Wrist-worn electronic device with optical cardiac monitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12336797-B2
Application number	US-202318460256-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2023
Priority date	Oct 26, 2022
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A wrist-worn electronic device comprises a housing including a bottom wall configured to contact a user's wrist, an optical transmitter and receiver assembly and a processor. The optical transmitter and receiver assembly comprises a first optical transmitter array, a first optical receiver, a second optical transmitter array, and a second optical receiver. The first and second optical transmitter arrays transmit a plurality of first and second optical signals, respectively, that pass through a user's skin. The first and second optical receivers receive the first and second optical signals that travel along a first signal path and a second signal path, respectively, that are both substantially parallel to an arm axis of the user. The processor is configured determine physiological information about the user based on one or both of first and second electronic signals corresponding to the first and second optical signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wrist-worn electronic device, comprising:
a housing including a bottom wall configured to contact a user's wrist;
a first optical transmitter array positioned at a first location on the bottom wall and operable to output a plurality of first optical signals that pass through a user's skin, each first optical signal having a unique wavelength;
a first optical receiver positioned at a second location on the bottom wall and operable to receive the first optical signals from the first optical transmitter array such that the first optical signals output by the first optical transmitter array travel along a first signal path from the first optical transmitter array to the first optical receiver and generate a first electronic signal corresponding to the first optical signals, the first signal path being substantially parallel to an arm axis of the user;
a second optical transmitter array positioned at a third location on the bottom wall and operable to output a plurality of second optical signals that pass through the user's skin, each second optical signal having a unique wavelength;
a second optical receiver positioned at a fourth location on the bottom wall and operable to receive the second optical signals from the second optical transmitter array such that the second optical signals output by the second optical transmitter array travel along a second signal path from the second optical transmitter array to the second optical receiver and generate a second electronic signal corresponding to the second optical signals, the second signal path being parallel to the arm axis of the user; and
a processor coupled with the first optical receiver and the second optical receiver, the processor configured to:
receive the first and the second electronic signals from the first and second optical receivers, respectively,
determine a signal quality metric of each of the first electronic signal and the second electronic signal,
determine physiological information about the user based on the first electronic signal if the determined signal quality metric of the first electronic signal is greater than the determined signal quality metric of the second electronic signal, and
determine physiological information about the user based on the second electronic signal if the determined signal quality metric of the second electronic signal is greater than the determined signal quality metric of the first electronic signal.

2. The wrist-worn electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first location on the bottom wall of the first optical transmitter and the second location on the bottom wall of the first optical receiver are in an upper portion of the bottom wall; and
wherein the third location on the bottom wall of the second optical transmitter and the fourth location on the bottom wall of the second optical receiver are in a lower portion of the bottom wall.

3. The wrist-worn electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first signal path from the first optical transmitter array to the first optical receiver passes through a first portion of the user's wrist, and wherein the second signal path from the second optical transmitter array to the second optical receiver passes through a second portion of the user's wrist.

4. The wrist-worn electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the signal quality metric is a signal-to-noise ratio, and wherein the first and second optical transmitters are light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and the first and second optical receivers are photodiodes.

5. The wrist-worn electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the arm axis of the user extends from the user's elbow to the user's hand of that arm.

6. The wrist-worn electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first signal path does not intersect the second signal path.

7. The wrist-worn electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a memory element configured to store a signal quality metric threshold.

8. The wrist-worn electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor determines physiological information about the user based on the first electronic signal only if the signal quality metric of the first electronic signal is above the stored signal quality metric threshold, and wherein the processor determines physiological information about the user based on the second electronic signal only if the signal quality metric of the second electronic signal is above the stored signal quality metric threshold.

9. The wrist-worn electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first optical signals output by the first optical transmitter array and the plurality of second optical signals output by the second optical transmitter array, respectively, include a first wavelength between 600-680 nm, a second wavelength between 680-750 nm and a third wavelength between 750-950 nm.

10. A wrist-worn electronic device, comprising:
a housing including a bottom wall configured to contact a user's wrist;
a memory element configured to store a signal quality metric threshold;
a first optical transmitter array positioned at a first location on the bottom wall and operable to output a plurality of first optical signals that pass through a user's skin, each first optical signal having a unique wavelength;
a first optical receiver positioned at a second location on the bottom wall and operable to receive the first optical signals from the first optical transmitter array such that the first optical signals output by the first optical transmitter array travel along a first signal path from the first optical transmitter array to the first optical receiver and generate a first electronic signal corresponding to the first optical signals, the first signal path being substantially parallel to an arm axis of the user;
a second optical transmitter array positioned at a third location on the bottom wall and operable to output a plurality of second optical signals that pass through the user's skin, each second optical signal having a unique wavelength;
a second optical receiver positioned at a fourth location on the bottom wall and operable to receive the second optical signals from the second optical transmitter array such that the second optical signals output by the second optical transmitter array travel along a second signal path from the second optical transmitter array to the second optical receiver and generate a second electronic signal corresponding to the second optical signals, the second signal path being parallel to the arm axis of the user; and
a processor coupled with the first optical receiver and the second optical receiver, the processor configured to:
receive the first and the second electronic signals from the first and second optical receivers, respectively,
determine a signal quality metric of each of the first electronic signal and the second electronic signal,
compare the stored signal quality metric threshold with each of the determined signal quality metric of the first electronic signal and the second electronic signal,
determine physiological information about the user based on the first electronic signal and the second electronic signal if the signal quality metric of the first electronic signal and the second electronic signal are above the stored signal quality metric threshold.

11. The wrist-worn electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the first location on the bottom wall of the first optical transmitter and the second location on the bottom wall of the first optical receiver are in an upper portion of the bottom wall; and
wherein the third location on the bottom wall of the second optical transmitter and the fourth location on the bottom wall of the second optical receiver are in a lower portion of the bottom wa

Assignees

• Garmin Int Inc

Inventors

• Macdonald Paul R
• Kulach Christopher J
• Verschaeve Tim A
• Primeau Benjamin A

Classifications

• A61B5/14552

  Details of sensors specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• A61B5/681 Primary

  Wristwatch-type devices · CPC title

• A61B5/7221

  Determining signal validity, reliability or quality (preventing, reducing or removing noise induced by motion artefacts A61B5/7207; noise originating from a therapeutic or surgical apparatus A61B5/7217) · CPC title

• A61B5/02438

  with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient · CPC title

• A61B5/02433 Primary

  for infrared radiation · CPC title