Tissue Oximetry Probe with Tissue Marking Feature

A device comprising:

• an oximeter probe contained within a single housing comprising:
• a plurality of light sources configured to generate and emit light into a portion of an extended tissue region;
• a plurality of detectors having a circular arrangement and configured to detect the light subsequent to reflection from the portion and generate reflectance data based on detection of the light;
• a processor configured to determine oxygen saturation of the portion based on the reflectance data;
• a tissue marker having a plurality of dispensers, wherein the dispensers are located outside of a circle of the circular arrangement and are configured to deposit ink onto the portion to indicate that the portion has been probed by the probe
• the dispensers are configured to deposit ink based on one or more ranges of the oxygen saturation,
• the processor is configured to determine whether the oxygen saturation is in the one or more ranges and control the dispensers to deposit the ink based on the one or more ranges that the oxygen saturation is in;
• and
• a user selection device configured to be activated by a user, wherein activation of the user selection device controls the tissue marker to deposit the ink onto the portion

A tissue oximetry device comprising:

• a housing comprising:
• a processor contained within the housing;
• a memory, contained within the housing, wherein the memory is coupled to the processor;
• a display, coupled to the processor, wherein the display is visible from an exterior of the housing;
• a tissue marking component, contained within the housing, wherein the tissue marking component is coupled to the processor;
• and
• a battery, contained within the housing, coupled to and supplies power to the processor, memory, and display;
• and
• a tip portion of the housing;
• a sensor module, coupled to the processor, wherein the sensor module comprises a probe face that is retained by the tip portion of the housing at a relatively fixed position with respect to the housing and that is placed against and faces tissue to be measured, and the sensor module comprises:
• a first dispenser formed on the probe face and connected to the tissue marking component;
• a first plurality of detector structures, formed on the probe face, arranged asymmetrically about a point on a line;
• a second plurality of detector structures, formed on the probe face, arranged asymmetrically about the point on the line;
• a first source structure, formed on the probe face at a first position on the line;
• a second source structure, formed on the probe face, positioned at the second point on the line;
• a first source diode and a second source diode;
• a first optical fiber optically coupled between the first source diode and the first source structure;
• a second optical fiber optically coupled between the second source diode and the second source structure, wherein the first optical fiber transmits radiation emitted by the first source diode to the first source structure, and the second optical fiber transmits radiation emitted by the second source diode to the second source structure;
• a first detector structure of the first plurality of detector structures, wherein a first distance is from the first detector structure to the first source structure, a second distance is from the first detector structure to the second source structure, and the first distance is greater than the second distance;
• a second detector structure of the first plurality of detector structures, arranged asymmetrically with respect to the first detector structure about the point on the line, wherein a third distance is from the second detector structure to the first source structure, a fourth distance is from the second detector structure to the second source structure, and the fourth distance is greater than the third distance;
• a third detector structure of the second plurality of detector structures, arranged asymmetrically with respect to the first plurality of detectors structures about the point on the line, wherein a fifth distance is from the third detector structure to the first source structure, a sixth distance is from the third detector structure to the second source structure, the fifth distance is different from the first distance and the second distance, and the sixth distance is different from the first distance and the second distance;
• and
• a fourth detector structure of the second plurality of detector structures, arranged asymmetrically with respect to the first plurality of detectors structures and the third detector structure about the point on the line, wherein a seventh distance is from the fourth detector structure to the first source structure, an eighth distance is from the fourth detector structure to the second source structure, the seventh distance is different from the first, second, fifth, and sixth distances, and the eighth distance is different from the first, second, fifth, and sixth distances,
• the first distance is different from the second, third, and fourth distances,
• the second distance is different from the third and fourth distances,
• the third and fourth distances are different,
• the first distance is greater than the second, third, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth distances, and the second distance is less than the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eight distances, and
• wherein the processor is adapted to process reflectance data received from the detector structures, determine an oxygen saturation value for the tissue based on the reflectance data, control the display to display an indicator for the oxygen saturation value, and control the tissue marking component for dispensing a first marking material from the dispenser if the oxygen saturation value is within a first range of oxygen saturation values and not within a second range of oxygen saturation values, and the first and second ranges of oxygen saturation values are different ranges.

A method of operating a tissue oximeter device comprising:

• emitting light into tissue from a first source structure and a second source structure, wherein the first and second source structures are formed on a probe face of a sensor module that is retained by a tip portion of an oximeter probe housing at a relatively fixed position with respect to the oximeter probe housing, the first and second source structures are positioned on a line;
• detecting the light subsequent to reflection of the light from the tissue using a first detector structure, a second detector structure, a third detector structure, and a fourth detector structure each formed on the probe face in an arrangement and asymmetric about a point on the line, wherein a first distance is from the first detector structure to the first source structure, a second distance is from the first detector structure to the second source structure, and the first distance is greater than the second distance,
• a third distance is from the second detector structure to the first source structure, a fourth distance is from the second detector structure to the second source structure, and the fourth distance is greater than the third distance,
• a fifth distance is from the third detector structure to the first source structure, a sixth distance is from the third detector structure to the second source structure, the fifth distance is different from the first distance and the second distance, and the sixth distance is different from the first distance and the second distance,
• a seventh distance is from the fourth detector structure to the first source structure, an eighth distance is from the fourth detector structure to the second source structure, the seventh distance is different from the first, second, fifth, and sixth distances, and the eighth distance is different from the first, second, fifth, and sixth distances,
• the first distance is different from the second, third, and fourth distances,
• the second distance is different from the third and fourth distances,
• the third and fourth distances are different,
• the first distance is greater than the second, third, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth distances, and
• the second distance is less than the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eight distances;
• and
• powering the first and second source structures with a battery housed within the oximeter probe housing to emit the light into the tissue;
• powering the first, second, third, and fourth detector structures with the battery to detect the light reflected from the tissue;
• generating reflectance data, based on detecting the light by the detector structure, by way of a processor contained within the oximeter probe housing and coupled to and powered by the battery;
• using the processor, determining an oxygen saturation value for the tissue based on the reflectance data;
• using the processor, determining a range of oxygen saturation values from a plurality of ranges of oxygen saturation values which the oxygen saturation value is in, wherein the plurality of ranges of oxygen saturation values are previously stored in a memory coupled to the processor, coupled to and powered by the battery, and housed within the housing;
• and
• marking the tissue with ink based on the range in which the oxygen saturation value is in using ink stored in a reservoir contained within the oximeter probe housing and an inking tip positioned on the probe face.