# US 2018/0020979 A1 · Optical adapters for wearable monitoring devices

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- Number: US 2018/0020979 A1
- Document ID: US20180020979A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/554,193
- Filed: 2016-02-23
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-03
- Assignees: Valencell, Inc.
- Applicants: Valencell, Inc.
- Inventors: Wolfgang WAGNER; Steven Matthew JUST; Jonathan T. WALTER; Jesse Berkley TUCKER; Steven Francis LEBOEUF
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180020979A1

## CPC

- A61B 5/6844: {Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue}
- A61B 5/0013: {Medical image data (A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence)}
- A61B 5/02427: {Details of sensor}
- A61B 5/0261: {using optical means, e.g. infrared light}
- A61B 5/14552: {Details of sensors specially adapted therefor}
- A61B 5/6803: {Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles}
- A61B 5/6804: {Garments; Clothes}
- A61B 5/6817: {Ear canal}
- A61B 5/721: {using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured}
- A61B 2562/0238: Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue
- A61B 2562/046: in a matrix array
- A61B 2562/146: for optical coupling
- A61B 2562/228: Sensors with optical connectors
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

An optical adapter is configured to be removably secured to a wearable monitoring device. The monitoring device includes a housing having a portion with a biometric sensor that is wearably positionable adjacent the skin of a subject. The biometric sensor includes an optical emitter and an optical detector. The optical adapter includes a base that is configured to be removably secured to the housing portion. The optical adapter includes a first light guide extending outwardly from the base that is in optical communication with the optical emitter when the base is secured to the housing portion, and a second light guide extending outwardly from the base that is in optical communication with the optical detector when the base is secured to the housing portion. The optical adapter also includes a plurality of stabilizing members extending outwardly from the base.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical adapter for a wearable monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device comprises a housing having a portion with a biometric sensor that is wearably positionable adjacent the skin of a subject, wherein the biometric sensor includes an optical emitter and an optical detector, the optical adapter comprising:
a base configured to be removably secured to the housing portion;
a first light guide extending outwardly from the base that is in optical communication with the optical emitter when the base is secured to the housing portion, wherein the first light guide comprises a distal end that is configured to engage a portion of a body of the subject and to deliver light from the optical emitter directly into the body of the subject;
a second light guide extending outwardly from the base that is in optical communication with the optical detector when the base is secured to the housing portion, wherein the second light guide comprises a distal end that is configured to engage a portion of the body of the subject, and wherein the second light guide is configured to collect light directly from the body of the subject via the distal end thereof and deliver collected light to the optical detector; and
a plurality of stabilizing members extending outwardly from the base.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optical adapter of claim 1, wherein the first and second light guides comprise elastomeric light transmissive material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The optical adapter of claim 1, wherein the base, first and second light guides, and stabilizing members comprise material selected from the group consisting of plastics, polymers, glass, epoxy, crystalline materials, and optically filtering materials.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The optical adapter of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the base is adhesively secured to the housing portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The optical adapter of claim 1, wherein the base comprises at least one male connector configured to engage at least one female connector associated with the housing portion, or wherein the base comprises at least one female connector configured to engage at least one male connector associated with the housing portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The optical adapter of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a resilient peripheral lip configured to at least partially surround the device housing and secure the optical adapter thereto.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The optical adapter of claim 1, wherein each stabilizing member has an outwardly extending length from the base that is greater than an outwardly extending length of the first and second light guides from the base.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The optical adapter of claim 1, wherein at least some of the stabilizing members are substantially cylindrical and have a substantially circular cross-sectional profile, and wherein at least some of the stabilizing members are partially cylindrical and have a partially circular cross-sectional profile.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The optical adapter of claim 1, wherein at least one of the stabilizing members has a distal end with a rounded configuration, a textured configuration, or a plurality of teeth.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The optical adapter of claim 9, wherein the textured configuration comprises a plurality of raised bumps.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The optical adapter of claim 1, wherein the stabilizing members are arranged in a pattern.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The optical adapter of claim 1, wherein the stabilizing members comprise resilient material.