Angled PCB Wings for Wearable Ring Optical Path Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable devices face challenges in accurately collecting physiological data due to optical paths intersecting pulsating blood vessels, leading to noise interference and inaccurate measurements, and LED-PD pairs being too close, causing signal interference or low signal-to-noise ratio.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of PCBs with angled wings to position LEDs and PDs at desired angles, creating direct optical paths that avoid blood vessels and minimize interference, ensuring accurate data collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If optical paths are designed to pass through the finger for physiological measurement, then data collection capability is improved, but the optical paths intersect pulsating blood vessels causing noise interference and measurement inaccuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different optical path configurations for different measurement purposes. Some LED-PD pairs are positioned to create optical paths that intersect blood vessels for heart rate and blood pressure measurements, while other pairs are positioned to create optical paths that avoid blood vessels for blood oxygen saturation measurements. This allows each local region of the sensor array to have optimized optical path characteristics tailored to specific measurement requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the third dimension (depth into the finger tissue) to differentiate optical paths. By adjusting the radial distance between LED and PD pairs and their respective positions on the PCB, the system creates optical paths with different depths and trajectories through the finger, enabling some paths to pass through blood vessels while others bypass them, thus resolving the contradiction between data collection and noise avoidance.
2Volume of moving object
If LED and PD are positioned close together to reduce device size, then compactness is improved, but signal interference and low signal-to-noise ratio occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the size-reliability contradiction by utilizing the vertical dimension (perpendicular to the PCB surface) and radial distance from the PCB center. LED and PD pairs are positioned at different radial distances and angled at different orientations, creating sufficient separation in three-dimensional space while maintaining a compact overall device footprint. This allows small device dimensions without compromising signal quality.
Solution Approach 2:
Different LED-PD pairs are positioned with different spatial separations and angular orientations tailored to their specific measurement functions. Pairs requiring higher signal strength have greater separation and optimized angles, while pairs for other measurements have different configurations, allowing the overall device to remain compact while maintaining reliable signals for all measurement types.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the accuracy of physiological data collection by reducing noise interference and improving signal quality, allowing for precise measurements of heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation.
Implementation Method 1
light transmitted by the first LED may follow an arched optical path between the first LED and the first PD
Implementation Method 2
the curvature of the PCB causes the first LED and the first PD to angle towards each other
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for a wearable ring device are described. In some cases, a printed circuit board (PCB) of a wearable ring device may include a first wing extruding from the PCB in a first direction and in accordance with a first angle between a bottom face of the first wing and a top face of the PCB, and a second wing extruding from the PCB in a second direction and in accordance with a second angle between a bottom face of the second wing and the top face of the PCB. In such cases, a light emitting component may be positioned on the first wing and a light detecting component may be positioned on the second wing, such that a first optical path may be defined between the first light emitting component and the first light detecting component based on the first angle and the second angle.