Patent ID: 8082017

Claim:
A device for measuring the capillary refill time of a patient and for use in determining an amount of oxygen in the blood of the patient by pulse oximetry, said device comprising: a first member and a second member movably secured to each other, the first and second members configured to secure to opposed sides of a selected portion of the body of the patient; a first light source providing light at a first wavelength and a second light source providing light at a second wavelength, the first and second light sources secured in the first member and positioned to apply light to the selected portion of the body of the patient; a light detector positioned to receive light from the first and second light sources at least partially transmitted through the selected portion of the body of the patient; an actuator connected to the first member and second member that when actuated causes the first member and second member to compress the selected portion and cause removal of blood from the selected portion, the pressure being relieved when the actuator is deactuated to allow restoration of blood to the tissue of the portion; a controller coupled to said actuator and to said light detector, the controller operates the actuator to actuate and deactuate the actuator and determines an amount of light received by said light detector that has been provided by the first light source and second light source wherein the controller deactuates the actuator when the amount of light received by said light detector reaches a steady state, the controller further determines an amount of oxygen in the blood of the patient by pulse oximetry from the amount of light received by the light detector from the first and second light sources; and a timer coupled to the controller that determines a time interval wherein the controller commences the time interval measured by the timer upon deactivation of said actuator and terminates the time interval measured by the timer in response to a reduction in the amount of light from the first and second light sources received by said light detector as a result of the restoration of blood to the selected body portion, the time interval comprising an indication of the capillary refill time of the patient.