Oximetry device with laparoscopic extension

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11439330-B2
Application number	US-201715652929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2017
Priority date	Jul 18, 2016
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A laparoscopic medical device includes an oximeter sensor at its tip, which allows the making of oxygen saturation measurements laparoscopically. The device can be a unitary design, wherein a laparoscopic element includes electronics for the oximeter sensor at a distal end (e.g., opposite the tip). The device can be a multiple piece design (e.g., two-piece design), where some electronics is in a separate housing from the laparoscopic element, and the pieces (or portions) are removably connected together. The laparoscopic element can be removed and disposed of; so, the electronics can be reused multiple times with replacement laparoscopic elements. The electronics can include a processing unit for control, computation, or display, or any combination of these. However, in an implementation, the electronics can connect wirelessly to other electronics (e.g., another processing unit) for further control, computation, or display, or any combination of these.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
forming a first portion of an oximeter device;
forming an elongated laparoscopic element of the first portion that extends in a first direction;
positioning a proximal end of the laparoscopic element in the first direction from a distal end of the laparoscopic element;
smoothing an outer surface of the laparoscopic element;
forming an interior tubular space of the laparoscopic element that extends from the proximal end to the distal end, wherein the interior tubular space comprises a first cross-section that is transverse to the first direction, the first cross-section comprises a first length and the interior tubular space of the laparoscopic element extends from a first opening at the proximal end of the laparoscopic element to a second opening at the distal end of the laparoscopic element;
positioning a sensor head in the second opening of interior tubular space at the distal end of the laparoscopic element, wherein the sensor head comprises a first printed circuit board positioned in the interior tubular space of the laparoscopic element;
forming a first emitter and a first detector of the sensor head, wherein the first detector is located on the first printed circuit board;
positioning an amplifier circuit on a second printed circuit board within the interior tubular space of the laparoscopic element, wherein the amplifier circuit is coupled to the first detector;
coupling an optical fiber to the first emitter, wherein the first printed circuit board and the optical fiber are transverse, the second printed circuit board and the optical fiber are parallel, and the second printed circuit board and the amplifier circuit are adjacent to the optical fiber in the interior tubular space;
forming a second portion of the oximeter device;
forming a first enclosure of the second portion to have a second cross-section transverse to the first direction, wherein the first enclosure comprises a second cross-section that is transverse to the first direction, and the second cross-section comprises a second length that is larger than the first length;
coupling the first enclosure of the second portion of the oximeter device to the first portion of the oximeter device at the proximal end of the laparoscopic element;
positioning an analog-to-digital converter circuit in the first enclosure of the second portion;
coupling the analog-to-digital converter circuit to the amplifier circuit within the interior tubular space of the elongated laparoscopic element;
coupling an interface circuit to the analog-to-digital converter circuit; and
coupling a battery to the analog-to-digital converter and the interface circuit.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising coupling the first enclosure of the second portion to the first portion comprises fixedly coupling the first enclosure of the second portion to the first portion.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising mating a first connector of the first portion to a second connector of the second portion to hold the first and second portions in a fixed position relative to each other via the first and second connectors being mated.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising forming an outer surface of the elongated laparoscopic element of the first portion of stainless steel and forming the first enclosure of the second portion of a plastic material.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising forming the interior tubular space, between the proximal end and a distal end, to have a uniform cross-sectional dimension.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising coupling a light source of the first enclosure to the first emitter, the battery, and a transmitter circuit.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising:
forming a third portion comprising a second enclosure separate from the first enclosure, wherein the interface circuit comprises a first wireless transceiver circuit;
allowing for wirelessly coupling a second wireless transceiver circuit of the second enclosure to the first wireless transceiver circuit;
allowing for coupling a processing circuit in the second enclosure through the second wireless transceiver circuit to the analog-to-digital converter circuit; and
coupling a display of the second enclosure to the processing circuit and a power source of the second enclosure, wherein the power source is separate from the battery of the first enclosure.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising:
forming a third portion comprising a second enclosure separate from the first enclosure, wherein the interface circuit comprises a first wireless transceiver circuit and a first wired transceiver circuit;
positioning a second wired transceiver circuit in the second enclosure;
allowing for coupling the first wired transceiver circuit via a cable to the second wired transceiver circuit;
allowing for coupling a processing circuit in the second enclosure through the second wired transceiver circuit and the cable to the analog-to-digital converter circuit; and
coupling a display of the second enclosure to the processing circuit and a power source of the second enclosure, wherein the power source of the second enclosure is separate from the battery of the first enclosure.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising:
coupling a processing circuit of the first enclosure to the analog-to-digital converter, the interface circuit, and the battery, wherein the interface circuit comprises a first wireless transceiver circuit;
forming a third portion comprising a second enclosure separate from the first enclosure, wherein the interface circuit comprises a first wireless transceiver circuit, wherein the interface circuit comprises a first wired transceiver circuit;
allowing for wireless coupling of a second wireless transceiver circuit of the second enclosure to the first wireless transceiver circuit;
allowing for coupling a display of the second enclosure to the processing circuit through the second wireless transceiver circuit; and
coupling the display to a power source of the second enclosure, wherein the power source is separate from the battery of the first enclosure.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising:
coupling a processing circuit of the first enclosure to the analog-to-digital converter, the interface circuit, and the battery;
forming a third portion comprising a second enclosure separate from the first enclosure, wherein the interface circuit comprises a first wireless transceiver circuit and a first wired transceiver circuit;
allowing for coupling of a second wired transceiver circuit of the second enclosure to couple to the first wired transceiver circuit via a cable;
allowing for coupling a display of the second enclosure to the processing circuit through the second wired transceiver circuit; and
coupling the display to a power source of the second enclosure, wherein the power source is separate from the battery of the first enclosure.

11. A method comprising:
forming a first portion of an oximeter device;
forming a tubular element of the first portion that extends in a first direction;
positioning a proximal end of the tubular element in the first direction from a distal end of the tubular element;
forming an interior tubular space of the tubular element that extend from the proximal end to the distal end, wherein the interior tubular space comprises a first cross-section that is transverse to the first direction, the first cross-section comprises a first length and the interior tubular space of the tubular element extends from a first opening at the proximal end of the tubular element to a second opening at the distal end of the tubular element;
positioning a sensor head in the second opening of interior tubular space at the di

Assignees

• Vioptix Inc

Inventors

• Bechtel Kate Leeann
• Harris Todd Louis
• Solomon Edward Gerald
• Sun Winston
• Baldwin Alan
• Coleridge Scott
• Lonsinger Mark

Classifications

• A61B5/0205

  Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition · CPC title

• A61B2560/0223

  of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors · CPC title

• A61B5/7225

  Details of analogue processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation (input circuits for detecting, measuring, or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals A61B5/30; specific diagnostic methods using bioelectric or biomagnetic signals A61B5/316) · CPC title

• A61B1/0005

  combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled · CPC title

• A61B1/00142

  with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath · CPC title