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US 7,227,156 B2Granted
System and method for attenuating the effect of ambient light on an optical sensor
AssigneeSensors for Medicine and Science, Inc.
InventorsArthur E. Colvin, Jr., Paul Samuel Zerwekh, Jeffrey C. Lesho, Robert William Lynn, Carrie R. Lorenz, Casey J. O'Connor, Steven J. Walters
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Abstract
The present invention provides systems and methods for attenuating the effect of ambient light on optical sensors and for measuring and compensating quantitatively for the ambient light.
Claims52
A sensor, comprising:
- a housing;
- a circuit board housed within the housing, the circuit board having a hole created there through and defining a passageway from a top surface of the circuit board to a bottom surface of the circuit board;
- at least one photodetector mounted to the bottom surface of the circuit board, the at least one photodetector having a light sensitive surface, said light sensitive surface being positioned so that light traveling through said passageway can strike said light sensitive surface;
- and
- a plurality of indicator molecules mounted on an outer surface of the housing,
- wherein said at least one photodetector outputs a first signal while the indicator molecules are in a fluorescent state, and
- wherein said first signal is a function of the intensity of light striking a photosensitive surface or surfaces of the at least one photodetector.
4 more elements
A sensor, comprising:
- a housing;
- a ferrite circuit board housed within the housing;
- at least one photodetector mounted on the circuit board;
- a light source housed within the housing;
- a transmitter, housed within the housing;
- and
- a plurality of indicator molecules disposed on an outer surface of the housing.
4 more elements
A sensor, comprising:
- a housing;
- at least one photodetector housed within the housing;
- a light source housed within the housing;
- a transmitter housed within the housing;
- and
- a plurality of indicator molecules contained within a polymer matrix layer that is disposed on an outer surface of the housing, wherein the polymer matrix layer is highly porous,
- wherein said at least one photodetector outputs a first signal while the indicator molecules are in a fluorescent state,
- wherein said at least one photodetector outputs a second signal while the indicator molecules are not in a fluorescent state, and
- wherein said first signal and said second signal are a function of the intensity of the light striking a photosensitive surface or surfaces of the at least one photodetector.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.