Ear-worn electronic device incorporating skin contact and physiologic sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12526568-B2
Application number	US-202118265299-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2021
Priority date	Dec 15, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

An ear-worn electronic device comprising a housing configured to be worn in, at or about an ear of a wearer, audio processing circuitry disposed in or supported by the housing and comprising one or more microphones and an acoustic transducer, a controller disposed in the housing and coupled to the audio processing circuitry, and a power source disposed in the housing. A contact sensor is supported by the housing and coupled to the controller, the contact sensor configured to sense contact between the device and skin of the wearer. A physiologic sensor arrangement is coupled to the controller and configured to measure at least one physiologic parameter or physiologic condition of the wearer. The controller is configured to operate on signals received from the physiologic sensor arrangement in response to the contact sensor sensing contact between the device and the wearer's skin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An ear-wearable electronic device, comprising:
a housing configured to be worn in, at or about an ear of a wearer; audio processing circuitry disposed in or supported by the housing and comprising one or more microphones and an acoustic transducer; a controller disposed in the housing and coupled to the audio processing circuitry; a power source disposed in the housing; a contact sensor supported by the housing and coupled to the controller, the contact sensor configured to sense contact between the device and skin of the wearer; and a physiologic sensor arrangement coupled to the controller and configured to measure at least one physiologic parameter or physiologic condition of the wearer; wherein the controller is configured to energize the physiologic sensor arrangement in response to the contact sensor sensing contact between the device and the wearer's skin, operate on signals received from the energized physiologic sensor arrangement in response to the contact sensor sensing contact between the device and the wearer's skin, and terminate energizing the physiologic sensor arrangement in response to the contact sensor sensing an absence of contact between the device and the wearer's skin.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the contact sensor is configured to one or both of sense contact between the device and skin of the wearer's finger and sense contact between the device and skin of the wearer's ear.

3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein one or more elements of the physiologic sensor arrangement and the contact sensor are co-located on the housing.

4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the physiologic sensor arrangement comprises an optical sensor configured to optically measure the physiologic parameter or physiologic condition of the wearer.

5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the physiologic sensor arrangement comprises an optical sensor configured to produce a photoplethysmogram (PPG).

6 . The device according to claim 5 , wherein, in response to receiving signals from the optical sensor, the controller is configured to measure one or more of the wearer's heart rate, cardiac cycle, cardiac rhythm, cardiac arrhythmia, heart rate variability, oxygen saturation, respiration, hypovolemia, hypervolemia, blood pressure, and depth of anesthesia.

7 . The device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a motion sensor disposed in the housing; wherein the controller is configured to reduce or eliminate motion artifacts in signals produced by the PPG sensor using signals produced by the motion sensor.

8 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the physiologic sensor arrangement comprises an optical sensor arrangement comprising:
a first optical sensor configured to make a first physiologic measurement at the wearer's ear; and
a second optical sensor configured to make a second physiologic measurement at the wearer's finger or thumb, and
the controller is configured to produce a multisite photoplethysmogram (PPG) using the first and second physiologic measurements.

9 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the physiologic sensor arrangement comprises one or both of:
a temperature sensor arrangement configured to measure an absolute core body temperature of the wearer; and an optical sensor configured to optically measure the physiologic parameter or physiologic condition of the wearer.

10 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the physiologic sensor arrangement comprises a temperature sensor arrangement configured and arranged in or on the housing to measure an absolute core body temperature of the wearer at the wearer's forehead.

11 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the physiologic sensor arrangement comprises an electrical sensor configured to contact the wearer's skin; the power source comprises a rechargeable power source coupled to charging circuitry; the charging circuitry comprises first and second charge contacts situated at a wall of the housing; and the first and second charge contacts define electrical contacts of the electrical sensor.

12 . A method of measuring at least one physiologic parameter or physiologic condition of a wearer of an ear-worn electronic device, comprising:
generating, by a contact sensor of the device, a contact signal in response to sensing contact between the contact sensor and skin of the wearer; energizing, by a controller of the device, a physiologic sensor arrangement of the device in response to receiving the contact signal; measuring, by the physiologic sensor arrangement, at least one physiologic parameter or physiologic condition of the wearer; operating, by the controller, on signals received from the energized physiologic sensor arrangement in response to the contact sensor sensing contact between the contact sensor and the wearer's skin; terminating energizing the physiologic sensor arrangement in response to the contact sensor sensing an absence of contact between the device and the wearer's skin; generating, by the controller, an output comprising data indicative of or generated from the physiologic sensor arrangement signals; and communicating the output to an electronic or communication device or system external of the ear-worn electronic device.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , comprising one or both of:
sensing, by the contact sensor, contact between the device and skin of the wearer's finger; and sensing, by the contact sensor, contact between the device and skin of the wearer's ear.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the physiologic sensor arrangement produces a photoplethysmogram (PPG).

15 . An ear-worn electronic device, comprising:
a housing configured to be worn in, at or about an ear of a wearer; audio processing circuitry disposed in or supported by the housing and comprising one or more microphones and an acoustic transducer; a controller disposed in the housing and coupled to the audio processing circuitry; a power source disposed in the housing; a contact sensor supported by the housing and coupled to the controller, the contact sensor configured to sense contact between the device and skin of the wearer; and an optical physiologic sensor arrangement coupled to the controller and configured to measure at least one physiologic parameter or physiologic condition of the wearer, and the contact sensor and one or more elements of the optical physiologic sensor arrangement are co-located in or on the housing; wherein the controller is configured to energize the physiologic sensor arrangement in response to the contact sensor sensing contact between the device and the wearer's skin, operate on signals received from the energized physiologic sensor arrangement in response to the contact sensor sensing contact between the device and the wearer's skin, and terminate energizing the physiologic sensor arrangement in response to the contact sensor sensing an absence of contact between the device and the wearer's skin.

16 . The device according to claim 15 , wherein the contact sensor is configured and arranged on the housing to one or both of:
sense contact between the device and skin of the wearer's finger; and sense contact between the device and skin of the wearer's ear.

17 . The device according to claim 15 , wherein the optical physiologic sensor arrangement is configured to produce a photoplethysmogram (PPG).

Assignees

• Starkey Labs Inc

Inventors

• Higgins Sidney A
• Olson Kyle

Classifications

• H04R1/1075

  Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones · CPC title

• H04R1/1025

  Accumulators specially adapted for earpieces; Arrangements specially adapted for charging thereof · CPC title

• G06F3/015

  Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection · CPC title

• H04R2460/03

  Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices · CPC title

• H04R2225/31

  Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells · CPC title