Oximeter

• US 5,007,704 A
• Filed: 03/14/1989
• Issued: 04/16/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
• Original Assignee: Baxter International Inc.
• Inventors: McCartney, Ronald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pal, Asok
• Application Number:
  US07/323,054
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 128/634, 128/633, 128/664, 128/667
• US Class Current: 385/56
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1459 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3823 containing surplus lengths, internal fibre loops provisionally see also G02B6/444
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3834 Means for centering or aligning the light guide within the ferrule
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3855 characterised by the method of anchoring or fixing the fibre within the ferrule G02B6/3854 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3873 Connectors using guide surfaces for aligning ferrule ends, e.g. tubes, sleeves, V-grooves, rods, pins, balls
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3885 Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/389 characterised by the method of fastening connecting plugs and sockets, e.g. screw- or nut-lock, snap-in, bayonet type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4441 Boxes

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a connector body, an optical fiber mounted on the connector body and a receptacle having a cavity for receiving the connector body. The connector body has a cam surface, and the receptacle cooperates with the cam surface when the receptacle and connector body are appropriately positioned to urge the connector body farther into the cavity to place optical portions of the connector body and the receptacle into substantial engagement.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one fiber optic light conductor;

a connector body having a proximal end and an exterior face at said proximal end;

means for mounting the fiber optic light conductor on the connector body with an end of the fiber optic light conductor being adjacent the face and capable of transmitting light to or from a location on said face;

a receptacle having a cavity for receiving the connector body, a floor, a face partly defining said cavity and means for transmitting light to or from a location on said face of said receptacle;

guide means at least partially on the receptacle comprising a cam surface on the face of the receptacle and a cam follower surface on the face of the connector body for guiding the connector body along a path in the cavity to move said faces toward each other to place said faces in confronting relationship and said locations substantially into engagement;

said path having a first section extending in a first direction into said cavity and a second section extending in a second direction along said cam surface on said receptacle, wherein said cam follower surface on said connector body cooperates with said cam surface on said receptacle to lift the proximal end of said connector body off the floor of said receptacle to place said locations substantially into engagement;

said connector body having a cam surface; and

said receptacle having biasing means for cooperation with said cam surface on said connector body when the connector body is in the cavity of the receptacle and said locations are nearly in engagement for urging the connector body farther into the cavity along said path to move said faces toward each other and to place said locations on said faces in substantial engagement.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cam surface and said biasing means retain the connector body in the cavity of the receptacle.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 including a groove in the exterior surface of the connector body, said groove being partly defined by said cam surface and said biasing means includes a projection on the receptacle receivable in the groove.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said biasing means includes spaced regions of the receptacle on opposite sides of the cavity and the receptacle is sufficiently resilient to allow said spaced regions to be resiliently spread farther apart.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means includes a cam surface on said face of the receptacle and a cam follower surface on said face of the connector body, said surfaces on said faces defining said second section of said path.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cavity has an opening, said face of the receptacle is an end wall of the cavity opposite said opening and said face of the connector body is an end wall of the connector body.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the connector body has first and second generally opposed side walls having first and second grooves, respectively, which are partially defined by said cam surface.

8. An apparatus connectible to an instrument wherein the instrument has a receptacle with a cavity, a floor, a face partly defining the cavity at an inner end of the cavity, a cam surface on the face of the receptacle, means for transmitting light to or from a location on the face of the receptacle and a resilient biasing member, said apparatus comprising:

fiber optic means for conducting light along its length;

a connector body receivable in the cavity of the receptacle for use in coupling the fiber optic means to the receptacle;

said connector body including wall means defining an enclosure, said wall means including a peripheral wall having first and second generally opposed side walls, an end wall and a face, said end wall having an entrance passage said face of the connector body having an exit passage, the fiber optic means extending through the entrance passage into the enclosure and into the exit passage, said exit passage opening at a location on said face of the connector body, said fiber optic means having a proximal end within or closely adjacent the exit passage whereby said proximal end of the fiber optic means can be optically coupled to said location on said face of the receptacle;

means for retaining the fiber optic means in said exit passage;

a cam surface on said wall means for cooperation with the resilient biasing member when the connector body is in the cavity for urging the connector body farther into the cavity to place said locations on said faces in substantial engagement;

said cam surface partly defining first and second grooves in the first and second side walls, respectively; and

an inclined cam follower surface on said face of the connector body for guiding the connector body along a path in the cavity to move said faces toward each other to place said faces in confronting relationship and said locations substantially into engagement;

said path having a first section extending in a first direction into said cavity and a second section extending in a second direction along said cam surface on said receptacle, wherein said cam follower surface on said connector body cooperates with said cam surface on said receptacle to lift the proximal end of said connector body off the floor of said receptacle to place said locations substantially into engagement.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said first and second grooves are nearer to said end wall than to said face of the connector body.

10. An apparatus connectible to an instrument, said apparatus comprising:

fiber optic means for conducting light along its length;

a connector body for use in coupling the fiber optic means to the instrument;

said connector body including wall means defining an enclosure and an entrance passage and an exit passage in the wall means, the fiber optic means extending through the entrance passage into the enclosure and into the exit passage, said fiber optic means having a proximal end within or closely adjacent the exit passage where said proximal end of the fiber optic means can be optically coupled to a selected part of the instrument;

means for retaining the fiber optic means in said exit passage;

said wall means includes a peripheral wall, said peripheral wall including a face and first and second generally opposed side walls and said exit passage opening at said face;

each of said side walls having a recess therein for cooperating with biasing means on a receptacle for connecting the connector body to the instrument; and

said face having an inclined cam follower surface on said receptacle to provide guiding means for guiding the connector body into the receptacle along a path having a first section extending in a first direction into the receptacle and a second section extending in a second upward direction along said cam surface on said receptacle, wherein said cam follower surface on said connector body cooperates with said cam surface on said receptacle to lift the exit passage of said connector body upwardly to optically couple the fiber optic means to a selected part of the instrument.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said face includes first and second sections spaced apart by a gap, said first and second exit passages open at said first and second sections, respectively, of said face, said recess is a first recess and opens in said first section of said face, and means including a second inclined cam follower surface defining a second recess in said second section of said face.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said first and second recesses open into said gap.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 10 including an elongated tube sized to be received within a vein or artery and having proximal and distal ends and at least one elongated passage with proximal and distal openings, said fiber optic means being partially in said passage and being capable of conducting light to said distal opening and from said distal opening, said fiber optic means extending through said proximal opening to provide a proximal section of said fiber optic means outside of said tube, at least a portion of the proximal section extending through said entrance passage and into said enclosure.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 18 including a shoulder in said entrance passage and a shoulder on the fiber optic means for cooperation with the shoulder of the entrance passage to provide strain relief.