IP Verse

Multi-Wavelength Wearable Device For Non-Invasive Blood Measurements In Tissue

Patent No. US11160455 (titled "Multi-Wavelength Wearable Device For Non-Invasive Blood Measurements In Tissue") was filed by Omni Medsci Inc on Oct 23, 2020.

What is this patent about?

’455 is related to the field of wearable physiological monitoring devices , specifically those employing optical techniques to measure parameters such as heart rate, blood oxygenation, or glucose levels. The background involves the increasing need for convenient and non-invasive methods for monitoring physiological data, particularly in the context of chronic diseases and personalized healthcare.

The underlying idea behind ’455 is to use a wearable device with multiple light sources and detectors to analyze light reflected from tissue and extract physiological information. The device synchronizes light emission and detection, and it uses multiple spatially separated detectors to improve signal quality. The key insight is to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio by comparing signals received when the light sources are on and off, and by increasing the intensity of the light sources.

The claims of ’455 focus on a system comprising a wearable device and a smartphone or tablet . The wearable device includes a light source with multiple semiconductor sources (e.g., LEDs) emitting light at different wavelengths, lenses to direct the light to tissue, and a detection system with spatially separated detectors and analog-to-digital converters. The smartphone/tablet receives, processes, stores, and transmits the output signal wirelessly, and the system is designed to measure one or more physiological parameters.

In practice, the wearable device would be placed on the wrist, ear, or teeth, and the LEDs would emit light that interacts with the tissue . The reflected light is captured by the detectors, converted to a digital signal, and sent to the smartphone/tablet. The smartphone/tablet then processes the signal to determine the physiological parameter of interest. The system increases the signal-to-noise ratio by comparing signals with the LEDs on and off, effectively subtracting background noise.

The system differentiates itself from prior approaches by using a combination of multiple light sources, spatially separated detectors, and synchronized signal processing to improve the accuracy and reliability of physiological measurements. The use of a smartphone/tablet for processing and wireless transmission allows for convenient data storage and sharing, enabling remote monitoring and personalized healthcare applications. The arc arrangement of LEDs and detectors further optimizes light collection and signal quality.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the early 2010s when ’455 was filed, wearable devices were becoming increasingly sophisticated, at a time when wireless communication to smartphones was typically implemented using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Systems commonly relied on analog-to-digital converters to process sensor data, and increasing signal-to-noise ratio in wearable sensors, especially for physiological parameters, was a key engineering constraint.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner approved the claims because the prior art, whether alone or combined, did not disclose the specific limitations of the claims. These limitations include a detection system with multiple spatially separated detectors, at least one analog-to-digital converter coupled to these detectors, a wearable device configured to increase the signal-to-noise ratio by increasing the light intensity of semiconductor sources, and a detection system configured to generate and compare signals with the light sources both on and off. The examiner also noted the novelty of transmitting processed signals wirelessly and using specific wavelengths to monitor oxy-hemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin.

Claims

This patent contains 20 claims, with independent claims numbered 1, 8, and 15. The independent claims are generally directed to systems for measuring physiological parameters using a wearable device in conjunction with a smart phone or tablet. The dependent claims generally add further details and limitations to the system described in the independent claims.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Lens output light
(Claim 1, Claim 8, Claim 15)		“As used throughout this disclosure, the terms “optical light” and or “optical beam” and or “light beam” refer to photons or light transmitted to a particular location in space. The “optical light” and or “optical beam” and or “light beam” may be modulated or unmodulated, which also means that they may or may not contain information. In one embodiment, the “optical light” and or “optical beam” and or “light beam” may originate from a fiber, a fiber laser, a laser, a light emitting diode, a lamp, a pump laser, or a light source.”The portion of the output optical light that is delivered to tissue after passing through one or more lenses.
Output optical light
(Claim 1, Claim 8, Claim 15)		“As used throughout this disclosure, the terms “optical light” and or “optical beam” and or “light beam” refer to photons or light transmitted to a particular location in space. The “optical light” and or “optical beam” and or “light beam” may be modulated or unmodulated, which also means that they may or may not contain information. In one embodiment, the “optical light” and or “optical beam” and or “light beam” may originate from a fiber, a fiber laser, a laser, a light emitting diode, a lamp, a pump laser, or a light source.”Light generated by a plurality of semiconductor sources, having a plurality of optical wavelengths.
Signal-to-noise ratio
(Claim 1, Claim 8, Claim 15)		“background or spurious signals and increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the measurement. The FTIR spectrometer may have several advantages compared to a scanning (dispersive) spectrometer. Since all the wavelengths may be collected simultaneously, the FTIR may result in a higher signal-to-noise ratio for a given scan time or a shorter scan time for a given resolution.”A ratio of signal strength compared to the background noise.
Spatially separated
(Claim 1, Claim 8, Claim 15)		“In yet another example of multi-beam detection systems, a dual-beam set-up 6700 such as in summary, experiments verify that infrared light, such as near 980 nm, 1210 nm, or 1700 nm, may achieve penetration depths between approximately 2 mm to 4 mm or more.”Detectors that are physically apart from each other.
Wireless transmission link
(Claim 1, Claim 8, Claim 15)		“Value-add services may be provided by wirelessly communicating the monitored data to a handheld device such as a smart phone, and then wirelessly communicating the processed data to the cloud for storing, processing, and transmitting to several locations.”A wireless connection used to transmit data.

Patent Family

Patent Family

File Wrapper

The dossier documents provide a comprehensive record of the patent's prosecution history - including filings, correspondence, and decisions made by patent offices - and are crucial for understanding the patent's legal journey and any challenges it may have faced during examination.

  • Date

    Description

  • Get instant alerts for new documents

US11160455

OMNI MEDSCI INC
Application Number
US17078771
Filing Date
Oct 23, 2020
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Dec 17, 2033
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents