Physiological measurement communications adapter

A communications adapter method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a sensor signal at a patient location, said sensor signal being output from a noninvasive sensor capable of communicating with a monitor through conventional cabling;
• wirelessly communicating patient data derived from said sensor signal between said patient location and a second location;
• constructing a waveform at said second location responsive to said sensor signal:
• and
• providing said waveform to said monitor via a sensor port usable to communicate with the sensor through conventional cabling, said waveform constructed so that said monitor calculates a parameter generally equilvalent to a measurement derivable from said sensor signal.

A communications adapter comprising:

• a conventional sensor connector which is plug compatible with
• a conventional noninvasive pulse oximetry sensor and is capable of receiving a sensor signal from said sensor;
• means for receiving said sensor signal and outputting a conditioned signal;
• means for sending data responsive to said sensor signal;
• means for receiving said data;
• means for constructing a waveform from said data so that measurements derived by a monitor from said waveform are generally equivalent to measurements derivable from said sensor signal;
• and
• a conventional monitor connector which is plug compatible with a sensor port of said monitor and is capable of communicating said waveform to said sensor port of said monitor, wherein said monitor connector is also capable of communicating with said sensor through conventional cabling.