Patent Application
20220413143
One or more aspects of embodiments according to the present invention relate to a sensing module for an electronic device such as a phone (cellphone, mobile phone) and/or a wearable device, and more particularly to a sensing module comprising a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) on a silicon substrate.
Digital healthcare is transforming the healthcare industry with a rising demand for real-time and on-demand analysis of various biomarkers for a range of purposes. Wearable devices (“wearables”) are now commonplace in the fields of wellness and healthcare (including for e.g. fitness tracking, general health monitoring, and medical condition management). For devices such as these, there is a desire for the sensing and measuring of biological parameters to be quick, non-invasive and of sufficient specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy. As a result, there is a desire to provide components suitable for use in non-invasive wearable devices that provide the necessary technical requirements for the biological parameters that are to be measured, but also that are conveniently small and that can be manufactured at a consumer-friendly price point. It is known that non-invasive sensing modules may find uses outside of the wearable device market, for example in robotics or remote sensing.
Electronic devices may include mobile devices such as cell phones/mobile phones and tablets as well as wearable devices. Wearable devices should be robust, reliable and easy to wear and may include skin contact patches, wrist watches, wearable bands for various body locations, rings, ear buds, head bands, and glasses frames.
Accordingly, some embodiments of the present invention aim to solve the above problems by providing, according to a first aspect, a sensing device comprising: a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor; and one or more optical spectroscopic sensors configured to extract biomarker information from one or more optical measurements of a user.
In one or more embodiments, the LIDAR sensor is a highly accurate frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) scanning LIDAR.
In one or more embodiments, the optical spectroscopic sensor comprises one or more lasers.
In one or more embodiments, the optical spectroscopic sensor comprises: a silicon or silicon nitride transmitter photonic integrated circuit (PIC), the transmitter PIC comprising: a plurality of lasers, each laser of the plurality of lasers operating at a wavelength that is different from the wavelength of the others; an optical manipulation region, the optical manipulation region comprising one or more of: an optical modulator, optical multiplexer (MUX); and additional optical manipulation elements; and one or more optical outputs for light originating from the plurality of lasers.
In one or more embodiments, the sensing device further comprises a passive image sensor.
In one or more embodiments, the passive image sensor is configured to obtain an image of a face of a user.
In one or more embodiments, the passive image sensor is further configured to: locate the eyes of the user within the image of the face of the user; and configure a scan by the LiDAR sensor which avoids the location of the user's eyes.
In one or more embodiments, an image taken by the passive image sensor may used to identify a user.
In one or more embodiments, the biomarker information extracted from one or more optical measurements of a user may be a signed to a user profile that matches the identity of the user that is assigned based on the image taken by the passive image sensor.
In one or more embodiments, the sensing device may be further configured to identify areas that correspond to exposed skin.
In one or more embodiments, the passive image sensor is an IR sensor.
In one or more embodiments, the sensing device may be configured to carry out the optical spectroscopic scan concurrently with a scan by the passive image sensor.
In one or more embodiments, the passive image sensor is configured to carry out: a first scan that sweeps over a first area with a first resolution; and a second scan that sweeps over a second area with a second resolution; wherein the first area is larger than the second area, and wherein the first resolution is lower than the second resolution.
In one or more embodiments, the biomarker information from one or more optical measurements of the user comprise one or more of: body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, and/or hydration.
In one or more embodiments, the optical sensing module may comprise: a silicon or silicon nitride transmitter photonic integrated circuit (PIC), the transmitter PIC comprising: a plurality of lasers, each laser of the plurality of lasers operating at a wavelength that is different from the wavelength of the others; an optical manipulation region, the optical manipulation region comprising one or more of: an optical modulator, optical multiplexer (MUX); and additional optical manipulation elements; and one or more optical outputs for light originating from the plurality of lasers.
In this way, an improved optical sensing module is provided that is suitable for wearable devices. Advantageously, the sensing module is capable of providing a compact platform with various optical components integrated. The various components enable a wide range of different measurements from the material (e.g. biological tissue) using a single platform, resulting in a single product capable of being used for a multitude of applications in both consumer and professional healthcare fields including the sensing and monitoring of various biophysical and biochemical biomarkers.
An optical sensing module of some embodiments of this invention may therefore produce light of at least two wavelengths and direct this light at the surface to be studied. This may correspond to the surface of biological material such as skin tissue. In a typical wearable device, the light penetrates the surface and is scattered so that a proportion of the light returns to the sensor module. Along its path through the biological tissue the light may be absorbed by analytes which may correspond to biomarkers themselves or to proxies for the biomarkers. Such a procedure is called diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry. Another form of sensing involves Raman scattering. In the case of Raman spectroscopy, the scattered light is at a different wavelength from the incident light. A person skilled in the art will be aware of many variants on these techniques which are called here spectroscopy.
For such spectroscopy, a silicon photonics (SiPh) chip may be used, onto which is integrated all, or a majority of the optical functions necessary to generate and transmit optical signals and to receive and interpret the returning optical signals. The transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) parts may be on one chip to form a single transmitter/receiver chip, or on more than one chip, such as a separate Tx and Rx chip device. The silicon photonics chip may be based upon an SOI structure where there is one buried oxide layer or on a double SOI structure where there are two (or more) buried oxide layers.
Spectroscopy, such as absorption spectroscopy or Raman spectroscopy, works by applying interrogating light to the material, or sample under examination and detecting and analyzing the light received from the sample, which may be referred to as “sample light”. For the purpose of this disclosure the meaning of the term spectroscopy may include the monitoring and measuring of biological functions such as heart rate and blood pressure. Functions may be measured directly, or their properties imputed indirectly. For wearables, the material under examination may be biological tissue, which may be monitored on or through the skin of a person.
In addition, or as an alternative to wearable devices, the sensing module may be used in hand-held devices.
Some embodiments of the present invention allow for a plurality of lasers to be used that may be switchable and identifiable other than by wavelength scanning. An advantage of this is that it is not necessary to scan as one might expect from in conventional laboratory spectrophotometry. It is therefore possible to use a wavelength agnostic detector. The detector may respond differently across the range (i.e. the output may vary for a given intensity of light across the wavelength range) but this can be compensated for. This contributes to considerable commercial advantages since it is cheaper and easier to have multiple light sources and a simple detector rather than a simple light source and a complex detector. Moreover, this way it is possible to use higher power pump sources (at a given wavelength) and therefore improve sensitivity and selectivity.
Optional features of the invention will now be set out. These are applicable singly or in any combination with any aspect of the invention.
Optionally, lasers may be FP lasers, external cavity DBR (RSOA+grating), or DFB lasers. They may be fixed wavelength lasers.
Advantageously, the plurality of lasers includes one or more lasers having a III-V RSOA gain, laser chips or coupon that is hybrid integrated to the PIC such that the optical mode in the III-V RSOA or laser waveguide is edge-coupled to one or more waveguides of the PIC. In this way, the light in the RSOAs and in the Si or SiN PIC waveguides stay in the same plane.
Optionally, the optical multiplexor (MUX) may take the form of an Echelle grating, specifically an integrated Echelle grating, or an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG).
Optical manipulation elements may include one or more of: power taps, lens(es), power splitter(s), filter(s), mirror(s) and polarization rotator(s).
The Silicon or Silicon Nitride integrated circuit may be located on a silicon substrate.
The plurality of lasers may incorporate and heaters on DBR gratings or other phase tuning mechanisms and a wavelength locker control circuit.
Optionally, the wavelengths of the plurality of lasers is within the range 400 to 3000 nm. In some embodiments the lasers may all correspond to NIR wavelengths=1150 nm to 2500 nm. In some embodiments, all laser wavelengths may fall within one, or both of the following: 1150 nm upwards (using Si PIC); and 400-1150 nm (using SiN PIC).
