Protective Oximeter Sheath With Latch Verification for Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oximeters face challenges in improving reuse, reducing contamination during use, enhancing measurement accuracy, and ensuring reliable operation under non-ideal conditions, particularly in clinical settings where tissue oxygen saturation measurements are critical.
Innovation Solution
A compact, handheld oximeter housed in a protective sheath that shields the device from contaminants and communicates status information, allowing for reuse by ensuring the sheath's validity and maintaining cleanliness through near-field communication protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the oximeter is reused without a protective sheath, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to contamination risks
Solution Approach 1:
The oximeter device is nested within a protective sheath that contains an optical window. The sheath houses the oximeter while allowing light transmission, creating a nested structure where the inner device (oximeter) is protected by the outer structure (sheath) without compromising functional access.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical window acts as an intermediary element between the oximeter's light source/detector and the tissue being measured. It mediates the optical path while providing a barrier that prevents contamination, allowing the oximeter to remain isolated from direct contact with tissue.
2Measurement precision
If the oximeter contacts tissue directly for measurement, then the measurement accuracy is improved, but the object-generated harmful factors worsen due to contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The optical window serves as an intermediary that transmits light between the oximeter and tissue while preventing direct contact. This mediator maintains measurement functionality through optical transmission while eliminating the harmful contamination that would occur with direct physical contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath with its optical window creates a thin barrier film that allows optical signals to pass through while providing sufficient protection against contamination. The thin film structure maintains close proximity to the tissue for accurate measurements while preventing harmful contact.
3Reliability
If the oximeter is disposable to eliminate contamination, then the reliability is improved, but the loss of substance worsens due to device disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into two distinct components: a reusable oximeter device and a disposable sheath with optical window. The sheath is the component that contacts tissue and is discarded after use, while the expensive oximeter device remains intact and reusable, eliminating the need to dispose of the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath is designed as a cheap, disposable component that protects the expensive oximeter. By making the protective element disposable rather than the entire device, the system eliminates contamination risks while minimizing waste and loss of valuable equipment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables reliable and accurate tissue oxygen saturation measurements without requiring a pulse, facilitating reuse and reducing contamination risks, thus enhancing the oximeter's performance and usability in various medical and surgical applications.
Implementation Method 1
communicates status information to the optical probes regarding contaminant protection so that the optical probes are reusable
Implementation Method 2
Tissue oximeters can measure oxygen levels in human tissue by exploiting these light-absorption differences
Implementation Method 3
Light absorption differs significantly for oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobins at certain wavelengths of light
Data Source
AI summary
A sheath for an oximetry device includes a top and a body where the top opens to provide an opening where the oximetry device can be placed into the body of the sheath. The top of the sheath can be closed onto the body and the closure of the top can be verified by circuits in the oximetry device. The circuits can monitor the position of a latch that is connected to the top of the sheath. The circuits can determine when the latch is unlatched and the top is open and not sealed closed to the body. And, the circuits can determine when the latch is latched and the top is closed and sealed to the body.