Optical sensor for a monitoring device

• US 9,226,669 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yukka Magic LLC
• Original Assignee: Impact Sports Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Rulkov, Nikolai, Hunt, Mark, Brady, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): MALLARI, PATRICIA C
• Application Number:
  US13/559,683
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 600/310, 600/323, 600/481, 600/483, 600500-504
• 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 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses

Abstract

An optical sensor for a monitoring device for monitoring the vital signs of a user is disclosed herein. The optical sensor preferably includes a photodetector and a two light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) that emit green light. The optical sensor includes a light barrier that includes multiple walls that block any non-reflected light from the LEDs from transmission to the photodetector so that the photodetector only receives light reflected from the artery of the user resulting in a more accurate detection of the heart rate of the user. A sensor signal from the optical sensor is processed with an accelerometer output signal from the accelerometer to generate a real-time vital sign for a user.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a real-time vital sign of a user, the system comprising:

a monitoring device comprising

an optical sensor for generating a real-time digitized optical signal corresponding to a flow of blood through an artery of the user, the optical sensor comprising a photodetector, a first LED emitting a green light, a second LED emitting a green light at the same wavelength of the first LED, and an opaque light shield, the opaque light shield preventing the photodetector from receiving direct light from the first LED or the second LED, and only allowing green light diffused and translucent through a skin of the user to be received by the photodetector, wherein the photodetector is positioned an equal distance from the first LED and the second LED, wherein the photodetector is positioned between the first LED and the second LED, wherein the opaque light shield encircles the first LED in a first chamber, the opaque light shield encircles the photodetector in a second chamber, and the opaque light shield encircles the second LED in a third chamber;

an accelerometer for generating a real-time accelerometer data comprising an X-axis signal, a Y-axis signal and a Z-axis signal based on a movement of the user; and

a first transceiver for transmitting the real-time digitized optical signal and the real-time accelerometer data from the monitoring device;

a mobile communication device comprising

a second transceiver for receiving the real-time digitized optical signal and the real-time accelerometer data from the monitoring device,

a processor in electrical communication with the second transceiver, the processor configured to receive the real-time digitized signal and the real-time accelerometer data, the processor configured to generate a real-time heart rate for the user, wherein the processor is configured to filter motion noise from the digital signal utilizing the signal from the accelerometer, process the digital signal to obtain an average pulse value of a first set of time periods, process the digital signal to obtain an average pulse value of a second set of time periods, the second set of time periods less than the first set of time periods, subtract the average pulse value of the second set of time periods from the average pulse value of the first set of time periods to generate a first filtered pulse data value, process the first filtered pulse data value to obtain a first heart rate value, and use the first heart rate value to filter the subsequent average pulse values generated from the digital signal to obtain a real-time heart rate value of the user, and

a display for displaying the real-time heart rate value for the user received from the processor.