Integral sheathing apparatus for tissue recognition probes
AssigneePolartechnics Limited
InventorsVictor N. Sklandnev, Richard L. Thompson, Irwin Wunderman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention incorporates an opto-electronic section in the tip of the sheath cover for a diagnostic probe that makes both electric and optical measurements of tissue contacted by the sheath. In addition the invention provides a piece of turbid material such as a polymer of controlled composition as a built-in calibrator attached to the outside of the tip of the sheath. In one embodiment the probe sheath in fabricated from a flexible material which can be rolled up prior to fitting and when fitted to the tip of the probe can be rolled down the shaft of the probe for use and then rolled back off the shaft for disposal.
Claims8
A sheath for a medical probe which can be removed from the probe and replaced with another identical sheath to prevent cross contamination between patients comprising
- an opto-electronic section fitted with at least one electrode and at least one light emitter and photodiode detector at the tip of a sheath for providing and detecting electrical and optical signals simultaneously and a circuit for transmitting electrical signals representative of the detected electrical and optical signals to the probe as it moves across an area of tissue.
A medical probe and a sheath which can be removed from the probe and replaced with another identical sheath to prevent cross contamination between patients said sheath comprising
- an opto-electronic section fitted with at least one electrode and at least one light emitter and photodiode detector at the tip of said sheath for providing and detecting electrical and optical signals simultaneously and a circuit for transmitting electrical signals representative of the detected electrical and optical signals to the probe as it moves across an area of tissue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.