Physiological monitoring methods
A method of monitoring a subject includes positioning an earbud within an ear of the subject, wherein the earbud housing encloses at least one optical emitter and at least one optical detector, and wherein light transmissive material is external to the housing and in optical communication with the at least one optical emitter and detector via at least one window in the housing. Light is delivered from the at least one optical emitter through the at least one window and into an ear region of the subject via the light transmissive material, and light external to the housing is collected and delivered through the at least one window to the at least one optical detector via the light transmissive material. Motion of the subject is measured via a motion sensor, and signals produced by the at least one optical detector are processed to selectively remove effects from subject motion.
1. A method of monitoring a subject via a headset, wherein the headset includes an earbud housing that encloses at least one optical emitter and at least one optical detector, and light transmissive material external to the earbud housing that is in optical communication with the at least one optical emitter and the at least one optical detector via at least one window in the earbud housing, the method comprising:
positioning the earbud housing within an ear of the subject such that the light transmissive material engages a portion of the ear between the anti tragus and concha;
delivering light from the at least one optical emitter through the at least one window and into an ear region of the subject between the anti tragus and concha via the light transmissive material; and
collecting light external to the earbud housing and delivering the collected light through the at least one window to the at least one optical detector via the light transmissive material.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the light transmissive material includes a lens region, and wherein delivering light from the at least one optical emitter through the at least one window and into the ear region of the subject comprises focusing the light from the at least one optical emitter via the lens region.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the light transmissive material includes a lens region, and wherein delivering the collected light through the at least one window to the at least one optical detector comprises focusing the collected light via the lens region.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the light transmissive material includes a light diffusion region, and wherein delivering light from the at least one optical emitter through the at least one window and into the ear region of the subject comprises diffusing the light from the at least one optical emitter via the diffusion region.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the light transmissive material includes a luminescence region, and wherein delivering light from the at least one optical emitter through the at least one window and into the ear region of the subject comprises converting at least a portion of the light to light having a different wavelength via the luminescence region.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the luminescence region comprises phosphor.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the headset includes at least one environmental sensor, and further comprising detecting and/or measuring environmental conditions in a vicinity of the subject via the at least one environmental sensor.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the headset includes a transmitter, and further comprising transmitting signals produced by the at least one environmental sensor to a remote device via the transmitter.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the headset includes a transmitter, and further comprising transmitting signals produced by the at least one optical detector to a remote device via the transmitter.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the headset includes a motion sensor and a signal processor, and further comprising:
measuring motion of the subject via the motion sensor; and
processing signals produced by the at least one optical detector, via the signal processor, to selectively remove effects from subject motion.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the headset includes a signal processor, and further comprising executing an adaptive filter algorithm via the signal processor to remove noise from signals produced by the at least one optical detector.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the headset includes a motion sensor and a signal processor, and further comprising:
measuring motion of the subject via the motion sensor; and
processing signals produced by the at least one optical detector and the motion sensor to generate a digital output string, wherein the digital output string includes a plurality of physiological and motion-related information.
13. A method of monitoring a subject via a monitoring device, the method comprising:
encircling a portion of the body of the subject with a band having an outer body portion and an inner body portion secured together in substantially concentric relationship, wherein the band includes at least one optical emitter and at least one optical detector, wherein the inner body portion includes light transmissive material and has outer and inner surfaces, wherein a layer of cladding material is positioned near the inner body portion inner surface, and wherein at least one window is formed in the cladding material;
delivering light from the at least one optical emitter via the light transmissive material and the at least one window to one or more locations of the body of the subject; and
collecting light from one or more locations of the body of the subject via the at least one window and delivering the collected light to the at least one optical detector via the light transmissive material.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein encircling a portion of the body of the subject with the band comprises encircling a limb, a nose, an earlobe, or a digit of the subject with the band.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the band comprises a lens region in optical communication with the at least one optical emitter, and wherein delivering light from the at least one optical emitter via the light transmissive material and the at least one window to one or more locations of the body of the subject comprises focusing the light from the at least one optical emitter via the lens region.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the band has an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein light reflective material is on at least a portion of one or both of the inner and outer surfaces, wherein the at least one optical detector includes first and second optical detectors, and wherein the band includes a signal processor, the method further comprising:
detecting light reflected by the light reflective material via the second optical detector; and
processing signals produced by the second optical detector in response to detecting the reflected light to produce a noise reference for attenuating motion noise from signals produced by the first optical detector.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the monitoring device includes a transmitter, and further comprising transmitting signals produced by the at least one optical detector to a remote device via the transmitter.
18. A method of monitoring a subject via a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device includes a base having at least one optical emitter and at least one optical detector, a layer of light transmissive material attached to the base and having outer and inner surfaces, a layer of cladding material at the outer surface of the layer of light transmissive material, and at least one window formed in the layer of cladding material, the method comprising:
adhesively securing the monitoring device to a body of the subject;
delivering light from the at least one optical emitter via the light transmissive material and the at least one window to one or more locations of the body of the subject; and
collecting light from one or more locations of the body of the subject via the at least one window and delivering the collected light to the at least one optical detector via the light transmissive material.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the light transmissive material comprises a lens region in optical communication with the at least one optical emitter, and wherein delivering light from the at least one optical emitter via the light transmissive material and the at least one window to one or more locations of the body of the subject comprises focusing the light from the at least one optical emitter via the lens region.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the light transmissive material has an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein light reflective material is on at least a portion of one or both of the inner and outer surfaces, wherein the at least one optical detector includes first and second optical detectors, and wherein the band includes a signal processor, the method further comprising:
detecting light reflected by the light reflective material via the second optical detector; and
processing signals produced by the second optical detector in response to detecting the reflected light to produce a noise reference for attenuating motion noise from signals produced by the first optical detector.
21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the monitoring device includes a transmitter, and further comprising transmitting signals produced by the at least one optical detector to a remote device via the transmitter.