Reusable sensor accessory containing a conformable spring activated

Abstract

A reusable accessory for a sensor (such as a pulse oximeter or a plethysmograph) that allows close conformance between the sensor heads and the patient tissue to be measured. The accessory thus provides both a key advantage of adherent sensors (i.e. close tissue-sensor conformance) and a key advantage of rigid structure sensors (reusability). The accessory provides a structure for mounting the sensor heads, whereby the sensor heads can pivot about their respective points of attachment to the mounting structure within first and second voids, respectively, thereby allowing the sensors to closely conform to the patient tissue. In one embodiment, the mounting structure includes a spring containing two coils, and two frames surrounding the voids and connected to the coils, each frame having an end shaped to fit a portion of a sensor head and onto which a sensor head is mounted. Another aspect of the present invention, concerns the use of flexible sleeves to cover the sensor heads when mounted on a reusable accessory. The sleeves can be replaced or cleaned between patient applications, thereby reducing the risk of cross contamination between patients, and reduce the amount of shunted light. Yet another aspect of the present invention involves sensory accessories providing light shields that reduce shunting for non-flat site applications and yet do not interfere with sensor-tissue conformance in flat site applications.