Hand-held device having health monitoring capabilities

• US 9,693,697 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LifeWatch Technologies Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: LifeWatch Technologies Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Tal, Yair, Pressman, Assaf, Tal, Benny
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Chu Chuan (JJ)
• Application Number:
  US13/433,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20130261414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,923 Days
• Field of Search: 600301, 600309, 600310, 600316, 600323, 600344, 600473, 600476, 600509, 600485
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0462 Apparatus with built-in sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0468 Built-in electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/166 the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle

Abstract

A method, a computer readable media and a hand-held device, the hand-held device may include a first sensor that is positioned such as to be contacted by a first hand of a user when the user holds the hand-held device; a second sensor that is positioned such as to be contacted by a second hand of the user when the user holds the hand-held device; wherein at least one sensor of the first sensor and the second sensor is a hybrid sensor that comprises an electrode, an illumination element and a light detector; and a health monitoring module arranged to process detections signals from the electrode and from the light detector such as to provide processed signals that are indicative of a state of the user.

Claims

1. A mobile phone, comprising:

a first sensor that is positioned on a first side of the mobile phone;

a second sensor that is positioned on the first side of the mobile phone, the first sensor being positioned proximate a first end of the mobile phone and the second sensor being spaced from the first sensor and positioned proximate a second end of the mobile phone;

a third sensor that is positioned on a second side of the mobile phone opposite the first side of the mobile phone, each of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor comprising an electrode and being configured to simultaneously contact a separate finger of a user, wherein at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor is a hybrid sensor that further comprises an illumination element and a light detector, wherein for at least one hybrid sensor the electrode defines at least one light illumination aperture and multiple light collection apertures;

wherein the illumination element is arranged to direct light towards the user through the at least one light illumination aperture;

wherein the light detector is arranged to detect light from the user that passes through the multiple light collection apertures; and

wherein the at least one illumination aperture is centrally positioned between a pair of light collection apertures;

and a health monitoring module located between the first side and the second side of the mobile phone, the health monitoring module comprising a processor arranged to receive and process detection signals from the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor to provide processed signals that are indicative of at least one of a) electrical activity of a heart of the user and b) blood oxygen saturation level of the user.

2. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein for the at least one hybrid sensor the electrode defines multiple light illumination apertures, wherein the light illumination apertures and the light collection apertures are arranged in a linear or rectangular array.

3. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein at least one hybrid sensor comprises multiple illumination elements and multiple light detectors that are spaced apart from each other.

4. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein for at least one hybrid sensor the electrode, the light detector and the illumination element are proximate to each other.

5. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the third sensor is a hybrid sensor that comprises an illumination element and a light detector.

6. The mobile phone according to claim 5, wherein the third sensor is adapted to be positioned in contact by a thumb of one of the hands of the user while the first and second sensors are positioned to be contacted by index fingers of the user.

7. The mobile phone according to claim 5, further comprising a fourth sensor that is positioned to contact a hand of the user that differs from the hand of the user that contacts the third sensor.

8. The mobile phone according to claim 5, wherein the health monitoring module is arranged to perform a common noise rejection algorithm on detection signals received from electrodes of multiple sensors out of the first, second and third sensors.

9. The mobile phone according to claim 2, wherein for each sensor of the first and second sensors the light illumination aperture is positioned at a middle of a longitudinal axis the sensor and at a middle of a traverse axis of the sensor.

10. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the health monitoring module is arranged to process detection signals from the light detector of each hybrid sensor to provide an indication about an electrical activity of a heart of the user.

11. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor each include a light detector and wherein the health monitoring module is arranged to correlate between the detection signals of the light detector of the first sensor and of the electrode of the first sensor and to correlate between the detection signals from the electrode of the second sensor and from the light detector of the second sensor to provide an indication about an electrical activity of a heart of the user.

12. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the health monitoring module is arranged to process the detection signals of the light detector of each hybrid sensor to define a processing window for processing the detection signals of the electrode of the hybrid sensor.

13. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the health monitoring module is arranged to process the detection signals of one of the light detectors of least one of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor to detect a QRS complex;

define an unexpected timing of a detection of a QRS complex in the detection signals of at least one of the electrodes of the at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor and the third sensor; and

search for the QRS complex in detection signals of the at least one electrode that are detected in proximity to the expected timing of detection.

14. The mobile phone according to claim 1 wherein the health monitoring module is arranged to activate an illumination element and a light detector of each hybrid sensor while collecting detection signals from the electrode.

15. The mobile phone according to claim 14, wherein the health monitoring module is arranged to ignore detection signals from an electrode of each hybrid sensor while measuring blood oxygen saturation of the user.

16. The mobile phone according to claim 1 wherein the first sensor and the second sensor each includes an illumination element and a light detector and wherein the electrode of the first sensor, the illumination element of the first sensor and the light detector of the first sensor and the electrode of the second sensor, the illumination element of the second sensor and the light detector of the second sensor are positioned at the first side of the mobile phone.

23. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the health monitoring module is arranged to process detection signals from the at least one light detector to provide an indication about a blood oxygen saturation level of the user.

24. The mobile phone according to claim 23, wherein the health monitoring module is arranged to process detection signals from an electrode of each hybrid sensor to provide an indication about an electrical activity of a heart of the user.

