Appeal 2006-1971
Application 10/144,224
1 Appellants invented a method and apparatus for determining blood
2 parameters and vital signs in a patient (Specification 1).
3 Claim 1 is representative of the invention and reads as follows:
4 1. An apparatus for monitoring changes in
5 blood parameters and vital signs of a patient, said
6 apparatus comprising:
7
8 a) means for introducing light into a body part
9 of a patient at a light introduction site;
10
11 b) means for collecting optical signals over a
12 period of time from said body part at a light
13 collection site, said means for collecting optical
14 signals capable of sampling tissue layers to a depth
15 of no more than approximately two millimeters,
16 said light introduction site separated from said
17 light collection site by no more than approximately
18 two millimeters;
19
20 c) means for effecting pressure changes or
21 temperature changes or both of the foregoing types
22 of changes in said body part;
23
24 d) means for measuring pressure changes or
25 temperature changes or both types of the foregoing
26 changes experienced by said body part;
27
28 e) means for calculating at least one value of at
29 least one blood parameter of said patient from the
30 collected optical signals, said at least one blood
31 parameter selected from the group consisting of
32 oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxygenated
33 hemoglobin, total hemoglobin, and hematocrit;
34
2
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