Light-guiding devices and monitoring devices incorporating same

• US 9,955,919 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valencell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Valencell, Inc.
• Inventors: LeBoeuf, Steven Francis, Tucker, Jesse Berkley, Aumer, Michael Edward, Just, Steven Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): FULLER, RODNEY EVAN
• Application Number:
  US14/554,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20150119657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 600310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• 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 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0082 adapted for particular medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• 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 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02154 by optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• 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 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• 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 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/091 Measuring volume of inspired or expired gases, e.g. to determine lung capacity
• 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 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1459 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 : Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 : Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6815 : Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6816 : Ear lobe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 : Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6835 : Supports or holders, e.g., articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 : using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 : Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 : Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 : Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083

Abstract

A monitoring device configured to be attached to the ear of a person includes a base, an earbud housing extending outwardly from the base that is configured to be positioned within an ear of a subject, and a cover surrounding the earbud housing. The base includes a speaker, an optical emitter, and an optical detector. The cover includes light transmissive material that is in optical communication with the optical emitter and the optical detector and serves as a light guide to deliver light from the optical emitter into the ear canal of the subject wearing the device at one or more predetermined locations and to collect light external to the earbud housing and deliver the collected light to the optical detector.

Claims

1. A sensor module for detecting and/or measuring physiological information from a subject, the sensor module, comprising:

a housing;

at least one optical emitter supported by the housing;

at least one optical detector supported by the housing;

a first light guide supported by the housing, wherein the first light guide is in optical communication with the at least one optical emitter and not in optical communication with the at least one optical detector, and wherein the first light guide comprises a distal end that is configured to directly engage a portion of a body of the subject and to deliver light directly from the at least one optical emitter into the body;

a second light guide supported by the housing, wherein the second light guide is in optical communication with the at least one optical detector and not in optical communication with the at least one optical emitter, and wherein the second light guide comprises a distal end that is configured to directly engage another portion of the body of the subject and to collect light directly therefrom and deliver collected light directly to the at least one optical detector;

a motion sensor supported by the housing, wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense motion information from the subject; and

a processor supported by the housing, wherein the processor is in electrical communication with the at least one optical emitter, the at least one optical detector, and the motion sensor, wherein the processor is configured to remove motion artifacts from signals produced by the at least one optical detector in response to signals produced by the motion sensor to produce filtered signals having reduced motion artifacts caused by footsteps, and wherein the processor is configured to process the filtered signals using one or more processing methods to generate a multiplexed output serial data string of physiological parameters comprising subject heart rate and at least one of the following;

subject respiration rate, subject blood flow, subject heart rate variability, subject blood gas level, and subject blood analyte level.

2. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to be integrated within a wrist strap and/or a wrist watch.

3. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an audio headset, a wrist strap, a wrist watch, an ankle bracelet, or an armband.

4. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to be attached to a limb, a nose, an earlobe, and/or a digit of the subject.

5. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the housing is configured to be positioned within an ear of the subject.

6. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the first light guide comprises optical dye that is configured to filter one or more wavelengths of light guided by first light guide.

7. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the second light guide comprises optical dye that is configured to filter one or more wavelengths of light guided by second light guide.

8. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second light guides comprises elastomeric light transmissive material.

9. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second light guides comprises substantially rigid light transmissive material.

10. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical emitter comprises optical coupling material, and wherein the first light guide is in optical communication with the at least one optical emitter via the optical coupling material.

11. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical detector comprises optical coupling material, and wherein the second light guide is in optical communication with the at least one optical detector via the optical coupling material.

12. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to remove motion artifacts from the signals produced by the at least one optical detector in response to the signals produced by the motion sensor by calculating footsteps, distinguishing footsteps from heart beats, and removing footstep motion artifacts from the signals produced by the at least one optical detector.

13. The sensor module of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a plurality of subject physical activity parameters comprising at least one of distance traveled, speed, and step count.

14. An earpiece for detecting and/or measuring physiological information from a subject, the earpiece, comprising:

a housing;

at least one optical emitter supported by the housing;

at least one optical detector supported by the housing;

a motion sensor supported by the housing, wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense motion information from the subject; and

a processor supported by the housing, wherein the processor is configured to remove motion artifacts from signals produced by the at least one optical detector in response to signals produced by the motion sensor to produce filtered signals, and wherein the processor is configured to process the filtered signals to generate parsed output data by executing one or more processing methods to provide information that is fed into a multiplexed output serial data string comprising motion-related information and physiological information.

15. The earpiece of claim 14, wherein the multiplexed serial data string comprises a plurality of physiological data outputs that can be used by an application-specific interface (API) as required for a particular application.

16. A wearable device for detecting and/or measuring physiological information from a subject, comprising:

a housing;

at least one optical emitter supported by the housing;

at least one optical detector supported by the housing;

a first light guide supported by the housing, wherein the first light guide is in optical communication with the at least one optical emitter, and wherein the first light guide comprises a distal end that is configured to directly engage a portion of a body of the subject and to deliver light directly from the at least one optical emitter into the body;

a second light guide supported by the housing, wherein the second light guide is in optical communication with the at least one optical detector, and wherein the second light guide comprises a distal end that is configured to directly engage another portion of the body and to collect light directly therefrom and deliver collected light directly to the at least one optical detector;

a motion sensor supported by the housing, wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense motion information from the subject; and

a processor supported by the housing, wherein the processor is configured to calculate footsteps, distinguish footsteps from heart beats, and to remove footstep motion artifacts from signals produced by the at least one optical detector, and wherein the processor is configured to process signals produced by the at least one optical detector to determine subject heart rate, and wherein the processor is configured to generate parsed output data by executing one or more processing methods to provide information that is fed into a multiplexed output serial data string of physiological parameters.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the housing is configured to be integrated within a wrist strap and/or a wrist watch.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the device comprises an audio headset, a wrist strap, a wrist watch, an ankle bracelet, or an armband.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the housing is configured to be attached to a limb, a nose, an earlobe, and/or a digit of the subject.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the housing is configured to be positioned within an ear of the subject.

21. The device of claim 16, further comprising at least one wireless transmitter, and wherein the processor is configured to communicate the serial data string to an application-specific programming interface (API) of a remote device via the at least one wireless transmitter.

22. An earpiece configured to be worn by a subject for detecting and/or measuring physiological information from the subject, wherein the earpiece comprises:

at least one optical emitter;

at least one optical detector;

a first light guide in optical communication with the at least one optical emitter, wherein the first light guide comprises a distal end that is configured to directly engage a portion of an ear of the subject and to deliver light directly from the at least one optical emitter into the ear portion;

a second light guide in optical communication with the at least one optical detector, wherein the second light guide comprises a distal end that is configured to directly engage another portion of the ear and to collect light directly therefrom and deliver collected light directly to the at least one optical detector;

at least one motion sensor;

at least one temperature sensor configured to measure temperature of a tympanic membrane of an ear of the subject;

at least one processor configured to process signals from the at least one optical detector, the at least one motion sensor, and the at least one temperature sensor into a multiplexed output serial data string of physiological parameters comprising at least heart rate and tympanic membrane temperature; and

at least one wireless transmitter;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to communicate the serial data string to an application-specific programming interface (API) of a remote device via the at least one wireless transmitter.