Ring for optically measuring biometric data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10918289-B1
Application number	US-201916439467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 12, 2019
Priority date	Jun 12, 2019
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a ring-shaped wearable device for detecting biometrics with a light source and a photodetector directed towards a digit wearing the ring-shaped device. The ring can thus detect oxygen saturation of a wearer based on light transmitted through the wearer's finger. The ring can include power saving measures to extend the battery life. A motion sensor can help determine opportune moments for data collection such as when the wearer is still. The motion sensor can be used to remove noise from the data caused by motion. After data is collected or during data collection, the ring can wirelessly communicate the data to another portable electronic device such as a phone or watch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A monitoring device, comprising:
a ring-shaped housing having an opening for receiving a digit of a person;
a plurality of light sources positioned on the ring-shaped housing and directed toward the opening, the plurality of light sources configured to emit light over at least two wavelengths;
a plurality of photodetectors positioned on the ring-shaped housing;
wherein two or more light sources selected from the plurality of light sources and two or more photodetectors selected from the plurality of photodetectors comprise a combination and the device comprises a plurality of combinations;
wherein the two or more light sources in the combination are configured to emit light sequentially and each of the two or more photodetectors is configured to detect light sequentially emitted along a plurality of light paths by the two or more light sources, and wherein the combination is configured to detect light that is transmitted through, and reflected from, the digit when received within the opening;
a motion-detecting element positioned in the ring-shaped housing and configured to detect motion data representative of motion of the monitoring device;
biometric circuitry positioned in the ring-shaped housing for determining biometric information using the light detected over a time period where the monitoring device is substantially still according to the detected motion data, wherein the biometric circuitry is configured to activate each combination individually; and
a communications subsystem positioned in the ring-shaped housing for communicating the biometric information using at least one wireless transmission protocol.

2. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the biometric circuitry is further configured to:
activate the plurality of light sources to emit light at a red wavelength and an infrared wavelength;
cause the plurality of photodetectors to detect the emitted light over a period of time;
determine a difference in absorption of the emitted light at the red wavelength and the emitted light at the infrared wavelength; and
determine, using the difference in absorption, an oxygenation level in blood of the person.

3. The monitoring device of claim 2 , wherein the red wavelength is about 660 nm and the infrared wavelength is about 940 nm.

4. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the biometric circuitry is further configured to:
determine, using light detected over one or more wavelengths, the biometric information including at least one of blood pressure, glucose level, lipid concentration, hematocrit level, or carboxyhemoglobin level.

5. The monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more opaque light barriers positioned on the ring-shaped housing for minimizing the amount of unwanted light detected by the two or more photodetectors in each combination.

6. The monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising a light guide for guiding the light paths to the two or more photodetectors in each combination.

7. The monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment mechanism for adjusting a size of at least the opening in the ring-shaped housing.

8. A method comprising:
activating a plurality of light sources of a ring-shaped monitoring device and directed towards an opening of the ring-shaped monitoring device, wherein the plurality of light sources are configured to emit light over at least two wavelengths;
detecting, using a plurality of photodetectors of the ring-shaped monitoring device, light sequentially emitted by the plurality of light sources corresponding to a plurality of respective light paths,
wherein the two or more light sources selected from the plurality of light sources and two or more photodetectors selected from the plurality of photodetectors comprise a combination and the device comprises a plurality of combinations, wherein each combination is activated individually;
wherein two or more light sources in the combination are configured to emit light sequentially and each of the two or more photodetectors is configured to detect light sequentially emitted along a plurality of light paths by the two or more light sources, and wherein the combination is configured to detect light that is transmitted through, and reflected from, a digit of a person positioned within the opening;
determining biometric information based at least in part on differences in the detected light of the at least two wavelengths; and
transmitting the biometric information using a communications element in the ring-shaped housing.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining, using differences in absorption of the detected light at a red wavelength and at an infrared wavelength, an oxygenation level in blood of the person.

10. The monitoring device of claim 9 , wherein the red wavelength is about 660 nm and the infrared wavelength is about 940 nm.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining, using a motion sensor, a time period over which the monitoring device is substantially still; and
determining the biometric information using light detected during the determined time period.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining, using light detected over one or more wavelengths, the biometric information including at least one of blood pressure, glucose level, lipid concentration, or carboxyhemoglobin level.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one photodetector in a combination of the device is positioned opposite at least one of the light sources in the combination in the opening.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
detecting a first light intensity at a first photodetector and a second photodetector at a first location and a second location in a combination in the opening; and
detecting a second light intensity at the first photodetector and the second photodetector at the first location and the second location in the combination in the opening, wherein the biometric information is calculated based at least in part upon the first light intensity and the second light intensity.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first photodetector and the second photodetector in the combination are configured to receive light emitted from a same light source.

16. A wearable monitoring device, comprising:
a device housing wearable on a digit of a person;
a plurality of light sources capable of emitting light over at least a red wavelength and an infrared wavelength;
a plurality of photodetectors; wherein two or more light sources selected from the plurality of light sources and two or more photodetectors selected from the plurality of photodetectors comprise a combination and the device comprises a plurality of combinations, wherein each combination is activated individually;
wherein the two or more light sources in a combination are configured to emit light sequentially and each of the two or more photodetectors is configured for sequentially detecting light emitted along a plurality of light paths by the two or more light sources, and wherein the detected light is transmitted through, and reflected from, at least a portion of the digit of the person; and
a communication subsystem configured to transmit data corresponding to differences in absorption of the red wavelength and the infrared wavelength as transmitted through, and reflected from, the portion of the digit of the finger and detected by the two or more photodetectors, the differences indicative of an oxygenation level of the person.

17. The wearable monitoring device of claim 16 , f

Assignees

• Fitbit Inc

Inventors

• Wasson Jaclyn Leverett
• Richards Peter W
• Sunden Lindsey Michelle
• O'Connor Corey Stephen
• Heneghan Conor Joseph
• Zhang Xi
• Vavadi Hamed
• Sarantos Chris Hanrahan
• Dess Peter Colin

Classifications

• A61B5/0022

  Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet · CPC title

• A61B2562/0219

  Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches · CPC title

• A61B5/6826

  Finger · CPC title

• A61B5/14552

  Details of sensors specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• A61B5/14546

  for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes · CPC title