Device for detecting biological information

Abstract

The present invention relates to a biological information detection device comprising: a light-emitting unit capable of irradiating a subject with infrared light and visible light; a light-receiving unit capable of separating and respectively receiving the infrared light and visible light reflected from the subject, and converting the received reflected light into electrical signals; and a processing unit for analyzing biological information of the subject from the electrical signals converted by the light-receiving unit.

Description

Biometric information detection device

[0001] The present invention claims the benefit of the filing date of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2025-0022854 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on February 21, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein.

[0002] The present invention relates to a bio-information sensing device capable of detecting various bio-information regarding heart rate, oxygen saturation, blood sugar, protein, water, fat, etc.

[0003] As interest in health increases, various types of biometric detection devices capable of detecting various biological information are being developed. In particular, with the widespread adoption of various types of wearable devices that subjects can wear directly, devices specialized for healthcare are being developed one after another.

[0004] For example, methods for detecting biological information such as pulse waves and blood glucose levels can be broadly classified into invasive and non-invasive methods; however, non-invasive methods, which can simply detect pulse waves without causing pain to the subject, are widely used. An example of a non-invasive method is the photoplethysmogram (PPG). The PPG detects various biological information, such as oxygen saturation, heart rate, blood flow, blood oxygen concentration, and blood glucose levels, by irradiating light in contact with or near the skin and analyzing the reflected light returning from the skin.

[0005] For accurate analysis of biological information, it is necessary to obtain optical signal-based information from a specific body surface of the subject. Based on this information, various biological data of the subject can be obtained, and various methods are used to reduce measurement errors.

[0006] Korean Published Patent Application No. 10-2016-0088127 (Patent Document 1) discloses a bio-information detection device that generates at least two optical signals of different bands in a light-emitting unit comprising at least one light-emitting diode and a laser diode, and analyzes bio-information by detecting two different reflected lights modulated by a subject with at least one light-receiving element.

[0007] However, Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it cannot effectively separate visible light and infrared light, and the reflected light of each band causes mutual interference, making accurate analysis difficult. In addition, since the light-emitting diode and laser diode of the light-emitting part of Patent Document 1 each generate a single wavelength optical signal, it is difficult to precisely detect the reflected light.

[0008] The present invention was conceived in consideration of the conventional problems described above, and its objective is to provide a bio-information sensing device capable of precisely detecting reflected light from biological tissue by irradiating a subject with optical signals of various wavelength bands.

[0009] Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a bio-information sensing device capable of efficiently detecting each reflected light by reliably separating the visible light and infrared light bands and eliminating mutual interference.

[0010] The problems of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0011] A bio-information sensing device according to the present invention for achieving the above objectives comprises: a light-emitting unit capable of irradiating infrared light and visible light onto a subject; a light-receiving unit capable of separating and receiving the reflected infrared light and visible light reflected from the subject, respectively, and converting them into electrical signals; and a processing unit for analyzing the bio-information of the subject from the electrical signals converted by the light-receiving unit.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the light receiving unit may include a first light receiving unit that receives infrared light; and a second light receiving unit that receives visible light.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first light receiving unit may include: a first light receiving element that receives infrared light; and a first light collecting filter layer that can shield visible light and transmit only infrared light, and can collect infrared light reflected from a subject to the first light receiving element.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the second light receiving unit may include: a second light receiving element that receives visible light; and a second light collecting filter layer capable of collecting visible light reflected from a test subject to the second light receiving element.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first light-collecting filter layer and the second light-collecting filter layer may each have a hemispherical or ellipsoidal shape coated to cover the first and second light-receiving elements.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first light-collecting filter layer and the second light-collecting filter layer may each have a low hemispherical shape or a partial shape of an ellipsoid, with a ratio of lower diameter (D) to height (h) in the range of 0.3 to 0.5.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, a flat portion may be formed on the top of the first light-collecting filter layer and the second light-collecting filter layer.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first and second light-receiving elements may be embedded in a substrate.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the distance from the surface of each of the first light-collecting filter layer and the second light-collecting filter layer to the surface of the light-receiving element can be formed to be at least 0.3 mm.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first light-collecting filter layer is formed from a resin containing a bandpass dye capable of blocking visible light and transmitting infrared light, and the second light-collecting filter layer may be formed from a transparent resin.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the light-emitting unit may include a first light-emitting unit that irradiates infrared light; and a second light-emitting unit that irradiates visible light.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first light-emitting unit and the second light-emitting unit may include a plurality of light-emitting elements that irradiate a plurality of infrared light and visible light of different wavelength bands, respectively.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first light receiving part and a second light receiving part are arranged adjacent to a central part, a first light emitting part is arranged in an arc shape around the first light receiving part, and a second light emitting part may be arranged in an arc shape around the second light receiving part.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first light receiving part and a second light receiving part may be spaced apart, a first light emitting part may be arranged annularly around the first light receiving part, and a second light emitting part may be arranged annularly around the second light receiving part.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first photodetector may be composed of an InGaAs PIN photodiode or an APD (Avalanche Photodiode), and the second photodetector may be composed of a silicon photodiode.

