Smart ring for monitoring health indicators

Abstract

FIELD: medical equipment.SUBSTANCE: smart ring for monitoring health indicators contains a main body (1), two extending arcs (4) and an elastic element (5). The main body contains a battery, a printed circuit board with a processor, memory, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a wireless communication module, a microphone and an optical sensor (2). The arcs are connected to the main body in its upper part by means of rotary axes (3). The elastic element encloses and tightens the arches with the ability to maintain the shape and size of the ring and ensure a tight fit to the user's finger when its size changes. The arches are made partially hollow so that the elastic element can be retracted into them when the size changes, without interfering with the change in the size of the ring, up to the point of being completely hidden inside the arches.EFFECT: increase in the accuracy of measurements of the user's physiological parameters is achieved by simultaneously ensuring a tight fit of the ring to the finger and the absence of compression of the user's finger vessels when changing the finger size.5 cl, 3 dwg

Description

[0001] Technical field

[0002] The invention relates to wearable devices for monitoring health indicators and is intended for tracking such physiological indicators as heart rate (HR), blood pressure, and physical activity.

[0003] Technology Level

[0004] Various devices for monitoring human health and physical activity are currently widely available. These devices include smartphones with specially installed software; heart rate monitors, used not only by people with cardiovascular diseases and those who have undergone heart surgery, but also by those who actively engage in physical activity, particularly cardio training; smartwatches and smart bracelets, widely available on the market today; and smart rings, which include this solution.

[0005] Smart rings offer several advantages over other health monitoring devices. They are more compact, cause less discomfort to the user compared to heart rate monitors and smart bracelets, and allow automatic blood pressure and heart rate monitoring. Unlike smartphone app-based solutions, these devices are in constant contact with the user's body, ensuring continuous health monitoring.

[0006] A smart ring for measuring a user's physiological parameters is known in the prior art. It is described in CN 222425495 U (published February 7, 2025). The ring is designed to determine a user's physiological parameters and consists of a main body containing sensors and two C-shaped elements movably connected to the main body. This known ring addresses the problem of adjusting the ring's size to suit different users. A drawback of this prior art solution is that the design is unreliable, as the ring is open, making it prone to stretching and loosening during wear (even ordinary open jewelry rings are known to stretch and lose their original size over time). This leads to a loss of the ring's fit on the user's finger and, consequently, to a loss of accuracy in measuring health parameters. Furthermore, this known ring has a limited range of measurable parameters.

[0007] The prior art also includes a smart ring for measuring health indicators, described in CN 110251095 A (published September 20, 2019). This ring contains a larger number of sensors and, accordingly, is capable of measuring a greater number of user-related indicators. Various embodiments of this ring also feature various diameter adjustment mechanisms. However, all of these mechanisms require discrete adjustments to the diameter, which, firstly, does not guarantee a precise fit to the user's finger, and secondly, can lead to finger compression, localized pressure increases, and, consequently, distorted, inaccurate health indicators.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to create a smart ring that would have a wide range of functions, would have a size adjustment mechanism with a continuous range of values, would maintain its size and would fit tightly to the user's finger during the process of changing the size.

[0009] Problem and technical result

[0010] The objective of the present invention is to create a smart ring with broad functionality, i.e. a wide range of measurable parameters, a mechanism for regulating the ring diameter in a continuous range of values, ensuring the required tightness of the ring fit to the user's finger.

[0011] The technical result achieved by implementing the claimed solution consists in increasing the accuracy of measurements of the user's physiological parameters by simultaneously ensuring a tight fit of the ring to the finger and the absence of compression of the vessels of the user's finger when the size of the finger changes during the day due to physiological swelling or other factors (e.g., temperature changes, physical activity).

[0012] Disclosure of the essence of the invention

[0013] The stated problem is solved, and the required technical result is achieved by creating a smart ring, comprising a main body housing a battery, a printed circuit board with a processor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a wireless communication module, a microphone, and an optical sensor; two sliding arcs, attached at the top to the main body by means of rotary axes; an elastic element that tightens the rotary arcs to maintain the shape and size of the ring.

