Device and method for noninvasive continuous determination of physiologic characteristics

A device for the noninvasive monitoring of a physiologic characteristic of a patient's blood, comprising:

• a tissue probe having a first radiation emitter with a first wavelength and a first radiation detector configured to receive the first wavelength after absorbance through the patient's blood secured to a desired portion of the patient's tissue;
• a movement generator for inducing a position change of the probe with respect to a level corresponding to the patient's heart;
• and
• a controller for computing the physiologic characteristic of the patient's blood based on the absorbance of the first wavelength of radiation and the relative position of the probe.

A method for noninvasively determining a physiological characteristic of a patient's blood comprising the steps of:

• providing a tissue probe having a first radiation emitter with a first wavelength and a first radiation detector configured to receive the first wavelength after absorbance through the patient's blood;
• measuring absorbance of the patient's blood by emitting a first radiation through the patient's blood and detecting the radiation after passage through the patient's blood with the probe at a first position relative to a level corresponding to the patient's heart;
• computing a blood parameter at the first position based on the absorbance;
• moving the probe relative to a level corresponding to the patient's heart to a second position;
• measuring absorbance at the second position;
• computing the blood parameter based on the absorbance at the second position;
• and
• determining the physiological characteristic by comparing the absorbance at the first and second position.

A method for noninvasively determining a physiological characteristic of a patient's blood comprising the steps of:

• providing a first tissue probe having a first radiation emitter with a first wavelength and a first radiation detector configured to receive the first wavelength after absorbance through the patient's blood;
• providing a second tissue probe having a second radiation emitter with a second wavelength and a second radiation detector configured to receive the second wavelength after absorbance through the patient's blood;
• positioning the first and second probes at coupled tissue locations on the patient;
• measuring absorbance of the patient's blood at the coupled tissue locations by emitting radiation through the patient's blood and detecting the radiation after passage through the patient's blood;
• determining a blood parameter by comparing absorbance at the coupled tissue locations;
• and
• computing the physiological characteristic of the patient's blood.

A method for noninvasively determining a physiological characteristic of a patient's blood comprising the steps of:

• providing a first tissue probe having a first radiation emitter with a first wavelength and a first radiation detector configured to receive the first wavelength after absorbance through the patient's blood;
• providing a second tissue probe having a second radiation emitter with a second wavelength and a second radiation detector configured to receive the second wavelength after absorbance through the patient's blood;
• positioning the first and second probes at opposing locations on the patient;
• measuring absorbance of the patient's blood at the opposing locations by emitting radiation through the patient's blood and detecting the radiation after passage through the patient's blood;
• determining a blood parameter by comparing absorbance at the locations;
• and
• computing the physiological characteristic of the patient's blood.

A method for noninvasively determining a physiological characteristic of a patient's blood comprising the steps of:

• providing a first tissue probe having a first radiation emitter with a first wavelength and a first radiation detector configured to receive the first wavelength after absorbance through the patient's blood;
• providing a second tissue probe having a second radiation emitter with a second wavelength and a second radiation detector configured to receive the second wavelength after absorbance through the patient's blood;
• positioning the first and second probes at locations on the patient;
• measuring absorbance of the patient's blood at the first and second probe locations by emitting radiation through the patient's blood and detecting the radiation after passage through the patient's blood;
• determining a blood parameter by comparing absorbance at the locations;
• moving the first probe relative to a level corresponding to the patient's heart to a second position;
• measuring absorbance at the second position;
• computing the blood parameter based on the absorbance at the second position;
• and
• determining the physiological characteristic by comparing the absorbance at the first and second position and the absorbance at the first and second probes.