Ear sensor

Abstract

An ear sensor provides physiological parameter monitoring. The ear sensor may comprise an in-ear portion configured to fit in an ear of a user. The in-ear portion may include at least one light emitter configured to emit light into an ear tissue site of the user and at least one light detector configured output a signal responsive to at least a portion of the emitted light after attenuation by ear tissue of the ear tissue site.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An in-ear pulse oximetry device comprising:
 an in-ear portion configured to fit in an ear of a user, the in-ear portion including:
 at least one light emitter configured to emit light into an ear tissue site of the user; and 
 at least one light detector configured output a signal responsive to at least a portion of the emitted light after attenuation by ear tissue of the ear tissue site; and 
   a cable portion extending from the in-ear portion and configured to communicate the signal from the in-ear pulse oximetry device to a receiver, the signal useable by the receiver to determine at least one of an oxygen saturation or a pulse rate of the user.   
     
     
         3 . The in-ear pulse oximetry device of  claim 2 , wherein the in-ear portion further includes:
 an extension portion that extends at least partially into an ear canal of the ear of the user, wherein the at least one light emitter and the at least one light detector are positioned on the extension portion.   
     
     
         4 . The in-ear pulse oximetry device of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one light emitter and the at least one light detector are further positioned axially on the extension portion. 
     
     
         5 . The in-ear pulse oximetry device of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one light emitter and the at least one light detector are further positioned radially on the extension portion at a fixed angle comprising 30, 45, 120, 135, 160, or 180 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The in-ear pulse oximetry device of  claim 2 , wherein the in-ear portion is configured to conform to a concha of the ear of the user. 
     
     
         7 . The in-ear pulse oximetry device of  claim 2 , wherein the in-ear portion is configured to conform to portion of the ear of the user including at least a portion of a concha and a portion of an ear canal of the ear of the user. 
     
     
         8 . An in-ear physiological measurement sensor comprising:
 a base portion;   an extension portion that extends at least partially into an ear canal of a user;   one or more light emitters configured to emit light into an ear tissue site of the user; and   one or more light detectors configured output a signal responsive to at least a portion of the emitted light after attenuation by ear tissue of the ear tissue site, the signal indicative of at least one physiological parameter of the user.   
     
     
         9 . The in-ear physiological measurement sensor of  claim 8 , wherein at least one light emitter and at least one light detector is positioned on the extension portion. 
     
     
         10 . The in-ear physiological measurement sensor of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one light emitter and the at least one light detector are further positioned axially on the extension portion. 
     
     
         11 . The in-ear physiological measurement sensor of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one light emitter and the at least one light detector are further positioned radially on the extension portion. 
     
     
         12 . The in-ear physiological measurement sensor of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one light emitter and the at least one light detector are positioned at a fixed angle comprising 30, 45, 120, 135, 160, or 180 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . The in-ear physiological measurement sensor of  claim 8 , wherein at least one light emitter and at least one light detector is positioned on the base portion. 
     
     
         14 . The in-ear physiological measurement sensor of  claim 8 , wherein each of the base portion and the extension portion includes at least one light emitter and at least one light detector positioned thereon. 
     
     
         15 . The in-ear physiological measurement sensor of  claim 8 , wherein the in-ear physiological measurement sensor comprises an ear bud. 
     
     
         16 . The in-ear physiological measurement sensor of  claim 8 , wherein the in-ear physiological measurement sensor further includes a flexible portion, wherein the in-ear physiological measurement sensor may be mounted in the ear of the user by at least particular compression of the flexible portion. 
     
     
         17 . The in-ear physiological measurement sensor of  claim 16 , wherein the flexible portion is configured to mount the in-ear physiological measurement sensor in the concha and/or ear canal of the ear of the user. 
     
     
         18 . The in-ear physiological measurement sensor of  claim 8  further including:
 a cable portion coupled to the base portion and configured to communicate the signal from the in-ear physiological measurement sensor to a monitor, the signal useable by the monitor to determine the at least one physiological parameter of the user. 
 
     
     
         19 . The in-ear physiological measurement sensor of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one physiological parameter includes at least one of oxygen saturation or pulse rate of the user. 
     
     
         20 . An in-ear physiological measurement device comprising:
 an in-ear portion configured to fit in an ear of a user, the in-ear portion including:
 at least one light emitter configured to emit light into an ear tissue site of the user; and 
 at least one light detector configured output a signal responsive to at least a portion of the emitted light after attenuation by ear tissue of the ear tissue site; and 
   a cable portion extending from the in-ear portion and configured to communicate the signal from the in-ear physiological measurement device to a receiver, the signal useable by the receiver to determine at least one physiological parameter of the user.   
     
     
         21 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 20 , wherein the in-ear portion further includes:
 an extension portion that extends at least partially into an ear canal of the ear of the user.   
     
     
         22 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one light emitter and the at least one light detector are positioned on the extension portion. 
     
     
         23 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one light emitter and the at least one light detector are positioned on a surface of the extension portion. 
     
     
         24 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one light emitter and the at least one light detector are further positioned axially on the extension portion. 
     
     
         25 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one light emitter and the at least one light detector are further positioned radially on the extension portion. 
     
     
         26 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one light emitter and the at least one light detector are positioned at an angle comprising 30, 45, 120, 135, 160, or 180 degrees. 
     
     
         27 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 20 , wherein the ear tissue of the ear tissue site includes at least one of ear canal ear tissue or concha ear tissue. 
     
     
         28 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 20 , wherein the portion of the emitted light is reflected by the ear tissue to the at least one light detector. 
     
     
         29 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 20 , wherein the in-ear portion is configured to conform to a concha of the ear of the user. 
     
     
         30 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 20 , wherein the in-ear portion is configured to conform to portion of the ear of the user including at least a portion of a concha and a portion of an ear canal of the ear of the user. 
     
     
         31 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 20 , wherein the in-ear portion comprises an ear bud. 
     
     
         32 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 20 , wherein the in-ear portion further includes a foam portion, wherein the in-ear physiological measurement device may be mounted in the ear of the user by first squeezing and then releasing foam portion after placement of the in-ear portion in the ear. 
     
     
         33 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 32 , wherein the foam portion is configured to mount the in-ear physiological measurement device in the concha and/or ear canal of the ear of the user. 
     
     
         34 . The in-ear physiological measurement device of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one physiological parameter includes at least one of oxygen saturation or pulse rate of the user 
     
     
         35 . A multi-site in-ear physiological measurement system comprising:
 two in-ear physiological measurement devices according to  claim 20 , each in-ear physiological measurement device configured to be simultaneously placed in either a right or left ear of the user,   wherein the receiver comprises a monitoring device, and   wherein the cable portions of each in-ear physiological measurement device communicate the signals to the monitoring device, the signals useable by the monitoring device to determine the at least one physiological parameter of the user.   
     
     
         36 . The multi-site in-ear physiological measurement system of  claim 35 , wherein the two in-ear physiological measurement devices are coupled to a single flexible frame.