Medical Oximeter Sheath With Latch-Based Closure Verification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
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 sheath that shields the device from contaminants and allows for reliable oximetry measurements by applying even pressure through a housing mechanism, with integrated circuits verifying the sheath's status and enabling wireless communication for validation and reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If the oximeter is made reusable to reduce costs and improve sustainability, then device reuse is improved, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
A sheath is introduced as an intermediary protective barrier between the reusable oximeter device and the patient's tissue. The sheath acts as a disposable intermediary that contacts the tissue while protecting the oximeter from contamination, enabling device reuse without direct exposure to harmful biological factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable sheath that is discarded after single use to protect the reusable oximeter. This approach transfers the contamination risk from the expensive, reusable device to an inexpensive, single-use protective covering, allowing the oximeter to be reused multiple times without contamination.
2Reliability
If the oximeter contacts patient tissue directly to enable measurements, then measurement capability is improved, but contamination of the device occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The sheath serves as a mediator that allows the oximeter to perform measurements on patient tissue without direct contact between the device and tissue. The sheath transmits the necessary optical signals while blocking direct contamination pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath is constructed as a flexible protective shell or thin film that encapsulates the oximeter device. This flexible barrier maintains the necessary interface for measurements while providing continuous protection against tissue contamination throughout the measurement process.
3Reliability
If the oximeter is shielded from contaminants to enable reuse, then device protection is improved, but measurement accuracy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sheath is designed as a transparent or translucent flexible shell that provides protective shielding while allowing optical signals to pass through. This enables the oximeter to maintain measurement accuracy through the protective barrier, resolving the contradiction between device protection and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath provides protection in specific localized areas where contamination would occur, while maintaining transparency or openness in areas where optical signals need to pass through for measurements. This localized approach to protection ensures both device safety and measurement accuracy.
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 ensures the oximeter remains uncontaminated for reuse, providing accurate and reliable oxygen saturation measurements in various conditions, including tissue with no pulse or weak perfusion, while reducing the need for external connections and facilitating self-calibration.
Implementation Method 1
Tissue oximeters can measure oxygen levels in human tissue by exploiting these light-absorption differences. 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.