Combined physiological sensor systems and methods

Abstract

A combined physiological sensor and methods for detecting one or more physiological characteristics of a subject are provided. The combined sensor (e.g., a forehead sensor) may be used to detect and/or calculate at least one of a pulse blood oxygen saturation level, a regional blood oxygen saturation level, a respiration rate, blood pressure, an electrical physiological signal (EPS), a pulse transit time (PTT), body temperature associated with the subject, a depth of consciousness (DOC) measurement, any other suitable physiological parameter, and any suitable combination thereof. The combined sensor may include a variety of individual sensors, such as electrodes, optical detectors, optical emitters, temperature sensors, and/or other suitable sensors. The sensors may be advantageously positioned in accordance with a number of different geometries. The combined sensor may also be coupled to a monitoring device, which may receive and/or process one or more output signals from the individual sensors to display information about the medical condition of the subject. In addition, several techniques may be employed to prevent or limit interference between the individual sensors and their associated input and/or output signals.