# US 12,594,037 B2 · Pressure sensitive strap for wearable electronics > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,594,037 B2 - Document ID: US12594037B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/086,182 - Filed: 2020-10-30 - Published: 2021-02-18 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-01 - Assignees: Whoop, Inc. - Applicants: Whoop, Inc. - Inventors: Daniel Wiese; Pamela G. Anderson; Alessandro Babini - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594037B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/6843: {Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure} - A61B 5/14552: {Details of sensors specially adapted therefor} - A61B 5/6831: {Straps, bands or harnesses} - A61B 5/7221: {Determining signal validity, reliability or quality (preventing, reducing or removing noise induced by motion artefacts A61B5/7207; noise originating from a therapeutic or surgical apparatus A61B5/7217)} - A61B 5/7465: {Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network (telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002)} - A61B 17/1322: {comprising a flexible encircling member (A61B17/135 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/14546: {for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes} - A61B 2562/0238: Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue - A61B 2562/0242: for varying or adjusting the optical path length in the tissue - A61B 2562/0247: Pressure sensors - A61B 2562/043: in a linear array - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A wearable optical device is described for optically detecting parameters of interest within muscle, including oxygenation level and/or hemoglobin concentrations. Detected parameters may be used to assess physical performance, such as the extent to which muscle is utilizing aerobic or anaerobic processes. The wearable optical device may include a pressure sensitive strap. Pressure provided by the strap may affect properties of tissue or sensor measurement, for example, by occluding blood flow or mechanically distorting measured tissue. Pressure sensors may be included in the strap, and may be used, for example, to: examine the heterogeneity of a pressure distribution of the strap, allowing a user to manage pressure consistency throughout measurements using the optical device; determine if pressure affects measurements taken by the optical device; and/or manage levels of blood flow restriction, allowing a user to perform exercises with lower levels of oxygen delivery, such as hypoxic training. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wearable fitness system, comprising: one or more optical sources; one or more optical detectors; a wearable housing; a strap affixed to the wearable housing, the strap configured to attach the wearable housing to a user; one or more pressure sensors; and a processor in the wearable housing, the processor configured by computer executable code stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium to: use information from the one or more pressure sensors to determine if a pressure by the strap against a tissue of the user constricts blood flow in a manner that affects pulse oxygen measurements based on signals from the one or more optical detectors, evaluate the signals from the one or more optical detectors based on the information from the one or more pressure sensors, when the pressure by the strap affects pulse oxygen measurements based on measurements from the one or more optical sources, provide information to the user including a graphical representation of data related to a pressure distribution on the strap to facilitate an adjustment by the user such that pressure levels by the strap are consistent throughout a plurality of measurements, and when the pressure by the strap does not affect pulse oxygen measurements based on measurements from the one or more optical sources, process the signals from the one or more optical detectors for optical detection of a fitness parameter of the user, wherein the fitness parameter includes a pulse oxygen of the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wearable fitness system of claim 1, wherein the wearable fitness system is configured to take a measurement with the one or more pressure sensors and display the measurement to the user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The wearable fitness system of claim 2, wherein the wearable fitness system is configured to display a comparison of the measurement to one or more past measurements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wearable fitness system of claim 1, further comprising a heart rate sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wearable fitness system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to evaluate the pulse oxygen of the user based on the information from the one or more pressure sensors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wearable fitness system of claim 1, wherein the wearable fitness system displays the information from the one or more pressure sensors in a manner that assists the user in maintaining a pressure of the strap at a consistent level for a plurality of measurements by the one or more optical detectors. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The wearable fitness system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of measurements are taken on different days. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wearable fitness system of claim 1, wherein the information from the one or more pressure sensors includes a measurement of how much pressure is exerted on the tissue of the user against which the wearable housing is pressed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The wearable fitness system of claim 1, wherein the strap includes a plurality of pressure sensors and a plurality of tension sensors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The wearable fitness system of claim 1, wherein the information from the one or more pressure sensors includes an indication of a heterogeneity of a pressure distribution on the tissue of the user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The wearable fitness system of claim 1, wherein the one or more pressure sensors include a solid state sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The wearable fitness system of claim 1, wherein the one or more pressure sensors include a liquid state sensor. ### Claim 13 A wearable fitness system, comprising: one or more optical sources; one or more optical detectors; a wearable housing; a strap affixed to the wearable housing, the strap configured to attach the wearable housing to a user; one or more tension sensors; and a processor in the wearable housing, the processor configured by computer executable code stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium to: use information from the one or more tension sensors to determine if a pressure by the strap against a tissue of the user constricts blood flow in a manner that affects pulse oxygen based on signals from the one or more optical detectors, process the signals from the one or more optical detectors for optical detection of a fitness parameter of the user, wherein the fitness parameter includes a pulse oxygen of the user, and evaluate the signals from the one or more optical detectors based on the information from the one or more tension sensors, when the tension by the strap affects pulse oxygen measurements based on measurements from the one or more optical sources, provide information to the user including a graphical representation of data related to a tension distribution on the strap to facilitate an adjustment by the user such that tension levels by the strap are consistent throughout a plurality of measurements, and when the tension by the strap does not affect pulse oxygen measurements based on measurements from the one or more optical sources, process the signals from the one or more optical detectors for optical detection of a fitness parameter of the user, wherein the fitness parameter includes a pulse oxygen of the user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The wearable fitness system of claim 13, wherein the wearable fitness system is configured to take a measurement with the one or more tension sensors and display the measurement to the user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The wearable fitness system of claim 14, wherein the wearable fitness system is configured to display a comparison of the measurement to one or more past measurements. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The wearable fitness system of claim 13, further comprising a heart rate sensor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The wearable fitness system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to evaluate the pulse oxygen of the user based on information from the one or more tension sensors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The wearable fitness system of claim 13, wherein the processor uses the information from the one or more tension sensors to evaluate whether tension affects measurements from the one or more optical detectors. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The wearable fitness system of claim 13, further comprising a wireless network interface. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The wearable fitness system of claim 13, further comprising one or more accelerometers.