Patent ID: 9510779
Filing Date: 2016-12-06
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A physiological monitoring system including an optical sensor configured to be applied to a finger of a patient, the monitoring system comprising: said optical sensor including (i) a housing configured to position sensor components proximate tissue of a measurement site on said finger, (ii) at least one accelerometer outputting position signals usable by a patient monitor to estimate a position of the sensor with respect to the patient to provide feedback to the user through a user interface of said patient monitor on how to properly position the sensor with respect to the patient to improve measurement accuracy, (iii) at least one light source, (iv) and at least one photodetector configured to detect light from said light source after attenuation by said tissue of said measurement site of said patient and output physiological signals usable by the patient monitor to determine measurements of one or more physiological characteristics of the patient; and said patient monitor configured to receive said position signals and said physiological signals over a plurality of monitoring cycles, said patient monitor comprising one or more hardware processors configured to process said position signals continuously and automatically over the plurality of monitoring cycles to estimate said position of the optical sensor with respect to level and with respect to the patient's heart, determine from the estimated position when the optical sensor is positioned above the patient's heart and more than 30 degrees from level, and provide said feedback to said user to reorient said finger based on said determination during the plurality of monitoring cycles, said monitor also configured to process said physiological signals to determine said measurements, wherein said monitor includes a display and said monitor configured to provide said feedback includes being configured to output indicia to said display responsive to said sensor's position to guide a caregiver or said patient on repositioning said sensor within 30 degrees from level and below the patient's heart with respect to the patient to improve said accuracy of said measurements.