SENSOR ADAPTER CABLE

• US 20150380875A1
• Filed: 09/11/2015
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Inventors: Coverston, Ronald, Lee, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,876,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/222 Electrical cables or leads therefor, e.g. coaxial cables or ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6691 with built-in signalling means H01R13/717 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/20 Coupling parts carrying sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/28 Coupling parts carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/00 Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts for dissimilar contact members H01R13/35; supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/90
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/02 Flexible line connectors without frictional contact members

Abstract

A sensor adapter cable provides medical personnel with the convenience of utilizing otherwise incompatible optical sensors with multiple blood parameter plug-ins to a physiological monitor, where the plug-ins each have keyed connectors that mechanically lock-out incompatible sensors in addition readers that poll sensor identification components in each sensor so as to electrically lock-out incompatible sensors.

Claims

1. A sensor adapter cable provides medical personnel with the convenience of utilizing otherwise incompatible optical sensors with multiple blood parameter plug-ins to a physiological monitor, where the plug-ins each have keyed connectors that mechanically lock-out incompatible sensors in addition to readers that poll sensor identification components in each sensor so as to electrically lock-out incompatible sensors, the sensor adapter cable comprising:

a sensor connector that mechanically connects to a predetermined sensor and electrically communicates with a plurality of sensor electrical elements within the predetermined sensor;

a plug-in connector that mechanically connects to a predetermined plug-in and electrically communicates with a plurality of plug-in electrical elements within the predetermined plug-in;

an interconnection cable that mechanically attaches between and provides electrical communications between the sensor connector and the plug-in connector; and

a pod incorporated within the interconnecting cable that electrically interfaces the sensor connector to the plug-in connector, the pod including both active and passive sensor identification elements;

wherein the pod automatically switches between using one of the active or passive sensor identification elements to use the other of the active or passive sensor identification elements based on a monitoring system type the sensor adapter cable is connected with.

2. The sensor adapter cable according to claim 1 wherein the pod comprises:

a cut in the interconnection cable that exposes a plurality of cable wire ends;

a circuit board that is spliced to the cable wires ends;

a pre-mold that encapsulates the cut, the circuit board, and the cable wire end; and

an over-mold that envelopes the pre-mode so as to define the pod.

3. The sensor adapter cable according to claim 2 wherein the circuit board comprises a first switch that, when closed, connects a resistor ID on the circuit board to the plug-in connector so as to enable a first plug-in attached to the plug-in connector to communicate with a sensor attached to the sensor connector.

4. The sensor adapter cable according to claim 3 wherein the circuit board comprises a second switch that, when closed, connects an EEPROM ID on the circuit board to the plug-in connector so as to enable a second plug-in attached to the plug-in connector to communicate with a sensor attached to the sensor connector.

5. The sensor adapter cable according to claim 4 wherein the sensor adapter cable disconnects the resistor ID and the EEPROM ID when the first switch and the second switch are both open.

6. The sensor adapter cable according to claim 5 wherein the first switch is an n-channel MOSFET that turns on in response to a positive control signal from the first plug-in so as to switch in the resistor ID.

7. The sensor adapter cable according to claim 6 wherein the second switch is a p-channel MOSFET that turns on in response to a negative control signal from the second plug-in so as to switch in the EEPROM ID.

8. A sensor adapter cable method of interfacing any of multiple physiological monitor plug-ins to any of multiple optical sensors comprising:

providing an interface cable having a sensor connector on a first end and a plug-in connector on a second end;

incorporating a plurality of resistive and memory IDs within the cable;

asserting a sensor ID read signal at the plug-in connector; and

automatically selecting, by the sensor adapter cable, a particular one of the IDs to present to the plug-in connector in response to the read signal.

9. The sensor adapter cable method according to claim 8 further comprising isolating unselected IDs from the plug-in connector and the selected ID.

10. The sensor adapter cable method according to claim 9 further comprising integrating a plurality of switches with the IDs, the switches responsive to the read signal so as to connect the selected ID and disconnect the remaining IDs.

11. The sensor adapter cable method according to claim 10 further comprising closing a first switch and opening a second switch so as to select either a resistive ID or a memory ID.

12. The sensor adapter cable method according to claim 11 further comprising opening both the first switch and the second switch so that the sensor adapter cable functions as a patient cable.

13. The sensor adapter cable method according to claim 12 wherein the incorporating comprises splicing a circuit board with the switches and IDs between a portion of the interface cable conductors.

14. The sensor adapter cable method according to claim 13 further comprising encapsulating the circuit board into a calibration pod portion of the interface cable.

15. A sensor adapter cable comprising:

a plug-in connector means for connecting to a plug-in module for a physiological monitor;

a sensor connector means for connecting to an optical sensor;

an interface cable that mechanically and electrically interconnects the plug-in connector means and the sensor connector means; and

a pod means integrated with the interface cable for allowing a plurality of sensors to connected to and be recognized by the plug-in module automatically.

16. The sensor adapter cable according to claim 15 wherein the pod means comprises a circuit board means for splicing a plurality of sensor IDs into the interface cable.

17. The sensor adapter cable according to claim 16 further comprising a switching means for selectively activating and isolating the sensor IDs so that only a single sensor ID is presented to the plug-in connector.

18. The sensor adapter cable according to claim 17 further comprising a control means in communications with the plug-in connector means for making the switching means responsive to a ID read signal from the plug-in module.

19. The sensor adapter cable according to claim 18 wherein the pod means further comprises an encapsulation means for enclosing the circuit board means within the pod means.

20. The sensor adapter cable according to claim 19 wherein the encapsulations means comprises:

a premold of at least one of an epoxy, HDPE and PVC; and

an overmold of medical grade PVC.