COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHOD

1 . A computer-implemented method for determining a hydration status of a user, the computer-implemented method comprising:

acquiring, from a sensor on a wearable device worn by a user, data including bodily parameter data related to the user; and

applying a model to the bodily parameter data to obtain hydration information related to the user; wherein

the model derives, from the hydration information, a hydration rank indicative of a hydration status of the user, wherein the hydration rank is a given grade on a hydration rank scale.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein each hydration rank on a hydration ranks scale maps onto a respective output of a standard clinical point of care test.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the standard clinical point of care test is a test of urine osmolality, urine specific gravity, fluid gain, fluid loss, increases or decreases in body weight or mass representing fluid gain or fluid loss, respectively, or serum osmolality.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the hydration rank is a hydration index, and wherein the hydration index is a given value on a hydration index scale.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein each hydration index on the hydration index scale maps onto a respective output of a standard clinical point of care test.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein the hydration index scale is sub-divided into a plurality of sub-ranges of hydration index values, each of the plurality of sub-ranges corresponding to a different clinical hydration status of the user, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining which sub-range of the plurality of sub-ranges the hydration index value falls within.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the hydration rank is a clinical hydration status of the user.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising:

outputting the clinical hydration status of the user.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 further comprising:

outputting the hydration index.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the sensor is an optical sensing module.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the optical sensing module comprises a laser.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 11 wherein the optical sensing module comprises a plurality of lasers, each laser of the plurality of lasers operating at a wavelength that is different from the wavelength of the others.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 12 wherein the optical sensing module is configured to operate each laser one at a time.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 13 wherein the optical sensing module is configured to operate the plurality of lasers in a cycle according to a pre-determined schedule.

15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the bodily parameter data is a body tissue absorption spectrum.

16 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the model includes a regression model.

17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a statistical model to the data acquired from the sensor to validate the data acquired from the sensor.

18 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

acquiring other sensor information in addition to the hydration information; and/or,

acquiring user input information.

19 . The computer-implemented method of claim 18 wherein the other sensor information includes one or more of body temperature information obtained from a temperature sensor, activity information obtained from an accelerometer, heart rate information obtained from a heart rate sensor and blood pressure information obtained from a blood pressure sensor.

20 . The computer-implemented method of claim 18 wherein the user input information includes one or more of weight information, activity information, diet information, fluid intake information, illness information and intoxication information.

21 . The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , further comprising:

storing a hydration status cause data table, the hydration status cause data table associating causes of a clinical hydration status with stored other sensor information and/or stored user input information respectively; and

when a hydration rank is derived which indicates that the clinical hydration status of the user is a pre-determined clinical hydration status;

comparing acquired other sensor information and/or user input information with stored other sensor information and/or stored user input information respectively and, based on this comparison;

selecting a cause of a clinical hydration status, and

outputting the selected cause of the clinical hydration status to the user.

22 . A computer-implemented method for determining a hydration status of a user, the computer-implemented method comprising:

applying a model to bodily parameter data obtained from a user to obtain hydration information related to the user; and

deriving, from the hydration information, a hydration rank indicative of a hydration status of the user, wherein the hydration rank is a given grade on a hydration rank scale.

23 . A computer program which when executed causes one or more processors to perform the method of claim 1 .

24 . A method for determining a hydration status of a user, the method comprising:

providing an optical sensing module on a wearable device worn by a user;

providing a processor; and

carrying out, by the processor, the computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is the optical sensing module on the wearable device.

25 . A device comprising a processor, the processor configured to carry out the computer-implemented method of claim 1 .

26 . The device of claim 25 wherein the device is a wearable device.