Optical sensor including disposable and reusable elements

1. A reusable component of a noninvasive optical sensor, the reusable component comprising:

at least one energy emitter;

at least one detector capable of detecting energy attenuated by body tissue and capable of outputting a signal usable to determine one or more physiological characteristics of the body tissue;

a first casing housing one of the at least one energy emitter and the at least one detector, the first casing comprising at least one locking feature configured to interact with a corresponding locking feature of a disposable attachment of the noninvasive optical sensor upon application of the disposable attachment to the patient to fix movement of the first casing and the disposable attachment with respect to one another in at least one direction;

a second casing housing the other of the at least one energy emitter and the at least one detector, comprising:

a front portion having a bottom surface and a front surface extending from the bottom surface;

at least one electrical component capable of electrically communicating with at least one corresponding electrical component in the disposable attachment; and

at least one opening in the second casing extending along at least a portion of the bottom surface and at least a portion of front surface, the at least one electrical component of the reusable component accessible through the at least one opening.

2. The reusable component of claim 1 , wherein the at least one locking feature of the first casing comprises at least one tab and the at least one locking feature of the disposable attachment comprises at least one groove, the at least one tab capable of sliding along groove upon application of the disposable attachment to the patient.

3. The reusable component of claim 1 , further comprising a flexible connector connecting the first casing to the second casing.

4. A method of using the reusable component of claim 1 , comprising:

mating the first casing with the disposable attachment;

mating the second casing with the disposable attachment;

attaching the disposable attachment having the first and second casings mated thereto to the patient; and

activating the at least one energy emitter to emit energy into the body tissue.

5. A noninvasive optical sensor having a reusable portion and a disposable portion and capable of outputting a signal indicative of light attenuated by body tissue usable to determine one or more physiological characteristics of the body tissue, the optical sensor comprising:

a reusable component including at least one energy emitter and at least one detector capable of detecting energy attenuated by body tissue and capable of outputting a signal usable to determine one or more physiological characteristics of the body tissue, the at least one energy emitter being housed in a first casing and the at least one detector being housed in a second casing; and

a disposable component including a first receptacle mechanically matable with the first casing and a second receptacle mechanically matable with the second casing, wherein at least one of the receptacles mates in a movable manner with respect to its corresponding casing such that application of the disposable component to the body tissue moves the corresponding casing with respect to the at least one receptacle, wherein the other of the first and second receptacles is configured to be mated in a plurality of different insertion trajectories, including angularly.

6. The optical sensor of claim 5 , wherein the number of different insertion trajectories further includes vertically.

7. The optical sensor of claim 5 , wherein the number of different insertion trajectories further includes laterally.

8. The optical sensor of claim 5 , wherein the first and second casings are connected to one another by a flexible connector.

9. The optical sensor of claim 5 , wherein the movably matable of the at least one of the first and second receptacles mechanically mates in a vertically and horizontally open manner with respect to its corresponding casing, wherein application of the disposable component to the body tissue moves the corresponding casing with respect to the movably matable of the at least one of the first and second receptacles to be substantially vertically fixed.

10. The optical sensor of claim 9 , wherein removal of the disposable component from the body tissue moves the corresponding casing back to being vertically and horizontally open with respect to the movably matable of the at least one of the first and second receptacles, thereby permitting straightforward separation of the disposable and the removable components.

11. The optical sensor of claim 5 , wherein the disposable component comprises an information component, and wherein assembly of the reusable and disposable components creates an electrical connection between the information component and conductors of the reusable component.

12. A method of assembling a disposable attachment component of a non-invasive optical sensor:

providing a disposable attachment component of a non-invasive optical sensor, the disposable attachment component comprising a first flexible tape portion and at least one receptacle supported by the first flexible tape portion and for receiving at least one housing of a reusable component of the sensor, the reusable component including at least one energy emitter and at least one detector capable of detecting energy attenuated by body tissue and capable of outputting a signal usable to determine one or more physiological characteristics of the body tissue;

separating the first flexible tape portion from the at least one receptacle;

attaching a second flexible tape portion to the at least one housing such that the first flexible tape portion supports the at least one housing of the reusable component in a manner substantially similar to the manner in which the first flexible tape portion supported the reusable component.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first and second flexible tape portions each comprise a first aperture and a second aperture, wherein the method further comprises attaching the second flexible tape portion such that the energy emitted from the at least one energy emitter passes through the first aperture and energy attenuated by body tissue passes through the second aperture.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein disposable attachment component comprises at least one information component, the method further comprising:

separating the first flexible tape portion from the at least one information element;

attaching the second flexible tape portion to the at least one information element; and

modifying at least a portion of memory content of the information element.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining at least a portion of memory contents of at least one first information element of the disposable attachment component;

separating the first flexible tape portion from the at least one first information element;

updating a portion of memory contents of at least one second information element in response to the at least a portion of the memory contents of the at least one first information element; and

attaching the second flexible tape portion to the at least one second information element.