1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a physiological measurement device, and more particularly to a wearable physiological measurement device and a signal comparison method thereof.
2. The Related Art
Generally, a current wearable physiological measurement device is used for recording a variation of photoplethysmography for determining heart rates. The function of the wearable physiological measurement device is realized by virtue of at least one light source and an optical sensor. The variation of photoplethysmography is generated by the optical sensor capturing a reflected light source which is reflected by body tissues after the light source irradiates the body tissues. The variation of photoplethysmography is an intensity change of the reflected light source to measure the heart rates.
The measurement method of the wearable physiological measurement device has characteristics of non-invasive performance, real-time performance and high accuracy, so the wearable physiological measurement device is liked by many sporters. In the exercise process, a wearable physiological measurement device is used to be able to record pulse changes throughout the whole process, disclose intense degrees of sporters regulating their own bodies, or serve as references of exercise plans.
But the optical sensor of the current wearable physiological measurement device is disposed on a skin surface of an outer side of an arm of a user, so in some intense exercises, such as running or rope skipping, the wearable physiological measurement device will sustain continuous and violent shaking to make the optical sensor capture ambient light sources, and cause acoustic noise signals of the ambient light sources captured by the optical sensor of the wearable physiological measurement device. In the process of running or rope skipping, the wearable physiological measurement device will be in continuous shaking statues to cause the variation of photoplethysmography captured by the wearable physiological measurement device to sustain continuous interferences of the acoustic noise signals.
Generally, a fastening structure or a shading structure which is fitted to body is designed as far as possible for preventing the wearable physiological measurement device from leaking light. But skin is a soft tissue, the skin will be deformed under the violent shaking, usually, the shading structure will still leak light under the burning sun, and a contact area of the skin which the wearable physiological measurement device contacts is increased by the shading structure to cause a comfort level of wearing the wearable physiological measurement device to be lowered. So under the dynamic condition, it is still unable to block the generated acoustic noise signals completely, and the above problem has become the most happened problem of the wearable physiological measurement device.
However, colors of the skin surfaces of the outer sides of the arms of most users appear to be darker, especially colored people are more obvious. If the colors of the skin surfaces of the outer sides of the arms of the users are darker or more glossy, after the light sources irradiate the skin surface of the outer side of the arm, conditions of the light source hardly penetrating through the skin surface of the outer side of the arm or the light source being reflected without the light source penetrating through the skin surface of the outer side of the arm are caused, the variation of photoplethysmography which is able to be captured is weaker that makes physiological information measured by the wearable physiological measurement device generate an error. Thus, the utility of the wearable physiological measurement device will be affected.
In order to improve measurement accuracies of the wearable physiological measurement device in most conditions, herein an innovative wearable physiological measurement device is provided for the present invention, and the innovative wearable physiological measurement device is capable of conquering the errors generated by leaking light and the color of the skin surface of the arm in the measurement process for improving the utility of the wearable physiological measurement device.
An object of the present invention is to provide a wearable physiological measurement device and a signal comparison method thereof. The wearable physiological measurement device worn on an arm of a body, includes an electronic module, at least one strap body, a first sensing module and a second sensing module. An inside of the electronic module is equipped with a processor module. The strap body is electrically connected with the electronic module for fastening the electronic module to the arm of the body. An inner surface of the strap body is flush with an inner surface of the electronic module at the time of the electronic module and the strap body being disposed horizontally. The first sensing module is fastened to the electronic module and is exposed to the inner surface of the electronic module to be close to a skin surface of an outer side of the arm. The first sensing module electrically connected with the processor module, includes at least one first light source, and at least one first optical sensor. The second sensing module is fastened to the strap body and is exposed to an inner surface of the strap body to be closed to a skin surface of an inner side of the arm. The second sensing module electrically connected with the processor module, includes at least one second light source and at least one second optical sensor.
The signal comparison method of a wearable physiological measurement device includes specific steps described hereinafter. A first optical sensor and a second optical sensor of the wearable physiological measurement device capture and transmit signals to a processor module of the wearable physiological measurement device. The processor module compares a first signal-to-noise ratio of the signal with a second signal-to-noise ratio of the signal, when the first signal-to-noise ratio is larger than the second signal-to-noise ratio, the processor module turns off a power of a second sensing module of the wearable physiological measurement device and calculates a first variation of photoplethysmography, or when the first signal-to-noise ratio is smaller than the second signal-to-noise ratio, the processor module turns off a power of a first sensing module of the wearable physiological measurement device, and calculates a second variation of photoplethysmography until a specific sensing time is over to terminate sensing.
The signal comparison method of a wearable physiological measurement device includes another specific steps described hereinafter. A first optical sensor and a second optical sensor of the wearable physiological measurement device capture and transmit signals to a processor module of the wearable physiological measurement device. The processor module compares a first signal-to-noise ratio of the signal with a signal-to-noise limit of the signal, when the first signal-to-noise ratio is larger than the signal-to-noise limit, the processor module turns off a power of a second sensing module of the wearable physiological measurement device, and calculates a first variation of photoplethysmography until a specific sensing time is over, or when the first signal-to-noise ratio is smaller than the signal-to-noise limit, the processor module compares the first signal-to-noise ratio of the signal with a second signal-to-noise ratio of the signal, calculates a variation of photoplethysmography with the larger signal-to-noise ratio, and simultaneously, the processor module turns off the sensing module which is a first sensing module of the wearable physiological measurement device or the second sensing module with the smaller signal-to-noise ratio, and calculates a variation of photoplethysmography which is a second variation of photoplethysmography or the first variation of photoplethysmography until the specific sensing time is over to terminate sensing.
