RF doppler bio-signal sensor for continuous heart rate variability and blood pressure monitoring

• US 9,924,880 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2016
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Insoo, Huang, Daquan, Oh, Jungsuek, Bhagat, Yusuf A., Lai, Sean D., Homer, Johnny T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghulamali, Qutbuddin
• Application Number:
  US14/988,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20160228010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 34087007
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0285 Measuring or recording phase velocity of blood waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/50 using a mobile data collecting device, e.g. walk by or drive by
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/84 Measuring functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A method implemented by a device to measure a bodily parameter includes transmitting, by a transmit (Tx) antenna of an antenna pair, a first radar pulse to a receive (Rx) antenna of the antenna pair. The method also includes receiving, by the receive (Rx) antenna, the first radar pulse. The first radar pulse travels through a radar target between the Tx antenna and the Rx antenna. The method further includes transmitting, by the Tx antenna, a second radar pulse to the Rx antenna. In addition the method includes receiving, by the Rx antenna, the second radar pulse, wherein the second radar pulse travels through the radar target between the Tx antenna and the Rx antenna. The method also includes determining a bodily parameter within the radar target as a function of the transmission and the reception of the first radar pulse and the second radar pulse.

Claims

1. A device to measure a bodily parameter, the device comprising:

a first antenna pair including a first transmit (Tx) antenna configured to transmit one or more radar pulses and a first receive (Rx) antenna configured to receive the one or more radar pulses, wherein the first Tx antenna and the first Rx antenna are positioned so that a radar target can be positioned on a first straight line between the first Tx antenna and the first Rx antenna;

a second antenna pair including a second transmit (Tx) antenna configured to transmit one or more radar pulses and a second receive (Rx) antenna configured to receive the one or more radar pulses, wherein the second Tx antenna and the second Rx antenna are positioned so that a radar target can be positioned on a second straight line between the second Tx antenna and the second Rx antenna, wherein the second antenna pair are positioned so that one or more radar pulses transmitted from the second transmit antenna reach the radar target at an angle relative to the one or more radar pulses transmitted from the first transmit antenna;

wherein the first antenna pair and the second antenna pair are positioned relative to each other to mitigate motion artifacts; and

a processor configured to;

control the first and second Tx antennas to transmit a first radar pulse and a second radar pulse,

control the first and second Rx antennas to receive the first radar pulse and the second radar pulse, wherein the first radar pulse and the second radar pulse travel through the radar target, and

determine a bodily parameter within the radar target as a function of the transmission and the reception of the first radar pulse and the second radar pulse between each of the first and second antenna pairs.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the bodily parameter within the radar target by detecting a phase shift between the received first radar pulse and the received second radar pulse.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to estimate a pressure of a fluid within a channel as a function of at least one of a fluid velocity of the fluid travelling through the channel or a cross-sectional area of the channel.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second antenna pair are positioned so that one or more radar pulses transmitted from the second transmit antenna reach the radar target orthogonally relative to the one or more radar pulses transmitted from the first transmit antenna.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the second antenna pair are sub-mmWave antennas.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third antenna pair including a third transmit (Tx) antenna configured to transmit one or more radar pulses and a third receive (Rx) antenna configured to receive the one or more radar pulses, wherein the third Tx antenna and the third Rx antenna are positioned so that a radar target can be positioned between the third Tx antenna and the third Rx antenna.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least one of a wristwatch, an armband, a torso-band, or one or more patches.

8. A method implemented by a device to measure a bodily parameter, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a first transmit (Tx) antenna of a first antenna pair, a first radar pulse to a first receive (Rx) antenna of the first antenna pair;

receiving, by the first receive (Rx) antenna of the first antenna pair, the first radar pulse, wherein the first radar pulse travels through a radar target on a first straight line between the first Tx antenna and the first Rx antenna;

transmitting, by the first Tx antenna, a second radar pulse to the first Rx antenna;

receiving, by the first Rx antenna, the second radar pulse, wherein the second radar pulse travels through the radar target on the first straight line between the first Tx antenna and the first Rx antenna;

positioning a second antenna pair relative to the first antenna pair at an angle to mitigate motion artifacts;

transmitting, by a second transmit (Tx) antenna of the first antenna pair, a first radar pulse to a second receive (Rx) antenna of the second antenna pair;

receiving, by the second receive (Rx) antenna of the second antenna pair, the first radar pulse, wherein the first radar pulse travels through the radar target on a second straight line between the second Tx antenna and the second Rx antenna;

transmitting, by the second Tx antenna, a second radar pulse to the second Rx antenna;

receiving, by the second Rx antenna, the second radar pulse, wherein the second radar pulse travels through the radar target on the second straight line between the second Tx antenna and the second Rx antenna, wherein the second antenna pair are positioned so that one or more radar pulses transmitted from the second transmit antenna reach the radar target at an angle relative to the one or more radar pulses transmitted from the first transmit antenna;

determining a bodily parameter within the radar target as a function of the transmission and the reception of the first radar pulse and the second radar pulse between each of the first and second antenna pairs, wherein the first radar pulse and the second radar pulse comprise a Doppler radar pulse.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining a bodily parameter comprises detecting a phase shift between the received first radar pulse and the received second radar pulse.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising estimating a pressure of a fluid within a channel as a function of at least one of a fluid velocity of the fluid travelling through the channel or a cross-sectional area of the channel.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the device comprises at least one of a wristwatch, an armband, a torso-band, or one or more patches.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the second antenna pair are positioned so that one or more radar pulses transmitted from the second transmit antenna reach the radar target at an orthogonal angle relative to the one or more radar pulses transmitted from the first transmit antenna.