[0026] In one embodiment of the present invention, a display unit that displays bio-information analyzed by a processing unit may be further included.

[0027] According to the bio-information sensing device of the present invention, visible light and infrared light bands can be reliably separated and detected, thereby eliminating mutual interference and enabling efficient detection of each reflected light.

[0028] In addition, by irradiating a subject with visible and infrared light of various wavelength bands and precisely detecting the reflected light from biological tissues, the accuracy and reliability of detecting various biological information regarding heart rate, dispersion saturation, blood glucose, protein, water, or fat can be improved.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a light-emitting part of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a light receiving unit of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating another embodiment of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a front view of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the characteristics of a visible light blocking bandpass dye included in the first light-collecting filter layer in the first light-receiving part of the bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0036] Figure 8 shows the movement of light when the light from the light-emitting part of the bio-information sensing device according to the present invention is reflected from a subject and the reflected light passes through a light-collecting filter layer.

[0037] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the degree of light reception of reflected light for an embodiment of the light receiving part of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment for explaining the degree of light reception of reflected light for an embodiment of a light receiving part of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another embodiment of the light receiving part of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another embodiment of the light receiving part of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 13 (a) and (b) are cross-sectional views illustrating other embodiments of a light receiving unit of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0042] Specific features and other advantages of the present invention, and methods for achieving them, will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but can be implemented in various different forms and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. These embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention.

[0043] The terms used in this invention are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0044] In the present invention, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to describe the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not excluding in advance the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this specification.

[0046] As used in the present invention, "part" refers to a software or hardware component, and "part" performs certain roles. However, "part" is not limited to software or hardware. "Part" may be configured to reside in an addressable storage medium or configured to operate one or more processors. Accordingly, as an example, "part" includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and "parts" may be combined into a smaller number of components and "parts" or further separated into additional components and "parts."

[0047] In the present invention, "part" may be implemented as a processor and memory. The term "processor" may refer to a data processing device embedded in hardware having a physically structured circuit to perform a function expressed by code or instructions included in a program, for example, and may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software.

[0048] In the present invention, the term "memory" should be broadly interpreted to include any electronic component capable of storing electronic information. It may perform the function of temporarily or permanently storing data processed by a processor. Here, memory may include magnetic storage media or flash storage media, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Such memory may include internal memory and / or external memory, and may include volatile memory such as DRAM, SRAM, or SDRAM; non-volatile memory such as OTPROM (one-time programmable ROM), PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, mask ROM, flash ROM, NAND flash memory, or NOR flash memory; flash drives such as SSD, CF (compact flash) card, SD card, Micro-SD card, Mini-SD card, Xd card, or memory stick; or storage devices such as HDD. Additionally, memory may be operablely connected to a processor and may store at least one code associated with an operation performed by the processor. A control module is a type of central processing unit that can control the overall operation of the system by running control software loaded in memory. A control module may include all kinds of devices capable of processing data, such as a processor. Here, 'processor' may refer to a data processing device embedded in hardware that has physically structured circuits to perform functions expressed, for example, by code or instructions included in a program.Examples of data processing devices embedded in hardware as described above include microprocessors, central processing units (CPUs), processor cores, multiprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0049]

[0050] Hereinafter, a bio-information sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0051] In FIGS. 1 to 5, the bio-information sensing device according to the present invention may be configured to basically include a light-emitting unit (10) that irradiates light onto a subject (S), a light-receiving unit (20) that receives light reflected from the subject (S) and converts it into an electrical signal, and a processing unit (30) that analyzes bio-information through the received bio-signal. Additionally, it may further include a display unit (40) capable of displaying bio-information analyzed by the processing unit (30).