Optionally, the transmitter PIC includes a laser array which operates on more than 30 different NIR and/or visible wavelengths. In some embodiments, the transmitter PIC includes a laser array which operates on up to 200 emitting wavelengths.
Although the optical sensing module is suitable for wearable devices, it is a multifunctional sensing module and could be used or adapted to be used in other situations. For example, there is a need for similar sensors in robotics. In addition to analyzing biomarkers and parameters of the human body, the sensing module may be used for other applications, particularly to analyze the materials of compositions of objects in close proximity to the optical output.
Optionally, the optical sensing module further comprises a plurality of LEDs, the LEDs operating at different wavelengths from the plurality of lasers and each LED operating at a wavelength which is different from the wavelengths of the other LEDs making up the plurality of LEDs.
Optionally, the LEDs may each have an operating wavelength which lies within the visible or NIR region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Visible and NIR wavelengths should be understood to fall within the range of 400 nm to 950 nm.
In some embodiments, the plurality of LEDs includes LEDs which operate at 12 or more visible-wavelengths. In this way, the sensing module is a single module capable of non-invasive measurement of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), blood flow (pulse amplitude), local (LBT) and core body temperature (CBT), cuff-less measurements of blood pressure (BP), pulse oximetry (SpO2), breath rate (BR), total body hydration (TBH) and skin hydration (SH), blood alcohol (BA)/ethanol (C2H6O) and blood lactate (BL) contents, carboxyhemoglobin (HbC) and Methemoglobin (HbMet) and glucose.
Optionally, the optical manipulation region comprises a mirror to couple light from all of the plurality of lasers out of the optical sensing module at a single optical output.
In some embodiments, the mirror is a passive mirror. The passive mirror may be segmented. In some embodiments, the mirror is an actively controlled MEMS mirror. In some embodiments, the mirror is a parabolic concave mirror. In some embodiments the mirror is external to the transmitter PIC and mounted on the substrate near the optical output of the PIC.
Optionally, the optical sensing module further comprises one or more photodetectors.
Optionally, the photodetector is located on the transmitter PIC such that the PIC is a transmitter/receiver PIC.
Optionally, a mirror or grating may be integrated into the PIC to steer the laser light through one or more layers of the PIC.
Optionally, the photodetector is located separately from the transmitter PIC.
Optionally, the silicon photonics receiver may comprise a silicon platform such that one or more waveguides are fabricated from silicon. In other embodiments, the silicon photonics receiver may comprise a SiN platform, such that one or more waveguides are fabricated from SiN.
The one or more photodetectors may include one or more Si-based photodetectors and/or one or more InGaAs-based photodetectors. They may also include one or more germanium photodetectors and/or one or more avalanche photodiodes.
Optionally, the one or more photodetectors are located on a separate chip that is vertically integrated and mounted on the same substrate shared with the transmitter PIC.
Optionally, the one or more photodetectors are located on a carrier beside the transmitter PIC.
Optionally, the one or more photodetectors includes a detector that receives an optical signal from the transmitter PIC to operate as a coherent detector.
A combiner network typically couples the optical signal from the transmitter to the coherent detector and may include one or more of: a switch, a network mixer, and/or a pass-through system.
Optionally, an optical output of the transmitter PIC is laterally displaced from an optical input which leads to the one or more photodetectors. In this way, transmit waveguides and receive waveguides are spaced by certain fixed amount e.g. 1-8 mm to maximize signal quality of parameters of interest at the photodetector (see, for example
Optionally, a single waveguide acts as a transmit waveguide a receiver waveguide.
Optionally, the one or more photodetectors comprised a plurality of photodetectors, each of the plurality of photodetectors operating over a different range of wavelengths.
Optionally, the silicon-based platform includes silicon nitride waveguides.
Optionally, the optical sensing module further comprises one or more of: laser driver(s), modulator driver(s), phase controller(s), TIA(s), power management IC(s), multiplexer circuit, micro-controller unit(s) (MCU), FPGA(s). The sensing module may also include other analog front end (AFE) functions.
Optionally, the optical sensing module comprises both silicon waveguides and SiN waveguides. In this way, the single platform can support a wider range of wavelengths. In some embodiments, the Si or SiN waveguides are 3 μm waveguides.
Optionally, the plurality of lasers is placed onto the PIC via flip-chip die bonding or micro transfer printing. A detailed description of micro transfer printing (MTP) can be found in WO 2020/030641 A1).
Optionally, the plurality of lasers of the transmitter PIC include one or more pairs of pump and probe lasers, each of the pump and probe pairs configured to operate with a detector to form a Raman spectrometer. The detector may form part of the same PIC or may be separate. In being configured to operate as a Raman spectrometer, the pump and probe lasers have wavelengths selected to excite and Raman peaks in the material/body to be analyzed. Another consideration when selecting working wavelengths is compatibility with the material of the waveguides of the PIC. For example, the pump lasers may operate at a wavelength range of 1250-1700nm, and the probe laser may operate at a wavelength range of 1300-1850 nm. In other embodiments, the probe lasers may operate at NIR wavelengths.
Optionally, the plurality of lasers includes a single pump laser and a plurality of probe lasers, each of the probe lasers having a wavelength corresponding to a resonance of interest.
Optionally, the plurality of lasers includes a plurality of probe lasers wherein each of the plurality of probe lasers is a fixed wavelength laser, the fixed wavelengths corresponding to Raman resonances of interest.
Optionally, the plurality of lasers comprises a tunable pump laser.
Optionally, the plurality of lasers includes at least one pair of pump probe lasers for Raman spectroscopy and also a plurality of unpaired lasers. In this way, Raman spectroscopy can be carried out using the pump-probe pairs of lasers and another spectroscopic technique such as spectrophotometry can be carried out by the unpaired lasers.
Optionally, the optical sensing module comprises a photodetector configured to make recording as a function over time and a tunable probe laser configured to sweep over a range of wavelengths corresponding to a Raman reflectance spectrum. In this way, if the photodetector is coupled to a reference arm which directly couples back to a tap collecting a portion of the tunable laser light, an interferometer is formed with the probe light collected externally from the chip. Thus, an optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) measurement can be taken.
Optionally, a bank of spirals with a switch may be incorporated in the reference arm between the probe laser and the photodetector to allow for adjustable ranging.
Optionally, one or more photodetectors or LEDs are located under one or more respective microlenses.
Optionally, one or more of the microlenses comprises a thin film stack of DBR filters. the thin film stack may consist of SiO2/TiO2 or SiO2/SiN layers. However, TiO2 or SiN could be replaced by other high refractive index film. Typically, a middle layer is quarter-lambda shifted to be resonant at transmission wavelength, with a thickness m-multiple of λ/2. In one example there is 21 layers, but other numbers of layers are possible. The microlenses act to increase collection by the receiver.
Optionally, the optical sensing module comprises a processor configured to: apply a pre-trained algorithm to reflectance data taken at a wavelength corresponding to a water absorption peak, to convert reflectance measurements into a predicted temperature.
Where the sensor is a wearable device, the temperature being measured may be core temperature. Measuring temperature with a SiN platform enables a miniaturized wearable enablement of measurement at 970 nm water peak. Measuring temperature with a Si platform enables a miniaturized wearable enablement of measurement around 1450 nm water peak.
Further optional features of the invention are set out below.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG.22C depicts a SiN version of the PIC shown in
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments of a sensing module provided in accordance with the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized
An optical sensing module 1 for a wearable device is shown in
The optical sensing module also includes a plurality on non-laser light sources such as LEDs, 5 (e.g. visible or near infrared wavelength LEDs). One or more photodetectors 3, 6 also form part of the optical sensing module. In this embodiment, the photodetectors are located on the substrate but are not part of the PIC. As will be described in more detail in relation to later figures, it is possible for photodetectors to be located as an integral part of a transmitter/receiver PIC. In the embodiment shown in
An ASIC or microcontroller 11 is located on the substrate 2 of the optical sensing module. Electrical connector 13 provides electrical signals to the optical sensing module, and a protective casing 7 including a lid and a base, acts to cover the PIC and other components to minimize the risk of damage during use.
