Patent ID: 7993275

Claim:
A monitoring device for measuring a patient's vital signs, said monitoring device comprising: a first sensor configured to attach to a first portion of the patient's body, comprising: i) a first electrode configured to generate a first electrical signal from the first portion of the patient's body; ii) a first light-emitting component; and iii) a first photodetector configured to receive radiation from the first portion of the patient's body after the radiation is emitted by the first light-emitting component and in response generate a first optical waveform; a second sensor configured to attach to a second portion of the patient's body, comprising: i) a second electrode configured to generate a second electrical signal from the second portion of the patient's body; ii) a second light-emitting component; and iii) a second photodetector configured to receive radiation from the second portion of the patient's body after the radiation is emitted by the second light-emitting component and in response generate a second optical waveform; an amplifier system, in electrical contact with the first and second electrodes, configured to process the first and second electrical signals to generate an electrical waveform; and, a processor, in electrical contact with the amplifier system, configured to receive the electrical waveform or a processed version thereof, the first optical waveform or a processed version thereof, and the second optical waveform or a processed version thereof, the processor comprising computer code which, when executed by the processor causes the processor to process the received electrical waveform or a processed version thereof and the received optical waveforms or processed versions thereof with an algorithm to determine at least one of the patient's vital signs, wherein said computer code is configured to: i) determine an overall time delay between the first optical waveform or a processed version thereof and the second optical waveform or a processed version thereof; and ii) process the overall time delay to determine a blood pressure value, wherein the processor further comprises computer code which, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to: i) determine a first time delay between the first optical waveform or the processed version thereof and the received electrical waveform or the processed version thereof; and ii) process the first time delay to determine a blood pressure value.