Optical sensor for sports equipment

• US 20070049813A1
• Filed: 08/25/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Blouin
• Original Assignee: David Blouin
• Inventors: Blouin, David
• Application Number:
  US11/210,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20070049813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/340
• 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 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/68 Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient

Abstract

The invention provides a method and an apparatus to monitor a person'"'"'s vital signs such as, for example, heart rate and blood oxygen level, using non-invasive optical sensors. The invention provides an optical sensor for integration to sports equipment, the sensor comprising: a lighting system for mounting to the sports equipment, the lighting system for providing a light intensity for scattering by a user'"'"'s skin; and a detection system for mounting to the sports equipment, for detecting the scattered light and for providing a corresponding signal, the corresponding signal being associated to a vital sign of the user. Advantageously, the optical sensor comprises a plurality of near-infrared sources, of red sources and of detectors that are distributed on a surface so as to form a sensing array. Advantageously, the optical sensor is integrated to the handle of sports equipment.

Claims

1. An optical sensor for integration to equipment, the sensor comprising:

a lighting system for mounting to the equipment, the lighting system for providing a light intensity for scattering by a user'"'"'s skin;

a detection system for mounting to the equipment, for detecting the scattered light and for providing a corresponding signal, the corresponding signal being associated to a vital sign of the user, the detection system comprising an analysis unit for determining, from the corresponding signal, said vital sign; and

the analysis unit comprises at least one of a waveform shape recognition algorithm, a waveform repetition rate recognition algorithm and a waveform amplitude recognition algorithm.

2. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a support to which is mounted at least one of the lighting system and the detection system.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the equipment comprises a handle.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the lighting system comprises a light source emitting in the near-infrared.

5. The sensor of claim 4, wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the detection system comprises a detector sensitive to the near-infrared.

7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the lighting system comprises an optical fiber linkable to a remote light source for providing the light intensity.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the detection system comprises an optical fiber linkable to a remote detector for detecting.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the lighting system comprises a first and a second light sources, the first source emitting in the near-infrared and the second source emitting in the red portion of the visible spectrum.

10. The sensor of claim 9, wherein each one of the first and second light sources comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

11. The sensor of claim 9, wherein the detection system comprises a detector sensitive to the near-infrared and to the red portion of the visible spectrum.

12. The sensor of claim 9, wherein the lighting system comprises a control unit for alternatively turning on the first and second light sources.

13. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the lighting system comprises a plurality of near-infrared and red light sources, the near-infrared sources emitting in the near-infrared and the red sources emitting in the red portion of the visible spectrum.

14. The sensor of claim 13, wherein the near-infrared and red sources comprise light emitting diodes (LED).

15. The sensor of claim 13, wherein the detection system comprises a plurality of detectors sensitive to the near-infrared and to the red portion of the visible spectrum.

16. The sensor of claim 13, wherein the near-infrared sources, the red sources and the detectors are distributed on a surface so as to form a sensing array.

17. The sensor of claim 16, wherein the near-infrared sources, the red sources and the detectors are uniformly distributed on the surface.

18. The sensor of claim 13, wherein the light source system comprises a control unit for alternatively turning on the near-infrared and red light sources.

19. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the vital sign comprises at least one of a heart beat rate and an blood oxygen level.

20. The sensor of claim 19, wherein said equipment comprises sports equipment.

21. The sensor of claim 19, further comprising a display unit for displaying one of the heart beat rate and the blood oxygen level.

22. The sensor of claim 19, wherein the detection system comprises means to relay the corresponding signal to the analysis unit.

23. The sensor of claim 22, wherein the means to relay comprises a wireless transmitter.

24. A handle for optically sensing a vital sign of a person;

the handle comprising;

a portion for a hand of the person;

a lighting system integrated to the handle, the lighting system for providing a light intensity for scattering by the skin of the person'"'"'s hand; and

a detection system for detecting the scattered light and providing a corresponding signal, the detection system being integrated to the handle, the corresponding signal being associated to the vital sign.