Once manipulated (e.g. multiplexed), light from the plurality of lasers exits the PIC 4 and therefore the optical sensing module 1 via one or more optical output ports 12. Several geometries discussed in this disclosure enable efficient off-chip coupling, collimation, and focusing of laser sources with little or no chromatic aberration. In addition to this, they enable efficient collection of back-scattered light in a compact geometry that can be miniaturized to fit in a wearable device.
Light may be launched into free space from a waveguide facet (a “launch facet”) at or near the edge of a photonic integrated circuit (PIC). An optical element such as a mirror 10 may be present to take the light from the plane of the waveguide platform and translate it into a direction more suitable for interrogating the surface. The direction may be orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the plane of the PIC. As shown in
Back-scattered light from the surface of the skin, and from within a volume below the surface of the skin, returns to the launch facet (or, in some embodiments, a different waveguide facet) on the PIC to be analyzed. The beam width may be important to optimally interact with blood vessels. In some embodiments, the adaptable optics can be used to focus to a point in the skin.
Confocal excitation and collection may also be performed using an adjustable focus, tip, and tilt off-axis parabolic mirror as shown in
In a geometry of an optical sensing module 1101 shown in
In some embodiments, a spectroscopy chip is capable of varying the specification of the interrogating light to adapt to the analytical chemistry of the material being analyzed. Some related art systems have complex receivers and have relatively low signal to noise ratio (SNR). A SiPh chip providing interrogating light may not have full wavelength scanning capability but may be capable of providing a range of interrogating wavelengths with high wavelength precision to yield spectroscopic data sufficient for the intended analysis—for example, glucose in blood in the medically important range with required precision and accuracy. The system may be adaptable so that one day it is programmed to analyze for one (or one set) of analytes and at another time for another set.
Generally, for practical applications in wearable devices only selected wavelengths may be used. The choice of wavelengths may affect selectivity, sensitivity and accuracy of the analytical determination. The use of selected wavelengths may allow the construction of a partial spectrum.
In some embodiments, a spectrometer chip operates in the near infra-red region of the spectrum and works in absorption mode. Other possible modes are Raman and Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) spectroscopy. The wavelength range for near infra-red absorption spectroscopy is 780 nm-2500 nm.
In order to have wavelength flexibility absent a full scanning capability, the chip may emit multiple wavelengths, e.g., 30 wavelengths or more, or 200 wavelengths or more. In order to achieve high spectral discrimination, a laser line width can be narrow, e.g., less than 1 MHz, or in order to reduce coherent noise (multi-path interference noise), a laser linewidth can be broad e.g. up to 5 THz.
The light sources are edge-emitting lasers, with power outputs each of approximately 10 mW and in some embodiments upwards to 100 mW or more. The lasers may be distributed feedback (DFB) lasers (but also distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) lasers, or FP (Fabry Perot) lasers), and may be tunable. In some embodiments, the lasers are VCSELs, mounted onto the Si substrate of the transmitter PIC or onto the substrate outside of the transmitter PIC. Mechanisms for mounting a VCEL onto the substrate may follow mechanisms described herein for mounting one or more LEDs onto the substrate. The lasers may be tunable over a relatively narrow range, for example simply to tune or lock the wavelength in response to the natural wavelength drift of devices, or they may be tunable over a wider range in order to change the operating wavelength of the laser in response to the demands of the spectroscopy. There is a balance between the number of lasers and the range of tuning, depending upon the analysis to be accomplished. In some embodiments, the greater the number of lasers the smaller the range of their tuning.
The interrogating light may be varied in amplitude, phase, polarization, or in other optical properties or a combination of such optical properties. Any such variation with time of a property of the light may be referred to herein as “dynamic” or as “modulation” of the light. Generally, modulation may take the form of regular variations at a certain frequency or in a pattern giving rise to a data signal. Such variation or pattern may be used to identify the transmitter (e.g., if multiple transmitters (each of which may be a part of a respective spectrometer) are illuminating the same sample), the individual wavelength or the time of transmission. Pulsing of the light can also reduce the power consumption of the device and lead to longer battery life.
It is important to understand that any two or more of the embodiments disclosed could be combined in order to result in an optical sensing module with multiple functions. In one or more embodiments, the optical sensing module is configured to carry out one or more of, or all of:
The overall layout of an optical transceiver chip, in some embodiments, for use in spectroscopy, is shown in
A visible wavelength LED may be used for PPG signals. Visible VCSELS or LEDs can also be used for oxygen saturation solution. A broadband visible source (500-600 nm) with silicon PDs with discrete wavelength filters for wavelength selectivity may be used to create a wearable oximeter e.g. on the back of wrist. A broadband visible source (500-600 nm) with a miniaturized spectrometer for detection may also be implemented e.g. to enable a wearable oximeter on the back of wrist. A blue source (450-500 nm) to induce natural fluorescence may be used e.g. to measure a PPG signal using a miniaturized spectrometer. In some embodiments, a miniaturized spectrometer could be formed by silicon photodiodes with respective discrete wavelength band filters deposited onto the detection surfaces of the photodiodes.
Control of the PIC can be better understood with reference to
The beam processor may include, on each of the laser input waveguides 002, a VOA, or one or more modulators or shutters. The beam processor may further include, on the multiplexer output waveguide 004, a shutter or a VOA. The elements (e.g. VOAs, modulators, and shutters) on the waveguides may be configured to affect the light propagating in the waveguides, e.g., modulating the phase or amplitude of the light (in the case of a modulator) or blocking the light (in the case of a shutter).
Interrogating light transmitted into a medium such as biological tissue may variously be absorbed, diffused and reflected (or “scattered”). A reflection spectrometer measurement is made with the light reflected at a given wavelength, series of wavelengths or range of wavelengths. In a wearable device, the light receiving aperture of the spectrometer may be close to the transmitter aperture, for example within the range of 3 mm to 5 mm, or even the same as the transmitting aperture. Thus, measurement of absorption may rely upon scattering, frequently multiple scattering, of the light, thus making a diffuse reflection spectroscopy or diffuse reflection spectrophotometry measurement. Thus, there may be no single reflective path length, but rather a range of path lengths. This may complicate measurement, especially for coherent detection.
The chip may also have a receive waveguide to capture the sample light and transfer it from the chip surface (for example, a facet or grating) to the detecting apparatus. The receive waveguide may be the same as or different from the transmit waveguide.
The system may operate one wavelength at a time, in which case, the wavelength may be identified temporally. If more than one wavelength is transmitted the detector circuit may distinguish wavelengths or combinations of wavelengths. This may be done by applying and monitoring for identifying modulation (as mentioned above), e.g., frequency tones on the transmitted radiation. Groups of wavelengths may similarly be identified. In some circumstances it may be beneficial to transmit a number of wavelengths simultaneously and then to switch off wavelengths individually or in groups of wavelengths. In this way, intensities of light of certain wavelengths received at low intensities (for example, as a result of high scattering or high absorbance) may be determined with greater accuracy. The DBR filters on photodetectors described elsewhere in this application serve a similar purpose.
The analytical process is described in more detail in relation to
In some embodiments, the total optical power output is less than 10 mW. In some embodiments the total power output is greater than 10 mW. The waveguides including the output waveguide are large waveguides (which can handle high power with low loss). Such waveguides may have a height of between 0.5 microns and 5 microns (where, e.g., in a SiPh chip fabricated on an SOI wafer the height may be measured from the buried oxide (BOX) layer (which may operate as a lower cladding layer) to the top of the waveguide, the direction of the measurement being perpendicular to the plane of the SOI wafer).