17. A mobile phone, comprising:

a first sensor that is positioned on a first side of the mobile phone;

a second sensor that is positioned on the first side of the mobile phone, the first sensor being positioned proximate a first end of the mobile phone and the second sensor being spaced from the first sensor and positioned proximate a second end of the mobile phone;

a third sensor that is positioned on a second side of the mobile phone opposite the first side of the mobile phone, each of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor comprising an electrode and being configured to simultaneously contact a separate finger of a user, wherein at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor is a hybrid sensor that further comprises an illumination element and a light detector, wherein for at least one hybrid sensor the electrode defines at least one light illumination aperture and multiple light collection apertures;

wherein the illumination element is arranged to direct light towards the user through the at least one light illumination aperture;

wherein the light detector is arranged to detect light from the user that passes through the multiple light collection apertures; and

wherein the at least one illumination aperture is centrally positioned between a pair of light collection apertures; and

a health monitoring module located between the first side and the second side of the mobile phone, the health monitoring module comprising a processor arranged to receive and process detection signals from the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor to provide processed signals that are indicative of at least one of a) electrical activity of a heart of the user and b) blood oxygen saturation level of the user;

wherein each hybrid sensor of the at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor comprises a light illumination aperture and multiple light collection apertures;

wherein the illumination element of each hybrid sensor of the at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor is arranged to direct light towards the user through the light illumination apertures;

wherein the at least one light detector of each hybrid sensor of the at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor is arranged to detect light from the user that passes through the multiple light collection apertures;

wherein each light detector of each hybrid sensor of the at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor is shielded by an apertured shield that spans across the entire light detector;

wherein the apertured shield is positioned below the electrode of the hybrid sensor.

18. The mobile phone according to claim 17, wherein the third sensor is a hybrid sensor that comprises an electrode, an illumination element and a light detector.

19. The mobile phone according to claim 17 wherein the first sensor and the second sensors each include an illumination element and a light detector;

wherein the electrode of the first sensor, the illumination element of the first sensor and the light detector of the first sensor and the electrode of the second sensor, the illumination element of the second sensor and the light detector of the second sensor are positioned at the first side of the mobile phone.

20. A mobile phone, comprising:

a first sensor that is positioned on a first side of the mobile phone;

a second sensor that is positioned on the first side of the mobile phone, the first sensor being positioned proximate a first end of the mobile phone and the second sensor being spaced from the first sensor and positioned proximate a second end of the mobile phone;

a third sensor that is positioned on a second side of the mobile phone opposite the first side of the mobile phone, each of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor comprising an electrode and being configured to simultaneously contact a separate finger of a user, wherein at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor is a hybrid sensor that comprises an illumination element and a light detector, wherein for at least one hybrid sensor the electrode defines at least one light illumination aperture and multiple light collection apertures;

wherein the illumination element is arranged to direct light towards the user through the at least one light illumination aperture;

wherein the light detector is arranged to detect light from the user that passes through the multiple light collection apertures; and

wherein the at least one illumination aperture is centrally positioned between a pair of light collection apertures;

a health monitoring module located between the first side and the second side of the mobile phone, the health monitoring module comprising a processor arranged to receive and process detection signals from the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor to provide processed signals that are indicative of at least one of a) electrical activity of a heart of the user and b) blood oxygen saturation level of the user;

wherein the electrode comprises a conductive portion and at least one additional portion;

wherein a light illumination aperture and at least one light collection apertures are in the conductive portion and in the at least one additional portion.

21. The mobile phone according to claim 20, wherein the additional portion is nonconductive.

22. The mobile phone according to claim 20, wherein the additional portion is at least three times thicker than the conductive portion.

25. The mobile phone according to claim 20 wherein the first sensor and the second sensors each include an illumination element and a light detector;

wherein the electrode of the first sensor, the illumination element of the first sensor and the light detector of the first sensor and the electrode of the second sensor, the illumination element of the second sensor and the light detector of the second sensor are positioned at the first side of the mobile phone.

26. A method for monitoring a state of a user, the method comprising:

detect, using multiple sensors of a mobile phone, detection signals indicative of a state of the user;

receiving, by a health monitoring module located between the first side and the second side of the mobile phone, detection signals from multiple sensors of the mobile phone;

wherein the multiple sensors comprise;

a first sensor that is positioned on a first side of the mobile phone, a second sensor that is positioned on the first side of the mobile phone, the first sensor being positioned proximate a first end of the mobile phone and the second sensor being spaced from the first sensor and positioned proximate a second end of the mobile phone, a third sensor that is positioned on a second side of the mobile phone opposite the first side of the mobile phone, each of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor comprising an electrode and being configured to simultaneously contact a separate finger of a user;

wherein at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor is a hybrid sensor that further comprises an illumination element and a light detector, wherein for at least one hybrid sensor the electrode defines at least one light illumination aperture and multiple light collection apertures;

wherein the illumination element is arranged to direct light towards the user through the at least one light illumination aperture;

wherein the light detector is arranged to detect light from the user that passes through the multiple light collection apertures; and

wherein the at least one illumination aperture is centrally positioned between a pair of light collection apertures;

and processing, by the health monitoring module, the detection from the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor to provide processed signals that are indicative of at least one of a) electrical activity of a heart of the user and b) blood oxygen saturation level of the user.