The present disclosure relates generally to patient monitoring systems and, more particularly, to wireless patient sensors and patient monitors. In an embodiment, a patient sensor device includes an emitter configured to emit light into a tissue of a patient as well as a detector configured to detect the light from the tissue of the patient and produce a corresponding electrical signal. The patient sensor also includes signal processing circuitry configured to receive and convert the electrical signal of the detector into detector signal data. The patient sensor also includes a wireless module communicatively coupled to a patient monitor and configured to transmit a physiological parameter value, the detector signal data, or both, to the patient monitor. The patient sensor also includes a processor configured to determine whether the patient sensor or the patient monitor should calculate the physiological parameter value based, at least in part, on the detector signal data. The processor is also configured to calculate the physiological parameter value for the patient based, at least in part, on the detector signal data, if the processor determines that the patient sensor should calculate the physiological parameter value. The processor is also configured to send the detector signal data to the patient monitor, via the wireless module, to calculate the physiological parameter value for the patient based, at least in part, on the detector signal data, if the processor determines that the patient monitor should calculate the physiological parameter value.
