Bi-stable medical sensor and technique for using the same
View Patent ↗A bi-stable sensor is provided that includes a frame upon which electrical and optical components may be disposed and a coating, such as an overmold coating, provided about the frame. A resistance-providing component is provided integral with or external to the coated bi-stable sensor such that the bi-stable sensor has two mechanically stable configurations that may be transitioned between by overcoming the resistance provided by the resistance-providing component and/or the by the coating. In one embodiment, the resistance-providing component comprises an elastic band provided about a hinge of the frame, either within or external to the coating. In one embodiment, the sensor may be placed on a patient's finger, toe, ear, and so forth to obtain pulse oximetry or other physiological measurements.
1. A sensor assembly, comprising:
an internal frame;
at least one sensor component attached to the internal frame; and
a coating molded over the internal frame and the at least one sensor component to form a sensor assembly having at least two mechanically stable configurations.
2. A sensor body, comprising:
an internal frame;
a coating molded over the internal frame to form a sensor body; and
a resistance-providing component that resists transitions between a first stable configuration and a second stable configuration of the sensor body.
3. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , comprising one or more signal transmission structures connected to the at least one sensor component.
4. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly comprises at least one of a pulse oximetry sensor, a sensor for measuring a water fraction, or a combined sensor for measuring pulse oximetry and water fraction data.
5. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a single molded part.
6. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises two or more parts joined to form the frame.
7. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.
8. The sensor assembly of claim 7 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer comprises at least one of a thermoplastic polyolefin, a thermoplastic vulcanizate alloy, thermoplastic polyurethane, silicone, or a combination thereof.
9. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises a conformable material.
10. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein no moving parts of the frame remain exposed from the coating.
11. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly is configured to move between the at least two mechanically stable configurations when a resistance is overcome.
12. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly is fluid tight.
13. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coating is chemically bonded to the frame.
14. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly is configured to send data to a pulse oximeter monitor.
15. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly is configured to send data to a multi-parameter monitor.
16. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , comprising at least one integrated circuit device.
17. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , comprising a cable comprising one or more integrated circuits.
18. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , comprising an adapter cable connected to one or more signal transmission structures of the sensor assembly.
19. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises one or more regions configured to allow the at least one sensor component to be displaced upon placement of the sensor assembly on a patient.
20. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein a resistance-providing component biases the sensor assembly open in a mechanically stable first configuration and biases the sensor assembly closed in a mechanically stable second configuration.
21. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor component comprises one or more light emitting diodes.
22. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor component comprises a photodetector.
23. The sensor body of claim 2 , wherein the frame comprises a single molded part.
24. The sensor body of claim 2 , wherein the frame comprises two or more parts joined to form the frame.
25. The sensor body of claim 2 , wherein the coating comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.
26. The sensor body of claim 25 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer comprises at least one of a thermoplastic polyolefin, a thermoplastic vulcanizate alloy, thermoplastic polyurethane, silicone, or a combination thereof.
27. The sensor body of claim 2 , wherein the coating comprises a conformable material.
28. The sensor body of claim 2 , wherein no moving parts of the frame remain exposed from the coating.
29. The sensor body of claim 2 , wherein the sensor body is configured to move between the first and the second stable configurations when a resistance is overcome.
30. The sensor body of claim 2 , wherein the sensor body is fluid tight.
31. The sensor body of claim 2 , wherein the coating is chemically bonded to the frame.
32. The sensor body of claim 2 , comprising a resistance-providing component disposed about a hinge on the frame.
33. The sensor body of claim 2 , comprising a resistance-providing component disposed about a coated hinge on the sensor body.