Wearable device and a method of manufacturing the same

• US 9,706,942 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Ouwerkerk, Martin, Westerink, Joanne Henritte Desire Monique
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S
• Application Number:
  US14/233,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20140155724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 600386, 600390, 600547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6834 using vacuum

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wearable device (10) wearable by a user for measuring skin conductance of the user (1), the wearable device comprising at least two skin conductance electrodes (12) for contacting skin (2) of the user, and an elastic material portion (14) which surrounds the skin conductance electrodes (12) and forms a material surface (16). The elastic material of the elastic material portion (14) is non-permeable for gaseous and liquid substances. The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing such a wearable device (10).

Claims

1. A wearable device wearable by a user for measuring skin conductance of the user, the wearable device comprising:

at least two skin conductance electrodes for contacting skin of the user; and

an elastic material portion designed to form a material surface which surrounds the skin conductance electrodes and a portion of the skin of the user, wherein

the elastic material portion, when the wearable device is worn by the user, isolates the skin conductance electrodes and the portion of the skin from a surrounding ambient environment by contacting the skin with portions of the elastic material portion on opposite sides of the conductance electrodes, and

wherein an elastic material of the elastic material portion is non-permeable for gaseous and liquid substances such that the elastic material portion, when the wearable device is worn by the user, causes a fluid film to be generated between the portion of skin and the skin conductance electrodes;

a housing portion coupled with the at least two skin conductance electrodes and the elastic material portion, wherein the elastic portion is formed from material having a greater elasticity than a material of the housing; and

a skin conductance measuring unit configured to measure the skin conductance of the user between the skin conductance electrodes, wherein the skin conductance measuring unit is at least partly arranged in the housing portion of the wearable device.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the elastic material portion is arranged such that an air pocket is sealed off in the vicinity of the skin conductance electrodes, when the skin conductance electrodes contact the skin of the user.

3. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the elastic material is a polymer or rubber.

4. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the elastic material is a polyurethane resin mixture at a specific mixture ratio.

5. The wearable device of claim 4, wherein the polyurethane resin mixture is made of polyetherpolypol and 4,4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate at a ratio of about 100;

40.

6. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the skin conductance electrodes protrude from the material surface.

7. The wearable device of claim 6, wherein the skin conductance electrodes protrude between 100 to 700 micrometers from the material surface.

8. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the housing portion is made of a non-elastic material.

9. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the elastic material of the elastic material portion is a polyurethane resin mixture at a specific mixture ratio, and wherein the housing portion is made of the same polyurethane resin mixture at a different mixture ratio.

10. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the elastic material has an elasticity that is sufficient to follow the shape of the wrist of the user.

11. A method of manufacturing a wearable device wearable by a user for measuring skin conductance of the user, the method comprising:

providing at least two skin conductance electrodes for contacting skin of the user; and

forming an elastic material portion designed to form a material surface which surrounds the skin conductance electrodes and a portion of the skin of the user, wherein

the elastic material portion, when the wearable device is worn by the user, isolates the skin conductance electrodes and the portion of the skin from a surrounding ambient environment by contacting the skin with portions of the elastic material portion on opposite sides of the conductance electrodes, and

wherein an elastic material of the elastic material portion is non-permeable for gaseous and liquid substances such that the elastic material portion, when the wearable device is worn by the user, causes a fluid film to be generated between the portion of skin and the skin conductance electrodes;

forming a housing portion coupled with the at least two skin conductance electrodes and the elastic material portion, wherein the elastic portion is formed from material having a greater elasticity than a material of the housing; and

providing a skin conductance measuring unit configured to measure the skin conductance of the user between the skin conductance electrodes, wherein the skin conductance measuring unit is at least partly arranged in the housing portion of the wearable device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the housing portion is formed from a non-elastic material.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the elastic material portion is formed by injection moulding.