[0014] In embodiments, the smart ring has a connector for connecting to an external computing device and charging.

[0015] In one preferred embodiment, the smart ring further comprises a wireless battery charging circuit.

[0016] In another embodiment, the wireless communication module is a Bluetooth module, a Wi-Fi module, a near-field communication module, or an IR communication module.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the smart ring is configured to change its diameter over a continuous range of values ​​from 15 to 22 mm.

[0018] Brief description of drawings

[0019] The essence of the claimed invention is explained by drawings, which indicate the following positions:

[0020] 1 - main body;

[0021] 2 - optical sensor;

[0022] 3 - rotary mounting axis;

[0023] 4 - arc;

[0024] 5 - elastic element.

[0025] Fig. 1 shows a sketch of the claimed smart ring.

[0026] Fig. 2 shows the claimed smart ring in its minimum size (the elastic element is completely hidden in the arcs).

[0027] Fig. 3 shows the ring in the maximum opening position (corresponding to the maximum size of the ring).

[0028] Implementation of the invention

[0029] The operating principle of measuring the user's physiological parameters.

[0030] The claimed invention utilizes an optical principle for measuring heart rate using an optical sensor consisting of an LED and a photodetector. This principle involves continuously illuminating a portion of the user's skin with a light source (LED or LED array), preferably in the green range, and recording the amount of light reflected by the skin using a photodetector. When light falls on the skin, it is partially absorbed by the blood flowing through the subcutaneous vessels. Obviously, the more blood in the vessels (corresponding to a heartbeat, which accelerates blood through the vessels), the greater the amount of absorbed light and, correspondingly, the lower the amount of reflected light.

[0031] Based on the obtained data, you can calculate blood pressure, heart rate variability, SDNN, RMSSD parameters and other indicators related to the human cardiovascular system.

[0032] Since the calculations provide indirect values, preliminary calibration is necessary to account for the physiological characteristics of each user. For this purpose, the smart ring is equipped with a wireless communication module for receiving user information, for example, from the user's device via Bluetooth, NFC, or IR, which stores their examination history, or from a remote server via Wi-Fi, which stores a database of the user's medical history and / or a database of other users with similar parameters (age, gender, body mass index, medical history).

[0033] The processor, through the wireless communication module, receives the data necessary for calculations and calibration, and also processes and transmits the measured values ​​to the user's device and / or to a medical institution.

[0034] All modules are powered by a built-in power source, preferably a rechargeable battery. The battery can be charged using a dedicated connector (e.g., microUSB, USB Type-C, magnetic connector, etc.), or via a wireless charging circuit based on induction.

[0035] The ring also includes a memory module for storing programs executed by the processor and temporary storage of research results. Preferably, the memory module should be non-volatile, such as ROM, EPROM, etc. Furthermore, if the ring includes a connector, it can be used to connect to an external device (e.g., a personal computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or other similar device) to exchange information stored in the ring's memory.

[0036] To improve measurement accuracy, the processor can implement a program using artificial intelligence technologies. This program can not only perform indirect calculations of health indicators based on the values ​​measured by the optical sensor but also filter them from noise and interference. Furthermore, this program can receive data about the user's surroundings via the built-in microphone and make environmental adjustments if abnormal readings are detected. For example, when a user is in a noisy environment, such as a city street, their body naturally reacts to such stressful conditions, but this reaction is normal and does not indicate any underlying health problem.Therefore, a user's physiological monitoring program, by analyzing acoustic data received from the microphone, is able to identify the body's response as normal and not classify it as abnormal. Another example is when optical sensors detect abnormal readings, and the microphone records a set of sounds characteristic of the user's fall. In this case, the program can conclude that the user is experiencing a seizure and send a corresponding signal to a medical facility or a pre-programmed emergency contact (a relative, a doctor, or a special service).

[0037] Due to its nature, the optical measurement principle is sensitive to the gap between the optical sensor and human skin. Light from the user's environment can enter this gap, distorting the reflected signal. If the gap is too large, the sensor stops detecting the pulse entirely. This measurement method is also sensitive to user movement, as it can cause changes in the contact point and a corresponding change in the number of subcutaneous vessels covered by the sensor. This can lead to fluctuations in data, disrupting measurement stability.

