Patent Application
20160100767
This Non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ยง119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 103135212 filed in Taiwan, Republic of China, Oct. 9, 2014, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
At least one embodiment in accordance with the present invention relates to the measuring systems and methods for operating thereof. More particularly, at least one embodiment relates to the heartbeat and pulse measuring systems and methods for operating thereof.
Detections of heartbeat and pulse are conventionally performed with multiple electrode pads simultaneously attached on the skin of a subject. Those electrode pads constitute part of a stationary device and are hard to be incorporated into wearable devices. Recently, several wearable devices were proposed with photoplenthysmographs which, alternately, determine heartbeat and pulse by measuring the change in light absorption. The photoplethysmography technology, however, shows low resilience to the dynamical activities of a subject. Various noises are constantly produced with the motions of a subject and therefore decline the accuracy of the pulse measurement.
Wearable devices are featured in its high mobility, and the photoplethysmography technology used in wearable devices should be stable under different situations. Conventional photoplenthysmographs are nevertheless vulnerable to the activities of a subject. External factors such as the level of ambient light and the variation of temperature and internal factors such as the contraction of muscle tissue also largely affect the accuracy of the pulse measurement.
Accordingly, there is a need for heartbeat and pulse measuring systems and methods having improvements in the aforementioned defects.
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a heartbeat and pulse measuring system comprising a detecting unit, a processing unit, and an output unit.
The detecting unit in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention comprises a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, and a detecting module. As attaching with a subject, the first light-emitting element emits a first frequency beam toward the subject to generate a first scattered light signal and the second light-emitting element emits a second frequency beam toward the subjected to generate a second scattered light signal. In particular, the first scatter light signal and the second scatter light signal each represents a variation of light intensity over time.
The detecting module in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention is configured for receiving the first scattered light signal and the second scattered light signal from the subject. The detecting module further converts the first scattered light signal and the second scattered light signal into a first current signal and a second current signal respectively.
In some embodiments, the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, and the detecting module are spaced at, but not limited to, equal intervals.
The processing unit in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention is connected with the detecting unit. The processing unit comprises an amplifier, a filter, a processing module, and a first transmission module. The amplifier is configured for amplifying the first current signal and the second current signal. The filter is configured for filtering noises off the first current signal and the second current signal. The processing module is configured for generating an analysis information by processing the first current signal and the second current signal. The first transmission module is configured for transmitting the analysis information to the output unit. In particular, the analysis information herein is obtained by computing the intensity difference between the first current signal and the second current signal in time domain.
The output unit in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention is coupled with the processing unit. The output unit comprises a second transmission module which is configured for receiving the analysis information. The output unit may further convert the analysis information into a heartbeat and pulse information.
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a method for operating the heartbeat and pulse measuring systems. The method comprises several steps. In the first step, a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element emit a first frequency beam and a second frequency beam to a subject respectively to obtain a first scattered light signal and a second scattered light signal. The subject is attaching with both the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element, and the first scattered light signal and the second scattered light signal each represents a variation of light intensity in time domain. The second step is associated with analog-to-digital conversion; the first scattered light signal and the second scattered light signal received from the subject are converted into a first current signal and a second current signal respectively. The first current signal and the second current signal are further amplified and/or filtered in the third step. The last two steps are obtaining an analysis information by computing the intensity difference between the first current signal and the second current signal in time domain and transmitting the analysis information to an output unit for a conversion from the analysis information to a heartbeat and pulse information, respectively.
Some embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide accurate heartbeat and pulse by recording two scattered light signals which are in different wavelengths. The two scattered light signals are used to attenuate the common mode noises induced by external factors and internal factors. The detecting unit in some embodiments may be configured in a portable device. Even with a subject under vigorous motions, the detecting unit is capable of monitoring the heartbeat and pulse of the subject.
The embodied heartbeat and pulse measuring systems and embodied methods provide improvements over the prior arts.
