Tissue Oxygen Probe with Phosphorescent Sensor Chamber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tissue oxygen measurement technologies require insertion into blood vessels, limiting their ability to measure oxygen levels in tissues outside of vascular regions, such as muscle tissue, and are prone to clot formation and manufacturing complexities, especially in small diameters needed for neonatal or pediatric applications.
Innovation Solution
A novel optical probe system that directly measures tissue oxygen levels by placing a sensor chamber with an oxygen-quenchable phosphorescent analyte in the tissue, using near-infrared light absorption and emission, and optical fibers for excitation and detection, allowing for rapid insertion and accurate measurement without relying on blood vessels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If optical fiber probes are inserted into blood vessels to measure tissue oxygen, then oxygen measurement capability is achieved, but the device cannot measure oxygen in non-vascular tissues and is prone to clot formation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the sensor from the blood vessel environment and places it directly in the tissue of interest. The optical fiber probe with oxygen-sensitive phosphor is inserted directly into the tissue (e.g., muscle, brain, tumor) rather than relying on blood vessel access, eliminating the harmful interaction with blood that causes clot formation while maintaining the ability to measure tissue oxygen levels
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a gas-permeable membrane as an intermediary layer between the tissue and the phosphor-containing chamber. This membrane allows oxygen to diffuse from the tissue to the phosphor while protecting the internal sensor components, enabling direct tissue measurement without blood contact
2Length of moving object
If optical fiber probes are made with small diameters for neonatal or pediatric applications, then ease of insertion is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The probe is segmented into distinct functional modules: a separate phosphor-containing chamber, gas-permeable membrane layer, optical fiber integration section, and sealing components. This modular segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently at standard sizes, then assembled into the final small-diameter probe configuration, reducing overall manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The design nests the phosphor chamber and optical fibers within a protective outer sheath or catheter. This nested structure allows the complex internal components to be housed within a compact, small-diameter external profile suitable for neonatal and pediatric patients, while the assembly process benefits from the organized hierarchical structure
3Measurement precision
If tissue pressure is withstood to enable direct tissue measurement, then measurement accuracy in tissue is improved, but device structural requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible, biocompatible materials for the probe construction, including elastomeric outer sheaths and thin gas-permeable membranes. These flexible structures can withstand tissue pressure while maintaining their integrity and allowing oxygen diffusion, avoiding the need for rigid, high-strength materials that would complicate the design and affect measurements
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
Enables immediate and accurate measurement of tissue oxygen levels, facilitating rapid diagnosis and treatment, particularly in emergency situations, and overcoming the limitations of existing technologies by withstanding tissue pressures and avoiding clot formation.
Implementation Method 1
oxygen has a quenching effect on the molecular luminescence of various chemical compounds and that this effect can be employed for imaging oxygen concentrations (partial pressure) in vivo
Implementation Method 2
the optical fiber transmits electromagnetic radiation from a light source to the indicator molecule
Implementation Method 3
the chamber walls are permeable to the analytes of interest
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a durable oxygen sensitive probe of sufficient strength to withstand direct tissue pressures in vivo, the probe comprising a sensor chamber within a biocompatible, gas-permeable membrane containing an oxygen sensitive analyte solution producing oxygen quenchable phosphorescence when excited. Further provided is a tissue oxygen detection and measurement system comprising the probe, and methods for use of the probe and the system to directly, rapidly and accurately measure tissue oxygen levels in a patient without reliance on blood vessels or fluid protection of the probe.