[0052] The processing unit (30) calculates various bio-information based on bio-signals detected by the light receiving unit (20) and may include a bio-information analysis unit (31) and a storage unit (32). The storage unit (32) functions as a memory.

[0053] The processing unit (33) analyzes the change in intensity over time of the light signal detected by the light receiving unit (20). The processing unit (30) can obtain a biosignal by analyzing the fluctuation of the light signal corresponding to the change in the volume of the blood vessels of the subject (S). Here, the obtained biosignal may be a PPG signal converted based on the correlation between the fluctuation of the analyzed light signal and the change in volume. The biosignal analysis unit (31) can analyze various biosignals such as oxygen saturation, blood sugar, heart rate, fat, and water using the pulse wave signal analysis results as an indicator.

[0054] The storage unit (32) may store reference data for various biological information that can be calculated based on the intensity of infrared light and visible light signals reflected from the subject (S) after being irradiated by the light-emitting unit (10). Additionally, a program for processing and controlling the processing unit (30) may be stored. This processing unit (30) may be, for example, a micro controller unit (MCU).

[0055] Here, the subject (S) may be a biological part that can come into contact with or be adjacent to the light-emitting part (10) and light-receiving part (20) of the biological information detection device as a target for biological information detection, and may be a part of the human body where pulse wave measurement via PPG is easy. For example, it may be an area adjacent to the radial artery on the surface of the wrist. In addition, the subject (S) may be another peripheral part of the human body, such as fingers or toes, which is a part with high blood vessel density.

[0056]

[0057] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a light-emitting part of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0058] The light-emitting unit (10) may be configured to irradiate infrared light and visible light together. To this end, the light-emitting unit (10) may include a first light-emitting unit (11) that irradiates infrared light and a second light-emitting unit (12) that irradiates visible light, as shown in FIG. 2. The first light-emitting unit (11) may be configured to include a plurality of first light-emitting elements (111), second light-emitting elements (112), and nth light-emitting elements (11n) capable of irradiating infrared light of different wavelength bands, so as to irradiate infrared light of multiple bands with different wavelength bands in the infrared region. And the second light-emitting unit (12) may include a plurality of first light-emitting elements (121), second light-emitting elements (122), and nth light-emitting elements (12n) capable of irradiating visible light of different wavelength bands, so as to irradiate visible light of multiple bands with different wavelength bands in the visible light region.

[0059] Specifically, the first light-emitting unit (11) may be selected from a plurality of light-emitting elements (111)(112)(11n) that irradiate infrared light of a different wavelength band in a wavelength band of 800 nm to 2000 nm, and the second light-emitting unit (12) may be selected from a plurality of light-emitting elements (121)(122)(12n) that irradiate visible light of a different wavelength band in a wavelength band of 400 nm to 7000 nm.

[0060] The light-emitting elements (111)(112)(11n) constituting the first light-emitting part (11) of the light-emitting part (10) may be composed of, for example, infrared light-emitting diodes, and the light-emitting elements (121)(122)(12n) constituting the second light-emitting part (12) may be composed of light-emitting diodes.

[0061]

[0062] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a light receiving unit of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0063] The light receiving unit (20) may be configured to receive infrared light and visible light reflected from the subject (S) separately. To this end, the light receiving unit (20) may be configured to include a first light receiving unit (21) that receives infrared light reflected from the subject (S) irradiated from the first light emitting unit (11) as shown in FIG. 3, and a second light receiving unit (22) that receives visible light reflected from the subject (S) irradiated from the second light emitting unit (12).

[0064] The first light receiving unit (21) may be configured to include a first light receiving element (211) that receives infrared light and a first light-collecting filter layer (212) that blocks visible light while inducing infrared light reflected from the subject (S) to be easily received by the first light receiving element (211). The second light receiving unit (22) may be configured to include a second light receiving element (221) that receives visible light and a second light-collecting filter layer (222) that induces visible light reflected from the subject (S) to be easily received by the second light receiving element (221).

[0065] The first photodetector (211) may be composed of, for example, an InGaAs PIN photodiode or an Avalanche Photodiode (APD). The InGaAs PIN photodiode can provide high quantum efficiency from 800 nm to 1700 nm and has the characteristic of providing uniformity within 2% in the detector active area, thereby increasing the accuracy of bio-detection. In addition, the APD can rapidly and accurately detect reflected light due to its characteristic of having high detection capability and speed through photocurrent amplification. The second photodetector (221) may be composed of, for example, a silicon photodiode.

