Patent ID: 8792951

Claim:
A method of making an oxygen saturation measurement for a bone comprising: advancing an elongated probe through an incision in a tissue, wherein the probe comprises: a first tube; a sensor head, coupled to the first tube; and first and second fiber optic cables, coupled to the sensor head, wherein ends of the first and second fiber optic cables are exposed on a surface of the sensor head, and an axis passing through the first tube passes through the surface; positioning the elongated probe in the tissue so the sensor head contacts a bone for which an oxygen saturation parameter is to be measured; causing transmitting of a first light signal through the first fiber optic cable to the sensor head, wherein from the sensor head, the first light signal is directed at the bone; after causing transmitting of the first light signal through the first fiber optic cable, maintaining a position of the probe at the bone for the probe to receive a reflection of the first light signal from the bone, wherein the reflection of the first light signal from the bone is a second light signal; and causing transmitting of the second light signal via the second fiber optic cable, wherein the second light signal is transmitted in a direction opposite of the transmitting of the first light signal.