Sensing device, a method of preparing a sensing device and a personal mobile sensing system

• US 9,289,177 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Inventors: Kassim, Md. Irwan bin Md., Samsudin, Mohamad Sulhede Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): WINAKUR, ERIC FRANK
• Application Number:
  US13/884,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20130296714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0252 Load cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• 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 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3144 for oxymetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3151 using two sources of radiation of different wavelengths G01N21/33 - G01N21/39 take precedence

Abstract

There is provided a sensing device comprising an electromagnetic wave emitter for emitting electromagnetic waves to a surface; an electromagnetic wave detector for detecting the emitted electromagnetic waves that are reflected from the surface; and a force transmitting member configured to transmit a force applied thereto for detection, wherein the force transmitting member is positioned relative to the electromagnetic wave emitter and electromagnetic wave detector to substantially prevent waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave emitter from travelling directly to the electromagnetic wave detector.

Claims

1. A sensing device comprising:

an electromagnetic wave emitter for emitting electromagnetic waves to a surface;

an electromagnetic wave detector for detecting the emitted electromagnetic waves that are reflected from the surface;

a force transmitting member configured to transmit a force applied thereto for detection,

wherein the force transmitting member is positioned relative to the electromagnetic wave emitter and electromagnetic wave detector to substantially prevent waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave emitter from travelling directly to the electromagnetic wave detector;

a force detector coupled to the force transmitting member for detecting the force transmitted by the force transmitting member; and

a feedback unit coupled to the force detector, the feedback unit being configured to correlate the quality of the detected electromagnetic wave with the amount of force applied to the force transmitting member and provide feedback related to the correlation by;

computing an area under waveforms of detected signals corresponding to a variety of applied pressure amounts, and

determining an optimum pressure to correspond a largest computed area, from the variety of applied pressure amount.

2. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the force transmitting member is disposed between the electromagnetic wave emitter and electromagnetic wave detector.

3. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the force detector comprises a microelectromechanical system (MEMs).

4. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the force detector comprises a piezo-based sensor.

5. The sensing device of claim 4, wherein the piezo-based sensor is selected from a group consisting of a piezoelectric based sensor, a piezoresistive based sensor, and a piezocapacitive based sensor.

6. The sensing device of claim 4, wherein the piezo-based sensor is provided as a flexible printed circuit.

7. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic wave emitter comprises a light emitting diode.

8. The sensing device of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic wave detector comprises a photo detector.

9. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the surface comprises a surface portion of a user for measurement.

10. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the force transmitting member is elongate in shape.

11. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic wave emitter and electromagnetic wave detector are disposed on substantially the same plane.

12. The sensing device of claim 11, wherein the electromagnetic wave emitter and electromagnetic wave detector are disposed on a same substrate.

13. The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the sensing device is capable of detecting photoplethysmography signals.

14. The sensing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing for housing the electromagnetic wave emitter, electromagnetic wave detector and force transmitting member, wherein the housing is adapted to provide structural rigidity to the sensing device.

15. A method for preparing a sensing device comprising:

providing an electromagnetic wave emitter for emitting electromagnetic waves to a surface;

providing an electromagnetic wave detector for detecting the emitted electromagnetic waves that are reflected from the surface;

positioning a force transmitting member relative to the electromagnetic wave emitter and electromagnetic wave detector to substantially prevent electromagnetic waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave emitter from travelling directly to the wave detector,

wherein the force transmitting member is configured to transmit a force applied thereto for detection;

coupling a force detector to the force transmitting member for detecting the force transmitted by the force transmitting member; and

coupling a feedback unit to the force detector, the feedback unit being configured to correlate the quality of the detected electromagnetic wave with the amount of force applied to the force transmitting member and provide feedback related to the correlation by;

computing an area under waveforms of detected signals corresponding to a variety of applied pressure amounts, and

determining an optimum pressure to correspond a largest computed area, from the variety of applied pressure amount.

16. A personal mobile sensing (PMS) system comprising:

a sensing device comprising;

an electromagnetic wave emitter for emitting electromagnetic waves to a surface;

an electromagnetic wave detector for detecting the emitted electromagnetic waves that are reflected from the surface;

a force transmitting member configured to transmit a force applied thereto for detection, wherein the force transmitting member is positioned relative to the electromagnetic wave emitter and electromagnetic wave detector to substantially prevent electromagnetic waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave emitter from travelling directly to the wave detector;

a force detector coupled to the force transmitting member for detecting the force transmitted by the force transmitting member; and

a personal mobile processing device for coupling to the sensing device to process a signal obtained from said sensing device, the personal mobile processing device comprising;

a feedback unit coupled to the force detector, the feedback unit being configured to correlate the quality of the detected electromagnetic wave with the amount of force applied to the force transmitting member and provide feedback related to the correlation by;

computing an area under waveforms of detected signals corresponding to a variety of applied pressure amounts, and

determining an optimum pressure to correspond a largest computed area, from the variety of applied pressure amount.

17. The PMS system of claim 16, wherein the force transmitting member is disposed between the electromagnetic wave emitter and electromagnetic wave detector.

18. The PMS system of claim 16, wherein the force detector comprises a microelectromechanical system (MEMs).

19. The PMS system of claim 16, wherein the force detector comprises a piezo-based sensor.

20. The PMS system of claim 19, wherein the piezo-based sensor is selected from a group consisting of a piezoelectric based sensor, a piezoresistive based sensor, and a piezocapacitive based sensor.

21. The PMS system of claim 16, wherein the surface comprises a surface portion of a user for measurement.

22. The PMS system of claim 16, wherein the electromagnetic wave emitter and electromagnetic wave detector are disposed on substantially the same plane.

23. The PMS system of claim 16, wherein the sensing device is capable of detecting photoplethysmography signals.

24. The PMS system of claim 16, wherein the sensing device is coupled to the personal mobile processing device in a cableless configuration.