System and method for biometric measurements

Abstract

A system and method for evaluating cardiovascular-related health of a user including an RF sensor device configured to transmit incident pulse signals towards the user, and to receive reflected pulse signals for generating a reflected pulse signal dataset, a pulse signal modification module configured to modify the reflected pulse signal dataset, and a processing system communicably coupled to the RF sensor device and the pulse signal modification module, the processing system configured to generate a cardiovascular parameter for the user based on the modified reflected pulse signal dataset.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for evaluating cardiovascular-related health of a user, the system comprising:
 a signal generator operable to generate a set of signals;   a first RF sensor device module operable to generate a first reflected signal dataset, the first RF sensor device module comprising a first and a second RF sensor device, each RF sensor device operable in a receiving mode wherein the RF sensor device receives signals reflected from first incident signals proximal a first artery of the user, the first incident signals derived from the set of signals;   a delay module electrically coupled to the signal generator, and operable to generate a first delayed signal dataset derived from the set of signals with a first delay setting;   a detector module electrically coupled to the first and second RF sensor devices and the delay module, and operable to generate a first detected signal dataset based on the first reflected signal dataset and the first delayed signal dataset; and   a processing and control system communicable coupled to the delay module, and operable between:
 a parameter determination mode wherein the processing and control system determines the first delay setting, and 
 an output generation mode wherein the processing and control system generates a cardiovascular parameter for the user based on the first detected signal dataset. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 :
 wherein the delay module comprises:
 a first delay component electrically coupled to a first mixing component of the detector module, the first delay component operable to generate the first delayed signal dataset, and 
 a second delay component electrically coupled to a second mixing component of the detector module, the second delay component operable to generate a second delayed signal dataset with a second delay setting distinct from the first delay setting; 
   wherein the first mixing component is operable to generate the first detected signal dataset from mixing the first reflected signal dataset with the first delayed signal dataset,   wherein the second mixing component is operable to generate a second detected signal dataset from mixing a second reflected signal dataset with the second delayed signal dataset, and   wherein the processing and control system is further operable in the parameter determination mode to determine the second delay setting, and operable in the output generation mode to generate the cardiovascular parameter based on the first detected signal dataset and the second detected signal dataset.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the delay module is operable between:
 a first mode wherein the first delay component outputs the first delayed signal dataset based on the first delay setting determined based on processing a first preliminary signal dataset collected at the first RF sensor device, and   a second mode wherein the second delay component outputs the second delayed signal dataset based on the second delay setting independently determined based on processing a second preliminary signal dataset collected at the second RF sensor device.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second RF sensor device module operable to generate a second reflected signal dataset, the second RF sensor device module comprising a third and a fourth RF sensor device, each RF sensor device operable in a receiving mode wherein the RF sensor device receives signals reflected from second incident signals proximal a second artery of the user, the second incident signals derived from the set of signals;   wherein the processing and control system is further operable in the output generation mode to generate the cardiovascular parameter based on a first blood pressure-related parameter and a second blood pressure-related parameter derived from the first reflected signal dataset and the second reflected signal dataset, respectively.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a first RF system comprising the first RF sensor device module and the processing and control system, wherein the first RF system is operable as a master RF system,   a second RF system comprising the second RF sensor device module and a wireless communications module communicably coupled to the processing and control system, wherein the second RF system is operable as a slave RF system and operable between a:
 receiving mode wherein the wireless communications module receives control instructions from the master RF system, and 
 transmission mode wherein the wireless communications module transmits signal-related data derived from the second reflected signal dataset to the processing and control system. 
   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flexible housing region physically adaptable to the contour of a body region of the user proximal the artery,   wherein the first artery comprises the artery, and   wherein the first and the second RF sensor device respectively comprise a first and a second flexible antenna positioned proximal the flexible housing region.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pulse shaper module electrically coupled to the signal generator, the pulse shaper module operable to generate a modulated signal dataset derived from the set of signals and defining a damped sinusoidal envelope, wherein the incident signals and the delayed signal dataset are derived from the modulated signal dataset. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 an amplification module electrically coupled to the detector module, and operable to generate an amplified signal dataset from amplifying the detected signal dataset;   a filtering module electrically coupled to the amplification module, and operable to generate a filtered signal dataset from filtering the amplified signal dataset;   an analog-to-digital converter module electrically coupled to the filtering module, and operable to generate a digital signal dataset from converting the filtered signal dataset;   and wherein the processor is further operable in the output generation mode to generate the cardiovascular parameter based on the digital signal dataset.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the processing and control system is further operable in the parameter determination mode to determine the delay setting for modifying signal amplitude to be within a predetermined range of a target amplitude defined based on an input range of the analog-to-digital converter module. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing and control system comprises:
 an RF system local processing subsystem operable to control the signal generator and the delay module; and   a remote processing subsystem operable to generate the cardiovascular parameter and store the cardiovascular parameter in association with a user account for the user.   
     
