Abstract:
A reusable sensor is disclosed for producing a signal indicative of at least one physiological parameter of tissue. The sensor can include a sensor housing that has a distal opening, a wire lumen, and a proximal opening. The distal opening can include a lumen extending through the body of the sensor housing and the wire lumen can be located on the outside of the sensor housing. The sensor can also include a first component located on a top surface of the sensor housing and along the pathway of the wire lumen. The sensor can also include a second component located on the bottom surface of the sensor housing opposite of the first component. The second component can also be located along the pathway of the wire lumen. The sensor can also include a wire coaxially disposed within the wire lumen and connecting the first component and second component.

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/113,279, filed Feb. 6, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/118,668, filed Feb. 20, 2015, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference and should be considered a part of this specification. Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to sensors. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to reusable medical sensors. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Energy is often transmitted through or reflected from a medium to determine characteristics of the medium. For example, in the medical field, instead of extracting material from an individual&#39;s body for testing, light or sound energy may be caused to be incident on the individual&#39;s body and transmitted (or reflected) energy may be measured to determine information about the material through which the energy has passed. This type of non-invasive measurement is more comfortable for the individual and can be performed more quickly 
         [0004]    Non-invasive physiological monitoring of bodily function is often required. For example, during surgery, blood pressure and the body&#39;s available supply of oxygen, or the blood oxygen saturation, are often monitored. Measurements such as these are often performed with non-invasive techniques where assessments are made by measuring the ratio of incident to transmitted (or reflected) light through a portion of the body, for example a digit such as a finger, or an earlobe, or a forehead. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0005]    The present disclosure relates to a sensor that is responsive to signals received from the individual. The sensor can be attached to instruments that are responsive to signals from the sensors or the cables from the instrument. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the sensor housing is sufficiently durable for use in non-traditional hospital settings. In some embodiments, the sensor has an opening that allows a light to shine through the surface of the sensor. This can provide a visual indicator to allow for proper sensor placement in low light conditions. In one embodiment, the configuration of the wiring and components inside the sensor housing may be positioned to allow the manipulation of the sensor housing (e.g. for cleaning) while maintaining the integrity of the wiring within the sensor housing. In another embodiment, the sensor housing can provide for the physiological monitoring of bodily function in a non-traditional hospital setting. In one example, the sensor housing can have protruding components to ensure a reliable reading from the individual&#39;s fingertip. As well, the sensor housing can have an indicator to notify the individual that the sensor is properly reading the individual&#39;s bodily functions. 
         [0006]    The sensor provides a comfortable and adjustable fit that can accommodate a patient with any sized finger or fingernail. As well, the structure of the sensor housing both secures the patient&#39;s finger to ensure a proper reading by the sensor, but also secures the sensor housing against the patient&#39;s finger to prevent improper sensor measurements as a result of the sensor housing bumping against external surfaces. In some embodiments, the sensor housing can include an opening at the proximal end of the sensor housing to allow the fingernail of a finger to extend through the sensor housing. In some embodiments, the sensor housing includes a cable that is located across the top surface of the sensor housing and extends past the proximal end of the sensor housing to provide sufficient room for the fingernail of a finger to be housed in the sensor housing. 
         [0007]    The present disclosure provides a durable and reusable optical probe which is suitably constructed to provide low-noise signals to be output to a signal processor in order to determine the characteristics of the medium. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1A  illustrates a top perspective view of one embodiment of the sensor. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1B  illustrates a circuit diagram of one embodiment of the sensor. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates a bottom perspective view of one embodiment of the sensor as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates a back view of one embodiment of the sensor as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates a front view of one embodiment of the sensor as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIGS. 5-6  illustrate two side views of one embodiment of the sensor as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  illustrates a top view of one embodiment of the sensor as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  illustrates a bottom view of one embodiment of the sensor as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  illustrates a side cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the sensor as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  illustrates a front cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the sensor as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIGS. 11A-11F  illustrate various perspectives of an alternative embodiment of the sensor. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 12A-12C  illustrate various perspectives of the embodiment of the sensor shown in  FIGS. 11A-11F  while in use. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The present disclosure relates to a sensor that is responsive to signals received from the individual. The sensor can be attached to instruments that are responsive to signals from the sensors or the cables from the instrument. In particular, the present disclosure relates to durable and reusable sensors that can be used in challenging environments where traditional reusable style sensors can be damaged. Such sensors are designed for individuals such as firefighters, emergency medical technicians (“EMTs”), and other emergency workers that will have a need for physiological monitoring of bodily functions. 
