# US 10,863,938 B2 · System and method for monitoring the life of a physiological sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,863,938 B2 - Document ID: US10863938B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/453,336 - Filed: 2019-06-26 - Published: 2020-02-20 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2006-10-12 - Assignees: Masimo Corporation - Applicants: Masimo Corporation - Inventors: Ammar Al-Ali; Walter M. Weber; Ryan Timothy McHale - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10863938B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/1495: Calibrating or testing of in-vivo probes - A61B 5/0002: {Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network (endoradiosondes A61B5/07)} - A61B 5/14551: {for measuring blood gases} - A61B 5/14552: {Details of sensors specially adapted therefor} - A61B 5/6826: {Finger} - A61B 5/6838: {Clamps or clips} - A61B 2560/0238: Means for recording calibration data - A61B 2560/0266: for monitoring or limiting apparatus function - A61B 2560/0276: Determining malfunction - A61B 2560/028: Arrangements to prevent overuse, e.g. by counting the number of uses - A61B 2560/045: with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication - A61B 2560/0475: Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards - A61B 2562/0238: Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue - A61B 2562/043: in a linear array - A61B 2562/085: combined with means for recording calibration data - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract Aspects of the present disclosure include a sensor configured to store in memory indications of sensor use information and formulas or indications of formulas for determining the useful life of a sensor from the indications of sensor use information. A monitor connected to the sensor monitors sensor use and stores indications of the use on sensor memory. The monitor and/or sensor compute the useful life of the sensor from the indications of use and the formulas. When the useful life of the sensor is reached, an indication is given to replace the sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A physiological sensor comprising: at least one emitter configured to transmit light; at least one detector configured to detect the light after it has interacted with tissue of a patient and to generate a signal responsive to the detected light; and a memory device storing information indicating how to calculate a remaining useful life of the sensor, wherein the information assigns a first weighting factor to a first indication of sensor use and assigns a second weighting factor to a second indication of sensor use, wherein the sensor is configured to communicate the information to a separately housed patient monitor that is configured to use at least one of the first weighting factor or the second weighting factor to estimate the remaining useful life of the sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sensor of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a mathematical function. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sensor of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first indication of sensor use or the second indication of sensor use is an input to the mathematical function, wherein the estimated remaining useful life of the sensor is an output of the mathematical function. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The sensor of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first indication of sensor use or the second indication of sensor use corresponds to one or more of an amount of time the sensor has been used, an amount of time power has been provided to the sensor, a number of times the sensor has been powered up, a number of times the sensor has been powered down, a number of times the sensor has been connected to a patient monitor, a number of different patient monitors that have been connected to the sensor, a number of patients that have used the sensor, a number of times the sensor has been calibrated, an amount of time the sensor has been connected to a patient, a number of times the sensor has been opened, a number of times the sensor has been closed, an average temperature of the sensor, or an average current provided to the sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sensor of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores the first indication of sensor use and the second indication of sensor use, wherein the separately housed patient monitor uses the first indication of sensor use and the second indication of sensor use to estimate the remaining useful life of the sensor. ### Claim 6 A method for estimating a remaining useful life of a sensor, the method comprising: storing information indicating how to calculate a remaining useful life of a sensor in a memory device of the sensor, wherein the information assigns a first weighting factor to a first indication of sensor use and assigns a second weighting factor to a second indication of sensor use; and communicating the information to a separately housed patient monitor that is configured to use at least one of the first weighting factor or the second weighting factor to estimate the remaining useful life of the sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the information comprises a mathematical function, wherein at least one of the first indication of sensor use or the second indication of sensor use is an input to the mathematical function, wherein the remaining useful life of the sensor is an output of the mathematical function. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first indication of sensor use or the second indication of sensor use corresponds to one or more of an amount of time the sensor has been used, an amount of time power has been provided to the sensor, a number of times the sensor has been powered up, a number of times the sensor has been powered down, a number of times the sensor has been connected to a patient monitor, a number of different patient monitors that have been connected to the sensor, a number of patients that have used the sensor, a number of times the sensor has been calibrated, an amount of time the sensor has been connected to a patient, a number of times the sensor has been opened, a number of times the sensor has been closed, an average temperature of the sensor, or an average current provided to the sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises: storing the first indication of sensor use and the second indication of sensor use in the memory device of the sensor; and communicating the first indication of sensor use and the second indication of sensor use to the separately housed patient monitor. ### Claim 10 A patient monitor comprising: an input configured to communicatively couple with a sensor, the sensor comprising an emitter configured to transmit light and a detector configured to detect the light after it has interacted with a tissue site of a patient and to generate a signal responsive to the detected light; and a processor in communication with the input and configured to: obtain, from the sensor, information indicating how to calculate a remaining useful life of the sensor, wherein the information assigns a first weighting factor to a first indication of sensor use and assigns a second weighting factor to second indication of sensor use; and estimate the remaining useful life of the sensor based at least in part on the information and at least one of the first weighting factor or the second weighting factor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The patient monitor of claim 10, wherein the information comprises a mathematical function, wherein at least one of the first indication of sensor use or the second indication of sensor use is an input to the mathematical function, wherein the estimated remaining useful life of the sensor is an output of the mathematical function. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The patient monitor of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first indication of sensor use or the second indication of sensor use corresponds to one or more of an amount of time the sensor has been used, an amount of time power has been provided to the sensor, a number of times the sensor has been powered up, a number of times the sensor has been powered down, a number of times the sensor has been connected to a patient monitor, a number of different patient monitors that have been connected to the sensor, a number of patients that have used the sensor, a number of times the sensor has been calibrated, an amount of time the sensor has been connected to a patient, a number of times the sensor has been opened, a number of times the sensor has been closed, an average temperature of the sensor, or an average current provided to the sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The patient monitor of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to provide an indication of an estimated remaining useful life of the sensor, wherein the indication of the estimated remaining useful life of the sensor comprises at least one of an indication that a useful life of the sensor has not expired, an indication that the useful life of the sensor has expired, or an indication of an estimated amount of time remaining of the useful life of the sensor. ### Claim 14 A method for estimating a remaining useful life of a sensor, the method comprising: obtaining, from a sensor, information indicating how to calculate a remaining useful life of the sensor, wherein the information assigns a first weighting factor to a first indication of sensor use and assigns a second weighting factor to a second indication of sensor use; and estimating, using a patient monitor in communication with the sensor, the remaining useful life of the sensor based at least in part on the information and at least one of the first weighting factor or the second weighting factor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the information comprises a mathematical function, wherein at least one of the first indication of sensor use or the second indication of sensor use is an input to the mathematical function, wherein the remaining useful life of the sensor is an output of the mathematical function. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first indication of sensor use or the second indication of sensor use corresponds to one or more of an amount of time the sensor has been used, an amount of time power has been provided to the sensor, a number of times the sensor has been powered up, a number of times the sensor has been powered down, a number of times the sensor has been connected to a patient monitor, a number of different patient monitors that have been connected to the sensor, a number of patients that have used the sensor, a number of times the sensor has been calibrated, an amount of time the sensor has been connected to a patient, a number of times the sensor has been opened, a number of times the sensor has been closed, an average temperature of the sensor, or an average current provided to the sensor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises: obtaining, from the sensor, the first indication of sensor use and the second indication of sensor use.