Patient monitor capable of monitoring the quality of attached probes and accessories

• US 8,255,026 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Inventors: Al-Ali, Ammar
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Chu Chuan (JJ)
• Application Number:
  US11/871,817
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: 600/310, 600322-324, 600/331, 600436-437, 600/473, 600/476
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/028 Arrangements to prevent overuse, e.g. by counting the number of uses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0285 Apparatus for single use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/226 comprising means for identifying the connector, e.g. to prevent incorrect connection to socket
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases

Abstract

A system and method to help maintain quality control and reduce cannibalization of accessories and attached probes in a highly sensitive patient monitor, such as a pulse oximetry system. One or more attached components may have information elements designed to designate what quality control mechanisms a patient monitor should look to find on that or another component or designate other components with which the one component may properly work. In a further embodiment, such information elements may also include data indicating the appropriate life of the component.

Claims

1. A patient monitoring system configured with improved quality control of its accessories through accessory authorization, the system comprising:

a noninvasive sensor including a sensor information element storing sensor information;

a cable, separate from and connectable with said noninvasive sensor including an information element storing cable information governing which information must at least be found in said sensor information;

a patient monitor configured to receive a signal indicative of one or more physiological parameters of a patient from the sensor through the cable, the patient monitor further configured to acquire the cable information stored in the information element of the cable, to acquire sensor information from the noninvasive sensor, and to determine, based at least in part on the acquired cable and sensor information, whether the sensor and cable are compatible based on the acquired information.

2. The patient monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the sensor information element comprises a single wire memory.

3. The patient monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the noninvasive sensor includes a second sensor information element storing additional sensor information indicative of sensor authorization information and wherein the patient monitor is also configured to acquire the additional sensor information to determine whether the sensor information is valid.

4. The patient monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the cable information element stores a table indicating whether or not a specific type of noninvasive sensor must include the second sensor information element in order to be authorized.

5. The patient monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the cable information element and the sensor information element are configured to be connected in a multi-drop configuration.

6. The patient monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the noninvasive sensor further comprises at least one energy emitter and the at least one energy emitter and the sensor information element are electrically connected in parallel.

7. The patient monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the noninvasive sensor further comprises at least one emitter on a different communication line than the sensor information element.

8. The patient monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the noninvasive sensor further comprises a disposable portion and a reusable portion.

9. The patient monitoring of claim 8, wherein the sensor information element is located on the reusable portion.

10. The patient monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the sensor information element is located on the disposable portion.

11. A patient monitor system configured to ensure fidelity and compatibility in sensors accessories used by the monitor and to acquire sensor signals indicative of light attenuated by body tissue, the patient monitor system comprising:

a first accessory including a first information element storing first information;

a second accessory including a second information element storing second information;

said first accessory and said second accessory are connectable to each other; and

a patient monitor configured to communicate with said first accessory and said second accessory via said first accessory;

wherein said patient monitor is configured to compare said first information with said second information and to determine, based at least in part on a result of the comparison, whether said first accessory and said second accessory are compatible with each other and with the patient monitor.

12. The patient monitor system of claim 11 wherein said first accessory comprises a cable.

13. The patient monitor system of claim 11 wherein said second accessory comprises a noninvasive sensor.

14. The patient monitor system of claim 11 further comprising a requirements table, wherein said requirements table indicates whether said second accessory must include a second authorization information element.

15. The patient monitor system of claim 14 wherein said requirements table is included in said first information element of said first accessory.

16. The patient monitor system of claim 14 wherein said at least one authorization information element comprises a resistor.

17. The patient monitor system of claim 16 wherein said second authorization information element comprises an EPROM.

18. The patient monitor system of claim 16 wherein said second authorization information element comprises an EEPROM.

19. The patient monitor system of claim 16 wherein said second authorization information element stores data which can be used to alter said requirements table.