# US 11,998,304 B2 · Ring for optically measuring biometric data

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- Number: US 11,998,304 B2
- Document ID: US11998304B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/123,248
- Filed: 2020-12-16
- Published: 2021-06-10
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-12
- Assignees: Fitbit, Inc.
- Applicants: Fitbit, Inc.
- Inventors: Jaclyn Leverett Wasson; Peter W. Richards; Lindsey Michelle Sunden; Corey Stephen O'Connor; Conor Joseph Heneghan; Xi Zhang; Hamed Vavadi; Chris Hanrahan Sarantos; Peter Colin Dess
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998304B2

## CPC

- A61B 5/0205: Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
- A61B 5/0002: {Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network (endoradiosondes A61B5/07)}
- A61B 5/0022: {Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet}
- A61B 5/02427: {Details of sensor}
- A61B 5/14532: {for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement}
- A61B 5/14535: {for measuring haematocrit}
- A61B 5/14546: {for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes}
- A61B 5/14552: {Details of sensors specially adapted therefor}
- A61B 5/681: {Wristwatch-type devices}
- A61B 5/6826: {Finger}
- G01N 21/3151: {using two sources of radiation of different wavelengths (G01N21/33 - G01N21/39 take precedence)}
- G01N 21/3577: for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water
- G01N 33/4925: {measuring blood gas content, e.g. O2, CO2 , HCO3}
- A61B 5/021: Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels
- A61B 5/02438: {with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient}
- A61B 2562/0219: Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
- G01N 2021/3155: {Measuring in two spectral ranges, e.g. UV and visible}
- G01N 2021/3181: {using LEDs}
- G01N 2201/0221: Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held
- G01N 2201/066: Modifiable path; multiple paths in one sample
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

Disclosed herein is a ring-shaped wearable device for detecting biometrics with a light source and a photodetector directed towards a digit wearing the ring-shaped device. The ring can thus detect oxygen saturation of a wearer based on light transmitted through the wearer's finger. The ring can include power saving measures to extend the battery life. A motion sensor can help determine opportune moments for data collection such as when the wearer is still. The motion sensor can be used to remove noise from the data caused by motion. After data is collected or during data collection, the ring can wirelessly communicate the data to another portable electronic device such as a phone or watch.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A monitoring device, comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing is a ring-shaped housing having an opening configured to at least partially receive a digit of a wearer;
at least two light sources directed toward the opening of the housing and configured to emit light over at least two wavelengths;
at least one photodetector;
at least one processor;
a motion-detecting sensor positioned in the housing and configured to detect motion data representative of motion of the monitoring device; and
memory including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the monitoring device to:
activate the at least two light sources;
acquire data to determine which of the at least two light sources have adequate contact with skin of the wearer;
analyze the data to determine which, if any, of the at least two light sources have adequate contact with the skin of the wearer and which, if any, of the at least two light sources do not have adequate contact with the skin of the wearer by identifying measurements having sudden changes or low variance;
deactivate any of the at least two light sources only if any of the at least two light sources are determined to not have adequate contact with the skin of the wearer;
if it is determined that at least one light source has adequate contact with the skin of the wearer, detect, using the at least one photodetector, light emitted by the at least one light source having adequate contact with the skin of the wearer and corresponding to at least one light paths, wherein light activation and detection are triggered by a determination that motion data is indicative of the monitoring device being substantially still; and
determine biometric information when light passes through the digit of the wearer based on the light detected by the at least one photodetector.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising:
determining, based at least in part on a difference in absorption of the detected light at a red wavelength and at an infrared wavelength, a blood oxygenation level.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The monitoring device of claim 2,
wherein data corresponding to differences in absorption of the red wavelength and the infrared wavelength is collected over a time period where the monitoring device is substantially still.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further capable of determining biometric information including at least one of pulse, blood pressure, glucose level, lipid concentration, or carboxyhemoglobin level.

### Claim 5

A method, comprising:
activating at least two light sources of a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device includes a ring-shaped housing having an opening configured to at least partially receive a digit of a wearer, the at least two light sources directed toward the opening of the housing and configured to emit light over at least two wavelengths;
acquiring data to determine which of the at least two light sources have adequate contact with skin of the wearer;
analyzing the data to determine which, if any, of the at least two light sources have adequate contact with the skin of the wearer and which, if any, of the at least two light sources do not have adequate contact with the skin of the wearer by identifying measurements having sudden changes or low variance;
deactivating any of the at least two light sources only if any of the at least two light sources are determined to not have adequate contact with the skin of the wearer;
if it is determined that at least one light source has adequate contact with the skin of the wearer, detecting, using at least one photodetector of the monitoring device, light emitted by the at least one light source having adequate contact with the skin of the wearer and corresponding to at least one light path, wherein light activation and detection are triggered by a determination that motion data from at least one motion sensor is indicative of the monitoring device being substantially still; and
determining biometric information when light passes through the digit of the wearer based on the light detected by the at least one photodetector.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising:
determining, based at least in part on a difference in absorption of the detected light at a red wavelength and at an infrared wavelength, a blood oxygenation level.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the red wavelength is about 660 nm and the infrared wavelength is about 940 nm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the biometric information includes data regarding at least one of pulse, blood pressure, glucose level, lipid concentration, or carboxyhemoglobin level.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one photodetector is positioned on the housing and opposite at least one of the at least two light sources.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising:
detecting a first light intensity at a first photodetector; and
detecting a second light intensity at a second photodetector, wherein the biometric information is calculated based at least in part upon the first light intensity and the second light intensity.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first photodetector and the second photodetector are configured to receive light emitted from a same light source.

### Claim 12

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
activate at least two light sources of a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device includes a ring-shaped housing having an opening configured to at least partially receive a digit of a wearer, the at least two light sources directed toward the opening of the housing and configured to emit light over at least two wavelengths;
acquire data to determine which of the at least two light sources have adequate contact with skin of the wearer;
analyze the data to determine which, if any, of the at least two light sources have adequate contact with the skin of the wearer and which, if any, of the at least two light sources do not have adequate contact with the skin of the wearer by identifying measurements having sudden changes or low variance;
deactivate any of the at least two light sources only if any of the at least two light sources are determined to not have adequate contact with the skin of the wearer;
if it is determined that at least one light source has adequate contact with the skin of the wearer, detect, using at least one photodetector of the monitoring device, light emitted by the at least one light source having adequate contact with the skin of the wearer and corresponding to at least one light path, wherein light activation and detection are triggered by a determination that motion data from at least one motion sensor is indicative of the monitoring device being substantially still; and
determine biometric information when light passes through the digit of the wearer based on the light detected by the at least one photodetector.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to:
determine, based at least in part on a difference in absorption of the detected light at a red wavelength and at an infrared wavelength, an oxygenation level in blood.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the biometric information includes data regarding at least one of pulse, blood pressure, glucose level, lipid concentration, or carboxyhemoglobin level.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the at least one photodetector is positioned on the housing and opposite at least one of the at least two light sources.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to:
detect a first light intensity at a first location in the opening; and
detect a second light intensity at a second location in the opening, wherein the biometric information is calculated based at least in part upon the first light intensity and the second light intensity.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first photodetector and the second photodetector are configured to receive light emitted from a same light source.