WEARABLE DEVICE, BIOLOGICAL GAS MEASUREMENT DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20130123589A1
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Moritani, Yuki, Hiyama, Satoshi
• Application Number:
  US13/810,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20130123589A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/309
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1451 for interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/22 in the gaseous state specially adapted for biological material G01N33/497; measuring breath flow A61B5/087

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention relates to a wearable device worn in contact with a user'"'"'s skin including a gas reservoir structure configured to, when the user wears the wearable device, form a space for accumulating a biological gas component released from a skin surface or expiration of the user and a gas sensor device configured to measure the biological gas component accumulated in the formed space.

Claims

1. A wearable device worn in contact with a user'"'"'s skin, comprising:

a gas reservoir structure configured to, when the user wears the wearable device, form a space for accumulating a biological gas component released from a skin surface or expiration of the user; and

a gas sensor device configured to measure the biological gas component accumulated in the formed space.

2. The wearable device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a moisture removal and restraint mechanism configured to remove or restrain a moisture from/in the formed space including the skin surface of the user.

3. The wearable device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the moisture removal and restraint mechanism comprises a water absorbent, a dehumidification agent, a desiccant agent, a miniaturized air blower or a combination thereof.

4. The wearable device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wearable device comprises a headphone or an earphone.

5. The wearable device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas sensor device comprises multiple gas sensors.

6. The wearable device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the gas sensor device measures an identical type of percutaneous gas component released from skin surfaces of left and right ears of the user separately.

7. The wearable device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the gas sensor device measures different types of percutaneous gas components released from skin surfaces of left and right ears of the user separately.

8. The wearable device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wearable device comprises a watch, a mobile phone or a handheld device.

9. The wearable device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wearable device comprises a bracelet, a wristband, a ring, a necklace, earrings, a hair band, glasses, a mask, an adhesive plaster, clothing, a hat, gloves or shoes.

10. A biological gas measurement device comprising:

a wearable device worn in contact with a user'"'"'s skin; and

a handheld terminal communicatively connected to the wearable device,

wherein the wearable device comprises;

a gas reservoir structure configured to, when the user wears the wearable device, form a space for accumulating a biological gas component released from a skin surface or expiration of the user; and

a gas sensor device configured to measure the biological gas component accumulated in the formed space, and

the handheld terminal receives biological information indicative of the biological gas component measured by the wearable device and provides the user with the biological information.

11. The biological gas measurement device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the wearable device is connected to the handheld terminal in a wired or wireless manner.

12. The biological gas measurement device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the handheld terminal stores the biological information in a storage device in the handheld terminal and/or transmits the biological information to a server connected via a network.

13. The biological gas measurement device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the wearable device further comprises a moisture removal and restraint mechanism configured to remove or restrain a moisture from/in the space formed in the gas reservoir structure.

14. A biological gas measurement method, comprising:

measuring, when a user wears a wearable device in contact with a user'"'"'s skin, by a gas sensor device in the wearable device, a biological gas component accumulated in a space formed between the user and the wearable device;

transmitting, by the wearable device, biological information indicative of the measured biological gas component to a handheld terminal communicatively connected to the wearable device; and

providing, by the handheld terminal, the user with the received biological information.

15. The biological gas measurement method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

removing or restraining a moisture from/in the space formed between the user and the wearable device.