         [0021]    As will be discussed below, the presently disclosed sensor can include a number of features that provide the sensor with increased durability and allow the sensor to be cleaned and reused. The sensor can also have additional features that assist in monitoring of bodily functions in non-controlled environments. In one example, the sensor can be configured with an external structure to prevent the sensor from catching onto outside surfaces and disrupting sensor measurements. In other examples, the sensor can additionally have features that provide visual indications to the individual as to whether the sensor is properly functioning. 
         [0022]    As used in the specification, the terms “proximal” and “distal” should be understood as being relative to the location on the sensor where the sensor is monitoring an individual&#39;s bodily function (e.g. fingertip). The term “distal” means the portion of the sensor where the finger is first inserted into the sensor housing. The term proximal means the portion of the sensor that is closest the fingertip of the patient when the sensor is placed on the finger of the individual. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1-10  illustrates a plurality of views of sensor  100 . The sensor  100  includes a sensor housing  130 , wiring  150 , an emitter  146 , and a hard shell box  180 . The sensor  100  has a proximal end  110  and a distal end  120 . As will be discussed in more detail below, the wiring  150  enters the sensor housing  130  from the distal end  120  end of the sensor  100 . As well, the sensor housing  130  can also have an opening  1270  on the distal end  120  that allows an individual&#39;s finger to fit into the sensor housing  130 . On the proximal end  110  of the sensor housing  130 , the sensor housing  130  includes the emitter  146  on the top of the distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130  and a detector  182  on the bottom of the distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130 . The emitter  146  and detector  182  can interact to read predetermined bodily functions from the individual&#39;s finger that are placed in the sensor housing  130 . The wiring  150  bends at an angle about the proximal end  110  of the sensor housing  130  to connect the emitter  146  and detector  182 . As will be discussed in more detail below, in one embodiment, the wiring  150  can bend at the distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130  to allow the sensor housing  130  to be flipped inside out without damaging the wiring  150 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 1B  illustrates an oximeter sensor circuit  1000  of the sensor  100  described above. As can be seen, the oximeter sensor circuit  1000  includes an emitter  1005  comprising a first LED  1007  and a second LED  1010 . The oximeter sensor circuit  1000  further includes an information element comprising a resistor  1015 . The first LED  1007 , the second LED  1010 , and the resistor  1015  are connected in parallel. The parallel connection has a common input electrical connection  1012  and a common return  1025 . The oximeter sensor circuit  1000  also includes a detector  1030  having an input electrical connection  1035  connected to one end and having the common return  1025  connected to the other end. In some embodiments, the detector  1030  is a photodetector. 
         [0025]    As mentioned, the resistor  1015  is provided as an information element that can be read by an attached oximeter. In order to read the resistor  1015 , the oximeter drives the oximeter sensor circuit  1000  at a level where the emitter  1005  draws effectively insignificant current. Because the emitter  1005  becomes active only if driven at a voltage above a threshold level, at this low level, significantly all of the current through the common input electrical connection  1012  flows through the resistor  1015 . By reducing the drive voltage across the input electrical connection  1012  and common return  1025  to a low enough level to not activate the emitter  1005 , the emitter  1005  is effectively removed from the oximeter sensor circuit  1000 . Thus, the oximeter can determine the value of the resistor  1015 . 
         [0026]    The value of the resistor  1015  can be preselected to indicate, for example, the type of sensor (e.g., adult, pediatric, or neonatal), the operating wavelength, or other parameters about the sensor. The resistor  1015  may also be utilized for security and quality control purposes. For example, the resistor  1015  may be used to ensure that the oximeter sensor circuit  1000  is configured properly for a given oximeter. For instance, the resistor  1015  may be utilized to indicate that the oximeter sensor circuit  1000  is from an authorized supplier. 
         [0027]    An information element other than the resistor  1015  may also be utilized. The information element need not be a passive device. Coding information may also be provided through an active circuit, such as a transistor network, memory chip (e.g. EEPROM), or other identification device. 
         [0028]    Furthermore, it will be understood by a skilled artisan that a number of different circuit configurations can be implemented that allow the oximeter sensor circuit  1000  to include an information element. For example, the emitter  1005  and the information element may each have individual electrical connections. 
