Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for heating tissue with a photoplethysmograph sensor

US5158082A · kind A · utility

238Cited by
5References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 23, 1990
Grant dateOct 27, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 23, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B5/1491
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for increasing the blood flow in a patient's tissue by warming the tissue with heat generated by a semiconductor device mounted in a sensor. The amount of heat generated is controlled by varying either the magnitude or the duty cycle of the current that flows through the semiconductor device, with the amount of heat required determined by either the temperature of the sensor's contact surface or the operating performance of the apparatus.

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