Pressure measurement designs
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsRavi K. Narasimhan, Zijing Zeng, Zhipeng Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention generally relates to the measuring and monitoring of blood pressure. More specifically, embodiments may apply the theory of applanation tonometry for the measurement of blood pressure. Some embodiments provide a method for measuring mean arterial pressure. Some embodiments provide a device that may be worn by a user that may non-invasively measure and monitor blood pressure of a user. In some embodiments, the invention generally relates to sensor arrays for use with a wrist-worn device to measure blood pressure. Embodiments of the sensor array designs described may be configured to improve resolution by decoupling nodes of the sensor array.
Claims39
A wrist-worn device configured to measure blood pressure of a user wearing the wrist-worn device, the wrist-worn device comprising:
- a sensor array comprising capacitive nodes configured to measure blood pressure of a user wearing the wrist-worn device, the sensor array comprising one or more distal electrodes and one or more proximal electrodes, wherein each of the capacitive nodes is formed via one of the one or more distal electrodes and one of the one or more proximal electrodes that are separated by a respective gap, wherein each of the one or more distal electrodes is configured to be disposed between a skin of the user and a respective one of the one or more proximal electrodes, and wherein the capacitive nodes are formed at laterally spaced apart locations;
- a dielectric layer disposed between the one or more distal electrodes and the one or more proximal electrodes;
- wherein a distal surface of each of the capacitive nodes protrudes toward the skin of the user to form a protrusion individual to the capacitive node;
- wherein the dielectric layer includes laterally spaced apart pillars, each of the laterally spaced apart pillars being positioned at a respective one of the capacitive nodes and supporting a corresponding one of the one or more distal electrodes relative to a corresponding one of the one or more proximal electrodes of the respective one of the capacitive nodes.
A wrist-worn device configured to measure blood pressure of a user wearing the wrist-worn device, the wrist-worn device comprising:
- a sensor array comprising capacitive nodes, the sensor array comprising a sheet of conductive material and proximal electrodes that are spaced apart, wherein the sheet of conductive material is separated from each of the proximal electrodes by a respective gap, wherein each of the capacitive nodes is formed at spaced apart locations where the sheet of conductive material overlaps with a respective one of the proximal electrodes,
- wherein the sensor array comprises primary slits, each of the primary slits being disposed between adjacent capacitive nodes of the capacitive nodes and extending along a width of the device band, and
- wherein the sensor array comprises secondary lateral slits, each of the secondary lateral slits extending from a corresponding one of the primary slits in a direction transverse to the primary slit, each of the secondary lateral slits at least partially separating adjacent capacitive nodes of the capacitive nodes.
A wrist-worn device configured to measure blood pressure of a user wearing the wrist-worn device, the wrist-worn device comprising:
- a device band having a length and a width;
- a sensor array supported by the device band and comprising capacitive nodes configured to measure blood pressure of a user wearing the wrist-worn device, the sensor array comprising one or more distal electrodes and one or more proximal electrodes, wherein the distal and proximal electrodes are each of the capacitive nodes is formed via one of the one or more distal electrodes and one of the one or more proximal electrodes that are separated by a respective gap, wherein each of the one or more distal electrodes is configured to be disposed between a skin of the user and a respective one of the one or more proximal electrodes, and wherein the capacitive nodes are formed at laterally spaced apart locations;
- wherein the sensor array comprises primary slits, each of the primary slits being disposed between adjacent capacitive nodes of the capacitive nodes and extending along the width of the device band, and
- wherein the sensor array comprises secondary slits, each of the secondary slits extending from a corresponding one of the primary slits in a direction transverse to the primary slit, each of the secondary slits at least partially separating adjacent capacitive nodes of the capacitive nodes.
A wrist-worn device configured to measure blood pressure of a user wearing the wrist-worn device, the wrist-worn device comprising:
- a sensor array comprising capacitive nodes configured to measure blood pressure of a user wearing the wrist-worn device, the sensor array comprising:
- one or more distal electrodes and one or more proximal electrodes, wherein each of the capacitive nodes is formed via one of the one or more distal electrodes and one of the one or more proximal electrodes that are separated by a respective gap, and wherein the capacitive nodes are formed at laterally spaced apart locations;
- a dielectric layer disposed between the one or more distal electrodes and the one or more proximal electrodes, the dielectric layer including pillars that are spaced apart, each of the pillars being positioned at a respective one of the capacitive nodes and supporting the distal electrode a corresponding one of the one or more distal electrodes relative to a corresponding one of the one or more proximal electrodes of the respective one of the capacitive nodes,
- wherein a distal surface of each of the capacitive nodes protrudes toward a skin of the user to form a protrusion individual to the capacitive node.
A wrist-worn device configured to measure blood pressure of a user wearing the wrist-worn device, the wrist-worn device comprising:
- a sensor array comprising a proximal layer, a distal layer, and a dielectric layer disposed between the proximal layer and the distal layer, the dielectric layer supporting the proximal layer relative to the distal layer, the proximal layer comprising proximal electrodes, the distal layer comprising distal electrodes, and wherein capacitive nodes of the sensor array are formed at locations where a distal electrode of the distal electrodes overlaps with a proximal electrode of the proximal electrodes;
- wherein the proximal layer comprises cantilevered fingers, each of the cantilevered fingers being separated from an adjacent one of the cantilevered fingers by an intervening slit, and wherein the cantilevered fingers are folded.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.