System for monitoring fetal status during childbirth
During childbirth process, trauma to an infant can readily arise, ultimately resulting in fetal hypoxia, academia, and brain damage. Such unfavorable conditions can be prevented by measuring the fetus' blood-oxygen level and heart rate. Without a fetal pulse oximeters, blood oxygen level cannot be monitored non-invasively reliably, which reduces the chance for birth complications to be recognized in time. A noninvasive system to implement such goals and maximize the potential welfare of the fetus may include devices to measure oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (SpO2). Such a device may be an oxy probe that uses a trans-reflective method of SpO2 measurement where oxygen saturation data can be transmitted through wire, fiber optics, and or using a radio frequency link, fetal monitor data can be analyzed, compared to existing data base, and or transmitted via radio waves or internet.
1 . An oximeter probe comprising:
a housing defining a first cavity and a second cavity;
the first cavity comprising at least two light emitters, wherein each emitter emits an emitted light of a different wavelength than the other of the emitters;
the second cavity including a detector for detecting both wavelength of reflected light emitted from the at least two light emitters, wherein the reflected light is the emitted light reflected off of tissue; and
a divider located between the first and second cavities that prevents the emitted light from being directly entering the detector;
wherein the oximeter probe is in communication with a CPU, which determines oxygen saturation in the tissue based on a difference between the emitted light wavelength and the reflected wavelength;
wherein at least one of the first or second cavities further comprises a mirror that collimates or focuses the emitted or the reflected light;
a camera detachably located within a first channel located longitudinally in the housing:
a thermocouple detachably located within a second channel located longitudinally in the housing.
2 . The oximeter probe of claim 1 , wherein the at least two light emitters are LED light emitters.
3 . The oximeter probe of claim 2 , wherein the first cavity further comprises an emitter mirror that collimates the emitted light; and the second cavity further comprises a collector mirror that focuses the reflected light to the detector.
4 . The oximeter probe of claim 2 , wherein the light emitters include a first light emitter that emits light with a wavelength of 640 nm to 680 nm and a second light emitter emits light with a wavelength of 870 nm to 920 nm.
5 . The oximeter probe of claim 3 , further comprising a third light emitter that emits an emitted light of 550 nm to 620 nm.
6 . The oximeter probe of claim 1 , further comprising a transparent cap that allows the emitted light to reach the tissue and receive the reflected light to the detector.
7 . The oximeter probe of claim 6 , wherein the transparent cap is made from a flexible material.
8 . The oximeter probe of claim 7 , wherein the flexible material comprises an elastomeric material.
9 . The oximeter probe of claim 6 , wherein the transparent cap extends into the first and second cavities.
10 . The oximeter probe of claim 8 , wherein the transparent cap acts as a watertight seal to prevent fluid ingress into the first and second cavities.
11 . The oximeter probe of claim 6 , wherein the oximeter probe is configured to measure the oxygen saturation in the tissue from a distance.
12 . The oximeter probe of claim 11 , wherein the distance is less than 1 mm.
13 . The oximeter probe of claim 1 , wherein the housing is about 0.5 inches in diameter.
14 . The oximeter probe of claim 1 , wherein the housing is about 2.2 inches long.
15 . The oximeter probe of claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises silicon photodiodes that produce current linearly proportional to an intensity of the reflected light received at the detector.
16 . The oximeter probe of claim 1 , wherein the detector detects absorption and/or scattering of the reflected light from the tissue.
17 . The oximeter probe of claim 1 , further comprising a battery located within the housing, wherein the battery is generally disc-shaped and oriented such that a longitudinal axis of the battery is orthogonally oriented with respect to a longitudinal axis of the housing.
18 . A method for detecting oxygen saturation in a fetus comprising:
providing an oximeter probe comprising: a housing defining a first cavity and a second cavity;
the first cavity comprising at least two light emitters, wherein each emitter emits an emitted light of a different wavelength than the other of the emitters;
the second cavity including a detector for detecting both wavelength of reflected light emitted from the at least two light emitters, wherein the reflected light is the emitted light reflected off of fetal tissue;
wherein at least one of the first or second cavities further comprises a mirror that collimates or focuses the emitted or the reflected light; and
a divider located between the first and second cavities that prevents the emitted light from directly entering the detector;
a camera detachably located within a first channel located longitudinally in the housing;
a thermocouple detachably located within a second channel located longitudinally in the housing;
placing the oximeter in proximity to the fetus;
determining, using a CPU, oxygen saturation in the fetus based on a difference between the emitted light wavelength and the reflected wavelength.
19 . An oximeter probe comprising:
a housing defining a first cavity and a second cavity;
the first cavity comprising at least two light emitters, wherein each emitter emits an emitted light of a different wavelength than the other of the emitters;
the second cavity including a detector for detecting both wavelength of reflected light emitted from the at least two light emitters, wherein the reflected light is the emitted light reflected off of tissue; and
a divider located between the first and second cavities that prevents the emitted light from directly entering the detector;
wherein the oximeter probe is in communication with a CPU, which determines oxygen saturation in the tissue based on a difference between the emitted light wavelength and the reflected wavelength;
wherein at least one of the first or second cavities further comprises a mirror that collimates or focuses the emitted or the reflected light;
wherein the housing further comprising a first longitudinal channel in an exterior wall of the housing configured to accommodate a camera;
wherein the housing further comprising a second longitudinal channel in the exterior wall of the housing configured to accommodate a thermocouple.
20 . The oximeter probe of claim 19 , further comprising a camera detachably located within the first longitudinal channel in the housing.
21 . The oximeter probe of claim 19 , further comprising a thermocouple detachably located within the second longitudinal channel in the housing.