Instrument having optical device measuring a physiological quantity and means for transmitting and/or receiving data

1. A portable instrument including an optical device capable of measuring a physiological quantity, for example the heart rhythm, and emitting and/or receiving data, said optical device including at least one light source for subjecting a portion of an organic tissue to a light emission and at least one photoreceptor for detecting the intensity of the light emission after propagation in said organic tissue,

wherein said optical device also emits and/or receives data, said at least one light source and/or said at least one photoreceptor being arranged for respectively emitting data to an external unit or receiving data from said external unit, and wherein said optical device has a measuring phase during which it operates as means for measuring said physiological quantity and a communication phase during which it operates as data emission and/or reception means and is operable to be switched between the measuring and communication phases,

the portable instrument further including memory means for storing data, during said measuring phase, relating to the evolution over time of said physiological quantity prior to transmission of said data, during said communication phase, to said external unit.

2. The portable instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said optical device is arranged such that, when said portable instrument is being worn, it is brought into permanent contact with the organic tissue in order to operate as means for measuring said physiological quantity, said optical device being arranged to operate as data emission and/or reception means when said portable instrument is not being worn.

3. A portable instrument including an optical device capable of measuring a physiological quantity, for example the heart rhythm, and emitting and/or receiving data, said optical device including at least one light source for subjecting a portion of an organic tissue to a light emission, at least one photoreceptor for detecting the intensity of the light emission after propagation in said organic tissue,

wherein said optical device also emits and/or receives data, said at least one light source and/or said at least one photoreceptor being arranged for respectively emitting data to an external unit or receiving data from said external unit,

further comprising first detection means for automatically activating the physiological quantity measuring function of said optical device when the first detection means is brought into contact with the organic tissue.

4. The portable instrument according to claim 3 , wherein said first detection means determines whether said optical device is in contact with the organic tissue on the basis of the intensity of the light emission detected by at least one photoreceptor of the optical device.

5. The portable instrument according to claim 3 , further comprising second detection means for automatically detecting the data emission and/or reception function of said optical device when data is emitted to said portable instrument.

6. The portable instrument according to claim 5 , wherein said second detection means detects whether data is emitted to the portable instrument on the basis of the intensity of the light emission detected by at least one photoreceptor of the optical device.

7. The portable instrument according to claim 5 , wherein the data emission function and the data reception function of said optical device are selected on the basis of predetermined optical control signals transmitted by the external unit.