Disposable blood pressure transducer and monitor interface

Abstract

A medical blood pressure transducer that provides an identifier to a monitor that conveys characteristics of the transducer. The monitor can use the information to decide whether to function, or in calibration of the system. The transducer may be part of a disposable blood pressure monitoring system, and may include two transducers closely-spaced to provide two separate but identical outputs. In this way, the transducer may be connected to both a patient monitor and a cardiac output monitor at the same time measurements from a single line can be simultaneously supplied to two separate monitoring devices (for example a patient monitor and a cardiac output monitor). The identifier for the transducer may be circuitry, specifically a resistance/capacitance (RC) combination that possesses a characteristic time constant.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of sensing fluid pressures in a patient using a fluid pressure sensing system, the method comprising:
 establishing communication between an identifier of the system and a signal receiving device of the system, wherein the identifier characterizes a pressure transducing device of the system and comprises a resistance/capacitance (RC) combination possessing a characteristic time constant within 20% of a reference value; and   comparing, using decision-making circuitry of the signal receiving device, the characteristic time constant and the reference value and permitting or not permitting additional processing by the system based on a result of the comparison.   
     
     
         2 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising measuring the patient fluid pressures and converting the patient fluid pressures into electrical signals using the pressure transducing device. 
     
     
         3 . A method of  claim 2 , wherein the additional processing includes the measuring fluid pressures and converting the fluid pressures into electrical signals 
     
     
         4 . A method of  claim 2 , wherein the additional processing includes receiving, with the signal receiving device, the electrical signals from the pressure transducing device. 
     
     
         5 . A method of  claim 2 , wherein the additional processing includes displaying the electrical signals. 
     
     
         6 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the additional processing includes receiving characteristics of the pressure transducing device. 
     
     
         7 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein not permitting additional processing is based on the results of the comparison including the time constant exceeding a range of the reference value. 
     
     
         8 . A method of  claim 7 , wherein the range is greater than 20%. 
     
     
         9 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the additional processing includes establishing communication between the pressure transducing device and the signal receiving device. 
     
     
         10 . A system for measuring fluid pressures in a patient, the system comprising:
 a pressure transducer configured to measure patient fluid pressures;   an identifier including a resistance/capacitance (RC) combination possessing a characteristic time constant within 20% of a reference value, the identifier characterizing the pressure transducer; and   a signal receiver configured to communicate with the identifier, the signal receiver configured to compare the characteristic time constant to the reference value and permit, or not permit, additional processing by the system based on a result of the comparison.   
     
     
         11 . A system of  claim 10 , wherein the pressure transducer is further configured to convert the patient fluid pressures into electrical signals and communicate the electrical signals to the signal receiver. 
     
     
         12 . A system of  claim 11 , wherein the additional processing includes converting the fluid pressures into electrical signals. 
     
     
         13 . A system of  claim 11 , wherein the additional processing includes receiving, with the signal receiver, the electrical signals from the pressure transducer. 
     
     
         14 . A system of  claim 10 , wherein the additional processing includes receiving characteristics of the pressure transducer. 
     
     
         15 . A system of  claim 10 , wherein not permitting additional processing is based on the results of the comparison including the time constant exceeding a range of the reference value. 
     
     
         16 . A system of  claim 15 , wherein the range is greater than 20%. 
     
     
         17 . A system of  claim 10 , wherein the additional processing includes establishing communication between the pressure transducer and the signal receiving device.