Wearable device

• US 8,989,834 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ho, Harvey, Amirparviz, Babak
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANEGA, RENEE A
• Application Number:
  US13/626,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20140085602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• US Class Current: 600/381
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/101 for examining the tear film
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4875 Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 Eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00

Abstract

Apparatus, systems and methods employing a contact lens that generates information indicative of a hydration level of an eye in which the lens is worn, are provided. In some aspects, a contact lens includes a substrate that forms at least part of a body of the contact lens and a hydration component that generates information associated with a hydration level of an eye in which the contact lens is worn.

Claims

1. A contact lens, comprising:

a substrate that forms at least part of a body of the contact lens, wherein the substrate comprises a hydrogel; and

a hydration component that is configured to generate information associated with a hydration level of an eye in which the contact lens is worn, wherein the hydration component comprises one or more sensors to generate the information associated with the hydration level, and wherein the one or more sensors include at least one sensor configured to sense swelling of the hydrogel.

2. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is a pressure sensor that is configured to measure pressure associated with swelling of the hydrogel.

3. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is a piezoelectric sensor that is configured to measure a piezoelectric effect resulting from pressure associated with swelling of the hydrogel.

4. The contact lens of claim 1, further comprising:

a circuit disposed on or within the substrate that is configured to receive the information associated with the hydration level; and

a transmitter that is configured to transmit the information associated with the hydration level.

5. The contact lens of claim 4, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the information associated with the hydration level in response to a request.

6. The contact lens of claim 4, further comprising a processor that is configured to determine hydration level of the eye in which the contact lens is worn based on the information.

7. The contact lens of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to determine the hydration level in response to a request and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit data indicating the hydration level in response to the request.

8. The contact lens of claim 6, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the information associated with the hydration level in response to a determination that the hydration level is below a predetermined threshold.

9. The contact lens of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to periodically determine the hydration level based on a programmed schedule.

10. A method comprising:

generating information associated with a hydration level of an eye in which a contact lens is worn using a hydration component within the contact lens, wherein the hydration component uses one or more sensors to generate the information associated with the hydration level, and wherein the one or more sensors include at least one sensor configured to sense swelling of a hydro gel in the contact lens.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor is a pressure sensor that measures pressure associated with swelling of the hydrogel.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor is a piezoelectric sensor that measures a piezoelectric effect resulting from pressure associated with swelling of the hydrogel.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving the information via a circuit disposed on or within the contact lens; and

transmitting the information to a device remote from the contact lens.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the transmitting the information comprises transmitting the information in response to a request from the remote device.

15. The contact lens of claim 13, further comprising determining the hydration level of the eye in which the contact lens is worn based on the information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting the information comprises transmitting the information in response to determining that the hydration level is below a predetermined threshold.

17. The contact lens of claim 15, wherein the determining the information comprises determining the information routinely according to a programmed schedule.

18. A contact lens, comprising:

a substrate that forms at least part of a body of the contact lens; and

a hydration component that is configured to generate information associated with a hydration level of an eye in which the contact lens is worn, wherein the hydration component is configured to apply an electric current to the contact lens and measure sheet resistance of the contact lens using a four-point probe located on or within the contact lens to generate the information associated with the hydration level.

19. The contact lens of claim 18, further comprising:

a circuit disposed on or within the substrate that is configured to receive the information associated with the hydration level; and

a transmitter that is configured to transmit the information associated with the hydration level.

20. The contact lens of claim 19, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the information associated with the hydration level in response to a request.

21. The contact lens of claim 19, further comprising a processor that is configured to determine hydration level of the eye in which the contact lens is worn based on the information.

22. The contact lens of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to determine the hydration level in response to a request and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit data indicating the hydration level in response to the request.

23. The contact lens of claim 21, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the information associated with the hydration level in response to a determination that the hydration level is below a predetermined threshold.

24. The contact lens of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to periodically determine the hydration level based on a programmed schedule.