Patent ID: 8798704

Claim:
A method of monitoring a patient, comprising: using a processor to perform the steps of: controlling a driver of a light source of a photoacoustic spectroscopy sensor, wherein the light source is configured to emit one or more wavelengths of light; receiving a signal from the photoacoustic spectroscopy sensor, wherein the signal is representative of a microcirculatory parameter of a patient; calculating the microcirculatory parameter based at least in part on the signal via one or more algorithms stored in a memory; determining whether the patient has shock or sepsis based at least in part on the microcirculatory parameter, wherein determining if the patient has sepsis comprises monitoring the microcirculatory parameter over a period of time and determining if a decrease in the microcirculatory parameter is not followed by a rise in the microcirculatory parameter; and providing an indication of the microcirculatory parameter on a display.