Light-guiding devices and monitoring devices incorporating same
A monitoring device configured to be attached to the ear of a person includes a base, an earbud housing extending outwardly from the base that is configured to be positioned within an ear of a subject, and a cover surrounding the earbud housing. The base includes a speaker, an optical emitter, and an optical detector. The cover includes light transmissive material that is in optical communication with the optical emitter and the optical detector and serves as a light guide to deliver light from the optical emitter into the ear canal of the subject wearing the device at one or more predetermined locations and to collect light external to the earbud housing and deliver the collected light to the optical detector.
1. A monitoring device, comprising:
a housing configured to be supported by an ear of a subject;
an optical emitter and an optical detector; and
at least one light guide associated with the housing, wherein the at least one light guide comprises a distal end that engages a non-ear canal region of the ear when the housing is supported by the ear, wherein the at least one light guide is in direct optical communication with the optical emitter or optical detector, and wherein the at least one light guide is configured to deliver light directly from the optical emitter into the non-ear canal region via the distal end thereof or collect light from the non-ear canal region via the distal end thereof and deliver collected light directly to the optical detector.
2. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the distal end of the at least one light guide extends outwardly from the housing.
3. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light guide comprises optical filtering material.
4. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light guide comprises an elastomeric light transmissive material.
5. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light guide comprises a substantially rigid light transmissive material.
6. The monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising light blocking material positioned between the optical emitter and detector such that the optical emitter and detector are not in direct optical communication with each other.
7. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the optical emitter comprises optical coupling material, and wherein the at least one light guide is in optical communication with the optical emitter via the optical coupling material.
8. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the optical detector comprises optical coupling material, and wherein the at least one light guide is in optical communication with the optical detector via the optical coupling material.
9. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light guide comprises a cladding material that at least partially confines light within the light guide and/or blocks light from an external source from entering the at least one light guide.
10. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light guide comprises a plurality of light guides, each having a distal end that engages a respective different portion of the ear of a subject.
11. The monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical emitters, wherein the at least one light guide comprises a plurality of light guides, and wherein the plurality of light guides are in optical communication with the plurality of optical emitters and configured to deliver light from the plurality of optical emitters to the non-ear canal region of the ear.
12. The monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical detectors, wherein the at least one light guide comprises a plurality of light guides, and wherein the plurality of light guides are in optical communication with the plurality of optical detectors and are configured to collect light from the non-ear canal region of the ear and deliver collected light to the plurality of optical detectors.
13. The monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising a signal processor configured to receive and process signals produced by the optical detector.
14. The monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the optical emitter and optical detector are attached to the housing.
15. A monitoring device, comprising:
a housing configured to be supported by an ear of a subject;
an optical emitter and an optical detector; and
first and second light guides associated with the housing, wherein the first and second light guides each comprise respective distal ends that engage respective first and second non-ear canal regions of the ear of the subject, wherein the first light guide is in direct optical communication with the optical emitter and is configured to deliver light directly from the optical emitter into the first non-ear canal region via the first light guide distal end thereof, and wherein the second light guide is in direct optical communication with the optical detector and is configured to collect light from the second non-ear canal region via the second light guide distal end thereof and deliver collected light directly to the optical detector.
16. The monitoring device of claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the first light guide distal end and/or the second light guide distal end extends outwardly from the housing.
17. The monitoring device of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first and second light guides comprises optical filtering material.
18. The monitoring device of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first and second light guides comprises an elastomeric light transmissive material.
19. The monitoring device of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first and second light guides comprises a substantially rigid light transmissive material.
20. The monitoring device of claim 15 , further comprising light blocking material positioned between the optical emitter and detector such that the optical emitter and detector are not in direct optical communication with each other.
21. The monitoring device of claim 15 , wherein the optical emitter comprises optical coupling material, and wherein the first light guide is in optical communication with the optical emitter via the optical coupling material.
22. The monitoring device of claim 15 , wherein the optical detector comprises optical coupling material, and wherein the second light guide is in optical communication with the optical detector via the optical coupling material.
23. The monitoring device of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first and second light guides comprises a cladding material that at least partially confines light within the at least one of the first and second light guides and/or blocks light from an external source from entering the at least one of the first and second light guides.
24. The monitoring device of claim 15 , further comprising a signal processor configured to receive and process signals produced by the optical detector.
25. The monitoring device of claim 15 , wherein the optical emitter and optical detector are attached to the housing.
26. The monitoring device of claim 15 , wherein the distal ends of the first and second light guides are in adjacent spaced-apart relationship.