     
         11 . A method for evaluating cardiovascular-related health of a user, the method comprising:
 at each of a first and a second RF sensor device of an RF system, collecting a reflected signal dataset comprising signals reflected in response to signal transmission by the RF system towards an artery of the user;   at a delay module of the RF system, generating a delayed signal dataset based on delaying a signal dataset with a delay setting;   in response to collecting the reflected signal dataset and generating the delayed signal dataset, generating a detected signal dataset based on the reflected signal dataset and the delayed signal dataset;   generating an amplitude-adjusted signal dataset based on conditioning the detected signal dataset;   determining a parameter based on the amplitude-adjusted signal dataset, wherein the parameter is based on arterial motion of the artery; and   determining a cardiovascular parameter based on the parameter, the cardiovascular parameter indicating the cardiovascular-related health of the user.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, prior to collecting the reflected signal dataset:
 collecting an initial reflected signal dataset comprising initial signals reflected in response to initial signal transmission by the RF system towards the user;   generating an initial delayed signal dataset from delaying an initial signal dataset with an initial delay setting;   generating an initial amplitude-adjusted signal dataset based on the initial reflected signal dataset and the initial delayed signal dataset;   determining a signal amplitude parameter describing the initial amplitude-adjusted signal dataset; and   updating the initial delay setting to the delay setting based on the signal amplitude parameter.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising, subsequent to determining the cardiovascular parameter:
 generating a subsequent amplitude-adjusted signal dataset based on the delay setting;   determining a subsequent signal amplitude parameter describing the subsequent amplitude-adjusted signal dataset; and   in response to the subsequent signal amplitude parameter being outside the predetermined range of the target amplitude, updating the delay setting to a modified delay setting; and   updating the cardiovascular parameter based on an updated amplitude-adjusted signal dataset generated based on the modified delay setting.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein updating the initial delay setting comprises increasing the initial delay setting in response to the signal amplitude parameter indicating saturated signal amplitude. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein updating the delay setting comprises decreasing the initial delay setting in response to the amplitude parameter indicating weak signal amplitude. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving a preliminary motion sensor dataset collected at a motion sensor of the RF system during a first time period, the preliminary motion sensor dataset describing motion during the first time period of a physiological region proximal the artery of the user;   determining a time duration during which the motion is below a motion threshold, based on the motion sensor dataset, wherein the time duration is within the first time period;   wherein collecting the reflected signal dataset is in response to the time duration satisfying a time condition.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving a motion sensor dataset collected at the motion sensor during a second time period, wherein the amplitude-adjusted signal dataset corresponds to the second time period;   wherein determining the parameter comprises:
 generating a weighting parameter for a temporal indicator within the second time period, based on motion during the temporal indicator of the physiological region; 
 generating a weighted signal value from assigning the weighting parameter to a signal value of the amplitude-adjusted signal dataset, the signal value corresponding to the temporal indicator; 
 determining the parameter based on the weighted signal value. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 :
 wherein the amplitude-adjusted signal dataset is from a set of amplitude-adjusted signal datasets generated within a continuous time period,   wherein the parameter is from a set of parameters determined based on the set of amplitude-adjusted signal datasets,   wherein the cardiovascular parameter is a circadian blood pressure parameter, and   wherein determining the circadian blood pressure parameter is based on a set of blood pressures derived from the set of parameters.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 providing the RF system at a physiological region proximal the artery;   generating a set of signals with a signal generator of the RF system; and   transmitting an incident signal derived from the set of signals with an antenna of the RF system,   wherein the signal dataset comprises the incident signal.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the cardiovascular parameter comprises:
 generating a set of cardiovascular parameter partitions, each cardiovascular parameter partition defining a cardiovascular parameter range;   generating a set of partitioned cardiovascular parameters from partitioning a set of preliminary cardiovascular parameters into the set of cardiovascular parameter partitions based on the cardiovascular parameter ranges;   generating a set of filtered cardiovascular parameters from filtering an outlier from the set of cardiovascular parameters based on the set of partitioned cardiovascular parameters; and   determining the cardiovascular parameter based on the filtered set of cardiovascular parameters.