Physiological monitoring devices, systems, and methods

A method of measuring a physiological parameter, the method comprising:

• emitting, from a plurality of emitters, light proximate a wrist of a user in an initial emitted pattern;
• shaping at least a portion of the light emitted from the plurality of emitters before the light reaches a tissue measurement site to define an altered pattern relative to the initial emitted pattern on the tissue measurement site;
• permitting light reflected from tissue of the user to pass through an opening in a dark-colored coating on a surface and detecting, with a detector, at least a portion of the reflected light passing through the opening, wherein the surface is positioned between the detector and the tissue;
• preventing at least a portion of the light emitted from the plurality of emitters from reaching the detector without first reaching the tissue with a light block;
• outputting, from the detector, at least one signal responsive to the detected light;
• and
• electronically processing one or more signals responsive to the outputted at least one signal to determine a physiological parameter.

A physiological monitoring device comprising:

• a plurality of optical sources configured to emit light proximate a wrist of a user;
• a material positioned between the plurality of optical sources and a tissue measurement site, wherein the material is configured to alter a shape by which at least a portion of the light emitted from one or more of the plurality of emitters is distributed on the tissue measurement site;
• a light block having a circular shape;
• a plurality of detectors configured to detect the light after the light passes through a portion of the tissue measurement site bounded by the light block, wherein the plurality of detectors are arranged in an array having a spatial configuration corresponding to a shape of the portion of the tissue measurement site bounded by the circular shaped light block, wherein the plurality of detectors are further configured to output at least one signal responsive to the detected light, and wherein the plurality of optical sources and the plurality of detectors are arranged in a reflectance measurement configuration;
• wherein the light block is configured to prevent at least a portion of light emitted from the plurality of optical sources from reaching the plurality of detectors without first reaching the tissue;
• a processor configured to receive and process one or more signals responsive to the at least one outputted signal and determine a physiological parameter of the user responsive to the one or more signals;
• and
• wherein the physiological monitoring device is configured to transmit physiological parameter data to a separate processor.

A system configured to measure one or more physiological parameters of a user, the system comprising:

• a physiological monitoring device comprising:
• a plurality of emitters configured to emit light proximate a wrist of a user in a first shape;
• a material positioned between the plurality of emitters and a tissue measurement site, the material configured to alter the first shape into a second shape by which the light emitted from one or more of the plurality of emitters is distributed on the tissue measurement site;
• a plurality of detectors configured to detect the light after attenuation by tissue, the plurality of detectors further configured to output at least one signal responsive to the detected light;
• a surface comprising a dark-colored coating, the surface positioned between the plurality of detectors and the tissue, wherein an opening defined in the dark-colored coating is configured to allow at least a portion of light reflected from the tissue to pass through the surface;
• a light block configured to prevent at least a portion of light from the plurality of emitters from reaching the plurality of detectors without first reaching the tissue;
• and
• a processor configured to receive and process one or more signals responsive to the outputted at least one signal and determine a physiological parameter of the user responsive to the one or more signals;
• and
• a processing device configured to wirelessly receive physiological parameter data from the physiological monitoring device, wherein the processing device comprises a user interface, a storage device, and a network interface configured to wirelessly communicate with the physiological monitoring device, and wherein the user interface includes a touch-screen display configured to present visual feedback responsive to the physiological parameter data.