Technique for remanufacturing a medical sensor

摘要

Remanufactured medical sensors and methods for remanufacturing used medical sensors are provided. Such a remanufactured sensor may include certain components from a used medical sensor and certain new components. For example, a remanufactured regional oximetry sensor may include a padding layer, an emitter and a pair of detectors, a flexible circuit coupled to the emitter and detectors, and a patient-contacting adhesive layer. The flexible circuit, the emitter, the first detector, the second detector, or any combination thereof, are from a used medical sensor, and the padding layer, the patient-contacting adhesive layer, or a combination thereof, are new.

主权项

1. A method of remanufacturing a used medical sensor, comprising:
obtaining the used medical sensor, the used medical sensor comprising:
a used padding layer;a used flexible circuit secured to the used padding layer and comprising a plurality of conductors disposed on a flexible substrate;a used emitter electrically coupled to the flexible circuit and adapted to transmit light into a patient tissue;a used first detector coupled to the used flexible circuit and configured to detect a first portion of light passing through the patient tissue;a used second detector coupled to the used flexible circuit and configured to detect a second portion of light passing through the patient tissue; anda used patient-contacting adhesive layer attached to the used padding layer; removing the used patient-contacting adhesive layer from the used padding layer by trimming away a portion of the used padding layer, the used padding layer comprising a used interior foam layer disposed between the used flexible circuit and the used patient-contacting adhesive layer; retaining a remaining portion of the used interior foam layer; laminating a new patient-contacting adhesive layer against the remaining portion of the used interior foam layer; and packaging a remanufactured version of the used medical sensor.