[0038] The problem of measurement fluctuations can be partially solved by introducing an accelerometer and gyroscope into a smartwatch. These will not only track the user's physical activity but also establish a correlation between the user's movement and measurement fluctuations. Information from the accelerometer and gyroscope is processed by a processor and transmitted, for example, as a report on the user's daily activity, via a wireless communication module to the user's device or to a medical facility's server. It is advisable for the accelerometer and gyroscope to be implemented using MEMS or NEMS technology due to the compactness of the resulting devices and their easy integration into electronic circuits.

[0039] However, this approach cannot completely solve the problem of measurement inaccuracy, since, as noted above, measurement errors are introduced not only by user movement but also by the gap between the sensor and the user's skin. Therefore, it is important that the smart ring fits snugly on the finger, preventing any gaps between the sensor and the skin. At the same time, it should not apply excessive pressure to the finger, as this can compress blood vessels, further distorting the measurement results.

[0040] Thus, the tightness of the ring to the user's finger directly affects the accuracy of the measurements obtained.

[0041] Change user's finger size throughout the day.

[0042] Physiological nocturnal hand swelling. In a study of 36 healthy volunteers, limb volumes were measured at 8:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 8:00 PM over three days (see William J. Warrender et al., "Physiological Nocturnal Hand Swelling: A Prospective Evaluation of Healthy Volunteers" - PubMed). It was found that in healthy individuals, finger size increases significantly at night and then gradually decreases. This means that moderate swelling in the morning is normal, and even completely healthy people are susceptible to it.

[0043] Generalized peripheral edema in heart failure. In heart failure, the pumping function of the heart decreases: pressure in the vessels increases, fluid begins to accumulate in tissues, including the hands and fingers. Swelling of the hands usually occurs after more pronounced swelling of the legs; in severe cases, the hands, fingers, and face are involved. In the clinic for acute heart failure, peripheral edema (including the hands and feet) is observed in 56% of patients, and at discharge - in 53% (see Nancy Albert et al. "Signs and Symptoms of Heart Failure"). Separate studies of the hands are less common, but data exist. For example, in patients after stroke, hand swelling was observed in 72.7% (see HGM Boomkamp-Koppen et al. "Poststroke hand swelling and oedema: prevalence and relationship with impairment and disability - PubMed"c).In patients with heart failure, data on the hands are more rare, but given the systemic nature of congestion, hand involvement is quite likely - especially in severe forms and already widespread leg swelling.

[0044] These studies show that, regardless of whether a person is healthy or has cardiovascular disease, finger size can fluctuate significantly throughout the day. Therefore, there is a need to develop a smart ring size adjustment mechanism that would smoothly adjust the ring size in response to changes in finger size.

[0045] To solve the above problem, the present solution proposes to use a ring (see Fig. 1) consisting of: a main body 1, in which a power battery, all used sensors, a processor, a communication module and an optical sensor 2 are built in; rotary mounting axes 3, by means of which two arcs 4 are attached to the main body; and an elastic element 5, which tightens the arcs and holds them, thereby maintaining the size of the ring.

[0046] When the ring is placed on the finger, the pivoting arches expand to accommodate the finger's size, while the elastic element holds and tightens them in the opposite direction, ensuring a tight fit. The arches are partially hollow so that the elastic element can retract into them when resizing (see Fig. 3), without interfering with the ring's size, or even completely disappear into the arches, as shown in Fig. 2.

[0047] The main problem in solving the problem is the selection of the optimal elasticity of the elastic element 5, which ensures the necessary pressure of the ring to the finger without excessive pressure.

[0048] In order to calculate the required stiffness (characterized by the elasticity coefficient of the spring), it is necessary to equate the elastic force of the spring to the permissible force of pressure on the finger from the ring side.

[0049] It is known that human soft tissues perceive pressure of 0.5-2 kPa painlessly, without consequences and even without a feeling of discomfort.