[0066]

[0067] FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5 are plan views illustrating embodiments of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 4, the bio-information sensing device according to the present invention may be configured such that a light receiving unit (20) is located in the center of the PCB (P), and a light emitting unit (10) is located around the light receiving unit (20). That is, the first light receiving unit (21) and the second light receiving unit (22) may be arranged adjacent to each other, and the first light emitting unit (11) and the second light emitting unit (12) are arranged around the first light receiving unit (21) and the second light receiving unit (22).

[0069] In the illustrated example, the first light-emitting unit (11) is composed of six light-emitting elements (111 to 116) capable of irradiating infrared light of different wavelength bands (850 nm to 1650 nm) and can be arranged radially at equal angle intervals to form an arc around the first light-receiving unit (21). The second light-emitting unit (12) is composed of five light-emitting elements (121 to 125) capable of irradiating visible light of different wavelength bands (460 nm to 680 nm) and can be arranged radially at equal angle intervals to form an arc around the second light-receiving unit (22). Accordingly, the entire structure may take the form in which a plurality of light-emitting elements (111 to 116) (121 to 125) constituting the first light-emitting unit (11) and the second light-emitting unit (12) are arranged to form an annular shape around the adjacent first light-receiving unit (21) and the second light-receiving unit (22).

[0070] The bio-information sensing device of the present invention, configured as described above, irradiates infrared light (11a) of different multiple wavelength bands from a first light-emitting unit (11) and irradiates visible light (12a) of different multiple wavelength bands from a second light-emitting unit (12) onto a subject (S). The irradiated infrared light (11a) and visible light (12a) may be partially absorbed and scattered, and the remainder reflected, for example, by the skin or blood vessels of the subject (S).

[0071] Reflected light reflected from the subject (S) can be incident on the light receiving unit (20). At this time, reflected light (11b) in the infrared light band can be detected by the first light receiving unit (21), and reflected light (12b) in the visible light band can be detected by the second light receiving unit (22). That is, the first light collecting filter layer (212) provided in the first light receiving unit (21) of the present invention is composed of a bandpass resin that can block visible light and transmit only infrared light, so that infrared light and visible light can be reliably separated and received. Therefore, interference between infrared light and visible light can be minimized, and biosignals can be efficiently detected with very high accuracy.

[0072] In addition, the present invention receives infrared light and visible light by irradiating multiple wavelengths of different wavelength bands, thereby enabling the very precise analysis of various biological information.

[0073] Meanwhile, the reflected light signal received by the light receiving unit (20) is converted into an electrical signal at the light receiving unit (20). Based on the bio-signal converted in this way, the processing unit (30) can analyze and calculate various bio-information such as heart rate, blood sugar, oxygen saturation, fat, and water. The calculated bio-information can then be displayed through the display unit (40).

[0074] FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the bio-information sensing device of the present invention. In this embodiment, a first light receiving unit (21) and a second light receiving unit (22) are spaced apart, a first light emitting unit (11) composed of a plurality of infrared light emitting elements is arranged in an annular shape around the first light receiving unit (21), and a second light emitting unit (12) composed of a plurality of visible light emitting elements is arranged in an annular shape around the second light receiving unit (22). Of course, the embodiment of FIG. 5 can also exhibit effects similar to those of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0075]

[0076] FIG. 6 is a front view of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a graph showing the characteristics of a visible light blocking bandpass dye included in the first light-collecting filter layer in the first light-receiving part of the bio-information sensing device according to the present invention. FIG. 8 to 13 illustrate embodiments for explaining the light-receiving part of the bio-information sensing device according to the invention.

[0077]

[0078] The first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) can be formed by applying and curing a resin to completely cover the first light-receiving element (211) and the second light-receiving element (221) mounted on the substrate (213) (223) as shown in FIG. 6. The first light-collecting filter layer (212) can be composed of a resin that blocks visible light and transmits only infrared light, and the second light-collecting filter layer (222) can be composed of a transparent resin. Accordingly, the first light-receiving element (211) and the second light-receiving element (221) can receive infrared light and visible light reflected from the subject (S) separately without interference, and can achieve high bio-detection accuracy.

