Critikon, Inc

Aradigm Corporation

Anatros Corporation

Nellcor Incorporated

Nellcor Puritan Bennett Incorporated

Critkon, Inc.

Carl Ritson

Hal C Danby

Reid M Rubsamen

Eric T Johansson

Paul David Mannheimer

Mitchell Elliott Levinson

Peter M Lloyd

Howard Edelman

James R Casciani

Christopher Chung

Helen M McNamara

Richard M Bloom

D Christopher Chung

A fetal pulse oximeter sensor mounted on a sensor head with an articulating design. A lumen on one side of the sensor has a cable or rod therein to either push or pull that side of the sensor with respect to the main body, thus causing the sensor head to articulate. This can be used, for instance, to apply pressure against the fetus' scalp, with the sensor head, using the articulating mechanism, until an adhesive takes hold. Additionally, the sensor may be held in place on the fetus by an adhesive which is appropriate for a wet surface. The adhesive has the characteristics of having sufficient adhering characteristics to maintain the sensor in place, while at the same time not damaging the fetus' skin upon removal, without requiring suction.

Pulse oximeter sensor with articulating head

A portable, battery powered, hand-held system for releasing a controlled dose of aerosol medication for inhalation by a patient including a durable body and a medication cassette inserted in the durable body. The cassette includes a housing for containing a canister of medication, bears an identification code, and permits the canister to be manually depressed to release a dose, e.g., a metered dose, when out of the durable body. The durable body includes an actuator mechanism for engaging an inserted cassette and its canister, and an actuator release mechanism for controlling the actuator mechanism to depress the canister for a selected period of time to release the desired dose of medication and then the release the canister. The actuator mechanism, includes a compression spring for depressing the canister and a torsion spring for reloading the compression spring. The torsion spring is reloaded by rotating the cassette from an open position for delivering aerosol to a closed position. The actuator release mechanism includes a motor and trigger pin assembly that controls the release of the compression spring and the torsion spring, and, hence, the time that the canister is depressed. The motor operates in response to sensed flow satisfying a selected delivery threshold. The durable body includes a flow sensor having an asymmetrical orifice that is calibrated, independent of the cassette, to convert the sensed pressure due to flow into a flow rate. The orifice is separately calibrated for an inhalation flow rate range and an exhalation flow rate range over a selected number of known flow rates. The sensed pressure value is corrected for transducer offset drift and converted to a flow rate using the calibration data and piecewise linear interpolation.

Method and apparatus for releasing a controlled amount of aerosol

Automatic aerosol medication delivery system and methods

Medication cassette for an automatic aerosol medication delivery system

Medication cassette for an automatic aerosol medication delivery

A method of calibrating the output of a transducer in a flow path through which a medication is delivered from a hand-held metered dose inhaler is disclosed. The transducer senses flow rates of human breath during inhalation and exhalation through a portion of a flow path in the inhaler. The flow rates have two non-linear flow characteristics in opposite directions. The flow path portion provides flow rate measurements representative of flow paths of the entire system. The method makes it possible to precisely calibrate so that precise doses of medication can be repeatedly delivered to a patient by inhalation.

Method and apparatus for sensing flow in two directions and automatic

A portable, battery powered, hand-held system for releasing a controlled dose of aerosol medication for inhalation by a patient including a durable body and a medication cassette inserted in the durable body. The cassette includes a housing for containing a canister of medication, bears an identification code, and permits the canister to be manually depressed to release a dose, e.g., a metered dose, when out of the durable body. The durable body includes an actuator mechanism for engaging an inserted cassette and its canister, and an actuator release mechanism for controlling the actuator mechanism to depress the canister for a selected period of time to release the desired dose of medication and then the release the canister. The actuator mechanism, includes a compression spring for depressing the canister and a torsion spring for reloading the compression spring. The torsion spring is reloaded by rotating the cassette from an open position for delivering aerosol to a closed position. The actuator release mechanism includes a motor and trigger pin assembly that controls the release of the compression spring and the torsion spring, and, hence, the time that the canister is depressed.

A sensor placement and retention mechanism for use with fetal sensor sites beyond the user's reach are disclosed. The preferred embodiment of this invention is a fetal pulse oximetry sensor having an active face through which a light source and a light detector operate. The sensor includes a handle that facilitates placement of the active face at a sensor site in a preferred region beyond the transcervical region and beyond the reach of the user. A pair of electrodes--one disposed against the fetus' skin and one exposed to the amniotic fluid--are used to confirm that the sensor is firmly in place on the fetus. In an optional sensor retention feature, a self-inflating bladder presses the active face of the sensor against the fetus' skin to optically couple the sensor with the tissue at the sensor site.

Sensor for intrauterine use

A first light emitting element directs light through a first region of tissue, a second light emitting element directs light through a second region of tissue that is spatially distinct from the first region of tissue, and a photodetector detects light traveling through the first and second regions. First and second oxygen saturation values are calculated from the amount of light detected from the first and second regions of tissue, respectively. A difference calculating unit calculates a difference value which represents how much the first oxygen saturation value differs from the second oxygen saturation value, and a comparator compares the difference value to a threshold value. A threshold indicating signal is provided when the difference value has a selected mathematical relationship (e.g., less than or equal) to the threshold value.

Multiple region pulse oximetry probe and oximeter

A fetal pulse oximetry probe has clusters of light-transmissive bumps over the light source and the light detector on the surface of the probe. The probe is usually attached to the fetus' head. The clusters part the fetal hair and penetrate other light-attenuating organic materials on the head. The clusters thus transmit a more intense light signal. To reduce the amount of signal shunting between them, the clusters also may be separated by additional opaque (light-shielding) bumps.

Perinatal pulse oximetry probe

A pinch valve mechanism for a parenteral infusion system is provided which includes a spring-loaded pinch valve. The pinch valve is manually latched to its open position. A bobbin and cam mechanism includes a length of wire which contracts when a current is applied to it. The cam has two positions, one which holds the pinch valve in its open position and one which enables to pinch valve to close. When it is desired to automatically close the pinch valve, a current is applied to the wire. The contraction of the wire moves the cam from its valve open position to its alternate position, permitting the pinch valve to spring closed.

Pinch valve mechanism for a parenteral infusion system

A disposable diaphragm pump cassette comprises a flexible diaphragm member comprising hinged, rigid plates hingingly mounted on an inflexible plate and opposed to a pumping chamber surface to form a pumping chamber. The pump includes check valve means comprising movable circular plates integrally connected with the inflexible plate by flexible, extendable webs. The flexible diaphragm member comprises at least three inflexible diaphragm plates with edges in a common plane, each diaphragm plate having at least two straight diaphragm plate hinge edges. Each diaphragm plate hinge edge is adjacent to and aligned with a second diaphragm plate hinge edge of an adjacent diaphragm plate. The adjacent edges of each diaphragm plate hinge edge and second diaphragm plate hinge edge are attached together by a flexible hinge strip.

Parenteral solution pump assembly

A parenteral solution container spike is provided which accesses a solution container with a pointed end, provides means for attaching a drip chamber at the other end with a drop former extending from the spike into the drip chamber, and an annular projection extending outward from the drip chamber end of the spike for attaching to a droplet detector with the drip chamber properly positioned in the droplet detector.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Carl Ritson