Implantable systems and methods for UV dose monitoring

• US 10,088,358 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Driscoll, Stephen, Cong, Peng, Lu, Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kiho
• Application Number:
  US15/234,252
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0219 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/429 applied to measurement of ultraviolet light using counting tubes G01T

Abstract

An ultra violet (UV) light dose monitoring system may include an implantable microchip for injection below the surface of a person'"'"'s skin. The microchip may include a solar cell, a data telemetry transmitter, and a first sensor cell that absorbs UV light that passes through the skin. The system may also include a remote reader. The remote reader may include a data telemetry receiver that receives the data from the microchip and a processor for controlling operation of the remote reader. The data telemetry transmitter may transmit data indicative of a UV light intensity for the UV light absorbed by the first sensor cell to the data telemetry receiver, and the processor may calculate a UV dose based on the data.

Claims

1. An ultra violet (UV) light dose monitoring system, comprising:

an implantable microchip for injection below a surface of a person'"'"'s skin, the microchip comprising;

a solar cell;

a data telemetry transmitter;

a first light sensor configured to absorb UV light;

non-volatile memory configured to store UV light intensity information; and

a processor in communication with the first light sensor to;

receive a light sensor signal indicative of a UV light intensity absorbed by the first light sensor,

store sensed UV light intensities in the non-volatile memory, and

in response to receiving a signal from a remote reader, cause the data telemetry transmitter to transmit one or more of the stored UV light intensities.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the microchip further includes a non-UV filter disposed over the first light sensor, the non-UV filter configured to allow UV light to pass while blocking other forms of light.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the microchip has a second light sensor that is covered by an UV filter configured to block UV light;

the first light sensor is configured to absorb light including UV light and output a total light intensity;

the second light sensor is configured to absorb light and outputs a non UV light intensity; and

the processor is further configured to calculate the UV light intensity by determining a difference between the total light intensity and the non UV light intensity.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the microchip further comprises a conformal material coating that covers the microchip and has a thickness between about 5 microns and about 15 microns thick.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the solar cell and the first light sensor are photovoltaic cells.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein an area of the solar cell is between 15 and 25 times an area of the first light sensor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the microchip is a monolithic chip and the microchip is between about 200 microns and 500 microns in width.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising the remote reader, the remote reader comprising:

a data telemetry receiver to receive the UV light intensities from the microchip; and

a processor configured to calculate a UV dose based on the UV light intensities.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the remote reader is integrated into a wearable device configured to display at least one of the UV light intensity, the UV dose, or a percentage of allowable UV dose.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of the implantable microchips.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the remote reader is configured to transmit at least one of the UV light intensity and the UV dose to a smart phone.

12. An ultra violet (UV) light dose monitoring system, comprising:

an implantable microchip for injection below a surface of a person'"'"'s skin, the microchip comprising;

a power system that receives power via wireless energy transmission;

a data telemetry transmitter;

a first light sensor that absorbs UV light that passes through the skin;

non-volatile memory configured to store UV light intensity information; and

a processor in communication with the first light sensor to;

receive a light sensor signal indicative of a UV light intensity absorbed by the first light sensor,

store sensed UV light intensities in the non-volatile memory, and

in response to receiving a signal from a remote reader, cause the data telemetry transmitter to transmit at least one of the stored UV light intensities.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the microchip further includes a non-UV filter disposed over the first light sensor, the non-UV filter configured to allow UV light to pass while blocking other forms of light.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the microchip has a second light sensor that is covered by an UV filter configured to block UV light;

the first light sensor is configured to absorb light including UV light and output a total light intensity;

the second light sensor is configured to absorb light and outputs a non UV light intensity; and

the processor is further configured to calculate the UV light intensity by determining a difference between the total light intensity and the non UV light intensity.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first light sensor and the second light sensor each comprise one or more photovoltaic cells.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising a remote reader, the remote reader comprising:

a power source that powers the remote reader and wirelessly delivers power to the microchip via wireless energy transmission;

a data telemetry receiver to receive the UV light intensities from the microchip; and

a processor configured to calculate a UV dose based on the UV light intensities.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the remote reader comprises a transparent panel, the transparent panel configured to align with a microchip disposed beneath the remote reader and allow UV light to pass through the remote reader and be detected by the first light sensor.

18. A method of UV light dose monitoring of a person using an implantable microchip having a sensor system under a surface of a person'"'"'s skin, comprising:

absorbing, by a UV sensor implanted under the surface of the person'"'"'s skin, UV light that passes through the person'"'"'s skin, the implantable microchip comprising;

a solar cell;

a data telemetry transmitter;

the UV sensor configured to absorb UV light;

non-volatile memory configured to store UV light intensity information; and

a processor in communication with the UV sensor to;

receive a light sensor signal indicative of a UV light intensity absorbed by the UV sensor,

store sensed UV light intensities in the non-volatile memory, and in response to receiving a signal from a remote reader, cause the data telemetry transmitter to transmit one or more of the stored UV light intensities;

determining an amount of UV light absorbed by the UV sensor; and

storing the determined amount of UV light in the non-volatile memory in the implantable microchip.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising injecting the implantable microchip, which includes:

applying suction to a section of the person'"'"'s skin to raise a section of skin;

piercing the section of skin from the side with a cannula containing the implantable microchip; and

injecting the implantable microchip into the section skin without damaging the person'"'"'s skin above the microchip.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

positioning the remote reader in proximity to the microchip;

transmitting data indicative of a UV light intensity of the UV light absorbed by the microchip to the remote reader; and

determining a UV dose based on the data.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

periodically positioning the remote reader in proximity to the microchip;

obtaining the determined amount of UV light from the non-volatile memory in the microchip;

uploading the UV dose to a remote computing device; and

displaying at least one of the UV light intensity and the UV dose via the remote reader.