         [0029]    As mentioned above, the resistor  1015  is preselected such that at low drive voltages, it is the only circuit element sensed by the oximeter. On the other hand, the resistor  1015  can also be preselected and of a sufficiently high value that when the drive voltage rises to a level sufficient to drive the emitter  1005 , the resistor  1015  is effectively removed from the oximeter sensor circuit  1000 . Thus the resistor  1015  does not affect normal operations of the emitter  1005 . In summary, an information element may form an integral part of the oximeter sensor circuit  1000  by providing valuable information to the attached oximeter. 
         [0030]    The circuit diagram of  FIG. 1B  is provided as an example of a configuration of the circuitry of the sensor  100  within the sensor housing  130  and is not intended to be limiting. In other embodiments, the oximeter sensor circuit  1000  can include a plurality of emitters  1005  and detectors  1030 . For example, instead of/in addition to the resistor  1015 , the oximeter sensor circuit  1000  can include additional resistor  1015  or other elements in order to serve as an information element. 
         [0031]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 1-10 , the sensor  100  includes a sensor housing  130 . In one embodiment, the sensor housing  130  can be made of a rubber or elastomeric material, such as, for example, Dynaflex™ thermoplastic elastomer. The rubber or elastomeric material of the sensor housing  130  protects the components of the sensor  100  and is flexible so as to resist tearing, cracking or crushing. The material design of the sensor housing  130  also allows the sensor housing  130  to be flipped inside out and for easy cleaning of the finger-contact surfaces. Further, as will be discussed below, while the sensor housing  130  is flexible, it is nevertheless sufficiently rigid so as to conform to the individual&#39;s finger and to hold the components of the sensor  100  near the portion of the individual&#39;s finger to obtain measurements. In other embodiments, the sensor housing  130  can also be made of silicone or other related material which provides the sensor housing  130  with similar properties. 
         [0032]    The sensor housing  130  has a top compressed portion  132 , a bottom compressed portion  134 , a slit  190 , a lip  170 , and a wiring lumen  160  that partially extends from the sensor housing  130  and houses the wiring  150  through the length of the sensor housing  130 . Further, the sensor housing  130  can retain the components of the sensor  100 —here, the emitter  146  and detector  182  on the top and bottom surfaces of the distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130 . The housing  130  surrounds the finger. In an embodiment, when the finger is inserted into the sensor, the sensor encloses the finger to block ambient light from entering the sensor housing. 
         [0033]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 1-2 , the sensor housing  130  has a top compressed portion  132  and a bottom compressed portion  134  such that the proximal end  110  of the sensor housing  130  has a more compressed, squeezed or flattened configuration than the distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130 . As will be discussed in more detail, the emitter  146  and the hard shell box  180  are contained on the sensor housing  130  on the top compressed portion  132  and bottom compressed portion  134  respectively so as to bring the components of the sensor  100  closer to the finger to improve the physiological reading. 
         [0034]    The distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130  includes a lip  170 . As can be seen in  FIGS. 1A and 3 , the lip  170  forms the opening  172  to the sensor housing  130  which allows an individual to place his/her finger into the inside surface  174  of the sensor housing  130 . As can be seen, the profile of the lip  170  is wider than the remainder of the sensor housing  130 . In some embodiments, this allows easier placement of the sensor housing  130  on an individual&#39;s finger. In other embodiments, the lip  170  provides greater stability for the sensor  100 . The thicker material of the lip  170  delivers a better grip on the portion of the finger the lip  170  is in contact with. The lip  170  also provides a light blocking barrier to prevent ambient light from entering into the sensor and causing erroneous readings. In some embodiments, because the proximal end  110  of the sensor  100  can provide a tight grip on the patient&#39;s fingertip, an equally tight grip on the finger helps provide stability if the location of that tight grip is located away from the finger tip. The lip  170  can therefore be included to provide stability. The thicker material of the lip  170  therefore facilitates the placement of the sensor  100  on a variety of finger diameters but also provides the necessary grip on the finger tip of the sensor  100  at the proximal end  110 . In some embodiments, the lip  170  can also provide a spring force that grips onto the finger. In some embodiments, this allows the sensor  100  to maintain a stable grip on the finger even if the patient was to move or shake his or her hand vigorously.  FIGS. 2 and 4  illustrate the slit  190  on the distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130 . The slit  190  extends through the distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130  and helps the sensor housing  130  accommodate a variety of different finger sizes. In some embodiments, the slit  190  allows an individual&#39;s fingernail to protrude through the slit  190 . In this way, the individual&#39;s finger can be properly positioned inside the sensor housing  130  to align with the emitter  146  and detector  182 . In an embodiment, the fingernail slit  190  substantially surrounds the fingernail and acts as a light blocking barrier to prevent ambient light from entering the sensor. 
