NONINVASIVE PHYSIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS USING EXCITATION-SENSOR MODULES AND RELATED DEVICES AND METHODS

• US 20090112071A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yukka Magic LLC
• Original Assignee: Valencell, Inc.
• Inventors: LeBoeuf, Steven Francis, Aumer, Michael Edward, Tucker, Jesse Berkley
• Granted Patent: US 8,251,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02116 of pulse wave amplitude A61B5/02225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02141 Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0295 using plethysmography, i.e. measuring the variations in the volume of a body part as modified by the circulation of blood therethrough, e.g. impedance plethysmography
• 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 5/6815 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for qualifying and quantifying excitation-dependent physiological information extracted from wearable sensors in the midst of interference from unwanted sources are provided. An organism is interrogated with at least one excitation energy, energy response signals from two or more distinct physiological regions are sensed, and these signals are processed to generate an extracted signal. The extracted signal is compared with a physiological model to qualify and/or quantify a physiological property. Additionally, important physiological information can be qualified and quantified by comparing the excitation wavelength-dependent response, measured via wearable sensors, with a physiological model.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring at least one physiological property of an organism, comprising:

directing energy at a target region of the organism;

detecting an energy response signal from the target region and an energy response signal from a region adjacent to the target region;

processing the detected signals to produce an extracted energy response signal; and

comparing the extracted energy response signal with a physiological model to assess a physiological condition of the organism.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein directing energy at a target region comprises directing electromagnetic radiation, mechanical energy, acoustical energy, electrical energy, and/or thermal energy at the target region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the detected signals to produce an extracted energy response signal comprises subtracting the energy response signal from the region adjacent to the target region from the energy response signal from the target region.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising differentially amplifying the energy response signal from the target region and the energy response signal from a region adjacent to the target region prior to the processing step.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising amplifying the extracted energy response signal prior to the comparing step.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the extracted energy response signal to a remote device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting the extracted energy response signal to a device comprises wirelessly transmitting the extracted energy response signal.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of computing devices, communication devices, and entertainment devices.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the extracted energy response signal to the organism.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein directing energy at a target region of the organism comprises directing electromagnetic radiation via at least one optical emitter.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one optical is emitter is selected from the group consisting of laser diodes (LDs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one optical emitter comprises at least one array of optical emitters.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting an energy response signal from the target region and an energy response signal from a region adjacent to the target region comprises detecting via at least one detector selected from the group consisting of acoustic detectors, auscultatory detectors, motion detectors, optical detectors, thermal detectors, and piezoelectric detectors.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological condition of the organism includes properties of skin, blood, and/or blood vessels of the organism.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological condition of the organism comprises one or more of the following:

blood pressure, volume of blood flow through a blood vessel, and size of at least one blood vessel.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting an energy response signal from the target region comprises detecting an energy response signal associated with skin, blood, and/or at least one blood vessel of the organism, and wherein detecting an energy response signal from a region adjacent to the target region comprises detecting an energy response signal associated with the skin and/or non-vascular tissue of the organism.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein directing energy at a target region of the organism and detecting an energy response signal from the target region and an energy response signal from a region adjacent to the target region are performed by the same device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein directing energy at a target region of the organism comprises directing electromagnetic radiation via at least one optical emitter and wherein detecting energy response signals from the target region and region adjacent to the target region comprises electrically biasing at least one optical emitter to operate as an optical detector.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one array of optical emitters comprises at least one monolithic array of optical emitters.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one array of optical emitters comprises at least one partially monolithic array of optical emitters.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein directing energy at a target region of the organism comprises directing electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting an energy response signal from the target region and an energy response signal from a region adjacent to the target region comprises detecting electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising measuring blood flow in the organism by detecting electromagnetic radiation at a first wavelength and measuring motion of the organism by detecting electromagnetic radiation at a second wavelength that is shorter than the first wavelength.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein processing the detected signals to produce an extracted signal comprises subtracting a signal associated with motion from a signal associated with a physiological condition of the organism.

25. An apparatus that monitors at least one physiological property of an organism, comprising:

at least one energy emitter configured to direct energy at a target region of the organism;

at least one detector configured to detect an energy response signal from the target region and an energy response signal from a region adjacent to the target region; and

a processor in communication with the at least one detector, wherein the processor is configured to process the detected signals to produce an extracted energy response signal, and to compare the extracted energy response signal with a physiological model to assess a physiological condition of the organism.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one energy emitter is configured to direct electromagnetic radiation, mechanical energy, acoustical energy, electrical energy, and/or thermal energy at the target region.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processor is configured to subtract the energy response signal from the region adjacent to the target region from the energy response signal from the target region to produce the extracted energy response signal.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processor is configured to differentially amplify the energy response signal from the target region and the energy response signal from a region adjacent to the target region prior to producing the extracted energy response signal.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processor is configured to amplify the extracted energy response signal prior to comparing the extracted energy response signal with a physiological model to assess a physiological condition of the organism.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a transmitter in communication with the processor that is configured to transmit the extracted energy response signal to a remote computing device, communication device, and/or entertainment device.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the transmitter comprises a wireless transmitter.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one energy emitter comprises at least one optical emitter.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the at least one optical emitter is selected from the group consisting of laser diodes (LDs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the at least one optical emitter comprises at least one array of optical emitters.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the at least one array of optical emitters comprises at least one monolithic array of optical emitters.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the at least one array of optical emitters comprises at least one partially monolithic array of optical emitters.

37. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one detector is selected from the group consisting of acoustic detectors, auscultatory detectors, motion detectors, optical detectors, thermal detectors, and piezoelectric detectors.

38. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the physiological condition of the organism includes properties of skin, blood, and/or blood vessels of the organism.

39. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the physiological condition of the organism comprises one or more of the following:

blood pressure, volume of blood flow through a blood vessel, and size of at least one blood vessel.

40. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one detector comprises at least one detector configured to detect an energy response signal associated with skin, blood, and/or at least one blood vessel of the organism.

41. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one detector comprises at least one detector configured to detect an energy response signal from the target region and at least one detector configured to detect an energy response signal from a region adjacent to the target region.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the at least one detector configured to detect an energy response signal from the target region comprises at least one array of detectors, and wherein the at least one detector configured to detect an energy response signal from a region adjacent to the target region comprises at least one array of detectors.

43. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one energy emitter is configured to direct electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths.

44. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one detector is configured to detect electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths.

45. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one energy emitter comprises at least one flexible polymer-based energy emitter.

46. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one energy emitter comprises a plurality of flexible polymer-based energy emitters arranged in an array.

47. An apparatus that monitors at least one physiological property of an organism, comprising:

a housing configured to be worn by the organism;

at least one energy emitter attached to the housing that is configured to direct energy at a target region of the organism;

at least one detector attached to the housing that is configured to detect an energy response signal from the target region and an energy response signal from a region adjacent to the target region; and

a processor attached to the housing, wherein the processor is in communication with the at least one detector and is configured to process the detected signals to produce an extracted energy response signal, and to compare the extracted energy response signal with a physiological model to assess a physiological condition of the organism.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the housing comprises an earpiece configured to be attached to an ear of the organism.

49. An apparatus that monitors at least one physiological property of an organism, comprising:

a processor; and

at least one optical emitter configured to direct electromagnetic radiation at a target region of the organism, wherein the at least one optical emitter is configured to be electrically biased by the processor so as to detect an energy response signal from the target region and an energy response signal from a region adjacent to the target region;

wherein the processor is configured to process the detected signals to produce an extracted energy response signal, and to compare the extracted energy response signal with a physiological model to assess a physiological condition of the organism.