Detachment and replacement method for a laparoscopic tube for an oximetry probe
A laparoscopic medical device includes an oximeter sensor at its tip, which allows for making oxygen saturation measurements laparoscopically. The laparoscopic medical device includes a probe unit and a laparoscopic tube that detachably connects with the probe unit so that the laparoscopic tube can be replaced for different patient surgeries and the probe unit can be reused. The probe unit includes a number of optical fibers and the detachable laparoscopic tube includes a number of optical fibers where tips of the fibers of the probe unit and laparoscopic tube connect end to end. Cores of the transmitting optical fibers have smaller numerical apertures and smaller diameters than cores of the receiving optical fibers to facilitate a high percentage of light transmission even when the optical fibers are misaligned at their contacting ends.
1 . A method comprising: forming a housing comprising a first structure and a second structure, wherein providing the housing is reusable and is configured for use with a plurality of first laparoscopic element elements that is disposable; forming a first opening at an end of the first structure portion; positioning in the first structure a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a light engine coupled to the processor; forming a second opening at a first end of the second structure; coupling the second structure to the first structure by coupling the second opening of the second structure to the first opening of the first structure, wherein the first opening comprises a through hole through which a first optical conductor passes, and the first optical conductor passes through a through hole of the second opening of the second structure; forming a first optical interface at a second end of the second structure; coupling the first optical conductor that has passed through the first and second openings to the light engine and the first optical interface; forming the first laparoscopic element to removably couple to the second structure of the housing and comprising a third structure, a fourth structure, and a second optical conductor; forming a third opening at a first end of the third structure and at a first end of the first laparoscopic element; forming a fourth opening in the third structure oppositely located from the third opening in the third structure; coupling an interior surface of the third structure over an outside surface of the second structure through the third opening forming a mated connection coupling when the laparoscopic element is removably coupled to the second structure of the housing; positioning a sensor head at a second end of the fourth structure that is oppositely located from a first end of the fourth structure; optically coupling the second optical conductor to the first optical conductor in an interior space of the third structure when the first laparoscopic element is removably coupled to the second structure of the housing; and coupling the second optical conductor through an interior space of the fourth structure to the sensor head, wherein at least a portion of the first structure is inserted through the through hole of the second opening of the second structure.
2 . The method of claim 1 comprising forming a male portion of the second structure; and forming a female portion of the third structure, wherein coupling the interior surface of the third structure over the outside surface of the second structure through the third opening forming the mated connection coupling comprises positioning the male portion of the second structure in the female portion of the third structure.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the third opening of the third structure comprises a first diameter, and the fourth opening of the third structure comprises a second diameter less than the first diameter.
4 . The method of claim 1 comprising forming the fourth opening at a position closer to a tip of the first laparoscopic element than the first end of the first laparoscopic element.
5 . The method of claim 1 comprising:
forming exterior threads on the second structure;
forming interior threads of the third structure; and
threading the exterior threads onto the interior threads to form the mated connection coupling when the housing and first laparoscopic element are removably coupled.
6 . The method of claim 1 comprising providing the mated connection coupling is a latched connection coupling.
7 . The method of claim 1 comprising providing the mated connection coupling is a spring-loaded connection coupling.
8 . The method of claim 1 comprising coupling a display to the first structure visible from an exterior of the first structure.
9 . The method of claim 1 comprising inserting the first end of the fourth structure in the interior space of the third structure through the fourth opening of the third structure when the housing and first laparoscopic element are removably coupled.
10 . The method of claim 1 comprising providing the second optical conductor is longer than the first optical conductor.
11 . The method of claim 1 comprising positioning the second optical conductor at least partially in an interior space of the fourth structure.
12 . The method of claim 1 comprising end-to-end coupling the first and second optical conductors when the housing and first laparoscopic element are removably coupled.
13 . The method of claim 1 comprising providing the second structure comprises a printed circuit board (PCB), a photodetector located on a surface of the PCB and coupled to the processor, and a third optical conductor coupled to the photodetector; and
providing the first laparoscopic element comprises a fourth optical conductor optically coupled to the photodetector when the housing and laparoscopic element are removably coupled and coupled to the sensor head.
14 . The method of claim 1 comprising providing the second optical conductor is at least twice as long as the first optical conductor.
