ADVANCED PULSE OXIMETRY SENSOR

• US 20170000394A1
• Filed: 06/28/2016
• Published: 01/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Inventors: Al-Ali, Ammar, Scruggs, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 10,448,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/04 Arrangements of multiple sensors of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4875 Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence

Abstract

A non-invasive, optical-based physiological monitoring system is disclosed. One embodiment includes an emitter configured to emit light. A diffuser is configured to receive and spread the emitted light, and to emit the spread light at a tissue measurement site. The system further includes a concentrator configured to receive the spread light after it has been attenuated by or reflected from the tissue measurement site. The concentrator is also configured to collect and concentrate the received light and to emit the concentrated light to a detector. The detector is configured to detect the concentrated light and to transmit a signal representative of the detected light. A processor is configured to receive the transmitted signal and to determine a physiological parameter, such as, for example, arterial oxygen saturation, in the tissue measurement site.

Claims

1. An optical physiological measurement system comprising:

an emitter which emits light of a wavelength;

a diffuser which receives, spreads and emits the spread light, wherein the emitted spread light is directed at a tissue measurement site of a patient; and

a detector configured to detect the emitted light after attenuation by tissue of the patient, the detector further configured to transmit a signal responsive to the detected light.

2. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 1, further comprising a concentrator which receives the spread light after attenuation by tissue of the patient, concentrates the received spread light and emits the concentrated light in the direction of the detector.

3. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to receive the transmitted signal responsive to the detected light and to determine a physiological parameter.

4. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 3, wherein the parameter is arterial oxygen saturation.

5. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 1, wherein the diffuser comprises at least one of a glass diffuser, ground glass diffuser, a glass bead diffuser, an opal glass diffuser, and an engineered diffuser.

6. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 1, wherein the diffuser emits the spread light with a substantially uniform intensity profile.

7. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 1, wherein the diffuser defines a surface area shape by which the emitted spread light is distributed onto a surface of the tissue measurement site.

8. The optical physiological monitor of claim 7, further comprising a detector filter having a light-absorbing surface facing the tissue measurement site and an opening, the opening having dimensions, wherein the dimensions of the opening are substantially similar to the defined surface area shape by which the emitted spread light is distributed onto the surface of the tissue measurement site.

9. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 7, wherein the surface area shape is rectangular.

10. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 9, wherein the rectangular surface area shape has dimensions within a range of approximately 0.25 cm to 3 cm in width and a range of approximately 1 cm to 6 cm in length.

11. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 9, wherein the rectangular surface area shape has dimensions in the range of approximately 0.1 cm to 2 cm in width and approximately 0.5 cm to 5 cm in length.

12. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 9, wherein the rectangular surface area shape has dimensions of approximately 1 centimeter in width and approximately 1.5 centimeters in length.

13. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 7, wherein the surface area shape is square.

14. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 13, wherein the square surface area shape has dimensions in the range of approximately 0.25 cm² to 10 cm².

15. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 9, further comprising a detector filter comprising a light-absorbing surface facing the tissue measurement site and an opening, the opening having dimensions, wherein the dimensions of the opening are substantially similar to dimensions of the rectangular shape.

16. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 1, wherein the concentrator comprises at least one of glass, ground glass, glass beads, opal glass, and a compound parabolic concentrator.

17. The optical physiological measurement system of claim 1, further comprising a detector filter comprising a light-absorbing surface facing the tissue measurement site and an opening, wherein the opening is configured to allow the spread light, after being attenuated by or reflected from the tissue measurement site, to be received by the concentrator.

18. A method to determine a constituent or analyte in a patient'"'"'s blood, the method comprising:

emitting, from an emitter, light of a wavelength;

spreading, with a diffuser, the emitted light and emitting the spread light from the diffuser to a tissue measurement site, wherein the diffuser spreads the light over a greater area of the tissue measurement site than would otherwise be illuminated by the emitter directly emitting light at a tissue measurement site; and

detecting, with the detector, the emitted concentrated light.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving, by a concentrator, the emitted spread light after the spread light has been attenuated by or reflected from the tissue measurement site and concentrating, by the concentrator, the received light and emitting the concentrated light from the concentrator to a detector.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting, from the detector, a signal responsive to the detected light;

receiving, by a processor, the transmitted signal responsive to the detected light; and

processing, by the processor, the received signal responsive to the detected light to determine a physiological parameter.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising filtering, with a light-absorbing detector filter, scattered portions of the emitted spread light.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein spreading, with a diffuser, the emitted light and emitting the spread light from the diffuser to a tissue measurement site is performed by at least one of a glass diffuser, a glass bead diffuser, an opal glass diffuser, and an engineered diffuser.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein spreading, with a diffuser, the emitted light and emitting the spread light from the diffuser to a tissue measurement site further comprises spreading the emitted light with a substantially uniform intensity profile.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein spreading, with a diffuser, the emitted light and emitting the spread light from the diffuser to a tissue measurement site further comprises spreading the emitted light so as to define a surface area shape by which the emitted spread light is distributed onto a surface of the tissue measurement site.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein concentrating, by the concentrator, the received light and emitting the concentrated light from the concentrator to a detector is performed by at least one of a glass concentrator, a glass bead concentrator, an opal glass concentrator, and a compound parabolic concentrator.

26. A pulse oximeter sensor comprising:

an emitter configured to emit light at a wavelength;

a diffuser configured to receive the emitted light, to spread the received light, and to emit the spread light, wherein the emitted spread light is directed at a tissue measurement site; and

a detector configured to detect the emitted spread light, the spread light having been attenuated by the tissue measurement site, the detector further configured to output a signal responsive to the detected light.

27. The pulse oximeter sensor of claim 26, further comprising a concentrator which concentrates the emitted light after it has been attenuated by the tissue measurement site and directs the concentrated light toward the detector.

28. The pulse oximeter sensor of claim 26, wherein the detector is further configured to output the signal response to the detected light to a processor configured to receive the signal responsive to the detected light and to determine a physiological parameter.

29. The pulse oximeter sensor of claim 26, wherein the diffuser is further configured to define a surface area shape by which the emitted spread light is distributed onto a surface of the tissue measurement site.

30. The pulse oximeter sensor of claim 29, wherein the detector is further configured to have a detection area corresponding to the defined surface area shape by which the emitted spread light is distributed onto the surface of the tissue measurement site.

31. The pulse oximeter sensor of claim 30, wherein the detector further comprises an array of detectors configured to cover the detection area.

32. A pulse oximeter sensor comprising:

an emitter configured to emit light at a wavelength;

a concentrator which concentrates the emitted light after it has been attenuated by the tissue measurement site; and

a detector configured to detect the emitted spread, the spread light having been attenuated by or reflected from the tissue measurement site, the detector further configured to output a signal responsive to the detected light.

33. The pulse oximeter sensor of claim 32, wherein the detector is further configured to transmit the output signal responsive to the detected light to a processor configured to receive the signal responsive to the detected light and to determine a physiological parameter.

34. The pulse oximeter sensor of claim 32, wherein the concentrator is further configured to define a surface area shape by which the emitted spread light is received from a surface of the tissue measurement site.

35. The pulse oximeter sensor of claim 34, wherein the concentrator is further configured to have a detection area corresponding to the defined surface area shape by which the emitted spread light is distributed onto the surface of the tissue measurement site.

36. The pulse oximeter sensor of claim 35, wherein the detector further comprises an array of detectors configured to cover the detection area.