US 12,257,035 B2
Combined physiological sensor systems and methods
Edward M. McKenna, Boulder, CO (US); Bo Chen, Louisville, CO (US); Youzhi Li, Longmont, CO (US); and Paul Stanley Addison, Edinburgh (GB)
Assigned to COVIDIEN LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed by Covidien LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed on Jun. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/804,963.
Application 17/804,963 is a division of application No. 15/891,116, filed on Feb. 7, 2018, granted, now 11,350,830.
Application 15/891,116 is a continuation of application No. 14/860,475, filed on Sep. 21, 2015, granted, now 10,568,526, issued on Feb. 25, 2020.
Application 14/860,475 is a continuation of application No. 13/020,704, filed on Feb. 3, 2011, granted, now 9,138,183, issued on Sep. 22, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/301,088, filed on Feb. 3, 2010.
Prior Publication US 2022/0296107 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. G06G 7/48 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/01 (2006.01); A61B 5/0205 (2006.01); A61B 5/024 (2006.01); A61B 5/1455 (2006.01); A61B 5/16 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/02055 (2013.01) [A61B 5/01 (2013.01); A61B 5/0205 (2013.01); A61B 5/02433 (2013.01); A61B 5/14552 (2013.01); A61B 5/165 (2013.01); A61B 5/6814 (2013.01); A61B 5/6826 (2013.01); A61B 5/6838 (2013.01); A61B 5/7257 (2013.01); A61B 5/726 (2013.01); A61B 5/7203 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
 
1. A method, comprising:
driving, via a monitoring device, a light source disposed on a sensor structure of a combined physiological sensor, wherein the light source is configured to emit light into a tissue of a subject, wherein the combined physiological sensor further comprises:
at least two electrical physiological signal (EPS) sensors disposed on the sensor structure and configured to sense an electrical physiological signal of the subject;
a first detector spaced a first distance apart from the light source on the sensor structure, wherein the first detector is configured to detect the emitted light; and
a second detector spaced a second distance apart from the light source on the sensor structure along an imaginary axis connecting the light source and the first detector, wherein the second detector is configured to detect the emitted light;
receiving, via the monitoring device, one or more first signals from at least one of the first detector or the second detector, wherein the one or more first signals are related to an amount of light detected by the first detector, the second detector, or both, and wherein the one or more first signals are associated with pulse or regional oximetry monitoring;
activating, via the monitoring device, a first EPS sensor of the at least two EPS sensors based on a timing scheme comprising a plurality of timing intervals;
deactivating, via the monitoring device, the first EPS sensor based on the first EPS sensor not outputting a signal before a lapse of a first timing interval of the plurality of timing intervals;
activating, via the monitoring device, a second EPS sensor of the at least two EPS sensors for a second timing interval of the plurality of timing intervals responsive to the deactivating of the first EPS sensor, wherein the second EPS sensor is activated until the second EPS sensor outputs one or more second signals;
receiving, via the monitoring device, the one or more second signals from the second sensor of the at least two EPS sensors; and
determining, by processing circuitry of the monitoring device, a physiological parameter of the subject based at least in part on the received one or more first signals and the received one or more second signals.