In some embodiments, the first light-emitting element 210 is, but not limited to, an infrared light-emitting diode (LED) and the first frequency beam is, but not limited to, infrared light. The second light-emitting element 220 is an LED with any wavelength. Preferably, the second light-emitting element 220 is, but not limited to, a far infrared LED or a green LED, and the second frequency beam is, but not limited to, far infrared light or green light respectively.
In some embodiments, the detecting module 230 is, but not limited to, disposed between the first light-emitting element 210 and the second light-emitting element 220. The detecting module 230 is configured for receiving the first scattered light signal and the second scattered light signal from the subject, and converting the first scattered light signal and the second scattered light signal into a first current signal and a second current signal respectively.
In some embodiments, the first light-emitting element 210, the second light-emitting element 220, and the detecting module 230 are spaced at, but not limited to, equal intervals.
The processing unit 30 in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention is connected with the detecting unit 20. The processing unit comprises an amplifier 310, a filter 320, a processing module 330, and a first transmission module 340. The amplifier 310 is configured for amplifying the first current signal and the second current signal. The filter 320 is configured for filtering noises off the first current signal and the second current signal. The processing module 330 is configured for generating an analysis information by processing the first current signal and the second current signal. The first transmission module 340 is configured for transmitting the analysis information to the output unit 40. In particular, the analysis information herein is obtained by computing the intensity difference between the first current signal and the second current signal in time domain.
In some embodiments, the amplifier 310 is configured for, but not limited to, amplifying strength of the first current signal and the second current signal. The filter 320 is configured for, but not limited to, filtering noises from the first current signal and the second current signal.
The output unit 40 in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention is coupled with the processing unit 30. The output unit 40 comprises a second transmission module 410 which is configured for receiving the analysis information. The output unit 40 may convert the analysis information into a heartbeat and pulse information.
In some embodiments, the output unit 40 comprises a display unit 420 and a memory unit 430. The display unit 420 and the memory unit are configured for, but not limited to, displaying and storing the analysis information respectively.
In some embodiments, the detecting unit 20, the processing unit 30 and the output unit 40 of a heartbeat and pulse measuring system are not co-existed in a same device. For example, a small optical detector comprises a detecting unit 20 and a processing unit 30 may obtain an analysis information by attaching to the fingertip of a subject. The analysis information may be transmitted to a portable device, a smart phone, via wireless transceivers. In the smart phone, the analysis information could be displayed on the screen, saved to the memory, or performed with other actions.
In some embodiments, the detecting unit 20, the processing unit 30 and the output unit 40 in heartbeat and pulse measuring system are co-existed in a same device. For example, a smart phone. The smart phone comprises a detecting unit 20, a processing unit 30, a screen, and even a memory. One may tap a fingertip to the detecting unit 20 to initiate the processes. Analyzing of the first current signal and the second current signal are performed by the processing unit 30 of the same smart phone. Even the analysis information can be displayed by the screen and saved to the memory of the smart phone.
In some embodiments, the analysis information is transmitted to the output unit through, but not limited to, a wired network or a wireless network. In some embodiments, the analysis information is exported, by the output unit, to, but not limited to, a display unit for displaying or a memory unit for storing.
Some embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide accurate heartbeat and pulse by recording two scattered light signals which are in different wavelengths. The two scattered light signals are used to attenuate the common mode noises induced by external factors and internal factors. The detecting unit in some embodiments may be configured in a portable device. Even with a subject under vigorous motions, the detecting unit is capable of monitoring the heartbeat and pulse of the subject.
There are many inventions described and illustrated herein. The present inventions are neither limited to any single aspect nor embodiment thereof, nor to any combinations and/or permutations of such aspects and/or embodiments. Moreover, each of the aspects of the present inventions, and/or embodiments thereof, may be employed alone or in combination with one or more of the other aspects of the present inventions and/or embodiments thereof. For the sake of brevity, many of those permutations and combinations will not be discussed separately herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 103135212 | Oct 2014 | TW | national |