         [0035]    In some embodiments, the material and structure of the sensor housing  130  allows the sensor housing  130  to change shape as a patient&#39;s finger is inserted. As discussed, the lip  170  of the opening  172  of the sensor housing  130  can be pulled downward to better accommodate the patient&#39;s finger as it is inserted into the body of the sensor housing  130 . The sensor housing  130  surrounds the end of the patient&#39;s finger and retains the components and circuitry of the sensor  100  on the patient&#39;s finger so as to properly monitor the individual&#39;s bodily functions. Further, the material properties and shape of the sensor housing  130  help the proper positioning of the sensor  100  and provide for proper monitoring even with patient movement. The disclosed sensor housing  130  can provide proper monitoring even with a patient tapping his/her finger against a surface. 
         [0036]    In order to monitor the individual&#39;s bodily functions as well as to connect the emitter  146  to the detector  182 , the sensor housing  130  includes a wiring lumen  160  that allows wiring  150  to extend through the sensor housing  130 . In some embodiments, the wiring lumen  160  extends from the sensor housing  130  and has an opening  162  at the distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130  that allows the wiring  150  to extend into. The wiring  150  extends through the wiring lumen  160  and forms a straight portion  164  along the top of the sensor housing  130  until it connects with the emitter  146 . In some embodiments, the wiring  150  can then have an angled top portion  166  that routes the wiring  150  off center over the distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130 . In some embodiments, the angled top portion  166  can have an angle α with a 45 degree angle from the centerline. In other embodiments, the angled top portion  166  can have an angle α that ranges from between greater than 0 degrees to less than 90 degrees. The angled top portion  166  allows the sensor housing  130  to accommodate the individual&#39;s finger and/or fingernail and to allow it to protrude from the slit  190  of the distal end  120 . Further, the angled top portion  166  can prevent the wiring  150  from being stretched out and broken when the sensor  100  is turned inside out for cleaning. Because the angled top portion  166  is routed off center, the distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130  has added material  136  in order to compensate for the angled top portion  166 . The angled bottom portion  168  then connects the wiring  150  to the detector  182 . In some embodiments, the added material  136  on the proximal end  110  of the sensor  100  can also serve the function of providing the emitter  146  and/or the detector  182  with a closer and more secure fit on the fingertip. 
         [0037]    The distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130  can accommodate the emitter  146  and the detector  182  in the top compressed portion  132  and the bottom compressed portion  134  of the sensor housing  130  respectively. As discussed above, the location of the emitter  146  and detector  182  on the compressed distal end  120  portions of the sensor housing  130  allow the components of the sensor housing  130  to be compressed against both sides of the individual&#39;s finger. 
         [0038]    As illustrated in the figures, the emitter  146  is located near the proximal end  110  of the sensor housing  130  and protrudes from the surface of the top compressed portion  132 . In one embodiment, the emitter  146  is centered in the distal end  120  of the sensor housing  130 . The emitter  146  has a top surface  140  that is located on the surface of the sensor housing  130 .  FIG. 7  illustrates a top view of the sensor housing  130  and an enlarged view of the top surface  140 . The top surface  140  can have portions cut out to form a design. Each of the cut-outs on the top surface  140  can be filled in with light pipe  142 . The cut-outs on the top surface  140  and the light pipe  142  allows the light  144  from the emitter  146  to shine from the top surface  140 . The sensor  100  can be configured to be used in environments that frequently have insufficient light (e.g. emergency situations). Therefore, the light  144  from the top surface  140  can help an individual to orient the sensor  100  in the dark. As well, in some embodiments, the sensor  100  can be configured such that the light  144  does not light up unless the sensor has been properly placed on the individual&#39;s finger. Alternatively, the light can turn off when properly placed. In such embodiments, the light  144  can help to serve as an indicator for the individual to adjust the sensor  100 . The light can also provide some ambient lighting. As discussed, because the sensor  100  is frequently used in situations with insufficient light, the ambient lighting provides the additional benefit of providing a light source for emergency personnel. 
         [0039]    The top surface  140  is located on the top compressed portion  132  of the sensor housing  130  and serves to protect the emitter  146 . The light pipe  142  filling the cut-outs in the top surface  140  help to protect the emitter  146  while still allowing light to shine from the top surface  140 . The emitter  146  also has a surface that is exposed on the inside surface  174  of the sensor housing  130 . In some embodiments, the emitter  146  can also serve as the light source that is captured by the detector  182  after attenuation by the body tissue. 
