Magnetic-flap optical sensor

A magnetic-flap optical sensor is configured to attach to a tissue site so as to illuminate the tissue site with optical radiation and detect the optical radiation after attenuation by pulsatile blood within the tissue site, the sensor having an active pulser so as to generate an artificial pulse and magnetic flaps so as to occlude blood flow at the tissue site, thereby accentuating the artificial pulse, the sensor adapted to communicate with a sensor processor so as to calculate a physiological parameter corresponding to constituents of the pulsatile blood, the sensor comprising:

• an emitter shell having an emitter;
• an emitter pad at least partially disposed within the emitter shell;
• a detector shell having a detector;
• a detector pad at least partially disposed within the detector shell;
• the emitter configured to transmit optical radiation into fingertip tissue inserted between the emitter pad and detector pad;
• the detector configured to receive the optical radiation after attenuation by pulsatile blood flow within fingertip tissue so as to generate a detector signal;
• a plurality of flaps extending over side portions of at least one of the detector shell and emitter shell;
• the flaps configured to block external light from entering between the emitter pad and detector pad when fingertip tissue is inserted between the emitter pad and detector pad;
• an active pulser disposed within the sensor so as to generate an artificial pulse within the fingertip tissue;
• the emitter shell and detector shell mechanically urged together to create a first squeezing force on fingernail and finger pad portions of the fingertip;
• the flaps further configured to create a second squeezing force on side portions of the fingertip;
• and
• the first and second squeezing forces acting to occlude blood flow from the fingertip tissue so as to accentuate the detector signal due to the artificial pulse.