Shrouded sensor clip assembly and blood chamber for an optical blood monitoring system

Abstract

An optical blood monitoring system includes a sensor clip assembly and a blood chamber. The blood chamber has an internal flow cavity for extracorporeal blood flow and viewing lenses to enable the sensor clip assembly to monitor the blood when it is mounted on the blood chamber. The sensor clip assembly includes an annular shroud surrounding the LED emitters and another annular shroud surrounding the photodetectors, both for the purpose of blocking ambient light and limiting light piping. The blood chamber includes separate, distinct shroud mating surfaces to engage the shrouds on the sensor clip assembly.

1 . A blood chamber for use in an optical blood monitoring system having a sensor clip assembly with first shroud circumferentially surrounding photoemitters on one side of the sensor clip assembly and a second shroud circumferentially surrounding photodetectors on the other side of the sensor clip assembly, the blood chamber comprising:
 an inlet, an outlet and an internal blood flow cavity;   a first exterior side having a viewing lens and a separate, distinct shroud mating surface located circumferentially around the viewing lens, the shroud mating surface on the first exterior side being adapted to engage a shroud on a sensor clip assembly when the sensor clip assembly is clipped on to the blood chamber;   a second exterior side having a viewing lens and a separate, distinct shroud mating surface located circumferentially around the viewing lens, the shroud mating surface on the second exterior side being adapted to engage a shroud on a sensor clip assembly when the sensor clip assembly is clipped over the blood chamber;   wherein each viewing lens has a substantially flat exterior surface that is parallel to and aligned with the other viewing lens, and further wherein the viewing lenses provide a viewing area for the photoemitters and photodetectors on the sensor clip assembly when it is clipped on to the blood chamber.   
     
     
         2 - 28 . (canceled)