Alternative approach for UV sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11029198-B2
Application number	US-201615578617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2016
Priority date	Jun 1, 2015
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

The invention provides systems and methods for wearable and tissue-mounted electronics for monitoring exposure of a subject or object to electromagnetic radiation, particularly electromagnetic radiation in the visible, ultraviolet and infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some embodiments, the devices are purely passive devices where absorption of incident electromagnetic radiation by the device provides at least a portion of the power for the measurement of the radiant exposure or flux of the incident electromagnetic radiation. Devices of the invention may include near field communication components, for example, for enabling readout by an external device, such as a computer or mobile device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A UV monitoring system for measuring a radiant exposure or flux of incident UV electromagnetic radiation, the system comprising:
a near-field coil for wirelessly coupling the system with an external electronic device;
a substrate; and
an electronic device supported by said substrate, wherein said electronic device comprises:
a transducer including one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), the one or more LEDs configured to convert at least a portion of said incident UV electromagnetic radiation into an electrical current, wherein the current is characteristic of said radiant exposure or flux of said incident UV electromagnetic radiation, wherein absorption of the incident UV electromagnetic radiation by the one or more LEDs provides at least a portion of the power for said measurement of the radiant exposure or flux of said incident UV electromagnetic radiation;
a capacitor to store charge from the one or more LEDs; and
an NFC chip configured to assess charge on the capacitor and transmit UV exposure data to the external electronic device

wherein the near-field coil encircles the transducer, the capacitor and the NFC chip on the substrate.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein absorption of the incident electromagnetic radiation by the electronic device provides at least 50% of the power for said measurement of the radiant exposure or flux of said incident UV electromagnetic radiation.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said electronic device does not include a battery or solar cell configured to provide power to said electronic device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system continuously monitors said radiant exposure or flux of incident UV electromagnetic radiation received by said electronic device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system is wearable on clothing, jewelry or a faux nail.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of said substrate is capable of being conformably integrated with a tissue surface.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said electronic device further comprises one or more optical filters positioned to optically filter said incident UV electromagnetic radiation received by said system.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a power source selected from the group consisting of a battery, an energy harvester, a solar cell, a piezoelectric element and any combination of these.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the capacitor is a first capacitor, the system comprising:
a first LED, the first LED being configured to detect UVA electromagnetic radiation;
the first capacitor connected in parallel to the first LED, the first capacitor being configured to store charge from the first LED;
a second LED, the second LED being configured to detect UVB electromagnetic radiation;
a second capacitor connected in parallel to the second LED, the second capacitor being configured to store charge from the second LED; and
a trigger, wherein the first and second capacitors are each connected in parallel to the trigger to allow discharge of the first and second capacitors;
the NFC chip being configured to assess the charge on each capacitor and transmit UVA and UVB exposure data to the external electronic device, wherein UVA exposure is correlated to the total charge on the first capacitor and wherein UVB exposure is correlated to the total charge on the second capacitor.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first LED absorbs electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths between 320 nm and 400 nm and the second LED absorbs electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths between 280 nm and 320 nm.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein said electronic device is waterproof.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system has a lateral area footprint selected from the range of 10 mm 2 to 500 mm 2 .

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system has an average modulus selected from the range of 10 kPa to 100 GPa.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system has a net bending stiffness selected from the range of 0.1 nN m to 1 N m.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system has an average thickness selected from the range of 5 microns to 5 millimeters.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein said near-field coil has a diameter selected from the range of 500 microns to 20 millimeters.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein said UV monitoring system has a diameter less than 9 millimeters.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein said near-field coil has an annular shape, an elliptical shape, or a rectangular shape.

20. A method of making a UV monitoring system for measuring a radiant exposure or flux of incident UV electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
providing a near-field coil for wirelessly coupling the system with an external electronic device;
providing a substrate; and
providing an electronic device supported by said substrate, wherein said electronic device comprises:
a transducer including one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), the one or more LEDs configured to convert at least a portion of said incident UV electromagnetic radiation into an electrical current, wherein the current is characteristic of said radiant exposure or flux of said incident UV electromagnetic radiation; wherein absorption of the incident UV electromagnetic radiation provides at least a portion of the power for said measurement of the radiant exposure or flux of said incident UV electromagnetic radiation;
a capacitor to store charge from the one or more LEDs; and
an NFC chip configured to assess charge on the capacitor and transmit UV exposure data to the external electronic device

wherein the near-field coil encircles the transducer, the capacitor and the NFC chip on the substrate.

21. A method of using a UV monitoring system for measuring a radiant exposure or flux of incident UV electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
mounting the UV monitoring system on a subject, said monitoring system comprising:
a near-field coil for wirelessly coupling the system with an external electronic device;
a substrate; and
an electronic device supported by said substrate, wherein said electronic device comprises:
a transducer including one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), the one or more LEDs configured to convert at least a portion of said incident UV electromagnetic radiation into an electrical current, wherein the current is characteristic of said radiant exposure or flux of said incident UV electromagnetic radiation; wherein absorption of the incident UV electromagnetic radiation by the one or more LEDs provides at least a portion of the power for said measurement of the radiant exposure or flux of said incident UV electromagnetic radiation;
a capacitor; and
an NFC chip;

wherein the near-field coil encircles the transducer, the capacitor and the NFC chip on the substrate;

exposing said one or more LEDs of said UV monitoring system to said UV electromagnetic radiation;
charging the capacitor via the electrical current from the one or more LEDs; and
assessing the charge on the capacitor and transmitting UV exposure data to the external electronic device via the NFC chip.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein said UV monitoring system is a wearable or a tissue-mounted system provided on a subject.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein said UV monitoring system is provided on the skin or finger nail of said subject.

Assignees

• Univ Illinois

Inventors

• Rogers John A
• Banks Anthony R
• Wang Xinying
• Brown Gregory

Classifications

• H02J2105/46

  Medical devices, medical implants or life supporting devices · CPC title

• G06K19/07722

  the record carrier being multilayered, e.g. laminated sheets (flat articles in general, see B32B37/00) · CPC title

• G06K19/0723

  the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs · CPC title

• G06K19/0716

  at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor · CPC title

• A61B2562/028

  Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS] · CPC title