Wearable device with bridge portion
The present disclosure relates to a wearable device with a bridge portion and systems/methods relating to the device. Preferred embodiments may include two flexible wings and a bridge connecting the two wings. In some embodiments, the upper surface of the bridge can be non-adhesive and uncoupled to the flexible wing such that the flexible wing can be decoupled from the bridge when the adhesive is adhered to the surface of a user. The bridge can be narrower in some portions, and extend around the housing of the monitor. The bridge can extend beneath the housing and bisect the two flexible wings.
1. A wearable device configured to attach to a user, the device comprising:
a housing enclosing a circuit board;
a first flexible wing and a second flexible wing, each flexible wing extending from the housing and configured to conform to a surface of the user, each flexible wing having a bottom surface, a top surface, and a thickness between the bottom surface and the top surface, the first flexible wing being positioned substantially opposite the second flexible wing relative to the housing along a longitudinal axis;
a first electrode coupled to the first flexible wing, the first electrode in electrical communication with the circuit board and being configured to be positioned in conformal contact with the surface of the user to detect the physiological signals;
a second electrode coupled to the second flexible wing, the second electrode in electrical communication with the circuit board and being configured to be positioned in conformal contact with the surface of the user to detect the physiological signals; and
an adhesive layer coupled to the bottom surface of the first flexible wing and the bottom surface of the second flexible wing for adhering the wearable device to the user, the adhesive layer having a lower surface, an upper surface interfacing with the bottom surface of the flexible wings, and a thickness between the lower surface and the upper surface,
wherein the adhesive layer comprises a first portion positioned under the first flexible wing, a second portion positioned under the second flexible wing, and a bridge portion connecting the first portion to the second portion, the upper surface of the bridge portion being non-adhesive and uncoupled to the flexible wing such that the flexible wing may be decoupled from the bridge portion when the adhesive layer is adhered to the surface of the user, the bridge portion extending beneath the housing and bisecting the first portion and the second portion; and
wherein the adhesive layer forms a hinge line across the flexible wings, the flexible wings being configured to adhere to the surface of the user on a first side of the hinge line opposite the housing and to lift off the surface of the user on a second side of the hinge line opposite the first side; and
wherein a peripheral edge of the adhesive layer is curved where the edge intersects with the hinge line, the peripheral edge comprising an inflection point, the curvature being convex on the first side of the hinge line and concave on the second side of the hinge line.
2. The wearable device of claim 1 , the bridge portion being narrower than the first portion and the second portion along a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.
3. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the bridge portion extends around the housing.
4. The wearable device of claim 3 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises a headphone shaped profile or surface area.
5. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the bridge portion forms a bow-tie shape.
6. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the inflection point is positioned on the hinge line.
7. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the inflection point is positioned on the first side of the hinge line.
8. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the inflection point is positioned on the second side of the hinge line.
9. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the bridge portion extends diagonally beneath the housing from corner of the first portion to a corner of the second portion forming a z-shape or backwards z-shape.
10. The wearable device of claim 9 , wherein the adhesive layer forms a hinge line across the flexible wings, the flexible wings being configured to adhere to the surface of the user on a first side of the hinge line opposite the housing and to lift off of the surface of the user on a second side of the hinge line opposite the first side.
11. The wearable device of claim 10 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises an edge that extends along a portion of a length of the hinge line.
12. The wearable device of claim 10 , wherein the adhesive layer extends across the entire hinge line such that no portion of a peripheral edge extends along a length of the hinge line.
13. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer is removable.
14. A wearable device configured to attach to a user, the device comprising:
a housing enclosing a circuit board;
a first flexible wing and a second flexible wing, each flexible wing extending from the housing and configured to conform to a surface of the user, each flexible wing having a bottom surface, a top surface, and a thickness between the bottom surface and the top surface, the first flexible wing being positioned substantially opposite the second flexible wing relative to the housing along a longitudinal axis;
a first electrode coupled to the first flexible wing, the first electrode in electrical communication with the circuit board and being configured to be positioned in conformal contact with the surface of the user to detect the physiological signals;
a second electrode coupled to the second flexible wing, the second electrode in electrical communication with the circuit board and being configured to be positioned in conformal contact with the surface of the user to detect the physiological signals; and
an adhesive layer coupled to the bottom surface of the first flexible wing and the bottom surface of the second flexible wing for adhering the wearable device to the user, the adhesive layer having a lower surface, an upper surface interfacing with the bottom surface of the flexible wings, and a thickness between the lower surface and the upper surface,
wherein the adhesive layer comprises a first portion positioned under the first flexible wing, a second portion positioned under the second flexible wing, and a bridge portion connecting the first portion to the second portion, the upper surface of the bridge portion being non-adhesive and uncoupled to the flexible wing such that the flexible wing may be decoupled from the bridge portion when the adhesive layer is adhered to the surface of the user; and
wherein the first flexible wing comprises a first layer of a first material having perforations through a thickness of the first layer and a second layer of a second material configured to form a fluid seal from water reaching the adhesive layer from an ambient environment.
15. The wearable device of claim 14 , wherein the perforations through the first layer form a latticed structure configured to provide flexible wing anisotropic elastic properties within a plane parallel to the bottom surface and the top surface.
16. The wearable device of claim 14 , wherein the second layer is positioned between the adhesive layer and the first layer.
17. The wearable device of claim 14 , wherein the first layer is positioned between the adhesive layer and the second layer.
18. The wearable device of claim 14 , wherein the first material comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
19. The wearable device of claim 18 , wherein the second material comprises polyurethane (PU).