US Patent 10271748 Patient monitor for determining microcirculation state

As placement of a physiological monitoring sensor is typically at a sensor site located at an extremity of the body, the state of microcirculation, such as whether vessels are blocked or open, can have a significant effect on the readings at the sensor site. It is therefore desirable to provide a patient monitor and/or physiological monitoring sensor capable of distinguishing the microcirculation state of blood vessels. In some embodiments, the patient monitor and/or sensor provide a warning and/or compensates a measurement based on the microcirculation state. In some embodiments, a microcirculation determination process implementable by the patient monitor and/or sensor is used to determine the state of microcirculation of the patient.