Patent ID: 8391943

Claim:
A system comprising: a patient monitor configured to: generate a plurality of single-wavelength photon density wave (“PDW”) input signals by modulating a plurality of light sources at one or more modulation frequencies sufficient to produce resolvable photon density waves in pulsatile tissue of a patient; alternately select one of the plurality of single-wavelength PDW input signals for transmission in series to generate a multi-wavelength PDW input signal; receive a multi-wavelength PDW output signal resulting after the multi-wavelength PDW input signal is passed through the pulsatile tissue; and determine a scattering property or an absorption property of the pulsatile tissue based at least in part on a comparison between the multi-wavelength PDW output signal and the multi-wavelength PDW input signal; and a sensor having an emitter output and a detector input, wherein the emitter output is configured to pass the multi-wavelength PDW input signal into the pulsatile tissue and wherein the detector input is configured to receive the multi-wavelength PDW output signal from the pulsatile tissue of the patient; and a sensor cable coupled to the sensor and having a first optical cable configured to transmit the multi-wavelength PDW input signal from the patient monitor to the sensor and having a second optical cable configured to transmit the multi-wavelength PDW output signal from the sensor to the patient monitor, wherein the sensor cable comprises no more than two optical cables.