Changes in relative powers may be used as a spectroscopic technique by changing the emphasis of the observed wavelengths and the overall power may be used to change the physical depths of interrogation. The modulators may almost completely switch off or shutter the light. VOAs may operate much more slowly than other types of modulators (e.g., a VOA may have a bandwidth of 1 kHz and a modulator may have a bandwidth of 10 GHz). Modulators may be used to impose a signal (e.g., an identifying modulation such as a pseudorandom bit pattern or a frequency tone) on the light of a given wavelength to enable that light to be identified at the detector where the receiving photodetector is agnostic of wavelength (i.e., has substantially constant sensitivity over a substantial portion of the operating wavelength range). A shutter may be used to switch off the light so that the PD dark current may be compensated for and noise may be measured and then cancelled or used in error calculations.
The lasers may be tunable over the Tx PIC operating wavelength range. One or more fixed wavelength laser(s) may be reference wavelengths. The lasers may be switched in sequence (i.e., switched on one at a time) or some or all lasers may be switched on together. The lasers may be DFB lasers with gratings made in the Si. In some embodiments, there is no need for isolators placed between the laser and the sample medium. This may be an advantage over LEDs, which may require isolators. Light from the multiplexer output waveguide may be focused by one or more lenses and may be directed by a mirror. The power of the lasers may be adjusted singly or in concert. In some embodiments, the SNR is measured, and used to correct for noise. In some embodiments, the power or the location of illumination are varied to gain maximum SNR. Interrogating light may be coupled to the sample, and sample light may be coupled to the receiver, by any of several systems and methods described herein.
The detector may have one or more wavelength filters (or none). Detection may be direct or coherent with possible enhanced SNR. Amplitude, phase, and frequency modulation of lasers are all available and can provide various information about the sample or enhance the SNR. Varying power may enable interrogation of the sample by depth from surface—e.g. the depth below the skin for a wearable device. For low intensity radiation, (scattered) sample light may only be detected from a shallow depth since the effective contribution of deeper scattering may be in the noise or effectively below the detection threshold. For a material homogeneous with depth, as source light intensity is increased, the proportion of light from deeper levels may theoretically be the same as for the low intensity, but scattered light from deeper levels may be detectable. For a sample inhomogeneous with depth, the result may be more complex. For example, absorbance, scattering and analyte concentration may vary (singularly or otherwise) with depth and so varying the light intensity at source could produce a non-linear result at the detector. Depending upon the relationship of the scattering particle size to the wavelength of light, the sample light may be polarized and if scattering varies with depth then so may polarization.
The lasers (which may be III-V lasers) may be made by integrating chips into the SiPh chip by flip-chip die bonding or micro transfer printing (MTP). The SiPh chip may have fiducials that may be used for alignment during the bonding or micro transfer printing process. Depending on the application, the area of the SiPh chip may be less than 1 cm2. In some embodiments, the waveguides maintain polarization, which may be advantageous if polarization is important (i.e. TE and TM may reveal information, e.g., if a change in polarization state upon scatting from a sample reveals some information about the characteristics of the sample).
The spectroscopy transmission chip (or “transmitter”) may be a SiPh, silicon on oxide chip (also known as a silicon on insulator (SOI) chip) or it may be a double SOI chip—i.e. with two oxide layers). It may include a single output/illumination spot/waveguide. In some embodiments, a chip includes a plurality of transmitters, or a transmitter has a plurality of outputs, and, e.g., each output may have a different analytical purpose. Each transmitter may have multiple output wavelengths, multiplexed. The interrogating light may be a combination of wavelengths and temporal effects (e.g., different wavelengths at different times).
The control circuitry or algorithms may be capable of analyzing for more than one analyte, and capable of applying more than one wavelength successively or simultaneously. They may include software to work out (i) the best combination of wavelengths, and (ii) the power to be transmitted at each wavelength within the chosen wavelength range to analyze for a chosen analyte. The algorithms may include artificial intelligence (AI) software. The control circuitry or algorithms may include software to analyze multiple analytes. An algorithm may estimate and then refine the optimum number of wavelengths, the reference or standard wavelengths (i.e., the wavelengths expected to provide good performance) for a given analysis. The partial spectrum measured by the spectrometer may be a spectrum measured over one or more sub-bands, or one or more discrete wavelengths within the wavelength range of interest. The algorithms may estimate the concentrations of one or more analytes and one or more other components in the sample, e.g., by fitting the partial spectrum to a combination of the spectra expected for each of the analytes and other components. In some embodiments, other characteristics of the sample or of a system connected to the sample may be measured without estimating analyte concentrations. For example, it may be that the absorption spectrum of blood just below the surface of the skin of a person or animal is affected by the core temperature of the person or animal, as a result of changes in the blood's chemical composition, which may depend on the core temperature. In such a case, it may be possible to infer the core temperature directly from knowledge of how the spectrum changes with core temperature, without knowledge of how the chemical composition of the blood changes with core temperature.
The receiver chip may comprise a focal plane array detector. It may be coherent, e.g., the received signal may be mixed with a portion of the transmit signal (the portion forming one or more local oscillator (LO) signals in the receiver).
The transmit chip and the receive chip (or the transceiver chip, if transmitter and receiver are combined on one chip (e.g., one SiPh chip)) may have various features, as follows. A large waveguide silicon photonics (SiPh) platform may be used in the transmitter or the receiver, with waveguides having a height of approximately 1 to 3 microns. The transmitter may be capable of transmitting with multiple, adaptive wavelengths, at one or more outputs. Laser light may have the necessary power and (narrow) linewidth to be suitable for use as the interrogating light. The wavelength combination used may be adjusted to the analytical purpose. The power of each wavelength may be adjusted to the analytical purpose. Individual wavelengths and combinations of wavelengths may be transmitted (and received) in sequence for the analytical purpose. All of these configuration parameters may be determined by an algorithm (which may be an AI algorithm).
Constituent parts of the PIC are described in more detail below with reference to
The combiner network 114/008 receives light from the outside of the PIC (e.g., through transmit receive radiation aperture module 112/006) or it may receive light which never left the chip (e.g. from the beam processing module 111/003). All of the different received wavelengths may be combined into a single waveguide, kept in separate waveguides, or mixed (e.g., coherently mixed, with light received from the laser beam processing module 111/003), using 2×2 splitters, into waveguide pairs. The photodiode network 115/009 may include (e.g., consist of) one detector which detects incoming light from a single waveguide. In some embodiments it includes one or more photodiodes, each detecting the light propagating in a respective waveguide, or one or more balanced detector pairs (each including, e.g., two photodiodes connected in series). The light 104 received on any wavelength feeding the photodiode network 115/009 may be (i) externally received sample light (e.g., light received by the transmit receive radiation aperture module 112/006 after scattering from, reflection from, or transmission through a sample) (ii) reference light (e.g., light that propagates along a reference path, or in “reference arm”, which is designed to differ from the path including the sample by as little as possible except for the absence of the sample and a fixed phase offset, (iii) local oscillator light (from the laser beam processing module 111)(which can also considered as a reference beam for the purposes of
In some embodiments, the PIC includes a temperature measurement circuit, which may be employed to measure the temperature of the PIC (e.g., for use in calibration or correction of data produced by the system, or for use in a temperature control system, for regulating the temperature of the PIC).
Laser light may be continuously transmitted, or switched so that, for example, at any point of time only light at a single wavelength, or at a subset of available wavelengths, is produced by the laser network 110. This modulation may be on a kHz scale or on faster scales. The lasers may be chirped to produce linear frequency sweeps in wavelength, e.g., with a chirp repetition frequency of order 1 MHz or at higher rates (e.g., with a chirp repetition frequency of 10 MHz or more) or at lower rates (e.g., with a chirp repetition frequency of 100 kHz or less). Amplitude bit patterns may be modulated onto the light produced by the laser network 110 at kHz to GHz speeds. In some embodiments, this modulation is instead performed in the laser beam processing module 111.
