OPTICAL SENSING APPARATUS AND MEASURING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20160120444A1
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chen, Chih-Jen, Shen, Yu-Tang, Hsu, Chia-Hao, Chuang, Chun-Te
• Granted Patent: US 10,444,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0238 Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7221 Determining signal validity, reliability or quality A61B5/7207 and A61B5/7217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/32 adapted for automatic variation of the measured or reference value regulation of light intensity G05D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/104 Monochromatic plural sources
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0256 Compact construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0272 Handheld
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08

Abstract

An optical sensing apparatus including a light sensor, a plurality of light-emitting devices, and a controller is provided. The light sensor is disposed on a substrate. The light sensor senses a light reflection signal in a sensing area of the optical sensing apparatus. The light-emitting devices are disposed on the substrate and around the light sensor. The light-emitting devices provide an optical signal to be transmitted into the human tissue. Then, the optical signal is reflected by the human tissue to generate the light reflection signal. The controller determines whether the position of the human tissue has been changed in the sensing area. The controller drives at least one light-emitting device of the light-emitting devices and adjusts the light intensity thereof to provide the appropriate optical signal. Besides, a measuring method of the optical sensing apparatus is proposed.

Claims

1. An optical sensing apparatus, comprising:

at least one light sensor, disposed on a substrate and configured to sense a light reflection signal in a sensing area of the optical sensing apparatus;

a plurality of light-emitting devices, disposed on the substrate and around the at least one light sensor and configured to provide an optical signal to be transmitted into a human tissue, wherein the optical signal is reflected to generate the light reflection signal in the human tissue; and

a controller, electrically connected to the at least one light sensor and the light-emitting devices and configured to determine whether a position of the human tissue is changed in the sensing area, wherein the controller drives at least one light-emitting device of the light-emitting devices and adjusts light intensity of the at least one of the light-emitting devices to provide the optical signal according to the position of the human tissue in the sensing area.

2. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light sensor is located between two light-emitting devices of the light-emitting devices in a first direction and between another two light-emitting devices of the light-emitting devices in a second direction.

3. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a vertical distance between a surface of the at least one light sensor and a surface of the substrate is equal to a vertical distance between a surface of each of the light-emitting devices and the surface of the substrate.

4. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a vertical distance between a surface of the light sensor and a surface of the substrate is greater than a vertical distance between a surface of each of the light-emitting devices and the surface of the substrate.

5. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one light isolation structure, disposed between the at least one light sensor and each of the light-emitting devices on the substrate, wherein the at least one light isolation structure is configured to isolate the optical signal from being transmitted into the at least one light sensor.

6. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one light sensor and the light-emitting devices are disposed on a first surface of the substrate, the at least one light isolation structure is further disposed on a second surface of the substrate opposite to the first surface, and the at least one light isolation structure covers the second surface.

7. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is changed according to at least one of the light reflection signal and an action sensing signal.

8. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

an action sensing device, disposed on the substrate and configured to sense whether the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is changed, so as to generate the action sensing signal.

9. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the light reflection signal and the action sensing signal respectively correspond to trend lines, if each of the trend lines is a continuous curve, the controller determines that the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is not changed according to at least one of the light reflection signal and the action sensing signal.

10. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the light reflection signal and the action sensing signal respectively correspond to trend lines, if each of the trend lines comprises a turning point, the controller determines that the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is changed according to at least one of the light reflection signal and the action sensing signal.

11. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the position comprises a first position and a second position, when the human tissue moves from the first position to the second position in the sensing area, the turning point is correspondingly generated in each of the trend lines.

12. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein if the human tissue is located at the first position, the controller drives at least one first light-emitting device among the light-emitting devices and adjusts light intensity of the at least one first light-emitting device to provide the optical signal, and if the human tissue is located at the second position, the controller drives at least one second light-emitting device among the light-emitting devices and adjusts light intensity of the at least one second light-emitting device to provide the optical signal.

13. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein an amount of the at least one second light-emitting device is greater than an amount of the at least one first light-emitting device.

14. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the controller drives the at least one light-emitting device and adjusts the light intensity of the at least one light-emitting device to provide the optical signal, the controller decreases light intensity of the rest of the light-emitting devices of the light-emitting devices which do not provide the optical signal.

15. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an amplitude of the light reflection signal generated by the optical signal reflected in the human tissue is within a predetermined range.

