Wearable Device Sensing System for Determining Pulse Transit Time of Wearer
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsRobert K. Montgomery, II, Chin San Han, Pablo A. Escobar, Zijing Zeng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An interface pressure sensor includes a fluid pressure sensor disposed in a volume defined by a shear wall. The volume is enclosed, and the fluid pressure sensor is encapsulated by, an infill material. The infill material defines a sensing surface that, when pressed, can impart a force that is detectable by the fluid pressure sensor.
Claims20
A wearable electronic device comprising:
- a body;
- a strap coupled to the body and configured to removably couple the body to a wrist of a wearer;
- a sensing system at least partially within the strap, the sensing system comprising:
- a flexible substrate defining:
- a first portion extending substantially parallel to a length of the strap;
- and
- a second portion separated from the first portion and extending substantially parallel to the first portion and to the length of the strap;
- a first interface pressure sensor disposed on the first portion and defining a first sensing surface configured to interface with a first skin surface above a radial artery of the wearer;
- a second interface pressure sensor disposed on the second portion and defining a second sensing surface, separate from the first sensing surface, the second sending surface configured to interface with a second skin surface above the radial artery of the wearer;
- and
- a processor operably coupled to the first interface pressure sensor and the second interface pressure sensor and configured to:
- receive input from the first interface pressure sensor;
- receive input from the second interface pressure sensor;
- and
- provide output corresponding to a velocity of a pressure wave received at the first sensing surface and the second sensing surface by the first interface pressure sensor and the second interface pressure sensor, respectively.
A wearable electronic device comprising:
- a strap configured to removably couple the wearable electronic device to a wrist of a wearer;
- a pressure wave sensing system at least partially within the strap, the pressure wave sensing system comprising:
- a first linear array of pressure sensors, the first linear array extending substantially perpendicular to a radial artery of the wearer;
- a second linear array of pressure sensors, the second linear array:
- separated from the first linear array by a fixed distance;
- disposed substantially parallel to the first linear array of pressure sensors;
- and
- extending substantially perpendicular to the radial artery of the wearer;
- and
- a processor coupled to the first and second linear arrays of pressure sensors and configured to receive input from the first and second arrays of pressure sensors and provide output corresponding to a pulse transit time through the radial artery of the wearer.
The wearable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to correlate the pulse transit time to a blood pressure of the wearer and to provide a digital representation of the blood pressure as output.
An electronic device comprising:
- a first fluid pressure sensor encapsulated in a first shear wall and defining a first sensing surface configured to interface with a first skin surface above an artery of a user of the electronic device;
- a second fluid pressure sensor encapsulated in a second shear wall and second sensing surface configured to interface with a second skin surface above the artery of the user;
- and
- a processor configured to receive as input output from the first fluid pressure sensor and the second fluid pressure sensor and to provide as output a pulse transit time of the user based, at least in part, on a fixed distance separating the first fluid pressure sensor and the second fluid pressure sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.