The light may, as mentioned above, be modulated by modulators 304 (e.g., modulated before or after the wavelength multiplexer 303 if a wavelength multiplexer 303 is present). A continuous light source may have an amplitude bit pattern, or a phase bit pattern encoded on the light it produces, or a side band may be generated by using a series of phase modulators, such sidebands may be chirped by linear ramps. An optical power monitoring circuit 301, 302 or “waveguide monitor tap” or “monitoring module”) on each of the input waveguides (on which light is received from the laser network 110) may monitor the amount of power received on each of these waveguides and send a corresponding signal 322, 323 to the electronic control module 116, which may regulate the laser drive current so as to keep the laser power in each waveguide (e.g., the power at each wavelength) at a respective preset power level, or “setpoint”. Each optical power monitoring circuit 301, 302 may include a splitter (e.g., a parallel waveguide directional coupler) for splitting off a small fraction of the light received from the laser network 110, and a photodiode for measuring the optical power in the fraction of the light that is split off
In some embodiments, a single aperture is used for sending and receiving. Incoming and outgoing light through such an aperture may be separated via an on-chip circulator or by a multiplexing polarization scheme (
In the embodiment of
The following embodiments of the invention described in relation to
The embodiments described in
Light from the plurality of lasers 1903 is combined by a multiplexing component (MUX) 1905 such as an Echelle grating into a single waveguide, which may take the form of an SOI rib or strip waveguide 1906 with height ranging from 1 um to 3.5 um and width ranging from 1 um to 3.5 um. The waveguide may couple to an output via an optional buried interposer taper 1907, which may for example be enabled by the use of a double-SOI wafer (a wafer with two buried oxide layers) to expand the output mode to 12×12 um. The waveguide output may be an etched, angled and AR-coated facet. With or without the taper, the waveguide output 1902 may be selected to have a size ranging from lxlum to 12×12 um. For each wavelength, a wavelength locker feedback loop 1904 may be included. Wavelength locking may be as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,677,989 and 10,739,256.
In further embodiments (not shown) the transmitter (tx) PIC with combined SOI and SiN platforms may be adapted to include integrated photodetectors (including one or more of InGaAs, InGaAsP, and Si-based PDs (a.g. CCD and PD arrays) separate from the PIC but being located on a shared substrate. Furthermore, the (not shown) embodiments may include taps off of Si and SiN Tx output waveguides and combiners to Si and SiN Rx waveguides.
In another example shown in
Various bandpass filters may be created using the DBR filter mechanism of
A top thin film stack 3201 consisting of SiO2/TiO2 or SiO2/SiN layers
A middle layer 3202 corresponding to the active PD with an absorbing region
A bottom DBR layer 3203 with alternating III-V layers
The TiO2 or SiN could be replaced by other high refractive index film. Since its only requirement is to absorb visible wavelengths, the PD could be made of III-arsenide instead of III-nitride. Examples of materials for the bottom layers include: GaN/AlGaN, GaAs/AlGaAs, and AlGaAs/AlGaAs.
1—HR, HRV, PI, PVI etc: These variables are supposed to be computed continuously, and they can be calculated by the use of a single LED (G). This LED can be multiplexed at a certain sampling frequency, e.g. 25 to 100 sps, with a duty cycle as small as 1% and illumination enough to excite the PD after being attenuated by the pulsatile tissue.
2—SpO2, SpCO, SpMet: These variables are supposed to be computed at longer intervals such as 5-15 minutes. They require a set of visible WL (G1˜Gn, Y1˜Yn) to be computed from a short acquisition periods, e.g. 1-3 seconds at the system's sampling frequency (25-100 sps). Requirements of better SNR will demand larger duty cycles, such as 2-4% and adequate tissue illumination.
3—Body temperature, body hydration: These variables can be computed at much longer intervals such as 30 minutes to a couple hours. They require a set of PIC lasers to be multiplexed during a certain time to improve accuracy. Sampling frequency and averaging are determined by the required accuracy and SNR of the system.
The water absorption spectrum of a body is a function of temperature due to the effect that temperature has on the hydrogen bonding of water molecules with one another and in-vivo other molecules. This sensitivity exists at the multiple water absorption peaks in the NIR that originate from vibrational modes (2898 nm, 2766 nm, and 6097 nm) and their harmonics (1950 nm, 1450 nm, 1200 nm, and 970 nm). For standard spectrophotometer technology that spans from 1300-2500 nm the two strong water absorption peaks at ˜1450 nm and ˜1950 nm provide sensitivity to the temperature of water through a characterization of water absorption.
Non-invasive tissue temperature measurements have been demonstrated through the absorption changes in the 970 nm band by S. Merritt et. al. (Monitoring temperature non-invasively using broadband Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy, Merritt et al, Frontiers in Optics 2004 (OSA|Monitoring temperature non-invasively using broadband Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy (doi.org) , Noninvasive monitoring of brain tissue temperature by near-infrared spectroscopy, Hollis et al., SPIE Proceedings, Vol 4250 (2001) (10.1117/12.434506 (doi.org)).
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a non-invasive measurement of water temperature that can be directly correlated to skin temperature and traced back to a core body temperature in certain embodiments, at wavelengths that are compatible with Si Photonic integrated circuits. The measurement may occur using wavelengths around the water peak at 1450 nm which allows the light to penetrate a few millimeters into the skin and probed the dermis. Operating at this wavelength enables use of Si Photonic integrated circuits since the wavelength is higher than the 1120 nm absorption band edge of Si. Benchtop laboratory measurements have demonstrated sensitivity to temperature (Examining water in model membranes by NIR spectroscopy and multivariate analysis—2018.pdf) with maximum sensitivity to temperature changes of each side of the water curve occurring at ˜1390 nm and ˜1546 nm and these changes in absorption are opposite to one another with an isosbestic point between them near the water peak at 1450 nm. By selecting a number of wavelengths on each side of the water peak and wavelengths at one or more isosbestic points a reflectance measurement of the skin will allow one to measure skin temperature non-invasively and ultimately core body temperature for some embodiments.
The optical temperature measurement problem can also be solved using wavelengths in the range 900-1100 nm through sensitivity to the 970 nm water absorption peak. This patent also describes a SiN PIC that would be able to probe the tissue at those wavelengths as well.
Each wavelength region has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, 970 nm light allows the light to penetrate deeper into the tissue and measure tissue temperatures for deeper tissue structures. The 970 nm light also has higher tissue scattering and more relative absorption from other absorbers such as hemoglobin and lipids that will obfuscate the water temperature peak shift. The 1450 nm water peak has higher absorption, so the light doesn't penetrate as deep into the tissue and is ideal for a measurement of skin temperature. At the 1450 nm water peak the water absorption dominates and tissue scattering is lower, which is advantageous for sensitivity to temperature related changes in the water absorption spectra.
Measuring temperature with SiN platform enables a miniaturized wearable enablement of measurement at 970 nm water peak. Measuring temperature with Si platform enables a miniaturized wearable enablement of measurement around 1450 nm water peak.
The optical sensing module of the present invention provides for wearable non-invasive for continuous spectroscopic temperature measurement, continuous spectroscopic hydration measurement, continuous spectroscopic ethanol measurement, continuous spectroscopic lactate measurement, continuous spectroscopic combination of temperature, SpO2, and PPG, and to a continuous spectroscopic combination of two or more of, or all of the above.
Examples of a Problems Solved (SpO2)
Common current solutions of SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation) measurements in the market use red and IR wavelengths . These light sources work well at measuring SpO2 at tissue locations that are well perfused such as fingertips and in a transmission geometry. Red/IR SpO2 measurements don't work on the back of the wrist because of low perfusion and poor signal quality. The present invention provides a solution for PPG signals from discrete wavelength bands in the 500-650 nm region. This solution provides much larger signal than Red/IR wavelengths giving greater sensitivity to SpO2 changes and the ability to measure using a wearable sensor on the back of the wrist.
