Position detection of blood pressure device
Inventors
Zhang, Xi • Wong, Keith Adam • AXLEY, ANDREW LARSEN • Tudose, Dan Stefan • Heneghan, Conor Joseph
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-12251205-B2
Publication Date
2025-03-18
Expiration Date
Abstract
An aspect of the disclosure pertains to detecting a position of a blood pressure measurement device. An inflatable bladder of the blood pressure measurement device defines, at least in part, a pressurizable volume. The inflatable bladder may be inflated to pressurize a user's appendage and temporarily occlude blood flow in the user's appendage. A pump may initiate inflation of the inflatable bladder when one or more accelerometers and/or one or more proximity sensors determine that the blood pressure measurement device is within sufficient proximity or elevation to a user's heart and stationary.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a device and a method for measuring biometric data of a user using an inflatable bladder disposed within an opening defined by a housing. The inflatable bladder defines, at least in part, a pressurizable volume that is fluidly coupled to a pump controlled by a controller. The controller inflates the inflatable bladder and, in response to meeting specified positioning and motion conditions, obtains one or more signals from sensors configured to emit acoustic waves to determine a biometric of the user.
The device uses microphones configured to acoustically determine a proximity of the device to a user's heart. Based on the microphone-determined proximity, the controller controls pump inflation. The controller also evaluates device orientation by using accelerometers to measure a roll angle about a first axis orthogonal to a vertical axis and a pitch angle about a second axis orthogonal to the vertical axis.
Pump inflation is conditioned on motion and angular ranges. The controller controls the pump to inflate the inflatable bladder based on whether a motion of the device measured by the accelerometers is less than a threshold motion amount for a threshold duration of time, whether the roll angle is within a roll angle range, and whether the pitch angle is within a pitch angle range, each for the threshold duration of time. When these conditions are met, the controller obtains signals from the sensors and determines the biometric based on the one or more signals.
Claims Coverage
The partial content includes two independent claims with a common inventive framework: acoustic proximity to a heart using microphones, orientation and motion-based gating using accelerometers, and controller-driven pump inflation of an inflatable bladder followed by determination of a biometric based on sensor signals. Across the independent claims, multiple inventive features are present in combination.
Acoustic proximity determination with microphones
one or more microphones configured to acoustically determine a proximity of the device to a user's heart.
Roll and pitch measurement using accelerometers
one or more accelerometers configured to measure a roll angle of the device about a first axis orthogonal to a vertical axis and a pitch angle of the device about a second axis orthogonal to the vertical axis.
Conditioned pump inflation using proximity, motion, roll, and pitch
a controller configured to control the pump to inflate the inflatable bladder based on the proximity of the device to the user's heart, whether motion measured by the accelerometers is less than a threshold motion amount for a threshold duration of time, whether the roll angle is within a roll angle range, and whether the pitch angle is within a pitch angle range; and in response to these conditions, obtain signals from the sensors.
Biometric determination based on acoustic-wave sensor signals
sensors configured to emit acoustic waves, wherein the controller determines a biometric of a user based on the one or more signals.
Appendage positioning within the housing opening
determining that an appendage of the user is positioned within an opening defined by a surface of a housing of the device.
Control-signal inflation of inflatable bladder based on position, motion, roll, and pitch
in response to determining the appendage is positioned within the opening and based on proximity to the user's heart, motion, roll angle, and pitch angle, providing control signals to a pump to inflate an inflatable bladder positioned on the surface of the housing.
Obtaining sensor signals from sensors positioned on the surface and determining biometric
in response to the motion, roll angle, and pitch angle being within the specified conditions for the threshold duration of time, obtaining signals from sensors positioned on the surface and determining the biometric of the user based, at least in part, on the signals.
Across the independent claims, the inventive coverage centers on microphone-based acoustic proximity to a user's heart together with accelerometer-based roll and pitch measurement, applying threshold motion and angle ranges as gating conditions for controller-controlled pump inflation of an inflatable bladder, and then determining a biometric based on signals obtained from sensors. The method claim further specifies determining that an appendage is positioned within the housing opening.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
Interested in licensing this patent?