[0079]

[0080] Referring to FIG. 7, the first light-collecting filter layer (212) can reliably block visible light in an infrared region of about 800 nm or more and transmit only infrared light.

[0081] The first light-collecting filter layer (212) may be composed of a resin containing a visible light-blocking bandpass dye. As a visible light-blocking resin, for example, the "Epoxy Molding Compound" resin (trademark NITTO) of Nitto Denko, Japan may be used, but is not limited thereto, and a resin containing a visible light-blocking bandpass dye may be used.

[0082] Therefore, the first light receiving element (211) can reliably block visible light reflected from the subject (S) and receive only infrared light, so the bio-information sensing device of the present invention can increase the accuracy of bio-sensing and enable efficient detection.

[0083] The first light-collecting filter layer (212) is preferably formed with a thickness (h) of at least 0.3 mm from the light-receiving element (211). This is because a thickness of 0.3 mm or more is desirable for increasing the blocking rate of visible light and allowing infrared light to be transmitted. The thickness refers to the distance (h) from the highest point on the surface of the first light-collecting filter layer (212) to the surface of the light-receiving element (211), and may be at least 0.3 mm and 2 mm or less. More specifically, it may be 0.3 mm or more, 0.4 mm or more, 0.5 mm or more, 0.6 mm or more, 0.7 mm or more, 2 mm or less, 1.5 mm or less, 1.2 mm or less, 1 mm or less, 0.9 mm or less, 0.8 mm or less, or 0.7 mm or less. The second light-collecting filter layer (222) is also preferably formed with a thickness (h) of at least 0.3 mm and 2 mm or less from the light-receiving element (221), just like the first light-collecting filter layer (212).

[0084] Referring to FIG. 8, when a test subject (S) comes into contact with the surface of the detection device (100), light emitted from the light-emitting part is reflected and moves to the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212). When the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) are hemispherical, some of the reflected light is scattered and may be absorbed by the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) itself, so that the refracted light, excluding the absorbed and scattered light, can be collected by the first light-receiving element (211) and the second light-receiving element (221). Specifically, more than 5%, more than 10%, less than 30%, and less than 20% of the reflected light may be lost due to absorption and scattering, and more than 70%, more than 80%, less than 100%, less than 95%, and less than 90% of the reflected light may be collected by the first light receiving element (211) and the second light receiving element (221).

[0085]

[0086] FIG. 9(a) shows the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) having a hemispherical shape, and FIG. 9(b) shows the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) having a low hemispherical shape.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 9, the light-collecting filter layer may be formed in a semi-spherical or shallow semi-spherical shape so as to collect reflected light into each light-receiving element (211) (221). The shallow semi-spherical shape may correspond to a part of an ellipsoid, may be a shell shape that is part of an ellipsoid, may be a semi-elliptical shape, or may be a semi-rugby ball shape. The part of the ellipsoid may have a cross-section perpendicular to the lower surface of the light-collecting filter layer that is semi-elliptical or parabolic in shape. The ratio of the height (h) to the lower diameter (D) of the light-collecting filter layer may be in the range of 0.3 to 0.4.

[0088] When the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) are hemispherical or low hemispherical, there is an advantage in that all reflected light entering through the hemispherical surface can be collected in the light-receiving element. Reflected light entering from the side direction can also be collected in the light-receiving element. Therefore, excluding light that is absorbed or scattered while entering the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212), a large amount of reflected light can be collected in the light-receiving element. Specifically, more than 50%, more than 60%, more than 70%, and less than 100% of the reflected light can be collected in the light-receiving element (211)(221).

[0089] When the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) are hemispherical, the angle of refraction increases when reflected light enters the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212), so some light may be lost. Additionally, the height, which is the maximum distance among the distances from the surface of the light-collecting filter layer to the surface of the light-receiving element, may increase, and consequently, the thickness of the detection device (100) may increase.

[0090] In the case where the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) are low hemispherical, the ratio of height (h) to lower diameter (D) is in the range of 0.3 to 0.5. Therefore, the height, which is the maximum distance among the distances from the surface of the light-collecting filter layer to the surface of the light-receiving element, can be relatively smaller than that of the hemispherical shape, so as a result, the thickness of the detection device (100) is reduced, and thus there is an advantage of being able to make a compact device. In addition, in the case where the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) are low hemispherical, the angle of refraction is reduced when reflected light enters the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212), so there is an advantage that the amount of light lost is less than that of the hemispherical shape.