To the authors' knowledge, no one has been able to make a discrete wavelength solution in the 500-650 nm wavelength range either through lasers or a miniaturized spectrometer with a broadband source. A spectrometer solution is too large and not compact enough. Narrow line-width laser sources also are not available, which is necessary for measuring SpO2 through confounding absorbers in the blood such as carboxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin.
Examples of Problems Solved (PPG)
PPG signals are standard for measuring heart rate in wearable devices. Green LEDs are the state of the art and provide good signal strength in reflectance mode on low perfused skin. The optical sensing module of some embodiments of the present invention incorporates standard PPG signals from Green LEDs/lasers that would be used in combination with SpO2.
The Si PIC also has a method of measuring PPG using wavelengths in the range of 1150-1350 nm when a probe is placed over a superficial artery, such as the radial artery on the wrist. This location and measurement may be advantageous for measuring the pulse waveform of the artery and correlate with measurement parameters such as blood pressure related measurements and blood viscosity.
In some embodiments, one or more LEDs (broadband light sources) or two or more distinct wavelength semiconductor light emitters (VCSELS or FP lasers) are used in conjunction with a silicon photodiode to measure oxygen saturation, carboxy hemoglobin, methemoglobin, and fractional oxygen saturation.
Preferred wavelengths are below, but nearby could work.
In some embodiments, a broadband light source, is used such as an LED for advantageous compactness and integratability, or alternatively fluorescent, incandescent, halogen sources, and multiple photodiodes (PD) for detectors. Different photodiode solutions include:
In some embodiments, individual VCSEL or FP lasers in a PIC can be used to measure particular analytes instead of LEDs
In some embodiments, narrow spectrum RCLEDs can be used instead of VCSEL/FP lasers.
In some embodiments, LEDs with spectral filters can be used instead of spectral filters on the PDs to narrow the output wavelength spectrum.
In some embodiments a blue wavelength source (LED/laser ˜450 nm) may be used to induce natural fluorescence of wavelengths in the range of 500-600 nm that is then captured by spectrometer or filtered PDs to discriminate wavelengths.
In some embodiments, a filtered wavelength approach could be carried out using a CMOS/CCD and filters (e.g. dielectrics stack filters) could be placed over individual detectors in different patterns to average and mix wavelength signals over a large tissue area.
Examples of advantages that this technology has over existing temperature measurements include:
It is non-invasive as compared to invasive measurements.
Compared to a thermistor measurement on the surface of the skin this measurement is actually penetrating into the skin while a thermistor is attempting to measure the surface of the skin and is strongly influenced by coupling to the probe housing.
Compared to thermistors or non-invasive MIR detection methods this method allows for multiple wavelength measurements which each exist as an independent temperature measurement and when combined provide higher accuracy. The potential for more individual spectra to be measured and analyzed allows for a more accurate measurement.
This method allows one to probe the skin at different source detector separations and therefore have sensitivity to the skin temperature at different depths which allows a characterization of the natural gradient of temperature across the skin in depth. A thermistor measurement or an MIR detection method don't have depth sensitivity of skin temperature.
When coupled with a standard Silicon Photonics PIC platform this method allows for a more integrated module that has dramatically reduced size, simplified packaging, and reduced cost, and can be wearable. Previously this measurement requiring multiple wavelengths for the required accuracy wasn't feasible in a compact size that could be wearable.
With a wearable temperature probe that is more accurate the technology enables constant/real-time tracking of a person's temperature over time which can be used for applications such as fever detection, fertility monitoring for women, and monitoring sleep cycles to name a few.
The compact size of the module allows for the technology to be wearable in areas of the body where core body temperature can be traced back such as in a patch on the core of the body (mid-section or chest) or a wearable on the head such as an earbud or built into glass frames.
Potential applications for the optical sensing module of some embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to:
An algorithm for predicting temperature measurements from reflectance measurements is described below with reference to
Reflectance data is collected (sl) using an optical sensing module such as any one of the embodiments described in this application. The reflectance data set is captured over multiple wavelengths within the working wavelength of the device. At the same time, corresponding temperature measurements are taken (s2). This may be a measurement of core temperature, or may relate to temperature at a reference site. A bias correction may be applied to the measured data if required (s3). Similarly, collected reflectance data may be conditioned or signal processing applied (s4). Wavelength drift correction may also be applied to further improve accuracy (s5). Data conditioning may take into account auxiliary inputs (s6) including one or more of: ambient temperature, board temperature, skin surface temperature or the presence of clothing or any other insulator over the sensor. Surface temperature may be deduced by way of a thermistor. Features of the reflectance spectra are then mapped onto temperature measurements (s7) and from this mapping, a function deduced (s8) that defines a relationship between predicted temperature T(predicted) and the values measured from the reflectance spectra and used as algorithm input values. Examples of absorbance vs temperature are shown in
The application of the temperature algorithm to measured reflectance data is described below with reference to
In the two-step process of
In relation to the temperature prediction process, the algorithm developed from specific wavelengths may be used and the selection of the wavelengths based on one or more of: peak temperature sensitivity on each side of the absorption curve; the number of wavelengths chosen to get needed measurement accuracy; selection of wavelengths near temperature isosbestic points to monitor changes in signal NOT related to temperature; optimization of selection of isosbestic point wavelength per subject based on skin scattering of subject; combination of temperature measurement with a hydration measurement to account for absorption changes NOT related to temperature; looking at differences between wavelengths on opposite sides of the water peak to find proxy for temperature; application of various algorithm techniques to fit for temperature from collected reflectance data.
Any of the above PIC versions could be replaced by PICs that use silicon nitride SOI PIC platform that supports wavelengths in the range 500-1100 nm incorporating hybrid integrated RSOAs with gain bands covering these wavelengths, enables better sensitivity for the diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry and deeper penetration depth into tissue for select applications.
The InGaAs PD in the drawings would then be replaced with a Si CCD detector for higher detection sensitivity.
Raman Scattering Spectroscopy
Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to
Stimulated Raman spectroscopic techniques have been reported in the art as being potentially useful in a wide range of medical sensing and diagnostic applications such as cancer detection, disease detection, measuring blood glucose non-invasively, and more recently in-vivo metabolic fingerprinting and hyperspectral imaging. Stimulated Raman scattering involves illuminating the sample target area with Raman pump light as well as with probe light at the stokes peak of interest and has been shown to boost detection sensitivity by 4-5 orders of magnitude (See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,560,478 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,478 B1).
Traditional Raman spectroscopy has been performed at NIR wavelengths with Raman pump wavelengths around 800 or 1064 nm. Raman scattering is fundamentally stronger around 800 nm due to a stronger scatter cross-section at lower wavelengths due to the v4 dependence on the Raman scattering cross-section. Detectors at wavelengths above 1150 nm also have more noise and lower sensitivity, providing a further challenge for detecting Raman signals at these higher wavelengths. On the other hand when doing in-vivo spectrophotometry of tissue, depth penetration of the light into tissue, and absorption of light by background tissue between the surface of the skin and the point being measured is an issue, especially when the signal being measured is weak as in non-linear spectroscopy such as Raman spectroscopy. The challenges of Raman spectroscopy at longer wavelengths are partially compensated for by the fact that longer wavelengths (up to 1800 nm initially or, eventually to 3000 nm) have less absorption in the tissue permitting deeper penetration into the tissue and less absorption and scattering of the Stokes shifted light as it travels back to the detector for measurement. Furthermore eye-safety power limits for IR wavelengths above 1150 nm are higher, allowing for higher Raman pump laser powers potentially to be used.