15 . The method of claim 1 wherein the coupling of the second structure to the first structure by coupling the second opening of the second structure to the first opening of the first structure comprises coupling the first and second structures in a fixed configuration.
16 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second openings are coaxial.
17 . The method of claim 1 comprising forming a second optical interface in the interior space of the third structure; and coupling the first and second optical interfaces in an interior space of the third structure.
18 . The method of claim 1 wherein the second end of the second structure is oppositely located from the first end of the second structure.
19 . The method of claim 1 wherein the housing comprising the first and second structures is configured for use with a second laparoscopic element that is disposable.
20 . The method of claim 19 wherein the housing comprising the first and second structures is configured for use with the second laparoscopic element when the first laparoscopic element is detached from the housing.
21 . The method of claim 13 comprising providing the fourth optical conductor is longer than the first optical conductor and the second optical conductor is longer than the third optical conductor.
22 . The method of claim 21 comprising providing the fourth optical conductor is longer than the third optical conductor.
23 . The method of claim 22 comprising configuring the surface of the PCB on which the photodetector is coupled to face away from the first laparoscopic element.
24 . The method of claim 22 comprising providing the fourth optical conductor fiber is at least twice as long as the third optical conductor.
25 . A method comprising: forming housing comprising a first structure and a second structure, wherein providing the housing is reusable and is configured for use with a plurality of first laparoscopic element elements that is disposable; forming a first opening at an end of the first structure, wherein the first opening comprises a through hole; positioning in the first structure a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a light engine coupled to the processor, coupling the second structure to the first structure by coupling a second opening of the second structure to the first opening of the first structure, wherein the second opening comprises a through hole through which at least a portion of the first structure is inserted through; coupling a first optical conductor through the through holes of the first and second openings to the light engine and a first optical interface; forming laparoscopic element, removably couplable to the second structure of the housing, comprising a third structure, a fourth structure, and a second optical conductor; forming a third opening in the third structure at a first end of the first laparoscopic element; forming a fourth opening in the third structure oppositely located from the third opening; coupling an interior surface of the third structure over an outside surface of the second structure through the third opening forming a mated connection coupling when the laparoscopic element is removably coupled to the second structure of the housing; positioning a sensor head at a second end of the fourth structure that is oppositely located from a first end of the fourth structure; optically coupling the second optical conductor to the first optical conductor in an interior space of the third structure when the laparoscopic element is removably coupled to the second structure of the housing; coupling the second optical conductor through an interior space of the fourth structure to the sensor head; positioning a printed circuit board (PCB) in the second structure; coupling a photodetector to a surface of the PCB and to the processor via the PCB; optically coupling a third optical conductor to the photodetector in the second structure; positioning a fourth optical conductor in the laparoscopic element; coupling the fourth optical conductor through the laparoscopic element to the sensor second head; and coupling the fourth optical conductor though the laparoscopic element to third optical conductor when the housing and laparoscopic element are removably coupled, wherein at least a portion of the first structure is inserted through the through hole of the second opening of the second structure.
26 . The method of claim 25 comprising forming a male portion of the second structure; and forming a female portion of the third structure, wherein coupling the interior surface of the third structure over the outside surface of the second structure through the third opening forming the mated connection coupling comprises positioning the male portion of the second structure in the female portion of the third structure.
27 . The method of claim 25 comprising providing the third opening of the third structure comprises a first diameter and the fourth opening of the third structure comprises a second diameter less than the first diameter.
28 . The method of claim 25 comprising:
forming exterior threads on the second structure;
forming interior threads of the third structure; and
threading the exterior threads onto the interior threads to form the mated connection coupling when the housing and laparoscopic element are removably coupled.
29 . The method of claim 25 wherein the coupling of the second structure to the first structure by coupling the second opening of the second structure to the first opening of the first structure comprises coupling the first and second structures in a fixed configuration.
30 . The method of claim 25 wherein the second end of the second structure is oppositely located from the first end of the second structure.
31 . The method of claim 25 wherein the housing comprising the first and second structures is configured for use with a second laparoscopic element that is disposable.
32 . The method of claim 31 wherein the housing comprising the first and second structures is configured for use with the second laparoscopic element when the first laparoscopic element is detached from the housing.