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:
Jun. 15, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 24, 1997
Roger E Smith, Bountiful, UT (US);
Jon Neese, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Utah Medical Products, Inc., , US;
Abstract
A subcutaneous radiation reflection probe for measuring oxygen saturation in living tissue includes an elongate drive shaft on one end of which is detachably coupled a mounting cup. The mounting cup includes a hollow for receiving and holding a base element on which is mounted a spiral needle which coils outwardly from the mounting cup to terminate in a pointed end. A window is formed in the spiral needle near the pointed end thereof for receiving and holding a radiation emitter, such as a light emitting diode. A radiation detector is disposed on the base element within the coil of the spiral needle. The probe may be used to measure oxygen saturation in living tissue, such as a fetal scalp, by inserting the mounting cup and drive shaft through an introducer into a woman's vagina until the spiral needle contacts the fetal scalp. The drive shaft may then be rotated so that the spiral needle rotates into the scalp, after which energizing pulses are applied to the radiation emitter to cause it to emit radiation and illuminate the fetal scalp tissue into which the needle is inserted. The radiation detector detects a portion of this radiation, depending upon the oxygen saturation of the tissue, and develops a signal to thus provide a measure of the oxygen saturation.