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

• US 20120296184A1
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yukka Magic LLC
• Original Assignee: Jesse Berkley Tucker, Michael Edward Aumer, Steven Francis LeBoeuf
• Inventors: LeBoeuf, Steven Francis, Tucker, Jesse Berkley, Aumer, Michael Edward
• Granted Patent: US 9,808,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/324
• 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

1-49. -49. (canceled)

50. A method of extracting physiological information from an organism, comprising:

directing light at a target region of the organism via one or more optical emitters, wherein the light comprises light at a first wavelength and light at a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength;

detecting light scattered from the target region via one or more optical detectors, wherein the directing and detecting steps are performed by at least one device worn by the organism; and

processing a signal produced by each of the one or more optical detectors, via at least one processor, to extract physiological information therefrom, wherein processing comprises filtering out information contained within the signal from light at the second wavelength that is associated with skin-related properties, blood vessel-related properties, and/or motion-related artifacts.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the extracted physiological information comprises information about at least one of the following:

a vital sign, pulse response, pulse oximetry, blood pressure, blood flow rate, volume of blood flow through a blood vessel, a blood gas level, blood hydration, a blood metabolite or electrolyte level.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the one or more optical emitters are selected from the group consisting of laser diodes (LDs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

53. A method of extracting physiological information from an organism, comprising:

directing light at a target region of the organism via one or more optical emitters, wherein the light comprises light at a first wavelength and light at a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength;

detecting light scattered from the target region via one or more optical detectors, wherein the directing and detecting steps are performed by a device worn by the organism; and

processing a signal produced by each of the one or more optical detectors, via at least one processor, to extract physiological information therefrom, wherein processing comprises filtering out information contained within the signal from light at the first wavelength that is associated with blood-flow related artifacts.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the extracted physiological information comprises information about at least one of the following:

a property of at least one blood vessel, the size or change in size of at least one blood vessel, or a property of the skin.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the one or more optical emitters are selected from the group consisting of laser diodes (LDs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

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

directing light at a target region of the organism via one or more optical emitters, wherein the light comprises light at a first wavelength and light at a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength;

detecting light scattered from the target region via one or more optical detectors, wherein the directing and detecting steps are performed by a device worn by the organism;

processing a signal produced by each of the one or more optical detectors, via at least one processor, to extract physiological information therefrom, wherein processing comprises attenuating one or more portions of the signal associated with light at the first and/or second wavelengths; and

comparing the extracted physiological information with a physiological model to assess a physiological condition of the organism.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the extracted physiological information comprises information about at least one of the following:

a vital sign, pulse response, pulse oximetry, blood pressure, blood flow rate, volume of blood flow through a blood vessel, a blood gas level, blood hydration, a blood metabolite or electrolyte level.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein the physiological model comprises a relationship between optical wavelength and penetration depth of light within the target region of the organism.

59. The method of claim 56, wherein the one or more optical emitters are selected from the group consisting of laser diodes (LDs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

60. A method of extracting physiological information from an organism, comprising:

directing light at a target region of the organism via one or more optical emitters, wherein the light comprises light at a first wavelength and light at a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength;

detecting light scattered from the target region via one or more optical detectors, wherein the one or more optical detectors generate at least two detected signals, wherein a first detected signal is from scattered light at the first wavelength, and wherein a second detected signal is from scattered light at the second wavelength, wherein scattered light at the first wavelength comprises information more closely related to blood flow than scattered light at the second wavelength;

processing the first and second detected signals via at least one processor to produce at least two types of physiological information, wherein at least one type of physiological information is closely associated with blood flow information, and wherein at least one type of physiological information is closely associated with blood vessel-related properties, skin-related properties, and/or motion artifacts.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein the at least two types of physiological information are compared with a physiological model to assess a physiological condition of the organism.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the physiological condition comprises one or more of the following:

vital signs, pulse response, pulse oximetry, blood pressure, blood flow rate, volume of blood flow through a blood vessel, a blood gas level, blood hydration, a blood metabolite or electrolyte level.

63. The method of claim 60, wherein processing the first and second detected signals via at least one processor to produce at least two types of physiological information further comprises differentially amplifying the first and second detected signals.

64. The method of claim 60, wherein the one or more optical emitters are selected from the group consisting of laser diodes (LDs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

65. A wearable apparatus for extracting physiological information from a target region of an organism, the target region comprising both blood vessels and blood flow, the apparatus comprising:

at least one optical emitter configured to direct light at a first wavelength at the target region;

at least one optical emitter configured to direct light at a second wavelength at the target region, wherein the second wavelength is shorter than the first wavelength;

at least one optical detector configured to selectively detect scattered light at the first wavelength and generate a first detected signal;

at least one optical detector configured to selectively detect scattered light at the second wavelength and generate a second detected signal; and

at least one processor configured to process the first and second detected signals to produce at least one type of physiological information.

66. The apparatus of claim 65, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to filter out, from the at least one type of physiological information, information associated with skin-related properties, blood vessel-related properties, and/or motion-related artifacts.

67. The apparatus of claim 65, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to filter out, from the at least one type of physiological information, information associated with blood flow-related properties.

68. The apparatus of claim 65, wherein the one or more optical emitters are selected from the group consisting of laser diodes (LDs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

69. The apparatus of claim 65, wherein the one or more optical emitters comprise at least one array of optical emitters.

70. The apparatus of claim 69, wherein the at least one array of optical emitters comprises at least one monolithic array of optical emitters.