Physiological Blood Gas Detection Apparatus and Method

• US 20100210930A1
• Filed: 02/16/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SiOnyx, LLC (Black Silicon Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SiOnyx, LLC (Black Silicon Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Saylor, Stephen D.
• Application Number:
  US12/706,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20100210930A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/323
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to methods and physiological sensing devices for determining blood gas concentrations in a human or animal subject. Such devices may further detect and measure the subject'"'"'s heart rate.

Claims

1. A physiological sensing device, comprising:

at least one electromagnetic radiation emitter; and

at least one silicon based photosensing diode for detecting multiple wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation from the at least one electromagnetic emitter.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a substrate layer.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the substrate layer is flexible.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a conformable housing to house the physiological sensing device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one silicon based photosensing diode is a single diode.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one silicon based photosensing diode includes at least one textured surface.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the at least one textured surface is formed by a laser process.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the photosensing diode can detect electromagnetic radiation having at least one wavelength in the range of about 200 nm to about 2,500 nm.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the photosensing diode can detect electromagnetic radiation having at least one wavelength in the range of about 600 nm to about 1,300 nm.

10. The device of claim 2, wherein the substrate layer has a thickness of less than about 0.5 mm.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one silicon based photosensing diode is partially flexible.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the physiological sensing device is configured to detect or measure at least one physiological element from the group consisting of blood glucose levels, carbon monoxide levels, carbon dioxide levels and methemogloblin levels in a human or animal subject.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the silicon based photosensing diode has an external quantum efficiency of greater than 100%.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising a computer means for calculating the oxygen saturation in the blood (SpO₂).

15. The device of claim 1, further comprises at least one filter disposed over said photosensing diode.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the silicon based photosensing diode has a responsivity greater than about 0.8 amps/Watt for a first range of wavelengths of incident electromagnetic radiation.

17. A pulse oximeter device, comprising:

at least one electromagnetic radiation emitter; and

a silicon based photosensing diode for detecting multiple wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation from the at least one electromagnetic emitter;

wherein at least one wavelength is greater than 1050 nm, wherein the photosensing diode is operated at a bias less than about 30 volts.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the photosensing diode is operated at a bias less than about 5 volts.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the photosensing diode has an external quantum efficiency greater than 30% for wavelengths greater than 1100 nm and having a thickness of less than 200 μ

m.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the photosensing diode has a thickness of less than 100 μ

m.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the photosensing diode has an external quantum efficiency greater than 50% for wavelengths greater than 1050 nm and has a thickness less than 200 μ

m.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the photosensing diode has a thickness of less than 100 μ

m.

23. A method for determining blood gas levels in a human or animal appendage exposed to electromagnetic radiation having two different wavelengths, comprising the steps of

(a) generating electromagnetic radiation having first and second wavelengths;

(b) exposing the selected appendage to the first and second electromagnetic radiations;

(c) detecting the first and second electromagnetic radiations passing through the appendage with a silicon based photosensing diode; and

(d) calculating the pulse and oxygen saturation levels in the human or animal from detected radiation.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the blood gas levels are selected from a group consisting of oxygen saturation, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, blood glucose and methemogloblin levels.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first or second wavelength is greater than 1150 nm.