Medical Sensor And Technique For Using The Same

• US 20100081901A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Buice, Carl, McKenna, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/324
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• 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

Abstract

According to embodiments, sensors and systems for medical spectroscopy may include adaptive optical components, such as digital light processing components. Adaptive light emitting elements may allow such sensors to alter the intensity profile of emitted light photons to change the distribution of photons through the tissue or to scan areas of tissue to determine if certain areas may be associated with improved measurements. In addition, sensors with adaptive light detecting elements as provided may adapt to selectively detect light of certain wavelengths or from certain regions of the tissue.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a sensor body capable of being applied to a patient'"'"'s tissue;

an adaptive light emitting element disposed on the sensor body, wherein the adaptive light emitting element is capable of changing an intensity profile of light emitted into the patient'"'"'s tissue; and

a detector disposed on the sensor body, wherein the detector is capable of detecting at least a portion of the emitted light.

2. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an adaptive light detecting element being capable of detecting light from different regions of the patient'"'"'s tissue.

3. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the adaptive light emitting element comprises an array of digital light processing elements and/or one or more liquid lenses.

4. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, comprising a driver for the adaptive light emitting element disposed adjacent the sensor body or in or on an electrical connector extending from the sensor body.

5. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor body comprises a bandage-style sensor body and/or a clip-style sensor body.

6. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the adaptive light emitting element comprises one or more light emitting diodes.

7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a pulse oximetry sensor.

8. A monitoring system comprising:

a sensor capable of being operatively coupled to a medical monitor, the sensor comprising;

a sensor body capable of being applied to a patient'"'"'s tissue;

an adaptive light emitting structure disposed on the sensor body, wherein the adaptive light emitting structure comprises a plurality of configurable elements that can be independently addressed to change an intensity profile of light emitted by the adaptive light emitting structure; and

a detector disposed on the sensor body, wherein the detector is capable of detecting at least a portion of the emitted light; and

a medical monitor comprising the processor, wherein the processor is capable of independently addressing the configurable elements of the adaptive light emitting element.

9. The system, as set forth in claim 8, wherein the detector comprises an adaptive light detecting structure comprising a second plurality of configurable elements that can be independently addressed to change a location from which light is detected.

10. The system, as set forth in claim 8, wherein the configurable elements comprise microelectromechanical elements of a digital light processor array or a liquid lens assembly.

11. The system, as set forth in claim 8, comprising a processing chip or processing driver for the adaptive light emitting element disposed in or on the sensor body, in or on an electrical connector extending from the sensor body, or in the monitor.

12. The system, as set forth in claim 8, wherein the sensor comprises a pulse oximetry sensor and the monitor comprises a pulse oximetry monitor.

13. The system, as set forth in claim 8, wherein a user may provide input to the processor that may be used to independently address the configurable elements of the adaptive light emitting element.

14. The system, as set forth in claim 8, wherein the processor is capable of changing a configuration of the adaptive light emitting element one or more times to calibrate the sensor.

15. A method comprising:

instructing an adaptive emitter to change an intensity profile of light emitted into the patient'"'"'s tissue by changing the orientations of a plurality of independently configurable elements of an adaptive light emitter;

receiving a signal representing a portion of the emitted light at a light detector;

determining the quality of the detected light signal; and

instructing the adaptive emitter to change the orientation of the independently configurable elements based on the quality of the detected light signal.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 15, comprising instructing an adaptive detector to detect from different regions of the patient'"'"'s tissue.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 16, wherein changing the orientations comprises changing the orientation of one or more independently configurable elements of the light detector based on the quality of the detected light signal.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 15, wherein determining the quality of the detected light signal comprises determining a signal to noise ratio.

19. The method, as set forth in claim 15, wherein determining the quality of the detected light signal comprises determining quality metrics of the signal.

20. The method, as set forth in claim 15, comprising processing the signal to generate tomographic information related to the patient'"'"'s tissue.