Method and circuit for storing and providing historical physiological data

A method of manufacturing a sensor for facilitating detection of a physiological characteristic, comprising:

• providing a light emitting device coupled with a sensor housing;
• providing a photo-detector coupled with the sensor housing;
• and
• providing a sensor memory coupled with the sensor, the sensor memory configured to store historical physiological data from a patient that has been monitored by a pulse oximeter monitor.

A pulse oximeter system, comprising:

• a monitor configured to read signal data obtained from a patient, derive patient physiological data from the signal data, and write the patient physiological data to the sensor, the patient physiological data being indicative of a physiological characteristic of the patient;
• and
• a sensor comprising:
• a detector configured to obtain the signal data from the patient and to send the signal data to the monitor;
• and
• a sensor memory coupled with the sensor and separate from the monitor, the sensor memory storing the patient physiological data.

A monitor, comprising:

• a signal unit configured to provide signals to a light emitting device disposed within a sensor;
• a first data interface circuit component configured to read signal data from a photo-detector in the sensor;
• a processor configured to derive patient physiological data from the signal data, the patient physiological data being indicative of a physiological characteristic of the patient;
• and
• a second data interface circuit adapted to write the patient physiological data to a sensor memory element of the sensor.

A method, comprising:

• emitting light signals with a light emitting element of a sensor;
• detecting the light signals with a photo-detector of the sensor;
• transmitting signal data relating to the detected light signals from the sensor to a separate monitor;
• and
• storing physiological data derived from the signal data by the monitor in a resident memory of the sensor, the physiological data being indicative of the physiological characteristic.

A method for monitoring sensor data, comprising:

• providing control signals to a light emitting element of a sensor;
• reading signal data from a photo-detector of the sensor;
• processing the signal data to obtain physiological data;
• and
• writing the physiological data to a memory in the sensor.