Wearable devices for physiological monitoring

Abstract

A wearable device for detecting and/or measuring physiological information from a subject includes a housing, at least one optical emitter supported by the housing, at least one optical detector supported by the housing, a motion sensor supported by the housing, and a processor supported by the housing. The processor is configured to remove motion artifacts from signals produced by the at least one optical detector in response to signals produced by the motion sensor to produce filtered signals. Also, the processor is configured to process the filtered signals to generate parsed output data by executing one or more processing methods to provide information that is fed into a multiplexed output serial data string comprising motion-related information and physiological information. The multiplexed serial data string includes a plurality of physiological data outputs that can be used by an application-specific interface as required for a particular application.

1 . A wearable device for detecting and/or measuring physiological information from a subject, the device, comprising:
 a housing;   at least one optical emitter supported by the housing;   at least one optical detector supported by the housing;   a motion sensor supported by the housing, wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense motion information from the subject; and   a processor supported by the housing, wherein the processor is configured to remove motion artifacts from signals produced by the at least one optical detector in response to signals produced by the motion sensor to produce filtered signals, and wherein the processor is configured to process the filtered signals to generate parsed output data by executing one or more processing methods to provide information that is fed into a multiplexed output serial data string comprising motion-related information and physiological information.   
     
     
         2 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the multiplexed serial data string comprises a plurality of physiological data outputs that can be used by an application-specific interface (API) as required for a particular application. 
     
     
         3 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one wireless transmitter, and wherein the processor is configured to communicate the multiplexed serial data string to an application-specific programming interface (API) of a remote device via the at least one wireless transmitter. 
     
     
         4 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to be integrated within a wrist strap and/or a wrist watch. 
     
     
         5 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an audio headset, a wrist strap, a wrist watch, an ankle bracelet, or an armband. 
     
     
         6 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable device comprises an audio headset, a wrist strap, a wrist watch, an ankle bracelet, or an armband. 
     
     
         7 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to be attached to a limb, a nose, an earlobe, and/or a digit of the subject. 
     
     
         8 . The wearable device of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the housing is configured to be positioned within an ear of the subject. 
     
     
         9 . A sensor module for detecting and/or measuring physiological information from a subject, the sensor module, comprising:
 a housing;   at least one optical emitter supported by the housing;   at least one optical detector supported by the housing;   a motion sensor supported by the housing, wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense motion information from the subject; and   a processor supported by the housing, wherein the processor is configured to remove motion artifacts from signals produced by the at least one optical detector in response to signals produced by the motion sensor to produce filtered signals, and wherein the processor is configured to process the filtered signals to generate parsed output data by executing one or more processing methods to provide information that is fed into a multiplexed output serial data string comprising motion-related information and physiological information.   
     
     
         10 . The sensor module of  claim 9 , wherein the multiplexed serial data string comprises a plurality of physiological data outputs that can be used by an application-specific interface (API) as required for a particular application. 
     
     
         11 . The sensor module of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one wireless transmitter, and wherein the processor is configured to communicate the multiplexed serial data string to an application-specific programming interface (API) of a remote device via the at least one wireless transmitter. 
     
     
         12 . The sensor module of  claim 9 , wherein the housing is configured to be integrated within a wrist strap and/or a wrist watch. 
     
     
         13 . The sensor module of  claim 9 , wherein the housing is configured to be integrated within an ankle bracelet, an armband, and a chest strap. 
     
     
         14 . The sensor module of  claim 9 , wherein the housing is configured to be attached to a limb, a nose, an earlobe, and/or a digit of the subject. 
     
     
         15 . The sensor module of  claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the housing is configured to be positioned within an ear of the subject. 
     
     
         16 . A device configured to be worn at a wrist of a subject, wherein the device is configured to detect and/or measure physiological information from the subject, the device comprising:
 a housing;   at least one optical emitter supported by the housing;   at least one optical detector supported by the housing;   a motion sensor supported by the housing, wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense motion information from the subject; and   a processor supported by the housing, wherein the processor is configured to remove motion artifacts from signals produced by the at least one optical detector in response to signals produced by the motion sensor to produce filtered signals, and wherein the processor is configured to process the filtered signals to generate parsed output data by executing one or more processing methods to provide information that is fed into a multiplexed output serial data string comprising motion-related information and physiological information.   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the multiplexed serial data string comprises a plurality of physiological data outputs that can be used by an application-specific interface (API) as required for a particular application. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 16 , further comprising at least one wireless transmitter, and wherein the processor is configured to communicate the multiplexed serial data string to an application-specific programming interface (API) of a remote device via the at least one wireless transmitter. 
     
     
         19 . A sensor module for detecting and/or measuring physiological information from a subject, the sensor module, comprising:
 a housing;   at least one optical emitter supported by the housing;   at least one optical detector supported by the housing;   a first light guide supported by the housing, wherein the first light guide is in optical communication with the at least one optical emitter and not in optical communication with the at least one optical detector, and wherein the first light guide comprises a distal end that is configured to directly engage a portion of a body of the subject and to deliver light directly from the at least one optical emitter into the body;   a second light guide supported by the housing, wherein the second light guide is in optical communication with the at least one optical detector and not in optical communication with the at least one optical emitter, and wherein the second light guide comprises a distal end that is configured to directly engage another portion of the body of the subject and to collect light directly therefrom and deliver collected light directly to the at least one optical detector;   a motion sensor supported by the housing, wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense motion information from the subject; and   a processor supported by the housing, wherein the processor is in electrical communication with the at least one optical emitter, the at least one optical detector, and the motion sensor, wherein the processor is configured to remove motion artifacts from signals produced by the at least one optical detector in response to signals produced by the motion sensor to produce filtered signals having reduced motion artifacts caused by footsteps, and wherein the processor is configured to process the filtered signals using one or more processing methods to generate a multiplexed output serial data string comprising subject heart rate information and at least one other physiological parameter of the subject.   
     
     
         20 . The sensor module of  claim 19 , wherein the housing is configured to be integrated within a wrist strap and/or a wrist watch. 
     
     
         21 . The sensor module of  claim 19 , wherein the housing comprises an audio headset, a wrist strap, a wrist watch, an ankle bracelet, or an armband. 
     
     
         22 . The sensor module of  claim 19 , wherein the housing is configured to be attached to a limb, a nose, an earlobe, and/or a digit of the subject. 
     
     
         23 . The sensor module of  claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the housing is configured to be positioned within an ear of the subject.