Arrays of emitters for pulse oximetry devices and methods of making the same

Abstract

An array of emitters includes a device substrate having first and second sides, a thermally and electrically conductive layer disposed on the first side of the device substrate, and an interconnect layer disposed on a first plurality of portions of the second side of the device substrate. The array of the emitters further includes a plurality of emitters disposed in a second plurality of portions of the device substrate, where the plurality of emitters is electrically coupled to the thermally and electrically conductive layer. Also, the array of the emitters includes a plurality of wirebond contacts configured to electrically couple a portion of the interconnect layer to a corresponding emitter of the plurality of emitters, and a plurality of encapsulations, where one or more encapsulations of the plurality of encapsulations are disposed on at least a portion of a corresponding wirebond contact of the plurality of wirebond contacts.

1 . An array of emitters, comprising
 a device substrate having a first side and a second side;   a thermally and electrically conductive layer disposed on the first side of the device substrate;   an interconnect layer disposed on a first plurality of portions of the second side of the device substrate;   a plurality of emitters disposed in a second plurality of portions of the device substrate, wherein the plurality of emitters is electrically coupled to the thermally and electrically conductive layer;   a plurality of wirebond contacts configured to electrically couple a portion of the interconnect layer to a corresponding emitter of the plurality of emitters; and   a plurality of encapsulations, wherein one or more encapsulations of the plurality of encapsulations are disposed on at least a portion of a corresponding wirebond contact of the plurality of wirebond contacts and a corresponding emitter of the plurality of emitters.   
     
     
         2 . The array of emitters of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of encapsulations comprises epoxy. 
     
     
         3 . The array of emitters of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of encapsulations is configured to provide an optically transparent path for emitter signals. 
     
     
         4 . The array of emitters of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of emitters comprises light emitting diodes, transmitters, photodiodes, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The array of emitters of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of emitters is disposed in a plurality of cavities formed in the second plurality of portions of the device substrate, and wherein each cavity of the plurality of cavities is a through cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The array of emitters of  claim 5 , wherein each cavity of the plurality of cavities comprises two or more emitters. 
     
     
         7 . The array of emitters of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of solder masks disposed on at least a portion of the interconnect layer. 
     
     
         8 . The array of emitters of  claim 1 , wherein the thermally and electrically conductive layer is configured to act as a common electrical contact for emitters of the plurality of emitters. 
     
     
         9 . The array of emitters of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more conductive paths disposed on the thermally and electrically conductive layer. 
     
     
         10 . A pulse oximetry system, comprising:
 a pulse oximetry device comprising:
 a device substrate having a first side and a second side; 
 a thermally and electrically conductive layer disposed on the first side of the device substrate; 
 an interconnect layer disposed on the second side of the device substrate; 
 a plurality of arrays of emitters disposed on the second side of the device substrate, wherein the plurality of arrays of the emitters is electrically coupled to the thermally and electrically conductive layer; 
 a plurality of detectors disposed on the second side of the device substrate and configured to detect emission signals from one or more emitters of the plurality of arrays of the emitters; 
 a plurality of wirebond contacts configured to electrically couple a portion of the interconnect layer to a corresponding emitter of the plurality of arrays of the emitters; and 
   a processor configured to process the detected emission signals.   
     
     
         11 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , wherein one or more emitters of the plurality of arrays of the emitters are disposed orthogonally opposite to one or more detectors of the plurality of detectors. 
     
     
         12 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , wherein one or more emitters of the plurality of arrays of the emitters are disposed opposite to one or more detectors of the plurality of detectors, and wherein the one or more emitters of the plurality of arrays of the emitters are disposed in parallel to the one or more detectors of the plurality of detectors. 
     
     
         13 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , wherein one or more emitters of the plurality of arrays of the emitters are disposed opposite to one or more detectors of the plurality of detectors, and wherein the one or more emitters of the plurality of arrays of the emitters are disposed in parallel and at an offset to the one or more detectors of the plurality of detectors. 
     
     
         14 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , wherein the pulse oximetry device is configured to operate in a transmission mode, a reflection mode, or both. 
     
     
         15 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , wherein the pulse oximetry device is configured to be disposed on one side of a body part. 
     
     
         16 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , wherein the pulse oximetry device is configured to be disposed on two sides of a body part. 
     
     
         17 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , wherein the pulse oximetry device is configured to conform to a shape of a body part. 
     
     
         18 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , wherein the pulse oximetry device comprises an external connector. 
     
     
         19 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , wherein the pulse oximetry device comprises a first plurality of electrical traces configured to provide an electrical connection to each emitter of the plurality of arrays of the emitters, and a second plurality of electrical traces configured to provide an electrical connection to each detector of the plurality of detectors. 
     
     
         20 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 19 , wherein the first plurality of electrical traces and the second plurality of electrical traces exit the device substrate from the same side of the device substrate. 
     
     
         21 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 19 , wherein the first plurality of electrical traces and the second plurality of electrical traces are coupled to an electrical connector. 
     
     
         22 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 19 , further comprising a cable assembly, wherein the cable assembly is configured to operatively couple the pulse oximetry device to an external device. 
     
     
         23 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 22 , wherein the cable assembly is operatively coupled to a display member configured to display the processed data from the processor. 
     
     
         24 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 22 , wherein the cable assembly comprises a receptor configured to operatively couple a first end of the cable assembly to an external connector. 
     
     
         25 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , wherein the device substrate is configured to be disposed around at least a portion of a body part. 
     
     
         26 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , wherein the pulse oximetry device and one or more of a display member and the processor are wirelessly coupled to one another. 
     
     
         27 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , wherein the pulse oximetry device comprises a plurality of encapsulations, wherein one or more encapsulations of the plurality of encapsulations are configured to encapsulate one or more emitters of the plurality of arrays of the emitters. 
     
     
         28 . The pulse oximetry system of  claim 10 , further comprising an encapsulation corresponding to each array of the plurality of arrays of the emitters. 
     
     
         29 . A method of making a pulse oximetry device, comprising:
 providing a device substrate having a first side and a second side, wherein a thermally and electrically conductive layer is disposed on at least a portion of the first side of the device substrate;   disposing an interconnect layer on a first plurality of portions on the second side of the device substrate;   forming a plurality of cavities in a second plurality of portions on the second side of the device substrate;   disposing one or more emitters in corresponding cavities of the plurality of cavities to form a plurality of arrays of emitters on the second side of the device substrate;   providing a plurality of wirebond contacts such that each wirebond contact electrically couples at least a portion of the interconnect layer to a corresponding emitter of the plurality of arrays of the emitters; and   disposing a plurality of detectors on the second side of the device substrate.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the step of forming the plurality of cavities comprises forming through cavities in the device substrate. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the step of disposing the plurality of arrays of the emitters in corresponding cavities of the plurality of cavities comprises:
 disposing an electrically conductive coupler in one or more cavities of the plurality of cavities; and   disposing the one or more emitters of the plurality of arrays of the emitters in each of the plurality of cavities on the electrically conductive coupler.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising applying a determined pressure, a determined temperature to the one or more emitters of the plurality of arrays of the emitters. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising providing a plurality of protective covers on the interconnect layer. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising providing a plurality of encapsulations, wherein each encapsulation of the plurality of encapsulations is configured to cover at least a portion of a wirebond contact of the plurality of wirebond contacts. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the step of providing the plurality of encapsulations comprises:
 disposing a determined amount of epoxy corresponding to each encapsulation of the plurality of encapsulations; and   curing the plurality of encapsulations.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising providing external connectors for interfacing the pulse oximetry device with another device or circuitry.