16. The optical sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller drives a combination of the light-emitting devices and adjusts light intensity of the combination to provide the optical signal to be transmitted into the human tissue, and uses the at least one light sensor to sense the light reflection signal generated by the optical signal reflected in the human tissue;

the controller determines whether the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is changed;

if the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is changed, the controller adjusts constituent devices contained in the combination of the light-emitting devices and the light intensity of the combination to provide the optical signal to be transmitted into the human tissue, and uses the at least one light sensor to sense the light reflection signal generated by the optical signal reflected in the human tissue;

the controller determines whether an amplitude of the light reflection signal is within a predetermined range; and

if the amplitude of the light reflection signal is within the predetermined range, the controller drives the adjusted constituent devices contained in the combination of the light-emitting devices, adjusts the light intensity of the combination to provide the optical signal and calculates a physiological signal corresponding to the light reflection signal having the amplitude within the predetermined range.

17. A measuring method of an optical sensing apparatus, wherein the optical sensing apparatus comprises a plurality of light-emitting devices, the measuring method comprising:

driving a first combination of the light-emitting devices, adjusting light intensity of the first combination to provide a first optical signal to be transmitted into a human tissue, and sensing a first light reflection signal generated by the first optical signal reflected in the human tissue;

determining whether a position of the human tissue in a sensing area is changed;

if the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is changed, selecting a second combination of the light-emitting devices, adjusting light intensity of the second combination to provide a second optical signal to be transmitted into the human tissue, and sensing a second light reflection signal generated by the second optical signal reflected in the human tissue;

determining whether an amplitude of the second light reflection signal is within a predetermined range; and

if the amplitude of the second light reflection signal is within the predetermined range, driving the second combination of the light-emitting devices, adjusting the light intensity of the second combination to provide the second optical signal, and calculating a physiological signal corresponding to the second light reflection signal having the amplitude within the predetermined range.

18. The measuring method according to claim 17, wherein the step of determining the amplitude of the second light reflection signal is within the predetermined range comprises:

determining whether a peak value of the amplitude of the second light reflection signal is lower than an upper limit of the predetermined range; and

determining whether a trough value of the amplitude of the second light reflection signal is higher than a lower limit of the predetermined range.

19. The measuring method according to claim 17, wherein the step of selecting the second combination from the light-emitting devices and adjusting the light intensity of the second combination comprises:

if the peak value of the amplitude of the second light reflection signal is higher than the upper limit of the predetermined range, adjusting constituent devices contained in the second combination of the light-emitting devices and adjusting the light intensity of the second combination to decrease the peak value of the amplitude of the second light reflection signal; and

if the trough value of the amplitude of the second light reflection signal is lower than the lower limit of the predetermined range, adjusting the constituent devices contained in the second combination of the light-emitting devices and adjusting the light intensity of the second combination to increase the trough value of the amplitude of the second light reflection signal.

20. The measuring method according to claim 17, further comprising:

if the amplitude of the second light reflection signal is out of the predetermined range, repeatedly performing the step of selecting the second combination from the light-emitting devices and adjusting the light intensity of the second combination, until the second combination of the light-emitting devices comprises all combinations of one or more light-emitting devices of the light-emitting devices.

21. The measuring method according to claim 17, further comprising:

if the amplitude of the second light reflection signal is out of the predetermined range, repeatedly performing the step of selecting the second combination from the light-emitting devices and adjusting the light intensity of the second combination, until the amplitude of the second light reflection signal corresponding to the second combination of the light-emitting devices falls within the predetermined range.

22. The measuring method according to claim 17, wherein the step of determining whether the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is changed comprises:

determining whether the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is changed according to at least one of the first light reflection signal and an action sensing signal.

23. The measuring method according to claim 22, wherein the first light reflection signal and the action sensing signal respectively correspond to trend lines, and the step of determining the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is changed comprises:

if each of the trend lines is a continuous curve, determining that the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is not changed.

24. The measuring method according to claim 22, wherein the first light reflection signal and the action sensing signal respectively correspond to trend lines, and the step of determining the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is changed comprises:

if each of the trend lines comprises a turning point, determining that the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is change.

25. The measuring method according to claim 24, wherein the position of the human tissue comprises a first position and a second position, when the human tissue moves from the first position to the second position in the sensing area, the turning point is generated each of the trend lines.

26. The measuring method according to claim 17, further comprising:

decreasing light intensity of the rest of the light-emitting devices which do not provide the first optical signal nor the second optical signal.

27. The measuring method according to claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether an amplitude of the first light reflection signal is within the predetermined range; and

if the amplitude of the first light reflection signal is within the predetermined range, calculating a physiological signal corresponding to the first light reflection signal having the amplitude within the predetermined range.

28. The measuring method according to claim 27, further comprising:

if the amplitude of the first light reflection signal is out of the predetermined range, performing the step of determining whether the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is changed.

29. The measuring method according to claim 17, further comprising:

if the position of the human tissue in the sensing area is not changed, adjusting a driving current or a voltage gain of the first combination of the light-emitting devices providing the first optical signal to adjust the light intensity of the first combination, such that the amplitude of the first light reflection signal is within the predetermined range.