Arrangement for the fixing of a medical-technical measuring device as well as a medical-technical measuring device involving this sort of arrangement, particularly a pulsoximeter sensor

#The present invention relates to an arrangement for fixing a medical-technical measuring device to a patient's body part, and to medical-technical measuring device having such fixing arrangement, particularly a pulsoximeter sensor.

#DE 37 03 458 C2 discloses a medical-technical measuring device including arrangement fixing it a body part of a patient, particularly to a finger, a toe, an arm or a leg. A first segment of a carrier means includes a longitudinal opening extending in a longitudinal direction to receive the body part, and supports the measuring means. A second segment, adjacent the first segment, extends around the periphery and is elastic. During stressing beyond the material elasticity of the first segment, the stresses pass to the second segment. The disclosed method of manufacture involves casting around the transmitter and receiver elements, during the manufacture of the carrier means.

#U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,464 discloses a clothespin-like pulsoximeter. Two arms of a clamp-like carrier means can be brought into clamping contact on the body part of the patient.

#Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present invention will become apparent form the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses preferred embodiments of the present invention.

#Referring to the drawings which form a part of this disclosure:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a foam material part of a carrier according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a foam material part 1 of a carrier or carrier means of a device according to the present invention for fixing of medical-technical measuring device, particularly a pulsoximeter sensor, to a body part of a patient. The foam material part 1 has a longitudinal opening 3 extending in a longitudinal direction 2 to receive the body part. Furthermore, foam material part 1 has a transverse opening 4 extending in a straight line and essentially at a right angle to longitudinal direction 2, into which the measuring means 5 and 6 is inserted.

#Foam material part 1 consists of a foam material which can be slightly elastically deformed during the introduction of the body part into longitudinal opening 3 and/or during the slipping of the measuring device over the body part. The deformation makes available a force-accumulating arrangement which brings about the fixing.

#In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, foam part 1, longitudinal opening 3 and transverse opening 4 are of circular cylindrical configurations. Longitudinal opening 3 extends from a frontal end of foam part 1 as far as the opposite, reverse end. Transverse opening 4 extends from a point on the covering surface near the border of foam part 1 to the diametrically opposite point on the cover surface, and thus, intersects longitudinal opening 3. The diameter of longitudinal opening 3 is somewhat smaller than the smallest body part to be received therein. The diameter of transverse opening 4 is adapted to the measuring means 5 and 6 to be inserted therein.