SMART SWEAT STIMULATION AND SENSING DEVICES

• US 20160374598A1
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epicore Biosystems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eccrine Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Begtrup, Gavi, Bertrand, Jacob, Heikenfeld, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 10,646,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14521 using means for promoting sweat production, e.g. heating the skin measuring sweat secretion A61B5/4266
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4266 sweat secretion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24V 30/00 Apparatus or devices using heat produced by exothermal chemical reactions other than combustion

Abstract

The disclosed invention provides sweat sensing devices with smart sweat stimulation and sensing embodiments: which improve the dependability and predictability of sweat sampling rates; achieve a desired number of sweat sampling events per day while minimizing skin irritation and prolonging device lifespan; and use physical, optical or thermal sweat stimulation to augment or replace chemical sweat stimulation.

Claims

1. A wearable sweat sensing device capable of smart sweat stimulation, comprising:

at least one analyte-specific sweat sensor;

a component for measuring a sweat onset temperature; and

at least one sweat stimulation component that facilitates at least one sweat sampling event.

2. The device of claim 1, including a thermally insulating component.

3. The device of claim 1, where the sensor has a first side opposite skin and a second side adjacent to skin, and the device further includes a heat source that raises the local skin temperature by at least 1°

Celsius, but to a skin temperature no greater than 106°

C.

4. The device of claim 3, where the location of the heat source is one of the following:

co-planar with the sensor;

adjacent to the sensor'"'"'s first side; and

at least partially encircling the sensor.

5. The device of claim 3, where the heat source is an exothermic chemical reaction.

6. The device of claim 3, where the heat source is a light emitting device.

7. The device of claim 1, further including a chemical sweat stimulation source.

8. The device of claim 3, where the heat source and the sensor are fabricated on a common substrate.

9. The device of claim 3, where the heat source is directional.

10. The device of claim 1, where the sweat onset temperature is measured by at least one of the following:

a skin temperature sensor, a galvanic skin response sensor, an accelerometer, and a skin impedance sensor.

11. The device of claim 6, where the heat source is at least one LED.

12. The device of claim 6, where the heat source is at least one laser.

13. The device of claim 9, where the heat source has a solid cone angle of <

45°

for >

50% of the emitted light.

14. The device of claim 9, where the heat source is chosen from one of the following:

an LED, and a laser;

said heat source being pulsed to stimulate sweat to a similar sweat generation rate achieved by constant thermal temperature of skin, but with an average skin temperature greater than or equal to 100°

C. and no greater than 106°

C.

15. The device of claim 3, where the heat source maintains a local skin temperature near the at least one sensor which is greater than or equal to 100°

C. and no greater than 106°

C.

16. The device of claim 1, further including a skin numbing agent.

17. A method of measuring at least one analyte in sweat with a sweat sensing device capable of smart sweat stimulation, comprising:

applying a sweat sensing device to a wearer'"'"'s skin;

scheduling a plurality of sweat sampling events that are required for an application;

measuring the wearer'"'"'s sweat generation rate;

stimulating sweat if sweat generation rate is insufficient to provide chronologically assured sweat samples for the plurality of scheduled sweat sampling events; and

taking a plurality of chronologically assured sweat analyte readings.

18. The method of claim 17, where sweat generation rate is determined by one of the following measurements:

GSR, skin impedance, skin conductivity, and concentration of at least one sweat ion.

19. The method of claim 18, where the device determines sweat onset temperature.

20. The method of claim 17, including:

measuring the wearer'"'"'s skin temperature and comparing the temperature to a sweat onset temperature prior to stimulating sweat.

21. The method of claim 20, including:

stimulating sweat if the wearer'"'"'s skin temperature is proximate to the sweat onset temperature prior to a time at which a sweat sampling event is scheduled to occur, and sweat generation rate is insufficient.

22. The method of claim 20, including:

instructing the wearer to increase skin temperature if the wearer'"'"'s skin temperature is not proximate to the sweat onset temperature prior to a time at which a sweat sampling event is scheduled to occur, and there is sufficient time for the wearer to raise the skin temperature proximate to or greater than the sweat onset temperature.

23. The method of claim 20, including:

stimulating sweat if the wearer'"'"'s skin temperature is not proximate to the sweat onset temperature prior to a time at which a sweat sampling event is scheduled to occur, and there is insufficient time for the wearer to raise the skin temperature proximate to or greater than the sweat onset temperature, and sweat generation rate is insufficient.

24. The method of claim 20, including:

instructing the wearer to decrease skin temperature if the wearer'"'"'s sweat generation rate is in excess of the sweat generation rate needed to provide a sweat sample for a scheduled sweat sampling event.

25. The method of claim 17, where the device bases sweat stimulation, at least in part, upon a previous response to sweat stimulation by the wearer.