Methods and devices for circadian rhythm monitoring

• US 10,368,811 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2018
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• 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:
  US16/124,464
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• 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 wearable device, comprising:

one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to collect data comprising one or more initial physiometric measurements; and

a controller, wherein the controller is configured to;

responsive to a determination, by the controller, that the one or more initial physiometric measurements are insufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm, adjust one or more settings of the one or more sensors such that one or more additional physiometric measurements collected 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.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

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

3. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

perform an analysis of the one or more initial physiometric measurements.

4. The wearable device of claim 1, 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 the one or more initial physiometric measurements.

5. The wearable device of claim 4, wherein the server is configured to perform an analysis of the one or more initial physiometric measurements.

6. The wearable device of claim 4, wherein the one or more instructions from the server include one or more instructions to adjust the one or more settings of the one or more sensors.

7. The wearable device of claim 6, wherein the one or more instructions to adjust the one or more settings of the one or more sensors include an instruction to collect the one or more additional physiometric measurements at a different time of day as compared to the one or more initial physiometric measurements.

8. The wearable device of claim 6, wherein the one or more instructions to adjust the one or more settings of the one or more sensors include an instruction 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.

9. The wearable device of claim 6, wherein the one or more instructions to adjust the one or more settings of the one or more sensors include an instruction to collect a different type of data for the one or more additional physiometric measurements as compared to the one or more initial physiometric measurements.

10. The wearable device of claim 6, wherein the one or more instructions to adjust the one or more settings of the one or more sensors include an instruction to collect a different type of data for the one or more additional physiometric measurements as compared to the one or more initial physiometric measurements by adjusting which of the one or more sensors collect data.

11. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the one or more initial physiometric measurements include one or more measurements of at least one of body motion, pulse, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, or body temperature.

12. A method, comprising:

collecting one or more initial physiometric measurements by one or more sensors of a wearable device mounted to a body surface of a wearer, wherein the wearable device comprises a controller; and

responsive to a determination, by the controller, that 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 collected by the one or more sensors are sufficient to characterize a circadian rhythm of the wearer, 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.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

performing an analysis of the one or more physiometric measurements by the controller.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the wearable device comprises a wireless transceiver, further comprising:

transmitting, by the wireless transceiver, the one or more initial physiometric measurements to a server, wherein the server is configured to perform an analysis of the one or more initial physiometric measurements.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, by the wireless transceiver, one or more instructions from the server, wherein the one or more instructions from the server include one or more instructions to adjust the one or more settings of the one or more sensors.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions to adjust the one or more settings of the one or more sensors include an instruction to collect the one or more additional physiometric measurements at a different time of day as compared to the one or more initial physiometric measurements.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions to adjust the one or more settings of the one or more sensors include an instruction 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.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions to adjust the one or more settings of the one or more sensors include an instruction to collect a different type of data for the one or more additional physiometric measurements as compared to the one or more initial physiometric measurements.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions to adjust the one or more settings of the one or more sensors include an instruction to collect a different type of data for the one or more additional physiometric measurements as compared to the one or more initial physiometric measurements by adjusting which of the one or more sensors collect data.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more initial physiometric measurements include one or more measurements of at least one of body motion, pulse, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, or body temperature.