Methods for monitoring a blood glucose level in a person using radio waves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020187836-A1
Application number	US-201916682780-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 13, 2019
Priority date	Dec 18, 2018
Publication date	Jun 18, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for monitoring a blood glucose level in a person involves transmitting millimeter range radio waves over a three-dimensional (3D) space below the skin surface of a person. receiving radio waves on multiple receive antennas, the received radio waves including a reflected portion of the transmitted radio waves, isolating a signal from a particular location in the 3D space in response to receiving the radio waves on the multiple receive antennas, and outputting a signal that corresponds to a blood glucose level in the person in response to the isolated signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for monitoring a blood glucose level in a person, the method comprising:
transmitting millimeter range radio waves over a three-dimensional (3D) space below the skin surface of a person; receiving radio waves on multiple receive antennas, the received radio waves including a reflected portion of the transmitted radio waves; isolating a signal from a particular location in the 3D space in response to receiving the radio waves on the multiple receive antennas; and outputting a signal that corresponds to a blood glucose level in the person in response to the isolated signal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmit frequency is in the range of 122-126 GHz.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting, receiving, isolating, and outputting occurs in a wearable device that is attached to the person.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the millimeter range radio waves are transmitted from at least one transmit antenna configured for radio waves in a frequency range of 122-126 GHz and the received radio waves are received on multiple receive antennas that are configured for radio waves in a frequency range of 122-126 GHz.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting millimeter range radio waves over a 3D space below the skin surface of a person comprises transmitting from a first transmit antenna and then from a second transmit antenna such that the first transmission does not overlap in time with the second transmission.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting millimeter range radio waves over a 3D space below the skin surface of a person comprises transmitting the millimeter range radio waves in a stepped frequency pattern.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting millimeter range radio waves over a 3D space below the skin surface of a person comprises transmitting the millimeter range radio waves in stepped frequency pattern in which the frequency increases by a fixed increment at each step.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting millimeter range radio waves over a 3D space below the skin surface of a person comprises transmitting the millimeter range radio waves in stepped frequency pattern in which the frequency increases by a fixed increment at each step, wherein the transmit frequency is in the range of 122-126 GHz and wherein the fixed increment ranges from 15.625 MHz to 62.5 MHz.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating a signal from a particular location in the 3D space in response to receiving the radio waves on the multiple receive antennas comprises implementing beamforming signal processing to isolate a signal that corresponds to radio waves reflected from a blood vessel in the person.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating a signal from a particular location in the 3D space in response to receiving the radio waves on the multiple receive antennas comprises using beamforming to focus a receive beam on a particular blood vessel of the person.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating a signal from a particular location in the 3D space in response to receiving the radio waves on the multiple receive antennas comprises using beamforming to focus a receive beam on the basilic vein of the person.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating a signal from a particular location in the 3D space in response to receiving the radio waves on the multiple receive antennas comprises implementing Doppler effect signal processing.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating a signal from a particular location in the 3D space in response to receiving the radio waves on the multiple receive antennas comprises using Doppler effect processing to isolate signals that correspond to relative movement.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating a signal from a particular location in the 3D space in response to receiving the radio waves on the multiple receive antennas comprises using Doppler effect processing, including fast Fourier transform (FFT) processing, to isolate signals that correspond to relative movement.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating a signal from a particular location in the 3D space in response to receiving the radio waves on the multiple receive antennas comprises implementing Kalman filters to smooth out noisy data.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating a signal from a particular location in the 3D space in response to receiving the radio waves on the multiple receive antennas comprises digitally combining received signals from the multiple receive antennas.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating a signal from a particular location in the 3D space in response to receiving the radio waves on the multiple receive antennas comprises discarding signals generated directly from the transmitted millimeter range radio waves.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein millimeter range radio waves are transmitted from two transmit antennas and received at four receive antennas and wherein the two transmit antennas and the four receive antennas are attached within the footprint of a semiconductor substrate.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein radio waves are transmitted from and received at antennas that are on the same planar surface of an integrated circuit (IC) device.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitted radio waves and the reflected portion of the transmitted radio waves pass through a skin surface of the person that is in approximately the same plane.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein radio waves are transmitted at an initial power such that the initial power is diminished by at least one-half at a penetration depth below the skin surface of 6 mm or less.

22 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising outputting a signal that corresponds to a blood pressure level in the person in response to the isolated signal.

23 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising outputting a signal that corresponds to a heart rate in the person in response to the isolated signal.

24 . A method for monitoring a health parameter in a person, the method comprising:
transmitting millimeter range radio waves over a three-dimensional (3D) space below the skin surface of a person; receiving radio waves on multiple receive antennas, the received radio waves including a reflected portion of the transmitted radio waves; isolating a signal from a particular location in the 3D space in response to receiving the radio waves on the multiple receive antennas; and outputting a signal that corresponds to a health parameter in the person in response to the isolated signal.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the health parameter is blood glucose level.

26 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the health parameter is blood pressure.

27 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the health parameter is heart rate.

28 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the transmit frequency is in the range of 122-126 GHz.

29 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the transmitting, receiving, isolating, and outputting occurs in a wearable device that is attached to the person.

30 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the transmit frequency is in the range of 2-6 GHz.

Assignees

• Movano Inc

Inventors

• Leabman Michael A

Classifications

• G01S7/028

  Miniaturisation, e.g. surface mounted device [SMD] packaging or housings · CPC title

• H04B2001/3855

  carried in a belt or harness · CPC title

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title

• H04B2001/3861

  carried in a hand or on fingers · CPC title

• A61B5/742

  using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339) · CPC title