Patent ID: 8128572

Claim:
A method of determining a pulse rate of a patient using a patient monitoring device that includes a non-invasive optical probe and signal processing components capable of processing signals received from the non-invasive optical probe and capable of determining the pulse rate, the method comprising: activating a first light source of said optical probe for a first active time period; deactivating said first light source of said optical probe for a first inactive time period, said first inactive time period having no light sources of said optical probe activated; activating a second light source of said optical probe for a second active time period; deactivating said second light source of said optical probe for a second inactive time period, said second inactive time period having no light sources of said optical probe activated; receiving physiological signals representative of attenuation of light during at least said first and second active and said first and second inactive time periods, said attenuated light comprising at least first and second wavelengths, said attenuation caused at least by body tissue carrying pulsing blood; and with one or more processors of said patient monitoring device, determining at least two values corresponding to pulse rate based upon at least two alternative methods of processing the physiological signals, and determining a resulting value for pulse rate from the at least two values corresponding to pulse rate.