When using Si Photonic integrated circuits to make a Raman spectrometer, it has been found that it is desirable to perform the spectroscopy with light wavelengths that are above 1120 nm, the band-gap of silicon. In photonic integrated circuits, diode lasers (DBR, DFB, or RR tunable) that operate from 1260 nm up to 1850 nm are readily available and can be integrated into Si Photonics based integrated circuits using the building blocks already available in the hybrid laser platform (as described in the present document and also, for example in: Power-efficient III-V/Silicon external cavity DBR lasers, A. J. Zilkie et al., Optics Express, Vol 20, (21) page 23456 (2012), Multi-Micron Silicon Platform for Highly Manufacturable and Versatile Photonic Integrated Circuits, A. J. Zilkie et al., IEEE J. Sel. Topics in Quantum Electronics, Vol 25, (5) (2019)). Raman fingerprints are Stokes energy down-shifts in units of cm-1 from the pump photon energy measured in cm-1, and the fingerprints for in-vivo biomonitoring can range from 730 cm-1 for glucose [1] up to 2845 cm-1 for CH2 stretch vibrations [4].
A problem to be solved by these embodiments of the present invention is how to take a Raman spectrometer and/or imager that is normally made with bulky lasers and detectors and free-space optics excitation schemes and is useful for measuring many biomedical signatures (e.g. performing cancer detection, disease detection, measuring blood glucose non-invasively, and ultimately in-vivo metabolic fingerprinting and hyperspectral imaging), and miniaturize the function into a chip therefore dramatically reducing size, cost, increasing power efficiency, and allowing ubiquitous deployment in consumer devices.
Once ubiquitously deployed on a significant portion of the human population, and connected to the cloud, big data can be utilized to dramatically increase its usefulness and AI can be applied for pattern recognition against other data sets from other people and from and individual's own history to implement e.g. preventative disease or health condition detection and prevention, i.e. a Raman signature data stream (recorded e.g. many times per hour every day) becomes ubiquitous and widely available information from any user with a computing device such as a smartphone.
Measuring the specified range of Raman fingerprints in some embodiments of this invention, for example by performing Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy (SRS), may be accomplished with a Si Photonic integrated circuit using the laser platforms disclosed herein (multiple integrated lasers in high density/compact size chip, multiple wavelengths spanning multiple laser epi bands).
Wavelengths above 1150 nm may be used so that a Si Photonic waveguide platform can be used. The wavelengths are chosen to avoid the water (H2O and CO2) absorption peak in tissue ranging from 1350 nm to 1500 nm with a Raman pump for example at 1350 nm and Raman probe wavelengths at 1480 nm to 1868 nm. A second pump laser, say at 1200 nm, associated with additional Stokes probe lasers wavelengths ranging from 1260 to 1360 nm can additionally be used to cover the small wavenumbers from 400-1100 cm−1.
The photonic integrated circuits described above (and shown in
SRS Raman lasers can also be combined together with “regular” spectrophotometer (SP) lasers on the same Tx PIC to make a combination SRS+SP Tx PIC (see
Simulations have shown the electrical signal/noise ratios are feasible for the variants shown in
In some embodiments standard Ge detectors may be used. In some embodiments, hybrid InGaAs detectors may be used. In some embodiments, lock-in detection may be used. In some embodiments, heterodyne detection electronics may be used. In some embodiments, true optical coherent detection may be used, i.e. a transmitter laser output may be split and a portion fed back into a coherent (balanced) detector as a local oscillator to perform coherent detection.
In some embodiments, to maintain high optical intensities but reduce tissue heating, the pump and probe lasers can be pulsed with a low duty cycle. Optionally, pump and probe lasers may be driven with an electrical drive modulation at frequency fp, with a low duty cycle preferably <0.1%, ideally so that pulses on the order of 1-10 ns in duration are created, and e.g. fp=˜1 kHz, giving ˜1e-3-1e-4% duty cycle. Pump and probe laser drive signals are then synchronized (i.e. phase matched) so pump and probe pulses overlap in time when incident in the tissue.
At the receiver, lock-in detection electronics may be added to the photodiode, to perform homodyne detection at frequency fp, to improve signal-to-noise ratio.
The optical sensing module 4701 includes one or more photodetectors 4702-1, 4702-L separate from the PIC. Photodetectors may include a first photodetector with a broad area (ex. 0.1-2.1 mm{circumflex over ( )}2) III-V vertically illuminated photo detector e.g. InGaAs for highest sensitivity with a band pass DBR filter (e.g. transmitting same range as probe lasers ex 1700-1800). The plurality of photodetectors may also include one or more additional photodetectors e.g. a broad area (ex. 0.1-2. mm{circumflex over ( )}2) IIIV detector with a band pass DBR filter. When in use, only one pump and probe laser pair is on at one time. Separate Rx detectors can be summed, heterodyned or differentially measured. More than one pair can be on at a same time, with single detector integrating multiple Raman peaks simultaneously. The pairs may be cycled through in time. A total of N*M Raman wavelengths may be probed. In the embodiment of
Optical manipulation components may include a multiplexing element (MUX) to combine the outputs of multiple DBR lasers into a single waveguide and lens. Where no MUX is present, multiple waveguides and outputs will be present (see
The embodiment of
The transmitter PIC 5121 comprises a pump laser 5103 (e.g. 1350 nm) and a plurality of probe lasers 5133. The probe lasers may comprise an array of RSOAs or DFBs. In the case of RSOAs, DBR gratings may provide the fixed wavelength of the pump laser and the fixed wavelengths of the probe lasers within the range of its respective RSOA gain spectrum. An example range of wavelengths for the array of probe lasers is 1480 to 1850 nm. Waveguide heaters may be present at the grating of the pump or the probe lasers for fine tuning. Wavelength lockers 5104 may also be included on each of the plurality of probe lasers as well as for the pump laser. A probe MUX component 5105 such as an Echelle grating couples each of the probe outputs to a combined probe waveguide. A band MUX 5135 then multiplexes the output of the pump laser with the output from the combined probe waveguide to form a single optical output path from the transmitter chip. A lens may be included to focus the output 5102 onto the skin. The focal length of the lens may be chosen such that the focus spot actually lies beneath the skin (e.g. 1-3mm below the skin surface). Only the pump and one laser pair is typically ever on at one time. Pairs are cycled through in time.
The receiver portion 5122 of the PIC includes a detector 5111 for measuring light reflected from the surface (e.g. skin) 2504 being measured. In the embodiments shown, the detector 5111 takes the form of a coherent balanced detector. This may be an InGaAs detector and may be die bonded or transfer printed onto the PIC in order to improve sensitivity.
A filter 5130 may be present to provide additional pump suppression at the detector. In the embodiments shown, this filter takes the form of an additional notch ring resonator drop filter (“RR filter”) at a wavelength corresponding to that of the pump laser. The wavelength of the notch filter can be thermally tuned to the desired wavelength (i.e. the point at which the probe signal is maximized at the detector) by adjusting a bias on waveguide heaters placed on or adjacent to the RR waveguides. Alternative filter mechanisms may include an Echelle grating passband filter in place of the RR filter. Additionally, or alternatively, to further increase the extinction ratio and suppression of background light at wavelengths other than the probe wavelength, additional echelle passband filters may be added between the band DeMUX and the RR filter.
The receiver includes collection optics such as a lens to pick up reflected light from the skin. A taper such as a buried interposer taper (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 10,643,903) may be present to convert input light from a larger input waveguide 5152 to a smaller sized waveguide platform. For example, the larger size may correspond to 12×12 um and the smaller mode typically corresponds to a 3x3um waveguide platform. After passing through any optical elements present (lenses, tapers etc), the received light is de-multiplexed. In the embodiment shown in
The embodiment of
The embodiment 5301 of
In an alternate version (not shown) rather than coupling probe lasers to a receiver (Rx) balanced coherent photodetector, instead pump lasers may be driven with additional electrical drive modulation at a frequency fp, and probe lasers similarly at a frequency fs. Extra Rx electronics may then be included to perform heterodyne detection to lock-in to the beat tone fp-fs. Alternatively, low frequency amplitude optical modulators (e.g. electroabsorption modulators (EAMs), variable optical attenuators (VOAs), semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), low speed Mach Zehnder Modulators (MZMs)) can be added to output of each laser to modulate the lasers at the fp and fs frequencies. Alternatively, an arrangement could be selected where fp=fs, i.e. only the pump is modulated, and a simpler homodyne (lock-in) detection electronics could be added at the receiver portion of the PIC.
