Patient Monitoring Sensor Layer for LED Pressure Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical sensors, particularly those using surface mount LEDs and detectors, can cause discomfort and tissue necrosis due to high contact pressure on the patient's skin, especially with smaller contact areas.
Innovation Solution
A patient monitoring sensor design that includes a layer of material, such as a flap or disc, over protruding components like LEDs and detectors to increase the contact area and reduce pressure, while allowing light transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If surface mount components (LEDs, detectors) are used in medical sensors, then device integration and compactness are improved, but contact pressure on patient skin increases causing discomfort and tissue necrosis
Solution Approach 1:
A transparent or translucent dome is introduced as an intermediary component between the surface mount LED/detector and the patient's skin. This dome distributes the contact pressure over a larger area while allowing light to pass through, thus maintaining the benefits of surface mount components while eliminating the harmful high pressure effect
Solution Approach 2:
The dome is designed as a thin, flexible, transparent or translucent shell that conforms to the skin surface. This flexible structure distributes pressure evenly while maintaining optical transparency for light transmission, resolving the contradiction between component integration and pressure reduction
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a layer of material is added over protruding components to reduce pressure, then patient comfort is improved, but light transmission may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The dome is constructed as a thin film structure that is transparent or translucent to light. This allows the dome to reduce contact pressure while maintaining effective light transmission for oximetry measurements, thus resolving the contradiction between comfort and light transmission
Solution Approach 2:
The dome material is selected to be transparent or translucent in the wavelength range required for oximetry (typically red and infrared). This optical property ensures that while the dome provides pressure distribution, it does not significantly attenuate the light needed for physiological monitoring
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
Reduces skin discomfort and tissue necrosis by distributing pressure more evenly, maintaining effective light transmission for accurate physiological monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
an at least partially transparent disc or a ring positioned over at least a portion of the surface mount LED on the patent-side of the sensor
Implementation Method 2
a layer of material is provided over protruding components on the patient-side of the sensor to reduce the contact pressure of such protruding components
Data Source
AI summary
A patient monitoring sensor having a communication interface, through which the patient monitoring sensor can communicate with a monitor is provided. The patient monitoring sensor includes a light-emitting diode (LED) communicatively coupled to the communication interface and a detector, communicatively coupled to the communication interface, capable of detecting light. The patient monitoring sensor includes a layer of material is provided over protruding components on the patient-side of the sensor to reduce the contact pressure of such protruding components.