Methods and devices for circadian rhythm monitoring

• US 10,076,286 B1
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bajaj, Vikram Singh, Jooste, Sarel Kobus
• Primary Examiner(s): Downey, John R
• Application Number:
  US14/519,825
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 600301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4857 Indicating the phase of biorhythm clocks or watches with indicators for biological cycles G04B19/264
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6802 Sensor mounted on worn items
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor

Abstract

Methods for characterizing a circadian rhythm of a wearer of a wearable device are provided. In one example, physiometric measurements are obtained over a period of time by one or more sensors of a wearable device configured to be mounted to a body surface of a wearer. A circadian rhythm of the wearer, such as a sleeping, waking, eating or movement pattern, is characterized based on the physiometric measurements. Based on the identified circadian rhythm, one or more settings of the wearable device, such as a timing or frequency of obtaining physiometric measurements, may be adjusted.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a server, initial data from a wearable device, wherein the initial data comprises one or more initial physiometric measurements obtained by an initial set of one or more sensors of the wearable device over an initial period of time, wherein the wearable device is configured to be mounted to a body surface of a wearer;

determining, by the server, based on an analysis of the initial data, whether the initial data is insufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm of the wearer;

responsive to a determination that the initial data is insufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm of the wearer, transmitting, by the server, one or more instructions to the wearable device, wherein the one or more instructions are configured to cause the wearable device to collect additional data comprising one or more additional physiometric measurements over an additional period of time using a revised set of one or more sensors of the wearable device, wherein the revised set of one or more sensors differs from the initial set of one or more sensors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, based on an analysis of the initial data, whether the initial data is insufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm of the wearer comprises:

identifying at least one cyclical pattern in the initial data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining, based on an analysis of the initial data, whether the initial data is insufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm of the wearer further comprises:

determining, by the server, whether one or more circadian rhythms of the wearer can be characterized based, at least in part, on the at least one cyclical pattern.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more circadian rhythms include at least one of a sleeping pattern, waking pattern, eating pattern, excretion pattern, or physical activity pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more instructions are further configured to cause the wearable device to collect the one or more additional physiometric measurements using a different frequency of measurement as compared to the one or more initial physiometric measurements.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more physiometric measurements include at least one of measurements of body motions, measurements of pulse, measurements of blood oxygen saturation, measurements of blood pressure, or measurements of body temperature.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial period of time is at least 24 hours.

8. A method, comprising:

obtaining, via one or more sensors of a wearable device, one or more initial physiometric measurements over a period of time, wherein the wearable device is configured to be mounted to a body surface of a wearer, and wherein the wearable device comprises a controller;

determining, based on an analysis of the one or more initial physiometric measurements, whether the one or more initial physiometric measurements are insufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm of the wearer;

responsive to determining that the one or more initial physiometric measurements are insufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm of the wearer, adjusting, by the controller, one or more settings of the one or more sensors such that one or more additional physiometric measurements obtained by the one or more sensors are sufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm, wherein the one or more settings specify at least one of a time of day at which the one or more sensors collect data, a frequency at which the one or more sensors collect data, or a type of data collected by the one or more sensors;

characterizing a circadian rhythm of the wearer based on the one or more additional physiometric measurements; and

adjusting, by the controller, one or more settings of the wearable device based on the circadian rhythm of the wearer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein characterizing a circadian rhythm of the wearer based on the one or more additional physiometric measurements comprises identifying one or more cyclical patterns in the one or more additional physiometric measurements.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein characterizing a circadian rhythm of the wearer based on the one or more additional physiometric measurements further comprises:

determining one or more circadian rhythms of the wearer based, at least in part, on the at least one cyclical pattern.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more circadian rhythms include at least one of a sleeping pattern, waking pattern, eating pattern, excretion pattern, or physical activity pattern.

11. A wearable device, comprising:

a mount configured to mount the wearable device to a body surface;

one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to obtain one or more initial physiometric measurements; and

a controller, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine, based on an analysis of the one or more initial physiometric measurements, whether the one or more initial physiometric measurements are insufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm of the wearer; and

responsive to determining that the one or more initial physiometric measurements are insufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm of the wearer, adjust one or more settings of the one or more sensors such that one or more additional physiometric measurements obtained by the one or more sensors are sufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm, wherein the one or more settings specify at least one of a time of day at which the one or more sensors collect data, a frequency at which the one or more sensors collect data, or a type of data collected by the one or more sensors.

12. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the controller comprises a processor configured to generate one or more instructions, wherein the instructions relate to the circadian rhythm.

13. The wearable device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to adjust one or more settings of the wearable device based on the one or more instructions.

14. The wearable device of claim 11, further comprising:

a wireless transceiver, wherein the controller is configured to control the wireless transceiver to transmit data to a server and to receive one or more instructions from the server, wherein the data comprises one or more physiometric measurements obtained by the one or more sensors over a period of time, and wherein the one or more instructions relate to the circadian rhythm.

15. The wearable device of claim 14, wherein the period of time is at least 24 hours.

16. A method, comprising:

sensing, via one or more sensors of a wearable device, one or more initial physiometric measurements over a period of time, wherein the wearable device is configured to be mounted to a body surface of a wearer, and wherein the wearable device comprises a controller;

determining, based on an analysis of the one or more initial physiometric measurements, whether the one or more initial physiometric measurements are insufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm of the wearer; and

responsive to determining that the one or more initial physiometric measurements are insufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm of the wearer, adjusting, by the controller, one or more settings of the one or more sensors such that one or more additional physiometric measurements obtained by the one or more sensors are sufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm, wherein the one or more settings specify at least one of a time of day at which the one or more sensors collect data, a frequency at which the one or more sensors collect data, or a type of data collected by the one or more sensors;

characterizing a circadian rhythm of the wearer based on the one or more additional physiometric measurements;

determining one or more metrics of a health state of the wearer based, at least in part, on the one or more circadian rhythms; and

generating an instruction for the wearer, based at least in part on the one or more metrics of health state and the circadian rhythm.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining one or more metrics of a health state of the wearer of the device based, at least in part, on a comparison of the one or more circadian rhythms of the wearer with one or more typical circadian rhythms.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more instruction comprises an instruction for the wearer to adjust a therapeutic or pharmaceutical drug regimen.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more instruction comprises an instruction for the wearer to adjust a sleep-wake pattern.