System and method for obtaining bodily function measurements using a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10694957-B2
Application number	US-201816137425-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2018
Priority date	Oct 25, 2013
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for obtaining at least one bodily function measurement are presented. A mobile device includes an outer body sized to be portable for user, a processor contained within the outer body, and a plurality of sensors physically coupled to the outer body. The sensors are configured to obtain a first measurement indicative of blood volume and a second measurement indicative of heart electrical activity in response to a user action. A blood pressure measurement is determined based on the first measurement and the second measurement. The sensors also include electrodes where a portion of a user's body positioned between the electrodes completes a circuit and a measurement to provide at least one measure of impedance associated with the user's body. A hydration level measurement is determined based on the measure of impedance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable device for obtaining at least one bodily function measurement, comprising:
an outer body shaped as a part of a wristwatch and configured to be wearable by a user on the user's wrist adjacent to a first hand of the user;
a plurality of sensors physically coupled to the outer body, a first sensor of the plurality of sensors comprising a first electrode coupled to the outer body, the first electrode positioned to be contacted by the user's wrist; and
a multifunction contact button comprising a second electrode of the first sensor, wherein the multifunction contact button is coupled to the outer body and positioned to be contacted by a finger or thumb of a second hand of the user, the multifunction contact button capable of (i) receiving user input to interact with the wearable device, (ii) transitioning the wearable device from a normal course of operation to a measurement mode and initiating an electrocardiogram (“ECG”) measurement, and (iii) transitioning the wearable device from the normal course of operation to a measurement mode and initiating a photoplethysmography (“PPG”) measurement using a second sensor of the plurality of sensors, and is configured to, based on a contact, perform (i), (ii), (iii), or a combination thereof, wherein the measurement mode is activated based on a user interaction indicating a desire to obtain a bodily function measurement, and wherein the normal course of operation allows background ECG or PPG measurements; and
a processor contained within the outer body and coupled to the plurality of sensors, the processor configured to, in response to the wearable device transitioning into a measurement mode, obtain the ECG measurement based on signals received from the first electrode and the second electrode or a PPG measurement based on signals received from the second sensor.

2. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the processor configured to obtain the ECG measurement comprises the processor configured to:
measure electrical impulses received by the first electrode and the second electrode; and
determine the ECG measurement based on the measured electrical impulses.

3. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the user input to interact with the wearable device comprises providing input to an application on the wearable device.

4. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the user input to interact with the wearable device comprises non-sensor related activities.

5. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is coupled to a bottom of the wearable device.

6. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein processor configured to obtain the ECG measurement is performed in response to the user in contact with the first electrode and the second electrode.

7. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the multifunction contact button is further used to obtain a hydration level measurement, the processor further configured to obtain the hydration level measurement based on the signals received from the first electrode and the second electrode.

8. A method for obtaining at least one bodily function measurement via a wearable device, comprising:
receiving a user input to place the wearable device into a measurement mode, the wearable device comprising a multifunction contact button coupled to an outer body of the wearable device, the outer body shaped as a part of a wristwatch and configured to be wearable by a user on the user's wrist adjacent to a first hand of the user, the wearable device further comprising a plurality of sensors physically coupled to the outer body, a first sensor of the plurality of sensors comprising a first electrode coupled to the outer body, the first electrode positioned to be contacted by the user's wrist, and the multifunction contact button comprising a second electrode of the first sensor, the multifunction contact button positioned to be contacted by a finger or thumb of a second hand of the user, the multifunction contact button capable of (i) receiving user input to interact with the wearable device, (ii) transitioning the wearable device from a normal course of operation to a measurement mode and initiating an electrocardiogram (“ECG”) measurement, and (iii) transitioning the wearable device from the normal course of operation to a measurement mode and initiating a photoplethysmography (“PPG”) measurement using a second sensor of the plurality of sensors, and is configured to, based on a contact, perform (i), (ii), (iii), or a combination thereof, wherein the measurement mode is activated based on a user interaction indicating a desire to obtain a bodily function measurement, and wherein the normal course of operation allows background ECG or PPG measurements;
in the measurement mode:
receiving, by a processor of the wearable device, signals from the first electrode and the second electrode;
receiving, by the processor of the wearable device, signals from a second sensor of the plurality of sensors; and
obtaining, by the processor, an electrocardiography (“ECG”) measurement based on the signals received from the first electrode and the second electrode and a photoplethysmography (PPG) measurement using the second sensor.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein obtaining the ECG measurement comprises:
measuring electrical impulses received by the first electrode and the second electrode; and
determining the ECG measurement based on the measured electrical impulses.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving further user input, via the multifunction contact button, to an application on the wearable device.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the user input to interact with the wearable device comprises non-sensor related activities.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first electrode is coupled to a bottom of the wearable device.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising obtaining the ECG measurement in response to the user in contact with the first electrode and the second electrode.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising obtaining a hydration level measurement based on the signals received from the first electrode and the second electrode.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to:
receive a user input to place a wearable device into a measurement mode, the wearable device comprising a multifunction contact button coupled to an outer body of the wearable device, the outer body shaped as a part of a wristwatch and configured to be wearable by a user on the user's wrist adjacent to a first hand of the user, the wearable device further comprising a plurality of sensors physically coupled to the outer body, a first sensor of the plurality of sensors comprising a first electrode coupled to the outer body, the first electrode positioned to be contacted by the user's wrist, and the multifunction contact button comprising a second electrode of the first sensor, the multifunction contact button positioned to be contacted by a finger or thumb of a second hand of the user, the multifunction contact button capable of (i) receiving user input to interact with the wearable device, (ii) transitioning the wearable device from a normal course of operation to a measurement mode and initiating an electrocardiogram (“ECG”) measurement, and (iii) transitioning the wearable device from the normal course of operation to a measurement mode and initiating a photoplethysmography (“PPG”) measurement using a second sensor of the plurality of sensors, and is configured to, based on a contact, perform (i), (ii), (iii), or a combination ther

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Martin Russel Allyn
• Sheynblat Leonid
• Hoffman Douglas Wayne

Classifications

• A61B5/6898

  Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers · CPC title

• A61B5/681

  Wristwatch-type devices · CPC title

• A61B5/165

  Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety · CPC title

• A61B5/14551

  for measuring blood gases · CPC title

• A61B5/0537

  Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content · CPC title