Monolithic integrated emitter-detector array in a flexible substrate for biometric sensing

• US 10,271,745 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gu, Shiqun, Nowak, Matthew Michael, Kaskoun, Kenneth, Dantsker, Eugene, Martin, Russel Allyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Chu Chuan
• Application Number:
  US15/186,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20170360316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/04 Arrangements of multiple sensors of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02433 for infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick

Abstract

Examples of monolithic integrated emitter-detector array in a flexible substrate for biometric sensing and associated devices and methods are disclosed. One disclosed example device includes a flexible substrate; a first array of emitters embedded in the flexible substrate, the first array of emitters configured to emit first electromagnetic (EM) signals; a first array of detectors embedded in the flexible substrate, the first array of detectors configured to detect reflections of the first EM signals; a first scanning circuit coupled to the first array of emitters, the first scanning circuit configured to selectively activate individual emitters of the first array of emitters; and a first sensing circuit coupled to individual detectors of the first array of detectors, the first sensing circuit configured to receive a detection signal from at least one of the detectors of the first array of detectors.

Claims

1. A monolithic device for sensing biometric information comprising:

a flexible substrate; and

a monolithic array of emitters and detectors fabricated in the flexible substrate, the monolithic array comprising;

a first array of emitters configured to emit first electromagnetic (EM) signals;

a first array of detectors configured to detect reflections of the first EM signals;

a first scanning circuit coupled to the first array of emitters, the first scanning circuit configured to selectively activate individual emitters of the first array of emitters; and

a first sensing circuit coupled to individual detectors of the first array of detectors, the first sensing circuit configured to receive a detection signal from at least one of the detectors of the first array of detectors.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first array of emitters comprises a light emitting diode (LED) or an organic LED (OLED).

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first EM signals comprise red light, orange light, green light, or infrared radiation.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first array of detectors comprises a photodiode or a photoresistor.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second array of emitters embedded in the flexible substrate, the second array of emitters configured to emit second electromagnetic (EM) signals, and wherein:

the first array of detectors is further configured to detect reflections of the second EM signals, and

the first scanning circuit is further coupled to the second array of emitters and further configured to selectively activate individual emitters of the second array of emitters.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of arrays of emitters,

a plurality of arrays of detectors, wherein each array of detectors is arranged to correspond with at least one array of emitters.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the emitters of the first array of emitters are arranged in a regular pattern.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the regular pattern comprises a rectangular grid or a hexagonal grid.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the emitters of the first array of emitters are arranged in an irregular pattern.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising optical shielding between adjacent emitters and detectors of the monolithic array.

11. A system for sensing biometric information comprising:

a wearable housing;

a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium disposed within the wearable housing, the processor in communication with the non-transitory computer-readable medium and configured to execute program code stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium;

a flexible substrate;

a monolithic sensor fabricated in the flexible substrate in communication with the processor and configured to provide sensor signals to the processor, the sensor comprising;

a first array of emitters configured to emit first electromagnetic (EM) signals;

a first array of detectors configured to detect reflections of the first EM signals;

a first scanning circuit coupled to the first array of emitters, the first scanning circuit configured to selectively activate individual emitters of the first array of emitters; and

a first sensing circuit coupled to individual detectors of the first array of detectors, the first sensing circuit configured to receive a detection signal from at least one of the detectors of the first array of detectors.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a power source in communication with the processor, the non-transitory computer-readable medium, and the sensor.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first array of emitters comprises a light emitting diode (LED) or a silicon photodiode.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first EM signals comprises red light, orange light, green light, or infrared radiation.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first array of detectors comprises a photodiode or a photoresistor.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a second array of emitters embedded in the flexible substrate, the second array of emitters configured to emit second electromagnetic (EM) signals, and wherein:

the first array of detectors is further configured to detect reflections of the second EM signals, and

the first scanning circuit is further coupled to the second array of emitters and further configured to selectively activate individual emitters of the second array of emitters.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of arrays of emitters,

a plurality of arrays of detectors, wherein each array of detectors is arranged to correspond with at least one array of emitters.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein emitters of the first array of emitters are arranged in a regular pattern.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the regular pattern comprises a rectangular grid or a hexagonal grid.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the emitters of the first array of emitters are arranged in an irregular pattern.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the wearable housing is configured to be worn on a person'"'"'s wrist, a person'"'"'s forearm, a person'"'"'s upper arm, a person'"'"'s chest, or a person'"'"'s leg.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

cause the first scanning circuit to selectively activate individual emitters of the first array of emitters;

determine biometric information based at least in part on a sensor signal received from the sensor.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the biometric information comprises one or more of a pulse rate, a blood oxygen saturation level, or a blood glucose level.

24. A method of sensing biometric information using a monolithic sensor comprising:

providing a monolithic array of emitters and detectors fabricated in a flexible substrate, the monolithic array comprising;

a first array of emitters, each emitter configured to emit an electromagnetic (EM) signal, a first array of detectors;

a first scanning circuit coupled to the first array of emitters, the first scanning circuit configured to selectively activate individual emitters of the first array of emitters; and

a first sensing circuit coupled to individual detectors of the first array of detectors, the first sensing circuit configured to receive a detection signal from at least one of the detectors of the first array of detectors;

for each emitter of the monolithic array;

activating the emitter,

receiving a detector signal from one or more detectors of the monolithic array corresponding to the activated emitter,

deactivating the activated emitter, and

determining a quality of the received detector signal;

selecting an emitter based on the determined qualities;

activating the selected emitter; and

determining biometric information based at least in part on a detector signal received from the corresponding detector.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein selecting the emitter comprises:

determining a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value of the received detector signal; and

responsive to determining that the SNR value exceeds a threshold SNR value, determining that the SNR value exceeds a threshold value and selecting the emitter associated with the SNR value.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein:

selecting the emitter comprises selecting a plurality of emitters, and

activating the selected emitter comprises activating each emitter of the selected plurality of emitters.