Conformable physiological sensor

1. A sensor for measuring physiological characteristics, comprising:

a circuit assembly mounted on a flexible planar substrate that includes a plurality of optical components, said flexible planar substrate having a patient surface configured to be directed toward a patient and a top surface configured to be directed away from the patient when the sensor is affixed to the patient;

at least one material layer proximate to said flexible planar substrate; and

an adhesive layer on the patient side of said flexible planar substrate and configured to adhere the sensor to a surface of the patient;

wherein an entire perimeter of said adhesive layer extends beyond a perimeter of said flexible planar substrate and a perimeter of said material layer of the sensor having the largest perimeter, such that the perimeter of the adhesive layer defines the overall shape and size of the sensor,

wherein said optical components are mounted in and pass through orifices that extend through said flexible planar substrate and a center longitudinal axis of each said optical component is aligned with and coincides with a center horizontal plane of said flexible planar substrate.

2. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein a center horizontal plane of said flexible planar surface is axially aligned with the mechanical center of said optical components.

3. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein said optical components are mounted such that half of each component mounted in said orifice extends above a center horizontal plane of said flexible planar substrate and the other half of each component mounted in said orifices extends below said center horizontal plane of said flexible planar substrate.

4. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein a center of the optical components is axially aligned with the plane defined by the flexible planar substrate.

5. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein said sensor includes at least two material layers, and said flexible planar substrate is disposed between said two material layers.

6. The sensor of claim 5 , wherein a thickness of said two material layers equals a thickness of said optical component having the greatest thickness.

7. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein said sensor is configured to conform to the shape of a surface of a patient, and to maintain the conformed shape independent of adhesion force applied by said adhesive layer.

8. The sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a deformable layer disposed within said sensor and configured to conform to the shape of a surface of a patient, and to maintain the conformed shape independent of adhesion force applied by said adhesive layer.

9. The sensor of claim 8 , wherein said deformable layer is a metal layer.

10. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein said optical components include a light source and a light detector.

11. A sensor, comprising:

a circuit assembly mounted on a flexible planar substrate that includes a plurality of optical components, said flexible planar substrate having a patient surface configured to be directed toward a patient and a top surface configured to be directed away from the patient when the sensor is affixed to the patient;

at least two material layers, wherein said flexible planar substrate is disposed between said two material layers; and

wherein said optical components are mounted in and pass through orifices that extend through said flexible planar substrate;

wherein a center of the optical components is axially aligned with the plane defined by the flexible planar substrate.

12. The sensor of claim 11 , further comprising an adhesive layer on the patient side of said flexible planar substrate, wherein an entire perimeter of said adhesive layer extends beyond a perimeter of said flexible planar substrate and a perimeter of said material layer of the sensor having the largest perimeter, such that the perimeter of the adhesive layer defines the overall shape and size of the sensor.

13. The sensor of claim 11 , wherein a center longitudinal axis of each said optical component is aligned with and coincides with a center horizontal plane of said flexible planar substrate.

14. The sensor of claim 11 , wherein said optical components are mounted such that half of each component mounted in said orifice extends above a center horizontal plane of said flexible planar substrate and the other half of each component mounted in said orifices extends below said center horizontal plane of said flexible planar substrate.

15. The sensor of claim 11 , wherein said sensor is configured to conform to the shape of a surface of a patient, and to maintain the conformed shape independent of adhesive force applied by said adhesive layer.

16. The sensor of claim 11 , further comprising a metal layer disposed within said sensor and configured to conform to the shape of a surface of a patient and to maintain the conformed shape independent of adhesion force applied by said adhesive layer.

17. A sensor, comprising:

a circuit assembly mounted on a flexible planar substrate that includes at least a light source and a light detector, said flexible planar substrate having a patient surface configured to be directed toward a patient and a top surface configured to be directed away from the patient when the sensor is affixed to the patient;

at least two material layers, wherein said flexible planar substrate is disposed between said two material layers;

an adhesive layer on the patient side of said flexible planar substrate, wherein an entire perimeter of said adhesive layer extends beyond a perimeter of said flexible planar substrate and a perimeter of said material layers of the sensor having the largest perimeter, such that the perimeter of the adhesive layer defines the overall shape and size of the sensor; and

wherein said light source and said light detector are mounted in orifices in said flexible planar substrate such that said light source and said light detector extend through said flexible planar substrate;

wherein a center longitudinal axis of each said light source and light detector is aligned with and coincides with a center horizontal plane of said flexible planar substrate.

18. The sensor of claim 17 , wherein said light source and said light detector are mounted such that half of each said light source and light detector mounted in said orifice extends above a center horizontal plane of said flexible planar substrate and the other half of each said light source and light detector mounted in said orifices extends below said center horizontal plane of said flexible planar substrate.

19. The sensor of claim 17 , wherein said sensor is configured to conform to the shape of a surface of a patient, and to maintain the conformed shape independent of adhesion force applied by said adhesive layer.