Optical sensor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021338090-A1
Application number	US-202117228139-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2021
Priority date	May 1, 2020
Publication date	Nov 4, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical channel, of an optical filter, passes light associated with a particular wavelength range to a sensor element, of an optical sensor, that operates in a gated mode. One or more processors obtain, from the optical sensor, a first optical measurement and a second optical measurement related to a multi-layered subject. The first optical measurement indicates an amount of light associated with the particular wavelength range that the sensor element accumulated during a first time range, and the second optical measurement indicates an amount of light associated with the particular wavelength range that the sensor element accumulated during a second time range. The first time range is a subrange of the second time range. The one or more processors process the first optical measurement and the second optical measurement to determine one or more parameters associated with the multi-layered subject.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical sensor device, comprising:
an optical sensor comprising an array of sensor elements,
wherein a sensor element, of the array of sensor elements, is configured to operate in a gated mode;
an optical filter disposed over the optical sensor,
wherein the optical filter includes an array of optical channels,
wherein an optical channel, of the array of optical channels, is disposed over the sensor element and is configured to pass light associated with a particular wavelength range to the sensor element; and

one or more processors configured to:
obtain, from the optical sensor, a first optical measurement and a second optical measurement related to a multi-layered subject,
wherein the first optical measurement indicates an amount of light associated with the particular wavelength range that the sensor element accumulated during a first time range, and
wherein the second optical measurement indicates an amount of light associated with the particular wavelength range that the sensor element accumulated during a second time range,
wherein the first time range is a subrange of the second time range;

process the first optical measurement and the second optical measurement to determine one or more parameters associated with the multi-layered subject; and
provide information indicating the one or more parameters associated with the multi-layered subject.

2 . The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein a difference between an ending time of the first time range and an ending time of the second time range is less than 10 nanoseconds.

3 . The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor comprises:
a photodiode configured to capture light associated with the particular wavelength range and generate a photocurrent; a storage diode configured to accumulate a charge associated with the photocurrent generated by the photodiode; one or more gates configured to transfer the accumulated charge from the storage diode to a converter,
wherein the one or more gates are configured to transfer the accumulated charge based on a transfer cycle with a period that is less than 10 nanoseconds; and
the converter, wherein the converter is configured to convert the accumulated charge to an optical measurement.

4 . The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to, when processing the first optical measurement and the second optical measurement to determine the one or more parameters associated with the multi-layered subject:
determine, based on the particular wavelength range and the first time range, that the first optical measurement is related to a first layer of the multi-layered subject; process, based on determining that the first optical measurement is related to the first layer of the multi-layered subject, the first optical measurement to determine one or more first characteristics associated with the first layer; determine, based on the particular wavelength range and the second time range, that the second optical measurement is related to at least a second layer of the multi-layered subject; process, based on determining that the second optical measurement is related to at least the second layer of the multi-layered subject, the first optical measurement and the second optical measurement to determine one or more second characteristics associated with the second layer; and process the one or more first characteristics and the one or more second characteristics to determine the one or more parameters associated with the multi-layered subject.

5 . The optical sensor device of claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to, when processing the first optical measurement and the second optical measurement to determine the one or more second characteristics associated with the second layer:
determine a difference between the first optical measurement and the second optical measurement; and process the difference to determine the one or more second characteristics associated with the second layer.

6 . The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the multi-layered subject comprises multi-layered tissue of a human body, and
wherein the one or more parameters associated with multi-layered subject comprise one or more health parameters associated with the human body.

7 . The optical sensor device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more health parameters comprise at least one of:
a cardiac output parameter; a respiration rate parameter; a vascular disease parameter; an arterial compliance parameter; an endothelial function parameter; a venous condition assessment parameter; a vasospastic condition parameter; a microvascular flow parameter; a tissue viability parameter; an autonomic function parameter; a vasomotor function parameter; a thermoregulation parameter; an orthostasis parameter; a vasoconstriction parameter; a body fat composition parameter; a food sensitivity response parameter; a pharmaceutical sensitivity response parameter; a skin coloring or tanning response parameter; an electrolyte level parameter; a carbon monoxide level parameter; a hydration level parameter; a blood glucose level parameter; a blood pressure parameter; a blood oxygen parameter; or a heart rate parameter.

8 . The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to, when providing the information indicating the one or more parameters associated with the multi-layered subject:
cause display of the information indicating the one or more parameters associated with the multi-layered subject on a display screen associated with the optical sensor device.

9 . The optical sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the optical channel, of the array of optical channels, prevents light associated with at least one other wavelength range from passing to the sensor element.

10 . An optical sensor device, comprising:
an optical sensor comprising an array of sensor elements; and one or more processors, wherein:
a first sensor element, of the array of sensor elements, is configured to:
provide, based on a transfer cycle and to the one or more processors, a first optical measurement associated with a subject that indicates an amount of light associated with a first wavelength range that the first sensor element accumulated during a first time range, and
provide, based on the transfer cycle and to the one or more processors, a second optical measurement associated with the subject that indicates an amount of light associated with the first wavelength range that the first sensor element accumulated during a second time range,
wherein a period of the transfer cycle is less than 10 nanoseconds;

a second sensor element, of the array of sensor elements, is configured to:
provide, based on a transfer cycle and to the one or more processors, a third optical measurement associated with the subject that indicates an amount of light associated with a second wavelength range that the second sensor element accumulated during the first time range, and
provide, based on the transfer cycle and to the one or more processors, a fourth optical measurement associated with the subject that indicates an amount of light associated with the second wavelength range that the second sensor element accumulated during the second time range; and

the one or more processors are configured to:
process the first optical measurement, the second optical measurement, the third optical measurement, and the fourth optical measurement to determine one or more parameters associated with the subject, and
provide information indicating the one or more parameters associate

Assignees

• Viavi Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Houck William D

Classifications

• A61B5/0261 Primary

  using optical means, e.g. infrared light · CPC title

• A61B5/02007

  Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance · CPC title

• A61B5/02028

  Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction · CPC title

• A61B5/02055

  Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature · CPC title

• A61B5/01 Primary

  Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20) · CPC title