[0091] The first light-gathering filter layer (212) and the second light-gathering filter layer (212), formed in a hemispherical or semi-spherical shape as described above, can concentrate reflected light so that it is incident on each light-receiving element (211) (221), similar to a convex lens. Therefore, the loss of infrared light and visible light reflected from a subject (S) in contact with the surface of the device (100) can be minimized, and the amount of reflected light received by the first and second light-receiving elements (211) (221) can be increased, thereby enabling the acquisition of more accurate biological information.

[0092] That is, light (infrared light and visible light) irradiated from the light-emitting unit (10) strikes the subject (S), and some is lost and reflected due to absorption and scattering. Therefore, for accurate detection of biological information, it is preferable to have a shape in which as much reflected light as possible is incident on each light-receiving element (211) (221). Thus, the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) have the advantage of being hemispherical or low hemispherical, which can collect light, thereby minimizing lost reflected light and allowing a large amount of reflected light to be incident on the light-receiving elements (211) (221).

[0093]

[0094] FIG. 10 is a drawing illustrating a comparative example to explain the degree of light reception of reflected light for an embodiment of the light receiving part of a bio-information sensing device according to the present invention.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 10, when the light-collecting filter layer (214)(224) is in the shape of a cuboid, most of the reflected light incident on the side is lost in addition to the reflected light incident on the upper surface. Furthermore, the reflected light incident on the upper surface may also be refracted to a range outside the light-receiving element, so the incident light may not be collected by the light-receiving element (211)(221) and may be lost. Therefore, only 20 to 50 percent of the total reflected light can be collected by the light-receiving element (211)(221), resulting in a significantly small amount of received light. Consequently, there is a problem with reduced accuracy of bio-information.

[0096]

[0097] FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate an embodiment in which the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) in the light-receiving part of the bio-information sensing device according to the present invention are formed in a hemispherical or low hemispherical shape, and the upper portions of the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) have the shape of a flat planar portion (214) (224).

[0098] Referring to FIG. 11, when the upper surface of the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) is flat, there is almost no scattering of light, so there is almost no scattering loss of reflected light. In addition, since it has a hemispherical shape excluding the upper surface, it has the advantage of being able to receive reflected light coming from the side. Therefore, in the case of a light-collecting filter layer (214)(224) having a flat portion (214)(224) on the upper part of the hemispherical shape, reflected light incident on the light-receiving portion (21)(22) can be concentrated so that most of it is incident on the light-receiving element (211)(221) regardless of the direction of incidence on the light-collecting filter layer (212)(222). Specifically, more than 80%, more than 85%, more than 90%, and less than 100% of the reflected light can be collected in the light-receiving element (211)(221). Therefore, the loss of reflected light due to scattering, etc. is minimized, and the light receiving element (211)(221) can receive a large amount of reflected light, so there is an advantage that the accuracy of the bio-information is the highest.

[0099] That is, when measuring biological information, the subject (S) is positioned in contact with or close to the light-emitting part (10) and the light-receiving part (20), so some of the reflected light that hits the subject (S) and returns can be incident almost perpendicularly on the light-receiving part (21)(22) due to a small reflection angle. The reflected light incident perpendicularly in this way can be incident on the flat part (214)(224) of the light-collecting filter layer (212)(222), so scattering can be minimized, and thus most of the reflected light can be incident on the light-receiving element (211)(221) without loss.

[0100] However, when a flat portion (214) (224) is formed on the upper portion of the first light-collecting filter layer (212) and the second light-collecting filter layer (212) as such, the thickness (h) of the first light-collecting filter layer (212) with respect to the first light-receiving element (211) may be smaller than 0.3 mm, and the visible light blocking rate may be reduced. Of course, even in this embodiment, the thickness (h) of the first light-collecting filter layer (212) can be formed to be 0.3 mm or more, but in this case, the volume and thickness of the detection device (100) may increase.

[0101] Accordingly, when a flat portion (214)(224) is formed on the upper portion of the light-collecting filter layer (212)(222), as shown in FIG. 13 (b), it may be preferable to form a receiving groove (215)(225) in the substrate (213)(223) and embed the light-receiving element (211)(221) in the receiving groove (215)(225) by inserting it into the receiving groove (215)(225). Then, it may be possible to configure the thickness (h) of the light-collecting filter layer (212)(222) for the light-receiving element (211)(221) to be 0.3 mm or more without increasing the volume, so there is an advantage that the volume and thickness of the detection device (100) can be manufactured compactly in a small size. In addition, the amount of reflected light incident on the light-receiving element (211)(221) can be further increased.

