EP0073558A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Fiber optic pH probe for tissue measurements
Assignee: United States Department of Commerce
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Filing: 1982-06-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-06-17
Abstract
Abstract A fiber optic probe consisting of input and output optic fibers encased inside a small dialysis hollow tube rigidly secured inside a stainless steel needle. The dialysis tube has a reflective sealing plug element, with a dye column adjacent thereto, located between the ends of the optic fibers and the reflective plug element. The needle has two opposite slots adjacent the dye column, and the needle walls between the slots are spread outwardly or partly drilled away to provide complete exposure of the surface of the dialysis tube in this region to the surrounding tissue when the probe is inserted therein.
Inventors
- 👤 Seth Richard Goldstein
- 👤 Victor T. Chen
- 👤 David Reed Markle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 04:00
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/68; A61B5/6846; A61B5/6847; A61B5/6848; A61B5/145; A61B5/14539; A61B5/1455; A61B5/1459; G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/75; G01N21/77; G01N21/78; G01N21/80; G01N21/84; G01N21/85; G01N21/8507
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
A fiber optic pH probe suitable for insertion into tissue for physiological studies comprising a substantially rigid hollow needle with a sharp forward end, an ion-permeable membrane in the form of an ion-permeable tube mounted in said needle, said needle being provided with at least one aperture exposing said ion-permeable tube, pH sensitive color-changing dye-containing material mounted in said tube in the region of said aperture, means sealing the forward portion of the tube adjacent said dye-containing material, and a pair of optical fibers mounted in the tube rearwardly of and substantially contiguous to said dye-containing material for respectively delivering light from an external source to said dye-containing material and returning light from the dye-containing material to an external light sensor for measuring color change of the dye-containing material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
129 words
A fiber optic pH probe suitable for insertion into tissue for physiological studies comprising a substantially rigid hollow needle with a sharp forward end, an ion-permeable membrane in the form of an ion-permeable tube mounted in said needle, said needle being provided with at least one aperture exposing said ion-permeable tube, pH sensitive color-changing dye-containing material mounted in said tube in the region of said aperture, means sealing the forward portion of the tube adjacent said dye-containing material, and a pair of optical fibers mounted in the tube rearwardly of and substantially contiguous to said dye-containing material for respectively delivering light from an external source to said dye-containing material and returning light from the dye-containing material to an external light sensor for measuring color change of the dye-containing material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The pH probe of claim 1, and wherein said sealing means has a reflective end portion facing the dye-containing material for reflecting light passing through the dye-containing material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The pH probe of claim 1, and wherein said sealing means comprises a rod-like member sealingly mounted in said tube and having a light-reflecting end facing the dye-containing material for reflecting light passing through the dye-containing material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The pH probe of claim 3, and wherein said light-reflecting end comprises a vapor-deposited reflective inner metallic coating on the end of the rod-like member facing the dye-containing material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The pH probe of claim 1, and wherein said needle is formed with a plurality of apertures exposing said ion-permeable tube in the region of the dye-containing material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The pH probe of claim 1, and wherein said needle is formed with a pair of opposite apertures exposing said ion-permeable tube in the region of said dye-containing material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
The pH probe of claim 6, and wherein the residual wall portion of the needle between the apertures is spread outwardly to permit hydrogen ions to have access to the ion-permeable tube over the entire area thereof in the region of the dye-containing material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
The pH probe of claim 6, and wherein the residual wall portion of the needle between the apertures is thinned along the inside thereof to permit hydrogen ions to have access to the ion-permeable tube over the entire area thereof in the region of the dye-containing material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The pH probe of claim 1, and wherein said needle is formed with a pair of opposed slots exposing opposite sides of said ion-permeable tube, and wherein the length of said slots substantially spans the length of said dye-containing material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The pH probe of claim 9, and wherein said slots define substantially straight residual needle wall elements therebetween, and wherein said residual wall elements are spread outwardly to provide access of ions around the entire surface of the ion-permeable tube in the region of the dye-containing material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
The pH probe of claim 9, and wherein said slots define substantially straight residual needle wall elements therebetween, and wherein said residual wall elements are internally thinned to provide access of ions around the entire surface of the ion-permeable tube in the region of the dye-containing material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
The pH probe of claim 10, and wherein said sealing means comprises a rigid rod-like member secured in the tube forwardly adjacent to the dye-containing material and being provided with a metallic reflective layer facing the dye-containing material.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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