         [0040]    The function of the emitter  146  described above, while shown in the context of the sensor housing  130 , can be included on a variety of sensors  100 . For example, the emitter in tape sensors or clip-structured sensors can be adapted such that the emitter emits light to signal to the individual that the sensor  100  is properly functioning. Alternatively, the light can turn off when properly placed. As well, the emitter in tape sensors or clip-structured sensors can be adapted to provide ambient light. 
         [0041]    The detector  182  is located near the proximal end  110  of the sensor housing  130  on the bottom compressed portion  134 . In one embodiment, the detector  182  is centered in the proximal end  110  of the sensor housing  130  such that it is aligned with the emitter  146 . In one embodiment, the detector  182  is contained in a hard shell box  180  that protrudes from the bottom of the sensor housing  130  and out from the bottom compressed portion  134 .  FIG. 8  illustrates a bottom view of the sensor housing  130  and an enlarged view of the hard shell box  180  of the detector  182 . The purpose of the hard shell box  180  is to provide for a more reliable reading from the detector  182 . In some embodiments, this is accomplished by the hard shell box  180  protruding from the bottom compressed portion  134 . By having the hard shell box  180  contact an outside surface instead of the outside material of the sensor housing  130 , the sensor housing  130  of the sensor  100  can slide more easily on a surface and prevent catching of the sensor against a surface. In situations where the individual is moving or tapping his/her hand, if the sensor housing  130  of the sensor  100  were to catch on a surface, it would cause the individual&#39;s finger to slip on the inside surface  174  of the sensor housing  130  which can prevent the detector  182  from providing a reliable reading. 
         [0042]      FIGS. 9-10  provide a cross-sectional view of the sensor  100 .  FIG. 9  illustrates an off-centered longitudinal cross-section of the sensor  100  which provides a view of the length of the inside surface  174 .  FIG. 10  illustrates a lateral cross-section of the sensor  100  near the proximal end  110  of the sensor  100 .  FIG. 9  illustrates the finger-shaped path  200  of the inside surface  174 . The finger-shaped path  200  includes a finger lumen  230  and a finger-tip indentation  210  at the proximal end  220  of the finger-shaped path  200 . As discussed earlier, the finger-shaped path  200  of the inside surface  174  narrows between the top compressed portion  132  and bottom compressed portion  134  which helps to capture an individual&#39;s finger between the sensor housing  130 . When an individual&#39;s finger is placed in the finger-shaped path  200  of the sensor housing  130 , the length of the individual&#39;s finger rests in the finger lumen  230  with the fingertip resting in the finger-tip indentation  210 . As can be seen in  FIG. 10 , the finger-tip indentation  210  rests in between the emitter  146  and detector  182  and therefore allows the emitter  146  and detector  182  to monitor certain bodily functions.  FIG. 9  also illustrates, as was discussed above, the slit  190  proximal to the finger-tip indentation  210  and providing a continuous passageway to allow a fingernail to extend past the distal end  220  of the finger-tip indentation  210 . 
         [0043]    As well, as can be seen in  FIG. 9 , the sensor housing  130  has a thicker portion about the edges such that the center portion of the sensor housing  130  has a top compressed portion  132  and bottom compressed portion  134 . In some embodiments, this thicker portion about the outer edges of the sensor  100  provides a supported frame for the sensor  100 . In some embodiments, the top compressed portion  132  and bottom compressed portion  134  are composed of a thinner membrane than the surrounding portion of the sensor housing  130  and spans between the thicker portions of the sensor  100 . In some embodiments, the wiring  150 , emitter  146 , and detector  182  is retained and floats in the thinner membrane of the top compressed portion  132  and bottom compressed portion  134  respectively. In this way, the wiring  150 , emitter  146 , and detector  182  are movably retained in the sensor housing  130 . In some embodiments, this conformation of the sensor housing  130  provides comfort as well as accurate and stable placement of the emitter  146  and detector  182  as the sensor housing  130  can move to conform to a variety of patient finger diameters. The flexibility of the sensor  100  can therefore allow for a secure and comfortable fit of the sensor  100  about a patient&#39;s fingertip. 
         [0044]      FIGS. 11A-11F  and  FIGS. 12A-12C  provide an example of another embodiment of the sensor described above. As can be seen in this embodiment, the wiring is not contained within the sensor and protrudes from the distal end of the sensor. Unlike the wiring  150  described in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-10 , the wiring is not routed at an angle to one side of the distal end of the sensor. 
