Optical monitoring apparatus and methods

• US 10,623,849 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2017
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yukka Magic LLC
• Original Assignee: Valencell, Inc.
• Inventors: Wagner, Wolfgang, Stephenson, Shawn, Just, Steven Matthew, Aumer, Michael Edward, Tucker, Jesse Berkley, Eschbach, Lawrence Christopher, LeBoeuf, Steven Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Stice, Paula J
• Application Number:
  US15/794,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20180042554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0238 Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6802 Sensor mounted on worn items
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6815 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083

Abstract

An apparatus includes a digital camera configured to capture a plurality of images of a region of a body of a subject, a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor configured to sense blood flow information from the subject, and a processor in communication with the digital camera and the PPG sensor. The processor is configured to analyze a blood flow information signal from the PPG sensor and determine a heart rate frequency and/or a breathing rate frequency of the subject. The processor is also configured to analyze the plurality of images and determine whether or not a portion of the region of the body is modulating at a frequency that is similar to the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a digital camera configured to capture a plurality of images of a region of a body of a subject;

a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor configured to sense blood flow information from the subject; and

a processor in communication with the digital camera and the PPG sensor, wherein the processor is configured to analyze a blood flow information signal from the PPG sensor and determine a heart rate frequency relating to a heart rate and/or a breathing rate frequency relating to a breathing rate of the subject, and wherein the processor is configured to analyze the plurality of images and determine whether or not a portion of the region of the body is modulating at a frequency that is similar to the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify pixels in the plurality of images that are changing at a rate that is equivalent to the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject; and

selectively amplify a signal level of the identified pixels with respect to other pixels in the plurality of images to enhance contrast of the identified pixels from the other pixels.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to generate an assessment of a blood analyte along a subject blood vessel by ratioing intensities of two or more wavelengths from the selectively amplified pixels, wherein the blood analyte is one or more of the following:

hemoglobin, bilirubin, lactate, and glucose.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to generate an assessment of changes in shape of a subject blood vessel along its length from the selectively amplified pixels.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to characterize static and/or dynamic changes in a subject blood vessel and generate a biometric identification of the subject using the selectively amplified pixels.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to compare a characterization of a blood vessel with a stored characterization of the blood vessel to determine similarity.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor configured to detect motion of the body of the subject, and wherein the processor is configured to attenuate frequencies associated with detected body motion from the blood flow information prior to determining the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a portable telecommunication device.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a digital camera configured to capture a plurality of images of a region of a body of a subject;

a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor configured to sense blood flow information from the subject; and

a processor in communication with the digital camera and the PPG sensor, wherein the processor is configured to analyze a blood flow information signal from the PPG sensor and determine a heart rate frequency relating to a heart rate and/or a breathing rate frequency relating to a breathing rate of the subject, and wherein the processor is configured to analyze the plurality of images and identify one or more portions of the region of the body that are not modulating at a frequency that is similar to the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to identify the one or more portions of the region of the body of the subject that are not modulating at a frequency that is similar to the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject by identifying pixels in the plurality of images that are not changing at a rate that is equivalent to the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to selectively amplify a signal level of the identified pixels with respect to other pixels in the plurality of images to enhance contrast of the identified pixels from the other pixels.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a motion sensor configured to detect motion of the body of the subject, and wherein the processor is configured to attenuate frequencies associated with detected body motion from the blood flow information prior to determining the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is a portable telecommunication device.

14. A method of sensing biometric information from a subject via an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a digital camera, a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, and a processor in communication with the digital camera and the PPG sensor, the method comprising:

capturing a plurality of images of a region of a body of the subject via the digital camera;

sensing blood flow information from the subject via the PPG sensor;

analyzing a blood flow information signal from the PPG sensor via the processor to determine a heart rate frequency relating to a heart rate and/or a breathing rate frequency relating to a breathing rate of the subject; and

analyzing the plurality of images via the processor to determine whether or not a portion of the region of the body is modulating at a frequency that is similar to the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein analyzing the plurality of images comprises identifying pixels in the plurality of images that are changing at a rate that is equivalent to the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject, and selectively amplifying, via the processor, a signal level of the identified pixels with respect to other pixels in the plurality of images to enhance contrast of the identified pixels from the other pixels.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the electronic device includes a motion sensor, and wherein the method further comprises detecting motion of the body of the subject via the motion sensor, and attenuating frequencies associated with the detected body motion from the blood flow information signal via the processor prior to determining the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating, via the processor, an assessment of a blood analyte along a subject blood vessel by ratioing intensities of two or more wavelengths from the selectively amplified pixels, wherein the blood analyte is one or more of the following:

hemoglobin, bilirubin, lactate, and glucose.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating, via the processor, an assessment of changes in shape of a subject blood vessel along its length from the selectively amplified pixels.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising characterizing, via the processor, static and/or dynamic changes in a subject blood vessel and generating a biometric identification of the subject using the selectively amplified pixels.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising comparing, via the processor, a characterization of a blood vessel with a stored characterization of the blood vessel to determine similarity.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the electronic device is a portable telecommunication device.

22. A method of sensing biometric information from a subject via an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a digital camera, a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, and a processor in communication with the digital camera and the PPG sensor, the method comprising:

capturing a plurality of images of a region of a body of the subject via the digital camera;

sensing blood flow information from the subject via the PPG sensor;

analyzing a blood flow information signal from the PPG sensor via the processor to determine a heart rate frequency relating to a heart rate and/or a breathing rate frequency relating to a breathing rate of the subject; and

analyzing the plurality of images via the processor to identify one or more portions of the region of the body of the subject that are not modulating at a frequency that is similar to the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein identifying the one or more portions of the region of the body of the subject that are not modulating at a frequency that is similar to the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject comprises identifying pixels in the plurality of images that are not changing at a rate that is equivalent to the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising selectively amplifying, via the processor, a signal level of the identified pixels with respect to other pixels in the plurality of images to enhance contrast of the identified pixels from the other pixels.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the electronic device further comprises a motion sensor configured to detect motion of the body of the subject, and wherein the method further comprises attenuating, via the processor, frequencies associated with detected body motion from the blood flow information signal prior to determining the heart rate frequency and/or the breathing rate frequency of the subject.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the electronic device is a portable telecommunication device.