The present invention suggests the use of independent, wireless, smart and therefore self-contained sensors (3, 4, 5) in a patient monitoring system (1). The sensors (3, 4, 5) provide their own communication system for transmitting acquired signals to a patient monitor (8) etc. Furthermore a patient identifier (26) is associated to the communication. This approach introduces a patient-related concept, where all communication is personalized and assigned to the patient (2).