Patent ID: 8764671

Claim:
A disposable active pulse sensor in communication with a monitor and configured to induce pulsatile blood flow within a tissue site so as to generate a sensor signal responsive to constituents of the pulsatile blood flow, the disposable active pulse sensor comprising: an emitter that generates optical radiation having a plurality of wavelengths; a detector that is responsive to the optical radiation; a motor that vibrates when energized; and a tape assembly that removably attaches the emitter, the detector and the motor to a tissue site, wherein the tape assembly physically mounts the emitter, the detector and the motor in a spatial arrangement so that vibration from the motor induces pulsatile blood flow within the tissue site, the emitter transmits the optical radiation into the tissue site and the detector generates a sensor signal responsive to the intensity of the optical radiation after attenuation by the pulsatile blood flow within the tissue site, and wherein the monitor determines whether or not a signal quality of the sensor signal indicative of pulsatile blood flow satisfies a threshold, and in response to determining that the signal quality does not satisfy the threshold, an activation signal provided by the monitor causes the motor to be energized so as to induce pulsatile blood flow within the tissue site to increase the signal quality of the sensor signal.