The embodiment of
A pump MUX may be present to combine the output of the pump lasers. A probe MUX may be present to combine the outputs of all of the probe lasers and all of the independent spectrophotometer lasers. The output of the pump MUX and the output of the probe MUX may then be combined by a band MUX. The MUXed output of the probe lasers may be sent to the combiner circuit (not shown in
A further embodiment is disclosed in
Interferometric embodiments are described below with reference to
Raman SRS light detection is stronger in the more traditional Raman wavelength range of 830 to 1064 nm as mentioned above. Any of the above PIC versions and pump-probe wavelength schemes could be replaced by PICs that use silicon nitride SOI PIC platform that supports wavelengths in the range 500-2500 nm. In this way, traditional pump wavelengths of e.g. 830 nm could be used, and probe wavelengths of 890 nm to 1064 nm could be used to cover the range 0 to 2900 cm-1 wavenumber. Alternatively, the probe laser could be fixed at 1064 nm, and array of pump lasers ranging from 830 nm to 1050 nm could be used. The
InGaAs PD in other embodiments would then be replaced with a Si CCD detector for higher detection sensitivity.
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)
Sensing Module
In some embodiments, a device, or “module” is equipped with a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and one or more spectroscopic sensors, and is pointed at a user 6202, as shown in
Embodiments of the sensing module are described below, with reference to
The electronic device comprising the sensing module (e.g. mobile device, phone, etc) may comprise a Lidar sensor 6203 as well as spectroscopic sensing capabilities in the form of a spectroscopic sensor comprising an optical sensor, and, optionally an additional initial scanner 6205. In some embodiments, the initial scanner is a passive scanner such as an imaging infrared IR sensor (e.g., an IR camera). As shown in
The LIDAR may be a highly accurate frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) scanning LIDAR.
Spectroscopic sensing can be carried out using lasers. These laser(s) may be separate from the LIDAR laser(s) or may be shared by the LIDAR and the spectroscopic sensor.
Initial Scan
A passive image may be acquired before LIDAR scanning begins. At a high level, as shown in
In some embodiment, the passive image may be an image obtained with the imaging IR sensor 6205 or with a (visible wavelength) camera in the module, and may be used to locate the user's eyes. The LIDAR scan may then be configured to avoid the user's eyes.
An initial scan may be perfumed with, e.g., the module held approximately a foot away (can have other optimal distance) from the user's face or any other part of body. The LIDAR sensor generates a 3D topographic image of the area scanned.
The IR sensor identifies areas that may be exposed skin and that may be candidates for further spectroscopic scanning, e. g., areas which have a temperature that is consistent with that of skin temperature ±ΔΘ (where ±ΔΘ is a range of temperatures). Areas such as glasses, clothing, facemasks, etc., may have an IR signature different from exposed skin and may be eliminated as candidates, i.e., not be considered for further analysis.
The 3D model of the user's body formed from the LIDAR scan may further be used to eliminate areas (e.g., a warm surface behind the user) that have an IR signature consistent with exposed skin but that are not on the user's body.
The initial scan may also be used to identify the user (e.g., if several users share the module) or to confirm the identity of the user (e.g., to prevent unauthorized use if the module is ordinarily used only by one user). In this way, the identity of the user be used as a security measure to allow access to the device and/or to specific information (e.g. biomarker information about the user). Furthermore, the device can be configured to recognize, using the information from a first sensor such as the passive image sensor, that a particular user, or a new user is using the device. The accuracy of the device can therefore be improved as the device can be configured to log biomarker information only against the user identified by the primary scan (e.g. that carried out by the passive image sensor).
Biomarker Scan
A biomarker scan may be performed after (or concurrently with) the initial scan.
For minimal power consumption and/or greatest accuracy, the module can be brought into contact with the body area under test for the biomarker scan.
The module may provide instructions to the user (e.g., using voice instructions or displayed instructions) as to an optimal location to place the module (e.g., against the face or against the wrist).
The module may be held steady, by the user, for the spectroscopic analysis to begin scanning. The module may include a built-in motion sensor, and in some embodiments the sensing does not commence until the motion sensor indicates that the motion has ceased. The user may be notified (e.g., by voice, or by a warning tone) if the module is not being held sufficiently steady for sensing.
For scanning performed at some distance (e.g., a foot) from the user's body, the initial scan may sweep a larger area, with a lower resolution, and then after suitable areas are identified in conjunction with the IR sensor, a narrower, but more accurate scan resulting in a higher resolution may be produced for one or more of the areas (trading off field of view vs. resolution).
Once a suitable area has been automatically identified, the spectroscopic chip begins to collect vital signs.
The biomarkers being collected may include body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, hydration, etc.
In some embodiments some biomarker data are collected in some areas of the user's body and additional biomarker data are collected in one or more other areas. In other words, while it is possible to do so, not all markers need to be collected in a single location. For example, blood pressure may be measured at a low point of the user's body (e.g., at the ankle) and also at a high point (e.g., at the neck). As another example certain areas on the user's body may be better suited for measuring certain biomarkers (e.g., the wrist may be better suited for measuring heart rate, and the neck may be better suited for measuring hydration).
The software in the module may receive this data and compare with a nominal stored value for a person. If the reading differs from the nominal value by more than a specified amount, the module may display visually or play audibly a message to the user that the device needs to be moved closer for a more accurate reading. The process is repeated, and if necessary, a different spot on the user's body is chosen.
In some embodiments, different user profiles are stored in the device (and eventually in the cloud) so if multiple people use the system, the data may be stored and tracked separately, and the reference set may remain unique to each individual.
The LiDAR may be any suitable LiDAR with sufficient sensitivity and resolution.
The spectroscopic sensor may be a sensor that illuminates the sample with light including multiple different wavelengths and that measures the light returning to the sensor at each wavelength. The sample may be an area of the user's skin. Such measurements may provide information about optical properties of the sample (e.g., the extent to which the sample absorbs light of different wavelengths). Other properties (e.g., chemical properties) of the sample may then be inferred from the optical properties.
In some embodiments (in which the spectroscopic sensor may be referred to as a spectrometer) the light used to illuminate the sample may be generated by a broadband light source.
In some embodiments (in which the spectroscopic sensor may be referred to as a spectrophotometer) the light used to illuminate the sample may be generated by one or more lasers (e.g., by a single tunable laser, or by a plurality of tunable lasers, each having a different nominal operating wavelength, or by a plurality of fixed wavelength lasers, each having a different operating wavelength, or by a combination of fixed-wavelength and tunable lasers).
In some embodiments the spectroscopic sensor may be constructed according to an example disclosed herein, for example using any one of the PICs described herein.
The following numbered paragraphs (paras.) contain further statements of various aspects and embodiments of the present invention:
a silicon or silicon nitride transmitter photonic integrated circuit (PIC), the transmitter PIC comprising:
a plurality of lasers, each laser of the plurality of lasers operating at a wavelength that is different from the wavelength of the others;
an optical manipulation region, the optical manipulation region comprising one or more of: an optical modulator, optical multiplexer (MUX); and additional optical manipulation elements; and one or more optical outputs for light originating from the plurality of lasers.
apply a pre-trained algorithm to reflectance data taken at a wavelength corresponding to a water absorption peak, to convert reflectance measurements into a predicted temperature.
The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/215925, filed Jun. 28, 2021, entitled “Sensing System with LiDAR and Spectroscopic Sensor”, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63215925 | Jun 2021 | US |
