A system for adaptively orienting a display image on a device for presenting patient data, in particular patient medical parameters, acquired via one or more cables connected to a particular side of said device, the system comprising: a sensor for detecting orientation of said device and providing a device orientation representative signal indicating whether said device is in a first orientation or a second orientation substantially different to said first orientation; said first orientation and second orientation correspond to different locations of said device relative to a patient and in said different locations said particular side of said device is proximate to said patient enabling substantially direct routing of said one or more cables from said device to said patient; a plurality of user selectable physical buttons positioned on opposing sides of a display screen for presenting display images on said device, the display images including associated labels in a configuration adjacent to the user selectable physical buttons; and a display generator for automatically generating a display image of patient data acquired via the one or more cables on said display screen oriented to be upright in said first and second orientations of said device, in response to said orientation representative signal indicating that the orientation of the device is inverted; characterised by further comprising: a command processor for adaptively selecting functions assigned to said plurality of user selectable physical buttons positioned on opposing sides of said display screen of said device, said buttons and associated labels to be maintained in a same configuration where a button in a same relative location with respect to the display image is associated with a same label and function in both said first and second orientations in response to said orientation representative signal. a sensor for detecting orientation of said device and providing a device orientation representative signal indicating whether said device is in a first orientation or a second orientation substantially different to said first orientation; said first orientation and second orientation correspond to different locations of said device relative to a patient and in said different locations said particular side of said device is proximate to said patient enabling substantially direct routing of said one or more cables from said device to said patient; a plurality of user selectable physical buttons positioned on opposing sides of a display screen for presenting display images on said device, the display images including associated labels in a configuration adjacent to the user selectable physical buttons; and a display generator for automatically generating a display image of patient data acquired via the one or more cables on said display screen oriented to be upright in said first and second orientations of said device, in response to said orientation representative signal indicating that the orientation of the device is inverted; a command processor for adaptively selecting functions assigned to said plurality of user selectable physical buttons positioned on opposing sides of said display screen of said device, said buttons and associated labels to be maintained in a same configuration where a button in a same relative location with respect to the display image is associated with a same label and function in both said first and second orientations in response to said orientation representative signal.