Cardiovascular health monitoring

A cardiovascular-monitoring apparatus comprising:

• a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor comprising a plurality of light-sensing elements and at least one light-emitting element;
• and
• a controller comprising:
• a detection module and instructions for, with the detection module, determining whether an object is proximate each light-sensing element by evaluating a parameter associated with that light-sensing element, determining whether the object is proximate the light-sensing element using the parameter, and generating an occupied-location map that identifies locations at which the object is proximate;
• a signal-obtaining module and instructions for, with the signal-obtaining module and subsequent to generating the occupied-location map, causing the at least one light-emitting element to provide PPG acquisition illumination only for one or more locations identified in the occupied-location map, and acquiring a PPG signal only at the one or more locations;
• a determination module and instructions for, with the determination module, evaluating each acquired PPG signal against at least one waveform-quality criterion and selecting at least one PPG signal that satisfies the at least one waveform-quality criterion;
• and
• a processing module and instructions for, with the processing module, processing the selected PPG signal to derive information relating to a subject's cardiovascular system.

A computer pointing device with a trackpad, comprising:

• a housing comprising a top surface defining a trackpad area;
• a PPG sensor disposed beneath the top surface and comprising a plurality of light-sensing elements arranged at discrete locations and at least one light-emitting element;
• and
• a controller comprising:
• a detection module and instructions for, with the detection module, detecting finger locations and motion on the trackpad area, and generating an occupied-location map that identifies one or more locations at which a finger is proximate by applying a presence decision rule to a parameter associated with each location;
• a signal-obtaining module and instructions for, with the signal-obtaining module, causing the at least one light-emitting element to provide PPG acquisition illumination only for the locations identified in the occupied-location map and acquiring a PPG signal at those locations;
• a determination module and instructions for, with determination module, evaluating each acquired PPG signal against at least one waveform-quality criterion and selecting at least one PPG signal that satisfies the waveform-quality criterion;
• and
• a processing module and instructions for, with the processing module, processing the selected PPG signal to derive information relating to a subject's cardiovascular system,
• preferably wherein detecting finger locations and motion is performed using signals from the plurality of light-sensing elements.

A method comprising:

• determining whether an object is proximate each light-sensing element of a plurality of light-sensing elements by evaluating a parameter associated with that light-sensing element, determining whether the object is proximate the light-sensing element using the parameter, and generating an occupied-location map that identifies locations at which the object is proximate;
• causing the at least one light-emitting element to provide PPG acquisition illumination only for the locations identified in the occupied-location map and acquiring a PPG signal at those locations;
• evaluating each acquired PPG signal against at least one waveform-quality criterion and selecting at least one PPG signal that satisfies the criterion;
• and
• processing the selected PPG signal to derive information relating to a subject's cardiovascular system,
• preferably wherein determining whether the object is proximate the location is performed without acquiring a PPG waveform sufficient to derive a cardiovascular parameter.