Cable detection using light sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11757233-B2
Application number	US-202117461562-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2021
Priority date	Nov 4, 2020
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

A connector detection system includes a connector interface including a connector port having an interior volume configured receive a connector of a cable; and an optical sensor. The optical sensor includes a transmitter configured to transmit a light beam across the interior volume; a receiver configured to monitor for a reflected light beam corresponding to the transmitted light beam; and processing circuitry configured to determine whether the connector is inserted into the interior volume based on a monitoring for the reflected light beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector detection system, comprising:
a connector interface comprising a connector port having an interior volume configured to receive a connector of a cable; and
an optical sensor comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit a light beam across the interior volume;
a receiver configured to monitor for a reflected light beam corresponding to the transmitted light beam; and
processing circuitry configured to determine whether the connector is inserted into the interior volume based on a monitoring for the reflected light beam; wherein:
the processing circuitry comprises a comparator configured to compare a signal amplitude to a predetermined reference threshold, the signal amplitude being derived from the electrical signal and corresponding to an intensity of the received reflected light beam.

2. The connector detection system of claim 1 , wherein:
the receiver is configured to generate an electrical signal in response to receiving the reflected light beam, and
the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether a connector is inserted into the interior volume based on the electrical signal.

3. The connector detection system of claim 2 , wherein:
the processing circuitry determines a time-of-flight based on the electrical signal, converts the determined time-of-flight to a signal value, and compares the signal value to a predetermined reference threshold,
the processing circuitry includes a comparator,
the comparator generates a first output value on a first condition that the signal value is greater than the predetermined reference threshold, thereby indicating that the connector is inserted into the interior volume, and
the comparator generates a second output value on a second condition that the signal value is less than the predetermined reference threshold, thereby indicating that the connector is not inserted into the interior volume.

4. The connector detection system of claim 2 , wherein:
the cable port comprises a distant sidewall that defines part of the interior volume,
the distant sidewall is located across the interior volume opposite to the optical sensor,
the distant sidewall causes the transmitted light beam to be reflected back to the receiver as the reflected light beam in the absence of the connector within the interior volume, and
the connector causes the transmitted light beam to be reflected back to the receiver as the reflected light beam in the presence of the connector within the interior volume.

5. The connector detection system of claim 2 , wherein:
the comparator is configured to generate a first output value upon determining that the signal amplitude is greater than the predetermined reference threshold, thereby indicating that the connector is inserted into the interior volume, and
the comparator is configured to generate a second output value upon determining that the signal amplitude is less than the predetermined reference threshold, thereby indicating that the connector is not inserted into the interior volume.

6. The connector detection system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a system controller is configured to receive an output of the comparator,
wherein the system controller is configured to activate frontend circuitry to process measurement signals received from the connector in response to receiving the first output value, and
wherein the system controller is configured to disable the frontend circuitry in response to receiving the second output value.

7. The connector detection system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a display; and
a system controller configured to receive an output of the comparator,
wherein the system controller is configured to control the display to display at least one prompt to a user to input cable information corresponding to the cable in response to receiving the first output value.

8. The connector detection system of claim 7 , wherein:
the connector interface is an electrocardiogram (ECG) interface and the cable is an ECG lead set, and
the connector information is a number of leads of the ECG lead set.

9. The connector detection system of claim 1 , wherein:
the receiver is configured to generate an electrical signal in response to receiving the reflected light beam, and
the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the connector is inserted into the interior volume in response to receiving the electrical signal and to determine that the connector is not inserted into the interior volume in the absence of the electrical signal.

10. The connector detection system of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the connector is fully inserted into the interior volume based on an amplitude of the electrical signal.

11. The connector detection system of claim 9 , wherein:
the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether received light is the reflected light beam,
the processing circuitry comprises a comparator configured to compare a signal amplitude to a predetermined reference threshold, the signal amplitude being derived from the receiver and which corresponds to an intensity of the received light,
the comparator is configured to generate a first output value on a first condition that the signal amplitude is greater than the predetermined reference threshold, thereby indicating that the received light is the reflected light beam, and
the comparator is configured to generate a second output value on a second condition that the signal amplitude is less than the predetermined reference threshold, thereby indicating that the received light is not the reflected light beam.

12. The connector detection system of claim 9 , wherein:
the transmitter is configured to transmit the light beam across the interior volume into free space in the absence of the connector within the interior volume, and
the connector causes the transmitted light beam to be reflected back to the receiver as the reflected light beam in the presence of the connector within the interior volume.

13. The connector detection system of claim 9 , wherein the connector interface is a non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) interface and the cable is an NIBP cable.

14. The connector detection system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a system controller configured to receive an output of a comparator of the processing circuitry,
wherein the system controller is configured to activate frontend circuitry configured to process measurement signals received from the connector in response to receiving the first output value, and
wherein the system controller is configured to disable the frontend circuitry in response to receiving the second output value.

15. A patient monitoring device, comprising:
frontend circuitry configured to receive and process physiological measurements received from a cable connected to a patient;
a connector interface comprising a connector port having an interior volume configured receive a connector of the cable;
an optical sensor comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit a light beam across the interior volume;
a receiver configured to monitor for a reflected light beam corresponding to the transmitted light beam; and
processing circuitry configured to determine whether a connector is inserted into the interior volume based on a monitoring for the reflected light beam; and

a system controller configured to activate the frontend circuitry in response to the processing circuitry determining that the connector is inserted into the interior volume and deactivate the frontend circuitry in response to the processing circuit

Assignees

• Draeger Medical Systems Inc
• Draegerwerk Ag & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Kokovidis Georgios
• Lund Peter A

Classifications

• A61B5/318

  Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG] · CPC title

• H01R13/641 Primary

  by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement · CPC title

• H01R2201/12

  for medicine and surgery · CPC title

• H01R13/6683

  with built-in sensor · CPC title

• H01R13/7175

  Light emitting diodes (LEDs) · CPC title