         [0045]      FIGS. 11A-11F  illustrate the sensor  1200  with a proximal end  1210  and a distal end  1220 . As described above, the sensor  1200  has a sensor housing  1230  with an opening  1270  on the distal end  1220  that allows an individual&#39;s finger to be positioned within. Like the sensor housing  130  of the sensor  100 , the sensor housing  1230  retains the emitter  1242  and detector  1257  in the top and bottom portions of the sensor housing  1230  respectively. In some embodiments, the emitter  1242  and detector  1257  are placed above and below the individual&#39;s fingertip. The sensor housing  1230  also includes a wiring lumen  1250  that can house wiring (not pictured) that runs through the body of the sensor housing  1230 . The sensor  1200  also includes a slit  1260  at the proximal end  1210  of the sensor housing  1230 . As discussed above, the slit  1260  sits at the distal end of the inside passageway of the sensor  1200  and allows an individual&#39;s fingernail to protrude from the distal end of the sensor  1200 . 
         [0046]      FIGS. 11A and 11E  illustrate the wiring lumen  1250  through the sensor housing  1230 . The wiring lumen  1250  has an opening  1252  that allows the wiring to enter the sensor housing  1230 . The wiring lumen  1250  has a straight portion  1254  that connects the wiring to the emitter  1242 . Unlike the wiring  150  of the sensor  100 , the wiring of the sensor  1200  is not guided off-center on the sensor housing  1230 . In this embodiment of the sensor  1200 , because the wiring is not contained within the sensor housing  1230 , the wiring does not need to be directed to either side so as to allow the opening  1270  to be placed at the proximal end  1210  of the sensor housing  1230 . Instead the wiring lumen  1250  has curved portion  1256  that brings the wiring to the underside of the sensor housing  1230  and connects the wiring from the emitter  1242  to the detector  1257 . 
         [0047]    Next, as is illustrated in  FIG. 11A , in this embodiment, the surface of the sensor housing  1230  covering the emitter  1242  can have cut-outs that are filled in with light pipe  1240 . The light pipe  1240  allows the light from the emitter  1242  to shine through which can, as discussed above, help an individual to orient the positioning of the sensor  1200  on the finger. In other embodiments, the light from the emitter  1242  can indicate to the individual whether the sensor  1200  is properly positioned on the finger. 
         [0048]      FIGS. 11B and 11F  provide a cross-sectional view of the sensor  1200 .  FIG. 11B  illustrates a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the sensor  1200  which provides a view of the length of the finger-shaped path  1300 .  FIG. 11F  illustrates a lateral cross-section of the sensor  1200  near the proximal end  1210  of the sensor  1200 .  FIG. 11B  illustrates the finger-shaped path  1300  that includes a finger lumen  1310  and a finger-tip indentation  1320  at the proximal end  1330  of the finger-shaped path  1300 . As seen in  FIG. 11F , the finger-shaped path  1300  narrows towards the proximal end  1330  of the finger-shaped path  1300 . When an individual&#39;s finger is placed in the finger-shaped path  1300  of the sensor housing  1230 , the length of the individual&#39;s finger rests in the finger lumen  1310  with the fingertip resting in the finger-tip indentation  1320 . As can be seen in  FIG. 11B , the finger-tip indentation  1320  rests in between the emitter  1242  and detector  1257  and therefore allows the emitter  1242  and detector  1257  to monitor the individual&#39;s bodily functions.  FIG. 11F  also illustrates, as was discussed above, the slit  1260  opening proximal to the finger-tip indentation  1320  that can allow the individual&#39;s fingernail to extend past the proximal end  1330  of the finger-tip indentation  1320 . 
         [0049]    Finally,  FIGS. 12A-12C  provide front, top, and side views of the sensor  1200  as it is used by an individual to measure the individual&#39;s bodily functions. As can be seen, the individual&#39;s finger extends into the sensor housing  1230  from the opening  1270  on the distal end  1220  of the sensor  1200  and into the finger-shaped path  1300 . The finger extends through the finger-shaped path  1300  of the sensor  1200  such that the length of the finger rests in the finger lumen  1310  and the fingertip rests in the finger-tip indentation  1320  of the proximal end  1330 . At the finger-tip indentation  1320 , the fingertip is between the emitter  1242  and detector  1257  that monitors certain bodily functions of the individual. 
         [0050]    Although this disclosure has been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the disclosure and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of variations of the disclosure have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of this disclosure, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is also contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed.