Sensormedics Corporation

Stuart L Foster

Gerald T Stillman

Michael Pawlowski

Larry S McDavid

A temperature control system for an electrically heated cutaneous gas sensor. A heating element is provided with heating current by a closed loop temperature control circuit. The system includes a plurality of temperature monitoring circuits which are arranged to turn off the flow of heating current if the temperature of the sensor takes on an unacceptable value. The system also includes temperature setting circuitry for applying an increased temperature setpoint signal to the temperature control circuit, for a predetermined time, to reduce the time delay between the application of the sensor to the patient and the production of usable sensor data. Timing circuitry assures that the flow of heating current is not turned off in response to normal sensor temperature transients.

Temperature control system for cutaneous gas monitor

A temperature control system for an electrically heated cutaneous gas sensor. A closed loop temperature control circuit varies the current through the heating element, in accordance with the sensed temperature of the sensor, to maintain the sensor at a temperature approximately equal to that set by a temperature setpoint signal. As the sensor is first placed on a patient, the magnitude of the temperature setpoint signal is increased above its normal value, for a predetermined time, in order to decrease the time delay between the time that the sensor is placed on the patient and the time that the sensor begins to provide usable data.

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Fountain Valley, CA, United States of America

Stuart L Foster