As described above, the wearable physiological measurement device is capable of solving the common problem thereof to make dynamic measurement values corresponding to static measurement values, so the wearable physiological measurement device is fit for being used under exercises. Furthermore, a color of the skin surface of the inner side of the arm is usually lighter than a color of the skin surface of the outer side of the arm, after the light source irradiates the skin surface of the inner side of the arm, conditions of the light source hardly penetrating through the skin surface of the inner side of the arm or the light source being reflected without the light source penetrating through the skin surface of the inner side of the arm are caused, the variation of photoplethysmography which is able to be captured is normal. Thus, the wearable physiological measurement device is capable of proceeding measuring through the second sensing module which is close to the skin surface of the inner side of the arm by virtue of the signal comparison method thereof for improving the utility of the wearable physiological measurement device.
The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
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A signal-to-noise ratio is used for distinguishing numerical values of signal transmission qualities. The signal-to-noise ratio is a ratio between an average value of the signal and a standard deviation of the signal. The smaller the signal-to-noise ratio is, the larger the noise is, so a signal accuracy is worse, on the contrary, the larger the signal-to-noise ratio is, the smaller the noise is, so the signal accuracy is higher.
A performance index is a difference value between an alternating voltage level and a direct voltage level shown in a heartbeat waveform. The larger the performance index is, the more obvious the measured signal is, so the signal accuracy is higher, on the contrary, the smaller the performance index is, the less obvious the measured signal is, so the signal accuracy is worse.
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The first optical sensor 32 and the second optical sensor 42 capture and transmit the signals to the processor module 11.
The processor module 11 compares the first signal-to-noise ratio of the signal with the second signal-to-noise ratio of the signal, when the first signal-to-noise ratio is larger than the second signal-to-noise ratio, the processor module 11 turns off a power of the second sensing module 40 and calculates the first variation of photoplethysmography, or when the first signal-to-noise ratio is smaller than the second signal-to-noise ratio, the processor module 11 turns off a power of the first sensing module 30, and calculates the second variation of photoplethysmography until the specific sensing time is over to terminate sensing.
The steps of the above-mentioned signal comparison method are repeated to make the processor module 11 be able to calculate multiple groups of the continuous-time variations of photoplethysmography for getting the more accurate physiological information.
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The first optical sensor 32 and the second optical sensor 42 capture and transmit the signals to the processor module 11.
The processor module 11 compares the first signal-to-noise ratio of the signal with a signal-to-noise limit of the signal, when the first signal-to-noise ratio is larger than the signal-to-noise limit, the processor module 11 turns off the power of the second sensing module 40, and calculates the first variation of photoplethysmography until the specific sensing time is over, or when the first signal-to-noise ratio is smaller than the signal-to-noise limit, the processor module 11 compares the first signal-to-noise ratio of the signal with the second signal-to-noise ratio of the signal, calculates the variation of photoplethysmography with the larger signal-to-noise ratio, and simultaneously, the processor module 11 turns off the sensing module which is the first sensing module 30 or the second sensing module 40 with the smaller signal-to-noise ratio, and calculates the variation of photoplethysmography which is the second variation of photoplethysmography or the first variation of photoplethysmography until the specific sensing time is over to terminate sensing.
The steps of the above-mentioned signal comparison method are repeated to make the processor module 11 be able to get the multistage continuous variations of photoplethysmography under the specific sensing time for getting the physiological information.
In the signal comparison method, besides comparing the signal-to-noise ratios, the processor module 11 is also able to compare the performance indexes or simultaneously compare the signal-to-noise ratios and the performance indexes for getting distinguishing basises.
The signal-to-noise ratio limit is the smallest signal-to-noise ratio value of being able to correctly judge a physiological data of the variation of photoplethysmography.
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As described above, the wearable physiological measurement device 1 is capable of solving the common problem thereof to make dynamic measurement values corresponding to static measurement values, so the wearable physiological measurement device 1 is fit for being used under exercises. Furthermore, a color of the skin surface of the inner side of the arm is usually lighter than a color of the skin surface of the outer side of the arm, after the light source irradiates the skin surface of the inner side of the arm, conditions of the light source hardly penetrating through the skin surface of the inner side of the arm or the light source being reflected without the light source penetrating through the skin surface of the inner side of the arm are caused, the variation of photoplethysmography which is able to be captured is normal. Thus, the wearable physiological measurement device 1 is capable of proceeding measuring through the second sensing module 40 which is close to the skin surface of the inner side of the arm by virtue of the signal comparison method thereof for improving the utility of the wearable physiological measurement device 1.
The forgoing description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined by the accompanying claims.