AUTOMATED ASSEMBLY SENSOR CABLE

Abstract

An automated assembly sensor cable has a generally wide and flat elongated body and a registration feature generally traversing the length of the body so as to identify the relative locations of conductors within the body. This cable configuration facilitates the automated attachment of the cable to an optical sensor circuit and corresponding connector. In various embodiments, the automated assembly sensor cable has a conductor set of insulated wires, a conductive inner jacket generally surrounding the conductor set, an outer jacket generally surrounding the inner jacket and a registration feature disposed along the surface of the outer jacket and a conductive drain line is embedded within the inner jacket. A strength member may be embedded within the inner jacket.

Claims

1-20. (canceled)

21. A sensor cable comprising: a conductor set of insulated wires; a drain line; a jacket generally surrounding the conductor set and the drain line and having a flat outer surface on at least two elongated sides of the jacket, one of the at least two elongated sides having a groove formed on its flat outer surface; and a flex circuit comprising a plurality of pads electrically connected to a sensor, the conductor set and the drain line being soldered at first ends to the plurality of pads.

22. The sensor cable of claim 21, further comprising the sensor, the sensor comprising an emitter configured to emit light and a detector configured to detect the light after attenuation by tissue.

23. The sensor cable of claim 22, wherein the sensor is configured to wrap around a fingertip of a user.

24. The sensor cable of claim 21, wherein the sensor is configured to receive a control signal from a first wire of the conductor set and a transmit a data signal to a second wire of the conductor set via the plurality of pads, the control signal being configured to control an operation of the sensor, the data signal comprising sensor data generated by the sensor.

25. The sensor cable of claim 21, wherein the groove extends along a center of the flat outer surface on the one of the at least two elongated sides.

26. The sensor cable of claim 25, wherein the groove extends along an entire length of the jacket.

27. The sensor cable of claim 21, wherein the conductor set includes a total of at least four wires.

28. The sensor cable of claim 21, wherein the conductor set and the drain line are configured to electrically connect to a patient monitor at second ends of the conductor set and the drain line opposite to the first ends.

29. The sensor cable of claim 21, wherein the drain line is configured to drain electrical charge from the jacket.

30. The sensor cable of claim 21, wherein the drain line is not surrounded by a wire insulation like the wire insulation that generally surrounds each of the insulated wires.

31. The sensor cable of claim 21, wherein wire insulations of the conductor set are color coded to separately visually identify the insulated wires from one another.

32. The sensor cable of claim 21, wherein a first wire of the conductor set and a second wire of the conductor set are positioned within the jacket at a common distance from the groove.

33. The sensor cable of claim 21, wherein the jacket comprises PVC.

34. The sensor cable of claim 21, wherein the conductor set and the drain line are electrically connected the plurality of pads on a common side of the flex circuit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIGS. 1A-B are assembled and exploded views, respectively, of a prior art pulse oximetry sensor;

[0014] FIGS. 2A-B are cross-section and side cutaway views, respectively, of a prior art pulse oximetry sensor cable;

[0015] FIGS. 3A-G are top, side, bottom, end, top perspective, bottom perspective and enlarged end views, respectively, of an automated assembly sensor cable embodiment;

[0016] FIGS. 4A-B are top perspective and enlarged end views, respectively, of another automated assembly sensor cable embodiment having an embedded strength member;

[0017] FIGS. 5A-C are top, top perspective and detailed top perspective views, respectively, of an automated assembly sensor cable soldered to a sensor flex circuit; and

[0018] FIG. 6 is a generalized sensor manufacturing flowchart incorporating an automated assembly sensor cable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] FIGS. 3A-G illustrate an automated assembly sensor cable 300 embodiment having a relatively flat and wide body 301 with linearly-arranged conductors sets 310, 320 and a machine-readable registration feature 360 so as to facilitate automatic location and attachment of specific conductors to specific connector pins or pads, as described with respect to FIGS. 4-6, below. In a particular embodiment, the sensor cable has a PVC semi-pressure extruded outer jacket 350 and a co-extruded conductive PVC inner jacket 340. The inner jacket 340 surrounds the conductor sets 310, 320 and an embedded drain line 330. The inner jacket 340 acts as a conductor shield, replacing conventional braided wire shielding. In an embodiment, Kevlar fibers are added to the outer jacket 350 for strength. In an embodiment, the registration feature 360 is a centralized groove formed in the surface of the outer layer during extrusion. In another embodiment, the registration feature is a printed line on the outer jacket 350 surface. In an embodiment, the conductors 310, 320 and the drain line 330 are linearly arranged and regularly spaced so as to facilitate automated assembly. In an embodiment, the conductor and drain line spacing is 0.050 inches. In an embodiment, the conductors 310, 320 are a copper core disposed within polypropylene insulation 312, 322.

[0020] FIGS. 4A-B illustrate another automated assembly sensor cable 400 embodiment having an embedded strength member 410 molded into the cable. Advantageously, the strength member transfers the considerable manufacturing-process cable loads off of the sensor cable conductors. In an embodiment, the strength member is a high-strength cord of Kevlar strands or the like.

[0021] FIGS. 5A-C illustrate a sensor circuit assembly 500 having an automated assembly sensor cable 400 soldered to a sensor flex circuit 700. The regular spacing of the cable conductors 310-330 along an axis across the sensor cable 400 advantageously allows the cable to easily land on a series of pads 710 on a flex circuit 700 or PCB. In an embodiment, the cable conductor insulation is color coded for ease of visual identification and placement verification. In an embodiment, one of the emitter conductors 310 is coded orange and the other is coded red, and one of the detector conductors 320 is coded white and the other is coded green.

[0022] FIG. 6 illustrates a sensor manufacturing method 600 utilizing an automated assembly sensor cable 300-400 (FIGS. 3-4). In an embodiment, sensor manufacturing starts with a roll of sensor cable or similar contiguous cable supply. A section of the sensor cable suitable for a particular use is measured and cut to length 610. The cable ends are prepared 620 by trimming predetermined lengths of the outer jacket 350 (FIG. 3G), the inner jacket 340 (FIG. 3G) and the various conductors 310-330 (FIG. 3G). Further, conductor insulation is stripped to length and conductors are pre-tinned accordingly. The registration feature 360 (FIG. 3F-G) is detected and the cable is positioned over flex circuit pads 710 (FIG. 5C) of a sensor flex circuit or PCB accordingly 630. The sensor circuit 700 (FIGS. 5A-C) is then soldered or otherwise mechanically and electrically attached to the sensor cable 400 (FIGS. 5A-C) leads 640. The opposite end of the sensor cable is similarly cut, trimmed and soldered so as to attach a sensor connector 650. The process is repeated for each sensor cable. In an embodiment, proper attachment of the sensor cable to the sensor circuit is visually verified 660 by the color coded emitter 312 and detector 322 (FIG. 5C) insulation.

[0023] An automated assembly sensor cable has been disclosed in detail in connection with various embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed by way of examples only and are not to limit the scope of the disclosure herein. One of ordinary skill in art will appreciate many variations and modifications.