Patent · US Expired

Multiple-pulse method and apparatus for use in oximetry

US4859056A · kind A · utility

149Cited by
13References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 18, 1986
Grant dateAug 22, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 18, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B5/14551
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The disclosed invention is for use in extracting more accurate information from signals employed in pulse oximetry. Basically, pulse oximetry involves the illumination of arterial blood flowing in tissue with light at two wavelengths. Upon emerging from the tissue the light is received by a detector (38) that produces signals that are proportional to the intensity of the light received at each of the wavelengths. Each signal includes a slowly varying baseline component representing the attenuation .beta.(t) of light produced by bone, tissue, skin, and hair. The signals also include pulsatile components representing the attenuation .alpha.(t) produced by the changing blood volume and oxygen saturation within the finger. The signals produced by the detector (38) are converted by an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter (72) for subsequent analysis by a microcomputer (16). The microcomputer (16) extracts the following information from the signal corresponding to each wavelength. V.sub.H is determined to be the signal magnitude at a second pulse diastole. V.sub.L is, similarly, the signal magnitude at systole of the same pulse. A term .DELTA.V is identified equal in value to the difference…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.