Wearable monitoring device

Abstract

A monitoring apparatus includes a housing configured to be positioned within an ear of a subject, and a sensor module. The sensor module includes an optical emitter and detector, and an optical filter overlying at least a portion of the detector. The sensor module also includes a motion sensor, an interference filter, and a processor. The optical filter attenuates time-varying environmental light interference caused by sunlight and/or ambient light. The interference filter removes effects of time-varying environmental interference from a signal output from the optical detector and produces a processed energy response signal associated with a physiological condition of the subject. The processor controls operations of the optical emitter, the optical detector, the motion sensor, and the interference filter. The processor utilizes an output signal from the motion sensor to remove motion artifacts from the energy response signal, and extracts at least one physiological property from the energy response signal.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A monitoring apparatus comprising:
 a housing configured to be positioned within an ear of a subject; and   a sensor module disposed within the housing, the sensor module comprising:   a printed circuit board (PCB) having opposite first and second sides;   an optical emitter attached to the first side of the PCB, wherein the optical emitter directs modulated electromagnetic radiation at a target region of the ear;   an optical detector attached to the first side of the PCB adjacent to the optical emitter, wherein the optical detector detects an energy response signal from the subject that is associated with a physiological condition of the subject;   an optical filter overlying at least a portion of the optical detector, wherein the optical filter attenuates time-varying environmental light interference at one or more selected wavelengths, wherein the time-varying environmental light interference is caused by sunlight and/or ambient light;   at least one motion/position sensor attached to at least one side of the PCB;   an interference filter configured to remove effects of time-varying environmental interference from a signal output from the optical detector and to produce a processed energy response signal associated with a physiological condition of the subject; and   at least one processor that controls operations of the optical emitter, the optical detector, the at least one motion/position sensor, and the interference filter, wherein the at least one processor utilizes an output signal from the motion/position sensor to remove motion artifacts from the energy response signal, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to extract at least one physiological property of the subject from the energy response signal.   
     
     
         2 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the interference filter is configured to process samples from a signal generated by the optical detector, wherein the samples include optical emitter-off samples that represent the signal generated by the optical detector with the optical emitter turned off, and wherein the samples include optical emitter-on samples that represent the signal generated by the optical detector with the optical emitter turned on. 
     
     
         3 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the interference filter is configured to subtract temporally neighboring optical emitter-off samples from temporally neighboring optical emitter-on samples and output a subtraction signal for further processing. 
     
     
         4 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the interference filter is configured to determine an average of temporally neighboring optical emitter-on samples, determine an average of temporally neighboring optical emitter-off samples, and then subtract the average of the temporally neighboring optical emitter-off samples from the average of the temporally neighboring optical emitter-on samples. 
     
     
         5 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optical filter has a surface area greater than a surface area of the optical detector, and wherein the optical filter overlies the optical detector such that a periphery of the optical filter overlaps a periphery of the optical detector. 
     
     
         6 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a lens positioned above at least one of the optical emitter and optical filter. 
     
     
         7 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising light-opaque material surrounding the optical emitter and optical detector such that the optical emitter and optical detector are not in direct optical communication with each other. 
     
     
         8 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the light-opaque material includes a first aperture in communication with the optical emitter, and a second aperture in communication with the optical detector. 
     
     
         9 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising a lens positioned above the optical emitter and optical filter, and wherein the lens includes respective first and second portions configured to matingly engage the respective first and second apertures in the light-opaque material. 
     
     
         10 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising a first lens positioned within the first aperture and in optical communication with the optical emitter, wherein the first lens focuses light emitted by the optical emitter, and a second lens positioned within the second aperture and in optical communication with the optical detector, wherein the second lens focuses light toward the optical detector. 
     
     
         11 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a soft material which deforms when inserted within an ear and that facilitates retention of the housing within an ear. 
     
     
         12 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a shape that facilitates retention of the housing within an ear. 
     
     
         13 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the housing comprises optically transmissive material through which light from the optical emitter can pass, and wherein the housing comprises a soft material adjacent to the optically transmissive material which deforms when inserted within an ear and that facilitates retention of the housing within an ear. 
     
     
         14 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one speaker. 
     
     
         15 . The monitoring apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the housing comprises material configured to diffuse light from the optical emitter and/or diffuse light to the optical detector.