[0102] In addition, in the case of a hemispherical or low hemispherical light-collecting filter layer (212)(222) that does not have a flat portion (214)(224), a light-receiving element (211)(221) can be embedded in a substrate (213)(223) as shown in (a) of FIG. 13, and in this case, the thickness (h) of the light-collecting filter layer (212)(222) can be made small, so there is an advantage that the volume and thickness of the detection device (100) can be manufactured compactly in a small size.

[0103]

[0104] A person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention may be implemented in other specific forms without altering its technical concept or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims set forth below rather than by the detailed description above, and all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A light-emitting part capable of irradiating infrared light and visible light onto a subject; A light receiving unit capable of separating and receiving the reflected infrared light and visible light reflected from the above-mentioned subject, respectively, and converting them into electrical signals; and A bio-information detection device comprising: a processing unit that analyzes bio-information of a subject from an electrical signal converted by the light receiving unit.

2. In Claim 1, The above light receiving unit is, A first light receiving unit for receiving infrared light; and A bio-information sensing device comprising a second light receiving unit that receives visible light.

3. In Claim 2, The above-mentioned first light receiving unit is, A first light-receiving element that receives infrared light; and A bio-information sensing device comprising: a first light-collecting filter layer capable of shielding visible light and transmitting only infrared light, and collecting infrared light reflected from the subject into the first light-receiving element.

4. In Claim 3, The above second light receiving unit is, A second light-receiving element that receives visible light; and A bio-information sensing device comprising: a second light-collecting filter layer capable of collecting visible light reflected from the above-mentioned subject to the second light-receiving element.

5. In Claim 4, The above first light-collecting filter layer and second light-collecting filter layer are, The first light-receiving element and the second light-receiving element are each coated to cover the above, A bio-information sensing device having an external shape that is semi-spherical or partially ellipsoidal.

6. In Claim 5, The above first light-collecting filter layer and second light-collecting filter layer are, A bio-information sensing device that is a low hemispherical or part of an ellipsoid, with a lower diameter (D) and height (h) ratio in the range of 0.3 to 0.

5.

7. In Claim 5, A bio-information sensing device having a flat portion formed on the top of the first light-collecting filter layer and the second light-collecting filter layer.

8. In Claim 7, A bio-information sensing device in which the first light-receiving element and the second light-receiving element are embedded in a substrate.

9. In Claim 5, A bio-information sensing device formed such that the distance from the surface of each of the first light-collecting filter layer and the second light-collecting filter layer to the surface of the light-receiving element is at least 0.3 mm.

10. In Claim 4, The first light-collecting filter layer is formed of a resin containing a bandpass dye capable of blocking visible light and transmitting infrared light, and A bio-information sensing device in which the second light-collecting filter layer is formed of a transparent resin.

11. In Claim 4, The above-mentioned light-emitting part is, A first light-emitting unit that irradiates infrared light; and A bio-information sensing device comprising a second light-emitting part that irradiates visible light.

12. In Claim 11, The above first light-emitting part and second light-emitting part are, A bio-information sensing device comprising a plurality of light-emitting elements that each irradiate a plurality of infrared light and visible light of different wavelength bands.

13. In Claim 12, The first and second light receiving parts are positioned adjacent to the central part of the detection device, and The first light-emitting part is arranged in an arc shape around the first light-receiving part side, and A bio-information sensing device in which the second light-emitting part is arranged in an arc shape around the second light-receiving part.

14. In Claim 12, The first light receiving unit and the second light receiving unit are arranged at a distance from each other, The first light-emitting part is arranged in an annular shape around the first light-receiving part, and A bio-information sensing device in which the second light-emitting part is arranged in an annular shape around the second light-receiving part.

15. In Claim 4, A bio-information sensing device in which the first light-receiving element is composed of an InGaAs PIN photodiode or an APD (Avalanche Photo Diode), and the second light-receiving element is composed of a silicon photodiode.

16. In Claim 4, A biometric information detection device further comprising a display unit for displaying biometric information analyzed in the processing unit above.

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