Medical sensor and technique for using the same
View Patent ↗A medical sensor may be adapted to be affixed to a patient's skin. A sensor for pulse oximetry or other spectrophotometric uses is provided with a gripping region that contacts the patient's skin and provides gripping strength to reduce movement of the sensor. Also provided herein is a method of contacting a sensor to a patient's skin and method of manufacturing a sensor.
1. A sensor compprising:
a conformable bandage-style sensor body adapted to be placed on a patient's finger;
at least one sensing element disposed on the sensor body; and
a non-adhesive gripping portion having raised protrusions relative to a non-raised area disposed on a tissue-contacting surface of the sensor body, wherein the raised protrusions and the non-raised area of the non-adhesive gripping portion are capable of engaging a patient's tissue.
2. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a pulse oximetry sensor or a sensor for measuring a water fraction.
3. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensing element comprises an emitter and a detector.
4. The sensor, as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the emitter comprises at least one light emitting diode, and wherein the detector comprises at least one photodetector.
5. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion comprises plastic, rubber, silicone, or vinyl.
6. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion is disposed on at least 50% of the tissue-contacting surface of the sensor body.
7. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the raised protrusions comprise barbs, nubs, or ridges.
8. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion is directional.
9. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion is disposed on greater than 10% of the tissue-contacting surface of the sensor body.
10. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an adhesive disposed on the tissue-contacting surface of the sensor body.
11. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the nonadhesive gripping portion comprises a material having a hardness ranging from 20-90 Shore D.
12. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion is disposed on the sensor body in an area corresponding to a finger joint when the sensor is placed on the patient's finger.
13. The sensor, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion comprises a material having a static coefficient of friction greater than 100.
14. A pulse oximetry system comprising:
a pulse oximetry monitor; and
a pulse oximetry sensor adapted to be operatively coupled to the monitor, the sensor comprising:
a conformable bandage-style sensor body adapted to be placed on a patient's finger;
at least one sensing element disposed on the sensor body; and
a non-adhesive gripping portion having raised protrusions relative to a non-raised area disposed on a tissue-contacting surface of the sensor body, wherein the raised protrusions and the non-raised area of the non-adhesive gripping portion are capable of engaging a patient's tissue.
15. The pulse oximetry system, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the sensor comprises a sensor for measuring a water fraction.
16. The pulse oximetry system, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the at least one sensing element comprises an emitter and a detector.
17. The pulse oximetry system, as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the emitter comprises at least one light emitting diode, and wherein the detector comprises at least one photodetector.
18. The pulse oximetry system, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion comprises plastic, rubber, silicone, or vinyl.
19. The pulse oximetry system, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion is disposed on at least 50% of the tissue-contacting surface of the sensor body.
20. The pulse oximetry system, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the raised protrusions comprise barbs, nubs, or ridges.
21. The pulse oximetry system, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion is directional.
22. The pulse oximetry system, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion is disposed on greater than 10% of the tissue-contacting surface of the sensor body.
23. The pulse oximetry system, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the sensor comprises an adhesive disposed on the tissue-contacting surface of the sensor body.
24. The pulse oximetry system, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion comprises a material having a hardness ranging from 20-90 Shore D.
25. The pulse oximetry system, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion is disposed on the sensor body in an area corresponding to a finger joint when the sensor is placed on the patient's finger.
26. The pulse oximetry system, as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion comprises a material having a static coefficient of friction greater than 100.
27. A method comprising:
contacting a patient's finger with a non-adhesive gripping portion of a conformable bandage-style sensor body, the gripping portion having raised protrusions relative to a non-raised area, wherein the raised protrusions and the non-raised area are adapted to engage a patient's tissue;
emitting light from an emitter disposed on the sensor body into the patient's finger;
detecting the light with a detector disposed on the sensor body; and
providing a signal related to the detected light.
28. The method, as set forth in claim 27 , wherein contacting comprises contacting the patient's finger with a plastic, rubber, silicone, or vinyl non-adhesive gripping portion.
29. The method, as set forth in claim 27 , wherein contacting comprises contacting the patient's finger with barbs, nubs, or ridges.
30. The method, as set forth in claim 27 , wherein contacting comprises contacting the patient's finger with a directional non-adhesive gripping portion.
31. The method, as set forth in claim 27 , wherein contacting comprises contacting the patient's finger with an adhesive disposed on the sensor body.
32. A method of manufacturing a sensor, comprising:
providing a conformable bandage-style sensor body adapted to be placed on a patient's finger; and
providing a non-adhesive gripping portion comprising raised protrusions relative to a non-raised area disposed on a tissue-contacting surface of the sensor body, wherein the raised protrusions and the non-raised area are adapted to engage a patient's tissue; and
providing at least one sensing element disposed on the sensor body.
33. The method, as set forth in claim 32 , wherein providing at least one sensing element comprises providing an emitter and a detector.
34. The method, as set forth in claim 32 , comprising:
providing barbs, nubs, or ridges on the non-adhesive gripping portion.
35. The method, as set forth in claim 32 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion comprises plastic, rubber, silicone, or vinyl.
36. The method, as set forth in claim 32 , wherein the non-adhesive gripping portion is directional.
37. The method, as set forth in claim 32 , comprising:
providing the non-adhesive gripping portion on greater than 10% of the tissue-contacting surface of the sensor body.
38. The method, as set forth in claim 32 , comprising:
providing the non-adhesive gripping portion on greater than 50% of the tissue-contacting surface of the sensor body.
39. The method, as set forth in claim 32 , comprising:
providing an adhesive disposed on the tissue-contacting surface of the sensor body.