US 12,433,514 B1
Monitoring viability of tissue flaps
Jimmy Jian-min Mao, Fremont, CA (US); and Robert E. Lash, Redwood City, CA (US)
Assigned to ViOptix, Inc., Newark, CA (US)
Filed by ViOptix Inc., Newark, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 4, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/781,981.
Application 16/781,981 is a division of application No. 14/148,555, filed on Jan. 6, 2014, granted, now 10,548,526.
Application 14/148,555 is a division of application No. 12/689,138, filed on Jan. 18, 2010, granted, now 8,622,918, issued on Jan. 7, 2014.
Application 12/689,138 is a continuation of application No. 11/162,380, filed on Sep. 8, 2005, granted, now 7,657,293, issued on Feb. 2, 2010.
Int. Cl. A61B 5/1455 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/14551 (2013.01) [A61B 5/14552 (2013.01); A61B 5/413 (2013.01); A61B 5/4312 (2013.01); A61B 5/4848 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for transplanting a flap comprising after surgical removal of the flap, characterizing an artery associated with flap tissue, the artery being arranged to provide blood to the flap tissue, the method comprising:
placing a sensor head of an optical imaging system in contact with the flap at a first location, wherein the sensor head causes light to be reflected off of the flap to identify an oxygen saturation level;
obtaining the oxygen saturation level associated with the first location on the flap;
determining whether the oxygen saturation level is within a predetermined range using a processor; and
identifying the first location as having an insufficient oxygen saturation level if it is determined that the oxygen saturation level is not within the predetermined range using the processor,
wherein the optical imaging system comprises a probe comprising:
the sensor head comprising a first source structure, a second source structure, and a first optical fiber being arranged to couple at least one light source of a plurality of light sources via a connection interface to at least one of the first source structure or second source structure;
the connection interface, being adapted to allow the first source structure and the second source structure to be coupled to the plurality of light sources having different wavelengths to be transmitted to the sensor head via the first optical fiber;
a first detector structure, positioned on the sensor head at a first distance from the first source structure; and
a second detector structure, positioned on the sensor head at a second distance from the first source structure, wherein the second distance is different from the first distance,
a third detector structure, positioned on the sensor head at a third distance from the first source structure, wherein the third distance is different from the second distance,
a first line passing through the first source structure and second source structure does not pass through the first, second, and third detector structures,
a second line passes through the first, second, and third detector structures,
a third line passes through the first source structure and the first detector structure,
a fourth line passes through the second source structure and the first detector structure, and
there are no detector structures on the first line, there are no source structures on the second line, and there are no other source structures on the first, third, and fourth lines.