The present disclosure includes a connector assembly that is a part of a sensor assembly for collecting patient physiological data. The connector assembly can include a first connector tab with catches, a second connector tab with openings, a retainer with pins, and a circuit board coupled to a cable. Each of the pins of the retainer can include a detent that can engage one of the catches of the first connector tab. The pins can extend through the openings of the second connector tab so that the retainer is coupled to the first connector tab by the detents engaging the catches. The first and second connector tabs can thereby be coupled together to support the circuit board and the cable between the first and second connector tabs.

An optical connector system for reversible optical connection between two optical fibers (102, 104) with their end parts inside respective ferrules. A receptacle arrangement has a receiving body (105) for receiving at least one of the ferrules (103). An optical element (106) of the receptacle arrangement serves to provide optical connection between the two optical fibers in a connected state of the optical connector system, and at the same time, the optical element (106) serves as a sterility barrier between the two optical fibers. The optical element (106) can be an optical waveguide, e.g. a piece of optical fiber similar to the two optical fibers (102, 104), and arranged within the receiving body (105). Alternatively, the optical element may be a thin flexible membrane (207, 307) which is optically transparent. As a further alternative, the optical element may be a sterilizing fluid (409) arranged in side a container that can be punctured upon insertion of one of the ferrules (401, 403) into the container (408), to allow an optical fiber end to be sterilized by the fluid (409) prior to entering into the connected state. In a further embodiment, an optical lens (312) is used to project light from one fiber end through a membrane (307) to the opposite fiber end.

A regional oximetry sensor has a sensor head attachable to a patient skin surface so as to transmit optical radiation into the skin and receive that optical radiation after attenuation by blood flow within the skin. The sensor includes windows that press into the skin to maximize optical transmission. A stem extending from the sensor head transmits electrical signals between the sensor head and an attached cable. In a peel resistant configuration, the stem is terminated interior to the sensor head and away from a sensor head edge so as to define feet along either side of the stem distal the stem termination. The stem interior termination transforms a peel load on a sensor head adhesive to less challenging tension and shear loads on the sensor head adhesive.

Intravascular devices, systems, and methods are disclosed. In some instances, the intravascular device is a guide wire with electrical conductors embedded within a core wire. In some instances, the electrical conductors are coupled to conductive bands adjacent a proximal portion of the guide wire and a sensing element adjacent a distal portion of the guide wire. Methods of making, manufacturing, and/or assembling such intravascular devices and associated systems are also provided.

A probe, such as a spectroscopic probe, for enabling a fluid or tissue sample to be tested in situ. The probe includes a conduit, such as a hypodermic needle, that can be inserted into a test subject and a wave coupling arranged to direct electromagnetic radiation, such as light, from an energy source to the sample and/or from the sample to a receiver for analysis. The receiver may comprise a Raman spectroscope. The probe may include a carriage that can be used to move at least some of the optical coupling towards and away from the insertion tip of the conduit. The probe may include a pressure modifier that can be used to draw fluid into or expel fluid from the conduit.

A regional oximetry sensor can have a sensor head configured to secure to skin of a user and a stem extending from the sensor head. The sensor head can include an emitter configured to transmit optical radiation into the skin and at least one detector configured to receive the optical radiation after attenuation by blood flow within the skin. The stem can be configured to transmit electrical signals from the sensor head to a cable. A plurality of notches can extend from a perimeter of the sensor head towards an interior thereof. The plurality of notches can form a plurality of independently flexible cutouts in the sensor head configured to allow for movement of at least a portion of the skin of the user underlying the sensor head when the regional oximetry sensor is in use.

During childbirth process, trauma to an infant can readily arise, ultimately resulting in fetal hypoxia, academia, and brain damage. Such unfavorable conditions can be prevented by measuring the fetus' blood-oxygen level and heart rate. Without a fetal pulse oximeters, blood oxygen level cannot be monitored non-invasively reliably, which reduces the chance for birth complications to be recognized in time. A noninvasive system to implement such goals and maximize the potential welfare of the fetus may include devices to measure oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (SpO2) that have been available for at least 50 years. Such a device may be an oxy probe that uses a trans-reflective method of SpO2 measurement where oxygen saturation data can be transmitted through wire, fiber optics, and or using a radio frequency link, fetal monitor data can be analyzed, compared to existing data base, and or transmitted via radio waves or internet.

A guidewire system comprises a guidewire supporting a distal ferrule in the proximal end of a guidewire lumen. The distal ferrule has a ferrule opening that is sized to snuggly receive the proximal end of a distal optical fiber with a distal portion of the distal optical fiber extending into the guidewire lumen. However, the proximal end of the distal optical fiber only occupies a distal portion of the opening in the distal ferrule, leaving a proximal portion of that opening unoccupied. That way, the distal end of a proximal optical fiber can be received into the unoccupied proximal portion of the opening in the distal ferrule to optically connect to the distal optical fiber. Having the proximal and distal optical fibers coaxially aligned in a common opening in a ferrule received in a guidewire ensures that the optical fibers are optically connected to each other in a precise manner so that light can be transmitted along them with minimal losses.

A system comprising a multi-sensor catheter for monitoring of a cardiac hemodynamic condition, e.g. heart failure, is disclosed. The multi-sensor catheter comprises multi-lumen catheter tubing comprising first and second optical pressure sensors, and their respective optical fibers and connectors. For right heart and pulmonary artery catheterization, a flow-directed multi-sensor catheter comprises a guidewire lumen, an inflatable balloon tip, and sensor locations are configured for placement of a sensor in each of the right atrium and pulmonary artery, for measurement of central venous pressure in the right atrium and a pulmonary artery pressure. An optical fiber for oximetry may be included. The outside diameter is small enough for insertion through a vein of the arm. For monitoring of a left atrial shunt, sensors of a multi-sensor catheter are configured for measuring pressures upstream and downstream of the shunt, e.g. in the left and right atria, or left atrium and coronary sinus.

A probe (10) comprising a body portion (70) and a tip portion (80). The body portion comprises: a first mounting portion (72) comprising a plurality of first carriers supporting elongate first waveguides, and disposed in an equiangular arrangement around a longitudinal axis (A) of the body portion; a body end fitting (74) at which first ends of the first waveguides are supported such that the first waveguides can transmit electromagnetic radiation signals from an energy source to the body end fitting and/or transmit electromagnetic radiation signals from the body end fitting to a receiver. The tip portion comprises: a second mounting portion (82) comprising a plurality of second carriers supporting elongate second waveguides, the second carriers being disposed in the equiangular arrangement around a longitudinal axis of the tip portion; and a tip end fitting (88) at which first ends of the second waveguides are supported in the equiangular arrangement around the longitudinal axis of the tip portion; and an elongate conduit (12) for piercing human tissue.