Portable pulse oximeter
First Claim
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1. A diagnostic instrument for determining a parameter of a cardiovascular system comprising:
- a. an electromagnetic radiation source for illumination of a volume of intravascular blood with electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic radiation having at least one frequency component having an intensity, the intensity of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation being altered by interaction with the volume of intravascular blood thereby generating an optical signal from the interaction of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation with the volume of intravascular blood, the optical signal having an intensity;
b. a light-to-frequency converter having an electromagnetic radiation sensor electrically connected to an electronic signal generator, said electromagnetic radiation sensor being optically coupled to said electromagnetic radiation source for reception of the optical signal and said electronic signal generator generating a periodic electrical signal responsive to said electromagnetic radiation sensor, the periodic electrical signal comprising a digital pulse train having pulses, the timing of the pulses of the electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the optical signal; and
c. a signal analyzer electrically connected to said light-to-frequency converter for determining from the pulses of the periodic electrical signal the cardiovascular system parameter.
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Abstract
A diagnostic instrument for determining a cardiovascular system parameter. In one embodiment, the instrument takes the form of a portable pulse oximeter comprising a light to frequency converter (LFC) as a sensor. Also provided is a light to frequency converter comprising a photoresistor and capacitor in circuit communication with an inverting Schmitt trigger and configured such that the inverter generates a periodic electrical signal corresponding to the amount of electromagnetic radiation illuminating the photoresistor.
715 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A diagnostic instrument for determining a parameter of a cardiovascular system comprising:
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a. an electromagnetic radiation source for illumination of a volume of intravascular blood with electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic radiation having at least one frequency component having an intensity, the intensity of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation being altered by interaction with the volume of intravascular blood thereby generating an optical signal from the interaction of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation with the volume of intravascular blood, the optical signal having an intensity; b. a light-to-frequency converter having an electromagnetic radiation sensor electrically connected to an electronic signal generator, said electromagnetic radiation sensor being optically coupled to said electromagnetic radiation source for reception of the optical signal and said electronic signal generator generating a periodic electrical signal responsive to said electromagnetic radiation sensor, the periodic electrical signal comprising a digital pulse train having pulses, the timing of the pulses of the electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the optical signal; and c. a signal analyzer electrically connected to said light-to-frequency converter for determining from the pulses of the periodic electrical signal the cardiovascular system parameter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A pulse oximeter comprising:
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a. an electromagnetic radiation source for illumination of a volume of intravascular blood with electromagnetic radiation, the volume of intravascular blood having an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin within the volume of blood, the electromagnetic radiation having at least one frequency component having an intensity, the intensity of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation being altered by interaction with oxyhemoglobin in the volume of intravascular blood thereby generating an optical signal from the interaction of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation with the oxyhemoglobin in the volume of intravascular blood, the optical signal having an intensity; b. a light-to-frequency converter having an electromagnetic radiation sensor electrically connected to an electronic signal generator, said electromagnetic radiation sensor being optically coupled to said electromagnetic radiation source for reception of the optical signal and said electronic signal generator generating a periodic electrical signal responsive to said electromagnetic radiation sensor, the periodic electrical signal comprising a digital pulse train having pulses, the timing of the pulses of the electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the optical signal; and c. a signal analyzer electrically connected to said light-to-frequency converter for determining from the pulses of the periodic electrical signal the oxygen saturation level of the hemoglobin within the volume of blood. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A diagnostic instrument for determining a parameter of a cardiovascular system comprising:
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(1) an electromagnetic radiation source for illumination of a volume of intravascular blood with electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic radiation having at least one frequency component having an intensity, the intensity of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation being altered by interaction with the volume of intravascular blood thereby generating an optical signal from the interaction of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation with the volume of intravascular blood, the optical signal having an intensity; (2) a light-to-frequency converter having an electromagnetic radiation sensor electrically connected to an electronic signal generator, said electromagnetic radiation sensor being optically coupled to said electromagnetic radiation source for reception of the optical signal and said electronic signal generator generating a periodic electrical signal responsive to said electromagnetic radiation sensor, the periodic electrical signal comprising a digital pulse train having pulses, the timing of the pulses of the electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the optical signal; and (3) a signal analyzer electrically connected to said light-to-frequency converter for determining from the pulses of the periodic electrical signal the cardiovascular system parameter; (a) wherein said electromagnetic radiation sensor comprises a photoresistor having a resistance, the resistance being variable and corresponding to an amount of electromagnetic radiation illuminating said photoresistor; (b) wherein said electronic signal generator comprises an inverting circuit electrically connected to a capacitor; (c) wherein said capacitor charges and discharges over a period of time responsive to said inverting circuit and said photoresistor; and (d) wherein the period of time in which said capacitor charges and discharges corresponds to the resistance of said photoresistor. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A pulse oximeter comprising:
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a. an electromagnetic radiation source for illumination of a volume of intravascular blood with electromagnetic radiation, the volume of intravascular blood having an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin within the volume of blood, the electromagnetic radiation having at least one frequency component having an intensity, the intensity of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation being altered by interaction with oxyhemoglobin in the volume of intravascular blood thereby generating an optical signal from the interaction of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation with the oxyhemoglobin in the volume of intravascular blood, the optical signal having an intensity; b. a light-to-frequency converter having an electromagnetic radiation sensor electrically connected to an electronic signal generator, said electromagnetic radiation sensor being optically coupled to said electromagnetic radiation source for reception of the optical signal and said electronic signal generator generating a periodic electrical signal responsive to said electromagnetic radiation sensor, the periodic electrical signal comprising a digital pulse train having pulses, the timing of the pulses of the electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the optical signal; and c. a signal analyzer electrically connected to said light-to-frequency converter for determining from the pulses of the periodic electrical signal the oxygen saturation level of the hemoglobin within the volume of blood; (a) wherein said electromagnetic radiation sensor comprises a photoresistor having a resistance, the resistance being variable and corresponding to an amount of electromagnetic radiation illuminating said photoresistor; (b) wherein said electronic signal generator comprises an inverting circuit electrically connected to a capacitor; (c) wherein said capacitor charges and discharges over a period of time responsive to said inverting circuit and said photoresistor; and (d) wherein the period of time in which said capacitor charges and discharges corresponds to the resistance of said photoresistor. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A diagnostic instrument for determining a parameter of a cardiovascular system comprising:
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a. an electromagnetic radiation source for illumination of a volume of intravascular blood with electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic radiation having at least one frequency component having an intensity, the intensity of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation being altered by interaction with the volume of intravascular blood thereby generating an optical signal from the interaction of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation with the volume of intravascular blood, the optical signal having an intensity; b. a light-to-frequency converter having an electromagnetic radiation sensor electrically connected to an electronic signal generator, said electromagnetic radiation sensor being optically coupled to said electromagnetic radiation source for reception of the optical signal and said electronic signal generator generating a periodic electrical signal responsive to said electromagnetic radiation sensor, the periodic electrical signal comprising a digital pulse train having pulses, the timing of the pulses of the electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the optical signal; c. a signal analyzer electrically connected to said light-to-frequency converter for determining from the pulses of the periodic electrical signal the cardiovascular system parameter; and d. a transmitter electrically connected to said signal analyzer for wirelessly transmitting to a remote receiver a signal corresponding to the determined cardiovascular system parameter.
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22. A pulse oximeter comprising:
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a. an electromagnetic radiation source for illumination of a volume of intravascular blood with electromagnetic radiation, the volume of intravascular blood having an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin within the volume of blood, the electromagnetic radiation having at least one frequency component having an intensity, the intensity of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation being altered by interaction with oxyhemoglobin in the volume of intravascular blood thereby generating an optical signal from the interaction of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation with the oxyhemoglobin in the volume of intravascular blood, the optical signal having an intensity; b. a light-to-frequency converter having an electromagnetic radiation sensor electrically connected to an electronic signal generator, said electromagnetic radiation sensor being optically coupled to said electromagnetic radiation source for reception of the optical signal and said electronic signal generator generating a periodic electrical signal responsive to said electromagnetic radiation sensor, the periodic electrical signal comprising a digital pulse train having pulses, the timing of the pulses of the electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the optical signal; c. a signal analyzer electrically connected to said light-to-frequency converter for determining from the pulses of the periodic electrical signal the oxygen saturation level of the hemoglobin within the volume of blood; and d. a transmitter electrically connected to said signal analyzer for wirelessly transmitting to a remote receiver a signal corresponding to the determined oxygen saturation level of the hemoglobin within the volume of blood.
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Specification