[0050]

[0051] where F is the elastic force, k is the elasticity coefficient of a flat spring, Δх is the relative elongation of a flat spring, P is the permissible pressure exerted on the finger from the side of the ring, A is the contact area of ​​the ring with the skin.

[0052] Having represented the contact area in the resulting formula as:

[0053] A=πdw,

[0054] where d is the diameter of the ring, w is the width of the ring, we get:

[0055]

[0056] It should be noted here that the spring allows the ring size to be adjusted only in response to daily changes in finger size (up to several mm), while changes within larger limits, for example, from ring size 15 to 22, are achieved using rotating arcs.

[0057] Let us consider an example in which the ring width w is 4 mm, the ring size d is 17 mm, the change in the finger diameter Δd is 1 mm, and the allowable pressure P is taken to be 1 kPa.

[0058] To begin, we calculate the absolute elongation of the spring as the difference in the circumference before and after changing the size (diameter) of the pin: Δх = π * d2 - π * d1 = π * Δd - and substitute the resulting elongation into the formula for finding the elasticity coefficient of the spring:

[0059]

[0060] Thus, the required elasticity coefficient is 68 N / m. Based on this value, the appropriate spring material is selected and its geometric parameters are calculated using standard engineering methods.

[0061] The spring calculated in this way will ensure the necessary contact of the optical sensor built into the ring body with the skin of the user's finger, while the ring with the calculated spring will not compress the vessels of the finger, which will eliminate the measurement error associated with a local increase in pressure.

[0062] Thus, the proposed solution achieves improved accuracy in measuring human health indicators by maintaining constant contact between the optical sensor and the user's skin. An example of calculating a flat spring—the key feature of the proposed solution—was also shown.

[0063] Taking into account the novelty of the set of essential features, the technical solution to the problem, the significance of all general and particular features of the invention, proven in the section "Prior Art" and "Disclosure of the Invention" and "Implementation and Industrial Realization of the Invention", as well as the technical feasibility and industrial applicability of the proposed device; the solution of the tasks and the confident achievement of the required technical result in the implementation and use of the claimed invention, and the claimed group of inventions meets all the requirements of protectability imposed on inventions.

[0064] The analysis also shows that all general and particular features of the invention are essential, since each of them is necessary, and all together they are not only sufficient to achieve the purpose of the invention, but also allow it to be implemented industrially.

[0065] Although several embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in this application, those skilled in the art will recognize many other means and / or structures for performing the function and / or obtaining the results and / or one or more advantages described in this application, and each of such variations and / or modifications is considered to be within the scope of the embodiments of the invention described in this application. In general, those skilled in the art will readily understand that all parameters, dimensions, materials and configurations described in this application are presented as an example, and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials and / or configurations will depend on the specific application or applications for which the invention is used.Those skilled in the art will recognize or be able to ascertain through routine experimentation many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described in this application. It should therefore be understood that the foregoing embodiments of the invention are presented by way of example only, and that, within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, embodiments of the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Embodiments of the present invention are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and / or method described in this application. Furthermore, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods are not mutually incompatible, is included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A smart ring for monitoring health indicators, comprising: a main body in which a battery is located, printed circuit board with a processor, memory, gyroscope, accelerometer, wireless communication module, microphone and optical sensor; two sliding arcs connected to the main body at its upper part by means of rotary axes; an elastic element that envelops and tightens the arches with the ability to maintain the shape and size of the ring and ensure a tight fit to the user's finger when its size changes, In this case, the arches are made partially hollow so that the elastic element, when changing sizes, is removed into them without interfering with the change in the size of the ring, up to being completely hidden inside the arches.

2. A smart ring according to paragraph 1, characterized in that it has a connector for connection to an external computing device and / or charger.

3. A smart ring according to paragraph 1, characterized in that it additionally contains a circuit for wireless charging of the battery.

4. The smart ring according to claim 1, characterized in that the wireless communication module is a Bluetooth module, or a Wi-Fi module, or a near-field communication module, or an IR communication module.

5. A smart ring according to claim 1, characterized in that it is designed with the ability to change the diameter in a continuous range of internal diameter values ​​from 15 to 22 mm.

Images