Nonin Medical, Inc.

David W Gadtke

Philip O Isaacson

Timothy L Johnson

Neal F Nordling

Vernon D Heidner

In accordance with the present invention, a transmittance pulse oximeter sensor having an emitter that is offset from the detector. Offsetting the emitter and detector allows more light to pass through a thin tissue pulsating arterial bed than does a vertically aligned design. The offset between the emitter and the detector increases the effective arterial blood component without increasing artifact. Thus, the arterial blood component strength relative to the artifact strength is increased resulting in an improved signal and an improved pulse oximetry reading. The offset pulse oximetry sensor is especially important in veterinary pulse oximeter applications where it is necessary to monitor small animals whose optimal pulse oximetry location is a thin tissue tongue. The offset pulse oximetry sensor is additionally important in the realm of human medicine where often the optimal position for a pulse oximeter sensor is a thin tissue ear or an infant's thin tissue finger or toe.

Offset pulse oximeter sensor

An apparatus for measuring a physical parameter, such as the saturation percentage of oxygen in blood. The pulse oximeter is built into the finger clip, and therefore the device is small, lightweight and very portable, as well as more reliable.

Finger clip pulse oximeter

The invention is directed to Apparatus for measuring a physical parameter, such as the saturation percentage of oxygen in blood. The pulse oximeter is built into the finger clip, and therefore the device is small, lightweight and very portable, as well as more reliable.

An electronic apparatus for sensing the percentage of different blood constituents in arterial blood. Light of a plurality of separate wave lengths is sequentially made to pass through a portion of the body, either by direct transmission or scattering so that the pulsatile blood flow modulates the intensity of the light. A signal processing circuit functioning in accordance with the Lambert-Beer Law is used to determine the percentage of different blood constituents from the fluctuations component of the logarithm of the light absorption. The sampling of the separate wave lengths is time-multiplexed through a common channel, thus obviating the need for a separate channel of similar electronics for each constituent to be monitored. The signal processing circuitry is also effective to compensate for noise due to ambient light or other stray sources, thus improving the overall accuracy.

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Plymouth, MN, United States of America

David W Gadtke