The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 06, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 31, 1996
Stephen C Rafert, Kent, WA (US);
David R Marble, Seattle, WA (US);
Glenn W Pelikan, Portland, OR (US);
Alan Kahn, Minneapolis, MN (US);
SpaceLabs Medical, Inc., Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
An optoelectronic pulse oximetry sensor is described which physically conforms to a body portion of a patient, such as a finger, and provides a firm pressing engagement between the sensor and the patient's body portion. The sensor includes a flexible substrate, such as an elastic bandage-type material, which is physically conformable and attachable/adherable to the patient's body portion. The sensor also includes a light source assembly for transilluminating the patient's body portion, and a light detector assembly for measuring transmitted light. The dimensions of the light source and light detector assemblies are constructed to provide a high aspect ratio relative to the flexible substrate. When the sensor is conformably applied to the patient's body portion, localized pressure is exerted on the body portion at the points of contact with the light source and light detector assemblies, thereby stressing the skin and the underlying blood-perfused tissue. The stress imparted to the skin and underlying tissues affects the distributions of blood in the tissues and provides improved accuracy and sensitivity in arterial oxygen saturation measurement, especially in circumstances of low perfusion.