25. The handle of claim 24, comprising a handle forming part of sports equipment.

26. The handle of claim 24, wherein the lighting system comprises a light source emitting in the near-infrared.

27. The handle of claim 26, wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

28. The handle of claim 24, wherein the detection system comprises a detector sensitive to the near-infrared.

29. The handle of claim 24, wherein the lighting system comprises an optical fiber linkable to a remote light source for providing the light intensity.

30. The handle of claim 24, wherein the detection system comprises an optical fiber linkable to a remote detector for detecting.

31. The handle of claim 24, wherein the lighting system comprises a first and a second light sources, the first source emitting in the near-infrared and the second source emitting in the red portion of the visible spectrum.

32. The handle of claim 31, wherein each one of the first and second light sources comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

33. The handle of claim 31, wherein the detection system comprises a detector sensitive to the near-infrared and to the red portion of the visible spectrum.

34. The handle of claim 31, wherein the lighting system comprises a control unit for alternatively turning on the first and second light sources.

35. The handle of claim 24, wherein the lighting system comprises a plurality of near-infrared and =red light sources, the near-infrared sources emitting in the near-infrared and the red sources emitting in the red portion of the visible spectrum.

36. The handle of claim 35, wherein the near-infrared and red sources comprise light emitting diodes (LED).

37. The handle of claim 35, wherein the detection system comprises a plurality of detectors sensitive to the near-infrared and to the red portion of the visible spectrum.

38. The handle of claim 35, wherein the near-infrared sources, the red sources and the detectors are distributed on a surface so as to form a sensing array.

39. The handle of claim 38, wherein the near-infrared sources, the red sources and the detectors are uniformly distributed on the surface.

40. The handle of claim 35, wherein the light source system comprises a control unit for alternatively turning on the near-infrared and red light sources.

41. The handle of claim 24, wherein the detection system comprises an analysis unit for determining, from the corresponding signal, at least one of the heart beat rate and the blood oxygen level.

42. The handle of claim 41, wherein the analysis unit comprises at least one of a waveform shape recognition algorithm, a waveform repetition rate recognition algorithm and a waveform amplitude recognition.

43. The handle of claim 41, further comprising a display unit for displaying one of the heart beat rate and the blood oxygen level.

44. The handle of claim 41, wherein the detection system comprises means to relay the corresponding signal to the analysis unit.

45. The handle of claim 44, wherein the means to relay comprises a wireless transmitter.

46. A method for monitoring a vital sign of a user of equipment, the method comprising:

emitting a light intensity using a lighting system integrated to the equipment;

generating a scattered light intensity by contacting the equipment with a part of the user'"'"'s body; and

detecting the scattered light intensity using a detection system integrated to the equipment and determining a corresponding signal being associated to the vital sign;

said determining comprises at least one of recognizing a waveform shape in the corresponding signal;

recognizing a waveform repetition rate in the corresponding signal; and

recognizing a waveform amplitude in the corresponding signal.

47. The method as claimed in claim 46, wherein emitting the light intensity comprises emitting a near-infrared intensity.

48. The method as claimed in claim 46, wherein emitting the light intensity comprises modulating the light intensity as a function of time.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein emitting the light intensity comprises emitting a near-infrared intensity and a visible red intensity.

50. The method as claimed in claim 49, wherein emitting the light intensity comprises emitting the near-infrared intensity and the visible red intensity alternatively as a function of time.

51. The method of claim 46, wherein emitting the light intensity comprises emitting a distributed light intensity pattern so as to provide a regular distribution of light intensity as a function of a surface of a portion of the equipment.

52. The method as claimed in claim 51, wherein detecting the scattered light intensity comprises detecting the scattered light intensity at a plurality of emplacements on the surface of the portion of the equipment, so as to provide a distributed detection of scattered light as a function of the surface.

53. The method as claimed in claim 46, further comprising determining from the corresponding signal at least one of a heart beat rate and a blood oxygen level.