Abstract: Provided is a method and apparatus for storing of a sensor cable used with a medical device. The medical device may include a retraction device that is activated by depressing a lever. Once the lever is depressed, the sensor cable may automatically wind itself around a spool inside of the medical device. Additionally, an automatic stop feature prevents a sensor cable from retracting without depression of the lever, thus maintaining the exact length of cable required to connect a monitor to the monitoring site on a patient. The retraction of the sensor cable may allow for storage of the cable in the monitor itself, or may allow for storage of the cable into the retraction device, which may be detachable from the monitor.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the acquisition and use of an arterial pulse signal that may be used to synchronize the measurement of other physiological characteristics. In one embodiment, a sensor is provided that emits light toward a pulsing artery and detects the transmitted light to generate a signal representative of the amount of light detected. In another embodiment, a sensor is provided that acquires physiological data from a first emitter and first detector placed proximate to a perfused tissue site and acquires arterial pulse data from a second emitter and second detector placed proximate to an artery. Embodiments related to systems, tangible media, and methods of operation are also provided.

Abstract: A patient monitoring system includes a pulse oximeter sensor and an audible alarm which is not produced when a blood pressure module is taking measurements, but only during that portion of the cycle that affects the pulse oximeter reading. During such measurements, the pulses detected by the oximeter decrease below a threshold T.sub.oxim. An audible alarm is caused to receive a logic level of zero by an AND gate through the detection of measurements exceeding a minimum pressure P.sub.min on the blood pressure module. The audible alarm continues to receive such a logic level until the measurements exceed a threshold P.sub.thr. After that time, the audible alarm AND gate logic level is reset to one, so as to permit reporting of pulses missing at the oximeter. None of the other alarms, such as the actual SPO.sub.2 reading, are affected by the AND gate. Accordingly, the present invention does not affect the taking of important SpO.sub.

Abstract: A patient monitoring system includes a pulse oximeter sensor and an audible alarm which is not produced when a blood pressure module is taking measurements, but only during that portion of the cycle that affects the pulse oximeter reading. During such measurements, the pulses detected by the oximeter decrease below a threshold T.sub.oxim. An audible alarm is caused to receive a logic level of zero by an AND gate through the detection of measurements exceeding a minimum pressure P.sub.min on the blood pressure module. The audible alarm continues to receive such a logic level until the measurements exceed a threshold P.sub.thr. After that time, the audible alarm AND gate logic level is reset to one, so as to permit reporting of pulses missing at the oximeter. None of the other alarms, such as the actual SpO.sub.2 reading, are affected by the AND gate. Accordingly, the present invention does not affect the taking of important SpO.sub.