Finger medical sensor

• US 7,272,426 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Schmid, Alfons
• Primary Examiner(s): Mantis-Mercader; Eleni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berhanu; Etsub D
• Application Number:
  US10/544,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 600/310, 600/323, 600/340, 600/344
• US Class Current: 600/344
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medical sensor (1) for measuring pulse, blood, tissue and/or skin parameters using electromagnetic waves in the transmission method, comprising a carrier part (2) for pushing onto a patient'"'"'s finger or toe. A first carrier leg (12) carries a transmitter unit (5) and a second carrier leg (13) carries a receiver unit (6). A carrier base (14) connects the two carrier legs (12, 13) to one another in the region of a tip of the finger or toe. A spring part (3) is arranged on the outside of the carrier part (2) such that a first spring leg (15) bears against the first carrier leg (12) and a second spring leg (16bear against the second carrier leg (13). The carrier part (2) is made of a more flexible material than the spring part (3), in which the spring legs (15, 16) prestress the carrier legs (12, 13) toward one another.

Claims

1. A medical sensor for measuring pulse blood tissue and/or skin parameters using electromagnetic waves for transmission, comprising:

a clip-like carrier part for pushing onto a patient'"'"'s finger or toe from the front;

a first carrier leg that carries at least one transmitting element and bears with its inner side against the finger or toe during a measurement operation;

a second carrier leg that carries at least one receiving element and bears with its inner side against the finger or toe, opposite the first carrier leg, during the measurement operation;

a carrier base that connects the two carrier legs to one another in the region of a tip of the finger or toe;

a clip-like spring part having two spring legs and a spring base that connects the spring legs, wherein the spring part is arranged on the outside of the carrier part such that the first spring leg bears against an outer side of the first carrier leg and the second spring leg bears against an outer side of the second carrier leg;

wherein the carrier art is made of a more flexible material than the spring part;

wherein the spring legs prestress the carrier legs toward one another;

wherein the first spring leg has a start section that adjoins the spring base and an end section that is remote from the spring base; and

wherein the end section is more flexible than the start section.

2. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the carrier part is made in one piece and/or

the spring part is made in one piece.

3. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the spring part has at least one spring zone which connects together two support sections that adjoin it, and

the support sections are more rigid than the spring zone.

4. A sensor as claimed in claim 3, wherein the spring part has at least two spring zones with different spring elasticities.

5. A sensor as claimed in claim 4, wherein the support sections which adjoin the more flexible spring zone form a stop which restricts the bending deformation in this spring zone to a predefined extent during widening of the carrier legs.

6. A sensor as claimed in claim 3, wherein

a spring zone is made at a transition between the second spring leg and the spring base and/or

a spring zone is made approximately in the middle of the spring base.

7. A sensor as claimed in claim 3, wherein

the spring part has a first spring zone which is made at a transition between the second spring leg and the spring base,

the spring part has a second spring zone which is made approximately in the middle of the spring base, and

the second spring zone is more rigid than the first spring zone.

8. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the carrier base is designed as a hollow configured to receive a fingernail or toenail during the measurement operation.

9. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the inner sides of the carrier legs are curved in a concave manner transversely to a push-on direction, along which the sensor is pushed from an initial position onto a finger or toe,

on each carrier leg side cheeks project beyond a center zone, and

the spring part prestresses the carrier legs toward one another in such a way that the carrier legs bear against one another at their side cheeks prior to the sensor being pushed onto the finger or toe.

10. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein on the outside of the carrier part there is a groove which extends from the outer side of the first carrier leg via an outer side of the carrier base to the outer side of the second carrier leg, in which the at least one transmitting element and the at least one receiving element are arranged and in which connection cables for the transmitting element and the receiving element are laid, and in which the spring part closes the groove from outside.

11. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier part has a fixing device which allows fixing of the sensor on the finger or toe after the sensor has been pushed onto the finger or toe.

12. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end section is more rigid than the second spring zone.

13. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end section is connected to the start section in a region that is approximately central with respect to the second spring leg.

14. A medical sensor comprising:

a carrier part formed by two legs joined by a base and defining a region therein for placement of a patient part; and

a spring part formed by two legs joined by a base, wherein the spring part legs apply force to carrier part legs to secure the medical sensor on the patient part,

wherein the spring part further comprises at least two spring zones having different spring elasticities; and

wherein a first spring zone is formed by a material contraction to have a greater elasticity than a second spring zone.

15. The medical sensor of claim 14, wherein the first spring zone is made at a transition between one of the spring part legs and the spring part base and the second spring zone is made approximately in the middle of the spring part base.

16. The medical sensor of claim 15, wherein the first spring zone further comprises a stop beyond which the first spring zone cannot flex.

17. The medical sensor of claim 14, wherein the second spring zone is flattened to have a lesser elasticity than the first spring zone, and wherein the spring part flexes at the first spring zone until a spring stop is reached, thereafter the spring part flexes at the second spring zone.

18. A medical sensor comprising:

a carrier part defining a region therein for placement of a patient part; and

a spring part that fits over the carrier part and applies force to secure the carrier part on the patient part;

wherein the spring part includes at least two spring zones having different spring elasticities and a spring stop, wherein the spring part flexes at a first spring zone until the spring stop is reached, thereafter the spring part flexes at a second spring zone.

19. The medical sensor of claim 18, wherein the first spring zone is made at a transition between a spring part leg and a spring part base and the second spring zone is made approximately in the middle of the spring part base.

20. The medical sensor of claim 18, wherein the carrier part further comprises two legs joined by a base, a transmitter located on a first of said legs, and a receiver located on a second of said legs.