive facing region through the first hinge region and a first tab extending beyond the base, the second portion having a second adhesive facing region attached to the adhesive, a second hinge region, a second patient facing region connected to the second adhesive facing region through the second hinge region and a second tab extending beyond the base, the first and second portions meeting to form a separation;

pulling on the first tab in a direction substantially normal to the separation;

pulling on the second tab in a direction substantially normal to the separation.