Patent ID: 7107088

Claim:
An apparatus for detecting oxygen saturation levels in blood from within an auditory canal of a living being proximal to a tympanic membrane, the auditory canal being lined with tissue and including a proximal bend and a distal bend located between the proximal bend and the tympanic membrane, the apparatus comprising: a first portion configured for placement in the auditory canal between the proximal bend and the distal bend, the first portion having a distal end extending toward the tympanic membrane when the apparatus is positioned within the auditory canal; a second portion movably coupled to the distal end of the first portion, the second portion comprising an outer surface configured to abut at least a portion of the tissue of the auditory canal between the distal bend and the tympanic membrane when the apparatus is positioned within the auditory canal, an emitter that emits light of one or more wavelengths from a first position on the outer surface of the second portion into the tissue of the auditory canal between the distal bend and the tympanic membrane; and a detector that detects the light of one or more wavelengths from the tissue of the auditory canal between the distal bend and the tympanic membrane impinging upon a second position on the outer surface of the second portion.