System and method for probability based determination of estimated oxygen saturation

1. A method of estimating a blood flow characteristic in a patient, comprising:

providing a first probability distribution for an actual value of a function of the blood flow characteristic based on a previous value of the function;

providing a second probability distribution describing a probability that observations of the blood flow characteristic were made given that the blood flow characteristic took a certain value; and

combining the first and second probability distributions to facilitate selection of a most likely value of the function for posting as the value of the estimated blood flow characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blood flow characteristic comprises blood oxygen saturation.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising emitting and detecting first and second wavelengths of light with a sensor, wherein the function is a ratio of ratios based on optical observations of the first and second wavelengths of light.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising maximizing a given equation to facilitate selection of the most likely value of the function.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining a noise estimate based on an assumption of normal noise.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising linearly regressing a plurality of optical observations used to determine the previous value and performing a sample standard deviation of residuals to facilitate provision of a noise estimate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the previous value is a single blood oxygen saturation estimate.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising providing probabilities for a plurality of potential actual values based on a measured value of the blood flow characteristic and a noise estimate.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising providing probabilities for a plurality of potential actual values based on the previous value of the function.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

emitting light at first and second wavelengths; and

detecting the light.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising emitting the light at a third wavelength.

12. The method of claim 10 , comprising determining an initial value for the function of the blood flow characteristic based solely on the detected light.

13. A method of estimating a blood flow characteristic in a patient, comprising:

determining a probability distribution of transition for the blood flow characteristic based on a single previous value of the blood flow characteristic;

calculating a new value for the blood flow characteristic;

determining a probability distribution of observation describing a probability that observations of the blood flow characteristic were made given that the blood flow characteristic took a certain value; and

combining the probability distribution of transition and the probability distribution of observation to facilitate selection of a probable value of the blood flow characteristic.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising selecting and posting the probable value as the estimated blood flow characteristic.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the blood flow characteristic comprises blood oxygen saturation.

16. The method of claim 13 , comprising maximizing a given equation to facilitate selection of the probable value of the blood flow characteristic.

17. The method of claim 13 , comprising determining a noise estimate based on an assumption of normal noise.

18. The method of claim 13 , comprising linearly regressing a plurality of optical observations used to determine the single previous value and performing a sample standard deviation of residuals to facilitate provision of a noise estimate.

19. The method of claim 13 , comprising correlating a patient type to a patient blood flow characteristic estimate to provide the single previous value for the blood flow characteristic.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the single previous value is a single blood oxygen saturation estimate.

21. The method of claim 13 , comprising:

emitting light at two or more wavelengths; and

detecting the light.

22. An apparatus for estimating a blood flow characteristic in a patient, comprising:

a sensor configured to facilitate establishment of a measured value of the blood flow characteristic;

a first probability distribution component configured to provide a first probability distribution for an actual value of a function of the blood flow characteristic based on a previous value of the function;

a second probability distribution component configured to provide a second probability distribution describing a probability that observations of the blood flow characteristic were made given that the blood flow characteristic took a certain value; and

a combining component configured to combine the first and second probability distributions to facilitate selection of a most likely value of the function for posting as the value of the estimated blood flow characteristic.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the function is a ratio of ratios based on optical observations of first and second wavelengths of light utilized by the sensor to facilitate establishment of the measured value of the blood flow characteristic.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 , comprising a maximization component configured to maximize a given equation to facilitate selection of the most likely value of the function.

25. The method of claim 22 , comprising a regression component configured to linearly regress a plurality of optical observations used to determine the previous value and perform a sample standard deviation of residuals to facilitate provision of a noise estimate.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 , comprising:

a first emitter configured to emit light at a first wavelength;

a second emitter configured to emit light at a second wavelength; and

a detector configure to detect the light.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 , comprising an estimating component configured to determine an initial value for the function of the blood flow characteristic based solely on the detected light.

28. A method of estimating a blood flow characteristic in a patient, comprising:

providing a first probability distribution for an actual value of a function of the blood flow characteristic based on a previous value of the function, wherein the first probability distribution is a Markov Model transition probability;

providing a second probability distribution describing a probability that observations of the blood flow characteristic were made given that the blood flow characteristic took a certain value; and

combining the first and second probability distributions to facilitate selection of a most likely value of the function for posting as the value of the estimated blood flow characteristic.

29. A method of estimating a blood flow characteristic in a patient, comprising:

providing a first probability distribution for an actual value of a function of the blood flow characteristic based on a previous value of the function;

providing a second probability distribution describing a probability that observations of the blood flow characteristic were made given that the blood flow characteristic took a certain value, wherein the second probability distribution is a linear spline measured value distribution; and

combining the first and second probability distributions to facilitate selection of a most likely value of the function for posting as the value of the estimated blood flow characteristic.